The Cincinnati Planning Commission Nov. 6 approved a plan to move the city's health department administrative headquarters to Walnut Hills. That caught some neighborhood leaders by surprise.
The health department purchased property on Gilbert and Yale Avenues in September. Health Commissioner Grant Mussman said the plan is to renovate the building there to unite all of the department's administrative functions under one roof. Currently, those functions are scattered across various sites in Corryville, Over-the-Rhine, Millvale and Northside.
The move is the first part of a facilities master plan drawn up to respond to deferred maintenance needs and efficiency concerns. In previous years, the health department has drawn attention to the poor condition of its current headquarters on Burnet Avenue near UC Medical Center.
Walnut Hills Area Council President Mona Jenkins told the planning commission her organization and others in the neighborhood only learned about the plan the week prior. Jenkins said those organizations had actively been trying to acquire the same property for a grocery store to combat food insecurity in the area. Jenkins expressed frustration with the feeling that neighborhood leaders hadn't been included in the process. She also mentioned the loss of a nearby community garden, which will become a Metro transit hub.
"We're not against it at all," she said of the health center headquarters. "We just want better communication with the city."
Planning commission members acknowledged the lack of engagement, though the commission unanimously approved the relocation. Part of the commission's job under the city charter is to review the location of public buildings and other public property.
"It sounds like the ball was dropped; there should have been more communication with the community earlier," Assistant City Manager and planning commission member Billy Weber said. "That's clear... The health department does not frequently engage in this kind of capital project. Not as an excuse, but as an explanation."
Mussman said he's committed to making sure the health department works with the neighborhood moving forward. He said while the building is meant to be primarily administrative, there would be room for some clinical space if the neighborhood desired it.
"I would very much want the community involved in getting to the point where we have an actual, 'this is the floor plan, these are the services that will be offered here,' " he said.
No ultimate cost was given for the project, which is still in the early stages. Mussman said the renovation will take at least three years to complete.
Read more: