SPRINGDALE, Ohio ' At a Hamilton County Commission meeting in Springdale on Aug. 14, Mayor Lord C. Hawkins III said the city has pursued higher‑density, mixed‑use housing and targeted economic development since the pandemic, and that developers and employers have announced roughly $451 million in investment since 2020. "Our city has based its revenue historically off of 3 things, retail and warehouse, manufacturing, and the last 1 is office," Mayor Lord C. Hawkins III said.

The mayor told commissioners that the city is adding apartments and other projects to broaden its revenue sources and attract residents who will pay local taxes even when they work from home. He cited recent projects including the Rowan Merchant renovation and townhomes (a $40 million investment), the Array Apartments (about $40 million), and a planned Slate Springdale complex north of the movie theater (about $52 million, roughly 306 units). "We're very intentional with that and diverse mixed uses including industrial, retail, entertainment and residential," Hawkins said.

Springdale is also marketing redevelopment of the Tri County Mall site as a mixed‑use CityCenter Springdale with housing, retail, entertainment, office space and hotels, according to the mayor. He said the city has announced about 1,500,000 square feet of newly constructed or renovated space and roughly 751 new market‑rate family units since the pandemic.

Why it matters: Springdale officials told county commissioners they want to reduce the city's reliance on older retail and office tax bases by adding residents and amenities that generate more stable local revenue. The projects cited would change land use, traffic and local services needs in parts of the city.

Details commissioners heard
- Demolition and adaptive reuse: The Rowan Merchant project renovated two former office buildings into apartments and townhomes as a response to declining office demand. The mayor said adaptive reuse was a deliberate strategy for obsolete office space.
- New employers and expansions: Hawkins noted Best Buy Outlet, GE Aerospace, Deach (a pretzel manufacturer), Flying Ace and others as recent arrivals or expansions. He said Enable Injections, a medical device company, projects an $18.9 million payroll at its Springdale site.
- Amenities and demographics: The mayor said the average household income in new developments is about $109,000, average individual income about $70,000 and a median resident age of roughly 31 in those projects. He pointed to amenities such as rooftop entertainment, pools, dog parks, and shared workspace as factors that helped quick leasing.

Commissioners and county staff praised Springdale's work. Commissioner Stephanie Summerall Dumas said the city is a "diamond in the rough," and Commissioner Alicia Reese thanked the mayor and council for hosting the meeting and for local partnerships, including use of Springdale space by county emergency management services.

Context and next steps: Hawkins asked the commission to consider continued support for local event grants; he also said the city is actively working with private developers on Tri County Mall redevelopment. No county action or vote on Springdale projects was taken during the meeting.

Ending note: The mayor introduced Springdale city staff and council members and closed by inviting commissioners to return and monitor the projects as they advance.