NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1903
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: KB Partners LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $54,640
ORDERS: September 2011, ordered vacated and barricaded due to a deteriorated roof, chimneys, gutters and downspouts, exterior paint, exterior steps, missing mechanicals, and lack of electric and water service. Orders reissued to a new owner in March 2012, adding cornice deterioration. Issued to a new owner in December 2012.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

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 20 buildings should be declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program:

• , Over-the-Rhine (multi-family, 1862)
• , South Fairmount (single-family, 1925)
• , Evanston (two-family, 1901)
• , Westwood (mixed-use, 1924)
• , College Hill (multi-family, 1928)

Residents of the 14 neighborhoods served by got an update on the City's site selection process for a new $16 million, 40,000-square-foot headquarters building Wednesday evening at Elder High School's Schaeper Center.

The public meeting was a follow-up to one held on Feb. 6, during which the number of prospective sites was narrowed down to five.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Westwood
YEAR BUILT: 1909
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Anthony Knott
ASSESSED VALUE: $37,360
ORDERS: July 2008, ordered vacated and barricaded due to siding, gutters and downspouts, defective front porch, broken windows, and exterior paint. A criminal case was filed in January 2009, and two months later the owner pled "no contest" and was given a 180-day suspended jail sentence, one year of probation, and court costs. Interior work was largely completed, but exterior work was not. In March 2010, probation was extended for two years.
CONDEMNED: May 2010, for a bulging foundation, side porch, windows, siding, and missing hand rail. In early 2011, the owner lost the building in foreclosure.
HAZARD: May 2012, citing the foundation, holes in the exterior walls, roof, gutters and downspouts, exterior paint, broken and missing windows, and water damage.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding.

The --> --> --> board on Thursday approved $10.5 million in tax-exempt Multifamily Housing Bonds for new construction at the Salvation Army's Catherine Booth Residence in College Hill.

The new three-story, 93,791-square-foot building, to be built adjacent to the current 150-unit facility at , will feature 96 one-bedroom units for low-income senior citizens. On-site services will include a community room, laundry facility and a computer room, with future plans for a convenience store, game room, and library.

On Mar. 20, Cincinnati City Council passed a resolution supporting Grandin Properties' application for Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits (OHPTC) that will lead to major changes at Over-the-Rhine's Emanuel Community Center.

Emanuel, located at 1308 Race Street, shuttered its daycare and early childhood learning programs in November following years of financial instability and a perceived declining market for its community offerings.

Cincinnati's Historic Conservation Board (HCB) on Monday recommended local historic landmark designation for the Goetz House, better known as Christy's and Lenhardt's, located at 151 W McMillan Street in Clifton Heights.

The HCB voted 3-1 to accept the staff recommendation on the house, built in 1892 by beer baron Christian Moerlein for his daughter Elizabeth ("Lizzie") and her husband John Goetz, Jr. Goetz is recognized as a late 20th century civic leader, lawyer, neighborhood developer, and vice president of the brewery.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family dwelling (4 units)
OWNER: Marquitta Walker
ASSESSED VALUE: $35,000
ORDERS: September 2002, for defective plumbing lines, restroom ventilation, flooring and floor structure, sinks, electric fixtures, interior paint, water damage, plaster, windows, roof, and gutters and downspouts. Ordered vacated and barricaded in January 2004. The owner went into bankruptcy, and the building eventually was lost to the bank. It was again ordered vacated and barricaded in June 2007.
CONDEMNED: January 2009, adding extreme rubbish and the removal of mechanicals. A criminal case was filed in January 2009, but was dismissed a month later after an inability to serve summons. Orders reissued to a new owner in February 2011. By October 2011, the property had been forfeited to the State.
HAZARD: January 2012. In March 2012, the back wall collapsed. The current owner acquired the property in August 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

An opening reception hosting the artist of Michael Seeley: Within the Limits of Construction will be held this evening from 6 P.M.-8 P.M. at the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati (AFC) Gallery, located at 811 Race Street.

