College students organize to help turn around part of Walnut Hills

A group of University of Cincinnati planning students started a group three years ago that focuses on making a positive impact in distressed inner-city neighborhoods, while providing real world experience in return as they work towards graduation. 

"The idea was to get students from UC working in a neighborhood near campus where they could see the results of their work by the time they graduate," said Gabe Seidel, co-founder of Mission Urban Development (MUD).  

Seidel started the group along with two Construction Management majors in UC's Urban Planning program.

"Someone could come in as a freshman and work with us for the four to five years they're in college and build a relationship with a family, and tangibly see how that family's life has improved as a result of their work," said Seidel.

The core group of MUD students organize volunteer efforts, develop work plans, and come up with a real estate strategy in a four block area (map) of Walnut Hills where they buy distressed foreclosed properties with the help of the Walnut Hills Fellowship.  So far their work has been concentrated on May, Hemlock, Chatam and Melrose streets.

On average, Seidel said that they have 10 volunteers each weekend working on a house with a number that increases to 60 to 80 volunteers on "blitz days." 

To date the group has successfully renovated five houses and created eight finished units with another three close to completion.  One of MUD's greatest success stories is the largest building on Chatam Street where the group took a distressed property that was holding down the street, and turned it into a positive asset.

"We can change the face of an entire street if we can go in and change a place from a squatter's den into a house like the home on Chatam Street," explained Seidel.

Seidel encourages those that want to get involved to contact Mission Urban Development at [email protected].

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
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