Developers who rehab historic buildings in Cincinnati could take advantage of new, more flexible building codes under a proposal by Councilman Pat DeWine.

        The building codes, which would be the first of their kind in the state, would give developers more leeway in areas such as stairways and fire walls when adapting historic buildings to modern uses.

        “We're applying building codes meant for new buildings in the suburbs to 150-year-old buildings in the city,” Mr. DeWine said. “This won't solve all our problems, but it could make it easier to rehabilitate Over-the-Rhine and some other areas of the city.”

        The proposed “Standards for Adaptive Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings and Structures,” would apply only to apartment, retail and office buildings that are no more than four stories tall — or five stories if the building has a sprinkler system.

        And buildings are eligible only if the fire chief “determines that the proposed work will remedy all serious threats to life and safety.”

        Developers and architects who specialize in historic buildings say that clause still gives bureaucrats the authority to kill projects.

        “Personalities in city government do change, and the way this is written, it seems like there is not enough finite discretion given to the Fire Division,” Jeff Raser told a City Council committee Monday. He is an architect with Glaser Associates.

        Councilman Jim Tarbell said the new code will increase safety by putting to use buildings that are now vacant.

        “To have every building at 90 percent of code — rather than every other building at 100 percent of code and the rest of them vacant — I dare say the overall safety would be much higher.”

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