Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. recently updated city council on the status of the Montana Avenue improvement project, which has been in the planning and design phase for more than three years.

The report is based on a September city council motion asking the City to provide Westwood with a new plan for improvements to the 1.8-mile section of roadway between .

With nine-foot-wide lanes and traffic of 12,000-20,000 vehicles per day, the road is both congested and unsafe.

"Montana Avenue is below City standards for safety and comfort," Dohoney says.

The roadway also carries the Western Hills-Uptown and Montana Express bus routes, whose frequent stops can cause backups and whose large size is hard to keep within the lanes.

SORTA reports that they lose one mirror every month on those routes.

Additionally, the road has seen 624 crashes for four-year period preceding 2008, several of which were fatal.

"Most crashes result from the narrow traffic lanes and a lack of left turn lanes at signalized intersections," Dohoney says. "These factors also increase congestion, leading to additional incidents."

The City does have some leeway on the design - while Montana Avenue is classified as a principal arterial, it's not the only one.

"A good network of principal arterials with redundancy exists on the west side of Cincinnati," Dohoney says. "This means that no one or two streets have to accommodate an excessively high volume of traffic."


Planned in 2005

In April 2005, council authorized an agreement with the --> --> -->, bringing in $6.1 million for the anticipated $9.1 million project that was scheduled to begin in 2010.

Since early 2006, the City's Department of Transportation and Engineering has been working with the Westwood community to resolve safety issues, preserve the residents' needs, and to provide for the efficient movement of traffic.

Six additional public meetings have been held, as well as smaller group meetings and walking tours.

As a result of these meetings, the community has supported the following additions to the project design:

• Installing pavers in the business district
• Installing decorative signage in the business district
• Installing trees in the business district
• Adding pedestrian-scaled lighting to the business district
• Reducing tree lawns to three feet
• Offering canopy trees and yard treatments to property owners

The community did not support widening to provide left-turn lanes at Anaconda Drive and at Wunder, Harrison, Epworth and Boudinot avenues, which were eliminated from design consideration.


Recent refinements

In September 2007, council asked City staff to look at reducing the number of lanes along Montana Avenue, a traffic-calming concept known as a "road diet".

Jennifer Rosales, author of Road Diet Handbook: Setting Trends for Livable Streets and senior engineer for --> --> --> in Portland, Oregon, was brought on to prepare a study of the corridor.

In August 2008, Rosales presented several of the alternatives that were developed.

Among the alternatives presented:

• A no build option
• Four lanes, adding six feet to the total width
• Three lanes, including a center turn lane
• Three lanes, adding six feet to the total width and providing one lane of on-street parking
• A hybrid of four lanes from Farrell Drive to Westwood Northern Boulevard and three lanes – plus one lane of on-street parking – from Westwood Northern Boulevard to Boudinot Avenue

Rosales found that a hybrid alternative could work on the portion of Montana Avenue from Westwood Northern Boulevard to Boudinot Avenue, but would result in the loss of on-street parking.

Between Westwood Northern Boulevard and Farrell Avenue, the road could be widened by six feet, maintaining the four lanes and retaining on-street parking during off-peak hours.


No consensus

Many citizens of Westwood still aren't sold on the project, fearing property impacts, heightened speeding, and a potential decrease in property values.

Still others realize that something must be done to improve safety, reduce congestion, and keep their on-street parking.

The community support has been highest for the three-lane option, but that support has been lukewarm at best.

"At this point, we do not feel there is a plan that has the support of the community that also meets the needs of the larger public," Dohoney says. "Administration is concerned for the safety and traffic efficiency of a three lane cross section especially if it is for the entire length of Montana from Boudinot to Farrell. Additionally, there has not been input from the residents who will be directly impacted from the removal of on-street parking."


Funding an issue

Dohoney says that City administration recommends the selection of the four-lane alternative, with further design tweaks.

This is because the $6.1 million in federal funding that the City has received must be used to reduce congestion and improve safety for any portion of Montana Avenue where the number of lanes is reduced, or the City will have to return the money to the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments.

"A Road Diet project will also not be competitive for the other funding sources we had planned on using for this project," Dohoney says.

The four-lane alternative, which could break ground in 2011, would retain the federal funding and would make it easier for the City to fill the funding gap through other grant sources.

"This will have the most significant impact on safety and traffic efficiency," Dohoney says. "The widening of the roadway is minimal, approximately three feet on each side. There will be a completely new road, curbs, and driveway aprons. The project also includes a major improvement to the pedestrian environment of Montana Avenue with newly planted three-foot tree lawns and new, wider sidewalks. Trees will be installed behind the sidewalks in residents’ front yards. On-street parking will continue to be available for residents and guests except during rush hour, providing convenience and a buffer from traffic, in keeping with the residential character of the street."

On December 2, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee will consider a zoning change that would allow the construction of a 54,000-square-foot medical office building in Corryville.

Developer Dan Schimberg, founder of Uptown Rental Properties, has requested the change in zoning of the currently vacant 1-acre property at from RM-1.2 Residential Multi-Family to IR Institutional-Residential District.

When completed, the building would be leased to the VA Cincinnati Medical Center, which is in need of additional space.

The City Planning Commission recommended approval of the zoning change on November 7, and the plan has the support of the Corryville Community Council.

On November 17, LEED AP and public relations committee chair of the Cincinnati chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council led a tour of Marburg Square in Oakley, which is building its new structures to LEED for Homes Silver standards.

Being built by the Ackermann Group at , the $25 million development offers both urban flats, with more than 1,400 square feet, and townhomes, with more than 1,800 square feet.

Prices range from $264,900 for the urban flats to $389,900 for the townhomes.

The new builds earn most of their LEED points for optimal energy performance (66 HERS index) and sustainable sites, due to the project density, site permeability, and landscape design.

This slideshow contains 26 photos.

Pictured here are the exteriors of Buildings 7 and 8 (urban flats), foundations and footings for Building 4 (urban flats), and an interior of a townhome unit that's currently under construction.

In part two, we'll take a look at two of the decorated urban flats models.

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 640 x 480. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Marburg Square photo update, 2/3/08 (2/5/08)
Marburg Square photo update, 10/13/07 (10/19/07)

Single-family
DOB: 1882
Died: September 2008
Cause of death: Roof failure, a falling wall, water damage, raw sewage in the basement, broken and missing windows. Neighbors complained about the frequent vandalism and that the house was on the verge of collapse. The property has been cited multiple times for litter and debris, and had become a trash dump for a neighboring household.

Semme Holdings of Clearwater, Florida purchased the property in 2006, when the property already had several outstanding code violations and had been vacant for more than two years. Semme did nothing to address the violations, and a criminal case was filed in June 2007.

The house was condemned in September 2007, and later declared a public nuisance in June 2008. In July 2008, a $5,000 bond was ordered on a warrant for their arrest, one of several outstanding warrants against the owners of the company. The house was razed by the City.

These people should be in prison. Read more about Semme Holdings here.

One year ago:

• New East Price Hill, North Avondale, East Walnut Hills and skyline photos were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
  
• Cincinnati staff recommended against adding single-family dwellings to the City's year-old chronic nuisance ordinance.
• In Mount Adams, 375 Oregon Street was in the process of being gutted and rebuilt.
  
• CityKin reported that the entire building of the Washington Park Elementary School was down.
• The City of Fort Thomas applied to have its Midway District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $220,000 in state capital funds for the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati at its quarterly meeting last week.

In 2007, the club purchased Resthaven Barn in Mariemont, a National Historic Landmark that was the founding location of United Dairy Farmers.

The state funding will help the club convert the barn's east wing into additional program and meeting space and to paint the building's exterior.

Total restoration of the barn is estimated at more than $1 million, and Carl H. Lindner and his family have donated $500,000 toward the preservation of the place where they once worked.

Founded in 1892, the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati is the oldest continuously operating woman's art club in the United States and boasts more than 200 members.

Photo credit: Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati

The College Hill eNewsletter is reporting that Working in Neighborhoods (WIN) now owns five properties in College Hill's Cedar Avenue focus area, with plans to acquire two more in December.

The non-profit is wrapping up work on two new houses at and 1304 Cedar Avenue, both teardown projects that replace badly deteriorated structures.

The 1,640-square-foot house on Saranac Avenue, which has a ribbon-cutting last Thursday, will be listed for $115,000 and includes three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, an eat-in kitchen and two-car garage.

Later this month, the 2,000-square-foot house on Cedar Avenue will be completed.

For $120,000, buyers will get four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a two-car garage.

Both houses are LEED certified and have 15-year tax abatements.

By next fall, the College Hill Housing Team and WIN plan to complete another teardown/rebuild at and a rehabilitation of the house at .

Previous reading on BC:
Working in Neighborhoods to purchase College Hill property (11/13/08)
Cincinnati to vote on sale of surplus College Hill property (9/24/08)
Wrecking Cincinnati, 8/12/08 (8/12/08)
College Hill groundbreaking occurs today (6/5/08)

On November 13, City of Cincinnati staff, representatives of Al Neyer, Inc., and Columbia Tusculum residents and community council members celebrated completion of a $10 million retail phase at Columbia Square with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

One of the two new retail buildings will house Anytime Fitness, a 4,000-square-foot, 24-hour fitness facility.

Interiors by Kurtinitis, a neighborhood fixture for 65 years, has expanded their showroom to 10,000 square feet.

And within the next few weeks, Bruegger's Bagels will begin construction on one of two retail outlots opposite of Hoge Avenue.

One Columbia Square, a 48,000-square-foot office and restaurant building with Sycamore Gas as a named tenant, opened over the summer.

The total cost of the project is $19 million.

There are 10 photos in this slideshow.

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 640 x 480. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Columbia Square photo update, 10/10/08 (10/17/08)
Cincinnati to sell streets for Columbia Square (2/26/08)
Columbia Square photo update, 1/9/08 (1/14/08)
Columbia Square photo update, 10/4/07 (10/12/07)
Service agreement, funds for Columbia Square (8/7/07)

GBBN Architects and Jess Hauer Masonry have won the First Honor Award from the Tri-State Masonry Institute (TMI) for excellence in masonry design and workmanship during the ninth annual Architectural Awards Celebration, held at Drees Pavilion in Devou Park.

The jury was unanimous in its selection.

"It is evident that the architects chose the inherent qualities of masonry to create a unique piece of architecture," says a TMI report on the awards. "Closer examination revealed that this is a building that simultaneously celebrates the artistic and aesthetic potential of masonry and the exuberance of the young children that are the primary users."

The report goes on to call the disciplined design "systemic and playful", citing the varied color, texture, and bonds, as well as the incorporation of three sizes of window units.

Carson School was one of fifteen projects in Greater Cincinnati to receive awards from TMI.

Cincinnati Public Schools opened the new K-8 school this academic year.

