The City of Cincinnati and M-E Companies presented to the Oakley community the preferred alternative for the Kennedy Connector project at a public open house and comment session at the Crossroads Community Church on Tuesday evening.

The new roadway, to be called Kennedy Avenue and connecting , is one of dozens of individual projects included in Tier 2 of the Eastern Corridor project.

According to project materials displayed by M-E Companies, the project is necessary to address the "capacity, geometry, and connectivity of the local road network".

Studies have found that peak hourly traffic volumes on Ridge Avenue and Duck Creek Road exceed the reasonable capacity of the roadways, and future development in the area is expected to cause even more congestion.

Additionally, the geometry of ramps and misaligned intersections have been found to be confusing to drivers and affect the ease of access into many of the area's new developments.

The road network, which was built to support a manufacturing and industrial base, contains too many culs-de-sac and lacks sufficient north-south capacity, and was not built to handle heavy commercial development.

These heavy traffic volumes have been cited as the cause of the majority of accidents at the intersection of Highland and Ridge avenues, one of the top five accident-prone intersections in Hamilton County.

The preferred alternative for the Kennedy Connector shows two new bridges at Duck Creek Road and the Indiana and Ohio Railway, new sidewalks, tree lawns, and retaining walls.

Ibsen Avenue will be realigned between Marburg Avenue and the new Ibsen Avenue/Kennedy Avenue intersection, two roadway connections to the I-71 southbound and OH-562 (Norwood Lateral) will be made, and a new entrance from Ridge Avenue to a Barrow Avenue cul-de-sac.

Intersections will be realigned at Kennedy and Duck Creek; Kennedy, Madison and Camberwell; Ibsen and Ridge; Ibsen and Marburg; and Alamo and Ridge.

No updated cost estimates were given Tuesday night, but 2008 estimates put the project cost at $19.3 million.

The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) will begin accepting applications for the third round of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit (OHPTC) program on July 1.

The program, which closed abruptly in March 2008 due to a lack of funding, was resurrected as part of the $1.57 billion Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan and budgeted with $120 million per application cycle.

At the time, only 37 of the 115 applicants were approved for the tax credits, leading to five developers – including local developers American Can Building, LLC and Middle Earth 617 Vine Street, LLC – to file a writ of mandamus with the Ohio Supreme Court in an attempt to compel ODOD to approve the remainder of unfunded, qualified applications.

In October 2008, 48 of those 55 qualified applications were approved for a total of $78.2 million in tax credits, leaving only $41.8 million for this funding cycle – $17.5 million for fiscal year 2010 and $24.2 million for fiscal year 2011.

Changes to the OHPTC include the elimination of the "first-come, first-served" awarding of credits, a cap of $5 million in tax credits per project, updated scoring criteria to evaluate economic impacts, and clarified program policies and administrative rules.

The OHPTC is equal to 25 percent of qualified renovation and rehabilitation expenditures, refundable when the project is complete and generating tax revenue back to the state.

"The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program has already shown that it creates local jobs, spurs economic development by leveraging private sector investment, and revitalizes important symbols of Ohio's history," says ODOD interim director Lisa Patt-McDaniel. "The program is an excellent economic stimulus tool for Ohio and we expect the next application period will increase the significant impact this program is having across the state."

This year's year-long application cycle has been split into two sixth-month segments, with deadlines of December 31, 2009 for round three and June 30, 2010 for round four.

Previous reading on BC:
Lt. Gov. Fisher in OTR today to make announcement on historic tax credits (10/16/08)
ODOD: Forcing tax credit approvals would 'offend constitutional separation of powers' (5/16/08)
Working group makes recommendations on state tax credit program (4/28/08)
Ohio developers file writ with Supreme Court over tax credit program (4/11/08)
Cincinnati, SW Ohio projects may receive historic tax credits after all (4/3/08)

LaCaisse, Inc., a sister company of KZF Design, will receive a 12-year, 75 percent Community Reinvestment Area LEED tax exemption agreement for the buildout of the firm's new three-story, 37,000-square-foot Downtown space at .

