An Environmental Assessment Document (PDF) for the $642.5 million I-75 Mill Creek Expressway project is now available to the public.

The project, covering eight miles between the Western Hills Viaduct and Paddock Road, includes the addition of one lane in each direction and improvements to the interchanges at Hopple Street, I-74 and Colerain/Beekman, Mitchell Avenue, the Norwood Lateral, and Paddock Road.

The partial interchange at Towne Street will be eliminated due to low volume.

According to the study by TranSystems Corporation, the preferred alternative would require the relocation of 22 residential and 15 commercial buildings and would impact seven parks, including Mt. Storm Park in Clifton.

Approximately 18 acres of mixed deciduous forest would be lost in the entire project area.

A public open house about the project will be held on February 10 from 4 PM to 7 PM at the St. Bernard Municipal Building, .

Maps, drawings, tentative schedules and other project documents will be available for public inspection, and representatives from the --> --> --> (ODOT) and TranSystems will be on hand to answer questions.

Copies of these documents are also available for review at ODOT District 8 offices; Cincinnati City Hall; St. Bernard City Hall; Elmwood Place Village Hall; Camp Washington Community Center; and the Main, Clifton, Elmwood Place, Northside, and St. Bernard branches of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The public comment period will end February 26.

Right-of-way acquisition near the in Camp Washington is scheduled to begin in June, with the first construction contract to be awarded in January 2010.

Major construction for the entire project is scheduled to end in May 2020.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati council opposed I-75/Hopple plans (7/2/08)
Qualls submits OKI 2030 recommendations (1/8/08)

The first Give Back Cincinnati Sounding Sessions of the year will be held February 2 and 3 in Music Hall's Cincinnati Opera Garrett Board Room from 6 PM to 8 PM.

Participants will have the chance to hear a brief presentation on the streetcar proposal, which consists of a Downtown-Over-the-Rhine circulator loop with a connection to Uptown.

Attendees will also be able to pose questions to City leaders and streetcar supporters.

Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. will speak at the Monday session.

A speaker for the Tuesday session has not been named.

Registration for either Sounding Session can be made on the Give Back Cincinnati website.

Previous reading on BC:
City will issue RFP for Uptown streetcar analysis (1/26/09)
Final YP Sounding Session has green theme (12/1/08)
Corryville homeowner says Kroger development would hinder streetcar (8/6/08)
Great American Cleanup in Northside (5/13/08)
Give Back Cincinnati to spruce up Clifton Heights tomorrow (9/7/07)

Progress continues on the third phase of 3CDC's Gateway Quarter project in Over-the-Rhine.

Pictured first is the Lofts of Mottainai, an 8-unit project at by B2B Equities and Northpointe Group, will be priced for between $134,000 and $215,000 for spaces of between 1,020 and 1,470 square feet.

The buildings are part of a U.S. Green Building Council LEED pilot project for mid-rise, multi-family buildings.

The hole in the ground is located at Trinity Flats, a series of buildings undergoing rehabilitation by the Model Group for commercial and residential space at .

There are 16 photos in the slideshow.

Photos of the buildings' previous condition can be seen in the "Blogger Tour of Living" link, located below.

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:
Blogger Tour of Living, Part II (10/2/08)
Two OTR projects in LEED pilot program (9/30/08)
Wrecking Cincinnati, 7/24/08 (7/24/08)
Model releases Trinity Flats elevations (2/13/08)

Final voting is now open for the eighth category of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the worst developer currently working in the Greater Cincinnati region.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Monday.

Also, voting is still open for the best developer in Greater Cincinnati:
VOTE NOW!!!

Single-family
DOB: 1905
Died: December 2008
Cause of death: Foundation damage causing the structure to slip downhill, deteriorating roof, missing and broken windows, water damage. The building was vacant for a number of years and lacked working mechanicals, and appears to be a victim of foreclosure.

A criminal case was filed in June 2007 for the outstanding orders. That case was dismissed for want of prosecution.

The City condemned it in August 2007. A court case was filed in March 2008, and the structure was declared a public nuisance in April 2008. THAT case was dismissed for want of prosecution.

The house was razed by the City, at a cost to the taxpayers. Reimbursement to City coffers will never happen.

Two years ago:

• Rehab projects were planned for 530 E 13th Street and 1344 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine.
• Mount Adams was added to the Building Cincinnati photo galleries.

One year ago:

• Cincinnati Department of City Planning director Charles C. Graves III reported to city council that a proposal by the Northside Community Council to relocate the new site of Chase School was likely unworkable.
• The Nevada Building, a key part of the Fort Thomas Midway district, was on the auction block.
• In Columbia Tusculum, a new house was under construction and a new gateway installed at Alms Gate.
  
• Cincinnati's Department of Community Development and Planning was in the midst of a split, requiring 87 amendments to the City's Municipal Code.
• Richter & Phillips purchased a couple of lots along New Street, Downtown.
• An abandoned car wash in Avondale was razed by Norton Outdoor Advertising.

The Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission (HCRPC) has released the draft Mariemont North Square District Study, which is now being considered by the village.

The study is the result of redevelopment pressures that the village has been facing, most notably the obsolesence of many of the apartment buildings surrounding the Village Square.

In 2007, Rick Greiwe of Greiwe Development Group proposed the 26-unit Jordan Park condominium development on , a project requiring the demolition of seven four-family apartment buildings.

