Independent Christopher Smitherman and Democrats David Mann, Chris Seelbach and Wendell Young served together on council for the last eight years, although each held office for at least a decade. The last four years in particular have been marked by public bickering, lawsuits, corruption and the global pandemic.
Cincinnati City Council voted Wednesday not to suspend Council Member Wendell Young following his April indictment on a tampering with evidence charge related to the 2018 "Gang of Five" scandal.
City Council approves controversial $80M housing development in OTR, with no affordable units
An $80 million development in Over-the-Rhine will move forward with no commitment to providing affordable housing units, despite neighborhood advocatesâ successful pleas to have discussion paused for renegotiation.
and last updated 2021-02-03 18:24:01-05
CINCINNATI â An $80 million development in Over-the-Rhine will move forward with no commitment to providing affordable housing units, despite neighborhood advocatesâ successful pleas to have discussion paused for renegotiation.
The pause ended, and a revised development agreement moved through City Council Wednesday with a vote of 5-4.
The final version of the Liberty and Elm project â a 300-unit apartment complex with commercial space and a parking garage â isnât quite as tall as the original proposal. It also includes a requirement that the developer make a âgood faith effortâ to apply for affor
Councilmember files motion to require affordable units in major housing developments
Michael Benedict
and last updated 2021-02-04 13:03:49-05
CINCINNATI â Councilmember Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney on Wednesday filed a motion that would require major residential and mixed-use developments to include affordable housing units if they want city tax breaks.
Kearney and three fellow Democrats voted against it, but the plan passed with âyesâ votes from Republicans Steve Goodin, Liz Keating and Betsy Sundermann, Democrat Chris Seelbach and independent Christopher Smitherman.
In a news release announcing her motion, Kearney said her plan would benefit neighborhoods and developers alike. Mandating affordable spaces in large-scale housing projects â those with 50 or more units â will help Cincinnatians remain in their neighborhoods and promote daily interactions among people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, she wrote.