NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1893
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Cora McCray
ASSESSED VALUE: $30,000
HAZARD: December 2010, adding broken and missing windows and overgrown vegetation. Owner may be deceased.
CONDEMNED: December 2008, for rotted framing and sill, missing siding, gutters and downspouts, missing rear porch posts, and interior vandalism. The house was vacant.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family (4 units)
OWNER: Jason Roy III
ASSESSED VALUE: $89,200
HAZARD: February 2010, added broken and missing windows.
CONDEMNED: October 2009, for missing siding, gutters and downspouts, rotted porch columns, missing roof covering, and a chimney needing tuck pointing. A criminal case was filed in January 2010, but was dismissed when the property was transferred to the owner's son.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

The following photos were taken between March 17 and April 1, 2012.

The first photos, from Silverton Park, were taken following a meeting of the City's Urban Forestry Board discussing ideas for the park's rehabiliation. The Bond Hill and North Avondale photos come from a trip around the neighborhoods taking construction photos. The Mount Auburn photos were taken before a visioning session for the Mount Auburn Urban Revitalization Plan. Finally, the Westwood and Downtown photos were taken during another construction tour.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEARS BUILT: 1928-1947
USE: Multi-family dwellings (54 total units)
OWNER: Redman Properties LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $889,320
HAZARD: 2529 Kemper Ln declared a public nuisance in November 2011, adding a hole in the roof to the mix.
CONDEMNED: 2529-2531 Kemper Ln were condemned in August-September 2011, as the building lacked doors, windows, and window frames. It had been stripped of all valuable metals and was full of trash.
ORDERS: MULTIPLE ORDERS for all properties between 2001 and 2005. Buildings were often cited for fire code violations, lack of water and heat, and water damage. Many of the tenants were elderly, and the hallways had high amounts of drug activity. In 2005, the owner claimed the buildings would undergo a major rehabilitation, but by the end of the year announced plans to raze the properties. Orders were re-issued in June 2007, then again in September 2009. In late 2010, the owner barricaded the building with a flimsy chain link fence. The City declined to file a criminal case due to the owner being an out-of-town corporation. (WHAT???)
REASON RAZED: Razed by the owner to close out orders. It sucked all of the money it could out of the building, let its tenants live in squalor, left the building to rot...and somehow nobody is in jail.

New foreclosure filings fell 13 percent and foreclosed properties sold at Sheriff's Sale dropped 31.4 percent in Hamilton County in 2011, according to The Foreclosure Crisis in Hamilton County: Is the End in Sight?, the ninth annual study of foreclosures released on Wednesday by Working in Neighborhoods (WIN).

According to the report, 2,018 foreclosure actions were completed in 2011. Cincinnati lost 787 properties to foreclosure sales, followed by Colerain Township with 168 and Springfield Township with 101. Of the Cincinnati neighborhoods, Westwood led the way with 103 foreclosure sales, with West Price Hill registering 80 sales and East Price Hill registering 54.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1923
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: The Christ Hospital
ASSESSED VALUE: $41,830
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed to make way for a $265M hospital expansion, including a 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

The City of Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for the installation and maintenance of a MicroPaver computerized pavement management system.

The RFQ would include the determination of a pavement condition index (PCI) for every segment of public street within the City, using the MicroPaver software. A digital photograph of each street segment will also be required.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Madisonville
YEAR BUILT: 1875
USE: Multi-family dwelling (4 units)
OWNER: AT Redevelopment Company LLC (Ulmer & Berne LLP)
ASSESSED VALUE: $46,000
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: Vacant for at least five years, in February 2010 the City issued orders for the roof, gutters and downspouts, soffit, windows, exterior steps, exterior handrail, exterior doors, water leakage and damage, ventilation systems, and electric fixtures.
REASON RAZED: Unknown. Questions to the property owner were returned, but details were not provided.

Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls has introduced a motion before City Council establishing a working group of leaders from neighborhoods adjacent to the new casino that would ensure that the project benefits surrounding communities.

The group would advise Council on priorities for improvements in the surrounding neighborhoods, including business development, residential housing development, and job creation.

A five-day city-wide charrette to develop form-based codes for Cincinnati begins on Saturday, and you're invited.

Since 2008, Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls has been working with neighborhoods throughout the City to replace the City's traditional, land use-based zoning with a visually-based code based that examines the relationships between building form , surrounding buildings, and the street.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1924
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: The Christ Hospital
ASSESSED VALUE: $31,850
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed to make way for a $265M hospital expansion, including a 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

On May 18, Over-the-Rhine will become Cincinnati's fifth Community Entertainment District, which could lead to explosive growth of an already thriving restaurant scene.

