Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City staff seek grants for river crossing, trail connections and resurfacing; some projects need local matches
Summary
Hamilton engineering staff presented four grant applications May 14 seeking funding for North Hamilton river crossing and roundabouts, a BeltLine–Great Miami River Trail connection, Park Avenue resurfacing, and a congressional discretionary request; estimated local match requirements range from none to 25%.
Alan Messer, Hamilton’s director of engineering, briefed the council on four grant applications the city planned to submit, describing project scopes, preliminary cost estimates and local-match requirements. Messer said the applications include:
- North Hamilton Crossing and related traffic improvements, including a proposed roundabout at the south river approach and a right-in/right-out at Gordon Avenue. Messer gave a preliminary cost estimate of about $4,000,000 and said a 25% local match would be required (roughly $1,000,000 if the estimate holds).
- A pedestrian/bicycle connection between the future Black Street bridge and the North Hamilton Crossing that would link the BeltLine Trail to the Great Miami River Trail. Messer said the request could be up to $1,000,000; the city’s estimated match was about $450,000 and construction would be in 2028–29 under current assumptions.
- A pilot resurfacing request to cover a full "mill and fill" on Park Avenue. Messer said OKI is piloting resurfacing grants and that the city asked for up to $800,000 with no local match; he expected the actual cost to be closer to half that amount and said the project could be built next year.
- A congressional discretionary request submitted through Senator Houston’s office for $1,500,000 toward the North Hamilton Crossing; Messer said that request would carry a 20% local match. He said staff had scheduled a call with the senator’s office the next day to discuss the application and noted the city missed Senator Marino’s earlier deadline this cycle.
Messer said consultants are preparing more detailed cost estimates and renderings of the proposed bridge and roundabouts. Council members praised the city’s grant track record and asked about coordination with the senator’s office; Messer said staff would continue outreach and believed the city had a compelling case because it is replacing a century-old bridge.
Why this matters: If funded, the projects would change regional river crossing capacity, add bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, and resurface a key arterial. They carry multi-year design and construction timelines and local-match requirements that would need council approval if projects are awarded.
No formal council vote on these applications was recorded during the presentation; staff requested direction and confirmed ongoing coordination with state and federal offices.