"Limits of Construction" is a common term used within the architectural and engineering professions to define the boundaries of a work area or site. Seeley's paintings explore the unusual possibilities of surfaces, markings, shadows, and materials that can exist within those limits.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Madisonville
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Marsha Gaffney
ASSESSED VALUE: $56,680
ORDERS: March 2007, for front porch, gutters, and downspouts. Reissued to the current owner in October 2008, for exterior steps, porch, siding, gutters and downspouts, and roof. In October 2009, orders were reissued for trash, exterior hand rail, exterior steps, porch, soffit, gutters and downspouts, flashing, roof, garage, and hazardous tree.
CONDEMNED: January 2011, as the rear addition had begun to collapse and the building had suffered vandalism. A civil fine was issued, but it appears that the property was abandoned.
HAZARD: March 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding.

The City of Cincinnati plans additional measures in an attempt to curb speeding and improve pedestrian safety within the Columbia Tusculum business district.

In a Mar. 20 report to City Council, Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) Director Michael Moore said that DOTE has investigated the current conditions , where the posted speed limit is 30 mph. Outside of the business district, the posted speed limit is 45 mph.

A minimum of seven sites – including its current one – are being considered for Clifton's Probasco Fountain following its upcoming restoration.

The City plans to restore the bronze and granite fountain, which is located . Last cleaned in the late 1970s, the fountain is again showing its age.

has opened bidding for Bid Package #12-1, $5 million project that includes significant changes to the existing riverfront street grid.

Contractors that are pre-qualified by the --> --> --> are invited to bid on the package, which includes the reconstruction of Freedom Way between Rosa Parks (Vine Street) and Walnut Street, the removal of Race Street south of Freedom Way, Second Street pedestrian improvements, a new traffic signal at Mehring Way, and security cameras.

Tickets are now available for a two-day symposium on the challenges and opportunities of preserving Modern architecture, to be hosted by Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) Apr. 24-25.

Featuring papers, case studies, tours, and discussion sessions, "Preserving Modern Architecture" will be held in celebration of the completion of restoration work at the Frederick and Harriet Rauh House, a 1938 International style house in Woodlawn that CPA acquired from donor Emily Rauh Pulitzer in September 2011.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Madisonville
YEAR BUILT: 1946
USE: Detached retail
OWNER: Slate Ridge Holdings LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $92,660
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished to make way for a new Tire Discounters retail store.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1870
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: The Christ Hospital
ASSESSED VALUE: $20,630
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished to create a storm water detention system as part of the hospital's $265M expansion. The project includes a new 332,000-square-foot orthopaedic and spine center, a new materials management building, and a 900-space visitor parking garage. The house was deconstructed by Building Value and its windows, trim, doors, fixtures and lumber will be made available to the public at its Northside store.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Westwood
YEAR BUILT: 1932
USE: Dwelling used as office
OWNER: MST Glenway LLC (Anchor Associates)
ASSESSED VALUE: $218,820
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished for the construction of [what I believe to be] a stand-alone Mattress Firm store.

Cincinnati's first recreation complex to utilize the principles of universal design will be built on the in the East End.

Being developed by the --> --> -->, the LeBlond Regional RecPlex is envisioned as a state-of-the-art, fully inclusive and accessible indoor and outdoor recreation area that can be enjoyed by people with or without disabilities.

The condition of the City of Cincinnati's bridges improved and the County bridges it maintains remained steady in 2012, according to the Annual Bridge Condition Report recently released by the .

Inspections gave the 64 City bridges a weighted average rating of 7.08, an increase from 6.97 in 2011. The 26 County bridges, maintained by the City through contractual agreement, were given a weighted average rating of 6.26.

