MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

OSCAR BEDOLLA

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the successful year the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) had in 2016. Building upon the momentum we experienced in 2015, we exceeded our expectations and goals with the help of the leadership of Mayor John Cranley, City Manager Harry Black, City Council, key stakeholders, and the hard work of our team.

As a department, we were busy in 2016, facilitating more than $440 million in total investment through 58 projects, which also resulted in the creation of 816 housing units. The City also created 2,347 jobs and retained an additional 1,840 jobs through housing and economic development projects, nearly 1,800 more than 2015. This further cements the notion that we are a City on the Rise.

The changes introduced to the organizational structure in 2015 allowed the department to EFFICIENTLY and EFFECTIVELY manage projects and provide transparency to both internal and external stakeholders. Our restructuring through the addition of the Major Projects Division and the Policy and Communications Division, in addition to the expanded role of the Monitoring and Compliance Division, has allowed us to: • Promote the DCED mission and advance policy initiatives. • Increase our ability to facilitate intricate urban development projects. • Create a more robust incentive monitoring system while increasing data oversight.

Since this was the inaugural year under the new structure, we determined that our charge should reflect the recent changes. Hence, the team developed a new mission:

To facilitate strategic development and services within the Cincinnati community that improve the lives of residents, increase business investment, and revitalize City neighborhoods.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

This mission represents not only what we do, but also what we are passionate about. It is this passion and dedication that helped drive the success of the department over the past 12 months. The following report will discuss the many successes we had, the projects we helped facilitate, and what we hope to accomplish in 2017.

Last year showcased that Cincinnati is a city on the rise on several fronts. We are gaining the attention of outside investors, both foreign and domestic, who are investing in our real estate. We used our incentives strategically to help startups get up and running, assist small and medium sized businesses with expansion, and attract new companies to the city.

I am proud to lead a team whose hard work and dedication has contributed to the numerous accolades the City received across the spectrum, such as Christie’s International Real Estate naming the City as a “Top City to Watch in 2017” and Travel + Leisure calling Cincinnati a “Top Place to Visit in 2017.”

To continue this rise in 2017, we must continue to be proactive in identifying trends. We must drive innovation to cater to the needs of the new economy. We must be strategic in our development to create vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods and utilize intelligence gained from expanded data collection. Finally, we must be transparent in our process and inclusive of small, minority-owned, and woman-owned businesses.

I look forward to the challenges and successes 2017 will bring and leading the Department of Community and Economic Development. Join me as we continue to #WatchCincyRise.

Oscar L. Bedolla