A proposal to add a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HP-O) to a portion of Covington's downtown will be heard by the Kenton County Planning Commission (KCPC) this Thursday.

A 7.2-acre area, , is located in what once was Covington's first commercial area.

Preservationists, including Covington's Progress with Preservation and Cincinnati Preservation Association have been fighting to save buildings such as the Bradford Building, the Hermes Building, the Woodford Apartments, and others from being demolished without any protections.

Petitions circulated among nearby building and business owners have shown significant opposition due to the hurdle it could create in redeveloping the area and the additional costs they may have to bear when making improvements.

The six-block area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2005, the area was targeted by Cincinnati-based Lantrust Securities for an $85 million redevelopment called Covington Square that would have included an eight-story, 47-unit condominium building; a 12-story hotel with 35 for-sale condominiums; a 1,200-seat performing arts center; a boutique grocery store; and the renovation of two existing buildings into retail and office space.

Those plans were scaled back in 2007, and activity on advancing the project has since come to a halt.

And although the area is largely vacant and dotted with surface parking lots, construction of the Ascent at Roebling's Bridge and the future demolition of the old Kenton County Jail could make the property ripe for redevelopment within the next few years.

The ultimate decision on the overlay rests with the Covington City Commission, who will take the recommendations of the KCPC into account.

If the commission fails to take action on the recommendations within 90 days, the KCPC's decision becomes final.

Covington currently has seven Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, including zones to the south and to the east of the site.

On March 25, Cincinnati Public Schools, WA Architects Inc. and GBBN Architects updated the Over-the-Rhine community on the design process for the $21 million Rothenberg Preparatory Academy project.

As part of the new proposal, existing buildings at would be preserved.

A one-floor gymnasium would be built at the intersection of Main Street and E McMicken Avenue, a service drive would be built along Hust Alley, and an elementary play area would be expanded by 9,600 square feet along Clifton Avenue.

The ground floor of the renovated school would contain early childhood classrooms, administration space, and a media center; the first floor classrooms and the cafeteria; the second floor classrooms, music, and art rooms; and the third floor classrooms.

Sixty-seven surface parking spaces would be provided between Main and Hughes streets, and the bus loading zone would be located along the school's Main Street frontage.

Originally slated for closure, Cincinnati Public Schools announced in 2008 that it would cost less to renovate the building to support 550 students than it would to build a new school on a nearby site.

Since then, community members, school staff, parents, students, and other stakeholders have been working to decide the building's layout and programs so that the school can open in time for the 2011-2012 school year.

The next planning meeting will be held tomorrow evening at 5 PM at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center.

Previous reading on BC:
Rothenberg planning continues (4/23/08)
Rothenberg School sends parents survey (4/16/08)
Rothenberg meeting Thursday (3/12/08)
Community brainstorms on Rothenberg engagement process (2/28/08)
Peaslee to host meeting on Rothenberg (1/15/08)

NOTE: The 2009 Prohibition Resistance Tour was held during Bockfest, March 6-8. I took the tour on Saturday afternoon. Part III of the tour includes the John Hauck Brewing Company at .

Started in 1863 as the Hauck and Windisch Brewery (also known as the Dayton Street Brewery), the brewery operated until 1879, when Hauck bought out Windisch and renamed the operation the John Hauck Brewery.

In 1881, it was re-incorporated as the John Hauck Brewing Company.

Prohibition caused the brewery to shift to near beer, soda, and ice, with portions of the plant being leased to Red Top Brewing Company, and, in 1933, the Red Top acquired a lease on the entire property.

Today, the building is privately owned.

Pictured here is the sub-basement and some of the first floor -- I didn't get to the upstairs, because I was distracted by free beer.

Auditor's records indicate that the current 12,482-square-foot structure dates from 1909.

There are 22 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 800 x 600. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Prohibition Resistance Tour, Part II (3/24/09)
Prohibition Resistance Tour, Part I (3/23/09)

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously three ordinances that will aid in the development of The Banks project.

The ordinances allow the City to issue $15 million in bonds to fund the remainder of its $30.4 million share of phase one of the project, authorize the creation of a capital improvement program project account and the transfer into it of $15 million from Urban Redevelopment Fund 822, and create another capital improvement program project account in the amount of $77,000 to cover incidental costs not shared with Hamilton County.

The $90.8 million Phase 1A of The Banks, currently under construction, is expected to include a minimum of 300 apartments and 70,000 square feet of retail.

Phase 1B will include a mix of office space, residential units, and a possible 100- to 120-room boutique hotel.

Last week, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced that $23.2 million in federal economic stimulus funding will go to project infrastructure, such as the second phase parking structure and the riverfront street grid.

Previous reading on BC:
Three ordinances to be considered for The Banks (3/9/09)
More than you ever wanted to know about The Banks (3/3/09)
The Banks photo update, 12/28/08 (12/31/08)
Monzel: Provide Banks updates (9/9/08)
Urban design board to review designs for The Banks (6/23/08)

The 3-C Corridor passenger rail project tying together Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland will have zero risk to Ohio taxpayers, says All Aboard Ohio interim executive director Ken Prendergast.

Prendergast projects that, based upon an analysis of the experiences of 14 other states that fund Amtrak, a federal investment of $250 million would have several benefits along the 260-mile corridor:

• Immediate improvement in freight rail services due to track improvements and additional passing sidings
• The installation of Positive Train Control, which overrides human error along the entire route and is mandated to be installed by 2015 by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008
• Safer grade crossings
• Train stations serving as multi-modal transportation centers in the heart of business districts
• The attraction of private investment around the service, including new construction and renovation of buildings containing a mix of uses
• Savings to travelers in excess of operating subsidies

"In 10 of 14 states that support passenger rail, travelers' savings were larger than the state subsidies provided to Amtrak," Prendergast says. "For example, travelers using Amtrak trains in Washington saved an average of $1.30 for every $1 of state subsidy. In North Carolina, travelers saved $5.90 for every $1 of state subsidy to Amtrak."