Previous reading on BC:
Carson School photo update, 8/2/08 (8/8/08)
Wrecking Cincinnati, 7/28/08 (7/28/08)
CPS aerial updates (4/11/08)

The first of six scheduled signings for a new book on Findlay Market takes place this Friday from noon to 2 PM.

Published by Edgecliff Press, Cincinnati's Findlay Market - A Photographic Journey, Past and Present shows the contrasts between freelancer Don Nesbitt's original photos from 1966 and shots he captured in 2008.

An original show of Nesbitt's 1966 photographs was displayed at Findlay Market in 2004, and has since traveled to the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, the Fitton Galleries in Hamilton, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, and The Gathering Gallery in Over-the-Rhine.

Additional book signings are scheduled at Findlay Market on December 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21.

The 80-page book is available for $24.95.

Two-family
DOB: 1912
Died: August 2008
Cause of death: Missing or leaking roof, gutters and downspouts, missing or damaged mechanicals, broken windows, water damage, and excessive litter. It was condemned in April 2007, and declared a public nuisance in October 2007. It appears that the house's owner had died.

A fire occurred in August 2008, causing the second floor to collapse and damaging much of the support framing. The structure was razed by the City.

Three years ago:

• I visited the Streets of West Chester (Township) and Springdale.
  

The City of St. Bernard is considering joining forces with the Ohio Main Street Program to improve its Vine Street business district.

At the November 6 city council meeting, St. Bernard Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) director Al Kanters reported that they had been in discussions with the Vine Street Business Association over the branding and marketing of the city and were considering applying for the program on behalf of the city.

The Main Street Program, administered by Heritage Ohio and developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, brings retail and professional experts into communities to help develop strategies to revitalize historic or traditional commercial areas using a four-point approach, including:

• Organization: Cooperation between business owners and operators, residents, and city staff
• Design: Improving the downtown's image by improving its physical appearance
• Promotion: Marketing of the business district
• Economic restructuring: Strengthening and diversifying the economic base of downtown

"One of the things about this program is they do encourage to save historic buildings," Kanters said. "Just because something is old doesn't mean it's historic but we do have some very classic architecture on Vine St. which needs to be restored, which needs to be kept. Some of them are in very good shape that we need to enhance. We will be doing that as well as seeing how we can fit in new development that will fit with that character and we started to do that as you saw with the architectural renderings that were done for the proposed building at Bertus and Vine."

A district resource team from Heritage Ohio will be in to evaluate the city on December 3-4, which will include a tour and dinner on the 3rd and a day-long planning workshop at Centennial Hall, , on the 4th.

"The more people we can have at the workshop on the 4th, the more it will demonstrate that this community is serious about revitalizing its downtown and in working together to make that happen," Kanters said.

Kanters said that this program can help the city evaluate its strengths and weaknesses from an objective point of view.

"Obviously the mix of the past of having a drug store, a shoe store, a grocery store, a clothing store...that's just not going to work anymore with the big boxes that we have all around us," he said. "We have to look at what a unique set of businesses can we put together that's going to bring people into St. Bernard and provide services for our residents."

Kanters said that St. Bernard is well ahead of the curve, having already a paid CIC staff, office, and budget, with a board that could also serve as the Main Street board.

But "organization" is going to have to include the cooperation of many city interests.

"What we're focusing on is Mitchell and Vine through the St. Bernard Square Mall," Kanters said. "That strip of Vine St. this group will help us come up with a formalized plan with a step by step benchmark and everyone is going to have to have commitments, written commitments from the people that actually do the work, creating committees so it's going to force us to formalize the process and make a real commitment towards moving forward with this project and I highly recommend that we do this."

Joining the Main Street program would require the city to submit a letter of intent by December 1.

A resolution of support from the city will be required with the full application, which is due February 13.

Through 2007, 50 Ohio communities have taken part in the Main Street program, with more than $414 million invested in improvements.

Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. released the late last week, and some Clifton residents aren't happy with one of the proposals.

As part of the budget, property owners on gaslight streets would be charged $4 per linear foot of street frontage on a recurring three-year basis, or about $300 every three years.

This assessment is expected to bring the City nearly $400,000 in additional annual revenue.

Not only would the new assessment affect property owners on 30 of Clifton's streets, but property owners in other neighborhoods with gaslights as well.

Because Mayor Mark Mallory is currently reviewing the draft budget and may submit it to city council as early as this week, Clifton Town Meeting is asking residents to contact the mayor or councilmembers as soon as possible.

The issue is on the agenda for Clifton Town Meeting on December 1.

A similar proposal to assess street frontage on gaslight streets was made last year, but was not implemented due to community opposition.

At that time, the Clifton Town Meeting board passed a resolution opposing any tax on gaslight street property owners.

Here is an assortment of photos taken in late October and early November.

The Corryville shots were taken during a lunch trip to Cactus Pear, while the MainStrasse shot was taken for a Soapbox story.

The Downtown shots were taken during the Duke Energy Economic Development Consultants Forum, and the Montgomery shots were taken during a tour of the LEED Gold home at the Vintage Club of Montgomery.

Finally, the Over-the-Rhine shots were taken during the Moerlein Christkindl keg-tapping at Grammer's, and the Columbia Tusculum shot was taken while attending the ribbon cutting for Columbia Square's new retail spaces.

(BTW...that is Sarah Stephens' finger at the cash register, in case you were wondering.)

There are 22 photos in this slideshow.

