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| The Banks (development) | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Banks |
| Settlement type | Urban mixed-use development |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| City | Cincinnati |
| Developer | Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation; Cincinnati Reds; Cincinnati Bengals |
The Banks (development)
The Banks is a riverfront mixed-use development on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, developed through partnerships among local civic organizations, sports franchises, and municipal authorities. The project links major cultural institutions, professional sports venues, and transportation corridors along the riverfront, reflecting planning models used in projects such as Pike Place Market, Southbank Centre, Battery Park City, Canary Wharf, and Docklands redevelopment efforts. It occupies land adjacent to landmark sites including Great American Ball Park, Paul Brown Stadium, and the Roebling Suspension Bridge, and has been shaped by actors like the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation, Hamilton County, and private developers linked to the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals.
Planning for the project traces to post-industrial riverfront revitalization debates involving the Hamilton County Commission, the City of Cincinnati, and civic groups such as the Cincinnati Preservation Association and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Early proposals referenced federal initiatives like the Urban Renewal programs of the mid-20th century and drew comparisons to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's riverfront advocacy. The timeline includes major agreements between municipal leaders, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and private entities after the construction of Riverfront Stadium and the subsequent replacement with Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium. Planning documents referenced regional plans endorsed by the Metropolitan Sewer District, the Ohio EPA, and the Army Corps of Engineers for floodplain mitigation, while financing talks included negotiations with the Ohio Department of Development and bonding agencies such as the Ohio Public Facilities Commission.
Design work involved architectural firms and landscape designers experienced with mixed-use waterfront projects, with influences from projects like Battery Park City and South Bank schemes. The architectural vocabulary integrates contemporary masonry and glass with adaptive reuse approaches promoted by the National Register of Historic Places guidelines and precedents set by the Historic American Buildings Survey. Public realm strategies echoed guidelines from the American Society of Landscape Architects and design competitions referencing the work of firms associated with projects in Chicago, New York City, and Boston. The massing and façade treatments respond to sightlines toward the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge approaches, and the waterfront boardwalk aligns with standards advocated by Waterfront Center and riverfront planning case studies in Pittsburgh and Louisville, Kentucky.
The Banks includes condominium and rental residential towers, boutique retail, dining venues, and office space developed by private firms and investment groups with prior portfolios including properties in Over-the-Rhine, Findlay Market, Kenwood, and Covington, Kentucky. Residential offerings were marketed alongside amenities comparable to programs in Battery Park, Georgetown, and mixed-use projects associated with the National Multifamily Housing Council. Commercial anchors have included local restaurateurs, retail tenants who previously operated in Fountain Square and Covington Riverfront, as well as office tenants drawn from regional employers such as firms represented on the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and tenants relocating from uptown clusters near University of Cincinnati facilities.
Transportation planning coordinated with agencies including the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar authority, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport planning offices to link riverfront access with regional transit. Infrastructure investments addressed utilities overseen by the Metropolitan Sewer District and roadway realignments involving the Interstate 71 and Interstate 75 corridors. Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure connected to the Ohio River Trail and regional greenway projects influenced by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the National Park Service's river corridor programs.
Financing combined public subsidies, tax increment financing administered by entities such as the Hamilton County Finance Department, private equity from development firms, and contributions from sports franchises including the Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Reds. Economic impact studies produced for the project cited projected job creation, increased tourism revenues tracked by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, and ancillary gains for neighboring commercial districts like Over-the-Rhine and Mount Adams. Debates over public funding referenced precedents involving the TIF use in projects such as Quarry Yards and policy analyses by the Brookings Institution and regional planning academies.
Public spaces within the development were designed to host festivals, concerts, and civic events similar to programming on Fountain Square and at Smale Riverfront Park. Cultural partnerships linked to institutions such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and Paycor Stadium event calendars aimed to integrate arts and sports activation. Programming included seasonal markets akin to those at Findlay Market and collaborative events with local nonprofits like ArtsWave and community development organizations associated with Neighborhoods of Cincinnati.
Criticism encompassed disputes over the use of tax increment financing, eminent domain matters handled by Hamilton County authorities, and concerns raised by preservationists from groups like the Cincinnati Preservation Association. Legal challenges involved negotiations over development agreements with the City of Cincinnati and debates among stakeholders including neighborhood associations in Downtown Cincinnati and entities representing Covington, Kentucky. Controversies also paralleled national debates over sports-driven redevelopment similar to litigation in cases involving the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and other franchise-related urban developments.
Category:Neighborhoods in Cincinnati Category:Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in the United States