An analysis of ridership projections and operating costs by the and Amtrak has yet to be completed, but Prendergast says that, because of these wide-ranging benefits, Ohio needs to act now to tap federal economic stimulus funds.

"We are aware of the concern expressed by some state legislators about making a decision without this latest passenger rail study being done," he says. "But I am confident that the benefits beyond the passenger rail service will make this investment worthwhile."

Cincinnati City Council passed a resolution of support for the 3-C Corridor project earlier this month.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati supports 3-C passenger rail (3/10/09)
Cincinnati EDC to consider resolution of support for Ohio passenger rail service (2/23/09)
All Aboard Ohio: Stimulus bill may ignore Ohio's train and transit needs (1/21/09)

Two-family
DOB: Unknown
Died: October 2008
Cause of death: No clue.

Owned by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees, who acquired the properties as MLK and Bishop in 2001.

Speculation has been that the land will be used to buffer the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency complex, although road widening and redevelopment have also come up as ideas. The fact that the buildings were removed while still under the ownership of UC points toward the latter, but this is only a wild guess.

Two years ago:

• I visited Fairview, where I also got shots of the West End and the skyline; Krohn Conservatory; and Walnut Hills.*
  

* 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.

Saddened by the October loss of St. Martin's German Evangelical Church and the pending redevelopment of much of its historic district, the Sedamsville Civic Association on March 11 voted 17-0, with two absetentions, to support saving Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, .

These sentiments were affirmed during a public nuisance hearing on March 13.

"If the city has available funds to demolish buildings, these same funds should be used to preserve buildings, at a lesser cost, while Sedamsville-like communities wait for redevelopment opportunities and alternative uses for signature buildings," says Susan Feldman, president of the Sedamsville Civic Association.

In a letter to director of Division of Building and Inspections Ed Cunningham, Feldman requested stabilization funds to save the remaining "landmark of Sedamsville", which she says could be used for office space, a restaurant, or a bed and breakfast.

"The Sedamsville Civic Association recognizes that this once magnificent Gothic Revival, red-bricked church is in a state of disrepair and should be declared a nuisance in the community," she said. "However, we also know that this Church still looms over western Cincinnati with a commanding presence of its spire that tops 170 feet."


New Sedamsville

In 1995, John Klosterman purchased Our Lady of Perpetual Help from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, fearing that his 20-year vision for a "New Sedamsville" would be lost.

Now, Bold Face Properties LLC, a for-profit real estate company founded in 2008 by Klosterman and Jim Grawe to redevelop the neighborhood, has issued a 42-page business plan that it hopes will spur City investment in infrastructure and streetscape improvements, overlay zoning, and gap financing.

The company hopes to put recommendations from the 2003 neighborhood plan into action, creating a mixed-use "village in the city" that combines quality new construction and design with the sensitive restoration of existing historic structures.

"Fortunately, Sedamsville has never experienced the major mistakes of the sixties and seventies as there has never been a redevelopment effort of scale," the developers say in the business plan. "So the historic fabric of the neighborhood is basically intact – the infrastructure mirroring the footprint of modern urban planning. The redevelopment approach then is to not to change the theme or configuration but to enhance and expand on what is already there."

According to the business plan, now is a good time to capitalize in the current economic problems, the costs of transportation, environmental concerns, and the "back to the city" trend.

"Sedamsville never experienced any serious redevelopment efforts so the neighborhood's historic fabric remains intact and property values are undervalued, making for a profit motive incentive for proper redevelopment," the developers say.


"Share the vision. Leave a legacy. Sedamsville…retro reborn."

The business plan outlines five core areas: marketing and redevelopment, to be handled by Grawe; and acquisition, property management, and finance, to be handled by Klosterman.

Goals include:

• Creating an order of place, and creating a marketing message that conveys Sedamsville as a unique and authentic place where people choose to live
• Encouraging outdoor space design to maximize human interaction
• Encouraging walkable commercial development
• Providing pedestrian connections between parks and other parts of the neighborhood
• Supporting mixed-use development and small business
• Supporting new housing with a broader range of price points
• Encouraging job creation for neighborhood residents
• Preserving the neighborhood's architectural integrity

Currently, 20 properties and 60 percent of the neighborhood's vacant lots are controlled by Bold Face Properties or other people who share Klosterman's vision.

Many of the lots are contiguous, and contain institutional buildings, commercial properties and highly-visible buildings on corner lots.

Bold Face Properties is looking to find financial partners who can help them assemble 65 buildings and vacant lots that are currently for sale, representing about $1.7 million.

"No business plan can guarantee the success of our challenged neighborhoods and the risk factor is always greater compared to the alternative choices," the developers say. "But perhaps therein is Sedamsville's appeal to a select group. 'The greater the risk the greater the reward' law of economics can work in Sedamsville's favor in satisfying the economic objective – attracting those who can afford to lose or those who have a higher risk threshold."

Without such control, the developers say that the vision could be lost.

"Also at risk is the quality of the new construction that will inevitably come some day," they say. "A rule of real estate development is that the total cost of a project should not exceed four to five times the cost of the lot. And traditionally new development in existing communities is scaled back to meet, not exceed current home values. Also, inflation in the cost of labor and materials makes new construction a sub standard product when compared to the quality of construction of years past. For these reasons, and because values are so low, any new development by those who do not share the vision of a New Sedamsville is likely to be earmarked to accommodate the poor."


Hard times

Of the 149 houses in the core area of Sedamsville, 65 are for sale, in foreclosure, or condemned.

Eighty percent of the occupied units are rentals, and the majority of the residents live below the poverty line.

"What now remains is an eyesore of vacant lots, many overgrown – missing teeth in a once charming streetscape, an opportunity to bring it “ back to life” forever lost. It is a sad lesson that this “urban renewal” strategy has failed us – not attracting desirable and meaningful redevelopment. It is even a sadder commentary that a complaint based reactive approach to economic development is still the city’s strategy of choice."

According to the business plan, there is plenty of blame to go around for Sedamsville's predicament.

"In Sedamsville, the churches didn't leave because the priests and nuns are not caring people, believing that the residents were not worthy of their ministry," the developers say. "The schools didn't close voluntarily because our educators thought the residents wanted another vacant building in their neighborhood. Our elected officials didn’t ignore Sedamsville purposely because they thought the city coffers didn’t need the tax revenue that is generated by reinvestment. The residents didn't purposely neglect their homes to spite the clergy, educators and government officials for abandoning their neighborhood. And the landlords do not take pride in being 'slumlords', purposely not trying to attract the best tenants the image of the neighborhood will allow."

The Sedamsville plan is based on a "proper balance" foundation, it says.

"The key to restoring economic viability to a decimated urban community is attracting and retaining capable neighbor-leaders," the plan quotes from Dr. Robert D. Lupton's book Return Flight. "The romantic notion of 'helping the poor to help themselves' is appealing but largely ineffective. The major reason why poverty has become so stubbornly entrenched in urban neighborhoods is the withdrawal of the middle class and the persistent hemorrhage of indigenous leadership."

But any plan to redevelop Sedamsville must also be broad-based in nature, taking other factors into account.

"If the collective dynamics of outside forces is the root cause for a neighborhood's decline, then they can also be an agent to create and maintain healthy communities," the developers say.

Photo credits: Our Lady of Perpetual Help by Sherman Cahal, Abandoned Online. Sedamsville photos by Chris Cousins, Urban Ohio

Previous reading on BC:
St. Martin's German Evangelical Church, 1892-2008
Demolition begins on historic Sedamsville church (10/2/08)
Centerpiece of historic Sedamsville threatened (8/22/08)
City has little say in Sedamsville demolitions (5/14/08)
Sedamsville wants demo delay on possible condo project (4/17/08)

The capital funding agreement for the third phase of 3CDC's Gateway Quarter project is likely to be amended for a second time.

Cincinnati's Department of Community Development has discovered that some planned streetscape improvements, including the filling of basement encroachments on private property, are not eligible for tax increment financing (TIF) funds.

To cover the improvements, the City will amend the capital agreement to reduce the amount of housing rehabilitation funding by $300,000 and add $300,000 for the basement encroachment portion of the streetscape.

The TIF funding agreement will be amended to replace the $300,000 in housing rehabilitation funds lost in the capital agreement.

The total amount of funding in each agreement will not change.

Part of the streetscape improvements include filling basement encroachments, blocking in private foundations with masonry, and moving utilities at 1107-1109, 1111, 1113, 1115, 1117, 1125, 1225, 1300, 1313, 1321, and 1323 Vine Street.

Improvements also include the burying of public utilities, new traffic signals, decorative street lighting, new sidewalks, new street trees, and new sign and meter poles.

The City signed capital funding and TIF agreements with 3CDC in December 2007, offering $3.1 million with the expectation that the developers' investment would be no less than $24.5 million.

The project includes 108 new residential units and more than 15,000 square feet of retail space.

Previous reading on BC:
City Home hits the market (2/25/09)
Model Group releases Trinity Flats rendering (2/23/09)
Lackman Lofts photo update, 2/7/09 (2/12/09)
Fourteenth and Vine photo update, 2/7/09 (2/11/09)
Lofts of Mottainai photo update, 2/7/09 (2/10/09)

NOTE: The 2009 Prohibition Resistance Tour was held during Bockfest, March 6-8. I took the tour on Saturday afternoon. Part II of the tour includes the Kauffman Brewery at .

Built in 1856, the building features two levels of sub-basements, brick archways, massive wooden posts and beams, and intricate "hops" incorporated into the building façade.

It was operated as a brewery until closed by Prohibition in 1919.

Currently owned by City Center Properties, the building now operates as the Guild Haus, housing lofts and commercial space for artists.

There are 29 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 800 x 600. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Prohibition Resistance Tour, Part I (3/23/09)

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance that could bring $20,000 in funding to help restore the historic Emery Theatre in Over-the-Rhine.

The ordinance would authorize the City to submit a Certified Local Government subgrant application to the National Park Service on behalf of the Emery Center Corporation to pay for restoration of the men's and women's bathrooms.

Emery Center Corporation, a non-profit that leases the theater from the University of Cincinnati, would administer the subgrant funds and provide a $15,000 local match.

The ordinance appeared in council's Finance Committee yesterday, and is likely to appear before the full council tomorrow afternoon.

Built in 1911 and vacant since 1999, Emery Center Corporation soon plans to begin fundraising efforts to restore the building's orchestra level and first balcony, opening up about 1,100 seats for medium-sized shows and benefits.

Cost estimates for the first phase are $3 million.

A second phase would open the second balcony's 500 seats, a project the non-profit hopes to complete in time for the building's 100th anniversary in 2011.

An announcement of the grant awardees is expected in May.

In Ohio, U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Certified Local Government grant funding is disbursed through the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.

