Explore the major milestones
that have shaped our growth.
From transformative developments to community-driven initiatives, each milestone marks a step forward in revitalizing Cincinnati’s urban core and shaping a more vibrant, connected city.
3CDC Founded
Downtown Cincinnati is experiencing population loss and disinvestment, challenges heightened by civil unrest following the 2001 killing of Timothy Thomas, an unarmed Black teenager, by a Cincinnati police officer. Recognizing that revitalizing the city’s core is essential to its economic future, then-Mayor Charlie Luken and corporate leaders, led by A.G. Lafley of Procter & Gamble, form the City of Cincinnati Economic Advisory Task Force. The task force recommends creating a nonprofit to lead redevelopment, resulting in the launch of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), aimed at strategically revitalizing Over-the-Rhine (OTR) and the Central Business District (CBD).
Leadership Forms
Nearly 30 Cincinnati corporate leaders join 3CDC’s Board of Directors, and in April, Steve Leeper is appointed President & CEO. The team, consisting of five employees, move into an office inside Kroger’s corporate headquarters. Later that year, the organization assumes the operating responsibilities for two private investment funds, the Cincinnati New Markets Fund (CNMF) and the Cincinnati Equity Fund (CEF)—both geared toward downtown redevelopment and spurring economic development in distressed and struggling neighborhoods.
Fountain Square Reimagined
3CDC completes the $48.9 million renovation of Fountain Square, transforming the heart of Downtown into a vibrant civic gathering space. Unable to identify a third party to manage and program the revitalized square, the non-profit steps in—beginning its journey to becoming one of the city’s largest event programmers and advancing a key objective: to create and manage great civic spaces.
Transforming the Gateway Quarter
After several years of property acquisition—including the purchase of 170 vacant buildings and 200 vacant lots throughout OTR—3CDC launches a major effort to redevelop these properties into mixed-use developments blending residential units with street-level commercial spaces. Early work focuses on what was then known as the Gateway Quarter, beginning with Duncanson Lofts and followed by Duveneck Flats, Bremen Lofts, and Centennial Row.
Early Tenants Spark an Entertainment District
The first pioneering businesses begin opening in OTR, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become one of the city’s premier entertainment districts. 3CDC welcomes MiCA 12/v—the organization’s first tenant in the newly renovated Duncanson Lofts at 12th & Vine—followed shortly thereafter by several trailblazing restaurants, including Lavomatic, Senate, Taste of Belgium, and Bakersfield, among others.
3CDC Establishes a Home at Saengerhalle
Needing more space for its growing organization, 3CDC relocates its offices to one of its recently completed projects, Saengerhalle. The project involved the full renovation of three connected historic buildings and the construction of an addition, creating both office and restaurant space at the northeast corner of Washington Park.
Revitalizing Washington Park
A $48 million overhaul brings new life to Washington Park—with a community green space, events lawn, and 450-space underground garage. In addition to becoming a stand-alone destination, the restoration and expansion of Washington Park complements its adjacent amenities, like Music Hall and Memorial Hall, and spurs additional residential and commercial development in the surrounding areas.
A New Chapter for Housing in OTR
The completion of Mercer Commons marks 3CDC’s shift from focusing primarily on developing condominiums to creating mixed-income housing in OTR. Phase two of the project included 13 historic rehabs and newly constructed buildings, yielding 67 apartments (30 affordable) and 10,600 square feet of commercial space. In partnership with several other developers and community organizations, 3CDC begins advancing a comprehensive strategy to ensure housing for residents of all income levels.
3CDC Moves to 1201 Walnut Street
Following years of growth, 3CDC moves into its current headquarters at 1201 Walnut Street. The renovation of the former Pabst Bedding Warehouse created four floors of office space, with 3CDC occupying the upper two levels to support its expanding operations.
May 2015: Following Kroger’s purchase of dunnhumbyUSA, the new organization is renamed 84.51° and initiates occupancy of its new offices at the corner of Fifth and Race streets. The 84.51° building provides the CBD with a new 1,100 space garage and more than 300,000 square feet of office and retail space.
October 2015: The David & Rebecca Barron Center for Men opens, the third brand new shelter built as part of the five-facility Homeless to Homes Plan, joining the Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women and City Gospel Mission, completed in June and July, respectively.
Historic Landmarks Restored
July 2016: The historic Central Parkway YMCA reopens to the public after undergoing a 19-month, $29 million renovation spearheaded by the YMCA, 3CDC, and The Model Group.
August 2016: The 500-space 8th & Sycamore Garage officially opens to the public. 3CDC developed the seven-story, above-grade garage as part of a larger $52 million mixed-use development.
December 2016: Following an $11 million, year-long renovation, historic Memorial Hall reopens to the public. 3CDC begins overseeing the day-to-day operations and programming of the Hall.
Ziegler Park & Music Hall Reopen
June 2017: The renovated Ziegler Park is officially opened to the public, with the new Ziegler Pool welcoming more visitors in its first three days than the old pool welcomed during the entire 2015 season. The $32 million overhaul expands the park from 1.5 to 4.5 acres and adds a 450-space underground parking garage.
