The log cabin used to be in the hands of the Butler County Land Bank, which takes over properties that have fallen into disuse or foreclosure for possible reuse. The land bank last year transferred the property, along with others, to Hamilton.
The building actually is broken into two residences, 223 and 225 S. C St., in the historic Rossville neighborhood.
The cabin ”I think will be a challenge to rehab because of how old it is, but that’s pretty cool,” said city Planning Director Liz Hayden.
“The goal is to see new infill development that’s appropriate for our historic districts that can hopefully bring new homeowners to our neighborhoods, because one of our goals is to have more homeowners in our historic districts,” Hayden said. “But it’s left open-ended to say ‘You pitch us what you think the best thing is for these sites.’”
Other sites are for sale. One, at 128 S. C St, has a house on it. Another 13 properties are without buildings, where the city would like to see new houses built that fit in with their historic surroundings. The sale price for each is $500, to cover the costs of transferring the lots.
“We really just want to get these into the hands of people who are going to do something positive with them,” Hayden said. The city would expect that the proposed work on the properties be finished within about two years.
The properties, most in city historic districts, “are most likely most appropriate for a single-family home, although it’s possible that for some of the bigger lots that somebody might be able to do a duplex or something like that,” Hayden said.
People interested in the properties can contact her at Liz.Hayden@hamilton-oh.gov.
Business properties with offers being considered
City staff also now are considering proposals from people interested in developing commercial properties. The period to submit proposals has passed, but if the city rejects the ones it received, officials may reopen that process in the future.
One being offered for sale is a pair of buildings at the intersection of Main and North D streets: 244 Main St. and 16 N. D. The city requested developers make proposals for how they would develop the buildings, with the proposal period ending in late December. Also offered at that same time was 127 N. Second St.
“We did have proposals for each, but no decisions have been made because they’re still working through the process,” said Mallory Greenham, assistant to the city manager and a small-business development specialist.
City leaders have said the buildings at 244 Main St. and 16 N. D could be connected by an overhead glass atrium or some other architectural feature to link them and make them into a more viable joint property for a restaurant or other business.
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