Single-family
DOB: 1902
Died: November 2008
Cause of death: Extensive rot to porch, roof, and cornice, and a damaged chimney and stairs. The building was condemned in January 2007.

A new owner emerged in late 2007, but no repairs were made. A criminal complaint was written in January 2008, but was apparently never pursued.

It appears that the house was razed by the owners, who live next door.

A preliminary list of Hyde Park properties being considered for downzoning will be presented in a public meeting this Thursday at 7 PM at Knox Commons, .

The rezoning proposal, also being considered by the Mount Lookout Community Council, is believed to lessen the possibility that a developer could purchase a house on a large lot, tear it down, then subdivide the lot to build multiple houses.

In Hyde Park, up to 199 parcels zoned SF-6 could be downzoned to SF-10, and up to 209 parcels zoned SF-10 could change to SF-20.*

Margaret Wuerstle, chief planner for the City, will discuss the reasons behind the proposal, explain how the rezoning process works, and obtain citizen feedback.

Hyde Park Neighborhood Council wants to gather public input before taking a position on the proposal.

Over the past couple of years, residents in Hyde Park have become concerned about a perceived lack of zoning control that could lead the loss of their neighborhood's built integrity, the most notable example being the two new houses at that have a much smaller setback than the rest of the structures on the street.

* SF-6 zoning allows minimum lot sizes of 6,000 square feet (0.14 acres), SF-10 allows minimum lot sizes of 10,000 square feet (0.23 acres), and SF-20 allows minimum lot sizes of 20,000 square feet (0.46 acres).

Previous reading on BC:
Downzoning in the hands of Hyde Park, Mount Lookout residents (1/15/09)

Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI) has released its State of Downtown report for July-December 2008 (PDF), and it's available now online.

Among the highlights:

• Investment: The total disclosed investment for completed projects in the CBD and surrounding area for the second half of 2008 was $33 million, representing 468,200 square feet of property. Under construction projects represented $926 million in investment and 1,957,595 square feet of built space. Projects in pre-development or proposed represent $1.08 billion in investment and 3,458,071 square feet of built space.
  
• Office: Vacancy rates in the CBD office market rose slightly from the second half of 2007 to 17.7 percent, but bested the regional average of 20 percent. Lease rates held at $19.64 per square foot, topping the regional average of $18.79.
  
• Residential: Single-family homes and condominium sales rose 24 percent from the second half of 2007. There were 84 closings during the period at an average sales price of $228,936. In the CBD and periphery, 361 condominiums are under construction and 3,031 were in pre-development or proposed. Two hundred thirty-six apartments were under construction, with another 924 in the pipeline.
  
• Retail and restaurant: Nine new businesses opened in the CBD during the second half of 2008, while 13 closed their doors.

The 16-page report also includes data on hotel and convention business, safe and clean, and parking rates and availability.

NOTE: The 2009 Prohibition Resistance Tour was held during Bockfest, March 6-8. I took the tour on Saturday afternoon. Part I of the tour includes the Clyffside Brewery at .

Brewery operations at W McMicken and Stonewall streets began in 1846 with the Hamilton Brewery, established by Johann Sohn and George Klotter.

Built in 1887, the current building housed operations such as the Sohn Brewery and the Mohawk Brewing Company, which was raided during Prohibition for continuing to produce alcoholic beer.

Following Prohibition, the Clyffside Brewing Company purchased the Mohawk Brewing Company buildings and began brewing Felsenbrau, which can be seen painted on an adjacent, newer building.

In 1945, the complex became Plant #2 for the Red Top Brewing Company, but eventually closed in the 1950s.

Today, a rehabilitation of the building into 19 condominium units is in the works, and some of the possibilities for living spaces can be seen in a couple of the shots.

There are 30 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 800 x 600. Photos will open in a new browser window.



Previous reading on BC:
Brewery District signage installed (8/8/08)
The Clyffside hits the market, breaks ground in April (3/27/08)
Prohibition Resistance Tour this weekend (3/5/08)

Alexus Development is building an infill house at in Mount Lookout.

On the market for $639,000, the two-story single-family house will offer four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a gas fireplace, a deck with a valley view, and a two-car garage.

The house is expected to go for LEED certification.

Alexus Development has owned the lot since purchasing it for $110,000 in 2006, and the lot has been vacant since at least 2000.

The listing is being handled by RE/MAX Unlimited Realtors.

Single-family
DOB: Unknown
Died: January 2009
Cause of death: Razed by the Charter Development Company (National Heritage Academies) of Grand Rapids, operator of the adjacent Orion Charter Academy.
The house had no code violations. This demolition was likely done to create more of a buffer around the school.

Charter Development Company purchased the property along with three other parcels in October 2008 for $70,000.

Two years ago:

• O'Bryonville was added to the Building Cincinnati photo galleries.
  
• Showcase Building & Design was building Creekwood Estates, a non-descript subdivision of patio homes off of Colerain Avenue in Colerain Township.

On March 3, a presentation on the status of the Neighborhood Homes Initiative was given to Cincinnati City Council's Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee.

In February 2008, council passed a motion to create the program to put vacant and foreclosed homes back into the hands of homeowners, to be funded with $1.25 million in foreclosure funds appropriated in the 2008 City budget.

The motion named the Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Partnership, Inc. (GCRP) to administer NHI, and, three months later, council contracted with the Homesteading and Urban Redevelopment Corporation (HURC) to create a business plan.

HURC hired Don Lenz, director of the GCRP, as a consultant to prepare the NHI plan, and throughout the rest of the year a steering committee composed of representatives from community development corporations, lenders, real estate professionals, consultants, and the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati convened to work out the details.


The business plan

The NHI business plan recommends that HURC -- not GCRP -- should initiate the program by April 2009, and should receive the remaining $1.05 million in NHI funding.

HURC would purchase 20 houses per year over a three year period, acting as a wholesaler that would work with community development corporations, urban redevelopment corporations, and private developers to ensure that the properties are demolished, rehabilitated, or put back on the market.

Purchases would be made in neighborhoods with significant vacancies and foreclosures, but with "a reasonable opportunity" for market restoration, such as Neighborhood Enhancement Program and Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) areas.

The plan says that the program's primary property purchase sources should include the surplus inventory of National Community Stabilization Trust, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, local and national banks, and Real Estate Owned (REO) properties.

Sources of additional subsidies could include NSP funds, Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program funds, the --> --> -->, and various City programs.

Council has yet to formally approve a program administrator.


Targeted funds

A week ago, councilmembers Chris Monzel and Roxanne Qualls issued a motion that NHI funding should only be used to fund projects in non-NSP neighborhoods.

In a statement accompanying the motion, Monzel ranked those neighborhoods by the number of foreclosures by dwelling unit: South Cumminsville, North Fairmount, Spring Grove Village, Kennedy Heights, and Mount Auburn.

"Using the NHI funds in this manner will result in a far greater benefit to the city as a whole and to each neighborhood which has the capacity to begin dealing with their neighborhood's foreclosure problem," the statement says.

No vote has been taken on the motion.

Previous reading on BC:
Foreclosure initiative presented in Cincinnati council committee (5/14/08)

Cincinnati City Council has approved unanimously an ordinance creating a capital account for improvements to , a project expected to begin later this year.

The new account would be funded with $750,000 in revenues from the Oakley tax increment financing (TIF) district, approved by council in March 2008.

Improvements will include the expansion of the Geier Esplanade, bump outs, and sidewalk and curb extensions, new street trees, rain gardens, pervious pavers and sidewalks, bus shelters and signage.

In addition to TIF money, $600,000 in Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United funds will be used for the project.

Previous reading on BC:
Council ordinance would create Oakley Square account (3/11/09)
Madison Road, Oakley Square drawings released (12/24/08)
Cincinnati rolls out three 'new' streetscape TIF projects (4/4/08)
Finance Committee discusses changes on streetscape TIFs (12/6/07)

Residents of two Mount Lookout apartment buildings recently purchased by the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) will be allowed to stay until their leases expire, and will receive relocation counseling and benefits.

Responding to an e-mail from one of the building's residents that was forwarded to Cincinnati City Council by Mount Lookout Community Council president John Brannock, CMHA executive director Richard Rust verified that they have indeed purchased the pair of four-flat buildings at to be used as public housing, but not as part of the Section 8 program.

Instead, new tenants will be required to earn 80 percent or less of the area median income, or $52,950 for a family of four.

Brannock had expressed concerns about Section 8 housing bringing a criminal element to a street that's only a block away from Cardinal Pacelli Elementary School.

But Rust says that tenants will be forced to meet specific occupancy standards, and won't be considered if they have been evicted from public housing for drug-related activity, are engaged in drug use, have convictions for methamphetamine production, are required to register as a sex offender, abuse alcohol, or owe money to any public housing agency.

Under the federal Uniform Relocation Act of 1970, residents being displaced are entitled to relocation advisory services, a minimum of 90 days to vacate (in this case, following lease expiration), and relocation expenses.

Current tenants can stay after the expiration of their leases if they become certified as eligible for public housing.

Previous reading on BC:
Mount Lookout resident says Section 8 is forcing him from home (2/25/09)

A resolution declaring the City's intent to appropriate property for the Hamilton Avenue Improvement Project has been passed unanimously by Cincinnati City Council.

The City needs four parcels in College Hill to accommodate the project, which will widen the road by two feet, provide left turn lanes at the three signalized intersections, and add new sidewalks, street lights, traffic signals, and overhead signage.

The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments is funding the $4.6 million project with money from the Ohio Public Works Commission.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati announces intent to appropriate property for Hamilton Avenue widening (2/19/09)

Single-family, attached
DOB: 1880
Died: January 2009
Cause of death: Imminent danger of collapse. In fact, the rear of the building actually did collapse during the September 2008 wind storm, exposing the inside of the residence. Water infiltration likely damaged the structure.

The house had been vacant for several years, and was condemned in March 2008. By June 2008, it had gone into foreclosure and the owner had been in bankruptcy proceedings for several months.

Following the storm, it was entered into the hazard abatement program. The property was razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

The fate of the attached structure will be addressed in a future installment.

(House on left.)

One year ago:

• Cincinnati City Council approved a rezoning for the Xavier University's Hoff Academic Quad project, and the former Zumbiel Packaging plant was be prepped for demolition to make way for Xavier Square.
• Cincinnati City Council approved $250,000 in hazard abatement funds to demolish up to 12 blighted buildings in Westwood.
• Cincinnati City Council approved a resolution supporting state funding for the Ohio River Trail.
• A Lower Price Hill single-family that had been damaged by fire, vandalism, and vagrants was razed by an adjacent business.
• Building tours of local houses of worship were being conducted as part of an interfaith exploration series.

Rumors have been circulating that Queensgate Terminals is engaging in renewed conversations about operating a multi-modal transportation facility at the former Hilltop Basic Resources property at in Lower Price Hill.

Court-ordered lease negotiations between the City and Queensgate Terminals for the 30-acre property ended nearly two years ago, and an August 2007 City Council motion reinforced the City's desire to look into the feasibility of developing it into a public park or housing.

Residents and stakeholders in Lower Price Hill, East Price Hill, West Price Hill, Sedamsville and Riverside have long opposed the facility, rejecting the idea that the western riverfront historically has been Cincinnati "working riverfront" and preferring to see the land kept as green space.


New report 'flawed'

Just last month, the Economics Center for Education and Research at the University of Cincinnati College of Business released a report entitled Market Demand for and Impacts of Queensgate Terminals, which it prepared for the company.

But Dr. Howard Stafford, professor of geography at UC, says in an analysis provided to council that the report is seriously flawed.

"Most of the report is very general and not directly related to the Queensgate Terminals project," he says.

He also says that the projected benefits are based solely on unsupported information provided by Queensgate Terminals.

"There is no attempt by the UC authors to assess if these are reasonable projections of volume of containers moved or jobs created," Stafford says. "The economic benefit numbers given are not realistic. The costs to the community are glossed over."

In assessing the environmental impacts, the report relies on the principle that containers carry more than trucks.

However, Stafford points out that these containers would be transferred to trucks, increasing local truck traffic.

"There are no data in the report that support positive environmental impacts for the area," he says.

Finally, Stafford says that the report presents the lack of barge-to-container ports along the Ohio River as a missed opportunity.

"The obvious counter question is not addressed in the report: Why have exisiting barge-rail-highway companies in the area not seized the opportunity if such exists?" he says. "At a totally independent January 8, 2009 meeting of the River Advisory Council...Ed Ide of CGB, Todd Vollet of RBT/RBB, Steve Davis of CSX, and Martha Kelly of City Transportation seemed to be in agreement that there is no good prospect for any significant volume of local container on barge traffic."

Besides, the Queensgate Terminal facility would not really be Cincinnati's port anyway, Stafford says.

"Rather, it would be captive of the Queensgate Terminals-Jeffersonville-Rail America combine," he says. "Queensgate Terminals is to link exclusively with the company's proposed logistics center in Jeffersonville, Ohio. Cincinnati is only a small cog in their problematic upstate dream."


What else?

In December 2007, city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. issued a report recommending that the City change the zoning of the site to RF-C Riverfront Commercial, which could lead to the negotiation of a lease.

In the report, Dohoney cited uncertainty about the true developable acreage of the site due to the upcoming Waldvogel Viaduct replacement, possible high-speed passenger rail to Chicago via Indianapolis, and the Ohio River waterline.

The entire property also is located in a 100-year flood plain and is surrounded by light and heavy industrial uses, he said.

However, failure to negotiate a lease with Queensgate Terminals could lead to damages and legal fees of $1 million or more, and questions remain about how the City will pay to maintain the property.

A report from Dohoney is due before council by April 8.

Photo credit: "Barge" by , courtesy of Flickr.

Previous reading on BC:
River West Working Group: Queensgate Terminals report 'unacceptable' (4/7/08)
Dohoney reports in Queensgate site options (12/26/07)
No contact between City, Queensgate since June (12/19/07)
Bortz offers newest motion to stop Queensgate Terminals (8/9/07)
City against riverside intermodal terminal, faces legal penalties (6/15/07)

With the $1.5 million originally budgeted for College Hill's Linden Park project now going to other projects, Cincinnati is looking into other funding methods to begin land banking in the middle of the neighborhood's business district.

In January, a report to City Council from city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. advised against using the funding for a plan by the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation to acquire and demolish buildings, then to hold the land for residential redevelopment until the economy improves.

The City of Cincinnati is already controls 6.4 acres at Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road, has invested between $2 million and $3 million in developing Linden Park, Dohoney said.

He added that, without a specified plan for the parcels , using the remaining appropriations for land banking purposes "would set a bad precedent".

Instead, some of this money is being used for projects such as Factory Square in Northside, Madison and Whetsel redevelopment, the Spring Grove Village market study, Clyffside Lofts, and Brewery District infill housing.

Council failed to approve Dohoney's report, leaving in play a November 2008 adopted council motion to channel the $1.5 million from the abandoned project to the land banking plan.

Previous reading on BC:
Dohoney advises against using Linden Park money for land banking (1/14/09)
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)

A resolution supporting Model Property Development's (Model Group) application for Low Income Housing Tax Credits to acquire and rehabilitate the building at in Evanston has been passed unanimously by Cincinnati City Council.

The $10.2 million St. Leger Place Apartments project will result in the creation of 49 affordable rental units.

Thirty percent of the units will be affordable to households earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), 60 percent will be affordable to households earning at or below 50 percent of the AMI, and 10 percent of the units will be affordable to households at or below 35 percent of the AMI.

A resolution of support from the City gives the project bonus points in --> --> --> (OHFA) competitive scoring system.

Tax credits awardees will be announced by the OHFA on July 2.

Previous reading on BC:
$10.2M St. Leger Place rental project seeks tax credits (3/10/09)

On March 24, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee will consider a rezoning request by Neyer Properties for a portion of Red Bank Crossing in Madisonville.

The rezoning would change the property at from MG Manufacturing General District to ML Manufacturing Limited District, allowing for The Goddard School pre-school and day care center to operate as a stand-alone use.

The site's current zoning was assigned to accommodate the Gorilla Glue, Inc. facilities just to the north.

The rezoning was approved by the City Planning Commission on February 6 and is supported by the Madisonville Community Council.

The $25 million Red Bank Crossing development also includes two medical office buildings and nearly 18,000 square feet of retail.

Thirteen franchises of The Goddard Schools operate in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati council approves Red Bank CRA (4/3/08)
Red Bank Crossing seeking CRA LEED exemption (3/26/08)

An ordinance transferring $95,000 to cover an increase in demand for community housing development has been passed unanimously by Cincinnati City Council.

Funding will be transferred from the Cincinnati Homeowners Infill and Rehab Program account into the Neighborhood Capacity Building and Technical Assistance account.

Increased outreach by funding administrator Community Development Corporation Association of Greater Cincinnati (CDCAGC) has led to the growth of the number of participating community housing development organizations, causing the estimated amount of operating expenses needed by CDCAGC to be exceeded.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati may appropriate $95K for community housing (3/10/09)

State-owned/Two-family
DOB: 1880-1910
Died: October 2008
Cause of death: No clue.

Owned by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees since 2001, it was likely razed to save maintenance costs.

With no mention of the property in UC's master plan or in the Uptown Parks & Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, the best guess is that it will be used for road widening.

Two years ago:

• Westwood was added to the Building Cincinnati photo galleries.
  
• In Hyde Park, the first phase of Summit Commons was nearing completion.
  

One year ago:

• The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program abruptly closed due to a lack of funding, leaving many southwest Ohio applicants shut out.
• Cincinnati's Urban Design Review Board took a look at the latest proposal for Great American Tower at Queen City Square.
• Cincinnati City Councilmember Laketa Cole introduced a motion calling for the City to incentivize the conversion of multi-family structures into single-family housing.
• Kennedy Heights was seeking suggestions on a replacement for their "yin-yang" logo.
• A three-family public nuisance in Mount Auburn was razed.

Kenwood Towers, LLC, a subsidiary of Neyer Properties, has presented to the Sycamore Township Zoning Commission a preliminary concept plan for a mixed-use development on a 12-acre site at .

The developer has proposed for the western half of the site a nine-story, 266,000-square-foot office building and a seven-story, 160-room hotel.

The site plan also contains a parking structure of 800 cars, 100 sheltered parking spaces under the office building, and 100 surface parking spaces, with access from both Montgomery and Hosbrook roads.

Neyer Properties will be seeking LEED certification for the project and plans bio-swale storm water retention systems, high-efficiency mechanicals, low-emitting materials, high-efficiency irrigation and fixtures, and renewable energy systems.

The old Harley Hotel -- most recently a Best Western -- was demolished at the site in 2007.

"We believe this is still a great location for a hotel, however it needs to be part of a cohesive development, and this location serving Sycamore Township will need to be a high end hotel," says Jeff Chamot, development project manager for Neyer Properties in a letter of intent to the township.

Chamot says that the project will maximize the value of the land, benefitting Sycamore Township and surrounding property owners.

"The project will create approximately $85 million in new property values," he says.

The developer is currently working out a tax increment financing arrangement with the township for public storm water infrastructure and a portion of the parking garage.

The eastern half of the property would be developed separately as the new Cincinnati headquarters of the (FBI).

In August, the FBI announced plans to build a 109,000-square-foot field office for 97 to 146 employees of its Special Weapons and Tactics and Hazardous Materials units, with construction beginning in spring 2009 and ending in fall 2010.

The FBI and its property manager, the U.S. General Services Administration, will have to negotiate its own development plan with Sycamore Township and Hamilton County.

Cincinnati City Council has authorized an ordinance allowing the City to apply for a Certified Local Government (CLG) subgrant of $16,762 from the National Park Service on behalf of Hatch's Folly, LLC, owner and overseer of the historic George Hatch House at in the West End.

Disbursed through the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, the subgrant would be used to perform structural repairs and to install moisture guard protection to prevent further deterioration.

Hatch's Folly will be named the fiscal agent of the funds and will oversee construction contracts and reports.

The non-profit also will provide the required local match of $7,138.

Announcements of grant awardees are expected in May.

Built before the Civil War for the former Cincinnati mayor and designed by Isaiah Rogers, the house 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.

Last month, council approved an application for an $8,500 grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors through the National Trust for Historic Preservation to prepare an indoor restoration plan for the property.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati approves grant application for George Hatch House (2/10/09)
George Hatch House hoping for another grant (1/27/09)
Three Cincinnati buildings nominated for Register (4/1/08)
City to apply for grant to restore George Hatch House (12/14/07)

Even though "basic service levels will have to be reduced or eliminated", Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. says in a communication to City Council that the recreation centers in Camp Washington and Carthage should remain open.

In a meeting of council's Finance Committee on February 23, council members asked the city manager's office to look into cost-saving alternatives to the Cincinnati Recreation Commission's (CRC) plan to close the two centers to make up for a $145,000 budget gap.

During the 2009/2010 biennial budget process, council had directed the centers to stay open.

Dohoney says that the only alternative to closing the centers is to make drastic cuts, which would still leave the CRC with a deficit of $61,610 in this year's budget.

These cuts would include:

• A reduction in operating hours at both centers by 50 percent
• A shift of youth and teen programming from Camp Washington to McKie Recreation Center in Northside
• Cuts, or total elimination, of senior and adult programming at Camp Washington
• The loss of service to approximately 20 youth per day at Carthage
• Holding a facility maintenance specialist position vacant for 2009

Dohoney recommends that the CRC pursue this alternative plan, and fund the remaining deficit with City contingency funds.

Council would be required to pass an ordinance to make the alternative plan happen.

On March 12, Councilmember and chair of the Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee Roxanne Qualls introduced a motion to keep the centers open, calling them "vital to the quality of life for residents of the Camp Washington and Carthage communities".

Councilmembers Laketa Cole, Cecil Thomas, and Chris Monzel also signed the motion.

Between 2000 and 2009, the CRC has seen its budget reduced by $4.1 million, Dohoney says.

The City of Cincinnati is considering the sale of a parcel of vacant City-owned property to Cincinnati Northside Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CNCURC) through the Cincinnati Land Reutilization Program (CLRP).

The property, at , would be used to construct a new single-family home and to provide off-street parking for the house at 1422 Chase Avenue.

CNCURC has offered to pay the fair market value of $4,400 for the 0.1-acre parcel.

The land has been vacant since 2004, and has been owned by the City since 2006.

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

Previous reading on BC:
Northside CURC seeking donations for third green house (7/31/08)
Inside the Northside HOMEs, 6/24/08 (7/7/08)
Inside the Northside HOMEs (3/13/08)
Northside HOME photo update, 12/17/07 (12/24/07)
Silent auction to benefit Northside HOME project (11/30/07)

Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity is seeking skilled construction leaders to work in partnership with its construction managers during the 2009 build season.

Construction leaders will need a passion for affordable housing and the art of building, and ideal candidates must have a strong background in residential construction, the ability to lead groups of up to 20 volunteers, and a willingness to support and share the mission of Habitat for Humanity.

Construction leaders work closely with Habitat's construction managers to execute on-site construction plans.

For more details, please contact: or call (513) 621-4147 x220.

In 2009, Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity is building 11 houses throughout the area.

Jill Isaacs of O'Keeffe Communications contributed.

Previous reading on BC:
Habitat rehab dedication Saturday (3/11/09)
Cincinnati Habitat mourns death of International founder Millard Fuller (2/5/09)
UC's latest Habitat build under roof (1/8/09)
Correction: UC Habitat kickoff on December 6 (11/24/08)
UC kicks off sixth Habitat house Saturday (11/19/08)

Three-family
DOB: 1880
Died: December 2008
Cause of death: Severe structural failure at the rear of the building, missing siding, rotten box gutters, disintegrating porches, litter, and numerous calls for City barricades.

The Corryville Community Council alleged that prostitution was going on at the property, and City inspectors found vagrants leaving the property during a site visit. It was condemned in March 2007 and declared a public nuisance in October 2007.

It appears that the original owner is deceased, and ownership now shows that the property is held by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Wells Fargo.

Three years ago:

• I visited White Oak, Westwood, Cheviot, and Monfort Heights.*
  

Two years ago:

• In Walnut Hills, the Overlook at Eden Park was up to three floors of structural steel.
  
• Northside's American Can Factory Square was still seeking a rezoning from manufacturing use to planned development district (PD-47).

One year ago:

• New Northside photos were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
  
• UBS Financial Services Inc. announced it was leaving Downtown's 580 Building to become the first office tenant at Kenwood Towne Place.
• The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments was holding public meetings in Northern Kentucky for the OKI 2030 Regional Transportation Plan update.
• A Fairview house that had been a hotbed of criminal activity was razed.

* 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.

On March 24, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee will consider a rezoning that could lead to the redevelopment of an East Price Hill building that has been vacant for 17 years.

Building owner Incline Place, LLC wants to change the zoning of from RMX Residential Mixed District to RM-0.7 Residential Multi-Family District, which would allow for ground-floor commercial use with more than three residential units above.

The two-family building at 2704-2706 W Eighth Street would be demolished to accommodate a garage addition for the mixed-use building.

The City Planning Commission approved of the rezoning on December 19, and the East Price Hill Improvement Association has voiced its support.

Denis Back has been retained as the project architect.

801 Mt. Hope Avenue, built in 1877, originally contained ground-floor commercial space and up to eight apartments above.

The Price Hill Civic Club doesn't believe that steps taken by the City to address the problem property at , also known as "Phil's Manor", haven't gone far enough.

In an e-mail to the office of councilmember Roxanne Qualls, chair of City Council's Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee, Price Hill Civic Club vice president Pete Witte says that there are still problems at the 18-unit apartment building owned by Phil Yeary.

Last month, city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. told council in a memorandum that junk and litter on the property had been removed, and that the Health Department was in the process of removing a junked van.

He also said that the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority is no longer placing tenants at the property, and a residential manager is now on site to control loitering and trespassing.

"The junked van remains in the front parking lot," Witte says. "Police continue to make multiple runs to the address, and we fear that as warmer weather looms the outside gathering and altercations will be resuming."

Witte says that Yeary isn't capable of managing the property, and it's driving homeowners out of the neighborhood.

"The fact that this same owner operates a below average property in Westwood [sic] speaks to his inability to manage a property in the current climate in Cincinnati," he says. "The Price Hill Civic Club looks forward to a day when this property and the surrounding community can live in peace."

Previous reading on BC:
West Price Hill nuisance abated, monitored (2/18/09)
4373 W Eighth Street: A nuisance? (1/13/09)

Renderings for the new Woodford Paideia Academy, designed by GBBN Architects, have been released by Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS).

The schematic design was approved unanimously by the CPS board at its meeting on February 23.


The new school, to be built on the existing site at in Kennedy Heights, will replace a 48,377-square-foot building built in 1977, added to in 1983, and renovated in 1996.

Image credits: Cincinnati Public Schools and GBBN Architects

The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI), in conjunction with the --> --> --> and the --> --> -->, is conducting a travel survey to see how people move throughout the region.

The Greater Cincinnati Household Travel Survey will randomly select 4,000 households in eight area counties to take part in telephone or Internet surveys and to use GPS devices and trip diaries to collect data that will be used to update the OKI Regional Travel Demand Model, a system used to forecast travel and vehicle emissions in the future.

The data also will be used in future transportation planning efforts.

The last household travel survey was conducted in 1995.

Selected participants will be contacted by telephone or by e-mail.

Upon completion of the survey, OKI plans to make information on transit usage, auto occupancy, trip length and trip purpose available on its website.