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Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood Revitalization

The neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine has been the location of heightened gentrification efforts for the city of Cincinnati. The neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine was once the most dangerous neighborhood to live in 2009, which had not been the same since the infamous 2001 Cincinnati riots. Following these events, the combination of private development corporations and the political backing of city officials have begun to address the problems that come with a neighborhood with low employment and high crime rates. The political dimension of Cincinnati is important to examine in order to highlight the changes made to the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. A neo-liberalism approach is used in the city's urban renewal strategy by utilizing private corporations rather than the city itself to take on renewing and updating this particular area. The governments role in promoting economic development has transformed from a regulator of development to a facilitator of development in that it oversees and helps put development corporations in the best place to create effective change in these lower occupation, high crime neighborhood like Over-the-Rhine.

Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC)

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation, a private development corporation whose mission "is to strengthen the core assets of downtown by revitalizing and connecting the Central Business District and Over-the-Rhine" took on the majority of the task to turn this neighborhood around. Former Cincinnati Mayor, Charlie Luken was one of the founders of the group after realizing city officials were not creating policies that could turn around the area. The 3CDC is unlike other development corporations in that it doesn't act as the liaison for the city, but is instead the main developer with full political and financial backing by the city. The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) has invested more than half a billion dollars into Over-the-Rhine in the form of purchasing 131 different historical buildings in addition to building 48 new ones. In order to put more money into future projects Charlie Luken and the 3CDC spur future investments by teaming up with Proctor & Gamble, a large corporation headquartered in Cincinnati. Proctor & Gamble would then kick in an additional $50 million dollars in addition to the 3CDC seeking assistance in the form of federal tax credits. The city of Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine qualified for the New markets Tax Credit that would spur investment and incentive community development and economic growth through the use of tax credits that attract private investment to distressed communities.

Through these processes the 3CDC has received praise from across the city and by several city officials who have thrown their support behind the group. However, this has not been the case overall in terms of the public perception of turning around Over-the-Rhine. The 3CDC says its main goal is to "create a more economically and racially diverse community that can be sustained over the long term." This however is not the case, from 2010 to 2014 the neighborhood went from 60% black to 66% white in the most developed parts of the neighborhood. The still underdeveloped and untouched parts of Over-the-Rhine have not seen rampant changes such as these and has remained over 80% African-American. Many feel displaced with the closing of vital businesses like corner store markets, laundromats, and even basketball courts. Instead, these location are replaced with high end bars and restaurants that many of these lower income residents have no use for. Over-the-Rhine and its developers are still in pursuit of attaining a more diverse economic and racial community through devoting resources to similar causes. $43 million has been allocated to improving homeless shelters around the area as well as securing financing for low-income and subsidized housing while also building mixed income projects throughout the area.