An informal Enquirer survey of over 220 readers revealed what Cincinnatians really think of The Banks − and its future.
Here are the requests that came up repeatedly in your responses.
Not surprisingly, over 91% of respondents said the riverfront entertainment district needs to be finished.
That may be obvious, given there are five gaping holes in The Banks that expose a parking garage below. Despite being unfinished after nearly three decades of planning, The Banks still drew over 7.9 million visitors in 2024, according to a new plan to build out the district.
A survey respondent and Green Township resident who visits The Banks frequently called the development a “glaring failure of government planning. “It’s completely absurd that this development will take 30-plus years to complete, from start to finish,” they wrote in an open comment.
A Delhi Township resident who also visits often said: “Time to finish the project and do big things as a region…The county must either figure out how to financially support the development or get out of the way. Residential growth is the key to the county’s financial strain. By building a complete neighborhood at the Banks the region will have a whole neighborhood that contributes economically to the city and county daily not just on game days.”
Survey respondents said they’d want to fill in the vacant lots at The Banks with “distinctive” architecture, taller buildings, a luxury hotel, a food hall, condominiums, higher-end restaurants and a Cincinnati visitors center.
Make it safer
Public scrutiny over safety and security at The Banks skyrocketed earlier this year when Cincinnati police shut down the district by 8 p.m. on Reds’ Opening Day.
Despite this, nearly 70% of survey respondents reported that The Banks is a safe place to visit, while 14% said it isn’t safe.
More than 20 comments centered on this topic.
“I used to love The Banks,” expressed an Anderson Township local who works in Downtown and marked The Banks as safe. Still, they added: “Crime is always in the back of my mind. At this point, we only go down for lunch or if we are going to a game. I don’t feel as safe as I should.”
One respondent, a Blue Ash resident, noted how the “large expanses of empty space,” aka the undeveloped lots at The Banks, also make them feel unsafe.
A Hyde Park local who visits The Banks frequently considers it “generally safe,” “but in the evening over the past couple of years there’s been a ton of problems and the public perception is that it isn’t (safe). The city has done a poor job of maintaining a safe environment in the evening, especially on the weekends.”
After Opening Day, The Banks resumed curfew restrictions to people 21 and older on weekend nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
More trees, fewer cars
Nearly half of Enquirer survey respondents want more green space at The Banks. They also want more trees to create shaded areas and more seating for lounging.
Removing or restricting cars from The Banks would also make it safer for people to walk around, some wrote.
“Green space is a more welcoming door to the city,” commented a Walnut Hills resident.
Another Hyde Park resident added: “Would love to see it be the charming urban neighborhood that includes services so a car is not required. All the current restaurants are big, catering to (the) sports crowd. Include some smaller venues for neighbors to hang out together. Include lots of greenspace on sidewalks, walls and roofs.”
Keep the arena, add a marina, build highway caps
From adding a marina with a riverfront restaurant to building spaces for pickleball and live music, dozens of respondents shared thoughts on which extra projects might liven up The Banks.
One suggested moving Taste of Cincinnati to the district, while another got specific: add an Apple Store. Others said building the Bengals’ practice facility at The Banks, or at least saving the tailgating lots downtown could help increase foot traffic to area businesses.
Nearly 30 respondents commented on whether a new modern arena should be built at The Banks. One Ludlow resident called it “a must” while a Sycamore Township local said moving it would snub the restaurants and bars there.
Another Anderson Township commenter agreed, adding: “The new arena belongs at the Banks. It’s the obvious choice.”
Capping the sunken highway that separates the district from the rest of Downtown was another major topic among survey respondents. Residents from all over the region − Mt. Adams, Loveland, Covington, Evanston, Over-the-Rhine and as far as Harrison, Ohio − said it’s important.
Will these requests be addressed?
City and Hamilton County leaders agree that more housing, restaurants and retail could attract more people outside of Bengals and Reds game days. (The Enquirer survey showed 84% of respondents visit The Banks just to see professional sporting events.)
That’s one of the goals of the official Banks Urban Design Plan Update, a master plan that was recently approved by Cincinnati’s city planning commission. It noted The Banks could house up to 1,300 more residential units, up to 150 hotel rooms, and between 60,000- and 80,000-square-feet of retail built over the next decade.
Conceptual renderings also featured tree-lined, pedestrian-only paths and a landscaped civic plaza with a central sculpture that doubles as gathering space. Green caps over Fort Washington Way were also included.
According to the plan, the public’s perception of The Banks is a “critical factor” to its future success. More family-friendly amenities in the district and a real “neighborhood” with a grocery store and street-level shopping could draw people there on non-event days.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Food Hall? Apple store? What Enquirer readers want to see at The Banks
Reporting by Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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