Cincinnati City Council approved the package, which would save the company approximately $808,800 in tax liability over the life of the agreement.

Seventy-five employees would move from the Baldwin Building in Walnut Hills, a 30 percent increase in work space that would help accommodate KZF Design's recent growth.

KZF Design plans to use the new space as a showplace for sustainable design and has registered the project with the U.S. Green Building Council as both a LEED Core and Shell and a LEED for Commercial Interiors project, with the goal of achieving LEED Silver certification.

The $3.4 million project should be completed by the end of this year.

Previous reading on BC:
KZF's Downtown relocation seeking LEED tax exemption (6/18/09)

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously an ordinance authorizing an amendment to a Job Ready Sites grant agreement that would allow them to accept an additional $300,000 for the new Graeter's manufacturing facility in Bond Hill.

The additional grant, administered by the Ohio Department of Development, would be added to the more than $1.8 million the City has already received through the program to help fund construction of the new $11 million, 28,000-square-foot building at .

Council will supply a local match of $116,000 and has already approved the issuance of up to $10 million in economic development bonds for the project, payable through a 20-year loan.

In return, Graeter's will retain 68 jobs and create 30 new positions over the next three years.

Construction has begun on the new facility, which is expected to begin production in January 2010.

Previous reading on BC:
Ohio could supply additional $300K for Graeter's project (6/16/09)
Cincinnati creates account for new Graeter's facility (4/23/09)
Plans for new Graeter's plant in Finance Committee (4/1/09)

A Columbia Tusculum apartment building that has been vacant for at least three years could get new life thanks to a tax exemption agreement approved by Cincinnati City Council.

The Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption agreement, to be extended to Emerson Place Apartments, LLC, will assist the building owner in the $325,500 renovation of the three-story, ten-unit apartment building at .

Work will include new roofing, windows, flooring, and mechanicals, with the creation of green space on an adjacent lot.

Over the eight-year agreement, the 75 percent exemption on the increased property tax value could save Emerson Place Apartments nearly $52,000 in tax liability.

Work is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

Previous reading on BC:
Tax exemption could revive vacant Columbia Tusculum apartments (6/17/09)

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously an ordinance allowing the City to enter into a property lease and parking license agreement with dunnhumbyUSA to aid in the relocation and expansion of the company's Downtown headquarters.

Once the agreements are finalized, the company will lease the 1.1-acre right-of-way for $1 per year and will receive 158 surface parking spaces in an adjacent City-owned lot for the monthly rate of $60 per space.

Both agreements will last for five years, with an optional five-year renewal.

Last November, dunnhumbyUSA signed a 10-year lease to occupy the 150,000-square-foot building at , which is undergoing a $17 million renovation by developer Al. Neyer, Inc.

The company, which currently employs more than 260 at , plans to add up to 350 positions within the next five years.

Previous reading on BC:
Lease, parking agreement could aid dunnhumbyUSA expansion (5/21/09)
'Hybrid' of four Brent Spence alternatives recommended (5/13/09)
Cincinnati budgets for expanded dunnhumbyUSA parking (12/22/08)

In the future, permits may need to be issued for the parking of two-wheeled, motorized vehicles, according to a recent memo from Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr.

Launched in October 2008, the Two-Wheeled Parking Pilot Program provides spaces for 15 of these vehicles at five Downtown locations, with no charge for parking.

The City's Department of Transportation and Engineering has tracked the use of the spaces over the past ten weeks, finding that the most popular spots, on Sycamore Street and on Walnut Street, have actually seen overflow parking.

"The parking spots appear to be well used throughout the day, and in fact, many locations have seen an overflow of vehicles on a regular basis," Dohoney says.