City Council unanimously approved the application at its April 18 meeting, making an additional 15 full liquor licenses available to most of the neighborhood, in an area roughly bounded by Central Parkway, Findlay Street, Vine Street, Liberty Street, and Sycamore Street.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1922
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: The Christ Hospital
ASSESSED VALUE: $130,000
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed to make way for a $265M hospital expansion, including a 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Northside
YEAR BUILT: 1941
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $60,700
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Sallie Chenault
ASSESSED VALUE: $38,660
HAZARD: February 2011, added deep cracks in the foundation and a large hole in the rear wall.
CONDEMNED: June 2009.
ORDERS: June 2005, for roof, gutters and downspouts, cornice, and windows. The City ordered it barricaded and vacated in November 2005, though the house was already vacant. Another barricade was requested in January 2006 due to vandalism and drug activity. In February 2008, orders were re-issued. It was discovered that the owner was deceased.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House would like to see the property acquired for parking.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Northside
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: BJC Investment LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $27,100
HAZARD: June 2009. That same month, a criminal complaint was filed after a couple of no-shows for pre-prosecution hearings. In August 2009, diversion was granted. In March 2010, the owner filed for a demolition permit. By January 2012, the City had had enough of the lack of activity and dropped the owner from the diversion program.
CONDEMNED: December 2008, due to vandalism, water damage, and a lack of operable kitchen or bathrooms (or anything else inside).
ORDERS: October 2007, City ordered the vacant house barricaded due to drug activity. The following month, orders were issued for the chimney, windows, foundation, and exterior paint. New siding was installed, and it looked like, by late 2008, some interior work was likely to begin.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and razed privately.

Cincinnati City Council voted 5-3 at its meeting last Wednesday to auction the remaining properties it owns at Walnut Woods, a long-stalled development project in Walnut Hills.

The auction, which will take place on June 9 during the 2012 Ohio Realists Association Statewide Conference at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, includes four single-family properties and two vacant, buildable lots at .

An overlay district meant to study the compatibility of land uses within a half of a mile of Cincinnati's new casino has been extended for an additional nine months by Cincinnati City Council.

Interim Development Control Overlay Districts (IDCs), as established in Section 1431-01 of the City's zoning code, temporarily regulate the establishment of uses, construction of new buildings, and demolition or alteration of existing structures in area where the adoption of amendments to the zoning code have been proposed in a plan approved by the City Planning Commission.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Corryville
YEAR BUILT: 1960s
USE: Commercial office
OWNER: Taft Offices LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $6,159,200 (includes 237 Wm H Taft)
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Formerly home to the Syrian Shrine Temple, the building was razed as part of the $3M Taft Offices project being led by Al. Neyer, Inc., which will include construction of 44,000 square feet of LEED-certified office space, 25,000 square feet of dedicated storage space, and 700 parking spaces. The Christ Hospital will serve as the primary tenant, occupying approximately half of the building.

At last Wednesday's meeting, Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that could jumpstart development in Madisonville's business district.

The ordinance establishes a new capital improvement program project account with $200,000 in surplus funds from the Madisonville tax increment financing (TIF) district, which will be used for the study and design of Madison Square, a proposed project unveiled last October for .

The City of Cincinnati will appropriate a small amount of property for the construction of improvements to North Bend Road in College Hill, a project that's expected to begin within the next couple of months.

An emergency ordinance passed by City Council last Wednesday allows the City to acquire 32 temporary easements – slightly less than half of an acre – and to purchase 0.002 acres of property for a full reconstruction and widening that will include pavement replacement, new curbs, new sidewalks, street trees and tree lawn, and a signal upgrade at Savannah Avenue.

The Queen City Underground Tour returned for its third season this past weekend to sold out crowds.

"This is a really exciting time, we expect to see large crowds going through Over-The-Rhine this year," said Brad Hill, co-owner and strategic specialist for tour operator American Legacy Tours.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family dwelling (6 units)
OWNER: Arthur L. Bouldin
ASSESSED VALUE: $59,770
HAZARD: November 2009, adding broken windows, gutters and downspouts, and an overgrown lot. Bouldin was granted entrance into the housing diversion program in May 2010.
CONDEMNED: September 2008, as a result of tree damage to the roof and masonry walls during the windstorm from Hurricane Ike. Bouldin, who lives in Columbus, stated that he didn't have the funds to repair or to raze the building. A criminal case was filed in August 2009.
ORDERS: September 2002, City ordered property barricaded and vacated. Orders issued again in January 2005, August 2006, and August 2008.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance, the building was razed privately.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Florence V. Nance
ASSESSED VALUE: $21,520
HAZARD: August 2009, now with structural cracks, water damage, overgrown vegetation.
CONDEMNED: February 2009. Criminal case filed May 2009. ???
ORDERS: February 2003, for chimney, porch, gutters and downspouts, broken windows, roof, fence, paint, cornice and soffits. In November 2004, lack of utilities and plaster falling. Owner found to be deceased. Estate unsettled. Ordered barricaded and vacated by the City in December 2007.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Northside
YEAR BUILT: 1918
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $48,650
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

Following 90 minutes of deliberation, Cincinnati's Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) ruled this morning that a vacant building in Downtown's can be demolished.

