Northside's newest housing development began on Tuesday with a groundbreaking ceremony for its first model home.
Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory, city manager Milton Dohoney Jr., Northside Community Council president Tim Jeckering joined City and neighborhood representatives and future residents to turn the first shovel for Northwind, a 25-home development being built by Robley I, LLC (NorthPointe Group) and Potterhill Homes on 7.1 acres along Kirby Avenue, between Martha Street and Robley Avenue.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Northwind breaks ground in Northside
Camp Washington organizer sick of Crosley's 'inglorious decay'
Camp Washington community organizer Joe Gorman is sick of the condition of the Crosley Building, a prominent building located at 1331 Arlington Street, a key northern gateway into the neighborhood.
Recently, Gorman fired off an e-mail to Todd Hosea, vice president of building owner Hosea Worldwide, Inc., calling the building a "wide open eyesore" and asking him if there was any chance of the company taking a more aggressive stance on getting the building closed up and the graffiti removed.
28 Ohio counties could acquire land banking powers
Twenty-eight additional Ohio counties – including the Greater Cincinnati counties of Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren – may acquire a new tool to deal with a glut of abandoned and vacant properties thanks to bipartisan legislation introduced last week in the Ohio General Assembly.
Senate Bill 188 and House Bill 313, introduced by state senators Mark Wagoner (R-2nd) and Teresa Fedor (D-11th) and representatives Peter Ujvagi (D-47th) and Roland Winburn (D-40th), would lower the population threshold for counties seeking to organize County Land Reutilization Corporations (CLRC), or county land banks, to counties with populations of 100,000 or more.
Neon's Unplugged to open tonight, tomorrow
The Famous Neon's Unplugged will open its outdoor courtyard at 208 E 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine for a lease signing party this evening at 5 p.m.
Proceeds from the party will help Neon's new owners in their attempt to revive the building and the name of what was once one of the Main Street area's most well-known attractions.
OTRCH to feature discussion on equity for underserved communities
Over-the-Rhine Community Housing (OTRCH) will hold its annual fundraiser this evening from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Music Hall Ballroom.
"Evolving with Neighborhood Change: Fostering Opportunity, Equity, and Cultural Celebration" will feature as keynote speaker Kalima Rose, senior director of the PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity.
Wrecking Cincinnati, 10/29/09
2438 W McMicken Avenue, Fairview
Single-family
DOB: 1880
Died: May 2009
Cause of death: Severe cracks in the foundation and retaining wall, peeling siding, an inadequate and temporary roof, and broken and missing windows. Homeless people had been found living inside of the building.
The West McMicken Improvement Association has had this house on a list of problem properties since 1988. In early 2003, a criminal case was filed against owner Navneet Sachdev. Seven months later, he received 180 days community control and an $80 fine.
It was finally condemned in December 2006 and declared a public nuisance in March 2007. It was razed by the City.
Remembering Cincinnati, 10/29/09
Two years ago:
- Vitality Over-the-Rhine launched a working group to study the feasibility of creating a special improvement district.
- Cincinnati City Council voted to appropriate property for improvements to the Colerain-West Fork-Virginia intersection in Northside.
- Work was nearing completion on the five-story parking garage at Kenwood Towne Place, and site prep was underway for the new Nordstrom store at Kenwood Towne Centre.
- Photos of the Cincinnati skyline and Covedale were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
- UC News featured a video of the UC Solar House, which finished fifteenth in the international Solar Decathlon competition.
- An Avondale two-family, which was owned by a neighboring church, was razed.
- I visited Mount Washington, Anderson Township, and Mariemont.*
One year ago:
- In Spring Grove Village, the site of the Gray Road landfill was rezoned to make way for a proposed light industrial park.
- Cincinnati City Council passed an ordinance creating a capital project account for lead remediation at the Blue Ash Airport.
- Demolition continued on the silos at the Consolidated Grain and Barge site in South Cumminsville, with no plans for redevelopment.
