Saint Bernard council advances demolition plan for St. Bernard Square, places related ordinances on next agenda

Council members on Thursday advanced legislation and preliminary approvals tied to a planned demolition of the St. Bernard Square site, where village officials said multiple grants and a low contractor bid have made demolition possible and time-sensitive.

The mayor said the St. Bernard Community Improvement Corporation and the selected developer have been pursuing funding and planning for the project and noted two grants already secured: a $339,000 appropriation to be added for demolition work and a separate Ohio Department of Development building demolition/site revitalization grant of $456,443. "There is no one more impatient than myself, and I want this project underway," the mayor said, adding that the demolition does not include the buildings that house Skyline and Biggley or the Professional Building.

The comment underscored why Safety and Service Director Tim Wardman asked council to place related ordinances on the table and to treat demolition legislation as an emergency. Wardman said a bid opening for the demolition received nine bids and the lowest came from O'Rourke Wrecking Company; he asked for authority for the director of public services and safety to enter a contract with O'Rourke Wrecking Company for demolition of buildings at 4901 and 4932–5021 Vine Street and to declare the measure an emergency so the village can meet grant deadlines.

Council also heard clarification that the $266,000 low bid covers the buildings themselves, while the larger $339,000 appropriation covers additional eligible demolition and site work — for example parking-lot demolition and site preparation — that were not included in the low bid. Wardman and the auditor said the Hamilton County grant that will reimburse the village for demolition costs is a reimbursement grant: the village must spend funds first and then seek reimbursement from Hamilton County.

Council votes that night were procedural steps to move the measures toward formal consideration. A motion by Council member Sholtemire, seconded by Council member Morton, placed Ordinance No. 4 (transfer and appropriation including the $339,000 appropriation into master plan 10A for demolition) and Resolution No. 2 (to put a 7-mill operating levy on the August ballot) on the table for the next council meeting; the motion passed with all members present voting "aye." Separately, a motion by Council member Morton, seconded by Council member Culbertson, placed Ordinance Nos. 3 and 5 on the table; that motion also passed unanimously.

Officials emphasized reimbursement and timing constraints several times. The auditor noted the $339,000 appropriation will be reimbursed by Hamilton County after the village spends the eligible costs. Wardman said the emergency treatment request stems from grant deadlines for use of the funds. Council members asked for additional detail about the scope of work covered by each ordinance and about nonbuilding demolition costs not covered by the low bid.

The council did not vote that night to award the demolition contract; it voted only to place the ordinances on the table and advance them to the next meeting for formal readings and possible final action. Wardman said he will ask that legislation allow the director to enter into the contract with O'Rourke Wrecking Company once the ordinances are processed.

Looking ahead, council will consider the ordinances and the emergency declaration at its next regularly scheduled meeting; the auditor and Wardman said they will circulate corrected ordinance text and cost breakdowns in advance.