The implementation of Cincinnati's new master plan began in earnest yesterday evening with a kickoff meeting at Two Centennial Plaza.

At the meeting, City planning staff outlined the plan's recommended implementation process. Attendees then broke out into six action teams based around the plan's five core initiatives of Compete, Connect, Live, Sustain, and Collaborate, plus a Media and Marketing team charged with developing a marketing plan.

The City of Blue Ash officially broke ground on its signature park on June 13.

Phase 1 infrastructure work has begun at Summit Park, located on 130 acres at the former site of the Blue Ash Airport .

Despite objections from many Camp Washington business owners, the City is moving forward on a planned bike lane as soon as funding becomes available.

The City has selected the second of three options for the bike lane, according to a June 12 report from Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) Director Michael Moore.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1916
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Gregory C. Popham, trustee (Ft. Mitchell, KY)
ASSESSED VALUE: $23,720
ORDERS: February 2004, for exterior handrail and exterior paint. Orders reissued to new owner in March 2005. Orders for gutters and downspouts and cornice issued in November 2008. Orders closed out in May 2009.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: No idea, but there appears to be some kind of work being done on the site. There are no permits.

Metro has announced that new stored-value cards will be available for purchase beginning August 1.

The prepaid cards, available in amounts of $10, $20, and $30, can be used like cash to pay all zone fares and transfers, fares for multiple riders, and even discounted fares.

On Tuesday, 60 residents and stakeholders from South Cumminsville and Millvale worked with national walkability experts to develop ideas for improving pedestrian safety and land use along the .

Held at Working In Neighborhoods (WIN), the walking tour and workshop was led by Dan Burden and Samantha Thomas of the . Based in Washington state, the nonprofit seeks to create healthy, connected communities through walkable streets and better built environments.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Clifton Heights
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Gaslight Ventures LLC --> --> -->
ASSESSED VALUE: $79,590
ORDERS: September 2007, for fence, gutters and downspouts, cornice, soffit, exterior paint, rotten porch, and rubbish. Most of the work was done, but in June 2008 the female of the owning couple had a heart transplant and the work slowed. By August 2009, only the soffits and a couple of minor issues remained. In December 2009, orders were reissued for downspouts, cornice, and exterior paint. A civil fine was issued in January 2011. In April 2011, City inspectors followed up on a tip that homeless people were living in the building and found that the rear gutter, soffit and trim were falling off the building. There had been no water service since May 2010. The property was ordered vacated and barricaded in October 2011. Two months later, a family friend called and told City inspectors that the male owner had committed suicide, shortly after his wife died. No heirs were found.
CONDEMNED: December 2011, adding chimney, windows, roof, and interior debris.
HAZARD: August 2012.
REASON RAZED: Acquired by the current owner in January 2013 and demolished 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 19 buildings should be declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program:

• , Madisonville (single-family, 1895)
• , Madisonville (single-family, 1920)
• , Walnut Hills (single-family, 1927)
• , Avondale (single-family, 1923)
• , Clifton Heights (two-family, 1924)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Villages at Roll Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1961
USE: Multi-family dwelling (12 units)
OWNER: Fay Limited Partnership
ASSESSED VALUE: n/a
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of a multi-phased, $36 million redevelopment of the apartment community by Wallick-Hendy Development, which includes the demolition of 17 buildings and the reduction of available units from 893 to 703.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Northside
YEAR BUILT: 1949
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners
ASSESSED VALUE: $78,280
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's .

NEIGHBORHOOD: Villages at Roll Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1961
USE: Multi-family dwelling (12 units)
OWNER: Fay Limited Partnership
ASSESSED VALUE: n/a
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of a multi-phased, $36 million redevelopment of the apartment community by Wallick-Hendy Development, which includes the demolition of 17 buildings and the reduction of available units from 893 to 703.

The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority (Port) on June 21 signed a 30-year lease with the City of Cincinnati for its parking assets, ending a four-day period during which it was unclear whether or not the agency would sign at all.

