News

Proposals sought for 3 vacant lots

Single-family housing is being built at 954 and 956 Philadelphia St. The City sold the empty lots – and a third lot across the street – to Urban Community Developers in May 2019 after issuing a request for proposals.

City seeking developers to build new single-family housing 

COVINGTON, Ky. - The City of Covington is looking for developers interested in building single-family in-fill housing on three small parcels of land the City is selling.
 
The City recently issued three requests for proposals (RFPs) for the purchase and development of the City-owned vacant properties in the Botany Hills, Westside, and Wallace Woods neighborhoods. The properties: 
  • 1122 John St., a corner lot roughly 50 feet by 100 feet at Altamont Road. 
  • 1323 Russell St., a lot that’s roughly 50 feet by 100 feet.
  • 2207 Madison Ave., a lot that’s roughly 40 feet by 90 feet near Madison’s intersection with Wallace Avenue. 
All three lots are zoned “urban residential.” 
 
“These RFPs are part of our yearlong effort to both reduce the City’s inventory of properties and return those properties to productive use,” City Neighborhood Services Director Ken Smith said. “In these cases, we’re looking for companies or individuals who can act quickly to build some single-family housing.”
 
The properties were acquired years ago by the City in an effort to reduce blight.
 
The RFPs can be found HERE. Proposals are due to the City by 4 p.m., Jan. 21, 2020.Questions should be directed to Ken Smith at KSmith@covingtonky.gov
 
Smith said the department will likely be issuing RFPs for two additional parcels of land in the coming weeks, both of which contain vacant residential structures.

The empty lot at 2207 Madison Ave. is for sale.

 The yearlong initiative to return City-owned parcels to their best productive use has yielded an array of successes. For example, three housing units are being built on Philadelphia Street after the sale of three empty lots last May.
 
And in November, the Covington Board of Commissioners voted to sell three abandoned houses: 
  • 115 E. 16th St. for $2,000 to Smiley Properties, LLC, which plans a $50,000 renovation.
  • 1118 Lee St. for $15,000 to Rustbelt Properties, LLC, which plans an $85,000 renovation.
  • 1407 Russell St. for $15,000 to MB Custom Construction, LLC, which plans a $153,000 project.
 
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