Dohoney says that the City has received through e-mail and by telephone positive feedback about the program and requests for additional spots, which led it to develop a proposal for three additional parking spots at 110 E Central Parkway, at Main Street and Gano Alley, and at Elm and McFarland streets.

He also says that feedback received through e-mail and by telephone indicates that riders of two-wheeled vehicles prefer a "corral" system – a painted rectangle indicating where two-wheelers can park – to the current stripe system.

"The system is more efficient because it is up to individual drivers to determine how many vehicles will fit in a given space on a given day based on the size of the vehicles present," Dohoney says.

To pay for the loss of metered parking, signage, pavement markings, and maintenance -- estimated to be around $12,000 annually -- Dohoney says that City administration proposes the implementation of a parking permit system.

Permits would cost approximately $50 per year and would be available at City Hall.

"[Permits] would enable the user to park in any available designated two-wheeler spot," Dohoney says. "A disadvantage of the permit system is that paid users are not guaranteed an available parking spot."

"scooters" photo by , courtesy of Flickr.

Single-family
DOB: 1908
Died: April 2009
Cause of death: A collapsed roof, deteriorated sheathing, holes in the exterior walls, water damage, and excessive litter. The house was condemned in February 2008.

The out-of-town owners, who live in Amelia, are currently in criminal court on orders dating back to 2005. The house has been vacant for at least eight years.

It was declared a public nuisance in November 2008 and razed by the City.

Two years ago:

• The City of Cincinnati sold land it owned in the Burnet Avenue redevelopment area to the Uptown Consortium for $1.
• An Eden Park photo gallery was added to Building Cincinnati, as well as new photos of Mount Airy Forest and Krohn Conservatory.
  
• A new two-story house by Antony Development was announced for the corner of 4th and Saratoga streets in Newport.

One year ago:

• Cincinnati City Council approved a property tax agreement for Widmer's Cleaners to move its carpet dvision headquarters to Oakley.
• In Avondale, 2.1 acres at 400 E Martin Luther King Drive were rezoned to CC-A Commercial Community Auto-Oriented District in an effort to make the land more attractive to developers.
• An application for a $1 million OKI grant was approved by Cincinnati City Council to help pay for the first new wayfinding signage in the Uptown neighborhoods since the 1980s.
• Downtown Cincinnati Inc. organized a public meeting to help it put together its 2010-2013 services plan.
• In Over-the-Rhine, a mixed-use building was razed to make way for the new School for Creative and Performing Arts.

Over-the-Rhine Community Housing (OTRCH) project manager Sarah Allan wants to set the record straight about the Jimmy Heath House, a 25-unit permanent supportive housing project for the homeless at in Over-the-Rhine.

She takes particular issue with an article that appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Headline: "New shelter would allow drinking". [NOTE: Article no longer available for free.]

"It was unfortunate with the Enquirer article because it didn't do this project justice," Allan says. "In fact, it really spread some falsehoods about what it is. I mean the headline, 'New shelter would allow drinking'. That's a part of it, but that's not the focus. The focus is getting the chronically homeless into a stable situation. And, it's not a shelter."

The idea, she says, is to address the 10 to 20 percent of the homeless population that cycle between the streets, shelters, jail cells, and emergency rooms.

The idea is not to enable the residents, but to stabilize their living situations, Allan says.

Only then can they move toward sobriety, she says.

"They call it a 'wet shelter'," Allan says. "Yes, they can drink in their apartments because they basically have a lease. They would be renting an apartment. So you can't tell someone that they can't drink."


Idea duplicated elsewhere

The project is based on an idea called "Housing First", which is already in action in more than 150 cities and counties throughout the United States, including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, Denver, San Francisco, and Atlanta.

"There's a certain amount of the homeless population that's chronically homeless," Allan says. "Typically what they've done with permanent supportive housing is that they're like, 'Well, you have to be sober in order to come here,' and they've found that with this particular population that just doesn't work."

