Hamilton County submitted its formal request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on July 31, for the release of federal Community Development Block Grant funds earmarked for Sharonville's Downtown Loop Redevelopment Project.

The filing clears a key federal threshold for the $75 million mixed-use redevelopment. HUD now has 15 days to raise objections before federal dollars can flow to demolish the blighted former Cheviot Bank building at the corner of 11186 Reading Road and 11177 Main Street.

The public comment period on the project's Environmental Review Record closed July 30. Hamilton County had already issued a Finding of No Significant Impact, meaning no full environmental impact statement is required under federal law, according to a notice posted by the city.

Angela Rahman, administrator of the Hamilton County Community Development Division, signed the environmental certification accepting federal court jurisdiction over the review process. HUD will not issue its "Authority to Use Grant Funds" until it receives the original signed request form and the 15-day objection window expires, approximately August 15.

The filing is now complete.

Once cleared, the CDBG funds will pay for demolishing the Reading Road structure, which sits atop a former gas station site contaminated by underground storage tanks and soil requiring Ohio EPA-standard remediation. The city has said the environmental complications pushed this parcel's demolition to the third or fourth quarter of 2026, later than other Downtown Loop sites already cleared.

Multiple other structures in the redevelopment footprint have already come down, including buildings along Main Street, Reading Road, and Walnut Street.

The broader project, led by Elevar Design Group with co-developer The Mayerson Company, envisions roughly 200 residential units along with retail and amenity spaces in Sharonville's downtown business district. Sharonville City Council authorized a development agreement with the team on Dec. 16, 2025. The shared parking lot planned for the Reading Road site will support both existing businesses and the new development, according to the city's project page.

Sharonville recently named Andy Meyer as its new community development director, a hire announced at a July 21 special council meeting as the project approached this federal funding milestone.

As we reported July 27, the July 31 submission date had been set weeks in advance. With the filing now complete, the next step is HUD's decision. If no objections are raised by approximately August 15, the county can begin drawing down grant funds and move toward contracting for the demolition work.