- A North Fairmount home on a long-forgotten street was razed by its owner, the second such property he demolished that month.
- I dropped by Pike Street in Covington.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
City, OTR preservationists 'not far apart' on recommendations
At last week's meeting of Cincinnati City Council's Vibrant Neighborhood Committee, Councilmember and committee chair Roxanne Qualls said that the City administration has no objection to looking at changes that could stem the high number of emergency demolitions in Over-the-Rhine and help protect the hundreds of currently endangered historic buildings.
Over the summer, a group composed of members of the Over-the-Rhine Foundation (OTRF), Cincinnati Preservation Association, and the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood made three presentations to the committee outlining what the loss of more buildings would mean to the City, what policies are enabling the frequent demolitions, and a specific set of more than 30 recommendations that could slow down or stop them.
Ordinances, COA needed for Downtown garage expansion
Cincinnati City Council is expected to vote soon on several ordinances that will help accommodate an influx of new Procter & Gamble (P&G) employees to its Downtown headquarters.
Ordinances would allow the City to issue up to $6 million in economic development bonds in order to add three parking decks to the 7th & Broadway Garage, to transfer $5 million in tax increment financing (TIF) funding to a capital improvement project account for the construction, and to negotiate a lease agreement with P&G for approximately 526 surface parking spaces near the company's complex.
OHFA program to retain Ohio grads launches
A new program designed to keep Ohio's college graduates in the state, has officially launched, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency announced yesterday.
Grants for Grads will provide 2.5 percent of the purchase price of a new home to prospective buyers in the form of a zero-interest, second mortgage to help with down payment and closing costs.
Decisions made on four CPS projects
Over the past few weeks, action has been taken on four schools that are part of Cincinnati Public Schools' (CPS) $1 billion facilities master plan.
The CPS Board of Education has approved schematic designs for Aiken University High School and Silverton Paideia Academy, both new construction projects.
Wrecking Cincinnati, 10/20/09
3063 Kerper Avenue, Walnut Hills
Two-family
DOB: 1905
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Rotting structural wall and roof framing, a failing roof, missing mechanical systems, rotted flooring, missing front porch, deteriorated gutters and downspouts, missing windows, weather damage, and litter.
The house was condemned in April 2007 and declared a public nuisance in July 2008. A criminal case against the owner was filed that same month. Since 2005, the owner has claimed financial problems and a dispute with his lender has kept him from compliance.
The building was razed by the City following asbestos abatement.
Remembering Cincinnati, 10/20/09
Two years ago:
* Hover over the slideshow to bring up the controls. You may stop the slideshow by clicking on the square "stop" button, allowing you to scroll through the photos at your own leisure. To get a better view, click on each image to enlarge to 800 x 600. Photos will open in a new browser window.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Queensgate Terminals proposal left off of council agenda
On October 6, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee voted down a report advocating for the construction of a $26 million barge-to-rail operation to 31 acres along the Lower Price Hill riverfront, keeping the matter from being placed on the full council agenda.
More than a half dozen speakers from Lower Price Hill and surrounding neighborhoods spoke out against the proposal by Bluegrass Farms of Ohio, Inc. and Rail America to build Queensgate Terminals, citing concerns about light, noise and pollution for current residents, and its possible effects on more than $100 million in proposed development.
New Covington asst city manager will bring planning experience
Larisa Sims will be appointed as Covington's new assistant city manager during a press conference at 4:30 this afternoon at Covington City Hall.
The position of assistant city manager has been vacant since Larry Klein was named city manager on July 14.
Rothenberg hearing delayed two weeks
A presentation by the Rothenberg School Planning Team to Cincinnati's Historic Conservation Board originally scheduled for yesterday afternoon has been postponed until October 26.
The design for the $21 million renovation project, produced by GBBN Architects and WA Architects, Inc., is similar to one proposed last March, consisting of the construction of a one-story gymnasium addition, a new service drive along Hust Alley, and the extension of the children's play area westward along Clifton Avenue.
