DanaMont Square LLC/University Station
Student housing (rental), retail space and office space: University Station is the first of a two-phase redevelopment to create a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community adjacent to Xavier University in Cincinnati. It will feature 176 apartments, 39,940 sq. ft. of ground floor retail and 36,300 sq. ft. of office space in four newly constructed buildings. The project will provide off-campus student housing, retail including a new university bookstore and office space for companies associated with the university. Office tenants will also include a primary healthcare provider offering services to low-income people.
Kennedy Heights Cultural Campus
This project returned an abandoned commercial space into a center for community activity. The blighted property, a former grocery store, was an eyesore in the neighborhood business district for years. This project created three commercial condominium spaces for expanded arts programing through the Kennedy Heights Arts Center as well as a Montessori school. The new facility also hosts community events.
Madcap Education Center
Madcap Puppets is a nonprofit theater company that performs in schools, museums, and public spaces in 15 states. In search of a permanent home, Madcap purchased a long-vacant telephone switching facility in the neighborhood business district. CDF provided financing enabling the rehabilitation to move forward. Today, the 20,000-sf historic building is an arts destination with summer camps, classrooms, and a 135-seat theater.
Sanctuary Square
This project involved rehabilitating three historic buildings, including a 174-year old church, to support educational programs, social services and community events. With this renovation, property owner Education Matters doubled classroom capacity for adult education classes, including GED prep and English for Speakers of Other Languages. A renovated and expanded food pantry offers healthy food options in the neighborhood. The restored church sanctuary provides attractive and flexible space for weddings, receptions, community events and meetings.
Incline Theater
CDF’s financing supported construction of a 229-seat performing arts center and 130-space, two-deck parking garage as well as renovation and expansion of the Price Hill Recreation Center. The theater brought life to a blighted, vacant lot in the heart of the neighborhood’s emerging entertainment district. In addition to professional theater performances, the venue hosts community events.
Bi Okoto Cultural Center
Bi-Okoto is a professional African dance company that uses traditional arts to promote cultural awareness. The organization had been leasing a building and renovating it as finances allowed. Having moved three times in 20 years, they wanted the stability of a permanent home. With CDF financing, Bi-Okoto was able to purchase and renovate a building, which enabled them to expand programming and reach a larger audience.
Center For Great Neighborhoods
Once an active lumber mill, the 130-year-old Hellmann Lumber building sat vacant for two decades. The Center for Great Neighborhoods (CGN), a community housing development organization, redeveloped the property into offices, community space and artist studios. CGN moved its offices to the site, which anchors an emerging creative district in this historic neighborhood.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Theater
To increase its community impact, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company sought to acquire and redevelop a vacant property. CDF’s New Markets Tax Credits helped finance the new 40,000-sf facility, which features a performing arts theater, education center, technical production facility and administrative office space. With this new facility, the company serves more than 65,000 residents through mainstage shows, educational matinees, school tours, free performances in local parks, acting classes and camps.
Deca Prep
Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) Prep is a charter school serving primarily low-income students in grades K-6. Phase 1 of this project added four new classrooms and a support staff room and also upgraded the cafeteria, kitchen, gym and mechanical/electrical systems. Phase 2 included construction of a new building with a double-sized classroom and an innovative parent engagement center.
Arco
CDF provided financing to support the rehabilitation of a historic Masonic Lodge, which had been vacant for 30 years. Renamed ARCO (Arts + Community), the facility is now home to the neighborhood’s youth orchestra, MyCincinnati, as well as its community development corporation, Price Hill Will. It is a popular venue for summer camps, community events and celebrations.