CINCINNATI — A new report identifying properties that could be turned into housing or commercial businesses in Cincinnati has city council members hopeful that they can use those spaces to address the housing crisis.
"That could be catalytic to a lot of these neighborhoods," council member Mark Jeffreys said. "So you look at the 500 to 1000 extra units of housing, at a time when we are having a housing shortage, it's a real need and opportunity."
The report identified 48 sites with nearly 74 acres of undeveloped properties in 20 different neighborhoods. They are all along 24-hour Metro bus routes. It also singled our four properties in Madisonville, Avondale, North Avondale and Over-the-Rhine/Mount Auburn neighborhoods that the city calls shovel-ready.
"We know these are big opportunity properties that hold a lot of potential but we're open to what that development looks like," Jeffreys said. "We think it should be housing, but developers might have other ideas that are even more creative than what we're thinking of right now."
While the city is calling on developers to tackle those projects, Nick Johnson in the West End is trying to develop nearly five acres of property off of Linn and Livingston.
"This is ready right now — shovel-ready right now," Johnson said. "Just where we're standing now, there's opportunity for so much. I mean, just look. It's perfect for what the city needs now. I could see 600 apartments here with 100 square feet of commercial space."
The first project for Johnson is turning a building on the property into the West End Sports Bar. Johnson told us it used to be a grocery store.
"I was 12, 13 (years old), Frank's ... they had the fresh meats and other meats, that was the meat store right there," Johnson said.
Johnson is also part of the West End Community Council.
We asked him what residents say they want to see in their area.
"Restaurants, grocery stores, all the mom and pop stores, the small businesses," Johnson said.
But standing in the way is the money needed to clean it up, Johnson said.
Johnson showed us around the property which has old tires, garbage and overgrown weeds.
"This right here was a garage for one of the slaughterhouses," said Johnson, pointing to what used to be there.
In addition to giving people what they want, Johnson talked about how part of the plan is changing the area's identity.
"That's always been a junkyard," Johnson said, pointing to another area of the property.
He hopes with more help, other investors will step up and give his vision a chance.
"If you clean this all up, it will be inviting to a community, it will be inviting to a city," said Johnson. "We have nothing to lose, but to bet on ourselves. To me, no risk, no reward."