The agreement gives the Port responsibility for overall governance of the City's on-street and off-street parking operations and will allow it to issue bonds that will provide the City with a $92 million upfront payment and at least $3 million in annual payments. The City will retain ownership and will have final say over parking rates, hours, and enforcement.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Spring Grove Village
YEAR BUILT: 1885
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: James E. Pugh
ASSESSED VALUE: $64,840
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: October 2010, vacant and in terrible condition. Cited for collapsing chimney, roofing, soffits, rotted joists, defective siding, gutters and downspouts, broken windows, hazardous trees, high weeds, litter, and vermin infestation. Appeals of the Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) requested, denied by the Board of Housing Appeals due to no-shows.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Nursing home/private hospital
OWNER: Tekaho Inc.
ASSESSED VALUE: $1,909,180
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: August 2012, due to vandalism, missing and vandalized mechanical systems, roof and flashing, missing gutters and downspouts, missing windows and doors, cracked masonry, chimneys, ceilings, walls, floors, rubbish and tall weeds. Complex possibly going through bankruptcy foreclosure.
HAZARD: November 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Formerly home to the Alaska Acres Care Center, the property now is being eyed by Columbus-based National Church Residences for the Commons at Alaska, a 99-unit permanent assisted housing development for formerly homeless individuals with mental, emotional, or physical disabilities.

Cincinnati City Council's Budget and Finance Committee voted 5-4 yesterday to approve an additional $17.4 million for the $133 million streetcar project, which will trigger an additional $5 million investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

The $17.4 million will come from a mixture of bonds, funds set aside for Music Hall renovations, and unspent money from casino-area infrastructure improvements, specifically:

NEIGHBORHOOD: College Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1916
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: City of Cincinnati
ASSESSED VALUE: $49,740
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Razed as part of a six building demolition project in College Hill's neighborhood business district "Mid-Block", which will allow the City and the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation to market the property to developers for more appealing residential or mixed-use structures.

NEIGHBORHOOD: California
YEAR BUILT: 1910
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Gloria Linville
ASSESSED VALUE: $35,360
ORDERS: January 2003, for exterior paint. Orders reissued in June 2005. The owner was an elderly woman on a fixed income, and efforts to get her help through People Working Cooperatively, the Home Ownership Center of Greater Cincinnati, and other agencies was fruitless. Orders were reissued in June 2008, adding siding and trash. No response from the owner, it was likely abandoned. The house was ordered barricaded in February 2009, then ordered vacated and barricaded in June 2009. A criminal case was filed in May 2010.
CONDEMNED: September 2012, adding broken windows, deteriorated stone foundation, missing and vandalized mechanicals, and a lack of utilities. It was discovered that the owner was deceased, and no probate records were available.
HAZARD: November 2012, adding high weeds and missing downspouts.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Two developments in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown have had their Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) tax exemption agreements extended in order to stave off debt.

Under the Ohio Revised Code, CRA tax exemptions can be extended for up to an additional ten years for any remodeled dwelling that is a structure of historical or architectural significance, is a certified historic structure that has been subject to certain federal tax treatments, and includes units that have been leased to individual tenants for five consecutive years.

The replacement of one of Cincinnati lowest-rated bridges is closer to fruition following legislation passed by Cincinnati City Council on June 12.

The ordinance authorizes the City to enter into a Local Public Agency agreement with the for replacement of the over the in Oakley. It also authorizes the City to accept $1.63 million from the Federal Highway Administration Local Bridge Funding program, which is administered by ODOT and the County Engineers Association of Ohio.

Three Cincinnati projects were awarded more than $3 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the --> --> --> on June 12.

The Community Builders (TCB) received $1 million in tax credits for the $14.7 million renovation of the Poinciana and Crescent Court apartment buildings at and into 81 units of affordable rental housing.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East End
YEAR BUILT: 1909
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: The I.T. Verdin Company
ASSESSED VALUE: $8,000
ORDERS: May 2004, for exterior paint, gutters and downspouts, and roof. Orders reissued in September 2009 for exterior hand rail, porch, exterior paint, and siding. Orders reissued in May 2010 for the water heater, chimney flues, electric fixtures, toilets, water leaks and damage, plaster, interior hand rail, smoke detectors, porch, roof, wiring, wall and floor structures, plumbing lines, and a non-conforming heating device. A criminal case was filed in July 2010 and, in May 2011, the owner pled no contest and was entered into a housing compliance program. No work was done, and the owner told the City that it had been broken into and the pipes had been stolen. The owner was sentenced to one year of probation, a 180-say suspended jail sentence, and court costs...and was required to make repairs or sell the house. The property was ordered vacated and barricaded in March 2012. A civil fine was issued in August 2012. Owner claimed that the house had been vandalized by a former tenant.
CONDEMNED: August 2012.
HAZARD: November 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Acquired by Verdin in March 2013.

Cincinnati City Council on June 12 approved a property sale and development agreement with Morelia Group, LLC for the redevelopment of 3.145 acres opened up by the Kennedy Connector project in Oakley.

The City will sell the property, which is located just north of Ibsen Avenue, for its estimated fair market value of $650,000 – minus a $100,000 credit for utilities and other infrastructure that the developer plans to install.

The Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) in Mount Airy came to a close on Tuesday with the demolition of a blighted house on Colerain Avenue, which Mount Airy Town Council president Cindy Walsh called "symbolic" of what's happened in the community over the past 90 days.

The program brings together City departments, neighborhood businesses and residents to address blight, crime, and other nuisances, helping to forge new partnerships that will facilitate long-term neighborhood revitalization and reinvestment.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Pleasant Ridge
YEAR BUILT: 1920
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Sharon J. Moran
ASSESSED VALUE: $95,320
ORDERS: August 2005, for exterior paint, cornice, and gutters and downspouts. Reissued in March 2008 for cornice. The current owner's husband died, and she was experiencing medical problems. The property was ordered vacated and barricaded in December 2009, citing failing retaining walls and a buckling driveway, crumbling exterior steps, and a large amount of rubbish filling the home and garage.
CONDEMNED: April 2010. A tax foreclosure case was issued in April 2011 and was served to the owner, who by that time was living in Clermont County. Orders were reissued in March 2012, adding animal infestation, collapsing ceilings, and exposed wall framing.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Four items appear on the agenda of the Cincinnati City Planning Commission's next meeting, to be held tomorrow morning at 9 A.M. on the seventh floor of Centennial Two, located Downtown at .

The agenda includes reports and recommendations on:

NEIGHBORHOOD: Fairview
YEAR BUILT: 1965
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: 2866 McMicken LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $355,450
ORDERS: January 2011, for fire separations, defective plumbing lines, porch, electric service entrance cable, exterior doors, exterior hand rail, steps, windows, retaining wall, and walkways. Civil fines were issued in April and in June. The property was ordered barricaded in July 2011. By August 2011, every door in the building had been removed and the property had been stripped of all of its metal. The roof and ceilings had become a serious problem. A criminal case was filed, and in October 2011 the owner was found guilty and charged $500 plus court costs.
CONDEMNED: August 2011, adding gutters and broken windows. A civil fine was levied in November 2011.
HAZARD: October 2012, heavy vandalism.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1914
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Kay F. McNutt (Florence, KY)
ASSESSED VALUE: $54,290
ORDERS: July 2007, for porch. Orders reissued in March 2009 for porch, exterior paint, soffit, cornice, and gutters and downspouts. A civil fine was issued in January 2010, and the owner said she was trying to contact People Working Cooperatively for help with repairs. By that August, all contact had been lost with the owner. The property was ordered vacated in September 2010.
CONDEMNED: March 2011, adding a failing awning, broken and missing windows, and litter. Another civil fine was issued in August 2011. A criminal case was filed in February 2012, and the owner later pled no contest and was entered into a housing diversion program.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Richard Moore
ASSESSED VALUE: $29,280
ORDERS: November 2001, for exterior paint, siding, gutters and downspouts, and chimney.
CONDEMNED: June 2002, adding rotten sill plates, weathered stucco walls, a weakened porch, cornice, and windows. Reissued to a new owner in October 2003. In December 2003, the owner met City inspectors on site and declared his intent to rehabilitate the building, and to enlist the employ of an architect or engineer to do so.
HAZARD: April 2004, for severe water damage, rotten staircase framing, a collapsing rear addition, siding, and a lack of even the most rudimentary of mechanical systems. A stay of demolition was granted, but no work was done. Back to condemnation orders in April 2007. Orders reissued in December 2009, then to the current owner in March 2011. A civil fine was levied in July 2012. Back to nuisance status in October 2012, completely rotten.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1955
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Bertha E. and James Sullivan (Amelia, OH)
ASSESSED VALUE: $78,330
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: December 2011, vacant without plumbing and electric. There was four feet of water/sewage in the basement, and water damage that City inspectors described as "beyond description". Orders reissued to Wells Fargo Bank in January 2012, due to issues regarding ownership. Water was pumped out in February 2012. A civil fine was issued in May 2012. Water was again three feet deep in January 2013. Gas service was terminated in April 2013.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner, whoever it was, to close out orders.

Cincinnati City Council on June 12 voted to approve a property sale and development agreement with Milhaus Development affiliate Hamilton and Blue Rock, LLC to develop a mixed use project on .

The Indianapolis-based developer will be making its entrance into the Cincinnati market with a $10.5 million project consisting of approximately 100 market-rate apartments and 8,000 square feet of street-front commercial space. As part of the project, the historic Myron Johnson railroad depot at the will be rehabilitated and incorporated into the development.

The developers of a proposed $77.8 million, 30-story luxury apartment tower at have the City's go-ahead after City Council approved a development and lease agreement on June 12.

Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins Development plans to demolish the outdated Pogue's Garage and its attached vehicular ramp and Skywalk segment and replace it with the tower, which would include approximately 300 apartments, a 15,000-square-foot street-level grocery store, and 1,000 spaces of public garage parking.

Northside is in the process of updating its 2006 Comprehensive Land Use Plan, incorporating current community needs and realities that will help guide growth and development in the neighborhood over the next five to 15 years.

The 2006 plan provides recommendations and implementation strategies in four key areas: quality of life, housing, greenspace development, and commercial development. It also features specific target areas in which to focus additional attention.

The Housing Authority of Covington (HACOV) has reissued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for residential real estate appraisal services for 11 of its properties.

The properties are located at 220-222 E 8th Street; 128 E 13th Street; 1210-1212, 1213-1215, 1229-1231, 1319-1321 and 1401-1403 Banklick Street; 1324 and 1717 Holman Avenue; and 2021 and 2025 Mackoy Street.

Last Thursday at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, the Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati (CDC Association) presented its annual awards for excellence in community development.

The mixed-use U Square @ the Loop project in Clifton Heights featured prominently in the ceremony, playing a role in three of the eight awards handed out. The $82 million development was named Most Outstanding Project, with Arn Bortz of Towne Properties, Jim Neyer of Al. Neyer, Inc., and Matt Bourgeois of the Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation being honored for sticking with the project despite significant hurdles.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Brown Girl Property Management & Good Foundation Homes LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $79,000
ORDERS: January 2003, ordered vacant, no heat, water, or electricity. Also problems with the foundation, flooring, electric and plumbing fixtures, doors, plaster, paint, smoke detectors, windows, gutters and downspouts, and litter. Ordered vacated and barricaded in February 2003. Lost to Lenox Savings Bank in October 2003, and sold in April 2004. Compliance on orders achieved in July 2004. Orders issued for windows and litter in May 2007. Ordered vacated and barricaded in March 2009. New owner acquired property in July 2009 and transferred it to the current owner in August 2009. Orders were reissued each time. The case is currently in criminal status.
CONDEMNED: May 2012, adding front porch deck and grass approaching three feet in height.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

On June 6, the Salvation Army broke ground on its $18.2 million, 96-unit Catherine Booth Residence for low-income senior citizens in College Hill.

Located adjacent to the 150-unit William Booth Residence at , the new development will consist of two three-story buildings and will include a community room, laundry facility and a computer room, with future plans for a convenience store, game room, and library.

A 3.94-acre site at in Westwood has been selected as the preferred spot for a new $16 million headquarters.

The City has agreed to an offer of $325,000 for the site, and will perform an environmental review and other due diligence before officially closing on the sale.

The City of Cincinnati kicked off Homeownership Month on June 4 with the dedication of Cincinnati Northside Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation's (CNCURC) most recent rehab.

Once destined to be demolished, the house at has been reborn as a three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath single family home that will be available for sale to a HOME-eligible family or individual.

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 12 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:

• , West Price Hill (two-family, 1893)
• , Evanston (two-family, 1900)
• , East Price Hill (multi-family, 1910)
• , West Price Hill (two-family, 1900)
• , Over-the-Rhine (commercial, 1865)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1895
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: TC Funding Group LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $25,980
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: October 2011, for missing siding, roof, a collapsed chimney, gutters and downspouts, interior vandalism, open and missing windows, and high weeds. A civil fine was issued in January 2012.
HAZARD: October 2012, adding litter.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1895
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Richard Moore
ASSESSED VALUE: $29,410
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: June 2001, for fire damage. Orders were reissued in January 2006, citing fire damage to floor joists, roof, rafters and walls, as well as windows, doors, and siding. Ordered vacated and barricaded in May 2006. Reissued to a new owner in November 2006, then again in February 2011. A civil fine was issued in November 2011.
HAZARD: July 2012, adding downspouts and cornices.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Oakley
YEAR BUILT: 1962
USE: Manufacturing
OWNER: City of Cincinnati
ASSESSED VALUE: $831,630
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: December 2010, fire condemnation due to damage to roof, floors, windows, doors, and mechanicals. A civil fine was issued in March 2012, and there was significant evidence of trespassing, vandalism, and graffiti. Numerous and extensive City barricading actions. It appears that the building was forfeited to the state through bankruptcy, and the City acquired the property in September 2012.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the City to eliminate the hazard and 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 25 buildings should be declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program:

• , Northside (single-family, 1890)
• , Mount Auburn (single-family, 1912)
• , Carthage (single-family, 1885)
• , Spring Grove Village (two-family, 1895)
• , Northside (single-family, 1904)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Marcus Lewis
ASSESSED VALUE: $41,930
ORDERS: August 2009, ordered barricaded and cited for the garage, roof, flashing, chimney, gutters and downspouts, soffit, exterior paint, windows, porch guardrails, and exterior hand rails.
CONDEMNED: October 2009. A criminal case was filed in August 2010, but was dismissed one month later.
HAZARD: May 2011. Broken windows, roof missing in places, and litter and debris.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Following public hearings held March 29 by the Department of Community Development, Property Maintenance Code Enforcement, the following 16 buildings have been declared a public nuisance:

• , Mount Airy (single-family, 1939)
• , East Price Hill (two-family, 1926)
• , East Price Hill (single-family, 1914)
• , East Price Hill (single-family, 1914)
• , Evanston (two-family, 1907)

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1911
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Go Invest Wisely LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $13,570
ORDERS: January 2008, ordered vacated and barricaded due to obvious vandalism and damage to the garage, exterior steps, and soffit. Utilities had been turned off.
CONDEMNED: April 2009, adding cornice and window damage. A civil fine was issued in March 2011, and a second civil fine was levied in July 2011.
HAZARD: September 2011, adding gutters and downspouts and litter and weeds.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

The City of Cincinnati has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the for a new public access drive into the former Conrail transfer station site in Sedamsville, which will provide access to the new Peter Cremer NA facility as well as additional development.

The funding is in addition to a $200,000 grant from the Ohio Development Services Agency and a $200,000 grant from the Hamilton County Transportation Improvement District. The City's Department of Transportation and Engineering will contribute a local match of $900,000 in capital project funds.

Cincinnati City Council on May 30 unanimously approved Community Reinvestment Area LEED tax exemptions for projects located in Evanston, Mount Auburn, and Over-the-Rhine.

In Evanston, a 12-year property tax exemption was approved for Model Group affiliate Losantiville Evanston LLC for the $2.7 million rehabilitation of and into 18 rental apartments.

On May 22, Cincinnati City Council approved by a vote of 7-2 the Railroad Improvement and Safety Plan (RISP), which will serve as the guide for freight and passenger rail planning in the City.

The plan contains short- and long-term project recommendations and will be instrumental in helping the City obtain grants and other funding sources to upgrade its rail network.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East End
YEAR BUILT: 1875
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Curtis J. and Mary E. Bentson
ASSESSED VALUE: $21,500
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: February 2012, citing roof, walls, windows, gutters and downspouts, rotten floors, deteriorated front porch, missing and vandalized mechanicals, a lack of utility service, and litter. It was determined that the owners had been deceased since 2009 and 2008, respectively.
HAZARD: September 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

On Saturday, North Avondale held a community design workshop on how to make better for community residents and the businesses along Reading Road.

Organized by the North Avondale Neighborhood Association (NANA) Strategic Planning/Land Use Committee, the event was a hands-on way to let community stakeholders, with assistance from students from the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), inform how the NBD will serve them in the future and any changes that might help it thrive.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Madisonville
YEAR BUILT: 1926
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Melvin L. Willis
ASSESSED VALUE: $40,680
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: July 2009, vacant and open to trespassers. The house lacked gutters and downspouts, exterior paint, and upkeep of the yard. In May 2010, the case was reviewed due to drug and prostitution activity on the property and it was found not to be a public nuisance. A civil fine was issued in August 2012.
HAZARD: December 2012, adding rotten porch steps, a cracked foundation, and a defective roof.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Corryville
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Emmett Cooper
ASSESSED VALUE: $60,250
ORDERS: March 2010, for retaining wall, roof, chimney, gutters and downspouts, soffit, tuck pointing, siding, exterior paint, and exterior hand rail. Orders were reissued in August 2010 for the retaining wall, roof, chminey, cornice, soffit, exterior paint, and windows.
CONDEMNED: March 2011, following a fire. In August 2011, orders were reissued and foundation cracks and falling ceilings were noted. A civil fine was issued in April 2012, then again in July 2012. Some work was done, but none of it was to the satisfaction of City inspectors.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1896
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Michael Grubbs
ASSESSED VALUE: $44,440
ORDERS: May 2010, ordered vacated and barricaded due to gutters and downspouts, dangerous front steps, weeds and litter, and general neglect and disrepair.
CONDEMNED: February 2012, adding broken and missing windows, a lack of utility service, interior vandalism, and serious mold issues.
HAZARD: September 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Parking has become more convenient at Covington's downtown meters.