Best practices studied from these projects, which include housing and supportive services, have found that it's a better approach to alcoholism among the homeless population than other ideas that have been tried.

"The other things we've been doing have not been working to deal with this population," Allan says.

Allan says that they've looked at many of these national programs, including several that are now in place in Columbus.

This would be the first such program in Hamilton County.

"The thing is, this is a model that's been done, so we don't want to reinvent the wheel," Allan says.


Support is key

The Jimmy Heath House will be made up of five interconnected buildings – plus one in back – with a single entry point.

The development would include 11 efficiency apartments and 14 one-bedrooms.

"There's 24-hour front desk staff, so where this is different from a regular apartment is that there are definitely more rules," Allan says. "So it is monitored. At the same time, it's that balance of making sure that people have freedom to move toward sobriety and independence."

Visitors would only be allowed during certain hours, and there will be 24-hour video surveillance.

Common areas will be designed to draw residents out of their rooms and into interpersonal relationships with other tenants.

"We're really focusing on making the common areas very usable, so it'll be pretty flexible space, and a big meeting area and a big courtyard," Allan says. "And in the back building, which will be connected to these buildings, there will be an office in there. And at this point, we're looking to try to have a live-in peer support worker -- someone who may be in recovery who is there to provide support all the time."

Additionally, residents will have access to a part-time clinician, a case manager, and a service coordinator.

"The residents are not required to use any of these services unless they break one of the house rules," Allan says. "Or, if they're back on their rent, they may have to go to financial classes or things like that. But they'll all be assigned a case manager, and they'll be encouraged to interact and to get supportive services."

The Jimmy Heath House will work with neighborhood services such as the Elm Street Health Clinic, Alcoholism Council of the Cincinnati Area, Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services, Health Care for the Homeless, the Freestore Foodbank direct rent program, Consumer Credit Counseling Services, and the Homeless Individuals Partnership Program.

However, no resident will be required to use the services.

"It's kind of loose, because it's on an individual, case-by-case basis," Allan says. "Some are going to have mental health issues, so they're just going to need counseling. But the reality is that there are some residents who will never want to get involved. As long as they're not breaking the rules, they can live there."


Screening will be done

Allan says that it's believed that the chronically homeless population of Cincinnati is somewhere between 100 and 150 people.

"The hope is that eventually all of the chronically homeless can be in this kind of housing, and that this would be a model" she says. "Now, for picking the 25, we're going to be working closely with the Drop Inn Center, specifically, and probably some other agencies that work with the chronically homeless. But we're still working out how people will be referred, and how do we screen our tenants."

The ability to pay rent may be a factor, though no resident will be required to pay more than 30 percent of their income for rent.

Three of the 25 will be designated as U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Low Rent HOME assisted units, and eight will be designated High Rent HOME assisted units.

"They do have to pay some kind of rent," Allan says. "A lot of them aren't going to have any income, so they'll probably get subsidy or help with paying their rent.

Allan says that the hope is that the tenants ultimately decide what's best for the property.

"What we're hoping to do is to have a tenant council," she says. "That kind of council would make the house rules. We put the key support people in place, but then the actual programmatic stuff will come as the tenants live there and become involved."

Eventually, tenants can move on to other housing.

"They're not transitioning out of it, although a lot will," Allan says. "The hope is that, if they move toward wholeness and getting better, then the social worker can help them find their own apartment somewhere, if that's what they want."

Problem tenants will not be tolerated, Allan says.

"If you violate your lease – especially if there's any drug activity – those are grounds for eviction," she says.


What's the alternative?

Although OTRCH focuses on OTR, it heard the rumblings about the "over-concentration" of social services and decided to look outside of the neighborhood.

Other neighborhoods immediately shot them down.

"I can appreciate that you don't want an over-concentration," Allan says. "At the same time, there's market-rate development going on. Our role is low-income housing. Which, again, they might say that that's not what they're opposing."

