Robert Sanders

Summary

Robert Sanders believes that commercial development and financial services can create a positive economic impact for all. Using his lived experiences as a real estate professional in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, he founded the real estate development company Sanders Development Group (SDG) to foster neighborhoods that are healthy, vibrant, and filled with economic opportunity. Through his entreprenuership and involvement in various programs, Sanders is actively engaged in cultivating a strong, equitable community.

Entrepreneurial Impact

Following roles in real estate development and banking, Sanders discovered his niche in real estate in 2016. At the time, he was a commercial development manager at The Port, a public, mission-driven development finance agency focused on revitalizing neighborhoods in Hamilton County and legacy urban industrial sites.

Sanders built on this strong foundation in commercial development and financial services to create SDG. The company uses turnkey, mixed-used development and redevelopment opportunities to help spur growth, expand access to economic opportunities, and foster vibrant and healthy Cincinnati-area neighborhoods.

SDG’s mission, “Build with stronger clay,” is rooted in Sanders’ belief that projects and expectations can far exceed anything attempted individually through strategic collaboration.

What sets Sanders and SDG apart isn’t what they do; it’s how and why. Developers usually don’t propose urban revitalization and mixed-use development projects in areas where they have grown up and lived. However, Sanders, who grew up in Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine neighborhood and received his Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, brings this unique perspective to every project. He can discuss a project with a level of insight that other developers may not have.

At SDG, Sanders provides expertise on site acquisition, contract and lease negotiations, deal structuring and financing, feasibility, entitlements, construction, and asset management. The company takes a holistic approach to a project while focusing on small businesses and job creation—critical aspects of revitalization.

SDG began with a focus on business-to-business transactions, but the company has dedicated a segment of its business to supporting smaller community development and affordable housing projects. SDG’s impact can be seen in several historically disinvested Cincinnati communities, including the West End, Bond Hill, Roselawn, and Walnut Hills.

SDG has also partnered with another local community organization to bring a grocery store and coffee shop to a food desert—an area with limited access to inexpensive and nutritious food—within the city. This project developed more affordable, multifamily housing from vacant buildings, and SDG served as a development partner on the 300-million-USD West End redevelopment around Football Club Cincinnati’s new TQL Stadium.

An active member of the Cincinnati community, Sanders has been a character coach in the Winners Walk Tall program, where he provided Cincinnati Public Schools students with guidance on ethics, work, careers, and life decisions. He is a founding board member and an active mentor of the Urban Land Institute’s Real Estate Accelerator Lab, which aims to boost minority participation in real estate development, equity investment, and ownership. Sanders also serves on the board of Talbert Services, a community development corporation, and on the local chapter of Cincinnati NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

Additional Information

• “Our Projects,” SDG website
• LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/robert-sanders-69994350/