Developers looking to build two-, three- and four-unit housing in Cincinnati could soon have a set of pre-approved design plans to choose from.
Cincinnati officials announced a new 'Build Ready' program Tuesday. It's funded by a $2 million grant from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. The final product will be a "pattern book" for these small multi-family developments, also known as "middle housing."
"We want to make it quicker, easier and more accessible for smaller scale builders to create the housing that our city needs," said Mayor Aftab Pureval.
City Manager Sheryl Long says the project will incentivize housing that fits neighborhood size and character.
"This type of housing is denser and more affordable than new single-family homes, but there are hurdles in the development process," Long said. "By creating a set of pre-approved design plans, which anyone can access for free, we've removed one of those hurdles, as well as several months out of the development process."
Developers using a pre-approved plan will still have to go through city permitting and approval processes, but the timeline would be much faster. Developers also would save money by avoiding the need to hire an architect for each project.
Eventually, grant funding will be used to build two "demonstration projects" on vacant lots owned by the city or The Port. These would be in residential neighborhoods that are already zoned to allow multi-family housing of up to four units. The units would be income-restricted to renters making between 60% and 80% of the Area Median Income.
"By this time next year, we'll have six pre-approved plans for two-, three- and four-family homes ready to go, and construction will be underway on two buildings that demonstrate what the design looks like in practice," Long said.
Pureval says the initiative builds on Connected Communities, the comprehensive zoning reform of a couple years ago.
"One of the reasons we were so competitive for this grant is because we had done the hard work of changing our zoning in order to legalize the missing middle," he said. "Now, with this announcement, we'll be creating a systematic way to bring those kinds of housing typologies onto the market more quickly."
Several other Midwest cities have offered similar pre-approved plans, including Kalamazoo, Michigan. You can see a catalog of designs from South Bend, Indiana, on the city's website.
Community input
In March and April, city officials will collect feedback from residents and other stakeholders.
A request for information (RFI) is open now through March 27, tailored to architects, developers and engineers. Two RFI meetings are scheduled:
- Tuesday, March 10 at 12 p.m. (virtual)
- Thursday, March 12 at 12 p.m. (virtual)
Two public information meetings are also scheduled, geared for residents to learn more about the project:
- Monday, March 16 at 6 p.m. (virtual)
- Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. (in-person at the Evanston Recreation Center)
More information and registration for all four meetings is available on the city of Cincinnati's website.
Design competition
Sometime in early summer, the city will open a design competition.
"During the competition, professionals, students and average residents will be invited to submit designs for this type of housing," Long said. "We'll solicit feedback and have a vote for people to select their favorite designs."
The city will use the submitted designs, plus feedback from stakeholders, to prepare a request for proposals (RFP), inviting professional firms to bid on creating the final housing designs.
The designs are expected to be complete in early 2027.
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