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 submitted to the City for final approval and the district would notify property owners in the fall that it is proceeding.

Why it matters

Commissioners asked for details because Hamilton County owns 19 properties inside the district. County officials and DCID staff emphasized that the assessment paid by county-owned parcels contributes to the downtown safety, cleaning and placemaking programs and to social services outreach that operates seven days a week. County staff confirmed the county budget assumes the district's continuation; the county administrator said the continuation was already factored into this year's budget process.

Street outreach and workforce supports

Marissa Reid, identified in the presentation as DCID/3CDC Director of Operations, described the street outreach element of the district's social services work. "The street outreach portion of Generosity 513 is a contract with Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services. So we have 4 full time outreach workers as well as a fifth seasonal outreach worker that works from April through October," Reid said, adding outreach workers respond via hotline and meet people where they are to conduct housing assessments and link individuals to housing, jobs and mental-health services.

Alex Martin, 3CDC Community Engagement Manager, told commissioners staff will focus on ensuring county employees and property managers in the county campus know how to contact the outreach team. "Alex Martin is our community engagement manager, and she and David spent a lot of time going out and meeting with property owners, but we'll make sure that that's a definite focus for the county," Behnke said.

Commissioners requested follow-up reporting and outreach

Commissioners expressed support for DCID's cleaning and ambassador programs but pressed DCID and partners for more visible and regularly available outreach near county facilities, noting Court Street and the county courthouse as frequent hotspots. One commissioner asked DCID and county administration to arrange a quarterly report summarizing downtown interactions, who was contacted, and outcomes. County staff said they could provide quarterly numbers and arrange a staff briefing to provide more detailed case-level context.

Details and budget figures referenced in the presentation

- Current DCID assessment to property owners: $3,600,000 per year (assessment calculated by frontage/assessed-value). - Additional partner/revenue sources managed by 3CDC: roughly $900,000, for a districtwide budget of about $4,500,000. - Hamilton County properties in-district: 19 parcels; county average assessment roughly $130,000 over the four-year term (presenters said the per-parcel average is about $126,000 and increases roughly 3% per year). - Outreach staffing: 4 full-time outreach workers plus a seasonal fifth worker (April–October); outreach hotline for referrals.

Ending

DCID and 3CDC representatives said they will provide the petition to county administration and work with staff to share outreach contact information across the county campus. Commissioners asked county administration and DCID to set up a quarterly reporting rhythm so the board can see how outreach and placements are progressing and whether additional resources or coordination with the sheriff's office are needed.