The ruling reverses a decision by the Historic Conservation Board (HCB) last December to deny a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of the vacant building at to build a private, secured parking lot for Lifetime Financial Growth, which recently spent more than $3 million to renovate its offices at 419 Plum Street.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Kennedy Heights
YEAR BUILT: 1922
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: David A. Walker
ASSESSED VALUE: $96,210
HAZARD: February 2011.
CONDEMNED: October 2009, following a roof collapse from prior fire damage.
ORDERS: April 2009, ordered barricaded and vacated by the City following a severe fire.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. The house was razed on March 1, 2012, kicking off Kennedy Heights' Neighborhood Enhancement Program 90-day blitz.

The fourth in an eight-stop open house tour for the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) 2040 Regional Transportation Plan comes to Hamilton County this evening from 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. at Xavier University's Cintas Center.

The plan, a long-range, comprehensive transportation planning document that examines existing and future needs for the eight-county OKI region, is updated every four years as required by federal law.

Those interested in contributing to the City's first comprehensive master plan in more than 30 years have until the end of tomorrow to submit their comments.

Plan Cincinnati, more than two years in the making, focuses on five core initiative areas: compete, connect, live, sustain, and collaborate.

Following public hearings held March 30 by the Department of Community Development, Property Maintenance Code Enforcement, the following 14 buildings and two free-standing garages have been declared a public nuisance:

• , Avondale (Two-family, 1926)
• , Avondale (Two-family, 1900)
• , Evanston (Single-family, 1910)
• , Madisonville (Single-family, 1895)
• , North Fairmount (Two-family, 1870)
• , Evanston (Multi-family, 1900)
• , Evanston (Multi-family, 1900)
• , Northside (garage only)
• , Northside (Two-family, 1895)
• , Northside (Multi-family, 1900)
• , Mount Auburn (garage only)
• , Sedamsville (Three-family, 1865)
• , Clifton Heights (Single-family, 1865)
• , Evanston (Single-family, 1895)
• , Lower Price Hill (Multi-family, 1900)
• , Kennedy Heights (Single-family, 1967)

A public nuisance declaration subjects these buildings to demolition by governmental action, pending the awarding of bids and the issuance of permits.

Previous reading on BC:
Public nuisances declared (3/19/12)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Northside
YEAR BUILT: 1923
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $36,650
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1905
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Cincinnati Christian University
ASSESSED VALUE: $29,050
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Appears it was razed for future expansion of the university's campus.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Sedamsville
YEAR BUILT: 1925
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Robert L. Morris
ASSESSED VALUE: $14,030
HAZARD: May 2010, added vandalism to structure and mechanical systems.
CONDEMNED: April 2008. A criminal case was filed against the owner, who was later found to be deceased.
ORDERS: Dating to January 2003, for gutters and downspouts, broken windows, a rotted porch, exterior doors, and trash. October 2005, added exterior steps. Property in litigation for a land contract dispute with tenant. In May 2007, added walks, roof, chimney, cornice, siding, and exterior paint. Ordered vacated by the City in June 2007.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Sedamsville
YEAR BUILT: 1902
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Richard D. Luallen Jr.
ASSESSED VALUE: $11,590
HAZARD: December 2010.
CONDEMNED: August 19, 2009, following a major house fire the day before that did an estimated $50,000 in damage. Three adults and one child were displaced, and several pets died in the blaze. The Hamilton County Park District considered purchasing the property, but pulled out in January 2010. Sold to new owner in March 2010.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Northside
YEAR BUILT: 1905
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $59,250
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

The following 36 photos were taken last Thursday at the grand opening and ribbon-cutting celebration for the Elberon Senior Apartments, a 37-unit rehabiliation of a long-vacant 1905 building at W Eighth Street and Elberon Avenue in East Price Hill. You can read about that celebration here.

Click on each image to enlarge.

1. Exteriors. W Eighth Street and Elberon Avenue.

This evening at 7 P.M. at , the City of Madeira Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on a request for a rezoning and concept plan approval for a 184-unit residential development on the former Kutol Products Company manufacturing site at .

