If Hamilton can’t revive its core neighborhoods, it won’t be able to revive itself as a city.

To reinvigorate those core neighborhoods, the city is hoping the expansion of its Community Reinvestment Area program will help to spur property owners to take advantage of tax incentives that can range between 50 to 100 percent for 10 years depending on the type and age of the structure.

Hamilton City Council approved the expansion last July, but after some issues were raised by the Hamilton City School District and the Ohio Development Services Agency, the program needed to be revised, according to a staff report by Jody Gunderson, the city’s economic development director.

Council approved the revision at its Feb. 27 meeting and has forwarded it to the state for final review and approval.

City Manager Joshua Smith said the original proposal was to target the city’s historic districts to encourage redevelopment of homes in those areas.

However, Smith said the state notified the city that it could not exclude certain areas and that it would have to exclude any Special District areas, or areas that are under current Tax Incentive Financing agreements or in Residential Improvement Districts.

“The potential, combined with eliminating the worst of the worst properties through the Land Bank, will be a resurgence in our Historic Districts such as Rossville, Dayton Lane and German Village,” Smith said. “This is just another tool in our tool box.”

In the past, Smith has said that “Hamilton has unique architecture of its homes, and that uniqueness makes it more distinctive than West Chester or other communities.”

He said having the CRA program will encourage developers or potential homeowners to acquire residential property, make the improvements and raise property values throughout the city.

The three CRA exemptions for residential properties available.

* Properties 50 years or older and incurring at least $5,000 in renovation costs can receive an incentive of up to 100 percent for 10 years.

* Properties 25 to 49 years or older and incurring at least $5,000 in renovation costs can receive an incentive of up to 75 percent for 10 years.

* Properties less than 25 years of age and incurring at least $5,000 in renovation costs can receive an incentive of up to 50 percent for 10 years.

Any commercial or industrial CRA project which would generate $1 million in new annual payroll will require the city and school board to negotiate a revenue-sharing agreement.

In the past, city officials have also said that by stabilizing the neighborhoods, the city would spend less resources doing code enforcement and would see fewer police and fire calls.

Smith said there were several inquiries about the CRA incentive program when it was first adopted last summer, but no action could be taken because it had not been approved by the state.

“I think for us, it’s a matter of momentum,” Smith said. “Once we show people what can be done, that’s going to make a whole lot of difference for the city. This is one of the most important things we’ve done in the two and a half years that I’ve been here. ”