Enquirer series: The Future of Downtown Cincinnati

This year, The Enquirer is examining what the Future of Downtown Cincinnati might look like. From new developments to an influx of residential units to concerns over parking, crime and a lack of retail, there are endless topics to cover when it comes to Downtown.

Have story ideas or questions? Email real estate reporters Sydney Franklin or Randy Tucker. Are you a downtown resident, worker or business owner? Fill out our questionnaire so we can get to know you better and learn what downtown topics you care about the most.

Here's what we've covered so far:

The future of Downtown Cincinnati is being built now

Long before the pandemic began, a new era of Downtown Cincinnati was emerging. Towering office buildings were being converted to apartments and the revival of Fountain Square by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. breathed new life into Downtown. But COVID-19 pummeled Downtown's office culture and now the city center is shifting from a job hub to a lifestyle center instead.The Enquirer's Future of Downtown series isn't just about the many changes coming to the physical city. It's also about encouraging you, our readers, to consider what you want the future of Downtown to be and what it will take to get there.

Downtown Cincinnati: What the past tells us

Through the 235 years of the Cincinnati's history, the 1-square-mile urban core of Downtown has been the heart of the Queen City, according to Enquirer historian Jeff Suess. The architecture we see today was born between the 1870s and the early 20th century when structures like the Roebling Suspension Bridge, Central Trust Tower and Carew Tower were built. During that time, Downtown transformed from its former reputation as a working-class, immigrant community to an urban office park that attracted hill dwellers for shopping and entertainment. Suess argues that current development plans for Downtown seem to aimed at "recapturing what made downtown Cincinnati special, the way folks remember it but updated for today's needs."

Downtown Cincinnati shifting from job hub to lifestyle center in wake of COVID-19

Business reporter Randy Tucker confirmed that downtown is evolving into a residential food-and-entertainment district. "Think suburban 'lifestyle centers' that include apartments, shops, restaurants and recreation – but in historic buildings and without the surrounding acres of parking lots," he wrote. Numbers back this up. From 2010 to 2020, the number of people living Downtown grew by more than 20% to just over 5,800 residents, based on U.S. Census data compiled by The Enquirer in its Neighborhood Report Card. But hundreds of new residents have moved Downtown over the past two years alone to urban enclaves like Fourth and Race or City Club Apartments. Other office-to-condo conversions are popping up post-pandemic, suggesting Downtown's population is sure to grow even more over the next several years.

These are the developments shaping the future of Downtown Cincinnati

Sixteen developments are expected to usher in a new season of activity for Downtown Cincinnati. At the top of the list is the city and county's plan to renovate and expand the aging Duke Energy Convention Center on Elm Street, a $200 million undertaking that should bolster Cincinnati's chances for attracting national events and conventions. Also under construction are a handful of residential projects inside historic Downtown structures, several of which will boast well over one hundred units in each apartment complex. Learn more about each project here.

More: Terrace Plaza Hotel after 75 years 75 years ago, Terrace Plaza Hotel was the talk of the town. Now it's a forgotten icon

From the editor: Brent Spence Bridge isn't the only project we need to get right

The Enquirer's editor-in-chief Beryl Love wrote about the need for Cincinnati to make smart decisions when it comes to the development of not only Downtown, but one of the biggest infrastructure projects of our time: the Brent Spence Bridge corridor project. "If the past is any indication – remember the debates over where to build what is now Great American Ball Park, and more recently, the controversy over parking lot space for Bengals tailgating at The Banks? – there will be no shortage of opinions on the best path forward," he said. "We need to ensure future generations benefit from the decisions made today."

More: Queensgate, a downtown extension What does Queensgate want to be? A 'canvas' awaits its destiny

What concerns residents about visiting Downtown Cincinnati

We polled Cincinnati.com readers on their reasons for visiting Downtown and their reasons for staying away. Hundreds of responses revealed that crime, panhandlers and parking are what concern them most, while the top reason for coming to the central business district was to see special events like sports or concerts. Shopping wasn't a major attraction. Read more on what we learned from your responses here.

