Summary: A move to a downtown Cincinnati location called The Banks would allow the law school to grow and be close to Hamilton County Justice Center.
Cincinnati’s College of Law may be moving to a new location. Cincinnati has been busy developing a riverfront area downtown between Paul Brown Stadium and the Great American Ball Park called The Banks. This location would put the law school near the court houses, lawyers, and the economic center of downtown.
The University of Cincinnati College of Law could move by the end of the semester since their current location is no longer big enough. Student Government president Andrew Naab said, “Due to class, classroom space, as well as other spaces in the College of Law significantly deteriorating, the College of Law in no longer an adequate space for the 296 students.”
The law school was founded in 1833, making it the fourth-oldest continuously running law school in the country and Ohio’s only law school for 50 years. The school started with 17 students and has grown to have 300 students and 40 faculty members.
The UC Board of Trustees will make a final decision after weighing issues related to moving the college. Naab said, “Discussion will need to be had regarding to affordable housing, transportation, parking, some of the different services that are being provided, how the fees, costs, instruction will breakdown, what fees the law students will pay for now that they will be offsite, and a multitude of others.” Naab also claims the school would have to raise $25 million in 90-days to make the move possible.
If the college does move, they will take the location at Lot 24 behind the General Electric building. The Banks project is the second-largest mixed-use urban development design in the country with the city investing over $2 billion so far. The project started in 2008 and has produced $275 million in economic activity each year and 2,400 jobs.
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