Examining the Cincinnati Streetcar's Impact on Real Estate Investment

A dive into the reach of the Cincinnati Bell Connector's influence on a revitalizing urban neighborhood.

2 minute read

December 31, 2016, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Cincinnati Streetcar

City of Cincinnati / Cincinnati Bell Connector

The Cincinnati Business Courier, led by Chris Wetterich and Tom Demeropolis, has published an analysis of the Cincinnati Streetcar, which is actually called the Cincinnati Bell Connector.

The streetcar opened in September following years of controversy, and made the news for the wrong reasons (poor service and sluggish ridership) earlier in December. At the end of the year of the Bell Connector's opning, Wetterich and Demeropolis analyze the real estate impact of the streetcar, recognizing opposing sides to a debate about the drivers of the ongoing revival of the city's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Streetcar opponents credit "the city’s generous tax incentive program (which is available in every city neighborhood)" or "the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. [bringing] urban redevelopment to a large scale." Streetcar supporters "want to attribute nearly everything good that has happened in downtown and Over-the-Rhine to the $148 million project."

Wetterich and Demeropolis inquired with building owners along the streetcar route who had pulled construction permits since 2012 (totaling $160 million in investment) to ask the question: "How much of a factor was the streetcar in your decision to build?" They didn't expect to find receive many straight answers, given the politicized nature of the project, but they were wrong. "Dozens of building owners, developers and lessees were willing to talk with us and be candid about whether the streetcar influenced their decision-making," writes Wetterich.

Unfortunately, the Business Courier's database of findings regarding the Bell Connector's investment impact remains locked by a subscriber paywall, but the free article previewing the work provides testimonials of six of the contacts the two spoke with in gathering the data for the analysis.

Friday, December 30, 2016 in Cincinnati Business Courier

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

5 hours ago - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

6 hours ago - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

7 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO