Category: Development

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Development News

Cincinnati Port Authority lands $1M grant for brownfield redevelopment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that the Port Authority of Greater Cincinnati has been awarded a $1 million grant that will be used to investigate contaminated properties throughout Hamilton County referred to as brownfields.

The $1 million grant is broken up into two separate categories that includes $800,000 to investigate properties contaminated with hazardous substances, while the remaining $200,000 has been earmarked for the investigation of properties contaminated with petroleum.

Brownfield sites are more problematic to redevelop due to the contamination of the site that is often very costly and time consuming to clean. As a result it is quite typical that government agencies assist in such remediation processes in the form of financial assistance or liability deferral. Most recently the City of Cincinnati pledged to assist Boston Beer Company in its expansion efforts that include the redevelopment of a contaminated property adjacent to their existing West End operations.

“Returning brownfield sites to productive use has tremendous benefits for Cincinnati and Hamilton County,” said Port Authority President Kim Satzger. “A clean site is an enduring contribution to our environment and our economy.”

The collaborative effort between the Port Authority, City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County will focus on priority areas identified in the GO Cincinnati report including the Mill Creek Corridor, Madison Road Corridor and Seymour/Reading Road Corridor.

“As Greater Cincinnati’s industrial base declined, many Hamilton County communities were left with a legacy of abandoned and underutilized properties,” said Christine Russell, Director of Brownfield Development at the Port Authority who believes that the grant money offers an opportunity to continue to redevelop affected properties throughout the county.

According to the Port Authority, since 2001 it has worked on nine brownfield sites in Hamilton County, returned 157 acres of land to productive use, removed over 80,000 tons of contaminated soil, captured nearly 384,000 gallons of polluted water, recycled more than 1.7 million tons of steel and over 164,000 tons of concrete. Port Authority officials estimate that these projects have resulted in a $1.35 billion annual economic impact and supported 13,793 jobs.

Brownfield clean up work photo provided.

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Business Development News Politics

Cincinnati region lands $17M for energy efficiency retrofits

The Greater Cincinnati region landed $17 million for energy efficiency retrofit projects through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative that is a collaborative effort to reduce energy costs for thousands of home and business owners throughout the Cincinnati region.

The energy efficiency retrofit funds will be supported locally by the Greater Cincinnati Retrofit Ramp-Up program run by the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA). U.S. Representative Steve Driehaus (D-OH) states that the funds will help modernize the region’s energy infrastructure and create jobs that are critically needed.

“Retrofit projects put people to work, increase energy efficiency in older buildings, and save ratepayers money on their utility bills,” Driehaus explained. “The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance has offered a plan to retrofit thousands of homes and businesses in our community, and I look forward to the alliance putting these resources to good use.”

According to the U.S. DOE, Cincinnati’s retrofit program will involve community and organizational outreach efforts that will include the expertise of energy adviser services in residential, commercial and public sectors. This process, led by GCEA, seeks to utilize a model of community collaboration, including marketing, utility program integration, financing affordability and accessibility, customer participation and workforce development.

“This federal funding allows us to leverage private capital to potentially create a local energy efficiency market of up to $50 million per year,” said GCEA Executive Director Andy Holzhauser. “That means residents and business owners are saving money on their utility bills, moving our country toward energy independence, and creating or retaining as many as 1,400 quality jobs to serve this market.”

In total, national Retrofit Ramp-Up projects make up part of the $80 billion Recovery Act investment aimed at developing clean energy and improving energy efficiencies. Cincinnati’s program won its $17 million grant through a competitive bidding process.

Photo of Andy Holzhauser provided.

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Development News

Cincinnati hospital achieves LEED for Existing Buildings certification

The Christ Hospital has been recognized as the nation’s first hospital to achieve LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This certification has been verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

The announcement comes as the Cincinnati region continues to position itself as a green building leader in the Midwest and even nationally. The recently completed Christ Hospital Imaging Center received LEED Silver certification for Commercial Interiors due to its lighting systems, heating and air systems, low-flow water fixtures and Energy Star-rated appliances among other things.

“Our employees have been incredibly supportive of efforts to bring green concepts and technology into our hospital, and it is an honor to be a national leader among hospitals for LEED certification,” said Susan Croushore, President and CEO, The Christ Hospital. “By reducing our costs on energy, water and other resources, we are able to better serve the healthcare needs of our patients, their families and the entire community.”

The 555-bed hospital in Uptown achieved the certification for its energy use, lighting, water and material use in addition to other sustainable efforts. The sustainability measures are seen as more than a gain for the environment, but also an economic gain for the families, businesses, workers, taxpayers and community involved.

“With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, The Christ Hospital is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”

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Development News

Will the casino help or hurt local businesses?