These photos have also been added to the following galleries:

• Montgomery +8 (8 photos)
• Corryville +7 (48 photos)
• Over-the-Rhine +3 (148 photos)
• Downtown +2 (191 photos)
• MainStrasse +1 (46 photos)
• Columbia Tusculum +1 (85 photos)

These galleries, and the galleries for dozens of Greater Cincinnati communities, can be found in the drop-down menu at the top of the right-hand column.

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.

Cincinnati City Council approved of a rezoning that could help a Mount Washington retail property obtain tenants.

The rezoning changes a 10,000-square-foot multi-tenant retail building called Corbly Station, at , from CC-P Commercial Community - Pedestrian District to CC-M Commercial Community - Mixed District, allowing for the construction of a rear drive-through.

Cole Realty Associates requested the zoning change because they have had difficulty attracting tenants since beginning to market the newly-built property in December 2006.

With the building remaining vacant, it has begun to attract vandals.

But both Councilmembers Leslie Ghiz and Chris Monzel voted against the ordinance, saying that the rezoning goes against the pedestrian-friendly character for Beechmont that the Mount Washington Community Council (MWCC) is trying to achieve.

"I understand the troubles the developer is having with leasing the property, especially with the condition of the economy," Ghiz says. "The mission, however, of the Mt. Washington Comprehensive Plan was to take the necessary steps today to help create that pedestrian environment tomorrow. To allow another drive-through establishment in that area goes directly against that mission."

In January, the MWCC initiated a plan to reshape the City's zoning code to align better with the recommendations of the comprehensive plan, which sought to create more pedestrian-friendly development along Beechmont Avenue and to stimulate economic development in the business districts.

City council approved several of those zoning changes in September, and continues to investigate how to reconcile the need to keep automobile traffic moving with the need to accommodate those traveling by foot.

"Last month, for example, we asked the Administration for a report on what traffic calming measures can be made to meet this end," Ghiz says. "Our thoughts were that dedicated bicycle lanes, on-street parking, landscaped medians, and so on, would help dramatically draw the many residents living around the district to visit the shops and restaurants without their cars."

Corbly Station's new zoning is now similar to that of surrounding businesses with drive-throughs such as U.S. Bank, National City Bank, Wendy's, and Gold Star Chili.

Previous reading on BC:
Rezoning for drive-through could bring tenants to Corbly Station (11/17/08)
Mount Washington rezonings seek compact, pedestrian-friendly development (9/18/08)
Beechmont and Roxbury photo update, 10/29/07 (10/31/07)
Retail space to begin soon at Beechmont and Roxbury (7/26/07)
Mount Washington: 2312-2316 Beechmont Ave (4/8/07)

The Ohio Department of Development's Community Development Division has awarded Hamilton County nearly $3.3 million in grants to assist low-income homebuyers and homeless individuals.

--> --> -->People Working Cooperatively --> --> --> will receive $800,000 in Housing Assistance Grant Program funds, while Working in Neighborhoods will receive $149,900.

These funds, which come from Ohio Housing Trust Fund dollars, can be used for emergency home repair and handicapped accessibility, homebuyer counseling, and downpayment assistance for low-income families and individuals.

Additionally, six local agencies received grants through the Homeless Assistance Grant Program, funded through the Emergency Shelter Grant Program and Ohio Housing Trust Fund dollars:

• Shelter House Volunteers Group (Recovery Hotel), $709,900
• Bethany House Services, $625,000
• Mercy Franciscan Social Ministries, $488,000
• Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services, $198,000
• Lighthouse Youth Services, $165,600
• Center for Independent Living Options, $150,000

Funds from the Homeless Assistance Grant Program can be used for homelessness prevention services and assistance, moving people from homelessness to housing, and providing long-term supportive housing to homeless individuals with disabilities.

The grants are part of $27 million awarded by ODOD that is expected to leverage $65.2 million in additional public and private dollars.

Instead of last Saturday, the University of Cincinnati will kick off construction of its sixth Habitat for Humanity house on December 6 at 10 AM.

UC faculty and students will build a new handicap-accessible house design alongside partners Tyann Edwards and her teenage son, Dwight Williams, at in Avondale.

Edwards was paralyzed from the waist down following a car accident 22 years ago.

This is one of three houses planned for people with disabilities between Stewart Place and Hale Street.

The house is expected to be completed by the end of spring quarter.

The house design resulted from a competition sponsored by Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, the UC Center for Community Engagement, the UC Institute for Community Partnerships, the Office of the University Architect, the UC College of DAAP, and the UC Community Design Center.

Architecture students Zach Fein and Julie Fowler developed the winning design, as judged by a member of the School of Architecture and Interior Design, Habitat, and a person with disabilities.

Previous reading on BC:
UC kicks off sixth Habitat house Saturday (11/19/08)
Habitat to kick off two new Avondale homes, dedicate another (5/28/08)
UC begins fifth Habitat house Saturday (10/5/07)
Habitat and UC to build third Avondale home (7/29/07)

Single-family/College-owned
DOB: 1926
Died: October 2008
Cause of death: Razed to make way for Xavier University's Hoff Academic Quad project.

A new three-story house in Mount Adams has hit the market for $699,000.

Rob Fritzsch and Stock Supply are building the house at , which is expected to include:

• Brick and cedar construction
• Three bedrooms
• Three-and-a-half baths
• A marble fireplace
• A two-car garage
• A deck/balcony
• River views

The house is listed by Re/Max City Wide.

A house on the site was razed in 2006, and, in 2007, permits for new construction were pursued but allowed to expire.

If you live, work, or spend time in any of Uptown's neighborhoods, park planners want to hear from you.

Graduate student teams from the University of Cincinnati College of Business have developed an anonymous online survey to gauge opinions that will help Cincinnati Parks and the Uptown Consortium craft specific plans that will put the City's Centennial Parks Master Plan into action.

The survey should take about ten minutes to complete.

Previous reading on BC:
Meeting to present findings of Uptown Parks Study (6/23/08)

After originally passing on the purchase of , Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center finally closed on the property two weeks ago for $552,116.

In June, the Cincinnati City Council approved a zoning change from IR Institutional-Residential to CC-A Commercial Community Auto-Oriented District in an attempt to make the 2.1-acre site more attractive for development.

Several developers expressed interest in a rezoned site, including several fast food operators.

BMF Pediatric Care, who owned the land and a 16,000-square-foot building on the site, had been trying to market the property to fund its other locations in Over-the-Rhine, Norwood, and Harrison.

It is unclear if Children's will utilize the site for its own operations or put the land up for sale.

Previous reading on BC:
Avondale land rezoned (6/25/08)
Rezoning could make Avondale land marketable (6/13/08)

Single-family/College-owned
DOB: 1920
Died: October 2008
Cause of death: Razed to make way for Xavier University's Hoff Academic Quad project.

One year ago:

• Vision Land Development presented a new site plan for Millworks in Oakley.
• Northside's HOME House Project houses hit the market at $189,900.
• A rehabber claimed that the City of Cincinnati's Department of Buildings & Inspections made his life a "complete nightmare".
• In Hyde Park, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati/St. Mary's Church said that a 16-space surface parking lot on the site of the demolished Mairose Grocery would be "attractive and landscaped".
• A fire-damaged house in Mount Airy was razed.
• I visited Mount Auburn and Mount Adams.
  

The University of Cincinnati will kick off construction of its sixth Habitat for Humanity house this Saturday at 9 AM.

Located at in Avondale, UC faculty and students will be building a new handicap-accessible design, which is expected to set a precedent for other Habitat affiliates around the nation.

This is one of three houses planned for people with disabilities between Stewart Place and Hale Street.

The house design resulted from a competition sponsored by Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, the UC Center for Community Engagement, the UC Institute for Community Partnerships, the Office of the University Architect, the UC College of DAAP, and the UC Community Design Center.

The competition challenged students to create a new design using the criteria of livability, accessibility, sustainability, affordability, feasibility, sociability and beauty.

Architecture students Zach Fein and Julie Fowler developed the winning design*, as judged by a member of the School of Architecture and Interior Design, Habitat, and a person with disabilities.

In addition to a concrete ramp, modified cabinets and a larger bathroom, the house will feature vaulted ceilings and additional shade and insulation.

Tyann Edwards' family will partner on the project.

In May, Habitat and the University of Cincinnati dedicated their fifth build at , also in Avondale.

Between 2003 and 2007, UC students completed two other homes on Haven Street and two homes on Winkler Street in Mount Auburn.

This year, Habitat will build 11 new homes and will complete one rehabilitation.

* Unfortunately, I could not find a rendering of the new house style.

Previous reading on BC:
Habitat to kick off two new Avondale homes, dedicate another (5/28/08)
UC begins fifth Habitat house Saturday (10/5/07)
Habitat and UC to build third Avondale home (7/29/07)

Three new houses at the top of Strafer Street in Columbia Tusculum have hit the listings.

John Hueber Homes will build the three new houses at , which are priced at $619,000.

The three-bedroom, three-story houses of brick and stone construction will feature custom finishes, two fireplaces, and a rooftop deck with river and city views.

Permits for two of the houses are in route, and the third has been approved.

All three properties will seek LEED-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Multi-family
DOB: 1954
Died: September 2008
Cause of death: Broken windows leading to water damage, holes in the floors and ceilings. The building became the target of graffiti and vandalism, and required frequent City barricading. It had been vacant for several years, except for a fairly heavy rodent population.

Having been vacated by the City in 2002, the four-flat finally was condemned in August 2006 after numerous complaints by the neighbors. The owner kept in contact with the City, claiming that he was trying to sell another building to pay for repairs to this one. After giving him a little rope, the City finally filed a court case.

The building was declared a public nuisance in June 2008, and the owner pled guilty to the charges and was entered into a diversion program. The apartments were razed by the City.

One year ago:

• The Village of Mariemont was added to the Building Cincinnati photo galleries.
  
• Keating Muething & Klekamp LLP alerted the City of Cincinnati to possible contradictory contract language in The Banks' planned development district and the master development agreement that could affect the maximum building heights.
• Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. assured the Over-the-Rhine Foundation that a letter from Cincinnati Public Schools to the Cincinnati Park Board and a city council resolution were sufficient to insure that the site of the demolished Washington Park Elementary School becomes greenspace.
• The rear building at 320-322 Broadway was being razed to make way for surface parking.
• 
  
  
• Sarah Stephens reviewed the Riverview East Academy in her CityBeat Cincitecture column.
• A two-family house was razed to make way for Corryville Crossings.

Phoenix Building Solutions has completed a new, system-built house at in Oakley.

The house, which was pre-built in the Vineyard style, shipped from the company's Brookville, Ohio factory, and assembled by Custom Modern Homes LLC, is super-insulated to an R-42 rating at the ceiling and R-22 at the walls.

A similar house built by Phoenix Building Solutions was rated with a HERS index of 64 and received a 5-star+ rating by Energy Star.

