CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval touted several successes and room for improvement at his first State of the City Address.
Sworn in this year, the city's 70th mayor gave his hour-long speech before a packed room at Union Terminal Tuesday.
"Cincinnati, I am proud to carry forth a rich legacy, standing on the shoulders of all those who have come before today to tell you that the state of the city is strong," Pureval said.
He touched on four key topics: economic growth, public safety, affordable housing and environmental action.
Economic Growth
Just this year, Pureval said the city partnered with REDI and JobsOhio to attract or retain over 1,000 jobs, creating over $23 million in payroll.
Pureval went on to say the partnership between the Regional Chamber and the Minority Business Accelerator helped support the growth of more than 70 black- and brown-owned businesses with over $1 million in annual revenue.
Pureval praised large-scale events including the Cincinnati Music Festival, Black Tech Week and BLINK helping to draw in more than 2 million people to the city.
Downtown occupancy saw a 33% increase and hotel revenue grew by 62%.
"Our region is on track for over 100 minority-owned businesses, creating over $1 million in revenue by 2025," Pureval said. "And this revitalization, this turning of the page, is the cornerstone of how Cincinnati will win the next generation."
Public Safety
The city has invested $20.9 million in public safety infrastructure this year, Pureval said.
The mayor lauded the Department of Transportation and Engineering's several pedestrian safety projects aimed at improving accessibility and walkability in Cincinnati.
This year, the city implemented measures such as new speed cushions, bump-outs and crosswalks in 15 neighborhoods. There are plans to add more of those measures in the coming years.
Pureval highlighted the recently-approved 30% pay increase and sign-on bonuses for Cincinnati police recruits.
1,450 guns have been taken off city streets this year, in a hardened response to the "unprecedented" rise in violent crime during the pandemic, Pureval said. Homicides are down 16.7% compared to 2021.
"Which means we are trending in the right direction, but let me be clear: the violence epidemic in our streets is unacceptable," Pureval said. "To see lasting change, we have to do everything in our power to address the root causes of violence.
Pureval said to target the gun problem at its root, his administration is pursuing two new gun policies: one is a city law prohibiting those convicted of domestic violence from ever legally possessing a firearm again, and the other is focused on establishing safe storage laws.
"So, in Cincinnati, if you don’t take the responsible steps to secure your firearm we are going to make sure you are criminally liable for what it’s used for," he said.
Affordable Housing
"We are proud of our work on housing, but we have more work to do to design, at a systems level, the environment to incentivize housing production," Pureval said.
Affordable housing was at the forefront of the mayor's address.
This year, the city has spearheaded the creation or renovation of 1,029 units of housing. 417 units are affordable — 391 of which are at or below 60% AMI, Pureval said.
Zoning densities have been a point of contention for this current city council.
In March, WCPO reported on a controversial proposal that suggested smaller units be allowed inside existing buildings in areas of neighborhoods already zoned for multi-family units. Supporters of the proposal said the idea would allow for more housing units to be created, whereas critics said the proposal would create the opposite outcome, possibly causing higher costs and displacement, instead.
Pureval announced Tuesday two new strategies to address the city's approach to zoning and development: reforming the residential tax abatement program and reforming land use in the city.
The new proposal establishes three tiers — Lift, Expand, and Sustain — and neighborhoods will fall into them based on metrics of income levels and poverty rate, the value of homes, and the level of development that’s already occurring in the market, Pureval said.
“This is a phased approach where tiers will be updated every three years and allow us to evaluate how neighborhoods are growing over time and apply the proper incentives to promote that growth," he said.
Pureval said right now, too much of the city is zoned exclusively for single-family homes. Moving forward, Pureval said the city will allow and encourage more types of housing options — multi-family units, row houses and townhomes — near commerce centers and transit corridors.
The mayor said he plans to launch a Code Enforcement Unit to protect tenants and hold neglectful landlords accountable.
"But code enforcement alone won’t sufficiently address the problem," he said. "We’re also going to support our tenants, who are often outmatched when it comes to having the resources to defend their rights."
Environmental Action
Pureval also highlighted work through the Green Cincinnati Plan.
His administration is pursuing an EPA grant to address environmental justice issues concentrated in the Lower Mill Creek Corridor to improve the quality of life and economic outlook for the predominantly Black and brown communities that were impacted by the industry of the last century, he said.
