Western Hills Sports Mall Redevelopment Raises Concerns in Price Hill

The old Western Hills Sports Mall property isn’t coming back as a community asset.

Instead, it’s headed for redevelopment into yet another income-restricted apartment complex — and once again, the real burden will fall on West Price Hill residents, even though city maps try to pretend otherwise.

In fact, the Western Hills Sports Mall redevelopment is raising concerns about community impact.

Louisville-based LDG Development wants to put up four buildings with 167 apartments (46 one-bedrooms, 95 two-bedrooms, and 26 three-bedrooms) on about 4.3 acres at the northwest corner of Ferguson Road and Glenhills Way, which is currently the site of the Western Hills Sports Mall. Roughly 29% of the site would remain green space. There’s talk of an amenity center with a fitness room, business center, and community space, plus a screened 183-space surface parking lot. Ultimately, this redevelopment will change both the landscape and the fabric of this neighborhood.

The units would target households earning 50% to 70% of the area median income — around $45,000 a year for a single person at 60% AMI. This follows the standard tax-credit playbook for affordable housing as used in the proposed redevelopment for Western Hills Sports Mall.

The site has sat mostly vacant since the 2022 fire gutted much of the old sports mall — a place that once gave local kids and families a spot for indoor sports and recreation. That use is gone. What’s replacing it is purely residential, as the redevelopment moves forward.

Early Support, Familiar Warnings

The Westwood Civic Association gave the project its blessing last year. In City Hall terms, that endorsement carries weight and helps grease the wheels through planning and zoning. Many see this as a test run for the city’s handling of future community input.

But paper support isn’t the same as informed consent. The West Price Hill Community Council hasn’t taken a formal position yet and says it will weigh in soon. Some neighbors are already asking the obvious questions: What about added traffic on Ferguson and Glenway? Extra pressure on nearby schools that are already tight on capacity? And whether this kind of density will actually maintain the stability the developer promises, given the scope of the plans?

Bond Hill as a Cautionary Tale

LDG’s track record in Cincinnati isn’t helping calm nerves. Their earlier project in Bond Hill — Seymour Station — began with some community meetings and initial buy-in. Then the details shifted. By the time it reached final approval, enough residents felt the end product didn’t match what they thought they’d agreed to. City Council moved it forward anyway. Some locals worry this project could end the same way.

That experience left a sour taste. It raised a straightforward question that City Hall still hasn’t answered satisfactorily: Does “community input” actually mean something after the early stages, or is it mostly performative until the approvals are locked in?

West Price Hill is now in a position to test that question again. This is just one example of how ongoing input may or may not be honored.

What Comes Next in the Sports Mall redevelopment?

City planning staff is scheduled to hold a staff conference on April 30. It’s one of the first real opportunities for nearby residents to see the current plans, ask direct questions, and push for changes before the project rolls further through the zoning and approval pipeline. Notably, several residents feel this deserves closer scrutiny during this process.

These early meetings matter — but only if residents treat them seriously and demand clear, specific answers on traffic studies, school impact, maintenance expectations, and what happens if the project evolves later. Therefore, staying actively engaged in the Western Hills Sports Mall redevelopment conversation is crucial.

Why This Matters More Than the Boundary Line Suggests

On paper, the site sits in Westwood. In reality, it’s right on the edge. The daily impacts — cars, kids in school, neighborhood character, public safety — don’t stop at an arbitrary line on a map. West Price Hill will absorb most of the real-world effects. Moreover, redevelopment will affect these neighborhoods in tangible ways.

This isn’t just about one more housing project. Cincinnati keeps pushing affordable units, and the need exists. But the way these projects move through the system too often leaves border neighborhoods feeling like they’re asked for input early, then told to live with whatever gets built. This story highlights the recurring frustrations.

You see stories about the affordable housing shortage pushing Cincinnati families into shelters and the broader fight over zoning, housing supply, and neighborhood change. The ongoing issues bring these citywide issues into sharp focus in West Price Hill.

Residents closest to Ferguson and Glenhills Way have every right to demand transparency and accountability. Show up to the April 30 staff conference. Ask the tough but fair questions:

• Where’s the detailed traffic analysis for the proposed redevelopment?
• What’s the actual projected impact on local schools?
• If plans change mid-process, what binding commitments does the neighborhood actually have related to the redevelopment?
• And how will the city ensure this development doesn’t just add density without adding value to the surrounding area?

The process is moving forward. The real issue will be whether West Price Hill’s voice travels with it — or gets left behind once the initial support phase ends. That’s the pattern some residents have seen before. Time will tell if this time is different as the Western Hills Sports Mall redevelopment plan unfolds.

Discover more on my Watchdog website as I continue to stay on top of this and other situations around town.

Read More

Cincinnati developers press for convention headquarters hotel subsidies