NEIGHBORHOOD: South Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Donald S. Rogers (Winchester, OH)
ASSESSED VALUE: $15,560
ORDERS: September 2008, for exterior walks, roof, flashing, gutters and downspouts, cornice, soffit, siding, exterior paint, windows, porch, and exterior steps. The owner called the City and said that she and her husband were on a fixed income and were trying to contact --> --> -->People Working Cooperatively --> --> --> to help with the repairs. A couple of days later, she called back and told the City that they no longer planned on making any repairs and intended to move. In less than a month, they were gone.
CONDEMNED: December 2008, to a new owner. Orders were reissued in March 2011, as the house was found to be occupied. The current owner, Rogers, acquired the property in August 2011 and received reissued orders. A civil fine was issued in January 2012.
HAZARD: July 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding.

On Feb. 13, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Strategies to End Homelessness more than $12.4 million for the upcoming fiscal year, providing funding to 17 partner organizations for the renewal of 29 programs in Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The funding comes from HUD's Continuum of Care program, a competitive grant program used to fund services ranging from street outreach to direct housing assistance. The disbursement of $1.5 billion will help fund more than 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs across the United States.

The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) is updating its transit development plan, and it's asking for your help.

TANK has posted a short, nine-question survey which it will use to determine the quality of its current operations and how well it's meeting current and potential customers' transportation needs.

Public discussion on where a new Cincinnati Police Department District 3 headquarters should be located will continue on Mar. 27 from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. at Elder High School's Schaeper Center, located at 4005 Glenway Avenue.

The project team will provide an update on the site selection process and will begin consideration of the design and possible public art components of the new $24 million, 40,000-square-foot facility.

The $120 million Smale Riverfront Park will more than double in size during a dedication and opening of the Duke Energy Garden and the Women's Committee Garden scheduled for this May, according to a new construction update video featuring project manager Dave Prather.

According to Prather, approximately 120 trees have been planted in the Duke Energy Garden. Granite sitting walls and light fixtures have been installed, and the 12 family-sized swings will be installed within the next few weeks.

PLAN Cincinnati has won the 2013 Frank F. Ferris II Community Planning Award from the .

The award, an annual recognition of local planning commissions or committees whose plans "have contributed to the elevation of planning principles, greater awareness of the value of planning, and improved quality of life", was presented Friday at the annual meeting of the .

Cincinnati's Urban Design Review Board (UDRB) on Friday got its first look at a planned overbuild that would add 111 apartments units above the .

Developers NorthPointe Group and North American Properties want to add seven stories to the eight-story garage, increasing the building's square footage by more than 120,000 square feet. Apartments would range from 600 to 1,700 square feet and would be available as studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and penthouse units.

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 90 buildings that have been condemned and/or 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:

• , Walnut Hills (two-family, 1910)
• , Walnut Hills (church, 1905)
• , Walnut Hills (two-family, 1910)
• , Westwood (multi-family, 1940)
• , Westwood (two-family, 1941)

NEIGHBORHOOD: West End
YEAR BUILT: 1885
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Bright Star Baptist Church
ASSESSED VALUE: $14,800
ORDERS: March 2001, ordered vacated and barricaded. A criminal case was filed in November 2003, but was dismissed when prosecution found that it had the wrong owner. Reissued to the proper owner in March 2004.
CONDEMNED: January 2006, for rot to the framing and roof, missing siding, rotted sills and cornice, missing windows, inoperable gutters, and water damage. A civil fine was issued in June 2006, but it appears that the property was abandoned.
HAZARD: July 2006, adding a cracked stone foundation and litter. Because the building was located in the Dayton Street Historic District, the nuisance decision was rescinded. But the building continued to deteriorate, and by November 2012 an emergency demolition was ordered when it was declared in imminent danger of collapse.
REASON RAZED: An emergency demolition, costing the taxpayers $24,494. The property was purchased in January 2013 for $3,500 and is now part of the Community Revitalization Agency's Renaissance Village project, which included new construction and building rehabilitation at more than 60 sites bounded by York, Baymiller, Findlay, and Linn streets. The church is a partner in the project.

