Wednesday June 8, 2022

Al. Neyer VP of Real Estate Development, Melissa Johnson, Discusses the Future of Cincinnati

Melissa Johnson, VP of Real Estate Development, represented Al. Neyer at the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Future of Cincinnati event. The panel focused on addressing the opportunities and challenges on the horizon for the Cincinnati region, with the discussion spanning priority topics like workforce, land availability, and tourism.

From Chris Wetterich, Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier:

Kimm Lauterbach, CEO of REDI Cincinnati, the region’s largest economic development organization; Lee Crume, CEO of Tri-Ed, Northern Kentucky’s economic development agency; Julie Calvert, CEO of Visit Cincy; and Melissa Johnson, vice president for real estate development at Al Neyer, spoke at the Business Courier’s Future of Cincinnati event at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Wednesday morning (June 1, 2022).

Lauterbach, Crume and Johnson, who before taking her current role was vice president for industrial development at the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, said the region has opportunities when it comes to advanced manufacturing but it lacks large sites.

Land that was once thought of as not particularly developable now is, Johnson said, particularly south of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and north of Interstate 275 on the Ohio side of the river.

“Having a long term strategy around redeveloping sites will be imperative to the growth of Cincinnati and northern Kentucky,” Johnson said. “Land pricing is getting really expensive. There isn’t much more of it.”

“The industrial market is so aggressive right now. It’s moving too quick for someone to wait for it to come online.”

Communities also are becoming more intentional about strategies for open land. Clermont County, for instance, rejected large industrial deals in the past but embraced a $550 million Purina plant in 2021.

Read more coverage from this event: Cincinnati Business Courier

 

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