Griewe Development Group and North American Properties have submitted the proposal for Camargo Commons, $17 million-$20 million luxury apartment complex that would include six three-story buildings, three townhouse buildings, a 300-space parking garage, a clubhouse, pool, patio, and pet park. The one- and two-bedroom apartments would rent for between $1,000 and $2,000 per month.

NEIGHBORHOOD: University Heights
YEAR BUILT: 1886
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Richard Moore
ASSESSED VALUE: $77,610
HAZARD: December 2009.
CONDEMNED: October 2008, utilities shut off.
ORDERS: Dating to April 2007, for retaining wall guardrail, fence, gutters and downspouts, siding and paint, broken windows, exterior handrail, obstructed exits, and trash. The City ordered it barricaded and vacated in July 2008. The owner and the executor were both found to be deceased and the estate was not probated.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Thirteen teams and individual artists spent last Friday installing works of art on Fountain Square, part of three week celebration of Earth Day.

The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance EcoSculpt, a showcase and competition of original sculptures made from recycled and/or recyclable materials, is meant not only to brighten the Square with public art, but also to raise awareness about how we use – and re-use – our resources.

The City of Cincinnati's Urban Conservator, Larry Harris, will hold a public hearing today at 2 P.M., Centennial Two, , Suite 720, to determine the historic significance of 14 buildings that are subject to being declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

All of the following buildings are more than 50 years old and subject to review under Section 1101-57.1(1) of the Cincinnati Municipal Code:

• , South Fairmount (Two-family, 1865)
• , Mount Auburn (Single-family, 1885)
• , Westwood (Two-family, 1922)
• , Bond Hill (Single-family, 1949)
• , South Fairmount (Two-family, 1900)
• , South Fairmount (Single-family, 1891)
• , South Fairmount (Three-family, 1890)
• , East Price Hill (Single-family, 1885)
• , East Price Hill (Two-family, 1898)
• , South Fairmount (Multi-family, 1962)
• , South Fairmount (Single-family, 1898)
• , Madisonville (Single-family, 1900)
• , Mount Auburn (Single-family, 1925)
• , Northside (Single-family, 1891)

Anyone with pertinent information or evidence of any of these buildings' historic significance is encouraged to testify.

Previous reading on BC:
Public hearing today: Historic or not? (3/19/12)

NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1907
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $4,820
HAZARD: April 2008.
CONDEMNED: May 2007, for rotted framing, missing siding, cornice, gutters and downspouts, faulty front porch railing, chimney, and roof. Lost in foreclosure. Criminal case filed against Wells Fargo Bank NA in March 2008, dismissed in May 2008 for want of prosecution.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

NEIGHBORHOOD: Millvale
YEAR BUILT: 1910
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Benjamin F. Shelton Sr.
ASSESSED VALUE: $15,880
HAZARD: December 2010.
CONDEMNED: January 2010, for failing roof, chimney damage, cornice, and porch. The building was open to trespassers. The owner was deceased, no probate action, no owner.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

This new video, produced by Panoptic Media, promotes the incredibly diverse lifestyle available in the neighborhood of Walnut Hills:

NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1905
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $13,840
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: Ordered barricaded and vacated in June 2011 due to lack of utilities.
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

A festival atmosphere heralded the official ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Elberon Senior Apartments, with bands, cheerleaders, food, and local dignitaries.

"We've never seen this level of community investment and excitement for any development we've done," said Model Group CEO and Principal Steve Smith.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1910
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: KB Partners LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $35,440
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: September 2011, due to trespassers, vandalism, weather damage, gutters and downspouts, siding, broken and missing windows, a structurally unsound front porch, a damaged front door, trash, and lack of mechanicals and utilities.
ORDERS: Dating to July 2011, the result of a structure fire that started in the kitchen.
REASON RAZED: Razed by the owner to close code violations.

The membership of Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI) met this morning at the Cincinnati Club to elect new board members and to hear about its progress in making Downtown cleaner, safer and more vibrant.

A safe and clean Downtown is the main goal of the private, non-profit group, which is mainly funded through assessments to Downtown property owners.

Two Hamilton County projects have been awarded tax credits, leading to the development of an additional 171 units of affordable housing.

The credits, part of the federal 2012 Housing Tax Credit program administered by the --> --> -->, will go to:

NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1908
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $50,000
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: October 2009, due to lack of utilities, vandalism, and copper theft.
ORDERS: Dating to March 2009, ordered barricaded and vacated by the City. Exterior violations and no utilities since 2006.
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

The application period for Cincinnati's Neighborhood Business District Improvement Program (NBDIP) is now open.