3CDC, which owns the buildings, looked at putting condominiums at the site.

The numbers just didn't work, and 3CDC approached OTRCH with the idea to use the buildings for a project that could benefit the neighborhood's low-income and homeless people.

"This where a lot of these guys – and some women – have been living," Allan says. This is their home. To us, it's nice that they can stay in their community. You would want that too."

Allan says that it's much better than the alternative.

"What we're saying is that, right now, a lot of them are staying in Washington Park and sleeping there," she says. "And so this will get some of them out of that situation."

In addition to OTRCH, development partners include 3CDC, Partnership Center Ltd, glaserworks, HGC Construction, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing.


Getting City buy-in

OTRCH is seeking $1.45 million in federal HOME funds from the City, the only remaining funding required to get the project going.

The funding would be transferred from three accounts: $1.23 million from HOME project account "Mixed Income Housing Development Public Infrastructure", $154,000 from HOME project account "Strategic Housing Initiatives '06", and $63,000 from HOME project account "McMicken Transitional".

The ordinance allowing the funding is currently in council's Finance Committee.

"It's been kind of political because there are some council members who don't necessarily want this to be located there," Allan says. "So we're trying to meet with each of the council members to get their support. It's such a crucial neighborhood, such an important neighborhood. You have so many varying interests."

But she does realize that it's a hard concept to sell.

"Because this is such a new concept, and, we would say very progressive, there's been some resistance," Allan says. "Because I think, when people hear it, they're like, 'Well, what is that? They can drink? That doesn't make good sense.' I guess it's counter-intuitive to people. But we're not just pulling this out of the air. It's proven to work."

Allan adds that the funding process also been held up by zoning, because of OTRCH's plan to include five ADA-compliant apartments on the first floor.

"We had gotten appropriate use on it, but since then the Planning Department has said, 'Well, we're not really sure if this is an appropriate use,'" Allan says.

All of the other funding is in place, including money from State of Ohio Housing Development Gap Financing, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, a Cincinnati/Hamilton County Continuum of Care Samaritan Initiative Grant, Spirit of America National Bank, and a small private grant.

"We're ready to start," Allan says. "We have all of our development plans in place. We're working with HGC, they're our general contractor. We're ready to go to start demo."

Once demolition starts, it would take approximately one year to complete the project, Allan says.

The Lower Price Hill Community Council (LPHCC) has made a formal request to Cincinnati city solicitor John Curp to recuse himself from negotations with Queensgate Terminals, LLC due to a perceived conflict of interest.

In a letter to Councilmember Roxanne Qualls, also sent to other councilmembers and to mayor Mark Mallory, LPHCC president Dr. Jack Degano says that Queensgate Terminals is being represented by Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, with whom Curp worked prior to becoming city solicitor.

In February 2007, a court case over property takings for the Waldvogel Viaduct was settled that required the City to purchase the Lower Price Hill property from Hilltop Basic Resources for $5 million, and to negotiate a lease with Queensgate Terminals for its use as a multi-modal shipping facility.

Degano says that Curp has told council that he has the power to craft an agreement with Queensgate Terminals on his own, and that his assertion is now under review by council's Rules Committee.

"John Curp seems to be negotiating with his former Taft, Stettinius & Hollister colleagues to reach an agreement with Queensgate Terminals/Bluegrass Farms of Ohio Inc., wherein the lives, the homes, the safety and the health of the people of Lower Price Hill hang in the balance," he says. "It is the belief of the Lower Price Hill Community Council that John Curp is involved in a possibly suspicious conflict of interest."

Degano has also asked that the City of Cincinnati sponsor "a comprehensive, independent risk assessment of all aspects of the means to transport goods in and out of a residential neighborhood", conducted by an independent consultant to be agreed upon by the LPHCC.

The letter includes a list of 130 questions and citizens' concerns about the proposed $26 million, 31-acre container-to-barge operation that he expects to be addressed by the risk assessment.

