City Council met on Aug. 7 for the first time since June and passed a slew of development deals and projects spanning six Cincinnati neighborhoods.
The approved deals include a 15-year tax abatement for the second phase of The Banks, which will produce 305 apartments and 21,000 square feet of retail space; several other apartment projects; new Over-the-Rhine headquarters for Cintrifuse, a small business and startup incubator; the redevelopment of Emanuel Community Center; and a new homeless shelter for women in Mount Auburn.
The projects are expected to lead to 575 new apartments around the city. That could prove particularly timely for downtown Cincinnati, which is currently struggling to meet high demand from a growing market of aspiring property renters, leasers and buyers.
Among the other items, Council passed a motion asking the city administration to look into a racial and gender-based disparity study for the city’s business contracts and a resolution condemning a ballot initiative that would change the city’s pension program by pushing future public employees into a 401k-style plan.
Today’s meeting was Council’s only full session for July and August, which is why the agenda was so packed. That’s irked some council members and critics, who argue Council should be in session for more of the summer.
Council is scheduled to meet again on Sept. 11.