Because the high-density development didn't fit into any of the village's zoning districts, Griewe had to endure the process of receiving multiple variances.

After breaking ground on Jordan Park, Griewe proposed a second development on land northwest of the square that would replace four multi-family apartment buildings with more new condominiums.

But that proposal had to be abandoned due to the number of variances required.


HCRPC work begins

As part of the study, HCRPC staff examined John Nolen's 1921 drawings for the planned community.

Much of Mariemont had been built according to the plans, but the Great Depression cut its full realization short.

Mostly developed after World War II, areas to the northeast and northwest of the square ended up having much different heights, massing, and character.

"With redevelopment opportunities under consideration, there is an opportunity to rebuild in a manner more consistent with the original plan and vision for the area," the study says. "The existing viability of the square, strong housing market in the area, and a growing demand for more diverse housing options appears to support such action."

HCRPC staff then looked at the village's current zoning code, and found several obstacles to redevelopment:

• Many of the buildings existing or planned for Mariemont could not be built under the current code, since mixed-use structures are not allowed.
• 30-foot height limits, 20-foot setbacks and density limits prevent the construction of high-density condominiums.
• The Architectural Review Board only reviews redevelopment within the village historic districts, which is not generally where redevelopment is occurring.

Because of this, the HCRPC has recommended the creation of a new zoning district that would address all three of these obstacles.


Public sees plans

Sixty-four residents attended a public meeting in December to discuss the possible changes.

While residents generally supported the concepts of mixed uses and higher densities, but worried about increasing heights and zero lot line setbacks.

Many felt that two- to three-story buildings would be acceptable, but none should be taller than the Mariemont Inn.

Some used the now completed Jordan Park as an example of what should not be built.

"There was concern that new buildings would be allowed to tower over the single-family homes," the study says. "Some stated that buildings should be stepped back or moved further away from residences when the height is increased."

And although residents expressed concern about how redevelopment would affect the surrounding homes, the majority agreed that the existing four-family apartment buildings were neither historic nor financially viable.


Recommendations

Amendments to Mariemont's existing residential and commercial zoning districts would not adequately address the obstacles to denser, mixed-use redevelopment.

"The three residence districts do not include standards that would permit the construction of high-density residential developments and do not permit commercial uses," the study says. "The business district does include standards that would permit high-density multi-story developments but does not allow residential uses. Amending either residence or business district regulations to permit mixed uses would not be appropriate because these changes would apply to all properties located in these existing districts."

Following the public meeting the HCRPC made some preliminary recommendations:

• Mixed uses should be permitted along "major" roads*, with commercial and office spaces exceeding no more than 50 percent of the building area.
• Minimum densities should be set at 1,400 square feet per unit, or 31.1 units per acre.
• Maximum building heights should be set at 30 feet in residential areas, but can increase up to 45 feet. However, each additional foot of height over 30 feet would require an additional foot of setback.
• Development adjacent to existing commercial properties or along a major road should have lesser setbacks and can be built up to 45 feet.
• Parking lots should be set back at least 10 feet from the street and screened by trees and shrubs, with vehicular access from only major roads or non-residential streets.
• Certificates of appropriateness should be required from the Architectural Review Board for all new development plans, followed by Planning Commission review and approval.

In their opinion, only a new zoning district would move the village closer to realizing Mary Emery's dream.

"This proposed new zoning district would be unique in the Village of Mariemont and would provide an additional option for redevelopment of non-historic properties," the study says. "High-density mixed-use developments are appropriate in specific locations in the Village and this district would provide an improved method of regulation that would help ensure high quality site planning and architectural style consistent with the high quality of the community as a whole."

* The report defines major roads as Wooster Pike, Plainville Road, Madisonville Road, Murray Avenue, Chestnut Street, Oak Street, Miami Road (between East and Center streets), and Crystal Springs Road (between Wooster Pike and Center Street).

Previous reading on BC:
Jordan Park photo update, 4/16/08 (4/22/08)
Jordan Park photo update, 10/29/07 (11/2/07)

Cincinnati Preservation Assocation director Margo Warminski reports that the City's Historic Conservation Board has approved of the demolition of two Auburn Avenue apartment buildings.

The board's split vote gives building owners Gamble Realty Co., a holding company for Christ Hospital, the okay to raze the buildings at .

"They're good background buildings," Warminski says.

Gamble Realty says that sites are needed for the hospital's future expansion, but will probably remain grassy lots for at least five years.

"If you won't 'need' the land for five years or more, why not leave the buildings there and collect the rents?" Warminski says. "A lot can happen in 5 years -- or even less."

In an earlier hearing with the board, Gamble Realty argued that the buildings were so dilapidated that they were no longer financially viable.

John Senhauser, chairman of the Historic Conservation Board, noted during the hearing that Gamble Realty had owned the buildings for more than 20 years and were using hospital expansion as a way of avoiding "the appearance of demolition by neglect".

Warminski says she believes that the real plan is "to create a fake suburban campus" with a buffer zone in an attempt to keep perceived blight at bay.

"We fear this sets a bad precedent," she says.

No demolition permit applications have been filed.

Built between 1927 and 1930, both buildings total over 30,000 square feet in living space.

Exterior brick is being installed at in Over-the-Rhine, and workers are already inside installing drywall, flooring, and other finishes.

