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Article Summary
Westline Flats, a proposed 167-unit affordable apartment development, is moving forward at the former Western Hills Sports Mall site on Ferguson Road in Westwood. Cincinnati City Council’s Housing & Growth Committee voted 6-0 to advance a zoning change for the project, while the full Council was scheduled to consider the measure Sept. 16. The proposal has support from the Westwood Civic Association but opposition from the West Price Hill Community Council, with disagreements involving affordable-housing concentration, traffic and public safety.
Westline Flats is moving forward at the former Western Hills Sports Mall site on Cincinnati’s West Side.
However, the proposed 167-unit apartment development remains at the center of a neighborhood debate over affordable housing, traffic, public safety and future investment.
Cincinnati City Council’s Housing & Growth Committee voted 6-0 on Sept. 15 to advance a zoning change that would allow the proposed development at 2323 Ferguson Road in Westwood. The full City Council was scheduled to consider the zoning change Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The proposal would rezone the property from the city’s CGA-MH, or Commercial General – Auto Oriented – Middle Housing, district to Planned Development District No. 106, known as Westline Flats. The city’s planning records identify the project as a proposed multifamily development with 167 units in four buildings.
167 apartments planned for vacant Westwood site
LDG Development, through an affiliate called MB DerbyCity Development LLC, is proposing the apartment complex on the former Western Hills Sports Mall property.
The sports mall closed after a fire in 2022 and the property has remained vacant. The proposed development would replace the vacant site with four residential buildings, including one four-story building and three three-story buildings, WVXU reported.
The 167 apartments would include:
- 46 one-bedroom units
- 95 two-bedroom units
- 26 three-bedroom units
The development plan also calls for 183 parking spaces, bike parking, landscaping and other amenities.
The city’s planning department says the units are intended to be affordable to households with an average income of 60% of the area’s median income. The project is expected to serve households earning between 50% and 70% of the Area Median Income.
For households at 50% AMI, WVXU reported income thresholds of $39,150 for one person, $44,750 for two people and $55,900 for a four-person household.
The total project cost is estimated at $57 million.
Zoning change is central to Council’s decision
The Council action is primarily about the property’s zoning.
The current zoning is CGA-MH. The proposed change would create Planned Development District No. 106, Westline Flats, specifically for the proposed development.
The city says the planned-development district would allow the 167-unit multifamily project and establish the development framework for the site.
That means the Council’s zoning decision is an important step, but it does not by itself mean apartments will immediately begin construction.
The project still needs to secure its financing before construction can move forward.
Project still needs affordable-housing financing
LDG has not yet secured all of the financing needed for the estimated $57 million development.
The development team previously told the Planning Commission that it planned to immediately apply for federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. However, the application was not submitted during the most recent application cycle.
LDG Development Manager Elijah Lacey told Council that the company instead applied for two other projects during that cycle. The developer now plans to seek federal or state tax credits, or both, depending on which option allows the project to move forward more quickly.
The financing issue is significant because Council’s approval of the zoning change does not guarantee that the development will be built on a particular timeline.
Two West Side neighborhoods disagree over the project
The development has divided nearby neighborhood groups.
The Westwood Civic Association, the official community council for Westwood, supports Westline Flats. The group has said the location is appropriate for affordable housing because residents would have access to grocery stores, a thrift store and a transit hub within walking distance.
The West Price Hill Community Council, which represents the neighboring community, opposes the proposal.
Opponents have raised concerns about traffic congestion, public safety and what they view as a concentration of low-income housing in the area.
The geographic distinction is important: the proposed development is located in Westwood, but the site is near the Westwood-West Price Hill boundary. That has put two neighboring community councils on different sides of the proposal.
Traffic concerns led to proposed design changes
Traffic has been one of the issues raised by residents.
The Westwood Civic Association has supported the development but also requested changes to the project design to address traffic flow. The group also requested additional neighborhood features, including “Welcome to Westwood” signage.
The project’s 183 parking spaces would provide more parking spaces than the 167 planned apartments, while the development would also include bike parking.
The available project information does not establish that the development will cause a specific traffic problem. Instead, traffic is among the concerns that neighborhood representatives have raised as part of the development review.
Public safety concerns prompted community discussions
Public safety has also been part of the disagreement surrounding the project.
As part of discussions between the developer and community groups, proposed measures have included security cameras, perimeter fencing, property-management provisions and communication with police and neighborhood organizations.
The development team and community representatives have also discussed whether license-plate readers should be installed at vehicle entrances.
Those measures are part of the broader effort to address concerns raised during the review rather than evidence that the proposed development itself would cause crime.
Council also seeks broader neighborhood investment
Council’s consideration of Westline Flats has also prompted a separate discussion about investment in the surrounding neighborhood.
Councilmembers Mark Jeffreys and Jeff Cramerding introduced a motion directing the administration to work with Homebase, Price Hill Will, Westwood Civic and other stakeholders on a medium- to long-term neighborhood investment strategy centered on the proposed LDG development.
The motion calls for the administration to report back to Council within 30 days with a proposed framework.
That strategy could provide a separate avenue for addressing broader neighborhood concerns surrounding the development rather than placing all of the debate on the apartment project itself.
The motion also recognizes the location’s position on the border of Westwood and West Price Hill.
Lawsuit challenged the project’s review
Westline Flats has also faced a legal challenge.
A West Price Hill resident filed a lawsuit related to the Planning Commission’s handling of the project and alleged a violation of Ohio’s Open Meetings Act.
A judge ruled Sept. 10 that the Open Meetings Act did not apply to the Planning Commission’s quasi-judicial hearing in the manner alleged in the lawsuit. The city subsequently sought dismissal of the case, according to local reports.
The ruling addressed the Open Meetings Act issue raised in the lawsuit. It does not change the separate zoning and financing steps the development must complete.
FAQs
What type of housing would Westline Flats provide?
The apartments would be income-restricted and designed for households earning between 50% and 70% of the Area Median Income. The project has an estimated cost of $57 million.
Why does the property need a zoning change?
The developer is seeking to change the property’s existing CGA-MH zoning to a Planned Development District specifically for Westline Flats. The zoning change would establish the development framework for the proposed multifamily project.
How would the project be financed?
LDG is pursuing affordable-housing tax credits and has indicated it may seek federal or state credits. The developer did not submit an application during the most recent federal tax-credit cycle and is considering other financing opportunities.
What happens after the City Council vote?
If the zoning change is approved, the developer would still need to secure financing and complete the remaining development steps. Separately, the city administration is expected to work with neighborhood organizations on a broader neighborhood investment strategy.