Clifton Plaza construction set to begin
A contractor has been selected to build a new plaza at 333 Ludlow Avenue in Clifton, and work is expected to begin soon.
"We anticipate a start any day now and a completion by 12/31/09," said Dick Druffel, member of the Clifton Town Meeting Plaza Committee.
Bids being accepted for Newport renovations
Neighborhood Foundations, formerly known as the Housing Authority of Newport, is accepting sealed bids for the renovations of 922 Hamlet Street and of 927 and 929 Hamlet Street.
Part of the non-profit's revitalization of much of the 800 and 900 blocks of Hamlet Street, the completed homes will be offered to low- to moderate-income homebuyers and will come with a soft second mortgage, allowing prospective homebuyers to own the homes after eight years.
Wrecking Cincinnati, 10/13/09
1853 Westwood Avenue, South Fairmount
Single-family
DOB: 1927
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Who knows? There were no outstanding building code violations. The house was purchased in May 2008 for just $5,000.
Remembering Cincinnati, 10/13/09
Four years ago:
- I visited the Newport riverfront to grab some bridge and skyline shots, then stopped by the Mansion Hill and Gateway neighborhoods.*
Three years ago:
- I went to Columbia Tusculum, then made my way back through Mount Adams to get a few shots of Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and I-71. I also stopped by Mount Auburn on my way home.*
Two years ago:
- I went to Hyde Park.
- Cincinnati City Council was considering a Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption to create Class B offfice space at 18 W Seventh Street, Downtown.
- Part one of a three-part photo series on the 2008 Downtown Tour of Living featured the Lofts at Fountain Square and McFarland Lofts.
- Pleasant Ridge was seeking volunteers to help promote its neighborhood business district.
- A fire-damaged East Price Hill house was razed.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Pleasant Ridge Montessori first LEED-certified public school in Ohio
Pleasant Ridge Montessori School has been awarded LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first Ohio public K-12 to achieve LEED certification.
The 75,310-square-foot building, designed by SHP Leading Design, includes such sustainable features as a white reflective roof; a high-efficiency HVAC system; low-flow toilets and water fixtures; low VOC-emitting products; convex blinds within the glass, sloped ceilings and transom windows that channel natural light into each room; and a raised flooring system for improved ventilation.
Mill Creek greenway project wins $500K grant
The Mill Creek Restoration Project (MCRP) has been awarded a maximum $500,000 Clean Ohio Trails Fund (COTF) grant for the City of Cincinnati's Mill Creek Greenway Trail Program.
The funding will be applied to construction of the second phase of the 3.4-mile Queen City-South Mill Creek Greenway Trail, to be built between Mitchell Avenue in Spring Grove Village and the Mill Creek Road bridge in Camp Washington.
The University of Cincinnati and Nippert Stadium
The 41 photos in this slideshow were taken September 18, during a presentation of the Over-the-Rhine Green Historic Study at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Having arrived 45 minutes early, I took a walk past McMicken Hall, the Tangeman University Center, the Steger Student Life Center and MainStreet, making my way back past Baldwin, Rhodes, and Rieveschl halls. I also spent quite a lot of time around Nippert Stadium.
Building official gets go-ahead for six MuralWorks sites
Late last month, Cincinnati City Council passed a notwithstanding ordinance to allow for MuralWorks murals to be painted at six Cincinnati locations.
The ordinance authorizes the chief building official to issue permits for murals at 2392 Wheeler Street in Clifton Heights, 3841 Spring Grove Avenue in Northside, 3564 Montgomery Road in Evanston, 2114 Madison Road in O'Bryonville, 1733 Dirr Street in South Cumminsville, and SORTA Bridge 3.92 (Delta Avenue, Columbia Tusculum).
Large turnout for bicycle planning open house
A standing room only crowd gathered at McKie Recreation Center in Northside last Thursday to chime in on Cincinnati's first bicycle master plan since 1976.
