Protect Historic Downtown Sharonville — Stop the Downtown Loop High-Density Apartment Project

Petition to: Sharonville City Council, Sharonville Planning Commission, and City Administration

We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and supporters of Sharonville, call on our elected leaders to immediately pause and fully reconsider the Downtown Loop development plan that would introduce hundreds of apartments and large mixed-use buildings into the heart of our historic downtown.

The current proposal is being advanced as a $75 million redevelopment that could bring between 225 and 250 residential units and roughly 20,000 square feet of new retail space to the downtown area — including sites like the former Cliff Hardware building and other properties near Depot Square.

Once this scale of development is approved and built, it will permanently reshape our downtown’s character — and not in the way residents envisioned.

Our concerns include:

• Development at a scale and density that is incompatible with the historic architecture and small-town feel of Depot Square and surrounding streets.

• Increased traffic, parking strain, infrastructure burden, and impacts on local quality of life.

• Loss of historic buildings and the unique community identity that draws residents, shoppers, and visitors.

• A process that has already moved forward with demolition agreements and revenue-sharing TIF arrangements, even though many residents feel their voices haven’t been genuinely reflected in final plans.

• A risk that future “retail” space could be overshadowed by residential units that change the character of the commercial district.

Residents can view full proposal here: https://www.sharonville.org/DocumentCenter/View/4440/Downtown-Loop-Proposal

We are not opposed to thoughtful revitalization or economic growth, but we do oppose overdevelopment at a scale that damages the historic downtown we treasure.

We therefore demand that Sharonville leadership take the following actions:

1. Pause all approvals, demolition contracts, development agreements, and implementation actions tied to the Downtown Loop in its current form.
2. Commission an independent impact analysis on traffic, infrastructure, parking, historic preservation, and economic effects of such a large-scale residential project.
3. Host additional, well-publicized community meetings that genuinely incorporate resident feedback into revised plans before any final approval.
4. Reduce the scale and density of residential development to match the character and historic context of Depot Square — prioritizing preservation, small businesses, walkability, and human-scaled design.
5. Explore alternative revitalization approaches that enhance downtown while protecting what residents already love about Sharonville.

Historic downtown districts are not merely “development opportunities.” They are community assets rooted in history and local identity — and once lost to oversized apartment blocks, that character is gone forever.

We ask our leaders to choose community-centered, preservation-focused planning over rapid, high-density construction.

Signed,

Concerned Residents, Business Owners, and Supporters of Historic Downtown Sharonville