Cincinnati City Council has approved unanimously an ordinance to create a capital improvement program project account that will allow for the demolition of outdated multi-family buildings in Westwood.
Seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) in surplus tax increment financing (TIF) funds will be used for building acquisition, tenant relocation, demolition and site grading in the areas around .
Work will begin next month.
Westwood groups are hoping that the demolitions will eliminate crime and blight and make the area more attractive for reinvestment.
Previous reading on BC:
Council ordinance would create account for Westwood demolitions (12/16/08)
Cincinnati rolls out three 'new' streetscape TIF projects (4/4/08)
Finance committee discusses changes on streetscape TIFs (12/6/07)
City taking action on streetscape TIFs (11/1/07)
2 hours ago
4 comments:
There is a need for some demolitions, but the westside neighborhoods just seem to be in love with the dated concept.
Take it from a transplanted West-sider: This is great news. The blighted, misguided, and downright ugly, empty, boarded-up apt buildings this program will target NEED TO GO. You could multiply this number by 10 and still not knock down everything that needs to go. I'm hoping they hit Queen City in South Fairmount next -- place looks like a war zone.
Anon12:30 above,
If the arsonists don't get there first. I despise demolition. Use that same money to rehab. As for the multi-family units, the lack of single family housing in decent condition has allowed for these mostly absent landlords not to have to compete for tenants. They can allow their multi-unit buildings go lacking for repairs, etc...and still get tenants. Watch, these buildings will get purchased with our money for the artificially high "market" rate only to be torn down. They should be fined or even jailed unless they bring them up to code or at the least they should only get the money necessary to pay off the note. NOTHING MORE!!!
If you don't live on this side of town, don't bother to comment -- you have no idea what is being targeted. We're not talking about important historical architecture here -- we're talking about hastily constructed brick-box 60s/70s apt buildings w/no redeeming value.
Stop whining about saving junk -- and that's what we're dealing w/here. These are not row homes, or Colonial and Tudor revivals -- they're ugly scrap that shouldn't have been constructed in the first place.
Also: if you think the amount of money it takes to demolish a building is equivalent to what it would take to rehab the same structure, you're sorely mistaken. And if you're so keen on rehabbing some of these things, why don't you come on over to our side of town, purchase one or two of them, and do the work?
I'm all for historic preservation of significant/important properties -- but that's not what's at stake here. We're not talking about the Gamble Estate, the Werk Mansion, or other similar and deserving buildings (as an example: we fought CPS hard and worked with City Council members to save the Westwood Elementary school on Harrison and Montana).
If you think I'm wrong, then come on over to this side of town and start putting your money where your mouth is. Until then, quit your yapping and focus on your silly streetcar.
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