Readers,

After a months-long hiatus during which I did a lot of soul searching, took a lot of meetings, and explored various options for this website's future, I've decided to go the crowdfunding route and launch a fundraising campaign through Indiegogo. The details of the campaign are below. And please, if you can't provide a monetary contribution at this time, please share this link with your friends, family, business associates, and anyone else you think would be interested.

The link for the campaign is (or just click on the widget to the right):
http://igg.me/at/building-cincinnati/x/5970029

What You'll Get

• Coverage of development projects, including renderings, groundbreakings, ribbon-cuttings, and dedications;
• Photo updates of construction projects and urban photography essays;
• Coverage of transportation projects, including highway, transit, freight, and port activity;
• Coverage of public meetings, such as City and community councils, the Cincinnati City Planning Commission and the Historic Conservation Board;
• Commentary and opinion from people working in relevant disciplines;
• Requests for proposals (RFP), requests for qualifications (RFQ), and invitations to bid (ITB);
• Events and exhibits related to architecture and the built environment; and
• Access to exclusive real estate listing information and market trends.

"Building Cincinnati isn't a job, it's a lifestyle."

So reads the tag line on my . I wish I could take full credit for the line, because it sums up my relationship with the website so succinctly. Since late 2006, I have worked to develop the site and brand into an informative, accurate, and timely alternative and independent news source covering the urban built environment and the policies that shape it.

But serving that mission requires a full-time commitment, and, in my honest opinion, full-time work deserves full-time pay.

For the past couple of months, I've been working with a consultant on a business plan that would not only cover business costs (such as a much-needed site upgrade, travel, etc.), but also provide a sustainable financing stream that could continue to fund my work and allow me to make a real living. I remain optimistic, but crunch time is quickly approaching and it's time for me to step things up.

A September survey of hundreds of Building Cincinnati readers revealed that nearly one-third of all respondents use some portion of the website for professional purposes. This is encouraging, as it's likely that sponsorships from local firms will be one of the ways, if not the only way, to fund the site.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be reaching out to you professional contacts whom I have met personally to find out how you use the site in your day-to-day operations and to discuss possible sponsorship opportunities.

In the meantime, I urge both professional and non-professional readers to contact me with any feedback, ideas, or offers at . Thank you for your loyal readership and your continued patience.

Now, let's make this happen!

Kevin LeMaster
Editor and Publisher
Building Cincinnati

If you're a regular reader and you haven't done so already, please take this two-question Building Cincinnati survey. Easy! Please respond if you care about the website, your input is vital: .

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