Owners of historic school site accused of illegal dumping by neighbors

Описание: The owners of the historic Hoffman School, once at the center of a heated debate over its preservation, are now facing allegations of illegal dumping by neighbors and some Cincinnati City Council members.

Neighbors Jacob Knight and Garland Waleko report seeing trucks routinely dumping debris on the property and say they also see neighborhood kids breaking in and playing on the roof.

"Evanston is not a trash heap," said Knight. "We want to keep our neighborhood clean and nice."

Developers Kingsley and Co., run by former Cincinnati Bengal Chinedum Ndukwe, own the building and property. In 2023, Cincinnati City Council granted the company permission to demolish it and redevelop it as a new housing complex. That came in a close vote denying the property historic preservation status.

City Council Member Mark Jeffreys, who previously voted to preserve the building, called the situation "outrageous."

"We can't have illegal dumping on sites like this," Jeffreys said.

He added that he has reached out to city inspectors to address the issue.

A city spokeswoman confirmed that city inspectors recently cited Kingsley for code infractions, but no fines have yet been collected, although the city's building and inspections department is working to escalate the code enforcement.

In a statement, Kingsley said, "The staged recycled construction materials on the 3060 Durrell Avenue site will be used for the project. These sustainability practices align with our company ethos and the Green Cincinnati Plan.”

The controversy adds to Kingsley's recent troubles, including backlash over rent increases at another property, Victory Vistas in Paddock Hills. Some council members are now questioning whether the city should continue doing business with Kingsley.

City Council Member Jeff Cramerding told Local 12 he expects the company to ask for city tax breaks for the Hoffman project, as Ndukwe already indicated he would also be asking for state low-income housing tax credits.

"At this juncture, I don't think the city should partner with Kingsley," Cramerding said. "I don't think we should provide financial incentives to any project across the city until these issues, including the dumping at Hoffman School, are remediated."

The future of the Hoffman School remains uncertain, as Kingsley has not applied for a demolition permit, and asbestos mitigation is required before any demolition can occur. Jeffreys expressed a desire to revisit the possibility of protecting the building under historic grounds.

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