What is it really like living and working in downtown Cincinnati?

Many of us work or have spent time in downtown Cincinnati, but what is it really like to live there day-to-day? As part of The Enquirer's Future of Downtown project, two reporters, Emily DeLetter and Haadiza Ogwude, decided to show you.

Both took a day and filmed their experiences living, working and socializing Downtown: Emily's during a weekday and Haadiza's on a weekend.

More: Meet the dogs of Downtown Meet the dogs of Downtown Cincinnati. The city is their backyard

Has Kroger's Downtown supermarket lived up to the hype?

After a 50-year absence, Kroger opened its first new downtown Cincinnati supermarket as residents and economic development officials cheered, reported The Enquirer's Alexander Coolidge. But then six months later, the COVID-19 pandemic began. Longtime residents of Downtown and area business owners commented on whether or not the five-year-old urban location has been successful. No, it hasn't been able to count on a booming lunch-time crowd since work-from-home culture has shrunk the number of people working out of Downtown offices, but it's nice to have, people argue.

"The whole point was to get one,” said Rick Dieringer who has lived nearby on Court Street since 1980. Still, he has to visit the Kroger store in Newport for odd items that a smaller format store doesn’t always carry.

Taylor Swift shows why Cincinnati and Hamilton County built The Banks

The Enquirer's Sharon Coolidge details why The Banks, which broke ground in 2008, was made for major events like Taylor Swift's series of concerts hosted at Paycor Stadium. Everything that's happened in Cincinnati over the last two decades, she argued, led Swfit to pick the city for her Eras stadium tour.

"You want to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented around the country," said former Mayor Mark Mallory. "We're building Cincinnati to the point that we can accommodate just about anything going on around the country. It puts us on more equal footing with other cosmopolitan cities."

More: That's So Cincinnati: Restaurants Japp's in Over-the-Rhine reopens as part of 'entire Cincinnati renaissance'

From Winston Churchill's favorite bathroom to a speakeasy: 6 downtown Cincinnati gems

Downtown Cincinnati has a plethora of iconic staples that people visit frequently. Many locals can't even count the number of times they've ventured to Fountain Square or Great American Ball Park. But the neighborhood also has a rich history filled with hidden gems. So we decided to search for unique destinations Cincinnatians might not know exist, or have just simply forgotten about.

From a suite where Winston Churchill himself once stayed to a fun little speakeasy, we visited several distinct locations throughout the area. Take a look for yourself here.

Cincinnati's convention center will close for 18 months, meaning major shifts for Downtown

Downtown Cincinnati's Duke Energy Convention Center is getting a face-lift soon. But to do so, it will have to shut completely for 18 months starting in late June or early July 2024. City and county officials, along with officials from Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., or 3CDC, confirmed that a full shutdown is required to get the construction done as quickly as possible. 3CDC said the $200 million renovation and expansion of Cincinnati's longtime convention center will be completed in time for convention events booked for January 2026.

While necessary, closing the convention center Downtown will have repercussions for the hospitality and entertainment industries, some of which are hard to predict. The production groups behind two annual staple events have already threatened to pull out for the next several years.

More: What does 3CDC build in Downtown? Cincinnati's 3CDC: What is it, what are its next projects

Is downtown Cincinnati safe? Your questions answered

Whenever we write about Downtown Cincinnati and its future, commenters always raise one topic: safety. So we talked to locals, interviewed the police and analyzed crime data to answer the frequent questions and comments we get from readers about living in and visiting Downtown.

Here's what we found out: The likelihood that you'll be a victim of violent crime is very low and doesn't happen randomly to those who do experience it. Police data reveals that victims typically skew Black and male between the ages of 18 and 40. It's more likely that a visitor to Downtown will have their car broken into or stolen, but that's a city- and nationwide problem right now.

