4-06-2023 10:13pm

Landsman Announces 15 Local Projects Selected to Advance in Community Project Funding Process

Beth Callahan Editor

CINCINNATI, OH – On Tuesday, Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01) announced the 15 local, community-led projects he selected to advance in the federal Community Project Funding process.

Each year, Members of Congress can submit up to 15 local, community-led projects to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration to receive specialized federal funding through the appropriations bills that Congress passes annually to fund the federal government.

Previously known as earmarks, the Community Project Funding process allows Members of Congress to work closely with community partners to identify projects of regional importance and deploy federal funding that will benefit the community as a whole.

Last month, Congressman Landsman opened his Community Project Funding application process and noted his commitment to transparency, accountability, and bipartisanship as part of the process to select 15 projects that would have broad community support and long-lasting impacts across Hamilton and Warren Counties.

“Every year, folks send their tax dollars to Washington. What we’re doing here is bringing those tax dollars back to our region,” Landsman said.

Landsman's office received more than 50 project applications from all across Southwest Ohio.

“The projects we have selected represent the clearest and most tangible applications of your hard-earned tax dollars. We all pay taxes to the federal government – and this is our opportunity to put them to work."

“As your representative in Congress, I want to make sure to make sure our tax dollars are put to work on projects our communities need. By investing in our neighborhoods, we will make life better for our children and families. I’m working hard to be an accountable, reliable, transparent, and bipartisan federal partner.

“Thank you to every applicant who submitted a project for consideration. I wish we could submit all of them, but we were only allowed 15. The projects we selected represent needs from across the district."

"I’m excited to announce the 15 local, community-led projects that are advancing in our Community Project Funding Process, which I have submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for its review."

15 projects selected to advance in the Community Project Funding process

City of Cincinnati – Central Parkway Complete Street Improvement
- Funding Request: $5,000,000
- Project Cost: $20,000,000
- Description: The Central Parkway Complete Street Improvement project would remodel Central Parkway into a “Complete Street” – reducing the width of Central Parkway from 106 feet to 70 feet and adding in new turn lates, dedicated pedestrian sidewalks, bicycle tracks, and a greenspace median. Improvements to this key corridor would assist in bridging the divide between two historic neighborhoods, Over-the-Rhine and the West End, and increase connectivity between Downtown and the City’s inner-belt neighborhoods.

Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority – Beechwood Improvement
- Funding Request: $5,000,000
- Project Cost: $44,028,459
- Description: The Beechwood Improvement project would renovate and modernize all apartment units and major systems in this multi-family affordable housing high-rise property in Avondale. Improvements would include replacing boilers and elevator mechanicals, HVAC equipment, roofing systems, appliances, plumbing and electrical systems, additional laundry facilities, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and new energy efficient appliances.

City of Franklin – 12” Water Line Connection Replacement
- Funding Request: $1,478,268
- Project Cost: $1,847,835
- Description: The 12" Water Line Connection Replacement project would upsize five municipal waters lines to the appropriate sizes – ensuring an uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water to the community. Improvements would primarily take place in the City’s older South and East sides, home to many low-income and vulnerable community members.

City of South Lebanon – Community Center Improvement
- Funding Request: $812,797
- Project Cost: $1,015,997
- Description: The South Lebanon Community Center Improvement project would renovate a community center that serves as the primary location for the provision of much-needed services – including a food pantry – to low- and moderate-income residents in the community. Improvements include strengthening the structural integrity of the building, replacing the leaky roof, installing energy efficient windows, and repairing the parking lot.

Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority – Bus Stop Enhancement
- Funding Request: $3,250,000
- Project Cost: $4,062,500
- Description: The SORTA Bus Stop Enhancement project would improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of hundreds of bus stops which serve as the first point of contact for tens of thousands of transit riders daily. Enhancements include fixing uneven pavement for wheelchairs and strollers; updating broken shelters; and installing new seating, lighting, and electronic signage.

City of Loveland – Cherokee Drive Water Main Replacement
- Funding Request: $745,000
- Project Cost: $1,617,200
- Description: The Cherokee Drive Water Main Replacement project would install thousands of feet of new water mains to replace the outdated existing water lines – ensuring an uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water to the community. Improvements would primarily take place along Cherokee Drive and West Main Street, home to many low- and moderate-income community members.

Mt. Airy Community Urban Redevelopment Enterprise – South Gateway Improvement
- Funding Request: $1,400,000
- Project Cost: $5,600,000
- Description: The Mt. Airy South Gateway Improvement project would rehabilitate a collection of vacant, blighted, and dilapidated buildings and properties in the heart of the neighborhood. A new, 20,000-square-foot mixed-use development at the site would serve as a community anchor that will catalyze new economic development in the Mt. Airy Business District and increase quality of life in the surrounding area.

Village of Terrace Park – Elm Street Water Line Replacement
- Funding Request: $400,000
- Project Cost: $500,000
- Description: The Elm Street Water Line Replacement project would install hundreds of feet of a new, secondary waters line – ensuring an uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water to the community. Improvements would primarily take place on a section of water line that has broken multiple times in the last several years as a result of heavy traffic on Hamilton County Route 50.

City of Springboro – S.R. 741 / Lytle Five Points Intersection Reconstruction
- Funding Request: $2,000,000
- Project Cost: $6,000,000
- Description: The S.R. 741 / Lytle Five Points Intersection Reconstruction project would update a critical intersection through which 20,000 vehicles pass every day for commuter and commercial purposes. Reconstruction would include infrastructure upgrades, new turn lanes and safety features, better lighting and signage, and improved pedestrian access that will reduce congestion and hazards and facilitate new economic development in the surrounding area.

City of Madeira – Camargo Road-East Phase 2 Improvement
- Funding Request: $2,850,000
- Project Cost: $3,565,000
- Description: The Camargo Road-East Phase 2 Improvement project would reconstruct 1.2 miles of a major corridor through the City’s main commercial and residential area. Improvements would include road resurfacing and full depth repairs and the installation of new streetscape enhancements, curbs, and sidewalks – increasing safety and efficiency for road users and supporting access to public transit for nearby residents of senior and assisted living facilities.

Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority – Lunkenheimer Revitalization
- Funding Request: $2,772,000
- Project Cost: $3,212,000
- Description: The Lunkenheimer Revitalization project would rehabilitate an abandoned 150,000-square-foot building and site that was formerly used as a foundry and manufacturing facility in South Fairmount. Revitalization would assist in property remediation that will allow for the building and site to be repurposed for future use that will catalyze new economic development in the surrounding area.

Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation – Findlay Community Center Improvement
- Funding Request: $4,000,000
- Project Cost: $60,917,715
- Description: The Findlay Community Center Improvement project would redevelop the existing Findlay Playground, Grant Park, and Over-the-Rhine Recreation Center into a world-class community campus in Over-the-Rhine. Improvements would include the development of a 51,000-square-foot state-of-the-art community center with an array of indoor and outdoor amenities to support diverse programming – including athletic fields and courts, fitness classrooms, aquatic facilities, and multi-purpose community facilities.

Queen Mother’s Market Cooperative – Queen Mother’s Market Establishment
- Funding Request: $2,000,000
- Project Cost: $5,000,000
- Description: The Queen Mother’s Market Establishment project would establish a brick-and-mortar grocery store in Walnut Hills. The new grocery store would primarily benefit seniors and vulnerable community members who have lacked nearby access to quality food options since 2017.

University of Cincinnati – Semiconductor and Microelectronics Workforce Development
- Funding Request: $2,000,000
- Project Cost: $2,000,000
- Description: The Semiconductor and Microelectronics Workforce Development project would assist in the acquisition of technology and equipment and the development of research programming and coursework to advance engineering and technical education and workforce training for more than 500 new students pursuing semiconductor and microelectronics training in this growing and in-demand career field.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works – Lead Service Line Replacement
- Funding Request: $910,000
- Project Cost: $1,820,000
- Description: The Lead Service Line Replacement project would replace hundreds of publicly-owned lead service lines – shortening the time frame for Greater Cincinnati Waterworks to completely remove and replace lead service lines on both private property and the public right-of-way.

Additional projects received during the Community Project Funding process

MORTAR Cincinnati – Entrepreneurship Epicenter
Black Achievers, Inc. – Business Academy
City of Lebanon – Broadway Corridor Skate Park
City of Cincinnati – Reconnecting Evanston
City of South Lebanon – Water Tower Recoating
City of Cincinnati – State to Central: Building Better Neighborhoods
City of Deer Park – Chamberlin Park Music Pavilion
Clifton Cultural Arts Center – Community Arts, Culture, and Education Center
Village of Mariemont – Dogwood Park Centennial Renovation
Warren County Port Authority – Middletown Multi-Purpose Event Center
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati – Youth Workforce Development Center
Freya’s Hen House – Hudson House
City of Forest Park – Forest Park Senior Center
City of Norwood – U.S. Route 22 / Montgomery Road Traffic Safety and Downtown Revitalization
College Hill Urban Redevelopment Corporation – College Hill Station III
Village of Evendale – Cultural Arts Center ADA Compliance – New Elevator and Entry
Xcellence Ignited – Passport to Success
Hamilton County – Regional Safety Complex
City of Blue Ash – Reed Hartman Highway Rehabilitation Project
Asian American Cultural Association of Cincinnati – Crouching Tiger
Greater Cincinnati Water Works – Water Treatment Plant Clearwell Installation
City of Cincinnati – Victory Parkway – Safety Improvements
Warren County Transportation Improvement District – SR 63 Widening Improvements - Phase 2
Tri-State Trails – Wasson Way Trail Lighting in Evanston & Avondale
Hamilton County Land Reutilization Corporation – Home Repair Program
Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority – Race Street
Irish Heritage Center Charitable Foundation, Inc. – Irish Heritage Center of Greater Cincinnati Energy Efficiency Project
Uptown Consortium, Inc. – Uptown Cincinnati Innovation Greenway
City of Cincinnati – Gilbert Ave Complete Street Project
Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc. – Aging with Dignity for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Last Mile Food Rescue – Infrastructure Support to Expand Reach to Food Insecure Ohioans
Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio – Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio Headquarters Renovations
University of Cincinnati – Workforce Development for Underserved Populations
City of Cincinnati – Access to Counsel Initiative
City of Cincinnati – Cincinnati Westwood Northern Boulevard Corridor Plan

More information on the Community Project Funding process can be found here.

Due to the highly competitive nature of the Community Project Funding process, the House Appropriations Committee will review each project and determine whether Community Project Funding will be approved. There is no guarantee that projects submitted to the Committee will be approved for funding. The Committee is expected to make its determination on which projects will be approved for funding in the coming months.