John Cranley has unpaid $75,000 loan

CINCINNATI -- Mayoral candidate John Cranley didnt repay a $75,000 development loan by the original deadline. But Cranley did negotiate about a year ago with the nonprofit agency that made the loan to get an extension.

Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) loaned the money in 2009 to City Lights Development. Cranley was a partner in City Lights, which was the developer behind the Incline Village project in East Price Hill.

First proposed in 2008, Incline Village was a $50 million mixed-use project planned along Grand Avenue that initially was envisioned to include condominiums, restaurants and a medical office building.

City Lights got the loan from LISC in 2009 to do pre-development work for the medical office building. After the economic crash, the firm scuttled plans for the building, although apartments and the Incline Public House restaurant have since been developed there.

The $75,000 loan was forgivable and wouldnt have to be paid back if the office facility had been built. But if plans for the facility were cancelled, the loan was due to be repaid in 2011.

Knowledge of the loan's existence occurred when another media outlet was tipped off by an undisclosed source.

Cranley wouldnt comment for this article. But his campaign manager, Jay Kincaid, said Cranley made arrangements nearly a year ago with LISC to repay the loan once the apartments and restaurant became profitable.

Its a private transaction between private entities, Kincaid said. Theres no public dollars involved.

Kathy Schwab, LISCs executive director, didnt respond to a request for comment. Schwab supports Cranleys opponent in the mayoral race, Roxanne Qualls.

They came to an agreement a long time ago and John is in good standing with Kathy Schwab, Kincaid said. Its a private deal and both sides have agreed not to discuss a private deal.

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John Cranley has unpaid $75,000 loan

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