The city has attempted several times over the years to revitalize it’s downtown, but for various reasons has come up short. However, this latest attempt at revitalization seems to be taking root with millions of dollars in public-private investments and renovations sprouting throughout the downtown core.

And city officials say millions more of investment and renovation dollars are still to come.

A good portion of that investment and renovation will come from either Cincinnati State or its developer, Boston-based Higher Education Partners.

City Council is expected to vote on donating the First National Bank building to Cincinnati State at its Jan. 8 meeting. This would be the second of two buildings the city owns that it will be giving away. In November, the city gave the former Masonic Temple building on Main Street to the Art Central Foundation. These two buildings were part of a $300,000 purchase of four buildings (which included the former Bank One and CG&E buildings) in anticipation of Cincinnati State coming to Middletown.

The city made back two-thirds of its money when it sold the CG&E building for $202,000 to Higher Education Partners to develop the Cincinnati State Middletown campus. It still can make up the difference if it sells the former Bank One building, which is caddy-corner to Cincinnati State Middletown, for the remainder. No offers, however, have been made, according to city officials.

There are a number of next steps for Cincinnati State. The remainder of its downtown campus at 1 N. Main St. is to be renovated, and school officials need to figure out what to do with its two other buildings — the former senior citizens center (which was included in the sale of the CG&E building) and the former First National Bank. Cincinnati State would also need to determine a use for the former Job & Family Services office on Central Avenue, if Butler County commissioners agree to donate that building to the city of Middletown, which in turn would give it to the community college.

Whatever those plans are, significant dollars could be spent.

The school hopes it will be investing the state funding it anticipates receiving into Middletown.

It was announced earlier this week that Cincinnati State is in line to receive $123,000 from the Ohio Higher Ed department. School officials say the downtown Middletown campus will benefit since part of the money will be used to develop co-op opportunities in the city. Approval will be known in January if the State of Ohio Controlling Board approves it at its next meeting.

In Cincinnati State’s application for the grant, the college cited several objectives, including: