BEEKMAN

A vision for Beekman to become Cincinnati’s creekfront makers district, where reuse, art, and small businesses bring people to the water and create a place to gather year-round.

BEEKMAN:
COMMUNITY CONTEXT

Beekman Street connects South Cumminsville, Millvale, English Woods, North Fairmount, and South Fairmount. Across many measures, these neighborhoods face lower incomes, lower educational attainment, and fewer nearby resources. Vacancy and unemployment remain high. A helpful overview of key demographic traits is included in the Beekman Housing Report. What is strong here is social connection, creativity, resourcefulness, and a real eagerness to take part in positive change. The recommendations that follow focus on near-term actions that support steady, incremental change.

A new and exciting place to gather is taking shape along the Mill Creek.
Rooted in the neighborhood's industrial past and community commitment, the creekside district is a launchpad for a new kind of industrious future. This is a place where Black-owned businesses are supported and celebrated, and where culture and creativity drive the transformation.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

    • Honor the industrial legacy through adaptive reuse of buildings.

    • Create new commercial spaces for Blackowned businesses and creative entrepreneurs.

    • Develop flexible, maker-friendly spaces that support innovation, production, and ownership.

    • Celebrate Black culture through murals, installations, and cultural programming.

    • Use bold colors and expressive design to bring energy and identity to streets and buildings

    • Create spaces that feel alive, welcoming, and unmistakably local.

    • Transform a scenic stretch of the Mill Creek into a waterfront destination.

    • Introduce naturalized, playful elements like sand, decking, hammocks, or shaded seating.

    • Make the creek a place for gathering, relaxing, and reimagining what nature in the city can be.

THE PLAN

  • EXISTING

    The Beekman focus area contains many City of Cincinnati and Port-owned properties, which present opportunities for catalytic efforts that begin to stitch together existing residents and businesses with planned creek-fronting amenities, while positioning vacant properties for redevelopment.  

  • 0-3 YEARS

    This concept seeks to establish a fun, relaxing hang-out area in a naturalized area of South Cumminsville that contrasts with other gathering places currently in the community. A key feature is a floating dock with seating and programmed opportunities to enjoy food, drinks, music, and good company. Near the dock is a wooded area with mature trees that will make a great space for mini-hikes and outdoor activities. A naturalized trail is recommended to connect this destination with the new  development.

  • 3-7 Years

    In the mid-term, Beekman grows from an early creekfront activation into a more durable maker district. New food and beverage, recreation, and reuse projects strengthen the water’s edge, while improved paths and frontage connect the creekfront back to Beekman Street. Building reuse and new infill should remain flexible at this stage, especially on publicly controlled sites where parcel assembly, service access, and future end-user needs may shape the final development pattern.

  • 7-10 YEARS

    Over time, Beekman becomes a year-round creekfront maker district where public space, reuse, and small business reinforce each other. New development should stay flexible and incremental, with a strong public realm, local identity, and more reasons to arrive by foot, bike, and trail. Infill construction should be market ready by the end of this timeline.

THE PRIORITY

Llewellyn’s Landing

Llewellyn’s Landing is a creekfront destination that combines simple access to the water with flexible space for everyday use and small events. It creates a clear place to arrive at the creek, supports pop-up programming, and helps establish Beekman as a welcoming front door to the corridor.