NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1883
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Bank of America N.A.
ASSESSED VALUE: $8,530
HAZARD: August 2010. A criminal case was filed in 2010 and the owner was entered into a compliance program, but that was revoked in June 2011, with the owner receiving a 180-day suspended sentence, one year of probation, a court costs. He eventually lost the property in foreclosure to Fannie Mae, and it was picked up by Bank of America N.A. three weeks ago.
CONDEMNED: September 2004, due to the fire damage that left the roof open and the interior exposed to the weather. The owner at the time strung the City along with promises of rehabilitation, then found a buyer and unloaded the property. The orders were reissued in July 2005 and, following a period of dealing with the insurance company and a lender, a loan was secured and enough work was performed to close out the condemnation orders. As of September 2007, still kept vacated and barricaded. Condemned again in August 2009, deteriorated roof, gutters and downspouts, masonry in need of tuck pointing, broken and missing windows, lack of exterior paint, and litter and debris. No utility service.
ORDERS: May 2004, ordered vacated and barricaded due to fire damage.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. The lot can be purchased for $1,500.

Requests for proposals (RFPs) are being solicited by the City of Cincinnati's Economic Development Division for a developer or end user for the former Myron G. Johnson & Son Lumber Co. site, in Northside.

The land has been vacant since the company moved to a larger site in Queensgate in 2005. It was envisioned as being a component of the Factory Square redevelopment project, but was dropped from the plan due to market conditions.

More than three dozen Over-the-Rhine residents and stakeholders gave their input on creating a beautiful, livable, and viable vision for several neighborhood blocks during a planning charrette on Saturday at Emanuel Community Center.

The visioning study, being undertaken by Over-the-Rhine Community Housing (OTRCH) and Schickel Design, is for . Much of the property is vacant, and most of the existing buildings are held by OTRCH or the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC).

The following photos were taken between June 14 and June 23.

The first photos were taken before the Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati 2012 Annual Awards Celebration, held at the Cincinnati-Hamilton Community Action Agency in Bond Hill, right next to the Jordan Crossing Center (former Swifton Commons).

Five homes in Covington's Old Seminary Square that were renovated under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) were opened to the public for tours on Thursday evening.

The properties, located and , are all near completion and ready for purchase, priced between $122,000 and $175,000.

is holding an information session for construction contractors interested in working on the project tomorrow evening from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, 1740 Langdon Farm Road in Bond Hill.

The partnership will provide a construction update, detail upcoming bid packages, and discuss the process by which contractors can become certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: Circa 1900
USE: Commercial
OWNER: Family Funeral Centers LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $148,820
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Records on this building are sparse, but it appears that Family Funeral Centers LLC acquired the property in June. Brown Funeral Home, at 1013 E McMillan Avenue, has produced plans for an attached, one-story chapel building for the site. The demolished building was largely a façade, with the rear of the building severely dilapidated and exposed to the weather.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Carthage
YEAR BUILT: 1894
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: 7315 Lebanon Street LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $26,280
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: The registered agent for 7315 Lebanon Street LLC is the owner of Accurate Gear Manufacturing Company, Inc., located on the neighboring property at 16 E 73rd St. The LLC acquired the property through executor's deed in September 2011. No plans for the property have been announced.

Ground was broken this morning for a new Fire Station No. 35 in Westwood, a state-of-the-art, 18,000-square-foot facility that will replace the cramped, 105-year-old station .

The new building will be constructed on the site of a former dilapidated apartment building , which was demolished in December 2008.

The City of Cincinnati's Director of Buildings and Inspections will hold a public hearing Friday at 9 A.M. in the Main Conference Room of the Building Development and Permit Center, , to determine if the following buildings should be declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program:

• , Fairview (mixed-use, 1885)
• , Westwood (retail store, 1946)
• , Clifton Heights (single-family, 1870)
• , West Price Hill (single-family, 1930)
• , Avondale (multi-family, 1900)
• , West Price Hill (commercial garage, 1953)
• , West Price Hill (single-family, 1937)
• , West Price Hill (two-family, 1937)
• , West Price Hill (mixed-use, 1912)
• , Camp Washington (single-family, 1881)
• , Camp Washington (single-family, 1882)
• , Millvale (industrial warehouse, 1924)
• , West Price Hill (single-family, 1900)
• , West End (mixed-use, 1888)
• , Clifton Heights (two-family, 1890)