NBDIP assists communities in improving their business districts by providing grants from City capital funds or Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to pay for road or streetscape improvements, public parking facilities, façade improvements, property acquisition, building renovation, signage, or site-specific development plans.

The City of Cincinnati has selected CAF USA as the preferred vendor for the first phase of its streetcar system, Mayor Mark Mallory announced last night.

The announcement, given during the mayor's State of the City address, closes a request for proposals process launched last September for up to five modern streetcar vehicles that will serve the loop between --> --> -->The Banks --> --> --> and Findlay Market.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Sedamsville
YEAR BUILT: 1888
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Pacific West Group Inc.
ASSESSED VALUE: $15,530
HAZARD: September 2009.
CONDEMNED: June 2009, for a hazardous roof and porch, failing deck, damaged siding, broken and missing windows and doors, defective gutters, and trash.
ORDERS: Dating to September 2004, when it was ordered barricaded and vacated by the City due to trespassing and drug activity. Reissued to new owner in April 2006, then to Pacific West Group in May 2008. A criminal case was filed in June 2009, but later dismissed due to want of prosecution.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

The City of Covington has scheduled a special meeting to discuss tweaks to a proposed Brent Spence Bridge project alternative this evening at 6 P.M. at Commission Chambers, .

The focus will be on Alternative I, recommended as the preferred alternative by the project team in a 212-page Environmental Assessment study document released last month.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1903
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: 1919 Clarion LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $5,000
HAZARD: July 2010. Building later purchased at land sale, but new owner could not afford bond.
CONDEMNED: November 2009, adding roof, collapsing ceilings, and a collapsed rear porch.
ORDERS: Dating back to July 2009, for barricading, chimney, gutters and downspouts, soffit, paint, broken and missing windows, steps, exterior handrail, and trash.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Lower Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1905
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Harvey Kent Grandstaff
ASSESSED VALUE: $9,380
HAZARD: October 2010.
CONDEMNED: August 2005, vacant, deteriorated, and open to trespassers. Building sold, new owner in June 2006. Criminal complaint filed in July 2007. New owner (Grandstaff) appears in April 2008, and new condemnation case started. Left rear corner found to be rotted and failing. Grandstaff replaces joists and sill without permits, moves in tenant. Electricity supplied via extension cord from house next door. New condemnation orders issued in April 2010, now added gutters and downspouts, siding, broken and missing windows, rotten framing, a deteriorated front porch, uneven front steps, a crumbling front retaining wall, trash, lack of electric or water service, and sustandard mechanicals.
ORDERS: Ordered vacated in October 2004, then foreclosed upon two months later.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. This one dragged on for far too long, with no consequences -- especially considering the fact that it was directly next to the Homes at Hillside Place, a development of five new three-bedroom houses that desperately needed to sell.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Northside
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $116,460
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: Ordered vacated and barricaded in December 2011 due to disrepair, neglect, and vandalism due to vacancy. Violations included gutters and downspouts, missing siding and paint, missing and broken windows, missing or vandalized mechanical systems, and no utilities.
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

Cincinnati City Council last Wednesday approved the execution of a 15-year Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption agreement with Oakley FC, LLC (Flaherty & Collins Properties) for the residential portion of Oakley Station.

The $26.7 million "the blvd @ Oakley Station" will consist of 302 apartment units in seven three-story buildings, spread among ten acres on the southeast corner of the former Cincinnati Milling Machine site at .

An amendment to an agreement between the City of Cincinnati and OTR Holdings, Inc. (Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation, or 3CDC) will allow the developer to obtain financing for the $8 million restoration of St. Paulus Kirche, in Over-the-Rhine.

Under terms of the original property sale and funding agreement, dated May 16, 2011, the City conveyed the property to 3CDC for $1, enabling the developer to obtain a $5 million loan through the Cincinnati New Markets Fund to begin restoration work on the partially collapsed roof and other damage resulting from more than 20 years of vacancy.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Westwood
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Ilona Toke
ASSESSED VALUE: $11,970
HAZARD: September 2010.
CONDEMNED: January 2010, now with a collapsing roof, floors, and ceilings and missing or vandalized mechanical systems. Owner deceased.
ORDERS: September 2006, ordered vacated. Violations included gutters and downspouts, cornice, siding, peeling exterior lead paint, broken and missing windows, rotted porch, and trash. Board of Building Appeals upheld the orders in November 2007.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

A bike lane is coming to E Mitchell Avenue in Cincinnati this summer, providing a safer ride for bicyclists traveling uphill eastbound.

The bike lane will be installed , repaved last year in a joint project between the City and the City of St. Bernard, which owns the northern half of the roadway.