The Model Group is building the 9-unit condominium project, which is scheduled for completion this spring.

The redevelopment is part of the third phase of 3CDC's Gateway Quarter project, a $30.3 million project that includes 106 for-sale housing units and over 15,000 square feet of commercial space.

Three of the nine units hit the market late last week.

There are 12 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:
Fourteenth and Vine hits the market (1/22/09)
Blogger Tour of Living, Part II (10/2/08)
Two OTR projects in LEED pilot program (9/30/08)
City Home photo update, 8/4/08 (8/12/08)
City approves OTR property sales (5/27/08)

Final voting is now open for the eighth category of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the worst developer currently working in the Greater Cincinnati region.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Monday.

Also, voting is still open for the best developer in Greater Cincinnati:
VOTE NOW!!!

Single-family
DOB: 1885
Died: December 2008
Cause of death: General neglect, structural issues and numerous requests for barricading, causing a public nuisance. The house became abandoned following the death of its owners.

Although orders on the property date back to 2001, it wasn't condemned until April 2006. It was declared a public nuisance in July 2006, but it took two-and-a-half years for the City to raze it.

At just 512 square feet and with most of the surrounding urban fabric now gone, there wasn't much desire to save this one.

One year ago:

• New Columbia Tusculum and skyline photos were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
  
• Cincinnati's Zoning Text Amendment Committee was reviewing possible changes to the City's zoning code due to CityLink litigation.
• Scattered-site affordable housing continued to go up along Saratoga Street in Newport.
  
• Aldi submitted plans for a new grocery store near Ridge and Highland avenues, a development that would straddle the border between Cincinnati and Columbia Township.
• Union Institute and University razed a Walnut Hills house.

The City of Cincinnati may apply for a grant to aid in the restoration of the George Hatch House in the West End.

The $8,500 grant, from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors and administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, would be made on behalf of building owner and overseer Hatch's Folly, LLC to create an indoor restoration plan and to fund ongoing restoration efforts at the historic property at .

With oversight from the City's Historic Conservation Office, the non-profit would be responsible for administering the grant, awarding construction contracts, and producing any required reports.

Hatch's Folly has already secured $8,500 in matching funds.

The George Hatch House, built in 1880 for the former Cincinnati mayor and designed by Isaiah Rogers, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places both individually and as part of the Dayton Street National Register Historic District.

It is also within the boundaries of the City's Dayton Street Protection Area.

Prior to restoration, the house had been vacant for three years after serving as a multi-tenant apartment building.

Hatch's Folly plans to turn it into a museum and educational facility about Hatch, Cincinnati's Civil War history, and the Black Brigade of Cincinnati.

Previous reading on BC:
Three Cincinnati buildings nominated for Register (4/1/08)
City to apply for grant to restore George Hatch House (12/14/07)

Three vacant properties in West Price Hill have been offered to the City of Cincinnati for a new District 3 station for the , if the City chooses to buy them.

The properties, consisting of 1.6 acres north of the , is owned by Heritage Community Church and includes the 1912 Plymouth Church building.

Earlier this month, church trustees approved a motion to place the Plymouth Church up for auction.

A report from city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. is due before city council by February 19.

Price Hill residents and community groups have long complained that the current District 3 police station at is outdated and lacks adequate parking.

Last June, East Price Hill Improvement Association president Michael Wigle made his latest pitch for the City purchase the adjacent Whittier School site, which became available when Cincinnati Public Schools demolished the facility following the 2005-2006 school year.

The City has repeatedly said that it will not purchase the site, but will work with the community on its redevelopment.

Previous reading on BC:
EPHIA to City: Buy Whittier site ASAP (6/18/08)
City will not help purchase Whittier site (11/21/07)
East Price Hill wants Whittier, new police station (10/18/07)

Workers were installing glass at the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) project site in Over-the-Rhine last Thursday, and the entire block was a hub of activity.

The $72 million, five-floor building will occupy the .

The new school will combine Cincinnati Public Schools' SCPA program for grades 4 through 12 with Schiel Primary's K-3 program. It will serve 1,350 students and be the first public K-12 arts school in the United States.

The project is scheduled for completion by spring 2010.

This slideshow contains 28 photos.

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:
SCPA photo update, 2/16/08 (2/18/08)
CPS aerial updates (11/11/08)
CPS aerial updates (4/11/08)
SCPA photo update, 11/10/07 (11/12/07)

A partnership between developer Urban Sites Properties and real estate investor Martin Wade has purchased 7 Over-the-Rhine buildings from national non-profitMercy Housing for $355,000.

The properties, located at 1207 and 1209 Clay Street; 1301, 1307, 1329 and 1415 Main Street; and 104 W Clifton Avenue, are rumored to become apartments, although plans have not been confirmed.

Final voting is now open for the seventh category of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the best developer.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Wednesday.

Also, voting is still open for the BEST condo, apartment or multi-family project...
VOTE NOW!!!

...and the WORST condo, apartment or multi-family project:
VOTE NOW!!!

Multi-family
DOB: 1900
Died: December 2008
Cause of death: Severe water damage to the structural integrity, combustible storage on site, concrete damage, failing roof, broken and missing windows, heavy vandalism and vagrancy. The building was condemned in January 2005.

