CINCINNATI — City officials announced Thursday how it plans to allocate $58 million in funds from the trust created after the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway.
Cincinnatians voted to sell the railway to Norfolk Southern in November 2024.
During a press conference, city officials said this year the trust gained $2 million more than last year, which gained $56 million.
Here's what city officials said that funding will go towards:
- Street rehabilitation projects, like pothole repairs
- Fleet garage, a location we have reported on for years.
- Renovations to Dunham Recreation Center in Westwood, spread out between the current budget and into 2027
Details about those spending items were not given; officials said they will finalize those details when they discuss the city's budget for fiscal year 2027. In the past, city officials have said they plan to spend most of the money in neighborhoods with a median income below $50,000.
The $1.6 billion the city received for the railway following its sale was put into a trust fund, with disbursements being paid from it for improving existing infrastructure within the city. The funds must be used on existing infrastructure.
For fiscal year 2026, which started July 1, the city received $56 million. That sum was divided up between multiple projects throughout the city, including a $2 million overhaul of Victory Parkway near Eden Park. City officials outlined the items slated to get funding in FY2026 in May.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story detailed specific dollar amounts for each project that have not yet been finalized. As a result, we have removed the specific dollar amounts.
