Public Forum: Balancing Interests in OTR

The entire title of the public forum presented by Woman's City Club on September 21 was: "Balancing the City's Interest in Neighborhood Revitalization and the Interests of Residents: Over-the-Rhine as a Case in Point."

Quite a title and quite a speakers list: Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, OTR Community Housing executive director Mary Burke Rivers, Chad Munitz of 3CDC, Debbie Mays, community activist, Cassandra Barham from the Contact Center, and Jeanne Golliher from Cincinnati Development Fund. The moderator was Karyl Cunningham, president and CEO of Emanuel Community Center.

Roxanne had a powerpoint, as did Chad. The big room at First Unitarian Church was full of people, full of energy, lots of questions. Much of the discussion seemed to center on the re-doing of Washington Park. There was no real disagreement expressed, and yet no clear consensus emerged either - no clear statement about what was in the City' interest and what was in the community and residents' interest.

This would seem to be a still-evolving discussion. It was great of Woman's City Club to bring all the parties together, to get the dialogue out front and in the public eye.