Lower Price Hill: MetroWest update

The City and the developer, MetroWest I, LLC (Neyer), are close to formalizing a development agreement and will now add the plans for the development of MetroWest into the existing planning document for Lower Price Hill.

At the March 28 City Council meeting, an ordinance allowing for the City to enter into a contract for sale with MetroWest I passed unanimously.

Having a formalized development plan in place would improve the chances of receiving a Clean Ohio Fund grant, which would provide $3,000,000 for remediation of the Queen City Barrel site and its surrounding blocks.

The deadline for submission of the Clean Ohio Fund application is today.

City Council also passed an ordinance altering the official planning document of the Lower Price Hill community, with Monzel and Cole voting against it.

Because of the deadline for the Clean Ohio Fund grant, on January 3, the City of Cincinnati's SPUR team requested that the Lower Price Hill Industrial Area Urban Renewal Plan (2003) be amended to include particulars of the proposed development.

City staff and the developer presented the proposed plan amendment to the Lower Price Hill Community Council (LPHCC) on February 5. A proposal of the amendment was sent to the LPHCC on February 13 for comment. On February 28, Robert Rainey, president of the LPHCC, alerted Adrienne Cowden of the Department of Community Development and Planning (DCDP) that the LPHCC would not support the amended Plan until it addressed the dangerous conditions at Bodycote Metal Treating, 724 Evans St. This property is across from the Oyler Community Learning Center and outside of the redevelopment area.

Despite this--and not wanting to miss out on the grant money--the City Planning Commission approved the amendment at their March 2 meeting. The status of the Bodycote property and the possibility of CPS buying the property were discussed but left for a later date.

The Economic Development Committee approved the Plan amendment on March 27.

City Council authorized the grant application at its March 28 meeting.

If the grant is not received, the sale and redevelopment agreement will be terminated and the deal is dead. If the grant comes through, MetroWest I, LLC, will commence environmental remediation of the site, which could take at least two years.

Meanwhile, the City is still assembling land within the project area. On March 14, City Council passed an ordinance allowing the Division of Facilities Management to reimburse the Department of Community Development and planning for land at the northwest corner of Hamilton and Llanfair, which will be the site of a new fire station. This funding will be used to consolidate more parcels, which may aid in getting the Clean Ohio application accepted.

The $25 million MetroWest project will consist of light industrial, flex and office space and will likely include existing businesses and buildings at 911 Evans St, 1910/1911 South St and 1908 W Eighth St. Four or more LEED certified buildings will likely be constructed. Buildings will be constructed along street frontages and parking will be screened and shared. (Look at the site plan below and tell me if that is what you see!)

The developer estimates that the redevelopment of the 18 acres could create a minimum of 400 jobs.

Buildout is expected in 7 to 10 years.

(Preliminary site plan. North is to the right side of the drawing.)