The former Cheviot Savings Bank building on Reading Road, the last blighted structure blocking Sharonville's Downtown Loop redevelopment, will come down this fall after Hamilton County commissioners awarded the city a $325,000 grant to cover demolition and environmental cleanup.
The city announced the award on Instagram on Aug. 12, saying the grant covers the full amount Sharonville requested for demolition, asbestos abatement, remediation and eventual surface parking at 11186 Reading Road. Local 12 first reported the commissioners' award on Aug. 13.
Work on the site is scheduled to begin in late August, with full demolition on track for fall 2026.
The funding comes through Hamilton County's Economic Impact Program, using federal Community Development Block Grant dollars administered by the county. Angela Rahman, Hamilton County's community development administrator, signed the environmental certification for the project. As we reported July 31, Hamilton County filed its release-of-funds request with HUD that day, triggering a 15-day objection window before money could flow.
No objection materialized.
Sharonville City Council moved quickly to accept the dollars. Council passed Ordinance 2026-35 on Aug. 11, in a first and only reading with immediate effect, formally accepting the CDBG funds and amending the city's appropriations account, according to council records. Council had first authorized a cooperation agreement with Hamilton County at its June 23 meeting.
Why this site took longer
The bank building at the corner of Reading Road and Main Street sat on a former gas station site, leaving behind underground storage tanks and contaminated soil that delayed demolition while other Downtown Loop parcels were cleared between late May and late June. The city plans to remediate the property to Ohio EPA standards, according to Sharonville's project page.
Multiple other structures along Reading Road and Main Street were already torn down this summer, and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles relocated from its Sharonville building to the Evendale Shopping Plaza because its former space was demolished as part of the project, according to an Evendale newsletter.
What comes next
Once cleared, the 11186 Reading Road parcel will become shared parking supporting existing downtown businesses and the broader mixed-use development. Mayor Kevin Hardman told council at its March 31 meeting that the Downtown Loop plan with developer Elevar Design Group and co-developer The Mayerson Company calls for "approximately 200 residential units and 20,000 square feet of retail space."
The redevelopment vision dates to Sharonville's 2010 Downtown Strategic Plan and became a top priority after 2019 public engagement sessions for the Sharonville2030 Plan. Council authorized a development agreement with the Elevar/Mayerson team on Dec. 16, 2025.
Coming up
Sharonville's next Cruisin' the Loop community event is Thursday, Aug. 20 at 11115 Reading Road, with music by JD Hughes at 5 p.m. and The Chuck Taylor's at 6 p.m.
