Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) has agreed to a land transfer that will allow for the future expansion of Washington Park, according to a media release issued yesterday.
Details of the partnership between CPS and the Cincinnati Park Board, which would transfer the site of the former Washington Park School, are still being negotiated.
3CDC facilitated the deal that will allow for the construction of a 600-700 space underground parking garage and the expansion of the 6-acre park north to 14th Street.
CPS demolished the school in fall 2007 to create a temporary parking and staging area for construction of the new $72 million School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Citizens' groups and local agencies, including the Over-the-Rhine Foundation, had expressed concerns over what they felt was vague language contained in a 2003 agreement in which the City sold 4.6 acres within Turkey Ridge Park (BIRD'S EYE) to CPS for construction of Riverview East Academy.
In exchange, CPS agreed to transfer 13.8 acres of property to the Park Board, stating in the agreement that they would "use [their] best efforts to investigate the possibility of transferring surplus school properties in Over-the-Rhine to the City to be controlled by the Park Board for greenspace".
Concerns over the contract language likely have been put to bed.
"We are very grateful to CPS and its administration for working with us to make this important land transfer," says Willie Carden, director of the Park Board. "Expanding green space in an urban park is an opportunity that doesn’t come along every day. This will not only enhance the beauty of Washington Park, it will serve as a national model for other urban neighborhoods."
The planning and design effort will be led by the Park Board and 3CDC with input from the Washington Park Master Plan Steering Committee.
Costs for the planning and design will be paid by 3CDC.
A construction timeline for the project will not be set until further input is gathered from the community and a final plan is approved.
Image credit: 3CDC
Previous reading on BC:
Dohoney says City will enforce agreement over CPS land (5/8/08)
Morgan says City, 3CDC 'diminishing rights of citizens' (3/31/08)
City reports on Washington Park greenspace (11/19/07)
OTR Foundation asks City to look into CPS contract (10/19/07)
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Washington Park will expand
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6 comments:
That is fantastic. What an even better asset this park will become. It is reassuring to know that the people out there making decisions are tuned in to the fact that the building of a greater community is not only about bricks and mortar. Can't wait!
It's nice to see CPS honoring their promise. Couple this with their recent academic improvements, and reductions in racial disparities, and it's starting to look like they may be getting their act together. Perhaps there's hope after all.
I think this is great for the neighborhood and its wonderful that one of the city's oldest, most historic parks is going to finally get a much needed face lift.
My only concern is what to do with all the drunks, drug addicts, homeless people and gangsters that currently hang out there 24/7?
Will police start cracking down on the area and not allowing people to solicit there at all hours of the night? How about enforcing open container laws? Also, are they going to continue to allow the vineyard and other "charity" groups to use Washington park as a free sandwich stand on the weekends?
Until they do something about that problem, the park will go unused.
I sincerely hope that it gets cleaned up though. I would love to walk my dogs there and be able to read a book and drink coffee there.
This is such a tough issue. We cannot make certain people dissapear just because they do not conform to certain societal standards. "We" includes all of us, and until we all become a part of the solution working together to help people, there is no solving this "problem" mentioned by the anonymous writer.
Giving open container tickets does not solve and will not solve the problem in Washington park. Try talking to a person there and becoming involved in thier story and life. You will be surprised at what you hear, instead of false assumptions we all have which bias our view of others.
This seems like a promising project that will help head the area in a positive direction. Is there any idea when the project will begin?
No date has been set. It's been delayed to line up financing.
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