In 2006, the owner began work on painting the exterior and installing new mechanicals, and applied for a Vacated Building Maintenance License. For some reason, work stalled and a criminal complaint was filed. It was declared a public nuisance in April 2007.

In August 2008, the owner pled no contest to the charges and was fined $200, plus court costs. A new owner emerged, purchasing the property for $12,800. There is no record of any work on the property since then. The structure was razed by the City.

The City of Cincinnati will issue a request for proposals (RFP) for consultants for a study that will examine alignment alternatives for the Uptown Connector and Uptown Circulator streetcar routes, according to a report from city Manager Milton Dohoney Jr.

In the report, which will be presented before city council's Economic Development Committee on January 27, Dohoney says that the consultant is necessary to untangle all of the issues and concerns that are emerging from representatives of the Uptown neighborhoods.

"Alternatives analysis studies are designed to examine all potential alignment alternatives and to select a preferred alternative to move forward for future development, design, and engineering," Dohoney says. "These studies are part of established transportation planning processes and are required in most Federal Transit Administration decision-making processes."


No option is perfect

Last fall, the Clifton Heights Improvement Association (CHIA) advocated the benefits of a West Clifton route over a Vine Street route, including a densely populated corridor that could bring the streetcar immediate success.

Such a route could also take advantage of tax increment financing and give a boost to some of the neighborhood's stalled redevelopment initiatives.

Dohoney says that despite the advantages of the West Clifton route, several "significant" technical issues exist.

"The steep grade and narrow width of the street, the impacts on parking and existing transit operations, and ride comfort are also factors in determining the desirability of one alignment over another," he says.

Yet another concern, voiced in a communication from Corryville Community Council president Clyde Nowlin and later seconded by resident Peter Dryer, was that new plans by Anchor Properties for the University Plaza site could jeopardize ideas to route the streetcar up Short Vine.

"Although the illustrated a direct connection from the William H. Taft and Jefferson/Vine Street intersection to the Short Vine and Corry intersection, that connection may be made through a plaza or parking area in lieu of following a vehicular route, which is more typical," Dohoney says.

Dohoney adds that streetcars could follow a route along Jefferson to Corry, then east to Short Vine.

"This option appears to have a number of engineering and operational issues to resolve," he says.


Team to form

The study team will consist of consultants, City staff from several departments, community leaders, residents, and other stakeholders from the Uptown neighborhoods.

The team will be charged with developing a "purpose and need", or mission, statement, and will define the evaluation measures that will assess how well each alternative serves that mission.

"These evaluation measures could include effectiveness, impacts, financial feasibility, equity, and cost effectiveness," Dohoney says.

A set of conceptual alternatives will then be developed showing potential alignments.

The RFP is expected to be issued to qualified firms from the Department of Transportation and Engineering's contingency consultant contracts, with selection and authorization of a consultant complete by mid-February.

The alternatives analysis study will conclude in June 2009, when a preferred alternative will be recommended.

Previous reading on BC:
Corryville homeowner says Kroger development would hinder streetcar (8/6/08)
Streetcar: W Clifton or Vine? (7/29/08)
Cincinnati streetcar vote possible today (4/23/08)

The City of Cincinnati has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of three parcels in Westwood.

The site consists of 12.8 acres located , between Cavanaugh and Sunshine avenues.

Portions of the property have been held by the Cincinnati Land Reutilization Program (CLRP) since 2001.

By law, CLRP property must be sold for fair market value and are conveyed as-is, and the minimum bid price has been set at $108,430.

Proposals are due at 4 PM on February 20, and the winning proposal will be selected by city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. on March 13.

The property is located in a SF-4 Single Family District, which supports detached housing on minimum 4,000-square-foot lots.

On perfectly flat land, 12.8 acres zoned SF-4 could support up to 139 units, minus units lost to streets and other infrastructure.

The first photo was taken during a meeting at Baba Budan's, where several of us were discussing Explore Cincinnati, a new radio show on Bearcast Radio. Not pictured is the hellacious ice storm, or my slide up Probasco Street.

The two Downtown shots were taken while I was photographing progress at The Banks. The artwork was located on the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge.

The next two shots were taken on the 700 block of Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue, where I went to interview Matthew Buschle at Virgils Cafe for a Soapbox story.

The West End buildings explain themselves.

The first Over-the-Rhine shots came during the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District Charrette at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Finally, Grammer's. I seem to have spent a lot of time there over the last month or two....

This slideshow contains 15 photos.

These photos have been added to the following galleries:

• Over-the-Rhine +9 (170 photos)
• Downtown +2 (196 photos)
• Bellevue +2 (10 photos)
• Clifton Heights +1 (39 photos)
• West End +1 (25 photos)

These galleries, and the galleries of dozens of other 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 will try again to pass an ordinance allowing the City to sell two Queensgate streets to National City Bank for a new data processing center.

An ordinance allowing for the sale of portions of was passed last September, but lacked the required six week publication of the notice of National City's petition to purchase.

The new ordinance would repeal the prior ordinance.

National City has offered $17,500 for the 0.4 acres, which abuts their Dalton Avenue facility.

CSX Transportation, the only abutting property owner, has yet to consent to the sale.

The bank says that the planned expansion will cost between $45 million and $55 million and will add 75 to 125 new jobs.

