April Bi-Monthly Newsletter

May 03, 2024

From discussing the merits of a Green Bank in Hamilton County to the retirement of one of Cincinnati’s biggest advocates, we’re excited to share updates from the last two months at The Port.

NEWS FROM THE PORT

Edition No. 18 | April 2024

Can a Green Bank be Effective in Hamilton County?

In early March, The Port and its partners hosted a forum to discuss establishing a Green Bank to raise and deploy funding for local, sustainable development. A Green Bank is a mission-driven financial institution that aims to accelerate clean energy investment through public policy, technical assistance, grants, and incentives. Green Banks have recently gained notoriety because of the Biden Administration’s $27 billion investment in a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to combat climate change and promote economic competitiveness.

The event, a collaborative effort hosted by The Port, Donovan Energy, the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, the Cincinnati Business Committee, the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, and the Cincinnati Development Fund, brought together more than 125 local and national experts in clean energy finance, affordable housing, and community development. Attendees learned about successful clean energy programs nationwide, including in Cleveland and Columbus, and explored ways to scale green energy investment in our region. The potential establishment of a local Green Bank could lead to more equitable development, more environmentally-friendly households, and more jobs, painting a promising future for our community,

Next steps include developing local programs to promote sustainable development throughout the county. Stay tuned for future updates!

Port Recognized by United Way

The Port was recently recognized as one of United Way’s ‘Tremendous 25’ donors, ranking 9th. The ‘Tremendous 25’ represents the highest per-capita giving companies with at least 25 employees and 55% employee participation. These companies may not be large enough to be in the Top 25 in total giving, but they and their employees still go above and beyond to provide exceptional support for their community. We are immensely proud of our staff for always providing servant leadership for the Cincinnati Region.

A Port Economic Development Pro Hangs Up His Shovel

After a decades-long career in economic development, The Port’s Vice President of Community Development, Bill Fischer, entered retirement with a bang. At this year’s Invest in Neighborhoods “Neighborhood Summit” in late April, Bill received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization. The award recognizes Bill’s long career dedicated to improving communities while at The Port, the City of Cincinnati, and the University of Cincinnati. Bill’s fingerprints can be found all around Hamilton County through his advocacy for neighborhoods, collaboration with communities, or on any one of the many impactful projects Bill led. Congratulations, Bill, on your well-deserved recognition. In his retirement, our wish for Bill is what he always gave to his hometown – the very best.

HomeBase Awards

In February, The Port’s team attended the HomeBase Cincinnati Annual Awards Celebration. Among the many impactful projects recognized, we were proud to be awarded the “Most Outstanding Collaborating Neighborhood CDC/CBO” award with our partners Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses (SHNH) and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati for the Baymiller Rowhomes project in the West End. Following stabilization of six historic rowhouses by the Landbank, three of the homes were transferred to SHNH and Habitat for redevelopment to provide affordable housing options, identified as a critical need in the West End Housing Study. From acquisition, stabilization, and through construction, this project exemplifies the importance of collaboration to begin reinvesting in our neighborhoods. Congratulations to all the award winners and nominees working to improve our neighborhoods!

The Port’s Philip Denning Talks Infill Development at Ohio’s Annual Land Bank Conference

Speaking to a near-capacity crowd, The Port’s Executive Vice President Philip Denning shared his development expertise at this year’s Ohio Land Bank Association Conference in Akron. In a session titled “Pre-Approved Building Plans to Promote Infill Development,” Denning offered his evaluation of how programs like these pre-approved plans could be beneficial to cities around the Buckeye State to promote more affordable housing. Later, representatives from the Greater Ohio Policy Center and the Michigan Association of Land Banks joined Philip for a panel discussion.

Employee Spotlight – Anna Ausman
Senior Associate and OSBA Certified Paralegal

Anna Ausman joined The Port in 2017 as paralegal, earning her Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) paralegal certification in 2019.

As Senior Associate and OSBA Certified Paralegal, Anna supports The Port’s legal team. Her primary responsibilities include preparing initial drafts of legal documents relating to property acquisition, ownership, management, and disposition, along with coordinating the execution of final documents. Anna earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Northern Kentucky University.

“What I love most about working at The Port is watching my legal skill sets support Port programming that revitalize and strengthen neighborhoods and increase homeownership opportunities within the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. It feels good knowing that my daily efforts impact local families so positively.”