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 30 buildings should be declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program:

• , Walnut Hills (three-family, 1840)
• , Fairview (multi-family, 1960)
• , South Fairmount (single-family, 1926)
• , West End (single-family, 1880)
• , Avondale (two-family, 1925)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Kennedy Heights
YEAR BUILT: 1954
USE: Multi-family dwelling (4 units)
OWNER: Rodrigo Williams, trustee
ASSESSED VALUE: $40,000
ORDERS: August 2006, for dilapidated fence, gutters and downspouts, windows, exterior doors, unpainted hallways, interior handrail, plaster, water leaks and damage, and water heater. Ordered vacated and barricaded in October 2006. In January 2007, the property was ordered barricaded to new owner JP Morgan Chase Bank NA. Kept as a shell for sale, but was issued orders for exterior paint, windows, and exterior doors in May 2007. Compliance was achieved in October 2008.
CONDEMNED: December 2011, following a fire that compromised the interior stairwell, ceilings, floors, joists, and a hole in the roof vented by the --> --> --> (photos). Burnt-out shell, building apparently vacant Two civil fines were issued in the months following the fire.
HAZARD: October 2012...burnt-out shell!
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders, because there really wasn't a better option.

The application period for the tenth round of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit (OHPTC) program is now open, with a total of $30 million being made available.

The bi-annual OHPTC program provides 25 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenditures to owners or lessees of buildings located on the National Register of Historic Places or within a National Register Historic District, a National Park Service certified historic district, a Certified Local Government historic district, or is listed as a local landmark by a Certified Local Government.

Cincinnati City Council on Mar. 6 approved an application for a grant through the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Government's (OKI) Transportation Alternatives Program to help fund either the Central Parkway cycle track or the Martin Luther King Drive/Jefferson Avenue shared-use path project.

The City's Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) will select one of the projects before submitting its application by the Apr. 12 deadline.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1948
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Raymond M. Lalor
ASSESSED VALUE: $53,720
ORDERS: June 2007, for a retaining wall. The owner of the house was deceased, and the property had become overgrown and used by vagrants. In June 2008, the driveway retaining wall collapsed and orders were reissued. Orders were reissued in August 2008, adding exterior paint.
CONDEMNED: July 2010, for a broken foundation wall that was leaning into the garage area and causing the entire building to be a hazard. As of August 2011, ownership of the property was still being worked out in probate court.
HAZARD: May 2012, adding gutters and downspouts and broken and missing windows. Condemnation orders were reissued in September 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East End
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Forrest D. Melton, Jr.
ASSESSED VALUE: $12,900
ORDERS: May 2005, ordered vacated and barricaded.
CONDEMNED: November 2005. Since the owner could not be identified, a criminal case was not pursued at the time. Condemation orders were reissued in July 2006, citing defective gutters and downspouts, a rotted front porch, missing siding, water damage, and overgrown weeds. Orders reissued in June 2007, adding flashing, plaster, broken and missing windows, cornice, collapsing floors, and missing or vandalized mechanicals. In criminal status.
HAZARD: January 2009, occupied illegally with new windows and electrical service added without permits. The building was condemned again in June 2011. In August 2012, the owner contacted the City to request a stay of demolition and was told it would cost him $10,000, plus a $3,500 Vacant Building Maintenance License. He said that he didn't have the money. By December 2012, the building was stripped of everything of value.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding at a cost of $8,500.

The following photos were taken on September 7, 2012 (Northside) and October 23, 2012 (Mount Auburn).

The Northside photos were taken during a media preview for the 2012 CitiRama at Virginia Place, and then later in the day during an open house for a couple of properties rehabilitated using federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP2) funds at the corner of Chase Avenue and Fergus Street. The Mount Auburn photos were shot during a bus tour of Uptown highlighting details of the new Uptown Transit District.

The Clean Ohio Council has announced what it calls a "streamlined process" for funding brownfield projects.