September 2017: After 15 months of construction, the $143 million renovation of historic Music Hall is completed.
October 2017: Employees of Empower, an advertising and marketing agency, relocate to their new, 64,000-square-foot headquarters in OTR. The project serves as the fourth (and final) phase of 3CDC’s Mercer Commons project.
Expanding Affordable Housing & Community Initiatives
March 2018: 3CDC, the Model Group and Cornerstone Renter Equity complete the $17 million Abington Race & Pleasant project, which includes 50 new affordable residential units.
April 2018: 3CDC celebrates the completion of its $19.5 million 15th & Vine project, bringing 55,000 square feet of commercial and office space to Over-the-Rhine.
July 2018: Together with City Gospel Mission, Downtown Cincinnati Inc., Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services, and the City of Cincinnati, 3CDC launches the GeneroCity 513 initiative in an effort to reduce panhandling on city streets, connect panhandlers with needed services and give them a paid day of work if they so desire.
3CDC and DCI Unite to Strengthen the Urban Core
3CDC and DCI merge to better align their missions of creating a vibrant urban core. The merger generates $700,000 in annual savings, most of which are reinvested into clean and safe services and the newly created GeneroCity 513 program. Following the merger, 3CDC brings DCI’s ambassadors in-house and focuses its efforts on three key areas: Southwest CBD, North CBD, and North OTR.
January 2019: 3CDC purchases the former downtown Macy’s store to ensure the building is transferred to an organization that has the best interest of the city in mind.
February 2019: The Court & Walnut parking garage opens to the public, bringing 560 additional parking spaces to Downtown Cincinnati.
September 2019: Kroger on the Rhine opens to the public. The 45,000-square-foot, two-story store is the first full-service grocery in Downtown Cincinnati in 50 years and is part of a mixed-use development that includes a 139-unit residential tower and 560-space parking garage.
Building Forward During COVID-19
Despite the onset of a global pandemic, 3CDC and its partners at the City of Cincinnati remain committed to investing in the city, launching three major projects that year: The Foundry, a conversion of the former Macy’s-anchored Fountain Place; Court Street Plaza, a streetscape improvement project along Court Street from Vine to Walnut; and Willkommen, at the time the largest mixed-use project in OTR’s history.
June 2020: 3CDC purchases the Chong Building, located at 616 Race Street. Façade removal of the 50,000 square-foot building reveals a Victorian-era storefront.
OTR South SID Approved
The OTR South Special Improvement District (SID) is officially approved, encompassing all property within the boundaries of Broadway and a portion of Spring Street on the east, Liberty Street on the north, Central Parkway on the west, and Central Parkway on the south. Its Board of Trustees provides oversight and guidance for how funding is allocated to services within the district, as detailed in the Service Plan, helping to support maintenance, safety, and programming throughout the area.
March 2021: A new Fifth Third LED Board is installed atop The Foundry, across the street from Fountain Square. The 52-by-23-foot screen follows the unveiling of the Fifth Third Center Stage, Fountain Square’s first permanent stage, a $2 million gift from Fifth Third Bank to the City of Cincinnati that was completed in August 2020.
June 2021: Construction is completed on Perseverance, a partnership between 3CDC and Over-the-Rhine Community Housing that yields 32 affordable apartments and 6,700 square feet of street-level commercial space.
June 2021: The City of Cincinnati, Kroger, and 3CDC unveil the new pedestrian-friendly Court Street Plaza. The plaza brings a festival-style street with widened sidewalks, providing an outdoor promenade for visitors and helps create a greater connection between the CBD and OTR.
July 2021: Deloitte LLP signs as the first tenant at Foundry, with Turner Construction, Divisions, and restaurants Jeff Ruby’s and Royce signing shortly thereafter.
September 2021: Renovations at OTR’s Imagination Alley are unveiled, with the updated space featuring existing and new artwork, and allowing for community events like movie nights, block parties and picnics.
Reimagining the Convention District
3CDC aligns key stakeholders—including the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County—on a bold new vision for the Convention District. Appointed Lead Development Manager, 3CDC begins guiding the $828 million transformation featuring a reimagined convention center, a two-acre outdoor park and event space called Elm Street Plaza, a convention headquarters hotel, and multiple mixed-use developments—marking the start of a once-in-a-generation makeover of the district.
Former Saks Fifth Avenue building anchor office tenant
Just two months after completing its purchase of the former Saks Fifth Avenue building, 3CDC announces an anchor office tenant for the space. Nationally recognized human capital management software company, Paycor, signs lease to relocate its headquarters to the building’s 40,000-square-foot second floor.
Elm Street Plaza completed
Leaders from Hamilton County, The City of Cincinnati, and 3CDC celebrate the completion of Elm Street Plaza, the first piece of an $828 million makeover of Cincinnati's Convention District. A brand-new UC Health Ice Rink also opens to the public for the first time at Elm Street Plaza, continuing a decades-old Cincinnati tradition formerly housed at Fountain Square.
Cincinnati Convention Center Transformation Completed
The Cincinnati Convention Center’s once-in-a-generation, $264 million transformation is completed.
