From groundbreakings for new affordable housing and advanced manufacturing to talking invisible infrastructure at the Neighborhood Summit, our team has had a busy couple of months. Read more in our April Bi-Monthly Update.
Groundbreakings held for new manufacturing and affordable housing developments
In early April, The Port joined local officials to break ground on Emerge Manufacturing, a 55,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility at the former Cincinnati Gardens site in Bond Hill/Roselawn. Cynthia Booth, a Bond Hill native and local entrepreneur, purchased the third and final parcel of the Gardens from The Port to manufacture personal protective equipment in the new plant, creating nearly 100 jobs that will pay $60,000 a year, while also minimizing our region’s reliance on offshore resources for life-saving supplies and equipment.
The Port joined Pennrose and the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation (WHRF) to break ground on the Lincoln & Gilbert development in Walnut Hills. Lincoln & Gilbert will bring new affordable housing options for households at 30% and 60% AMI. The Port and the Hamilton County Landbank are proud to play a role in helping make this project a reality along with many partners including Walnut Hills Area Council, City of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Development Fund, Ohio Housing Finance Authority, and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing.
Port attends 2023 Neighborhood Summit to talk ‘Invisible Infrastructure’
In early March Port staff participated in the 2023 Neighborhood Summit at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. The annual event brings together hundreds of community leaders and volunteers, city officials, and non-profits in a day-long series of seminars and workshops aimed at helping citizens work effectively together to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
The Port hosted an afternoon panel discussion, “Invisible Infrastructure,” which looked at the multifaceted connection between healthy neighborhoods and a healthy real estate market, including the systemic issues faced by neighborhoods experiencing disinvested real estate and exploring examples of how communities are fighting back.
The Port’s Liz Eddy, Director of Residential Development, and Tom Millikin, VP of Communications & Marketing, were joined on the panel by Carol Gibbs, President of the Mt. Auburn Community Development Corporation, Nick Johnson, Managing Partner of B.O.C. Development, and local developer Jake Hodesh.
Ohio State Senate testimony on housing
The Port’s Executive Vice President of Neighborhood Revitalization, Philip Denning, traveled to Columbus in March to provide testimony to the Ohio Senate Ways and Means Committee in support of proposed housing legislation, Senate Bill 76, which would levy a tax on high-volume landlords. SB 76, proposed by Senator Louis W. Blessing, R-District 8, is in response to increased activity by investors purchasing large numbers of single-family homes, making it more difficult for families and individuals to attain homeownership.
Denning thanked Committee Chairman Blessing for introducing this legislation and leading the effort to find wide-ranging solutions to address institutional investor impact in Ohio.
In January 2022, The Port purchased a portfolio of 194 single-family homes formerly owned by a California-based investor that fell into receivership in order to give the rental residents of these homes a pathway to homeownership.
Jilson Daniels named Treasurer of OMSDC Board at Annual Meeting
In March, the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council (OMSDC) held its annual meeting in Toledo. OMSDC is celebrating 50 years of growing and fostering value-driven partnerships between minority business enterprises, corporations and government entities. At the annual meeting, The Port’s Vice President of Economic Equity, Jilson Daniels, was named Treasurer of the OMSDC Board of Directors.
Port Shorts: 2022 Year in Review
Explore our biggest accomplishments and pivotal moments from 2022! In this Port Short, we highlight how we transformed real estate in 2022 for job creation, homeownership, and thriving neighborhoods.
Thanks to a collaborative effort between The Port, developer Jake Hodesh, and the Westwood community, this neighborhood once again has access to fresh groceries. Check out our latest Port Short to learn more about Westwood’s new market, La Monarca Supermercado.
Employee Spotlight - Kelley Allesee, Real Estate Counsel
Kelley joined The Port’s legal team in 2017 and works closely with the Landbank team on acquisition of properties through traditional acquisition methods, which include, in part, donation, purchase, Sheriff Sales, and, more recently, Receiver’s Sales. She also negotiates and drafts residential, disposition contracts and represents the Landbank in litigated disputes.
Kelley began her legal career at a local creditor’s rights firm as a paralegal, and once she finished law school in 2011, was hired as a staff attorney to prosecute residential bank foreclosures throughout the State of Ohio. Kelley then worked in the Quality-of-Life division at the City of Cincinnati’s Solicitor’s Office prosecuting property owners and landlords for health, safety, and code violations.
“There are so many things to love about working for The Port. We are a relatively small team, yet the breadth of experience and the landscape of industry knowledge contained in our office is awesome. The comprehensive and collaborative approach to redevelopment between our industrial, commercial, and residential teams is not something you see in other organizations. I have had the opportunity to be part of meaningful projects that will create home ownership opportunities for residents that might otherwise be stuck in the endless cycle of leasing. Owning a home not only creates wealth, but it also stabilizes families and creates a healthier community.” - Kelley Allesee
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