Downtown Cincinnati Improvement District seeks renewal; highlights street outreach and workforce programs

Brian Behnke, board chair of the Downtown Cincinnati Improvement District (DCID), told Hamilton County commissioners on April 1 that DCID is seeking voter/property-owner approval to renew its special assessment for a new four-year term running 2026–2029.

Behnke said DCID, which was created in 1997, is funded by a front-footage/assessed-value special assessment on properties inside a defined downtown boundary and by other revenue streams managed by 3CDC. "DCID is a Special Improvement District. It was for Downtown Cincinnati. It was created in 1997," Behnke said. He told the commissioners the current assessment plan collects about $3,600,000 from property owners and that the district's overall budget, including partner revenue, is closer to $4,500,000.

The renewal process, Behnke said, begins with petitions to property owners. He described two commonly used thresholds: a 60% owner-approval threshold the district typically reaches and a provision tied to 75% of assessed value. "Historically, it's been 74% response rate. Last time it was 75%." If the petition meets the threshold, it is…