Previous reading on BC:
National City gets Queensgate expansion room (10/1/08)
Street sale would aid National City expansion, add more than 75 jobs (9/3/08)

Final voting is now open for the seventh category of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the best developer.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Wednesday.

Also, voting is still open for the BEST condo, apartment or multi-family project...
VOTE NOW!!!

...and the WORST condo, apartment or multi-family project.
VOTE NOW!!!

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

Two years ago:

• Northside was added to the Building Cincinnati photo galleries.
• I visited Addyston, Sayler Park, Fernbank Park (where I got some shots of the Ohio River), and North Bend.*
  

One year ago:

• I visited Over-the-Rhine, and later stopped by Findlay Market.*
  

* 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.

Lighthouse Youth Services has closed on the former Gruen Watch Co. building at 401 E. McMillan Avenue, which will soon house its administrative offices and several of its programs.

Lighthouse, currently headquartered in a cramped space at 1501 Madison Road, purchased the 35,600-square-foot building for $2.7 million.

The Tudor-style building with Arts & Crafts details, completed in 1917 and soon dubbed "Time Hill", is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The most recent owner, Union Institute & University, put the building up for sale in 2006 as part of an effort to divest itself of its real estate assets and focus on its online programs.

Founded in 1969, Lighthouse is a multiservice agency providing social services to children, youth and families.

The agency's $4 million capital campaign was aided by a $1 million matching grant from Susan and Dan Pfau made last October, in which they pledged a dollar-for-dollar match.

Image courtesy of Cincinnativiews.

, a new construction condominium project by the Model Group, has three of its units listed for sale.

The three units are:

• #1: $185,000 for 1,315 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths
• #6: $221,000 for 1,195 square feet, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, and two outdoor spaces
• #8: $231,000 for 1,200 square feet 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, and access to a roof deck

Each space includes a study a study, garage parking, Energy Star appliances, and bamboo, granite and stainless finishes.

All three units also feature a 10-year property tax abatement.

Upon completion, Fourteenth and Vine will include 9 condominium units ranging in price from $185,000 to $244,000.

The redevelopment is part of the third phase of 3CDC's Gateway Quarter project, a $30.3 million project that includes 106 for-sale housing units and over 15,000 square feet of commercial space.

Previous reading on BC:
Blogger Tour of Living, Part II (10/2/08)
Two OTR projects in LEED pilot program (9/30/08)
City Home photo update, 8/4/08 (8/12/08)
City approves OTR property sales (5/27/08)
City likely to sell OTR property to 3CDC, OTRCH (5/20/08)

An opening reception for Cincinnati – A Glimpse from the Past will be held at the Betts House this Saturday from 12:30 PM to 5 PM.

The exhibit pairs historic photographic scenes of Downtown streetscapes from the personal collection of Chris Smith, reference librarian in the Genealogy & Local History Department at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, with contemporary shots by photographer Alex Bell.

The 10 "before and after" comparisons give a glimpse into how much the City's urban fabric has changed over the past few decades.

Smith and Bell will be on hand to meet and talk with visitors about the exhibit, and prints of all of the photographs will be available for purchase.

Cincinnati – A Glimpse from the Past will be on view through March 31.

The Betts House is open Tuesday through Thursday between 11 AM and 2 PM; from 12:30 PM to 5 PM on January 24-25, February 21-22, and March 21-22; and by appointment. Admission is $2.

Cincinnati City Council has passed an ordinance that serves as final legislation indicating that they are planning to move forward on the transportation improvement project.

The ordinance keeps the --> --> --> on schedule to begin the $3.8 million Colerain Corridor TSM Project, which includes:

• Widening Colerain Avenue between the Beekman/I-74 ramps and the West Fork-Virginia intersection
• Additional left-turn lanes
• New pavement, curbs and sidewalks
• New signals and lighting
• Improved storm drainage
• Signal synchronization between West Fork Road and Virginia Avenue

Work has been tentatively scheduled to begin this spring.

The intersection accommodates 33,000 motorists, pedestrians, buses, and bicycles daily.

Previous reading on BC:
EDC to consider Colerain-West Fork ordinance (1/12/09)
Cincinnati approves appropriations for Colerain project (6/20/08)
Ordinance would appropriate land for Colerain-West Fork project (6/12/08)
Council to acquire property for Colerain-West Fork-Virginia improvements (10/29/07)
Northside: Colerain-West Fork-Virginia improvements (4/11/07)

Final voting is now open for the fifth and sixth categories of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the best and worst condominium, apartment, or multi-family development.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like for the BEST!
VOTE NOW!!!

Vote as many times as you'd like for the WORST!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Monday.

Single-family
DOB: 1947
Died: December 2008
Cause of death: No building code violations, but a couple of old litter citations. A neighboring property owner says that the house was a wreck for several years.

"Everybody on the street is happy about it," he says.

The owner died last summer, and, once the house cleared probate in October, it was purchased by Cincinnati Christian University for $8,000.

There are no concrete plans for the lot, though it's possible that it could become the site of the university's second Habitat build on the street.

One year ago:

• Due to a change in the bond market and the addition of a restaurant outlot, Cincinnati City Council re-approved bonds for the Keystone Parke project in Evanston.
• Cincinnati City Council voted to apply for a federal grant to help build a $6.5 million regional fire training center.
• Lots of action was taking place on Kinmont Street and Crocus Lane in Mount Lookout, with new homes being built by Chrisman Homes and Mornington Properties.
  