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

Previous reading on BC:
Public nuisance hearing, 6/29/12 (6/28/12)
Public nuisance hearing, 5/25/12 (5/24/12)
Public nuisance hearing, 3/30/12 (3/30/12)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Lower Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1940
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Infinity Ventures LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $1,300
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: April 2010, for a failing roof structure, bulging front wall, and a collapsing front foundation. The owner claimed that the City's Department of Transportation and Engineering planned to purchase the building for a ramp extension, so he wouldn't put any money into fixing the building. Orders reissued in April 2011.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed privately to close out orders.

Six new "mini-hybrid" buses will join Cincinnati Metro's fleet by 2014, thanks to a $2.5 million State of Good Repair grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The mini-hybrids, which are full-size buses with advanced thermal cooling systems, will replace six of Metro's older, less fuel-efficient vehicles.

The second round of public meetings for Kenton County's Direction 2030 comprehensive plan continues with a discussion on economic competitiveness, this evening from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. at Simon Kenton High School in Independence.

Janet Harrah, senior director of the Center for Economic Analysis and Development, will present data and analysis of the county's economic position. Panelists then will discuss the investments needed to build a more prosperous Kenton County, which will allow it to better compete with other metro areas across the nation.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Sedamsville
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Collins Riverside Development LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $49,510
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: November 2011, fire condemnation. A criminal complaint was in the works in January 2012, but was not pursued following the owner's application for a demolition permit.
ORDERS: October 2007, for exterior handrails, porch guardrails, and a non-weathertight exterior. Ordered vacated and barricaded in October 2009 due to general disrepair, including roof, gutters and downspouts, and loose exterior electrical wires. By November 2011, the house had no utilities and had been overtaken by trespassers, vandals, and vermin.
REASON RAZED: Razed by Collins Riverside Development LLC to make way for a planned residential and retail project that's been in the works for five years.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1880
USE: Multi-family dwelling (4 units)
OWNER: Robert C. and Ardelta M. Rechel
ASSESSED VALUE: $70,200
HAZARD: December 2010.
CONDEMNED: March 2010, open to trespassers and severely vandalized. The structure had a failing second floor roof support beam, falling plaster and drywall, dropped and hanging ceiling structures, a collapsing chimney, hazardous exterior stairs, siding falling off, stolen and exposed plumbing, litter and sewage. A criminal case was filed in August 2010, but has not progressed.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $48,360
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: None since 2009.
REASON RAZED: Razed for a surface lot for oversized vehicles that cannot fit into The Christ Hospital's West Garage, which will be the only garage open during the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage. Future neighborhood redevelopment site.

The following photos were taken between May 24 and May 27.

The Mill Creek photos were taken during a visit by U.S. EPA Office of Water acting assistant administrator Nancy Stoner. Later in the day, I went to University Heights for the opening of the Coy Field Bike Polo Court.

Three days later, I went to check out the Medpace campus construction in Madisonville, and then various building projects in Madisonville and Oakley.

Word.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $41,500
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: None since 2004.
REASON RAZED: Razed for a surface lot for oversized vehicles that cannot fit into The Christ Hospital's West Garage, which will be the only garage open during the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage. Future neighborhood redevelopment site.

A $25,000 grant from the Ohio Valley Foundation/Fifth Third Bank will help pay for renovations at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Delhi Township.

In anticipation of the college's 50th anniversary at its current site, the Collegiate Quad and an outdoor plaza near is currently being upgraded.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Oakley
YEAR BUILT: 1923
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: City of Cincinnati
ASSESSED VALUE: $102,820
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed to make way for the $30 million Kennedy Connector road project.

The following photos were taken between April 1 and May 16 and have been sitting there, ignored, for what seems like forever.

