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Bond Hill/Roselawn ripe for redevelopment

The Port Authorityis preparing to market nearly 40 acres of land in the Roselawn/Bond Hill area with hopes it will jumpstart economic development there.

The latest piece of property the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority is promoting is on Seymour, west of Reading Road. The former Ritz nightclub, a scene of multiple shootings, is now gone and construction crews are grading the 13-acre site for TechSolve II. It's dedicated to making manufacturers and the healthcare industry more efficient.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley stood on the site and reflected. "I think what you see today and behind us is what Cincinnati is all about, under construction and moving forward with progress, opportunity and jobs."

Many of the TechSolve jobs will be high-paying and high-tech. Down the road and across the street is the demolished Swifton Commons, now known as Midpointe Crossing.

The Port Authority's Laura Brunner says it will marketed as office, retail and housing space. She says studies show within a three-mile radius there are 75,000 day jobs and $4.2 billion dollars in payroll. "This was a center of our community in the past and we're committed to restoring it for the future."

Duke Energy funded economic studies in Bond Hill and Roselawn. Tuesday the company gave $400,000 to create development-ready sites to attract new investment from industrial and logistics companies. Some of the money will also fund development in Queensgate and South Mill Creek.  According to Duke's Ohio & Kentucky President Jim Henning, "Economic development is a key part of our day jobs. It's what helps grow the communities and strong vibrant communities is not only good for us as residents of the communities, it's good for business."

The Port Authority says 2013 was the year of demolition in Bond Hill and 2014 will be the year of marketing.