• Price Hill Will hosted its fifth annual Community Wide Meeting.
• Sarah Stephens wrote about East Price Hill's Holy Family Church in her Cincitecture column in CityBeat.
• A Corryville home was razed after a fire caused $15,000 in damages.
• I was in Over-the-Rhine.
  

Media release

All Aboard Ohio is calling on Ohio's Congressional Delegation to support a list of "Shovel Ready" federal stimulus projects identified last week by the U.S. House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In that list was $30.25 billion worth of highway and bridge projects, $12 billion for transit and nearly $5 billion for passenger rail.

This week the House Appropriations Committee kept the funding levels intact for highways, but reduced transit to $8.9 billion and eviscerated passenger rail funding to just $1.1 billion.

"There are some really great stimulus projects in Ohio that could begin to create the kind of interconnected transportation system that is needed to reduce our travel costs, boost development in our historic cities and towns, increase our energy efficiency, reduce our carbon emissions and compete better with the rest of the world," says All Aboard Ohio interim executive director Ken Prendergast. "That is the kind of change we can believe in. I hope Congress does too."

A stimulus project list appears at the bottom of this press statement. Note that some of the projects are actually for federally required planning and environmental review so that those rail projects can become "shovel ready" for a long-term federal stimulus.

"Unfortunately, it seems that repeated utterances of 'Roads-n-Bridges' have become a programmed response as the best way to boost jobs," Prendergast says. "It's not. Our nation became overdependent on driving during the 100 years when America was the world's biggest producer of oil. Now we are as dependent on imported oil as Europe, Japan and China. But while those nations are rebuilding their economies around trains and transit as well as walkable town centers, America is in danger of driving itself into an economic and environmental dead end.”

China is spending $88 billion on rail projects this year. European countries are shifting their infrastructure budgets from a dominance of "Roads-n-Bridges" to being in balance with "Trains and Transit". India will invest $30 billion on rail in 2009. Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Vietnam, Argentina, Mexico, Turkey and other nations are or will soon invest billions to build high-speed rail. Meanwhile America plans to spend more for short-lived benefits and less to invest in Trains and Transit that will transform a resource-constrained America for the coming century and beyond.

"We ask everyone in Ohio to please contact their Congressperson today," Prendergast says. "America can do what is easy or it can do what is best for its economy over the long term. Either way, decisions made in Congress in the next few weeks will likely set a direction for this nation that will last for decades."


Local projects

Here's a local list of "Trains and Transit" projects, submitted for federal stimulus program funding:

• Downtown Streetcar system: up to $185 million; requested by the City of Cincinnati.
• Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati (3-C) Corridor intercity passenger rail service (Phase One): $100 million; requested by the Ohio Department of Transportation and the City of Cleveland.
• Ohio Hub System passenger rail preliminary engineering and environmental impact studies: $100 million; requested by the Ohio Department of Transportation and the City of Cleveland.
• Ohio Hub - Tier One Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement: $15 million; requested by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
• Future Phase of Amtrak Planning and Engineering Design: $2.5 million; requested by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Release issued by All Aboard Ohio on January 16, 2009. Contact Ken Prendergast, interim executive director, at (216) 288-4883 or .

The City of Covington is holding a public hearing for a grant application for the first phase of the project tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM at City Commission Chambers, .

The Recreational Trails Program grant, administered by the Federal Highway Administration, would be used to construct an 8-foot-wide multi-purpose trail beginning at Clayton-Meyer Park, ascending and then following the floodwall along the Licking River, and continuing southward through the nature trails at Oakland Avenue.

The ending trail head will be located at Holmes High School.

The deadline for the grant application is February 1.

After more than a year of planning and public meetings, --> --> --> released a final report and master plan for the system in late December.

Once completed, the Licking River Greenway and Trails will provide increased recreational opportunities and access to cultural and natural assets along the five-mile river corridor between I-275 and the Ohio River confluence.

A 1.3-acre piece of Queensgate land that has been vacant since the late 1990s will be redeveloped.

As a parking lot.

Located on the , the lot will serve Heidelberg Distributing Company's adjacent office building and its 250,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution space.

In 2003, the company received a Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption agreement from the City of Cincinnati for an expansion of the office building, a $1.75 million investment that added 12,800 square feet of office space and retained 237 full-time employees.

Heidelberg Distributing Company, dba Miller-Vontz, Ltd., has owned the parcel since December 2006.

The City of Harrison has unveiled a new logo in an effort to update its marketing image and brand identity.

The new logo, which will be applied across all city departments, was developed by Strata-G Communications.

The city has also launched an improved website with better access to community events and city services.

Final voting is now open for the fifth and sixth categories of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the best and worst condominium, apartment, or multi-family development.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like for the BEST!
VOTE NOW!!!

Vote as many times as you'd like for the WORST!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Monday.

Three-family
DOB: 1880s
Died: December 2008
Cause of death: Failing structural elements and decay of exterior siding, cornices, roof and porches.

Problems with the house date back to at least 2002, and enforcement was stepped up following the Neighborhood Enhancement Program in 2007. It was finally condemned in September 2008.

Long targeted by Price Hill Will, they finally made the purchase from the absentee owners in December for $8,750. Price Hill Will determined that it would be far too costly to try to save the building, given their tight resources.