Among the other features:

• A full basement
• A detached garage
• A pre-studded R-5 insulated foundation from Superior Walls
• Attached front porch and rear deck
• Transom windows
• Nine-foot ceilings
• An open floor plan
• Bamboo flooring
• Heil high-efficiency HVAC
• Quality Cabinets
• Dal-Tile ceramic tile floors in the kitchen
• Whirlpool appliances
• Moen plumbing fixtures
• Formica countertops
• A rain barrel connected to the garage downspouts

Priced at $254,900, the house offers new construction in a desirable neighborhood for a similar cost to less energy-efficient housing choices.

The site became available in January after demolition of the property's previous house, which burned down in August 2007.

Photo credit: Phoenix Building Solutions

The Wyoming City Center Mayor's Task Force presented plans for the redevelopment of its City Center late last month.

The study site, which consists of land bounded by the , was targeted in the city's 2007 master plan for mixed uses, including neighborhood-scaled retail, office, civic, and residential uses.

The cornerstone of the City Center is the 8,200-square-foot building at , formerly the home of Sturkey's, Encore, and Village Green restaurants.

The city purchased the property in July.

A housing and commercial study by Property Advisors said that the large number of affluent househoulds in Wyoming could support an additional 525,000-725,000 square feet of commercial space over the next five years.

Property Advisors also recommended that the city increase its moderately-priced housing options ($200,000-$275,000) and offer more housing styles, including attached townhomes.

GBBN Architects took preliminary task force brainstorming and developed the concept of redeveloping 400 Wyoming Avenue as a restaurant and bar, with outdoor dining and second-floor office space.

A second concept for the building reduces the dining space and adds a retail component on the west side of the building.

GBBN also proposed two new buildings north of 400 Wyoming Avenue, fronting a parking lot that serves as an extention of Wirtz way.

Both proposals for those buildings include ground-floor retail space, but interchange second-floor office and residential uses.

Recommendations will be made to Wyoming City Council for consideration.

Chuck Lohre, LEED AP and chair of the public relations committee of the Cincinnati chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, recently led a tour through Cincinnati Magazine's Design Home 2008 at the Vintage Club of Montgomery.

Built by partner Great Traditions Homes at 202 Legacy Lane, the $1.5 million, 7,000-square-foot house has achieved LEED Gold certification with its (future) walkability, native landscaping, geothermal HVAC system, and Energy Star-rated windows, appliance and mechanicals.

In part two, we look at the interior, which includes two levels of living space and a partially-finished basement.

Note the gardening/pet room, the master suite, the den/library, and the second-story guest suite.

There are 47 photos in this slideshow.

The $150 million, 70-acre Vintage Club is envisioned as a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of over 200 residential units and 150,000 square feet of commercial space arranged around a village green.

Ten homes within the development were part of last year's Homearama Luxury Edition.

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 640 x 480. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Inside the Cincinnati Magazine Design Home 2008, Part I (11/17/08)
Vintage Club sales, building steady (6/13/08)
'Design Home 2008' slated for Vintage Club (2/1/08)

Single-family
DOB: 1865
Died: November 2008
Cause of death: Torn down to make way for a new single-family house to be built by Painter Development Group and Black Diamond Construction.

This property was once proposed for an expanded parking lot for Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church, but the church sold off the property last month.

Three years ago:

• I visited Downtown and grabbed a shot of the skyline.
  

Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee will consider rezoning a piece of Mount Washington property at its meeting tomorrow at noon.

Cole Realty Associates has asked that their property at be changed from CC-P Commercial Community-Pedestrian District to CC-M Commercial Community-Mixed District to allow for the construction of a drive-through.

Cole Realty Associates recently completed Corbly Station, a 10,000-square-foot multi-tenant retail building, but has had trouble attracting tenants since beginning to market the property in December 2006.

Jill and Stephen Cole say that they have received interest from a check cashing store, but add that businesses such as Starbucks, Donato's, Bruegger's Bagels, Skyline Chili, Widmer's and Little Caesar's have expressed interest in locating to the development if there were a drive-through.

Meanwhile, the property is sitting vacant and has begun to attract vandalism.

The City Planning Commission recommended the rezoning on September 5, reasoning that surrounding properties are either currently zoned CC-M, or soon will be rezoned to CC-M.

2300 Beechmont Avenue would be the only commercial property with CC-P zoning north of Corbly Avenue.

Additionally, four businesses in the area have drive-throughs, including U.S. Bank, National City Bank, Wendy's and Gold Star Chili.

"Clearly, this portion of the Mt. Washington Business District is a mix of pedestrian and auto-oriented development," says a staff report to the City Planning Commission. "The 2300 Beechmont building should be rezoned to CC-M to be consistent with the other businesses."

The Mount Washington Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation has offered a letter of support for the change, contingent upon Cole Realty Associates limiting the hours of operation of the drive-through.

In January, the Mt. Washington Community Council (MWCC) initiated a plan to reshape the City's zoning code to align better with the recommendations of the Mt. Washington Comprehensive Plan, which sought to create more pedestrian-friendly development along Beechmont Avenue and to stimulate economic development in the business districts.

City Council approved of several of those zoning changes in September, and the MWCC has initiated a survey on traffic calming for Beechmont Avenue.

