Mission

MCURC’s mission is advancing Madisonville through comprehensive community development to improve quality of life for all. Our vision is a diverse, vibrant, and thriving Madisonville neighborhood: the Soul of our City.

History

The Madisonville Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (MCURC) is an independent, nonprofit community development corporation founded in 1975 to address disinvestment and blight in Madisonville through economic and housing development. Our first project was developing the industrial site on Duck Creek Road, visible from Interstate 71, which is now home to the Fifth Third Operations Center and Coca-Cola. Once that project was complete, MCURC turned its attention to the Neighborhood Business District at Madison Road and Whetsel Avenue.

In the 1990s, MCURC volunteer Board of Directors purchased a vacant building near the corner of Madison & Whetsel with hopes of stabilizing the business district. Using grant funding from the City of Cincinnati and others, MCURC rehabbed five storefronts at 5904-5912 Madison Road. We provided affordable rent to small businesses, maintained a community parking lot, and even housed a United States Post Office for many years.  

Like many Cincinnati neighborhoods, Madisonville’s population began to decline as people fled to the suburbs. Madisonville’s population shrunk from around 17,000 in 1970 to around 9,000 in 1990. Consumer habits changed as malls and plazas attracted more and more attention, leaving neighborhood business districts to suffer. MCURC began working to stabilize the business district and engage the neighborhood and partners in planning for the future.

In 2002, the Madisonville NBD Urban Renewal Plan was published by the City of Cincinnati. The plan, developed in conjunction with residents and businesses, called for the redevelopment of the four corners at Madison & Whetsel.

By the late-2000s, MCURC continued to manage property in the NBD but also started to address housing conditions. The organization rehabilitated three homes under the direction of our volunteer Board.

In 2011, Madisonville applied for and was selected as one of two Cincinnati neighborhoods to engage the community in a robust community-driven planning process, the result of which is the Madisonville Quality-of-Life Plan. For 15 months, hundreds of residents and partners met, imagined, and planned for the next 10 years. Participants were asked, “What does Madisonville Want to be in 10 years?” Focus areas included” Economic Development, Education & Youth, Community Engagement, Health & Wellness, Arts & Culture, and the Built Environment. The plan was completed in November 2012 and in January 2013, MCURC hired staff for the first time in the organization’s history.

Once the plan was complete, MCURC’s role was and still is, to facilitate the implementation of the plan and to lead the neighborhood on matters related to economic and housing development, community engagement, neighborhood improvement. We partner with residents, businesses, the City of Cincinnati, schools, and other nonprofit organizations to improve the quality of life in Madisonville.

Since 2013, MCURC has rehabilitated 2 historic buildings (the Bank Building at 5900 Madison Road and the Metz House at 6111 Madison Road), built 4 affordable homes, facilitated over $300,000 in façade grants, helping Madisonville small businesses with critical needs, raised over $150,000 for emergency home repairs for seniors, raised over $300,000 for improvements to Bramble Park and the Little Duck Creek Trail Corridor, initiated events like the Madisonville 5k, Music on Madison, the Cincinnati Jazz & BBQ Festival, Tuesdays at the Park, Family Fitness Fridays, and so much more. We are honored to work closely with residents, businesses, and community partners to bring continued improvement to the neighborhood for all to enjoy.

Today MCURC remains focused on affordable housing development, activation of the neighborhood business district, engaging residents through events and programs, and supporting the small business community.