As a homeowner in the Villages of Daybreak in Bond Hill, I know what it is like to be ignored by the current city leadership. Cincinnati’s City Council not only voted through an unwanted and ill-considered development project in Bond Hill − despite the loud objections of the homeowners who live there − but also announced that the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority would be funding it.
Bond Hill voices have been dismissed despite petitions, testimony before the Planning Commission and City Council, and direct engagement with city officials. This council’s decision to override the serious concerns of Bond Hill residents and allow the Port to allocate funds for this development is a travesty.
We are not opposed to development in Bond Hill. Still, the current development plan is a complete bait-and-switch from the original 2004 Villages of Daybreak plan, which called for single-family homes and condominiums.
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A bait-and-switch that betrays homeowners
The current homeowners in the Villages of Daybreak bought their homes with the understanding that they would live next to a low-density development filled with other homeowners. That all changed when LDG Development swooped in and proposed a high-density development of 150 apartment units in place of the low-density condominiums approved in 2004, but never built.
In September 2024, City Council approved the high-density, 150-unit subsidized housing project proposed by LDG Development, even though LDG did not own the land where it intended to build. Approving a project of this magnitude in direct opposition to resident voices − and before the developer even secured the land − is irresponsible and demonstrates a blatant disregard for the homeowners directly impacted.
A year later, LDG has still not purchased the land on which it received approval to build.
Undermining generational wealth in Bond Hill
The current homeowners in the Villages of Daybreak say they bought their homes with the understanding that they would live next to a low-density development filled with other homeowners. However, LDG Development has proposed a high-density development of 150 apartment units in place of the low-density condominiums approved in 2004, but never built there.
The Villages of Daybreak was actually built to restore and protect the character of Bond Hill after the failure of prior high-density subsidized housing developments on this same property. Our homes represent stability, community investment, and generational wealth.
Reintroducing another subsidized, high-density development undermines these goals, and history has shown what inevitably follows: declining property values, increased density, and diminished quality of life.
Although LDG claims rents will range from $900 to $1,900 per month to promote “workforce housing,” experience in Cincinnati demonstrates that such projects ultimately become fully subsidized. This has been the pattern in predominantly Black communities, where federal and local housing policies repeatedly concentrate subsidized housing instead of fostering balanced, sustainable development.
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City Hall should do what’s right
So while the city loves to talk about its Financial Freedom Blueprint and its dedication to building generational wealth, its approval of the Bond Hill development project does the exact opposite. There has been no Community Benefits Agreement established between the Bond Hill Community Council and LDG, and the process thus far has lacked transparency.
We demand respect, transparency, and fair treatment as homeowners who have invested in the future of Bond Hill. We thank Councilman Scotty Johnson for being the only council member to stand with us, and we call on other members to reconsider their support. We have received support from the Bond Hill Community Council, North Avondale Community, and Paddock Hills Community.
At the Sept. 4 Bond Hill Community Council meeting, the developer surprised us with the announcement of a Nov. 1 groundbreaking. This is unacceptable. The city of Cincinnati should withdraw its endorsement and financial support of this development. Our community deserves consideration and justice.
If Cincinnati is truly interested in building generational wealth in neighborhoods like Bond Hill and elsewhere, it needs to respect and protect the investments of current homeowners who have invested in this city.
Charlene Davis
Charlene Davis is a resident of Bond Hill.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bond Hill was promised homes not another high-density mistake |Opinion