Previous reading on BC:
Mount Washington rezonings seek compact, pedestrian-friendly development (9/18/08)
Beechmont and Roxbury photo update, 10/29/07 (10/31/07)
Retail space to begin soon at Beechmont and Roxbury (7/26/07)
Mount Washington: 2312-2316 Beechmont Ave (4/8/07)

Chuck Lohre, LEED AP and chair of the public relations committee of the Cincinnati chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, recently led a tour through Cincinnati Magazine's Design Home 2008 at the Vintage Club of Montgomery.

Built by partner Great Traditions Homes at 202 Legacy Lane, the $1.5 million, 7,000-square-foot house has achieved LEED Gold certification with its (future) walkability, native landscaping, geothermal HVAC system, and Energy Star-rated windows, appliance and mechanicals.

In part one, we start with the exterior.

Among the features you will notice are the outdoor fireplace, the second-story guest patio, the hot tub, the outdoor living space, and the outdoor kitchen.

There are 35 photos in this slideshow.

The $150 million, 70-acre Vintage Club is envisioned as a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of over 200 residential units and 150,000 square feet of commercial space arranged around a village green.

Ten homes within the development were part of last year's Homearama Luxury Edition.

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 640 x 480. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Vintage Club sales, building steady (6/13/08)
'Design Home 2008' slated for Vintage Club (2/1/08)

Single-family
DOB: 1923
Died: September 2008
Cause of death: Razed to make way for Xavier University's Hoff Academic Quad project.

One year ago:

• I visited Oakley and Peaselburg.
  
  

River Metals Recycling is preparing an application for a conditional use hearing to bring a junkyard operation to South Fairmount.

The 7.8-acre property, at , is zoned MG Manufacturing General and can only house a junkyard with approval of the conditional use.

Last month, Lower Price Hill Community Council (LPHCC) president Dr. Jack Degano asked the City not to approve the plans until residents of his neighborhood got the opportunity to view them.

At a LPHCC meeting on October 6, residents soundly rejected the plan, fearing the over-concentration of polluting industry and noise near their homes and businesses.

Spokesmen for River Metals and parent company David J. Joseph Company say that the facility would accept and store a multitude of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal, and would also accept junked vehicles.

Shipments would remain at the site for between one to three weeks, and they agreed that the junkyard would be noisy during its hours of operation.

Once that conditional use application is received by the City, all property owners within 100 feet and the LPHCC will be notified within 14 days of the scheduled hearing.

Based in Fort Mitchell, River Metals Recycling is the largest scrap processor in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky with 11 processing facilities between Paducah and Xenia.

Photo credit: "Bayard Street Scrapyard (Baltimore, MD)" by Flickr user

Previous reading on BC:
Lower Price Hill fighting proposed junkyard (10/9/08)

Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity will dedicate two new houses in Avondale on Saturday at 10 AM.

The houses, located at , were sponsored by the Eastside Coalition of Churches, with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans sponsoring one of the builds.

Both houses were built in the Blair style, a two-story, 1,320-square foot model with a full basement.

560 Maple Avenue will become home for Shirley Peterson, her three children, and one grandchild.

Tiffany Barnes and Bryan Maxberry will reside in 564 Maple Avenue.

Eastside has partnered with Habitat on 30 builds, and Thrivent has taken part in four.

Previous reading on BC:
Habitat to break ground on three homes this weekend (4/9/08)

Cincinnati City Council has approved unanimously an ordinance allowing the sale of surplus College Hill property to Working In Neighborhoods (WIN).

WIN will purchase the property, at , for $1,000 through the Cincinnati Land Reutilization Program (CLRP).

The 0.14-acre lot is located between two WIN-owned properties and adjacent to the construction site of a new energy-efficient (and possibly LEED-certified), single-family house.

WIN plans to add the parcel to the property at 1304 Cedar Avenue to create a larger lot.

CLRP, established by council in 1996 to return abandoned property to tax-generating use, is managed by the Department of City Planning.

The program has acquired approximately 68 parcels of land since its inception.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati to vote on sale of surplus College Hill property (9/24/08)

Single-family
DOB: 1885
Died: October 2008
Cause of death: Roof, flashing, gutters and downspouts that were leaking or missing; missing siding; cornice falling off; collapsing floors; missing and/or vandalized mechanicals; and trash and debris.

The house was condemned in January 2007. Bank-owned since 2003 with building code orders dating back to 2005, it was a foreclosure that was then neglected by U.S. Bank. The bank didn't reply to numerous City inquiries, and a court case was filed in April 2008.

In October, U.S. Bank pled no contest and was found guilty, receiving a fine of $500 and court costs. The house was declared a public nuisance nine days ago because the demolition debris still had not been cleaned up.

One year ago:

• Cincinnati City Council was considering the sale of surplus South Block property to the Northside Business Association for a 22-space parking lot.
• Cincinnati City Council agreed to submit grant applications to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Footers and foundations were being poured at the Baldwin 300 site in Walnut Hills.
  
• CityKin had some photos of the Washington Park Elementary School demolition.
• An Oakley home was demolished to make way for a new Malton Gallery, which is relocating from Hyde Park Square.

The City of Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) is going ahead with the design and construction of an Ohio River Trail crossing over the Little Miami River at Kellogg Avenue, which will eventually connect to the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

In September 2005, DOTE received notice of a federal SAFETEA-LU funding earmark of $2,417,000 to construct a portion of the Ohio River Trail between Downtown and Salem Avenue.

The funds would have required a local match of $604,000 - or 20 percent of construction costs up to $3,021,000 - with any additional costs being the responsibility of the City.

The City intended to use the funds to complete the section of trail from , tying together the section (completed in 2005) and the section (currently out to bid) and providing a continuous connection between Lunken Airport and Schmidt Field.

