By Ryan Messer

Letter from Over-the-Rhine Community Council President Ryan Messer to Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley dated Wednesday (edited for space):

On behalf of the Over-the-Rhine Community Council, we write to you to with a request for action regarding city owned properties in our neighborhood.

We begin by expressing our support of the transformative changes the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) has enabled in Over-the-Rhine. Since 2004, 3CDC's efforts have resulted in an increase in home ownership, an influx of new businesses, and a dramatic drop in crime in OTR. As a nonprofit public-private partnership, 3CDC catalyzed redevelopment by tackling projects the private sector could not complete due to lack of market demands.

Today, it's a very different story than when we began. Due to 3CDC's successes, the market has changed significantly. Demand in Over-the-Rhine is at an all-time high.

Along with this change, a neighborhood has been reborn. Long-standing residents and newer residents have come together and begun the conversation about the OTR of the future. The Community Council has partnered with the Over-the-Rhine Community Housing and the Over-the-Rhine Foundation to work towards a common vision for our future. In short, the people in this neighborhood are very concerned that current plans and development may be happening without input from residents on what the future might hold. We believe it's time for a new era in our neighborhood. A common thread in the neighborhood is the expressed desire to protect and expand our cultural diversity and this, in part, can be done by paying close attention to providing affordable housing options in both the rental and the purchase markets.

Today, there are a significant number of buildings that remain vacant and are holding the city back from repopulating our city. We see a diverse group of entities with an interest in creating a variety of housing options for our community that are looking for an opportunity to participate in the rebirth.

The OTR Foundation's successful Owner-Occupied OTR Workshop Series surpassed capacity with 150 paying participants who met over the course of 3 months to learn from experienced OTR developers how to acquire, design and finance rehab projects common to OTR. The goal is to create community by supporting individuals who will invest not only in buildings but in the long-term renaissance of the community. We do that by adequately informing and preparing small-scale investors to successfully redevelop an owner-occupied property in the neighborhood.

Today, growth is being delayed, in part, by the immense landbank held by 3CDC. Once a property is owned by 3CDC, we have been unable to ascertain a standard, transparent formula that 3CDC follows to sell its properties to experienced developers or individuals who come to the table with resources and interest.

Given the current state of the real estate market in our neighborhood, we believe Over-the-Rhine and the City of Cincinnati will grow more quickly if these individuals and developers are given the option of purchasing and developing properties now owned by the city in a timely manner.

It is our understanding that the City intends to grant a Preferred Developer Agreement (PDA) to 3CDC for the properties in question. Perhaps the city doesn't have the capacity to manage the vetting process to ensure the projects are done in a proper and timely manner. So, this may be a good option to handle the logistics of getting these properties into the hands of appropriate individuals and developers who can complete the projects. That being said, we are requesting neighborhood input on the plan to distribute the buildings.

We also believe that there are many areas in Over-the-Rhine where a public-private catalyst like 3CDC could jumpstart development. They have proven to be very effective in dealing with large projects that individuals and smaller developers aren't able to tackle. However, there are many buildings in Over-the-Rhine that could be brought back to life in short order if 3CDC is willing to include capable developers at fair market prices.

Mayor Cranley, we are requesting that you review the recommendation from the Department of Trade and Development and help us ensure that these buildings will be used to create the neighborhood that the people and businesses in the neighborhood want. We also ask you to request that the Department of Trade and Development review 3CDC's inventory of undeveloped properties and help the neighborhood understand the progress and timelines for each project before granting a PDA for all mixed use, city-owned properties around Findlay Market to 3CDC.

Based on data that we have, we believe the demand will outpace the supply for these buildings. As a result, we also propose the development of a point system that might reward developers and individuals who submit plans to renovate the properties in a timely fashion, complete projects that are in line with the principles of the OTR Comprehensive Plan, include proposals for business that have been requested by residents, etc.

We believe these requests are sound and of great importance to the future of Over-the-Rhine. Now is the time to get the residents of the community at the table to join the conversation about future neighborhood plans that will make a significant impact for years to come.