Solar Co-Op Launches for Southwest Ohio Nonprofits 

OES and partners Re-Volv, Solar United Neighbors, and Faith Communities Go Green have launched the Solar Co-op Program for local nonprofits, schools, & houses of worship in the Southwest Ohio region to learn together and explore purchasing solar together at a lower cost.

Get free technical assistance, zero-down financing, work with vetted installers, and save big utilizing elective pay tax credits.  

City Calls for Designs in BuildReady Competition

BuildReady is a long-term, city-led project to develop pre-approved housing plans for small multi-family homes, which can expedite the development process by several months, meaning this much-needed type of housing can be built more quickly. 

The recently launched design competition is intended to spark ideas and invite conversation about what attainable, sustainable, and contextual housing could look like. Popular designs will inform the development of the finalized pre-approved plans through a City-led procurement process this fall. 



Architects, designers, students, and interested parties should check out the website for more info and submit their designs today! 

Businesses Take Action on Recycling 

Earlier this year, we launched the Business District Recycling Program that provides shared recycling dumpsters at no cost to participating businesses. The program allows multiple businesses within a district to share a centrally located recycling dumpster, making recycling more convenient and cost-effective while increasing waste diversion throughout the community. 

Huge shoutout to the business districts currently participating in the program: College Hill, Over-the-Rhine/Downtown, Camp Washington, Mount Washington, East Walnut Hills, Westwood, and several others across Cincinnati. 



If you are a business owner or district representative interested in participating in an existing shared recycling program—or exploring the possibility of establishing one in your area, contact Ben Russ at ben.russ@cincinnati-oh.gov for more information. 

Zooming in on Brownfields 

Brownfields remain an ongoing environmental and redevelopment challenge that the city is working alongside partners to address. To support this work, OES has developed a public-facing digital map that showcases brownfield grants across the city, including past remediation projects, current assessment and cleanup project statuses, funding sources, and involved stakeholders. 

For additional questions about current projects, please visit our brownfield website or contact amanda.testerman@cincinnati-oh.gov.

Asbestos Remediation Has Been Completed at Former Shillito’s Department Store

With funding help from two Brownfield Remediation Grants from the Ohio Department of Development totaling $1,963,080, the City has invested over $2.5 million to remediate asbestos-containing materials from the former Shillito’s Department Store building. Formerly a department store, this long-vacant property is at a key corner in the downtown central business district in Cincinnati and part of the national register historic district.

Now that the asbestos has been safely removed and properly disposed, the City will continue to explore options for the building’s rehabilitation for redevelopment. 

Cincinnati Climate Week Recap 

This past week, we celebrated the first ever Cincinnati Climate Week organized by Green Umbrella. OES team members had a hand in a number of great events, from film showings to climate migration workshops, to presenting at the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit and Green and Healthy Schools Symposium. Themes of resilience, hope, and progress were woven throughout each event and offered new ways for us to be inspired and cultivate collaboration to make our region even stronger and more sustainable. Thanks to Green Umbrella for their leadership in bringing this opportunity to town! We can't wait to see what Cincinnati Climate Week 2027 holds.

Welcoming Summer Fellows  

Our team grows again this summer, welcoming 6 new fellows to the team. Each fellow will join the OES mission and advance Green Cincinnati Plan goals, working on projects from supporting our recycling and grant programs, to collecting community stories and diving into energy policy. 



Join us in welcoming: Luke Hawes, Ella Hill Crouch, Riley Brown, Lauren Ann Barnes, Sarah Keeney, and Sean Johnson! (pictured left to right)

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