The new process combines the Clean Ohio Revitalization Program and the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund into a single program, which will be managed through a collaboration of the Ohio Development Service Agency's (ODSA) Office of Redevelopment, JobsOhio, and the Clean Ohio Council.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Kennedy Heights
YEAR BUILT: 1920
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Steven and Linda Grieser
ASSESSED VALUE: $164,360
ORDERS: October 2006, for hazardous wiring. In May 2008, the former owner requested that the City inspector assign her code of MYOB #27 to the case. MYOB meaning, of course, "Mind Your Own Business". Orders were reissued in September 2008. The following month, she advised the inspector that they should "all get their heads out of their computers" and leave her alone. When reminded that she had outstanding orders of more than three years, she told the inspector to "shut your [his] stupid mouth". He hung up. In early 2009, responsibility for the property passed to a woman who had been given power of attorney. The former owner apparently died, and the property was occupied by her son. In July 2009, a walkthrough led to orders for windows, plaster, insects and rodents, a hazardous tree, the wiring, trash, defective plumbing and fixtures, a lack of smoke detectors, obstructed exits, deteriorated walkways, exterior basement door, exterior steps, shed, exterior paint, siding, downspouts, and roof. Orders were reissued in January 2010. Within a year, the property was in foreclosure. In August 2012, the Griesers purchased the property for $80,000 and were promptly issued orders.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders. The Griesers live in the neighboring house and, with the purchase, nearly doubled their two-acre property.

Advocates for the Eco Garden at in Mount Auburn are considering several options and have launched a petition drive after discovering that part of the community garden may be part of a development site for the 2014 CitiRama home show.

The Eco Garden, which started in 1998 and has been run by local nonprofit Permaganic since 2010, functions as an educational and job readiness program for local children and adds much-needed fresh food options to its urban neighborhood.

Although the project is still at least two years away, the --> --> --> is seeking public input into the design of , the next facility to be renovated as part of CRC's six-year plan.

Five preliminary designs have been developed for the project – one estimated to cost $5.6 million, the projected budget amount. The other four options, which include either expanding or moving both the community center and pool, would cost more.

Ground was broken this morning for Delta Flats, a new 76-unit apartment community geared toward young professionals at the in Columbia Tusculum.

The $8.1 million project, being developed by Towne Development Group, will feature one-bedroom and one-bedroom with dens, each with nine-foot ceilings, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, stacked washer and dryer, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and private terraces. Common amenities include a pool with sun deck, club room, fitness center, and outdoor terrace.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Property Makeovers LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $3,190
ORDERS: December 2006, ordered barricaded. Orders reissued to a new owner, now also ordered vacated due to wind damage to the roof and siding.
CONDEMNED: October 2009, adding water damage and evidence of vandalism. A criminal case was filed that some month, but apparently was dropped the following year when a new owner emerged.
HAZARD: August 2010, adding cracks in the foundation and broken and missing windows. Throughout 2010 and 2011, attracting vagrants. December 2011...sold again! Sold again in December 2012, two months after the contract for its demolition was received from the City's Purchasing Division.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Move Ohio Forward funding.

Following public hearings held Feb. 8 by the Department of Community Development, Property Maintenance Code Enforcement, the following 48 buildings have been declared a public nuisance:

• , Northside (two-family, 1914)
• , Evanston (two-family, 1886)
• , Avondale (single-family, 1900)
• , East Price Hill (single-family, 1939)
• , East Price Hill (multi-family, 1941)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Lower Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1916
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Jerry R. Hunt
ASSESSED VALUE: $34,870
ORDERS: July 2005, ordered vacated and barricaded. In October, the current owner acquired the property and some work was performed. In February 2008, a City inspector noted that the building looked occupied, then tripped over and unpluuged an extension cord leading over the the neighboring property. It was again ordered vacated and barricaded in April 2008, with the extension cord still there. In May 2009, Hunt was still occupying the building and using electricity from next door. A criminal case was filed.
CONDEMNED: July 2009, for rotted structural members. In May 2010, Hunt plead no contest and was entered into a housing compliance program.
HAZARD: August 2011, for trash, an overgrown lot, a deteriorated roof, damaged gutters and downspouts, water damage, and broken and missing windows. By June 2012, Hunt apparently had abandoned the property. Neighbors reported men and women entering the building through an open back door at all hours, "staying in there anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour at a time".
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding.

NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1925
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $14,030
ORDERS: October 2009, ordered vacated and barricaded due to a lack of utility service, an open front door, missing gutters and downspouts, and exterior paint. A criminal case against the former owner was filed in February 2010. In July 2011, he was found guilty and given a 180-day suspended jail sentence, court costs, and two years of probation.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

The Housing Authority of Newport has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for qualified firms or individuals to provide realty services for the sale of up to four homeownership units.

The homeownership units are being developed for low- to moderate-income families through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Buyers may qualify for down payment assistance.

Hotel owner and developer Columbia Sussex Corp. is seeking Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits to convert the Bartlett Building, located Downtown at , into a luxury hotel.

Cincinnati City Council passed a resolution supporting the tax credit application at its Feb. 27 meeting.

Today at 1 P.M. at the Business Development and Permit Center, , Cincinnati's Board of Housing Appeals will hold a public hearing to consider orders against the following properties:

• , Columbia Tusculum (single-family, 1895), suspension of Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) fee - continuance
• , Corryville (multi-family, 1900), suspension of VBML fee - continuance
• , Bond Hill (single-family, 1890), suspension of VBML fee
• , Avondale (two-family, 1938), suspension of VBML fee
• , Avondale (single-family, 1905), suspension of VBML fee

NEIGHBORHOOD: Camp Washington
YEAR BUILT: 1911
USE: Warehouse
OWNER: Douglas Paul Gronauer
ASSESSED VALUE: $157,870
ORDERS: November 2011, for a large hole in the roof and exterior paint. Contractors were consulted in late 2012 to determine the extent of the repairs needed, and the cost was found to be prohibitive. Two options were explored...repairing a portion of the building, or demolishing the entire structure and purchasing a vacant building across the street.
CONDEMNED: November 2012, following a three-alarm fire on 11/1/12 that caused $400,000 in damage. Decision made.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: The Midwest Environmental Services warehouse collapsed and was a total loss.

The , the Cincinnati Memorial Hall Society (CMHS), and the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) have entered into a 40-year lease agreement that will allow the group to explore the feasibility of renovating Memorial Hall – without the use of taxpayer dollars.

Located at in Over-the-Rhine, the Hamilton County Memorial Building was built by the Grand Army of the Republic and the County in 1908 as a memorial to the military of the City and the County, specifically veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Civil War. Designed by Samuel Hannaford in the Beaux Arts style, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The rezoning of Northside's Kirby Road School and its designation as a local historic landmark by Cincinnati City Council at its Feb. 27 meeting will aid in the preservation of the building and its transformation into residences.

Owner and developer Bloomfield/Schon + Partners plans to seek Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits for Kirby Lofts, a rehabilitation of the 50,910-square-foot building at into 37 market-rate apartments. An additional structure, which would be built to the north of the existing building based upon market demand, could accommodate an additional 40 units.

Phase 4 of the --> --> -->I-75 Mill Creek Expressway project --> --> -->, which includes the widening of 1.5 miles of interstate and reconstruction of the , has officially begun.

Tonight, from 8 P.M. to 6 A.M., the left lane of southbound I-75 from the Monmouth Street overpass to Hopple Street will close to accommodate the placement of a temporary barrier wall. The ramp from westbound Hopple Street to southbound I-75 will close between 10 P.M. and 5 A.M.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1925
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Etta Douglas
ASSESSED VALUE: $4,000
ORDERS: February 2008, ordered vacated and barricaded due to a lack of utility service, hand rail deck, windows, and exterior paint.
CONDEMNED: February 2009, to a new owner. Additional issues cited included siding, cornice, and exterior steps. Criminal status against former owner. Orders to the current owner in February 2010. A civil fine was issued in August 2011.
HAZARD: February 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding.

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 90 buildings that have been condemned and/or 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:

• , Walnut Hills (two-family, 1910)
• , Walnut Hills (church, 1905)
• , Walnut Hills (two-family, 1910)
• , Westwood (multi-family, 1940)
• , Westwood (two-family, 1941)

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family dwelling (4 units)
OWNER: ADP of Greater Cincinnati LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $35,380
ORDERS: April 2001, ordered barricaded. Ordered vacated and barricaded in March 2003, citing flooring, decorative features, drainage, front porch, windows, cornice, gutters and downspouts, and roof. Orders reissued to new owner in December 2003, citing roof, front porch, windows, cornice, and gutters and downspouts. Some work was completed, but was stopped as the owner awaited further funding. Eventually, the City lost contact with him, and the property was again ordered vacated and barricaded in February 2006. Reissued to a new owner in June 2006. A criminal case was filed in October 2007, but was dismissed the next month due to an inability to serve summons.
CONDEMNED: February 2010, citing gutters and downspouts, cornice, siding, exterior paint, windows, lack of utilities, water damage and vandalism.
HAZARD: January 2012. By March 2012, the property had been forfeited to the State through tax foreclosure. The building was acquired by the current owner in October 2012, ten days after a bid was accepted for its demolition.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward funding.

The following photos were taken on August 30 during a press conference for the dedication of the Campbell County Courthouse's $31M expansion and renovation project.

Because press conferences NEVER start on time, I made my way to the Taylor-Southgate Bridge to grab a couple of long distance photos. I should've kept walking...the presentation was boring.

An Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) requirement of the --> --> --> to use combined sewer overflow credits for new development has been eliminated, lowering building costs for prospective developers.

Part of a 2002 federal consent decree requiring MSD to capture, treat or remove 85 percent of combined sewer overflows and eliminate all sanitary sewer overflows, the connection credits required MSD to remove four gallons of stormwater flow from the combined sewer system for every one gallon added. By doing so, MSD could better regulate capacity and reduce combined sewer overflows that can overwhelm the system and send untreated wastewater into the region's waterways.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Corryville
YEAR BUILT: 1955
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Corryville Community Development Corporation
ASSESSED VALUE: $94,950
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished to make way for Stetson City Homes, the 18-unit second phase of the Village at Stetson Square development.

Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune introduced a resolution during Monday's meeting of the Hamilton County Transportation Improvement District (HCTID) board to make passenger rail service a reality in time for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.

Specifically, Portune, who chairs the board, is calling for HCTID support of the Oasis Rail Transit project, part of the Eastern Corridor multi-modal transportation improvement initiative to address mobility and connectivity within the 165 square miles between central Cincinnati and western Clermont County.

Total as of March 1, 2013: 2,422 buildings
% Change in past month: -0.08% (-2 buildings)
% Change in past two months: +0.50% (+12 buildings)
% Change in past three months: -0.54% (-13 buildings)
% Change in past four months: +0.12% (+3 buildings)
% Change in past five months: +0.67% (+16 buildings)
% Change in past six months: +0.96% (+23 buildings)
% Change in past year: --
% Change in past two years: --
% Change in past five years: --

Previous reading on BC:
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report, February 2012 (2/1/13)
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report: January 2013, BHA today (1/2/13)
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report, December 2012 (12/11/12)
Abandoned/Vacant Building Report, November 2012 (11/2/12)
Abandoned/Vacant report, Urban Conservator, and Housing Appeals, 10/1/12 (10/1/12)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1938
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Rosetta Freeman
ASSESSED VALUE: $100,910
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: February 2009, open and vandalized with rotted cornices and severe structural damage to the second story porch. A criminal complaint was filed in October 2009.
HAZARD: December 2009, adding deteriorating gutters and downspouts and trash.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.