CINCINNATI — Several vacant properties near Findlay Market are getting a facelift. Several city leaders Monday voiced support for allocating funds to help.
“Definitely since COVID, we've seen a downturn,” said Toncia Chavez, founder of ETC Produce & Provisions at the market. “Everything is vacant, everything is empty. Everything is really dirty.”
The Model Group wants to fix that. The organization plans to develop 12 vacant, historic buildings in the area as part of a project that will create commercial and residential units. Four of the buildings are adjacent to Findlay Market. Eight are on the 1800 block of Vine Street.
Chavez is excited by the project’s potential.
“It definitely hurts us negatively,” she said of the vacant properties. “People come from out of town or coming down, and they're seeing parts of Findlay Market and they're seeing Vine Street and they're like, ‘Whoa, this is a totally different area.’”
“This really is the northern doorway into our downtown and how it looks sends a message,” said Bobby Maly, Model Group CEO.
The Findlay Parkside Project will include new, mixed-income residential units. Half of the units will be affordable at 80% AMI.
“I love development,” said Kelly Michelsen, who volunteers in Over-the-Rhine several days each week. “Good news, bad news. Gentrification is a beautiful thing in ways, but it's also pushing out the housing insecure, even further away.”
Michelsen was excited to hear about the project’s affordable housing.
“I love that,” she said. “I did not know that. That'd be fantastic.”
The project will also include new space available for local businesses. It is a nearly $30 million investment into the neighborhood. On Monday, a city council committee approved nearly $2.3 million to help. The funding will need to be approved by the full council next.
During that meeting, some city residents asked for more time to make sure their voices are heard. Maly said the Model Group had spoken directly with 100 people and organizations.
Chavez is hopeful the project will improve the neighborhood.
“Not only are we going to have more retail space, more opportunity for locals to start small businesses, but you have residential,” said Chavez. “Being able to transform a neighborhood, that’s what we want to see.”
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