Construction has started on the conversion of the old Over-the-Rhine Recreation Center into a new home for Crossroad Health Center, which has served the neighborhood for more than 30 years.
City leaders, Crossroad officials, 3CDC and other partners gathered in late June to mark the $15.6 million project’s kickoff. Mayor Aftab Pureval, City Manager Sheryl Long and Crossroad CEO James Berrens spoke about the impact the new facility will have on the northern part of OTR.
Federally Qualified Health Centers like Crossroad receive federal funds to provide care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
“Crossroad was founded in 1992 to serve the community of OTR,” Berrens said. “We are proud of our history in OTR and excited to be part of the revitalization north of Liberty.”
Redeveloping the former recreation center
The project will relocate Crossroad’s clinic and offices from their cramped, aging space at Liberty and Vine streets. The new 21,500-square-foot building will nearly double exam rooms from 14 to 21, allowing patient visits to grow from 4,000 to 6,000 a year. It will also add services like dental care and a pharmacy.
A 109-space parking lot will serve patients, staff and visitors to the nearby Findlay Community Center, also under construction.
3CDC is leading the development for Crossroad and the city. Triversity manages construction, while City Studios Architecture and Platte Architecture & Design are designing the facility.
Funding comes from multiple sources: Crossroad is investing $2 million; the city is contributing more than $4.6 million; and Truist and the Corporation for Supportive Housing provided $4.3 million in New Market Tax Credits. Private donors and grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration and Ohio Department of Development have added more than $4.6 million. The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority is also supporting the project.
The Crossroad Health Center project is part of a $100 million development effort led by the city, 3CDC and other partners to revitalize Over-the-Rhine north of Liberty Street. Alongside the health center, the first phase includes building the new Findlay Community Center on the site of the former Findlay Playground, which broke ground in May.
Construction on the health center will continue in stages with a target completion date in mid-2026.
“We’re excited to celebrate a new chapter for a critically important community resource, Crossroad Health Center,” said Katie Westbrook, 3CDC’s senior vice president of development. “This project will not only provide tangible amenities and resources that will fill immediate needs in the neighborhood but importantly will also drive lasting change by increasing vibrancy and safety for North OTR residents and visitors.”
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