BY JOHN HOPKINS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Representatives from nine Cincinnati neighborhoods have joined forces to seek a federal Empowerment Zone designation, which would bring a $100 million grant and a variety of tax incentives.
It is a highly sought financial jolt designed to help revitalize declining communities.
The neighborhood partnership held a planning meeting Thursday as part of the process to be selected as one of 15 urban Empowerment Zones. Winning the designation will take time and commitment, said City Manager John Shirey.
"These things are never easy, but by the same token, making a difference in our neighborhoods is never easy," he told the gathering at the Cincinnati Zoo Education Center.
Neighborhoods seeking to make up the zone are Avondale, Clifton - Fairview Heights, Corryville, Evanston, Mount Auburn, Over-the-Rhine, Queensgate, Walnut Hills and the West End. The application must be submitted by Oct. 5.
The designation would mean $10 million a year for 10 years, tax incentives and up to $130,000 in bonding authority.
It is called the most significant effort launched by the federal government in decades to reverse years of decline in urban neighborhoods. The benefits would extend beyond the areas involved, said Jerry Pryor, Avondale Community Council's chairman of economic development. The bond authority could help form businesses, he said. With matching commitments from the community and the city, it could mean jobs in areas with 44 percent unemployment. About 45 percent of the areas' 49,877 residents live below the poverty level. Other
meetings: Sept. 3, 9 and 16.
