The Housing Authority of Covington (HAC) is soliciting requests for qualifications from qualified developers to produce and implement a ten-year repositioning plan for its public housing properties.

The plan will cover the 366-unit City Heights, the 235-unit Latonia Terrace, and the 155-unit Golden Tower. Although it will preserve the number of rent-assisted units, the strategy will seek to lower the concentration of those units, reduce the HAC's inventory of vacant and underutilized units, eliminate blight, and engage renters in self-sufficiency and sustainability initiatives.

Six Cincinnati projects have been awarded a total of nearly $8 million in Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits, part of $35.9 million awarded by the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) on December 20.

The tax credit provides 25 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenditures for buildings located on the National Register of Historic Places, in a registered historic district, or certified by Ohio's Preservation Officer as being of historic significance.

Following nearly three years of studies and stakeholder involvement efforts, the --> --> --> has submitted its proposed solutions to combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in the Lower Mill Creek watershed to the U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA, and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission.

The revised outlines how MSD plans to eliminate 1.78 billion gallons of annual CSO overflows into the waterway by 2018, largely through the addition of sustainable infrastructure that can hold and delay the release of stormwater and keep it out of the sewers during heavy rains.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1915
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: John Walsh
ASSESSED VALUE: $44,810
ORDERS: April 2007, for cornice. In January 2009, the building was ordered vacated and barricaded due to vandalism, broken windows, missing siding, hazardous entry stairs, a cracked chimney, and litter.
CONDEMNED: June 2009.
HAZARD: September 2009, adding a crumbling retaining wall and high weeds.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

In the interest of cleanliness and public health, Cincinnati is looking into possibly installing 24-hour public restroom facilities in and around Downtown.

In a recent report to City Council, Director of Public Services Michael Robinson said that the hours of access to City facilities are limited by safety and security issues, which can only be addressed by additional staffing.

The end of an era in Cincinnati transportation history is coming in three days when Metro sells its last bus token.

The silver tokens are being phased out for new 10-ride tickets and 30-day rolling passes. Rolling passes, which are priced between $70 and $170, are sold by zone and allow for unlimited rides on all local and express routes within that zone.

Fareboxes will continue to accept tokens through June 30, 2013.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family dwelling (12 units)
OWNER: Nverse LLC c/o Jeff Lane
ASSESSED VALUE: $130,200
ORDERS: December 2007, ordered barricaded. Orders reissued in February 2008, ordered vacated and barricaded due to vandalism, including the theft of copper pipes.
CONDEMNED: September 2009, adding gutters and downspouts, exterior paint, and weeds and litter. A criminal case was filed that month, but was dismissed nine months later for want of prosecution.
HAZARD: May 2012, adding broken and missing windows and water damage.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

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:

• , West Price Hill (two-family, 1885)
• , West Price Hill (two-family, 1913)
• , Avondale (multi-family, 1935)
• , South Fairmount (single-family, 1930)
• , Avondale (two-family, 1905)

Those developing residential and commercial projects in the City of Cincinnati to U.S. Green Building Council LEED standards will receive larger tax incentives, making the City's program one of the most aggressive in the nation.

On December 19, City Council passed an ordinance that retains the 15-year property tax abatement for residential projects, but enacts a tiered system designed to encourage higher levels of LEED certification. Under the new system, developers can receive a 100 percent abatement for LEED-certified projects up to $275,000 in value, LEED Silver projects up to $400,000 in value, and LEED Gold projects up to $562,000 in value.

At its December 19 meeting, Cincinnati City Council approved a $2.5 million bond package, to be serviced through revenues from the neighborhood's tax increment financing (TIF) district, which it hopes will bring new life to the ailing Madisonville business.

Since 2006, the City has been working with Madisonville to redevelop the high-profile , and many blighted buildings were razed to make way for new buildings that would surround a new public square.

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1865
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Creighton Jones
ASSESSED VALUE: $25,550
ORDERS: March 2007, ordered vacated and barricaded. Unable to find owner, lost to the bank in foreclosure.
CONDEMNED: March 2008, for foundation failure, roof, gutters, and unsafe doors. Orders were reissued to the current owner in June 2009. A criminal case was filed in January 2010, and the defendant never showed.
HAZARD: May 2010.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Cincinnati's Evanston neighborhood will receive $400,000 for various projects identified as catalysts for stabilization and redevelopment.

The funding was approved in a pair of ordinances approved by City Council on December 19.

On December 19, the Salvation Army's planned expansion of its Catherine Booth Residence got a financing boost with the approval of a Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption agreement by Cincinnati City Council.

The $18.2 million, 93,791-square-foot expansion, to be built on the site of the current 150-unit facility at in College Hill, will add 96 units of affordable housing and supportive services to low-income senior citizens.

Public infrastructure improvements at Walnut Woods are nearly complete and new property owners will soon be able to begin rehabilitation of their structures, according to a December 18 presentation by the Cincinnati's Department of Community Development to City Council's Livable Communities Committee.

Nearly $350,000 was spent on the improvements around the properties on the in Walnut Hills, which includes four single-family houses and two vacant lots sold for $173,782 at a June 9 auction at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1888
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Mark Parker
ASSESSED VALUE: $9,790
ORDERS: September 2009, ordered vacated and barricaded with citations for flashing, gutters and downspouts, soffit, siding, exterior paint, windows, and exterior doors.
CONDEMNED: October 2009, adding cornice, rear entry stairs, deteriorated foundation walls, chimney, weeds and and rubbish. A criminal case was filed in February 2010. In May 2010, the owner was found guilty and entered into a compliance program. The case was dismissed a few months later due to the emergence of the current owner, and condemnation orders were reissued.
HAZARD: November 2011.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

The City of Cincinnati is soliciting input on , but some Kennedy Heights residents are concerned about the loss of on-street parking.

Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) Director Michael Moore recently addressed the topic in a memo, a response to a petition submitted for review by Councilmember Cecil Thomas on November 19 requesting that the City stop pursuing bike lane striping until a neighborhood consensus can be reached.

The City of Cincinnati and the Music Hall Revitalization Company (MHRC) have reached an agreement on a rent-free, 75-year lease of the 134-year-old building, a deal that both groups hope will hasten its restoration.

The agreement ends what has been a six-year effort to move the restoration forward, most recently including the City's refusal of a MHRC proposal for a 99-year renewable lease and purchase option in June.

The City of Cincinnati Economic Development Division has issued a request for qualifications (RFQs) for providers of residential and commercial development market feasibility analysis and brokerage services.

Contract services will be provided on an as-needed basis and may cover multiple development sites, and the results will be used to pursue redevelopment strategies with prospective developers.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: New Century Mortgage (Gahanna, OH)
ASSESSED VALUE: $63,110
ORDERS: November 2005, for damage from an October 20, 2005 fire that injured two adults and two children. A 7-year-old child had been reported dead from the fire, but was later revived. In April 2007, orders were issued for gutters and downspouts, cornice, siding, exterior paint, and exterior handrail. In July 2008, the house was ordered vacated and barricaded. The owner went through bankruptcy and lost the house. Orders were reissued to New Century Mortgage in August 2009.
CONDEMNED: January 2010, vacant, open to trespassers, and vandalized. Other problems included a rotten rear deck, a crumbling foundation, deteriorated chimneys, missing flashing, and broken or missing doors and windows. The City then went through a tangle of ownership issues, with the bank apparently going out of business and returning the property to the former owner, then showing up as the owner again. In an effort to clarify ownership, orders were reissued in March 2011.
HAZARD: October 2011, adding litter.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

In an attempt to clear up misconceptions and to quell residents' concerns about a proposal to form a public-private partnership to operate the City's parking system, the City of Cincinnati on Dec. 18 released on its website a series of parking "FAQs".

The parking proposal from City Manager Milton Dohoney came up for debate during negotiations for next year's City budget, which was passed by City Council on Dec. 14. Although the proposal was not approved, the budget does assume $21 million in revenues from a parking contract – meaning that if the proposal isn't approved next spring, the City will have to find $21 million to plug the gap.

The --> --> -->, a nine-member board responsible for funding all major new capacity projects of more than $12 million, has voted to accept the .

TRAC is accepting public comments on the draft list through Jan. 18.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Free Truth Enterprise Inc.
ASSESSED VALUE: $44,440
ORDERS: June 2003, ordered vacated and barricaded and surrounded with litter. MULTIPLE citations for high weeds, litter, and trash cans at the curb. Orders were reissued in July 2005, then again to a new owner in April 2006. In January 2007, City inspectors found the building in good exterior condition with taxes current and closed the orders. That April, orders were issued for gutters and downspouts, exterior steps, and porch guardrails, which were quickly addressed. The current owner took over the property in September 2007.
CONDEMNED: August 2009, for hazardous stairs, a collapsing rear porch, a damaged left side roof causing water damage and collapsing ceilings, gutters, broken and missing windows and doors, defective siding, hazardous trees, high weeds, and litter. In April 2010, the owner removed the water heater and copper piping from the building. Two months later, a criminal case was filed. In August 2010, the chimney collapsed.
HAZARD: October 2010.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

A total of 77 artists – 13 from the City of Cincinnati – responded to an ArtWorks call for submissions for the .

The project will add sculptural elements and is meant to coincide with the neighborhood's ongoing streetscape enhancements, inviting residents and visitors to explore Pendleton's rich assets and attracting future investment.

Clifton Town Meeting (CTM) President Pete Schneider says that the final piece of funding is in place and that work should begin within two to three weeks on the Clifton Gaslight Market, formerly the Keller's IGA at .

According to an announcement Schneider sent to the CTM e-mail list, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has given its approval for a loan, and renovation work should start to happen quickly.

A statewide foreclosure prevention effort launched in 2008 has reached a milestone, having disbursed $100 million to struggling Ohio homeowners.

Save the Dream Ohio, administered by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), has assisted more than 8,500 homeowners facing default or foreclosure on their homes through its financial assistance packages. Up to $25,000 per household is made available to homeowners needing help making their mortgage payments, becoming current on their mortgage payments, modifying existing loans, eliminating a lien, or exiting their home and avoiding foreclosure.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1915
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: James White
ASSESSED VALUE: $13,660
ORDERS: March 2005, for roof. Orders reissued in July 2007, adding gutters and downspouts, cornice, exterior handrail, and a small tree growing out of and damaging the chimney. The property was ordered barricaded in July 2008.
CONDEMNED: January 2009, open and vandalized with a rotted front porch and extreme foundation cracking. A criminal case was filed in April 2009, but was soon dismissed due to an inability to serve the summons. Orders reissued to new owner in July 2009. Another criminal case was filed in January 2010, but that was also dismissed.
HAZARD: May 2010, adding high weeds and litter. The property was purchased by the current owner in September 2012 for $25.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Cincinnati is moving forward with Complete Streets solutions for Over-the-Rhine's Brewery District, changes that were suggested in the sub-neighborhood's 2011 master plan.

A City Council motion sponsored by Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, adopted unanimously at Council's December 14 meeting, says that the implementation would "renovate streets in the Brewery District into multi-modal corridors that enable the creation of vibrant public places and that encourage the development of private property into a mixed-use, sustainable neighborhood."

Plan Build Live, Cincinnati's form-based code initiative, has a new way for people to share their thoughts about the City's places.

Plan Build Live…Sight!, designed for mobile phone use but also accessible via desktop, laptop, or tablet, lets users upload photos, tag them, and share their impressions about what they love – or would change – about that specific place. Other users can find your place on the map, read your impressions, and add their own comments.

More than one-third of Hamilton County households have a significant housing issue and the problem should be addressed through rehabilitation and targeted redevelopment, according to a recent study of affordable housing by Portland-based Western Economic Services.

The 172-page Hamilton County Comprehensive Housing Study, commissioned by the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority to inform future plans for affordable housing development, was presented to the public during a pair of town hall sessions held December 13 at Xavier University's Cintas Center.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Miami-Bound Investments LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $44,580
ORDERS: Long history of litter dating back to at least 2002.
CONDEMNED: August 2010, open to trespassers and vandalized with rotted porch support beams, rotted porch deck members, deteriorated stairs, broken windows, defective gutters, missing handrails, defective service entrance, and litter and weeds. A criminal case was pursued, but later dropped due to want of prosecution.
HAZARD: May 2011, adding downspouts.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Preliminary architectural designs for the event pavilion, bistros, and observation tower at Blue Ash Summit Park were presented to Blue Ash City Council on December 13.

Since late summer, the project team of MSA Architects, MKSK, KZF Design, and Turner Construction have been working to refine designs last released in February and to prepare the site for construction, which is scheduled to begin next year.

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1865
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Mark E. Parson
ASSESSED VALUE: $10,810
ORDERS: April 2006, vacant and ordered barricaded due to broken and missing windows. The owner had filed for bankruptcy and was in the process of losing the building to tax foreclosure. Orders were reissued in May 2008, keeping the building vacant. Parson acquired the property in early 2009, and a criminal case against him is still working its way through the courts.
CONDEMNED: February 2010, for foundation cracks, rotten and warped structural framing, deteriorated roofing and flashing, a collapsing porch, missing/vandalized mechanicals, and litter and debris.
HAZARD: July 2012, adding gutters and downspouts and high weeds.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Through January 15, is accepting for sculptural bicycle racks as part of its Queen City Art Racks program.

ArtWorks will consider recommendations from the when selecting sites, ensuring that the bicycle racks will best serve the City's growing bicycling community. Up to five locations will be selected, and applications not accepted for 2013 will be kept on file for future consideration.

Continuing construction work on the first phase of Smale Riverfront Park is detailed in a new video update from the Cincinnati Park Board released late last week.

In the video, project manager Dave Prather guides viewers on a tour of recent construction activity, including the opening of a portion of the Roebling Green, and new landscaping around the Black Brigade of Cincinnati monument. At the Duke Energy Garden, foundations for the granite seat walls have been installed, as have the foundations for the 12 family-sized swings and electrical conduits that will provide illumination.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1885
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: Marquitta Walker
ASSESSED VALUE: $55,370
ORDERS: August 2009, for chimney, gutters and downspouts, soffit, siding, exterior paint, porch, exterior handrail, water service, and rubbish.
CONDEMNED: February 2010, adding roof problems.
HAZARD: November 2011. A criminal case was filed in September 2012 against the former owner, a corporation that no longer exists.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family dwelling (4 units)
OWNER: KB Partners LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $8,350
ORDERS: June 2007, for flashing, gutters and downspouts, exterior paint, windows, and rubbish. The owner was in court losing the property to foreclosure. Orders were reissued to the bank in October 2007, adding walks, fence, roof, and smoke detectors. Reissued in April 2008, adding siding. Some repairs were made. By February 2010, the building was ordered vacated and barricaded due to drugs and prostitution. In March 2010, orders were issued for the foundation, plaster, water leaks, defective plumbing and gas lines, and insect/rodent infestation. More violations for fire separations and lack of water service were ordered repaired in July 2010, and the building again was ordered vacated. More orders in May 2011. Orders were reissued to yet another owner in June 2011, and the building again was ordered vacated and barricaded in August 2011. A civil fine of $500 was issued. Orders were reissued in August 2011, adding paint and wallpaper, mechanical vents, wall structure, and collapsing floors.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: A fire on June 26, 2012, about which details are sketchy.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Washington
YEAR BUILT: 1961
USE: Multi-family dwelling (5 units)
OWNER: Ursan Baco LLC (Long Beach, CA)
ASSESSED VALUE: $129,830
ORDERS: May 2009, for windows, steps, door security, flooring, interior and exterior doors, fire doors, exit hall lights, and hand rails. Orders reissued in November 2011 for soffit, windows, exterior doors, and rubbish.
CONDEMNED: February 2012, following a one-alarm fire that caused $50,000 in damage to the building's roof, floors, windows, doors, walls, and mechanicals. The building was vacant at the time.
HAZARD: Razed by the owner to remove hazard.
REASON RAZED:

