Ordinance would fund infrastructure for Citirama 2010

A new capital improvement program project account could be created for public infrastructure to support Citirama 2010, if an ordinance is approved by Cincinnati City Council.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati (HBAGC) has selected the second phase of the Rockford Woods subdivision in Northside as the site of the home show, tentatively scheduled for June of next year.

Because of the timing, infrastructure work needs to begin this fall; however, the funding appropriated for the project is part of the Department of Community Development's 2010 capital improvement program project budget, meaning that is cannot be spent this year.

To keep the project timeline on track, the ordinance would allow the City to transfer $700,000 from the Downtown Housing Development '09 capital account into the new Citirama capital account.

Next year, $700,000 from the Citirama 2010 capital account will be transferred into the Downtown Housing Development '10 capital account.

The 37-home second phase of Rockford Woods was originally planned for Citirama this summer, but the HBAGC canceled the event due to the depressed housing market.

Early last year, many residents surrounding the newer development requested that the City abandon the proposal altogether, citing the inability of Rockford Place to handle the additional traffic, hillside erosion, the lost of woodlands, and the poor experience suffered by homebuyers in the project's first phase.

That 16-home first phase, featured in Citirama 2001, was plagued with problems for several years after developer EEHV, LLC walked away from the project and failed to record many important subdivision documents.

2010's home show will be the ninth held by the HBAGC.

In addition to Rockford Woods, past Citirama events have been held at Betts-Longworth and St. Ann's Common I and II in the West End, Brodbeck Park and Woodcrest Park in Westwood, Spencer Hill in Mount Lookout, and the Villages of Daybreak in Bond Hill.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati approves $1M for Rockford Woods improvements (8/12/08)
Cincinnati to vote on CiTiRAMA road improvements (7/30/08)
Rockford Woods pitting neighbor against neighbor (7/8/08)
Amendment made for, questions asked about Rockford Woods (3/4/08)
Rockford Woods aid passes unanimously (2/19/08)