In a twist to a years-long fight over a neighborhood landmark, the DeSales Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, the community development arm for East Walnut Hills, is under contract to acquire the long-disputed Hoffman School site. The agreement could upend Chinedum Ndukwe’s plan to demolish the century-old school and replace it with a large mixed-income apartment development, leaving the future of the building and the adjoining ballfield uncertain.
As reported by Local12, Kingsley + Co. founder Chinedum Ndukwe is under contract to sell the Hoffman School parcel to the DeSales group through a purchase-and-sale agreement. The reporting describes the transfer as a "surprising twist" that puts the so-called Mingo project, a roughly $67 million proposal, in limbo.
What the Mingo Would Have Looked Like
City Planning Commission materials show the planned-development concept called for roughly 240 apartments on the block at 3060 Durrell Avenue, with about 10 percent of units targeted at roughly 75 percent of area median income and a one-to-one parking ratio. The developer trimmed earlier plans and presented the revised concept during the city's review process, as outlined by the City Planning Commission.
Why Neighbors Opposed It
Residents and preservation advocates argued the plan would erase a Hannaford-designed school and valuable open space, mounting petitions and a landmark push led by the Cincinnati Preservation Association. The landmark effort failed when City Council declined the designation in 2023 after heated debate, according to the Cincinnati Preservation Association.
DeSales Steps Into The Fray
DeSales, formally the DeSales Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, is the nonprofit CDC for East Walnut Hills and has been engaged in neighborhood planning and clean-up briefings. Meeting notes from the East Walnut Hills Assembly show DeSales leaders updating residents about the Hoffman parcel and related site conditions, signaling the group's hands-on role if the acquisition closes, as noted in the East Walnut Hills Assembly.
What's Next
An "under contract" purchase typically triggers due diligence and a period in which either side can walk away, but if the DeSales acquisition moves to closing, the buyer would control decisions about reuse and preservation, while any demolition or new construction would still require city permits and planning approvals. The developer has faced skepticism from some city officials in recent months, a backdrop that could shape how the sale and any follow-on proposals are handled, per city planning records and the City Planning Commission.
Councilman Jeff Cramerding has voiced concern about prior city funding to projects tied to Kingsley, telling WCPO, "I disagree with the city manager's move releasing those funds." For now, neighborhood groups and developers say they will watch the purchase agreement and any subsequent filings as the next public milestones.