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1885
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Edward J. and Deborah C. MacDonald (Deltona, FL)
ASSESSED VALUE: $23,900
ORDERS: March 2007, for garage and cornice. Orders reissued in June 2007, adding windows, smoke detectors, water leaks and damage, sink, and insect/rodent issues. Owners alerted the City that they were "walking away" from the house and filing for bankruptcy. That September, the property was ordered barricaded due to a broken first floor window and an unsecured garage. In July 2008, it was ordered vacant.
CONDEMNED: July 2009, adding missing siding, defective gutters, falling soffits, damaged flashing, and a rotted roof structure. Issued to a new owner in December 2009, and to the current owners in March 2010. A criminal case was filed in September 2010.
HAZARD: February 2011.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Following public hearings held recently by the Department of Community Development, Property Maintenance Code Enforcement, the following 45 buildings have been declared a public nuisance:

• , Lower Price Hill (mixed-use, 1900)
• , Camp Washington (single-family, 1889)
• , South Fairmount (single-family, 1885)
• , Evanston (two-family, 1890)
• , North Fairmount (single-family, 1927)

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1885
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Christian Williams
ASSESSED VALUE: $8,010
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Who knows?

At its meeting on December 5, Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved the rezoning of parcels in Corryville and Linwood.

The rezoning of 0.06 acres at in Corryville from RMX Residential Mixed District to CN-P Commercial Pedestrian District allows for the establishment of a surface parking lot, which will be shared by Uptown Rental Properties and the Highland Coffee House.

A report on the status of the site selection and design of a new station is due before City Council by Jan. 6.

The report is the result of a Dec. 5 motion submitted by Vice Mayor Qualls and councilmembers Quinlivan, Seelbach, Simpson, Sittenfeld, Thomas and Young that was filed in response to concerns from the East Price Hill Improvement Association (EPHIA) that a new state-of-the-art facility could be built in Westwood, near the Wal-Mart on Ferguson Road, or in some other location outside of the neighborhood.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: The Kelly-Wells Co.
ASSESSED VALUE: $14,000
ORDERS: September 2010, for foundation cracks, siding, and cornice. Reissued to current owner in November 2011.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed by the owner to close out orders.

Cincinnati City Council on Dec. 5 approved of a major amendment to a concept plan for the planned development district (PD-55) at , increasing the number of spaces in the proposed parking garage from 610 to 725.

The expansion of the seven-story public parking garage, part of a larger development that will include an 11-story, 200-room Holiday Inn & Suites hotel and street-level retail space, was sought by the City's departments of Transportation and Engineering and Public Services.

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1885
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: TC Funding Group LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $22,360
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Who knows?