The tour starts at the Moerlein Lager House at Smale Riverfront Park Downtown. I don't remember why I was there, Perhaps that's appropriate. There are some additional photos of the park that I took while wandering around. The beautiful space was not yet open, but was getting close. People were already enjoying parts of it.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Over-the-Rhine
YEAR BUILT: 1874
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Easter Hill, LLC (New Richmond, OH)
ASSESSED VALUE: $12,520
HAZARD: October 2007, adding broken windows and overgrown vegetation.
CONDEMNED: March 2005, open to vandals, a failing roof, water damage, collapsing exterior stairs, and litter and debris. At one point, the front door was taken off of the hinges, and City inspectors saw people going in and out of the building. A barricading nightmare! Reissued to a new owner in July 2006, likely lost to foreclosure. The rear wall of the building had been significantly damaged by fire. Orders reissued in December 2006, then again in February 2007. A criminal case was filed in July 2007, but dismissed two months later due to an inability to deliver the summons. Orders REISSUED in November 2011? It had already been declared a public nuisance long before then, and no one was ever held accountable.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished privately to close out orders.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1920
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $13,190
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: None since 2007.
REASON RAZED: Razed for a temporary valet parking lot for The Christ Hospital, made necessary due to the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

Tomorrow morning at 9 A.M., Cincinnati's City Planning Commission will consider approval of a concept plan and a rezoning for the City's portion of Xavier University's redevelopment of 20 acres .

The rezoning of 1728 and 1764 Dana Avenue from CC-A Commercial Community-Auto Oriented to PD Planned Development District would accommodate approximately 150,000 square feet of Class A flex office space, the third and final phase of the development.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Hyde Park
YEAR BUILT: 1920
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: ISM Group Inc.
ASSESSED VALUE: $75,000
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: April 2011, for electrical wiring, plumbing and ventilation, interior and exterior handrails, smoke detectors, deteriorated masonry, exterior steps, windows, exterior paint, cornice, gutters and downspouts. Orders reissued to new owner in July 2011.
REASON RAZED: Demolished for redevelopment. No plans or permits have been submitted. Michael Mauch of RWA Architects, Inc. is listed as the registered agent for ISM Group Inc.

The --> --> --> is seeking public input through a preferences survey as part of its Access Ohio 2040 long-term transportation plan.

The plan, to be completed next year, will include a comprehensive inventory, forecast, and analysis of the trends and issues affecting all modes of transportation throughout the state. Data collected will be used to inform transportation policies and investment strategies for the coming years.

The --> --> --> has issued , which it plans to implement in January.

The NKAPC currently shares an off-site system with the Kenton County Fiscal Court to manage its permit applications and tracking, as well as data management.

Following public hearings held on June 29 by the Department of Community Development, Property Maintenance Code Enforcement, the following 13 buildings have been declared a public nuisance:

• , Spring Grove Village (single-family, 1890)
• , West End (single-family, 1875)
• , Walnut Hills (multi-family, 1895)
• , East Price Hill (single-family, 1913)
• , Northside (single-family, 1883)
• , East Price Hill (two-family, 1904)
• , Avondale (three-family, 1925)
• , South Fairmount (single-family, 1900)
• , South Fairmount (single-family, 1900)
• , Northside (commercial warehouse, 1900)
• , East Price Hill (single-family, 1885)
• , West Price Hill (single-family, 1915)
• , South Fairmount (single-family, 1865)

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

Previous reading on BC:
Thirteen buildings declared a public nuisance (6/15/12)
Fifteen more buildings declared a public nuisance (5/29/12)
Fourteen buildings, two garages declared a public nuisance (4/19/12)
Public nuisances declared (3/19/12)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1925
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $12,820
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed for a temporary valet parking lot for The Christ Hospital, made necessary due to the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

Last Friday, Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) released its ninth annual progress report for fiscal year 2012.

"Working closely with the City and Cincinnati's corporate community, 3CDC's mission is to develop Cincinnati's center city as a regional destination of high value employment and real estate, sustained by a diverse mix of housing, culture and entertainment," the report's introduction says. "Each year brings us closer toward reaching that goal, yet seems to reiterate that the work is never done."

has won a $75,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for public artwork in Cincinnati's Pendleton neighborhood.

NEA's Our Town grants support creative placemaking projects centered around the arts. ArtWorks' site-specific public art projects, to be developed through a public engagement process, will be incorporated into Pendleton's streetscape redesign.