Soon after, DOTE began to look into using the funding to construct a crossing over the Little Miami River with the goal of eventually connecting with the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

A working group consisting of the --> --> -->, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, Anderson Township and the Hamilton County Park District not only chose where the trail would cross, but also advanced planning for the extension of the Little Miami Scenic Trail from the Village of Newtown into the City of Cincinnati.

The estimate for the cost of the trail is $2.5 million.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati council supports Ohio River Trail (3/19/08)
City seeking comments for river trail funds (11/16/07)
Ohio River Trail: Three alternatives (5/18/07)

Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. thinks that a City Council motion aimed at stepping up the demolition of blighted buildings is unworkable, but should be kept in mind as the City prepares its 2009-2010 budget.

In October, Councilmember Chris Monzel proposed that City administration expend the maximum allowable amount of available resources to acquire and demolish blighted structures.

Sources of funding could include City capital funds, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, and Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funding.

Dohoney says that he sees two main concerns with Monzel's proposal - the addition of property acquisition to the hazard abatement process, and the impact that may have on the allocation of resources.

"Adding an acquisition component to the current Hazard Abatement program would result in a decrease in demolitions by approximately one-half to two-thirds," he says. "The cost of purchasing a building and land and then paying for the demolition and the maintenance and taxes on the land is far more expensive than the expense incurred by the current hazard abatement program."

Currently, the City's hazard abatement program puts a lien on property for the cost of demolition.

In 2008, the City appropriated $1,000,100 for the demolition, and they expect to appropriate even more in the 2009 budget cycle.

The average cost of a demolition is $14,000.

The "purchase and demolish" model has been used in Westwood.

One multi-family apartment building targeted for demolition had an owner contract price and City appraisal of $200,000.

With the costs of demolition and property maintenance, the figure approached $250,000, or five times what it would cost the City under the current hazard abatement program.

"A purchase and demolish program would also force the City into owning scattered vacant land and parcels and force the taxpayers into paying for the grass cutting, litter removal, and taxes on these sites for years to come," Dohoney says. "This type of policy without identifying a use or plan for the land could become problematic."

In addition to these concerns, Dohoney says that reallocating resources could damage other housing programs that they fund, such as --> --> -->People Working Cooperatively's --> --> --> Emergency Home Repair Program.

"The Administration believes that keeping citizens in their homes by assisting with fundamental home repair is a preferred alternative to allowing that home to become uninhabitable and leaving the City to bear the cost of loss of a housing unit and tax base as the building is eventually abandoned and demolished," he says.

Additionally, the City would be out of compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development if they fail to spend at least 25 percent of NSP funds to house people whose incomes are no greater than 50 percent of the area median income.

Some of the remaining housing funds will be used for blight removal, and some to rehabilitate foreclosed homes.

"The Administration strives to strike a balance between blight abatement through prevention and rehabilitation in both CDBG and NSP funded activities."

Excavation work is happening at the future site of the Great American Tower at Queen City Square.

Eagle Realty Group/Western & Southern Financial Group is building the $322 million, 41-story tower at the Downtown.

At buildout, Queen City Square will feature 800,000 square feet of office space, 20,000-25,000 square feet of street-level retail, a pedestrian promenade, an outdoor plaza, and a 1,700-car parking garage on eight above-ground levels and three below-ground.

The tower has been designed to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it one of the first, largest, and tallest such projects in the nation.

The building shell is expected to be completed by December 2010, with tenants arriving in early 2011.

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 640 x 480. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Random projects photo update (8/11/08)
Queen City Square agreements approved (6/12/08)
Queen City Square land transfers approved, agreements pending (6/6/08)
Land conveyances needed for Queen City Square (5/19/08)
Urban Design Review Board to critique Queen City Square (3/18/08)

A Cincinnati property owner who's facing jail time for building code violations has put herself in the situation, according to a report from city manager Milton Dohoney.

The report is in response to an October communication from the woman who claimed that the City has it out for them because she and her husband are immigrants from China and Taiwan, and they're using the condition of their buildings to violate their constitutional rights.

She claimed, among other things, the refusal of the City to grant permits, warrantless and illegal searches by building inspectors, injuries to her husband resulting from the search, the failure of the court to grant a motion for discovery in her husband's case, and extreme financial hardship from the City shutting down her buildings.

She now faces jail up to 18 months in jail for violations at 1818 Race Street*, 2311 Kemper Lane, and 2232 Boone Street.

Her husband has already been sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 120 days suspended and 2 years of probation.

On November 17, the woman plans to enter "no contest" pleas to the charges before Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge David Stockdale.

Dohoney says that her rights remain safeguarded.

"If sentenced, the maximum possible sentence is 18 months," he says. "She has retained counsel and will be entering 'no contest' pleas to the criminal charges. To date, [she] has not achieved compliance with the lawful orders issued by the building inspectors. Judge Stockdale will determine the appropriate sentence."

Dohoney suggests that the woman may receive some leniency - and stay out of jail - by showing a good faith effort to bring her properties up to code.

"[She] needs to comply with the law by bringing her properties into code compliance," he says. "To date, the prosecution has not received a positive report regarding [her] compliance efforts."

Upon his impending release from jail, her husband has until December 10 to comply with his orders or face more jail time.

* 1818 Race Street has green storefront in photo.

Previous reading on BC:
Property owner: 'Is Cincinnati 200 years behind the rest of the world in the legal system?' (10/9/08)