Economic Growth in Hamilton

The City of Hamilton has experienced tremendous job growth over the past five years. As a community that previously relied heavily on manufacturing, we have been working to diversify our economy into new sectors such as information and logistics. ODW Logistics and Transportation Services and DLI Logistics have both chosen to locate in Hamilton in recent years, as have Barclaycard and STARTEK, both customer support and communication firms. Other new businesses locating in Hamilton include Darana Hybrid, an electro-mechanical installation firm; iMFLUX, a high-tech subsidiary of Procter & Gamble; 80 Acres Farms, which is opening the world's first fully automated indoor farm here in Hamilton; JWF Technologies, is a specialized distributor and designer of motion control components; and Kirsch CPA.

Existing businesses have also been growing in Hamilton. Healthcare providers such as Community First Solutions, Trihealth Bethesda Butler Hospital, and Fort Hamilton Hospital have recently invested tens of millions of dollars in new capital projects. thyssenkrupp Bilstein has also invested millions at their east Hamilton location, and have created more than six hundred new jobs alone. Looking forward, we expect to see a huge growth in our tourism industry, and have already started to support the growth of recreational activities, restaurants, and other nightlife businesses. Total payroll in the City of Hamilton topped $1 billion for the first time in 2017, and unemployment has been steadily declining since 2013. All told, Hamilton's employers have created more than 2,800 new jobs since 2012, with hundreds more expected in the next several years.

RiversEdge and Marcum Park Named One of the Best Public Spaces in America

In 2006, Mercy Hospital, an anchor institution and major employer in the rust belt city of Hamilton, Ohio, left town. Faced with a Brownfield site in the heart of downtown, the City was able to reinvent the space as Hamilton’s premier park and community center. In 2013, construction on RiversEdge Amphitheater and Overlook was completed, creating an outdoor concert venue that attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Marcum Park, which expanded and completed RiversEdge, was created through a generous donation from the Marcum family and opened in 2017. The space hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including the Big River Get Down, the Free Summer Concert Series, the Hamilton Flea, the Badin Festival, the Fourth of July Celebration, and many others. Many of these events are managed by volunteers and, combined, bring tens of thousands of people to downtown Hamilton that would otherwise not visit our community.

In 2018, the American Planning Association (APA) named RiversEdge at Marcum Park in Hamilton, Ohio, as one of five Great Public Spaces on APA’s annual Great Places in America list. APA’s Great Places in America program recognizes the streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces in the United States demonstrating exceptional character, quality, and planning—attributes that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire others around the country.

According to Cynthia Bowen, FAICP, President of APA, “Public spaces serve a number of functions within a community, from gathering places to recreational venues, and to satisfy these varied community needs requires thoughtful collaboration and planning. Hamilton’s RiversEdge is a national example of how public spaces effectively create a sense of place that creates access and opportunity for all.”

StreetSpark Adds Vibrancy to Hamilton

As part of the City’s strategy to further the arts identity in Hamilton, an arts committee was formed in 2014 comprising arts professionals in the community and City staff. One of the ideas developed by the committee was StreetSpark, an effort to produce high-quality public art that will create opportunities for local artists and enhance the visual appeal of the city. StreetSpark launched in 2016 and over the first three summers of the program,eight murals were completed in highly visible locations around downtown, Main Street, East High Street, and at Miami University Hamilton. StreetSpark is an initiative led by the Fitton Center for Creative Arts with the City serving as an important partner in the effort.

We Are Hamilton: An Example of Collaboration to Promote Our Community

In 2015, Community First Solutions launched the We Are Hamilton campaign in collaboration with the City of Hamilton. The campaign was a civic pride piece intended to capture the positive energy that was building in our community. It started with a video intended for a local audience. However,  the response to the video far exceeded expectations – more than 65,000 people viewed the video. The video was embraced by the community as a rallying cry for Hamilton’s revitalization - local businesses have shown it to prospective employees as a marketing piece to attract employees and Hamilton High and Badin High schools have shown the video at their stadiums prior to football games.

Given the success of the video, Community First Solutions and the City of Hamilton continued the effort, creating a second video in 2016 highlighting community members making a difference and encouraging residents to get engaged in our community. The campaign also included posting inspirational city quotes around the windows of our downtown buildings, which are seen by over 30,000 drivers each day.

South Hamilton Crossing Improves Mobility in Hamilton

The South Hamilton Railroad Grade Separation Crossing (SHX) project replaces an existing at-grade railroad crossing with a railroad overpass created by extending Grand Boulevard westerly to University Boulevard. Approximately sixty trains travel through the existing crossing daily, blocking the crossing and creating a delay for motorists and emergency response teams.

This project will greatly improve connectivity, reduce drive times, and increase safety. Due to their close proximity to the project, SHX is anticipated to have especially important economic development and connectivity benefits for Vora Technology Park, University Commerce Park, and Miami University-Hamilton.

This project is an example of a strong regional collaboration and an effort to bring State funds into Hamilton. The City relied heavily on regional and State partnerships to fund this mobility improvement, which will be a great benefit to our community.

17 Strong Micro-Grants Empower Neighborhood Residents

The 17Strong Neighborhoods initiative grew out of the Sense of Place committee which was one of the four pillars of City Council’s 2012 strategic plan. Part of the Sense of Place committee’s charge was to build a robust neighborhoods initiative. After a few years of grassroots relationship-building by resident volunteers, City Council, and City staff, the effort found structure in the 17Strong Advisory Board. 17Strong provides a framework for communication and a sense of identity within Hamilton’s 17 neighborhoods. Intended to increase civic engagement and strengthen community pride, this initiative seeks to define neighborhoods, community third-places, and the various needs and aspirations of each neighborhood. 17Strong created the resident-led 17Strong Advisory Board and the Micro-grant program in 2016.

In its first two years, the 17Strong Micro-grant Program awarded over $75,400 in grants to 37 community projects. From neighborhood beautification and rehabilitation projects to community job fairs and uplifting community events, the Micro-grant Program provided funds to support a variety of grassroots projects that were created by and for Hamiltonians. In 2018, 25 grants were awarded for a total of $42,303.32. 

While the City of Hamilton provides the funding for the grants, the micro-grant program is citizen-led. The early success of 17Strong and its Micro-grant program led to Hamilton being an awardee of the Love Your Block program, a competitive federal grant that is providing two Americorps VISTAS and a $25,000 grant for additional neighborhood programming for two years.