Leaders of two West Side communities are at odds over the future of a local landmark building that could soon turn into apartments.
A Louisville-based national affordable housing company aims to demolish the former Western Hills Sports Mall on Ferguson Road and build 167 units across four buildings called Westline Flats. The real estate developer, called LDG Development, also plans to apply for low-income housing tax credits from the state this summer in order to cap rents at an average of 60% of the area median income.
The 34-year-old property has sat vacant since a fire in 2022. According to LDG, the Westwood site is ideal for multifamily apartments because it’s close to local schools and public transit, as well as a variety of retail options, grocery stores and restaurants.
To move forward, the developer needs to change the zoning of the 4.3-acre site to a planned development, which allows the construction of multiple structures and requires design review with the public and the city.
Cincinnati’s planning commission will vote on the proposal Friday, June 5, at 9 a.m. From there, it would go on to Cincinnati City Council for a final decision.
The planning commission meeting will take place at City Hall at 801 Plum St. It can also be livestreamed via CitiCable.
West Price Hill residents oppose project
The $57 million development sits at 2323 Ferguson Road in Westwood along the West Price Hill border. Westwood Civic Association supports the development, while the West Price Hill Community Council opposes it.
West Price Hill residents think it is too dense with too many units in a small space, said Ben Klayer, president of the West Price Hill Community Council. The neighborhood council, in a letter sent to the city opposing the project, asked the developer to add more green space and retail tenants to the project.
“I think the biggest concern, it’s too much density in an area that already suffers from issues related to crime and safety and transportation issues,” Klayer said.
Residents would like to see a smaller project and housing spread throughout the neighborhood, he said.
“This is a pretty big development,” Klayer said. “We’ve not seen anything on this scale before.”
West Price Hill residents also feel that income-restricted housing, like what’s proposed on the sports mall site, already has saturated the neighborhood, he wrote in the community council’s opposition letter sent to the city.
City leaders have promoted and given money to more affordable housing projects in areas like West Price Hill, the West End and Avondale where the rates of concentrated poverty are higher.
Westwood supports project, wants denser housing
Westwood residents, on the other hand, want denser housing, said Katie Query, president of the Westwood Civic Association, the area’s community council. Their 10-year neighborhood plan calls for more housing density, especially more affordable housing, she said. It will help both those in need and the neighborhood’s growing business district, she said.
“I think if we are taking care of our more vulnerable in the neighborhood and building affordable housing, they’re able to afford their lives and contribute to the community,” Query said. “They’re not stressed where their next dollar is coming from.”
Query said both neighborhoods are working together. Westwood has asked the developer to add more lighting and speed humps, Query said.
If approved, Westline Flats would be LDG Development’s second affordable housing project in Cincinnati behind the 150-unit Seymour Station complex going up in Bond Hill.
City Councilman: ‘West Side needs more housing and people’
Councilman Jeff Cramerding, who lives in West Price Hill, supports the plans to redevelop the sports mall. The city’s West Side needs more housing and people, he said.
He said he would like more market-rate housing, but thinks the affordable housing project will benefit the neighborhood.
“We need more people with discretionary income to support our business district,” Cramerding said. “That’s my position on the West Side in general. And this is one project. The Westwood community groups seem to be in lockstep in supporting it, and I’m not going to oppose it.”
What are the apartment rents?
According to detailed information submitted to the city, 46 one-bedroom units would be priced between $892 and $1,402, while 95 two-bedroom units would be priced between $1,171 and $1,675, and 26 three-bedroom units would be priced between $1,346 and $1,928.
There will also be 183 parking spaces across the property, and 30% green space on the site.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Housing plan for old sports mall divides 2 West Side neighborhoods
Reporting by Scott Wartman and Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Scott Wartman and Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
