CHCURC - College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation

Zonieke Alston-Betts, owner of Pour Candle Co., shares her experience as a local business owner and previous OurShop participant. CHCURC provides several small business support programs including OurShop, the Outdoor Improvement Program, and the Facade Improvement Program. OurShop is a program that provides small business owners a rent-free space for six months, while also including job skills training, entrepreneurial training, financial education, marketing, and sales data analysis. Since 2021, the program has completed three rounds and supported 11 entrepreneurs, of whom 6 have graduated into their own permanent storefronts. OurShop College Hill is designed to nurture and support local entrepreneurs by lowering the barriers to entry for small businesses. CHCURC additionally provides support to our local businesses through the Facade Improvement Program and Outdoor Improvement Program. As part of this, CHCURC has helped transform outdoor spaces for local businesses (Marty’s Hops and Vines, Kiki’s, and Just Q’in, and Brink), added awnings, provided new paint for buildings, and provided overall building improvements for our local business owners to be supported. 👉 Donate here: https://gofund.me/adaabc19 Together, let’s turn generosity into action. Thank you for making a difference! 💙

Giving Tuesday is happening TOMORROW! #GivingTuesday is a global movement celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year, it takes place on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024. After all the excitement from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday encourages people to give back to their communities. This can mean donating to charities, volunteering, or even just spreading kindness. This year, we invite you to be part of something meaningful by supporting College Hill CURC. Your contribution helps us continue our mission to create a stronger, more connected community. 👉 Donate here: https://gofund.me/adaabc19 Together, let’s turn generosity into action. Thank you for making a difference! 💙

We are 2 weeks away from Giving Tuesday! Giving Tuesday is a global movement that encourages people to support charities and causes they care about through donations and acts of kindness. It is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. If you want to donate early, our donation page is live at: https://gofund.me/adaabc19. We appreciate your support in helping us continue our work. Stay tuned for how your donations can make an impact in our community!

Exciting news! Construction is underway at Marty’s Hops and Vines patio (6110 Hamilton Ave) as part of our ongoing Outdoor Improvement Program. Stay tuned for updates on this project - we can’t wait to reveal the final transformation! Huge thanks to the City of Cincinnati and Kaiker Development + Construction for their support and partnership.

Exciting news about the recent College Hill Plaza Acquisition and business highlight featuring Free Parking Bar! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/et7wwTp2

Please join us in welcoming Roan Postich to our team! Roan is our Community Development Coordinator and is also going into his third year studying Urban Planning at UC DAAP. Roan will focus on grant writing/ research, engaging with the public, and planning events. In his free time he likes to hang out with his friends and family, play video games, and listen to music.

Please welcome Kwahyia Jones to the team! Kwahyia is our new Director of Community Development. In this role, Kwahyia will oversee funding strategies and ensure that projects meet regulatory standards, while promoting inclusive, sustainable development that benefits all community residents. Additionally, she will lead community engagement efforts, ensuring that redevelopment aligns with the needs of College Hill residents. Kwahyia’s expertise in community engagement and strategic development will help to foster growth and revitalization in our business district. Prior to joining CHCURC, Kwahyia worked in the Mayor's Office as the Director of Constituent Affairs, where she focused on ensuring that constituents' had a voice in the city and it’s government. Prior to the Mayor's office, she worked for the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas where she collaborated with Magistrates, the County Prosecutor, and the Sheriff's Office to hold felony arraignment court. In her free time Kwahyia enjoys cooking, shopping, and attending arcades and trampoline parks with her 7 year old son.

We are thrilled to announce College Hill CURC has completed the historic acquisition of the College Hill Plaza, a 3.8-acre property at the southern end of the College Hill business district! The acquisition of the Plaza, which was formerly owned by an out of state investor, was made possible through funding partnerships with the City of Cincinnati, LISC Greater Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, HomeBase Cincinnati, Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, Duke Energy Corporation Foundation, and the College Hill community. Since the Plaza functions as a critical piece of the business district’s southern gateway, College Hill CURC will focus on the many opportunities for stabilization and visual enhancements in order to transform the Plaza into a more welcoming entrance and experience. Over the next 18 months, this work will include addressing safety opportunities, facade improvements, landscaping, litter clean-up, signage updates, and fencing repairs, all of which will uplift and support the 11 businesses that currently operate within the Plaza. Our sincere thanks to all of our funding partners and the College Hill community for making this historic acquisition possible.

Please join us in welcoming Terri Schuler to our team! Terri is our Marketing & Graphic Design Coordinator. She is currently going into her third year studying Communication Design at UC DAAP. Terri will take the lead on social media communication, website design, and program design for major upcoming events. In her free time she likes to paint, draw, listen to music, and practice photography.

Today, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Ismael Hassan, our Director of Community Development. For the past 3 years, Ismael's contributions have left a lasting impact on College Hill CURC and our community. His tenure has been marked by significant achievements, including securing funding for various projects and operations, leading marketing and events, spearheading beautification projects such as the Streetscape Improvement Program, introducing 4 murals to our business district, alleyway activations, and more. We extend our deepest gratitude to Ismael for his unwavering commitment to our mission. Your dedication and hard work will be felt for years to come. Thank you, Ismael. You will be missed!