Hamilton County will hold two public hearings on Sept. 23 to shape the county's next five-year economic development plan.

The county is building a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a plan that will guide economic spending, investment priorities and development decisions across Hamilton County over the next five years. The county wants input from residents, businesses, local governments and community organizations before setting those priorities.

Both sessions will take place at Hamilton County Central Campus Conference Rooms A&B, at 1701 Patricia McCollum Way in Cincinnati's Bond Hill neighborhood. The afternoon session runs from 3 to 5 p.m. The evening session runs from 6 to 8 p.m.

Residents need only attend one.

The county announced the hearings Sept. 2 on X, urging residents to help shape the county's next economic strategy. The CEDS process brings together residents, nonprofits, schools and businesses to identify what the county should prioritize for economic growth and resilience.

The plan matters locally because Symmes Township falls entirely within Hamilton County. Portions of Loveland also sit inside county lines. Development funding, infrastructure investment and job-growth efforts the county pursues over the next five years will flow from this strategy. Milford is primarily in Clermont County, though a small section extends into Hamilton County.

The Central Campus building offers free parking and Metro bus access. Accessibility features include wide hallways, braille signage on meeting room doors and large elevators.

Hamilton County's Board of Commissioners includes Commission President Stephanie Summerow Dumas, Commissioner Alicia Reece and Commissioner Denise Driehaus. None of the commissioners have made public statements about the Sept. 23 hearings.

The county has not announced a timeline for what follows the hearings, including when a draft plan might be available or when commissioners would vote to adopt the final strategy. The county's CEDS announcement page may carry updates as the process moves forward.