3CDC Says It’s No Threat to Homeless Shelter

The Drop Inn Center has nothing to fear from the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), according to Stephen Leeper, president of the public/private partnership.

In a recent meeting with CityBeat Editor John Fox, staff writer Margo Pierce and myself, Leeper promised 3CDC has no intention of trying to force the homeless shelter to move. Supporters of the Drop Inn Center have expressed concern that 3CDC’s plans to redevelop the area near Washington Park will lead to pressure to move the shelter.

But Leeper says no.

“There’s no plans on our behalf,” he said. “The Drop Inn Center’s there. They own the property. We’re not like the Wizard of Oz, thinking about where we can move them today. I promise you.”

If the Drop Inn Center wants help, however, 3CDC is ready to offer it, Leeper said.

“My view is there’s a need for homeless support,” he said. “You can have a facility like this and have it compatible with the neighborhood. Our intention is not to get them out of there. Our intention is to improve the Drop Inn Center.”

He acknowledged the possibility of tensions between the center’s clientele and the kind of people 3CDC hopes will be drawn to the neighborhood by new condos and a new School for the Creative and Performing Arts.

“I am very concerned about how existing conditions have an impact on the neighborhood,” Leeper said. “What has gone on in Washington Park is unacceptable behavior — screaming, yelling, taking a leak in the middle of the park. These are inherent tensions. It’s easy for us to blame the Drop Inn Center and for them to blame us. We’ve got to get beyond that.”

— Gregory Flannery

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