Monday, April 5, 2010

Knox Hill neighborhood tour, 3/20/10

On March 20, State Rep. Denise Driehaus met with President Paul Wilham to learn how the foreclosure crisis is affecting urban neighborhoods, specifically older ones like this small corner of South Fairmount. Cincinnati Preservation Association Preservation Director Margo Warminski and I went along for the tour, which covered a fairly representative area along Knox Street and Fairmount Avenue.

Topics covered included the role of out-of-state LLCs, state level legislation requiring delinquent property taxes to be paid before a deed is recorded, a repeal of the City's vacated building maintenance license (VBML), and land banking.

Wilham has also proposed the creation of state-level Community Redevelopment Zone districts, incentivizing local governments to work with neighborhood groups on homeownership and reinvestment initiatives.

A complete write-up of the event can be found on Wilham's blog, Victorian Antiquities and Design.

The following photos have been added to the South Fairmount gallery, which now contains 53 photos.

Click on each image to enlarge to 800 x 600.


1. Rep. Driehaus and Wilham discuss the neighborhood's housing stock along Fairmount Avenue.


2. Asphalt sidewalk along McBrayer Street


3. Plantings spruce up McBrayer Street


4. Wilham and his partner Greg Drake are restoring this Second Empire cottage at the corner of Knox and McBrayer streets


5. Knox Street


6. Westwood's water tower is visible, looking westward down Knox Street


7. Knox Street


8. Knox Street, approaching Thompson Avenue


9. Knox Street


10. Thompson Avenue, approaching Fairmount Avenue


11. Initricate iron work, Knox Street and Thompson Avenue


12. Knox Street


13. Knox Street


14. Yet another house being prepared for demolition, Knox Street


15. Demolition site, Knox Street


16. Close up


17. Backs of Bethany House buildings on Fairmount Avenue


18. Fairmount Avenue


19. Blaine Road


20. Fairmount Avenue


21. Fairmount Avenue


22. Fairmount Avenue


23. Fairmount Avenue


24. Fairmount Avenue


25. Fairmount Avenue


26. Fairmount Avenue


27. Fairmount and Thompson avenues


28. "Junkyard", Thompson Avenue and Knox Street

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2 comments:

Paul Wilham said...

Thanks Kevin, hope you enjoyed your visit. We really plan on pushing landbanking and think our neighborhood would be a good 'test area'. At a time when we have people moving in and restoring the area, the idea of reducing the available housing stock by demo does not make sense.

Restored hosues create a strong tax base, Vacant lots do not.

Thanks again.

Kevin LeMaster said...

I agree with you 100%, and I thank you for the tour. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in your little slice of paradise.

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