Cincinnati to apply for $1.4M grant for I-71/Dana interchange

Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance authorizing the City to apply for a grant to improve the I-71/Dana interchange and to rebuild Realistic Avenue in Evanston.

The $1.4 million grant, from the Ohio Department of Development's Job Ready Sites program, is being prepared in collaboration with Keystone Parke developer Neyer Properties.

Earlier this month, council approved an ordinance granting a public access easement for the development's private drive, a link that will allow access from the I-71 southbound ramp to the public parking garage and Realistic Avenue.

At buildout, the $100 million Keystone Parke will include a 4-story, 69,000-square foot office building; a 10-story, 240,000-square-foot office building with restaurant and/or retail space; a 7-story, 160,000-square-foot office building; a restaurant/retail outlot; improvements to Evanston Playfield and a new Dana Avenue streetscape.

This grant application is one of two being submitted by the City.

The other, for Jordan Crossing in Bond Hill, is considered the higher priority.

Grant winners will be announced in late August or early September.

The Ohio Job Ready Sites Program, which was created in 2005 after the passage of Issue 1, is a bond program meant to boost the state's inventory of available development sites served by utility and transportation infrastructure.

Photo credit: Neyer Properties

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati approves Keystone outlot, public access (5/12/08)
EDC to hear on zoning change for Keystone outlot (5/2/08)
Keystone Parke seeks easement to allow public access (4/14/08)
Keystone Parke seeking zoning change for retail outlot (3/7/08)
Keystone Parke photo update, 2/3/08 (2/4/08)