On June 9, more than a dozen local bloggers and photographers were treated to a free behind-the-scenes tour of Cincinnati Union Terminal, led by Steve Terheiden, senior director of facilities and operations with the Cincinnati Museum Center. The tour was meant not only to highlight what a tremendous asset Cincinnati has and some of the restoration work already performed, but also to point out some of the estimated $150 million-plus in repairs necessary to fix rusting structural steel and other major issues in the National Historic Landmark.

Today's photos were taken following the tour, on the way back to the parking lot. I just didn't want to leave.

Special thanks go out to Mr. Terheiden, Cincinnati Museum Center Digital Engagement Manager Lauren Bishop and Social Media Coordinator Natalie Nichols of the Cincinnati Museum Center, and Empower MediaMarketing Director of Marketing Kevin Dugan.

To see the previous four parts of this series, please scroll to the links at the bottom of this post.

These 11 photos have been added to the Cincinnati Union Terminal gallery, which now contains 300 photos.

Please click on each photo to enlarge to 800 x 600 resolution, and be sure to visit the Building Cincinnati galleries to view 4,697 photographs of dozens of Greater Cincinnati communities.

1. "Married With Children: Cincinnati".

NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1901
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: JSK Investment Group, LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $5,050
HAZARD: November 2008, adding broken and missing windows and holes in the walls.
CONDEMNED: October 2008, for cornice, gutters and downspouts, a bulging masonry wall, collapsing chimney, a dangerous rear deck, and severe interior vandalism.
ORDERS: August 2006, ordered vacated and barricaded. Reissued to a new owner in April 2007. In March 2008, a criminal case was filed against her. Late that year, the case was referred to the housing diversion program.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

The following photos were taken June 23. Although some time has passed, the site looks roughly the same today, with demolition completed and site prep work ongoing.

Vestige Redevelopment Group, LLC is working to redevelop the site in Camp Washington, formerly home to the Kahn's slaughtering and processing operation – later Sara Lee – into a 17-acre business park for light industrial and flex space end users. Camp Washington-based Micro Metal Finishing, LLC has announced plans to occupy three acres of the development.

Medpace, Inc. has announced the opening of its new, state-of-the-art Clinical Pharmacology Unit (CPU) on its Madisonville campus, .

The 60,000-square-foot facility is twice the size of its previous Norwood CPU, featuring a total of 96 beds for overnight stays, a pharmacy, processing labs, and a dedicated patient recruitment staff. The Norwood facility will close following the move to the new building.

Beginning this evening, a segment of Madison Road in Oakley was reduced to one lane to accommodate water main installation.

The roadway will be restricted to westbound traffic only . Ibsen Avenue, which had been closed, will reopen as a detour for eastbound Madison Road traffic.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1925
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $12,180
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: October 2005, for exterior paint. Reissued to new owner in September 2007. Ordered vacated and barricaded in October 2008 due to a lack of utilities and stolen copper. Reissued to new owner in March 2011. The owner lost an appeal on the Vacant Building Maintenance Fees and decided not to rehabilitate the building, selling it in December 2011.
REASON RAZED: Razed for valet parking and for a surface lot for oversized vehicles that cannot fit into The Christ Hospital's West Garage, which will be the only garage open during the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1923
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Willie K. and Alice E. Croxton
ASSESSED VALUE: $4,180
HAZARD: June 2009, added defective flashing and missing or broken windows. No permits, no work.
CONDEMNED: October 2008, for cornice, gutters and downspouts, cracked masonry walls and chimney, a lack of exterior paint, and interior vandalism. A criminal case was filed in May 2009 against each owner, and the cases eventually made their way into the housing diversion program.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1896
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $23,260
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed for a surface lot for oversized vehicles that cannot fit into The Christ Hospital's West Garage, which will be the only garage open during the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Oakley
YEAR BUILT: 1921
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: City of Cincinnati
ASSESSED VALUE: $119,990
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed to make way for the $30 million Kennedy Connector road project.

The Cincinnati chapter of the American Institutes of Architects and bicycle infrastructure group Saris Cycle Racks have teamed together to host a design competition for a bicycle shelter somewhere in the City.

The designer is expected to choose a location and to demonstrate how bike shelters can be beautiful, well-designed, affordable, and accessible. All designs must hold a minimum of eight bicycles.

Just a couple of months after Hamilton County developed a countywide land bank, a new blog has been developed to make sure that properties lost to foreclosure end up in the hands of responsible owners.