Yesterday, Rock Ventures LLC completed the $35 million purchase of the Broadway Commons site (pictured at right) where Cincinnati’s new casino will be located. But with construction set to begin this fall and an opening date in 2012, questions remain as to whether the development will help or hurt existing businesses in the area.

Some local business owners believe casino visitors will venture out into the surrounding neighborhoods to patronize bars, restaurants, hotels and other local businesses. Paul Fries, co-owner of the new Jack Potts Tavern, said that the opening of the casino, in addition to the Cincinnati Streetcar line, would create a “great entertainment area.” But others aren’t so sure, and say the casino will have no effect or would even hurt the surrounding area. To ease these concerns, the developers held a mini-charrette in February that focused on the connections between the casino and the nearby entertainment districts, among other topics.

The design of the building will be a huge factor in how the casino connects to the neighborhood. Casinos are often insular, with restaurants, bars, and entertainment within, giving visitors little reason to leave. With convenient access to a connected parking garage, many visitors will drive in and never step foot outside of the development. Creating a primary entrance facing the street is absolutely necessary to develop a true connection. Fortunately, Cincinnati’s casino developers plan to build restaurants and retail facing Reading Road, Broadway and East Court, and have a main entrance at the corner of Reading Road and Broadway.

Another emerging issue is how modified alcohol regulations for the casino would affect area bars. The developers are seeking the right to serve liquor 24 hours a day and to give guests free drinks. But would guests be as likely to venture out into nearby bars if they have the ability to be served later at the casino?

Hopefully additional charrette sessions will be held, allowing more residents and business owners to give input and voice their concerns. Since the casino is a certainty, Cincinnatians should fight to make sure it has a positive impact on the surrounding community and our existing businesses.

Broadway Commons photo courtesy of Sherman Cahal.

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Development News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati may miss opportunity with new Marine Highway program

This past Wednesday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a new initiative aimed at moving more cargo by water to avoid congested U.S. highways. America’s Marine Highway program will be administered by the Department’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) and, according to Federal officials, identify rivers and coastal routes that can carry cargo efficiently, bypassing congested roadways and reducing greenhouse gases.

“For too long, we’ve overlooked the economic and environmental benefits that our waterways and domestic seaports offer as a means of moving freight in this country,” said Secretary LaHood, speaking to transportation professionals at the North American Marine Highways & Logistics Conference in Baltimore, MD. “Moving goods on the water has many advantages: It reduces air pollution. It can help reduce gridlock by getting trucks off our busy surface corridors.”

In Cincinnati the Ohio River provides such opportunity allowing cargo to bypass the heavily congested Interstate-75 on its way to southern sea ports by taking the marine highway to ports located in New Orleans. When combined with shipping costs five times less on water than by freight truck, or three times less than freight rail, river port projects like the proposed Queensgate Terminals project become more and more attractive.

Renderings of the proposed Queensgate Terminals transfer facility on Cincinnati’s western riverfront provided.

The new federal regulation will allow regional transportation officials to apply to have specific transportation corridors or projects designated by the DOT as part of a marine highway. Such a designation would result in preferential treatment when it comes to future federal assistance from the DOT or MARAD.

“There are many places in our country where expanded use of marine transportation just makes sense,” said David Matsuda, Acting Administrator of the Maritime Administration. “It has so much potential to help our nation in many ways: reduced gridlock and greenhouse gases and more jobs for skilled mariners and shipbuilders.”

So far in 2010, Secretary LaHood has announced $58 million for the start-up or expansion of Marine Highway services awarded through the DOT’s TIGER grants program. Congress has also allocated an additional $7 million that will be awarded by MARAD later this year.

As the Federal looks to expand the usage of the nation’s Maritime Highways, Cincinnati is struggling to work out an arrangement for the development of the Queensgate Terminals project that would create a 31-acre, $26 million high-tech transfer facility along Cincinnati’s riverfront immediately west of the Central Business District.

Diagrams of the proposed Queensgate Terminals transfer facility on Cincinnati’s western riverfront provided.

The project has been held up by a slew of public resistance from west side residents, and a litany of legal troubles surrounding the sale of the land. A recent settlement forced the City of Cincinnati to deposit $1.68 million into a court escrow account for the losses incurred by the developer since September 2005 after the City had agreed to sell the property, then retracted the sale agreement.

The legal and political battles have caused so much trouble in Cincinnati that the whole project may in fact be in jeopardy. During this time the State of Ohio has pledged $9.5 million towards the proposed South Point barge terminal further upriver in Lawrence County – a move that could place potential funds for a Cincinnati barge terminal in limbo.

In an economy moving cargo shipment off of the roads, and onto trains and barges, Cincinnati may miss capitalizing on its central and prominent location along rail and water corridors, and may continue to overlook the environmental and economic benefits the Ohio River provides.