Cincinnati officials want to cut taxpayer money to a program for converting abandoned buildings in Over-the-Rhine, saying it is slow, cumbersome and not meeting goals.

        Although it promised to rehabilitate 10 buildings in three years, the Abandoned Buildings Co. has fully completed only two since 1998.

        But ABC member John Hauck says the city has let the program dangle on a shoestring budget and it plans to ask the City Council for more funding in the next two weeks.

        “We need to expand the program and get better funding from the city,” he said. “ABC and most of the community feel we've done a wonderful job.”

        The city has given $185,000 to the company, which is made up of a coalition of nonprofit corporations in Over-the-Rhine. Its goal is to identify and repair dilapidated buildings by pressuring the property owner or by filing suit and taking over the property.

        “The Department of Neighborhood Services writes up a report on a periodic basis,” Mr. Hauck said. “They usually just report the cold, hard data without looking at the bigger picture.”

        Francis Wagner, acting director of neighborhood services, says the big picture is one of inaction. He said the city's contract with ABC has been amended three times and the company has still failed to meet its goals.

        “The numbers speak for themselves,” he said. “It's not like there's some huge, extraneous force keeping them from doing the work.”

        Mr. Wagner, who took over Neighborhood Services this summer, said in reviewing past contract extensions he asked, “When's this going to stop?”

        Of four buildings put into the receivership program — where ABC is awarded control of the building to fix and sell it — Mr. Wagner says only one was completed by the original deadline; another fell out of the program and two others had not been closed out by May.

        Despite objections by the housing department, the City Council in June approved a one-year extension for the program.

        Now Mr. Wagner says it is apparent that ABC will still not meet its goals and is asking the council not to approve any more funds.

        Mr. Hauck says there are other successes beyond the receivership program. He said ABC has filed 29 suits against property owners forcing them to bring buildings up to code. The group has also had much success out of court, by simply contacting property owners individually, he said.

        Given that ABC has had to work with a volunteer staff and part-time paid manager, he said the program has worked well.

        “We really had no input on the (Neighborhood Services) report,” Mr. Hauck said. “We'll give our own input to the City Council in a much more positive light.”

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