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1931
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Ilona Toke
ASSESSED VALUE: $52,160
ORDERS: May 2008, ordered vacated and barricaded due to vacancy and vandalism. Orders were reissued in September 2008, and a criminal case was filed in March 2009. The owner was found guilty, receiving a 180-day suspended jail sentence, a $1,000 fine ($900 suspended), and two years of probation. The probation was violated, and the owner was relieved from the estate by the probate judge. Ownership is still recorded as what is believed to be the woman'd deceased mother.
CONDEMNED: February 2009.
HAZARD: February 2010.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1915
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Chris Eugene Wells
ASSESSED VALUE: $52,180
ORDERS: January 2010, ordered vacated and barricaded due to damage and vandalism to the building's doors and windows, front porch roof, roofing, chimney, and mechanicals. A criminal case was filed August 2010.
CONDEMNED: August 2010.
HAZARD: July 2011, adding foundation, weeds and rubbish.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Camp Washington
YEAR BUILT: 1925
USE: Mixed-use
OWNER: Meyer Tool Inc.
ASSESSED VALUE: $76,450
ORDERS: September 2010, for exterior porch and paint. Orders reissued in August 2012 to current owner, adding tuck pointing and chimney repair.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed by Meyer Tool for business expansion.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Kelly Wells Inc.
ASSESSED VALUE: $18,000
ORDERS: March 2006, for tuck pointing, cornice, gutters and downspouts, and rubbish. Orders reissued in October 2006. The owner was deceased, and her son did the repairs. By October 2008, the gutters and downspouts were again an issue and orders were issued to the current owner.
CONDEMNED: December 2011, for deteriorating brick walls, bulged foundation, soffits, water damage, weeds and litter.
HAZARD: October 2012, with demolition already underway.
REASON RAZED: Razed privately to close out orders.

U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan spoke at the ribbon-cutting for the on Dec. 4, calling it "a model for what we should be doing around the country."

Wallick-Hendy Development spent 27 months and $36 million to renovate the 703-unit complex, built in 1962 and formerly known as the Fay Apartments.

College Hill neighborhood leaders are asking the City to help them stop a 50-unit affordable housing development that would take up more than one-third of developable land at its most prominent intersection.

In a Nov. 28 letter to City officials, College Hill Forum President Phyllis Slusher, College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation President Mike Cappel, and College Hill Business Association President Juanita Canfield have asked the City to use its influence to deny a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) application from Akron-based Alpha Phi Alpha Homes (APA) to acquire and build on a 3.5-acre City-owned site at , commonly known as the Eastern Star property.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1966
USE: School
OWNER: Cincinnati Board of Education
ASSESSED VALUE: $11,701,830
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed due to obsolescence. A new 95,000-square-foot Roberts Academy opened adjacent to the old structure in August 2007. Prior to demolition, the building housed students from Oyler School during that school's renovation project.

Temporary blockades have been installed on three Oakley streets, much to the delight of residents who fear an increase in through traffic resulting from Norwood's Rookwood Exchange and Mercy Health Midtown Emergency Medical Building developments.

The blockades have been installed at , along the neighborhood's border with Norwood.

First Financial Bank has pledged a $1 donation to each of four Habitat for Humanity chapters – with a cap of $8,000 – for each new "like" on the bank's .

The campaign, which lasts through Jan. 3, will benefit the Cincinnati, Dayton, Indianapolis, and Northwest Indiana chapters. As of yesterday morning, the campaign already has raised more than $2,000.

Total as of December 11, 2012: 2,435 buildings
% Change in past month: +0.66% (+16 buildings)
% Change in past two months: +1.21% (+29 buildings)
% Change in past three months: +1.50% (+36 buildings)
% Change in past four months: +2.70% (+64 buildings)
% Change in past five months: +1.71% (+41 buildings)
% Change in past six months: +1.33% (+32 buildings)
% Change in past year: --
% Change in past two years: --
% Change in past five years: --

Previous reading on BC:
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report, November 2012 (11/2/12)
Abandoned/Vacant report, Urban Conservator, and Housing Appeals, 10/1/12 (10/1/12)
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report: September 2012 (9/4/12)
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report: August 2012 (8/2/12)
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report: July 2012 (7/2/12)

NEIGHBORHOOD: East End
YEAR BUILT: 1905
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Ivy R. Thompson (Mount Rainier, MD)
ASSESSED VALUE: $9,500
ORDERS: April 2006, vacant and ordered barricaded for an open front door and broken windows. Orders were reissued in August 2007, when it was ordered vacated. A criminal case was filed on a failure to comply obtain a Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) in September 2008.
CONDEMNED: February 2009, for broken/missing/vandalized mechanicals, litter, and debris.
HAZARD: May 2010, adding missing siding.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.