Exiting Interstates 75 and 71, they must take city streets through some of Cincinnati's struggling neighborhoods.

They see run-down homes and vacant businesses, substandard rental properties, signs of crime and - until recently - very little sign of investment.

Once on campus, "they'd peek in the door and ask, 'How safe is it?' " said Greg Hand, UC's spokesman.

That is why UC has committed $75 million of its endowment to help Clifton, Corryville, University Heights and Clifton Heights launch major redevelopment projects.

It has provided initial and gap financing - as well as the planning and architectural know-how - for many projects now under construction, said Scott Enns, UC's community development coordinator.

Beginning next year, new retail and office space, parking garages, town homes and condominiums, and new and renovated single-family homes will be opening throughout those neighborhoods, mostly on streets closest to campus.

"What UC has done is quite unprecedented," said Tony Brown, president of the Uptown Consortium, which includes major employers and groups representing those neighborhoods as well as Avondale, Mount Auburn and Fairview.

"That $75 million has been leveraged into $300 million in construction activity through the neighborhood partnerships," Brown said. "They've literally been the bank for their nonprofit partners."

So far, about $50 million of that money is being used or is committed as revolving loans, Enns said. He calls it "patient capital" with some loan payoffs stretching from five to 30 years.

Uptown renewal

A ripple effect has started in Uptown. Brown said Tuesday at a Cincinnati City Council committee meeting that Uptown's five major employers plan to raise $100 million more to help Uptown neighborhoods farther away from campus, including Mount Auburn, Avondale and Fairview, improve their business districts and housing stock.

Uptown's five employers are Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the Cincinnati Zoo, the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, TriHealth Inc.and UC.

"The goal is to create a distinct sense of place for Uptown," Brown said.

Meanwhile, UC is helping itself while it helps its neighbors.

The school has only enough on-campus housing to accommodate about 10 percent of its students. Most students commute from the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky regions or rent apartments or parts of houses in the neighborhoods around campus.

University officials say they are seeking to improve student lifestyles, on and off campus. The university also wants to cultivate a collegiate atmosphere outside of the school by convincing more of its instructors and staff to live near campus and near the medical centers, Hand said.

Variety of price points

The goals of the community developers and the university are to create more homes and rental units at a variety of price points, though many of the new homes for occupancy and rent are described in the plans as upscale.

In addition, some of the stores and restaurants that are being targeted are more often found in suburban or upscale shopping areas. They will help these projects be financially successful, Enns said.

UC "expects a return on investment. It's not the urban Peace Corps," Enns said.

Brown said he doesn't worry about Uptown being overly gentrified: "This is an opportunity to attract middle-income families into the city neighborhoods that are part of Uptown, which would strengthen neighborhoods overall. "We can do that without having an adverse impact on viable housing for the working poor and the poor."

E-mail damos@enquirer.com