Covington eyes start of infrastructure work at former IRS site this spring

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The city is serving as the master developer for Covington Central Riverfront, a redevelopment of the 23-acre site of the former IRS tax-processing facility located just west of Madison Avenue and north of Fourth Street. The city has divided the property into a load of parcels, each with its own RFP.

Covington recognizes its approach to Covington Central Riverfront is unique, West said. Between Cincinnati, Covington and Newport, there’s been three very different approaches to river city development when considering projects like the Banks, Covington Central Riverfront and Ovation.

The approach is also unique in its form of incentives, West said. Rather than doling out incentive packages, the city will be building out the public infrastructure for the entire site. Developers will be purchasing their individual lots, but they won’t have to worry about items like street lights and gas lines, said Elizabeth Wetzel, Covington’s director of special projects and inter-governmental affairs.

The city hopes to start that process in the spring. It worked with architectural firm KZF Design on the engineering plans for site infrastructure.

The IRS facility was decommissioned back in 2019, and the city bought the property in 2020. The building was demolished in 2022.

The city believes its approach to developing Covington Central Riverfront in individual parcels, along with a key infrastructure modification, will help incorporate the site into the city while creating a new neighborhood. Fourth Street will be reduced from three lanes to two, making way for a dedicated bike lane and wider, more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/01/17/covington-transform-former-irs-site-2024-update.html

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