The good news? In Downtown Cincinnati, there are plenty of eyes on the street watching out for resident and visitor safety, from 3CDC's ambassadors to the police department. And the more people that move downtown over the next few years, the safer officials and locals estimate it will become.

Meet the people that make up Downtown Cincinnati

What makes someone want to live Downtown? Why choose a neighborhood where parking isn't free, greenspace is limited and privacy is harder to come by?

We asked Downtown locals − those who live or work in the central business district below Central Parkway. They told us they're attracted to Cincinnati's city center for a variety of reasons, chief among them being walkability, access to entertainment and the chance to really be part of a storied place. Check out this personal portrait essay by nearly all of The Enquirer's staff photographers, featuring 15 people who are invested in Downtown's future.

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'Seamless vibrancy': Court Street is Downtown's new dining hot spot and it's no accident

The Enquirer's resident food reporter Keith Pandolfi digs into why Court Street, a historic district on the northern border of Downtown, is an up-and-coming dining district for Cincinnati.

There is an energy on Court Street that you don’t see in other parts of Downtown, he wrote. Since its $5.5 million overhaul led by the Cincinnati City Center Development Corporation, or 3CDC, along with Kroger and Rookwood Properties, its sidewalks are wider, its historic storefronts are spiffed up and the upper floors of the buildings have been turned into new apartments and condominiums.

On the ground floors, Cincinnati mainstays like Avril-Bleh's butcher shop now mix with newer restaurants such as Mid-City along Court Street. Restaurateurs see the district as an attractive alternative to Over-the-Rhine and other parts of the city.

Hundreds more hotel rooms are coming to downtown Cincinnati. Here's why

Hundreds of more hotel rooms are coming to downtown Cincinnati in the form of boutique hotels − small-capacity spaces that offer more personalized services than big brands. These properties tend to attract more leisure travelers than corporate professionals, and in a post-pandemic market, that's a big deal. Across the region, boutique hotels are popping up at a record pace to accommodate this boost in casual travel. Over the next two years, 741 rooms will be added to the market. Just under half of those will be concentrated Downtown.

More: Impact of GE's exit from The Banks GE workers' exit from Downtown adds to office woes

‘It reminded people what cities can be.’ The Contemporary Arts Center celebrates 20 years

Opened 20 years ago, the Contemporary Arts Center remains as surprising as ever and even more important for Downtown’s future. The $34 million project (roughly $57 million in today’s dollars) was such a big deal for the city that The Enquirer dedicated eight pages of a Sunday spread in June 2003 to its opening with the headline, ”A Center With Impact.”

One reason for its impact was the timing, coming after the civil unrest of 2001 and the national attention it brought, added Brendon Cull, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. ”At that time, there were still questions about what the future of the city was going to look like,” he said. ”Then enter Zaha Hadid and this building in the heart of downtown. For this community’s psyche, the center was a hugely important investment in 2003 because it reminded people what cities can be, places for creativity, art and culture.”

More: Homeless aren't a danger Downtown 'They are fearing people.' Downtown's homeless, panhandlers not a safety threat

From the editor: In a changing Downtown Cincinnati, what would you preserve at all costs?

The Enquirer's Executive Editor Beryl Love considers the impact of the Future of Downtown series and recaps the final event hosted by the paper, a special panel discussion held at the Contemporary Arts Center in December. Panelists included: Christy Samad, senior vice president of event management at Cincinnati Center City Development Corp.; Paula Boggs Muething, chief legal and administrative officer for FC Cincinnati, former Cincinnati City Manager; Tim Elsbrock, regional president of Fifth Third; Jackie Bryson, president of the Downtown Residents' Council; Ricardo Grant, founder of Paloozanoire, LoVe on Fourth, Gallery At Gumbo and Cinema OTR; and Morgan Rigaud, founder of Skate Downtown Cincy.

A full recording of the panel can be found here.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Future of Downtown Cincinnati: Enquirer coverage