This Queen Anne-style house, and the adjacent 1128 Beech Avenue, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since February, 1979. The property was once the home of J. Alfred Schehl, famous organist and songwriter.

Two years ago:

• The Cincinnati Central Credit Union, a redevelopment project by Cincinnati Housing Partners at Vine and 70th streets in Carthage, was nearing completion.
  
• JFP Group purchased several lots along Baum Street in Mount Adams, and 1238 Elsinore was awaiting demolition for new residences.
• A College Hill photo gallery was added to Building Cincinnati.

One year ago:

• New photos of Cincinnati Union Terminal, Fountain Square, Downtown and the city skyline were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
  
• Cincinnati City Council approved a notwithstanding ordinance allowing Enerfab to operate a steel fabrication plant in Riverside.
• Cincinnati City Council considered amending the planned development district (PD-43) for The Banks due to incongruities between the ordinance's language and the master development agreement.
• In Columbia Tusculum, Lion Hill Estates (now known as Delta Place) looked much the same as it does now.
  
• A Mulberry Street two-family had to be demolished after it collapsed.

Downzoning of single-family lots in Hyde Park and Mount Lookout to prevent further subdivision is now in the hands of the respective communities, according to an update from city manager Milton Dohoney Jr.

Dohoney's update is the result of a May 2008 report submitted to Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee requesting zoning changes in the two neighborhoods, text amendments to the front yard modifications section of the zoning code, and changes to the subdivision regulations.

Residents in the two neighborhoods have become concerned over a perceived lack of zoning control when it comes to new construction, feeling that some recent projects are damaging the the integrity of their communities.

The issue first came to light when two new houses were built by John Hueber Homes at in Hyde Park, with the front house having a much smaller setback than other structures on the street.

And just recently, residents of in Mount Lookout fought a plan by Metropolitan Design & Development to build two new single-family homes that would be built not only closer to the street, but closer to neighboring lot lines than they thought the zoning code allowed.

In order to disallow the future subdivision of existing single-family lots, parcels would have to be downzoned to SF-20 Single-Family Residential, requiring a minimum lot size of 20,000 square feet and a minimum lot width of 70 feet.

There are a total of 4,869 SF-6 and SF-10 parcels, or approximately 1,174 acres, in the two neighborhoods.

Because the downzoning would create an abundance of nonconforming SF-20 lots, the issue was referred back to the Department of Planning for further study.

That study was completed over the summer.

City staff has since met with the Mount Lookout Community Council (MLCC), which held public meetings on the matter in November.

Residents at the meeting overwhelmingly supported the downzoning, and the MLCC is likely to vote on the proposal at their next meeting.

A "yes" vote could jumpstart the zoning change process.

The City has not received a response from the Hyde Park Community Council.

Mount Lookout zoning maps are available on the MLCC website.

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously a resolution supporting a six-month foreclosure moratorium in the state of Ohio, and is urging the state legislature to pass emergency legislation to make it happen.

Council hopes that the moratorium will allow current foreclosure cases to be held in abeyance, giving homeowners more time to plug into assistance programs provided by the state and federal governments and avoid losing their homes.

Each foreclosed home costs the City funds related to the abatement of vacant and abandoned properties, while also depriving the government of much needed property tax revenue.

According to the resolution, there were approximately 86,000 foreclosures filed in Ohio during 2008.*

The resolution also says that up to 40,000 Ohio homeowners will lose their homes to foreclosure over the next six months.

* Statistics vary, depending on the source, from the low 70,000s to more than 150,000. Whichever figure you choose, it is entirely too high to be good.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati receives $8.3M in HUD funding (10/1/08)
Dohoney says City collections against banks 'successful' (8/21/08)
AHP wants Cincinnati support for lease buy-back program (7/7/08)
Foreclosure Phone-a-Thon coming up Wednesday (6/2/08)
Foreclosure initiative presented in Cincinnati council committee (5/14/08)

Final voting is now open for the fourth category of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the worst single-family or townhouse development.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Monday.

Also, voting is still open for the best single-family or townhouse project:
VOTE NOW!!!

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

One year ago:

• A meeting to save Rothenberg School for use as a community learning center was held at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in Over-the-Rhine.
• Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee considered a rezoning for Metropolitan Design and Development to construct six new condominiums across from the intersection of Monastery and Oregon streets in Mount Adams.
• A few random Columbia Tusculum projects were updated.
  
• Downtown, "Dr. Bob" Biederman was seeking a notwithstanding ordinance that would allow him to move his Cincinnati Central Animal Hospital to 427 Plum Street.
• Cincinnati's Economic Development Committee considered downzoning several Westwood properties for single-family use.
• A three-family on Vine Street was razed to make way for Corryville Crossings.

Money intended for College Hill's Linden Park project should not be used for a neighborhood land banking strategy, according to a report to Cincinnati city council by city manager Milton Dohoney Jr.

The report results from a motion, passed by council in November, to channel $1.5 million intended for the development of Linden Park to the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC) to acquire and demolish buildings in the mid-core business district.

The 1.05 acres, , would then be available for residential redevelopment when the economy recovers, making the business district more mixed-use and sustainable.

But transferring the funds would contradict the City's precedent of land banking property only if a developer has a specific proposal for the site or if brownfield remediation is necessary, according to Dohoney.

