West Side $57M Housing Plan Meets Resistance

The fight over a $57 million apartment project on Cincinnati’s West Side is centered on a vacant former sports mall, a 167-unit affordable housing plan and a widening split between neighboring communities. City planning documents show Louisville-based LDG Development, through affiliate MBL DerbyCity Development LLC, wants to redevelop 2323 Ferguson Road — the former Western Hills Sports Mall site — as Westline Flats, a four-building complex aimed at households earning an average of 60% of area median income. June 5, 2026, was the key early public milestone. Cincinnati’s Planning Commission reviewed the proposal that day after an April 30 public staff conference, where city records show 14 people spoke, with three in support and 11 in opposition. The commission later approved the project’s planning steps, according to local coverage and city materials. (cincinnati-oh.gov) ### What exactly is being proposed at 2323 Ferguson Road? City planning records describe Westline Flats as a planned development on about 4.3 acres at the former Western Hills Sports Mall in Westwood, near the West Price Hill border. The proposal calls for 167 apartments in four multi-story buildings, with 46 one-bedroom units, 95 two-bedroom units and 26 three-bedroom units. (cincinnati-oh.gov) The June 5 planning presentation put the project cost at about $57 million and said the development would include 183 parking spaces, pedestrian walkways, landscaping and about 1.25 acres of open space, or 29% of the site. City notices say the apartments are intended to be affordable to households at an average of 60% of the area median income, using low-income housing tax credits. (cincinnati-oh.gov) ### Why are West Price Hill residents and activists pushing back? The opposition has been led in part by the West Price Hill Community Council. In a May 18 letter to the city, the council said it opposed the project “in its current state,” arguing it would add too much density to an area already dealing with traffic, crime and infrastructure problems. (cincinnati-oh.gov) Ben Klayer, president of the West Price Hill Community Council, told local media residents believe the site is already surrounded by too much income-restricted housing and that the project is larger than anything nearby. The council’s letter said members were not opposed to new housing in general, but wanted more market-rate housing, more green space, a traffic study and more outreach to nearby residents, schools and businesses. (cincinnati-oh.gov) City staff’s summary of the April 30 conference shows many of the same concerns. Opponents raised questions about poverty concentration, racial segregation, school capacity, police services, traffic, construction impacts, property management and whether the project fit broader city planning goals. ### Who supports the project? (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) Westwood groups have taken the opposite view. City planning materials say the Westwood Civic Association, Westwood Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and Westwood Works supported the proposed planned development. Jeff Cramerding, the Cincinnati council member whose district includes the area and who lives in West Price Hill, has also backed the redevelopment. (cincinnati-oh.gov) Local reporting in June quoted him as saying the West Side needs more housing and more people, even though he said he would prefer more market-rate units. (cincinnati-oh.gov) Westwood’s broader neighborhood plan also helps explain that support. WCPO reported in April that Westwood holds more than 10% of Cincinnati’s population but has added fewer than 800 housing units since 2000, and local leaders said the neighborhood lacks enough affordable housing in good condition. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) ### Where does the lawsuit fit in now? A new lawsuit has become the project’s latest flashpoint. Cincinnati Business Courier, in a report republished by WKRC on August 5, said a West Price Hill resident sued the Cincinnati Planning Commission, alleging it illegally entered executive session on June 5 before approving the development. (wcpo.com) That suit does not erase the approvals already granted, but it adds another layer to a project that was already politically divisive. The court challenge comes after the planning process moved through staff review, a public conference, Planning Commission consideration and City Council review dates listed on the city’s project page. (local12.com) ### What happens next? The city’s project page listed an August 4, 2026, Housing and Growth Committee meeting and an August 5, 2026, City Council meeting as the next legislative steps tied to the ordinance. Cincinnati’s public meeting calendar also showed those meetings on those dates in Council Chambers at City Hall. (cincinnati-oh.gov) Construction timing will depend on the remaining city process, financing and the effect of the lawsuit. For now, the next concrete places to track the project are Cincinnati’s council calendar, planning files and court records tied to the challenge over the June 5 Planning Commission session. (cincinnati-oh.gov)