Springfield, OH Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Section 1110.04 creates the Downtown (C-DT) district to promote "high intensity, compact, pedestrian oriented development" mixing commercial, institutional, and residential uses in the city's core, and it splits the district into two mapped sub-districts. The Core (C-DT-C) sub-district "preserves and enhances the existing buildings along main thoroughfares" and requires new buildings and additions to be "consistent with the historical form and architectural traditions of the area," while the Edge (C-DT-E) sub-district allows low-to-moderate intensity infill that transitions to the surrounding neighborhoods. Table 1110.04.1's dimensional standards enforce that form: the Core allows a 0-foot minimum front setback and caps it at 5 feet, pushing buildings to the sidewalk, while the Edge allows a 5-to-15-foot front setback; both sub-districts require a 0-foot minimum side and rear yard, allowing zero-lot-line construction typical of a walkable downtown.

Both sub-districts also carry a 30-foot minimum building height, an unusual floor meant to keep downtown storefronts from being replaced with one-story buildings, alongside a maximum of 65 feet in the Core and 45 feet in the Edge. Table 1110.04.1 further lists "Yes" under Transparency for both sub-districts, meaning ground-floor street-facing glazing is a required design element, unlike outlying commercial districts such as Heavy Commercial Corridor (C-HC), which lists "N/A" for transparency under Table 1110.03.1.