And on Saturday, riders joined planners from Toole Design Group and the City on tours along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Spring Grove, Ludlow and Hamilton avenues, providing feedback at stops along the route.
Wrecking Cincinnati, 10/15/09
274 Helen Street, Mount Auburn
Single-family
DOB: 1900
Died: July 2009
Cause of death: Deteriorated gutters and roof, loose bricks and mortar joints, missing and broken windows, weather damage, missing/stripped plaster, and an illegal HVAC system.
The house was condemned in June 2007 and was declared a public nuisance in April 2008.
This huge 3,576-square-foot house was owned by a Middletown-based entity called BJC Investments, LLC, which purchased the house two years ago for $11,000.
A criminal case against the prior owner led to a diversion program, but by then the property had already been sold. No charges were pursued against BJC Investments.
Remembering Cincinnati, 10/15/09
Three years ago:
- I walked Pike Street in Covington to check out Rehabarama, then passed through downtown Covington on my way back to my car.*
Two years ago:
- Two dozen photos of Columbia Tusculum, the Cincinnati skyline, Mount Lookout, Northside, and Newport were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
- Results of the City of Cincinnati's Quality of Life Index for the second quarter of 2007 became available.
- Phase I of the Cottage Hill development in Columbia Tusculum was nearing completion.
- A lender-owned property in North Fairmount was razed due to structural problems brought on by neglect.
- Developers hoping to turn Queensgate's Harrison Terminal building into market-rate apartments submitted an application for Clean Ohio Fund dollars to perform a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment on the property.
- The Clean Ohio Fund program unveiled a new website.
- The third part of a photo series on the Downtown Tour of Living 2008 featured shots of Pendleton Glass House Lofts, the Renaissance at the Power Building, and Sycamore Park at St. Xavier Place.
- "Kennedy Heights and Fair Housing in Cincinnati", part of the Seminar on the City series, was held at the Cincinnati Museum Center.
- A South Fairmount house was razed after years of neglect by its absentee owner, a Florida-based group with a long history of civil and criminal court cases, some with outstanding warrants.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Panel discussion makes case for Issue 6; Museum Center wins national award
Yesterday evening at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Rookwood Pavilion in Norwood, proponents of Hamilton County Issue 6 held a panel discussion and Q&A session to explain why the levy renewal should be passed.
Making up approximately 16 percent of the Cincinnati Museum Center's operating budget, revenues from the levy would raise approximately $3.3 million over the next five years to help keep the building stable and safe, covering such expenses as utilities, maintenance, and insurance.
To boost homeownership, Cincinnati may sell Walnut Hills house for less
Cincinnati City Council is considering selling one of five vacant units at its Walnut Woods redevelopment project for below market value and without competitive bidding.
Appraised at $165,000 in a neighborhood where the median sale price for comparable properties is $130,000, a prospective owner has emerged with an offer to purchase 846 Lincoln Avenue in Walnut Hills for $143,000.
Storefronts and streetscapes in September
The following photos were taken between September 1 and September 9, 2009.
The first Downtown shot was taken during a committee meeting on the ballot language for Issue 9, while the other three were taken during a stroll to Fountain Square from Grammer's.
Underserved neighborhoods to see new fund for housing, commercial development
Cincinnati City Council has approved unanimously an ordinance allowing the City to enter into a memorandum of understanding to create a new mechanism for financing more market-rate housing and commercial development.
The Build Cincinnati Development Fund (BCDF) will work as a revolving loan fund, providing pre-development loans for residential projects and small businesses in some of the City's underserved neighborhoods.
Cole proposes shuttles for Market parking woes
Cincinnati City Councilmember Laketa Cole has proposed the use of shuttle buses to alleviate the parking crunch that occurs at Findlay Market on Saturdays and Sundays.