The Hamilton County Land Reutilization Corporation (HCLRC) Blog, managed by the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, highlights foreclosed upon properties that are being offered due to non-payment of property taxes, sold at the weekly Hamilton County Sheriff's sale, held every Thursday at 10 A.M. outside of Room 260 of the Hamilton County Courthouse, .

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1891
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $158,060
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: February 2011, roof blew off of the house, building collapsing.
REASON RAZED: Razed for a surface lot for oversized vehicles that cannot fit into The Christ Hospital's West Garage, which will be the only garage open during the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

On June 9, more than a dozen local bloggers and photographers were treated to a free behind-the-scenes tour of Cincinnati Union Terminal, led by Steve Terheiden, senior director of facilities and operations with the Cincinnati Museum Center. The tour was meant not only to highlight what a tremendous asset Cincinnati has and some of the restoration work already performed, but also to point out some of the estimated $150 million-plus in repairs necessary to fix rusting structural steel and other major issues in the National Historic Landmark.

Today's photos were taken outside along the Amtrak platform and inside at the train service's waiting area.

Special thanks go out to Mr. Terheiden, Cincinnati Museum Center Digital Engagement Manager Lauren Bishop and Social Media Coordinator Natalie Nichols of the Cincinnati Museum Center, and Empower MediaMarketing Director of Marketing Kevin Dugan.

The remaining post in this series will include some exterior shots of this beautiful building, taken as the tour wrapped up.

These 35 photos have been added to the Cincinnati Union Terminal gallery, which now contains 289 photos.

Please click on each photo to enlarge to 800 x 600 resolution, and be sure to visit the Building Cincinnati galleries to view 4,686 photographs of dozens of Greater Cincinnati communities.

1. Cincinnati? Oh.

With financing in place, build out can begin on the Incline Public House – meaning East Price Hill's newest restaurant could be completed by October.

That news was announced at a press conference this morning at Incline Village, a recently-completed apartment/condominium building where the business will be housed.

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1922
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Gerar Inc. (Bogota, NJ)
ASSESSED VALUE: $52,260
HAZARD: September 2010, now with broken and missing windows, deteriorated gutters and downspouts, and water damage.
CONDEMNED: June 2009, for the same orders. Following a lack of response by the lender, a criminal case was filed in January 2010. The property changed owners later that year, and the criminal case appears unresolved.
ORDERS: May 2008, ordered vacated and barricaded. Mechanical systems in the building were missing or vandalized and the lot was covered with litter and debris. In late 2008, the property was lost in bankruptcy and orders were reissued to the bank.
REASON RAZED: Although City inspection records indicate that the property was purchased by the --> --> -->, auditor records indicate no such sale. Instead, it appears that the property was razed by the City after being entered into the hazard abatement program.

A Covington house rehabilitated with the help of federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant funds will be open to the public this afternoon from 2 P.M. to 4 P.M.

The two-bedroom house, in the city's Austinburg neighborhood, is Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky's (HONK) first rehab completed in partnership with the Brighton Center.

DeHart Playground has finished fifth in a nationwide competition, winning $15,000 for the rehabilitation of its basketball courts.

The Walnut Hills park, located , was one of 25 parks to receive a total of $275,000 in grants through the Sprite Sparks Parks Program, an online contest coordinated with the National Recreation and Parks Association to rehabilitate basketball courts at city parks and recreation centers.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1896
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: HPL Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $61,470
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: --
ORDERS: None since 2008.
REASON RAZED: Razed for a surface lot for oversized vehicles that cannot fit into The Christ Hospital's West Garage, which will be the only garage open during the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

At its June 26 meeting, Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to expand its hazard abatement program fund to pay for its new Vacant Foreclosure Registration Pilot Program (VFRP).

VFRP requires mortgagees of vacant, foreclosed properties in five City neighborhoods – College Hill, East Price Hill, Madisonville, West Price Hill, and Westwood – to register each property with the City's Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Division within ten days of foreclosure and to pay an annual $500 registration fee. An annual filing is required until the property is sold at a judicial sale, is transferred to an owner-occupant, or makes its way into the hands of a third party.

The City of Cincinnati has agreed to sell 0.087 acres of vacant land to Working In Neighborhoods (WIN) to aid in the nonprofit's South Cumminsville revitalization efforts.

The purchase price of $1 will allow WIN to build a new single-family house for a low-income, qualified owner-occupant.

On June 9, more than a dozen local bloggers and photographers were treated to a free behind-the-scenes tour of Cincinnati Union Terminal, led by Steve Terheiden, senior director of facilities and operations with the Cincinnati Museum Center. The tour was meant not only to highlight what a tremendous asset Cincinnati has and some of the restoration work already performed, but also to point out some of the estimated $150 million-plus in repairs necessary to fix rusting structural steel and other major issues in the National Historic Landmark.

Today's photos were taken in the Cincinnati and Losantiville dining rooms and adjacent areas, rehabilitated and opened to the public for rental in late 2010.

Special thanks go out to Mr. Terheiden, Cincinnati Museum Center Digital Engagement Manager Lauren Bishop and Social Media Coordinator Natalie Nichols of the Cincinnati Museum Center, and Empower MediaMarketing Director of Marketing Kevin Dugan.

The remaining two parts of this series will be posted over the coming days, including shots of the building's rail yards and some exterior views.

These 44 photos have been added to the Cincinnati Union Terminal gallery, which now contains 254 photos.

Please click on each photo to enlarge to 800 x 600 resolution, and be sure to visit the Building Cincinnati galleries to view 4,651 photographs of dozens of Greater Cincinnati communities.

1. Our tour group got a little bit rowdy that day....

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1875
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Joseph Anthony Tepe
ASSESSED VALUE: $10,000
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: March 2012, damaged by a fire that damaged the rear staircase, side foundation wall, and roof. Hillside slippage caused partial collapse of the building's addition.
ORDERS: --
REASON RAZED: Razed by the owner to close out orders.

At its June 26 meeting, Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed two ordinances to provide the go-ahead for two local road projects.

The first ordinance pledges $110,000 in matching funds and cooperation with the --> --> --> for a $1.1 million project to apply street calming, high friction treatment to the pavement of eight road segments within the City, including:

The Housing Authority of Covington (HAC) has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for residential real estate appraisal services of abandoned and vacant parcels as part of its $17 million HOPE VI revitalization project.

The project, the fourth and final phase of redevelopment activity, involves new construction and rehabilitation of 34 properties for people of mixed incomes in the city's Eastside neighborhood, in . The first two phases included scattered-site rental units, while the third phase, a mixed-income redevelopment of the former Jacob Price Homes called River's Edge at Eastside Point, broke ground on March 29.

After nearly two years of construction, Over-the-Rhine's Washington Park reopened to the public following a ribbon-cutting Friday morning.

The $48 million project by the Cincinnati Park Board and Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), expanded the park from six acres to eight, refurbished the historic bandstand, and added a 450-space underground parking garage.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1891
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: HTP Realty Company LLC (The Christ Hospital)
ASSESSED VALUE: $61,630
HAZARD: --
CONDEMNED: February 2011. On February 14, 2011, the front brick gable collapsed onto the front lawn, sidewalk, and street. The Christ Hospital acquired the property in January 2012 and announced plans to demolish the structure.
ORDERS: September 2007, ordered vacated and barricaded due to falling bricks and lack of exterior paint. Previous owner stated plans to rehabilitate and occupy the building. Scaffolding erected, some work done.
REASON RAZED: Razed for a surface lot for oversized vehicles that cannot fit into The Christ Hospital's West Garage, which will be the only garage open during the hospital's $265M expansion. The expansion project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage.

Delta Flats, an $8.1 million, 76-unit market-rate apartment planned for in Columbia Tusculum, received unanimous approval from Cincinnati City Council last Tuesday.

Council approved a funding agreement package with developer Columbia Delta Apartments, LLC (Towne Properties) worth $1.3 million – half as a grant for site improvements and geotechnical work and half as a 30-year cash flow loan for construction costs.

City-owned property beneath Downtown's Hyatt Regency Hotel can be sold for the hotel's $17 million renovation project, City Council decided last week.

The agreement gives building owner Lamco, LLC, a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. the option to purchase the ground rights for $2.1 million if it completes renovations by the end of 2014. In return, the City would contribute the approximately $1.75 million in waived retroactive rent accrued between now and the project's completion.