ABM Parking Services, which manages the city's meters, has adopted a service agreement with Park-by-Phone that allows residents and visitors to conduct parking transactions with their mobile phones.

The rezoning of 0.757 acres at the in Northside could lead to the development of a 54-unit affordable housing project for senior citizens.

On May 22, Cincinnati City Council approved the rezoning of 4115-4137 Mad Anthony Street from MG Manufacturing General District to PD No. 47 Planned Development District (PD-47). Residential uses are not permitted in MG districts.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1910
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Gregory C. Popham II, trustee
ASSESSED VALUE: $14,810
ORDERS: April 2007, ordered barricaded. Ordered vacated and barricaded in December 2008 due to interior vandalism. Orders issued to new owner in January 2012, citing open and broken windows, a collapsing front porch deck, lack of exterior paint, missing siding, gutters and downspouts, and vandalism.
CONDEMNED: January 2013, adding exterior doors that were off of their hinges and nailed in place.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a plan by the to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Lower Mill Creek.

The plan is part of the $244 million (2006 dollars) Phase 1 of , an ambitious project that will remove 1.78 billion gallons of CSOs annually from the Mill Creek by 2018.

A key connection between Cincinnati and Covington that had been severed for 50 years was opened to the public on Tuesday afternoon.

The mayors of Cincinnati and Covington and representatives from , Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, , and Hamilton County cut the ribbon on the new Roebling Bridge Pedestrian Connector, which connects the bridge to Theodore M. Berry Way and Cincinnati's central riverfront.

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Westwood
YEAR BUILT: 1926
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Cincinnati Revitalization LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $13,200
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: February 2013, following a one-alarm fire causing $60,000 in structural damage, including damage to the roof, gutters and downspouts, cornice, siding, and windows. The first floor suffered a partial collapse, the house was filled with debris, and the electric and water service had been shut off. One family was displaced.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

Eleven items appear on the agenda of the Cincinnati City Planning Commission's next meeting, to be held tomorrow morning at 9 A.M. on the seventh floor of Centennial Two, located Downtown at .

The agenda includes reports and recommendations on:

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1895
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: MGDK Investments LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $4,600
ORDERS: March 2006, ordered barricaded due to suspected drug activity and squatters.
CONDEMNED: June 2007, now with a vermin infestation. Orders reissued in September 2007, citing an unsafe fire escape, a lack of electric service, and a deteriorated front porch. Reissued in January 2010. A civil fine was issued in October 2011, but it appears that the property owner had lost it in foreclosure and had moved to Atlanta.
HAZARD: May 2012, adding cornice and box gutters, defective siding, broken and missing windows, and high weeds. The current owner acquired the property in August 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

NEIGHBORHOOD: Clifton Heights
YEAR BUILT: 1870
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Tim Sparks and Chantell Kinch
ASSESSED VALUE: $77,050
ORDERS: February 2008, for porch, exterior paint, gutters and downspouts, and chimney. Work began by that May, and by late 2009 the front porch had been removed. A civil fine was issued in October 2009. In March 2010, orders were issued for exterior doors, exterior hand rails, exterior steps, porch, exterior paint, siding, gutters and downspouts, chimney, and roof. Both owners were in the Army, service in Iraq. Sparks returned home in August 2010, but no work was done. A civil fine was issued in November 2010, and a second one was issued in March 2011. A criminal case was filed in June 2011. Sparks' mother gained power of attorney.
CONDEMNED: October 2011, citing roof failure, porch, chimney, gutters and downspouts, siding, exterior paint, and interior damage from a July 2011 fire.
HAZARD: August 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.