In a motion presented to council, Cole suggested that the City look into the feasibility of operating City-owned buses between the market and the Town Center Garage, located beneath the WCET studios at 1251 Central Parkway.
Wrecking Cincinnati, 10/6/09
3030 Erie Avenue, Hyde Park
School
DOB: 1970
Died: April 2009
Cause of death: Razed by Cincinnati Public Schools to make way for a new $18.4 million, 102,174-square-foot Clark Montessori School. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, with completion in time for the 2011-2012 school year.
Remembering Cincinnati, 10/6/09
Three years ago:
- I visited Tall Stacks, took a skyline photo at Mount Echo Park, then toured Newport's Monmouth Street, Newport on the Levee, and Purple People Bridge. Then I crossed the Licking River to visit Peaselburg and MainStrasse in Covington.*
One year ago:
- Cincinnati City Council voted on an ordinance to provide $300,000 in capital funding to the Glencoe Hotel and Condominiums project in Mount Auburn.
- In Montgomery, Montgomery Inn requested an alley closure that would allow the restaurant to add an outdoor dining area and bar.
- Thirty-three photos of Over-the-Rhine and Downtown were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
- Rather than achieving court-ordered compliance through rehabilitation, an absentee owner razed his South Fairmount three-family house.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Second public meeting on Cincinnati master plan tonight
The Department of City Planning and Buildings is holding the meeting to gather information on the City's biggest issues and greatest opportunities, which will help inform policy and guide the allocation of resources within the City's neighborhoods over the next 10 to 20 years.
State, county organizations support passenger rail
Greater Ohio, a Columbus-based non-profit dedicated to smart growth and better governance, calls the plan "real progress", saying that it marks a milestone in the effort to bring Ohio's transportation system up to a world-class level.
Lower Price Hill junkyard on hold for now
Residents of Lower Price Hill have won a temporary victory against a proposed scrap metal yard, getting a stay on building permits for River Metals Recycling's planned operation at 1951 State Avenue.
One major factor in the stay was a September 2 letter from Lower Price Hill Community Council (LPHCC) president Dr. Jack Degano to the City of Cincinnati's chief building official Amit Ghosh and zoning hearing examiner Steven Kurtz, the result of community concerns that arose during an August 26 meeting with City department officials and the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services.
ODOD awards $282K grant for West End site assessment
The property, located just north of Samuel Adams Brewery Company and containing seven buildings – five of which are vacant – is owned by the City of Cincinnati and several private owners.
Experience Covington heritage tours launch
A nearly two-year project to develop Covington's historic and cultural narrative came to an end on Friday with the opening of Experience Covington.
Unveiled at the Covington Artisans Enterprise Center, the tour of Covington's heritage covers over 35 sites in 18 city neighborhoods, organized into six themes: faith, arts and culture, historic, architecture, "unexpected", and neighborhood tours.
Wrecking Cincinnati, 10/5/09
3556 Evanston Avenue, Evanston
Single-family
DOB: 1906
Died: May 2009
Cause of death: Razed to make way for the expansion of Evanston Playground and construction of the new headquarters of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Red Cross. Though a bit run-down, there were no code violations on the property at the time of demolition.
Remembering Cincinnati, 10/5/09
Two years ago:
- It was announced that the nation's first two houses to be built based on David Brown's HOME House Project designs would be constructed at Chase Avenue and Fergus Street in Northside.
- The eighth-annual Citirama began at Brodbeck Park in Westwood.
- In Avondale, University of Cincinnati volunteers began their fifth house in partnership with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity.
- Cincinnati City Council passed a resolution in support of the Cincinnati Parks Centennial Master Plan.
- I visited Clifton, Mount Auburn, Walnut Hills, the Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park, and Downtown.*
* Hover over the slideshow to bring up the controls. You may stop the slideshow by clicking on the square "stop" button, allowing you to scroll through the photos at your own leisure. To get a better view, click on each image to enlarge to 800 x 600. Photos will open in a new browser window.
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