Qualls motion would establish casino area working group

Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls has introduced a motion before City Council establishing a working group of leaders from neighborhoods adjacent to the new casino that would ensure that the project benefits surrounding communities.

The group would advise Council on priorities for improvements in the surrounding neighborhoods, including business development, residential housing development, and job creation.

"The new casino will have a dramatic effect on Cincinnati in terms of new jobs, millions of visitors, and new revenue for local governments," Qualls said in a prepared release. "We need to ensure it results in long-term benefits to the surrounding neighborhoods. The casino itself will benefit from being surrounded by neighborhoods where the private sector is investing in housing and business, and the public sector is investing in high-quality infrastructure that supports a welcoming, walkable, dynamic environment."

The working group will include representatives of community organizations and local business development corporations, including: Downtown Residents Council, Mt. Adams Civic Association, Mt. Auburn Community Council, Over-the-Rhine Community Council, Pendleton Neighborhood Council, and Walnut Hills Area Council, 3CDC, Cincinnati Development Fund, Downtown Cincinnati Inc., and the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce. Representatives from Bridging Broadway, the City of Cincinnati, and Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati will also be part of the working group.

"The Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati is an exciting development for our entire region and will have a great impact on those neighborhoods that are immediately surrounding it," said David White, Pendleton Neighborhood Council president. "The Casino Neighborhoods Working Group will assist our neighborhoods by bringing the neighborhood councils, our local business and development groups, the City of Cincinnati, Bridging Broadway and Horseshoe Casino together at the same table to work together to make our communities even better. We want to make sure that the casino spurs business development, residential housing development and job creation in all of our neighborhoods."

The motion, which has been referred to Council's Livable Communities Committee, is co-sponsored by councilmembers Laure Quinlivan, Chris Seelbach, Yvette Simpson, P.G. Sittenfeld, and Wendell Young.

Supporting organizations include the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), Cincinnati Development Fund, Downtown Residents' Council, Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, Mount Adams Civic Association, Mount Auburn Community Council, Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, Over-the-Rhine Community Council, Pendleton Neighborhood Council, and the Walnut Hills Area Council.

An overlay district, Interim Development Control District No. 66, was recently extended until January 25, 2013. The district temporarily regulates the establishment of uses, construction of new buildings, and demolition or alteration of existing structures in area where the adoption of amendments to the zoning code have been proposed in a plan approved by the City Planning Commission.

The $400 million, 354,000-square-foot Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in spring 2013.

Previous reading on BC:
Casino area development controls extended 9 months (4/23/12)
Registration open for final Bridging Broadway visioning session (3/15/11)
Casino breaks ground, design work remains (2/7/11)
Casino celebration, fundraiser open to all (2/3/11)
Casino groundbreaking Feb. 4; Visioning continues (1/24/11)