Some of the most iconic places in Cincinnati wouldn’t be what they are today without the major revitalization force that is Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., known as 3CDC. The convention center, Fountain Square, Washington Park, and “thousands of places to live Downtown and in Over-the-Rhine are just part” of how 3CDC “has transformed Cincinnati over the last 20 years,” Cincinnati.com reports. The organization “has received international attention” and “been hailed as a model” for its work on major projects around the city, according to the article.
Past projects include the “$48.9 million renovation of Fountain Square” finished in 2006, part of an objective “to create and manage civic spaces.” In 2012, 3CDC was part of a public-private partnership with the Cincinnati Park Board, the City of Cincinnati, and “the Cincinnati corporate and philanthropic community” to renovate Washington Park. That $48 million project transformed the park “from six acres of grassy space to an eight-acre urban sanctuary with a stage, playground, walking paths and a 450-space underground garage.” In 2016, 3CDC renovated Memorial Hall and the “nine-story Renaissance Revival building housing the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati.” 3CDC has also renovated Music Hall and Ziegler Park, converted the former Macy’s-anchored Fountain Place “into a modern, mixed-use development,” and reconfigured Court Street Plaza.
What’s next? In 2022, 3CDC “was appointed to oversee what’s known as the Convention District by the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.” The Duke Energy Convention Center is under renovation and is expected to be finished by the end of 2025. A new park “will be built on the former Millenium Hotel site.” The former Saks Fifth Avenue building Downtown “will reopen as a mixed-use office development with Paycor as its main tenant” and a relocated Salazar restaurant as part of a $36 million development. More housing “on Vine Street and a new neighborhood community center are coming soon north of Liberty Street.” The next year will see more of these projects completed. The next 20 years? Who knows how much 3CDC will accomplish? For more, read the full article (subscription may be required).