"Typical examples are acquiring environmentally contaminated property and remediating it to put the City on a level playing field with the suburbs or assembling blighted property, such as the Queen City Barrel site," he says.

The Linden Park Commons project was meant to be the centerpiece of the 2004 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) plan for College Hill, one of four in the City that includes a $2.1 million investment in Northside's Factory Square project and $2 million for the redevelopment of Madisonville's Madison and Whetsel area.

In College Hill, the City spent $780,000 on acquiring and demolishing the Shuller's Wigwam site, provided CHCURC with a $80,000 pre-development grant, and spent more than $3,900 to maintain the lot.

The City also acquired the Eastern Star Nursing Home for $850,000, and, because of asbestos abatement, demolition is estimated to cost between $200,000 and $250,000. Maintenance costs have been just over $2,800.

In addition, the City appropriated an additional $1.8 million because Al Neyer, Inc. was willing to sign a development agreement.

Neyer backed out of the project last August due to poor condominium pre-sales and the inability to secure retail tenants.

"Had it not been for the actions of this developer and their willingness to undertake the associated risk, the Administration would not have recommended the appropriation of this funding," Dohoney says. "Providing College Hill with an additional $1.5 million for further land bank property is not only inequitable when compared with other land banking projects, but may deprive other communities of development subsidy funding that may be needed during 2009 for projects already in the pipeline."

Dohoney specifies those projects as Factory Square, Madison and Whetsel, the Spring Grove Village market study, Clyffside Lofts, and Brewery Heights infill housing.

Of the additional $1.8 million budgeted for Linden Park, nearly one-third already has been channeled to other projects.

Dohoney recommends that the City should focus on redevelopment of the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road, where it already controls 6.4 acres.

"These 6.4 acres are of sufficient size to spark additional redevelopment in the business district once the economy recovers," he says. "If these funds are redirected to the mid-district in College Hill the property that was to be the Linden Park project will remain an eyesore."

Previous reading on BC:
Linden Park money will aid other College Hill projects (12/2/08)
Neyer backs out of Linden Park (8/29/08)
Linden Park reception to kick off sales center opening (3/6/08)
City to sell land, provide loan for Linden Park (2/1/08)
New rendering, townhome developer for Linden Park (9/24/07)

Final voting is now open for the fourth category of the 2009 Building Cincinnati Development Awards, the worst single-family or townhouse development.

Your (and my) nominations have been narrowed down to five choices, with a box available for you to comment on why you made your selection.

Vote as many times as you'd like!
VOTE NOW!!!

Voting for the next category will begin on Monday.

Also, voting is still open for the best single-family or townhouse project:
VOTE NOW!!!

Multi-family
DOB: 1930
Died: December 2008
Cause of death: A deteriorated foundation, failing roof, gutters and downspouts, severe water damage, weeds and litter. The building had been vacant since the City ordered the tenants out in 2006.

It was condemned in March 2008, and a criminal case was filed against the Michigan-based owners. The property was identified as a blight during the 2008 Neighborhood Enhancement Program and declared a public nuisance in June 2008.
The building was razed by the City, and the criminal case was dismissed for want of prosecution.

One year ago:

• New photos were added to the Hyde Park, Mount Healthy, Downtown, Clifton, Lower Price Hill and Westwood galleries.
  
• Cincinnati City Council approved the creation of a planned development district for 350 Erkenbrecher Avenue to make way for a three-story, 32,000-square-foot addition and parking garage for the Ronald McDonald House.
• The first building at Columbia Square was a structural steel skeleton.
  
• The Cincinnati Recreation Commission was seeking an extra $300,000 for the Otto Armleder Memorial Aquatics Center in Avondale.
• A Walnut Hills two-family was razed, the result of a fire and owner neglect that led to a criminal case.

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously a resolution supporting the full, comprehensive cleanup of the Hilton Davis site at , which would allow for "the most unrestricted future use of the property possible".

Pleasant Ridge residents and citizens' groups have been fighting to have the contaminated 72-acre property cleaned up to terms set in a 1986 consent decree between former owners Kodak Co., the Ohio EPA, and the Pleasant Ridge Community Council (PRCC).

Although toxic waste lagoons and contaminated soil from the manufacturing of dyes and chemicals have been remediated, concerns remain over the Bloody Run Creek ravine that runs through the site, where chemical wastes were dumped for a period of more than 50 years.

Kodak's plan for dealing with the waste is to permanently cap the ravine.

The Ohio EPA approved of Kodak's plan on July 21, 2008, a move that the City says will not actually clean up the ravine, but will "create a permanent tomb for toxic waste".

A copy of the City resolution will be sent to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Ohio EPA director Christopher Korleski, Ohio EPA Southwest District director Thomas Winston, and Harold O'Connell, Southwest District office supervisor of the Division of Hazardous Waste Management.

PRCC has been urging concerned residents to write to the governor and to the Ohio EPA since last month.

Previous reading on BC:
PRCC asks residents to write Ohio EPA, governor (12/15/08)
Cincinnati to pay PRCC nearly $10K for Hilton Davis cleanup (6/18/08)
City may pay more funds for Hilton Davis (5/23/08)
Meeting on Hilton Davis cleanup tonight (3/12/08)
Council votes to end Hilton Davis funding (12/20/07)