CINCINNATI — Tony Sansalone isn’t sure how to answer my question. Partly because it’s not really a question.
“Millions of dollars,” I said. “That’s wild.”
He laughs.
Sansalone is a longtime attorney and developer in Cincinnati. I’m asking him about his latest property deal, where he's giving away land he says is worth millions of dollars — for $1 a year.
“I think to the average person it seems wild, but you can’t take it with you. There are no Brink's trucks in funeral parades,” Sansalone said. “We’ve done over 500 developments, so I think we’ve done enough apartment buildings.”
He points to a church steeple over the hills of the CUF neighborhood in Cincinnati.
“Come here,” Sansalone said. “Let me show you something.”
See how this land could help prevent landslides in the video below:
The developer takes me into his office, which used to be his dad’s. He shows me pictures that explain why this project matters to him. Because it could help future generations.
Because for the Cardinal Land Conservancy, this property is about preventing landslides.
“What we want to do is stabilize the hillside,” said Jack Stenger, conservation director at the nonprofit. “The reason why we don’t advocate for developing on steep hillsides is it undermines the structure of the hill and can lead to landslides.”
The organization owns and manages more than 1,200 acres in the Tri-State — but not much in Cincinnati.
“You cannot find 10 acres of continuous restorable green space outside of this,” Stenger said. “But if we restore it into green space now, we know that will stabilize the hill.”
Something residents have told us is a huge issue that's only been getting worse. The plans for the property now include more trees, native plants and community gardens — not homes.
“The secret to land preservation is land,” Stenger said. “That means everything.”
It's something the conservancy wouldn’t be able to afford without the longtime developer. And back in his office, Sansalone is talking about his dad, John — a veteran who used the GI bill to get an education here and build this business into what it is today.
“It’s been six years since he’s been gone,” said Sansalone. “Just to say thank you — that’s what this is all about.”