"We expect each of our concerns to be addressed and thoroughly documented by the industry-specific consultant who conducts the all-encompassing, impartial risk assessment required to ensure the health and safety of the people of Lower Price Hill," Degano says. "I call you attention to the word: impartial."

Residents of Lower Price Hill, in addition to the communities of East Price Hill and Sedamsville, have come out against the plan because of possible noise and air pollution.

They also worry that the port could stifle much-needed investments in the neighborhoods such as MetroWest Commerce Park, the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati's Wastewater Engineering Building and other infrastructure upgrades, CPS's $17 million renovation of Oyler School, the reconstruction of the Eighth Street Viaduct, Incline Square, Cincinnati Christian University's expansion, and the $50 million Harbor Lights condominium project.

"Queensgate Terminals’ representatives maintain that a multi-transport barge business is a fail-safe operation," Degano says. "But residents strongly object to the poor quality of thought, the total lack of foresight that went into the choice of the site, and the failure of both the City of Cincinnati, and Queensgate Terminals to inform the Lower Price Hill Community Council of years-long negotiations to locate a barge/train/truck/import/export operation in our residential neighborhood."

Degano requests that representatives of the LPHCC be included in a City negotiations, meeting, discussions, written and e-mail correspondence, and committee hearings in which the proposed Queensgate Terminals project is discussed.

"The people of Lower Price Hill refuse to accept the City of Cincinnati’s policy to-date of failing to inform the Lower Price Hill Community Council of the wish to site a major international port on this neighborhood’s riverfront, of ignoring neighborhood residents’ rights to have decision-making power as to the type of business it wants for its riverfront, and for the city’s blatant disregard for the fact that Lower Price Hill is a quiet residential neighborhood on the National Historic Register with homes, schools, churches, and with responsible existing businesses," he says.

Previous reading on BC:
Martin says Queensgate Terminals will be 'something that Cincinnati people are proud of' (5/4/09)
River West Working Group latest to oppose Queensgate Terminals (4/16/09)
Professor calls newest Queensgate Terminals report 'flawed' (3/18/09)
River West Working Group: Queensgate Terminals report 'unacceptable' (4/7/08)
Dohoney reports on Queensgate site options (12/26/07)

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously an ordinance allowing the City to apply for a grant that could bring in an additional $2.97 million for the 45-acre, $100 million-plus Cincinnati Riverfront Park.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant, which requires no matching funds from the City, would help pay for construction of elements within the eastern side of the park, including a grand fountain and pools, a glass floor promenade with balconies, a new restaurant, shade trellises and play areas, a visitor's center and a public bike center

A capital improvement program project account would be created if the funding is received.

Groundbreaking for phase one of the park was held last September, and the foundation for the park has been completed.

Construction of major elements of the park is expected to begin this fall and to be completed by April 2011.

The Cincinnati Park Board estimates that 1.1 million people will visit Cincinnati Riverfront Park annually.

Previous reading on BC:
Ohio grant could aid first phase of Cincinnati Riverfront Park (6/15/09)

Big surprise...more Over-the-Rhine photos. It seems that I can't spend one minute in that neighborhood without photographing its abundant beauty.

The bulk of the photos were taken May 30 during the OTR Gateway Expansion Tour and a later trip to the Over-the-Rhine Biergarten, located at .

A couple of the photos were taken while scouting images for a previous story on a group looking to stop demolitions in the neighborhood (including the Mount Auburn and Clifton Heights photos), and the Odeon Street photos were taken for the Jimmy Heath House story that appears today.

The Lewisburg and skyline photos were taken will doing a photo update on The Views, and the Botany Hills photos were taken while just driving around.

Oh...I was late to this year's Taste of Cincinnati. I only got one photo that was the least bit presentable.

The 37 photos in this slideshow have been added to the following galleries:

• Over-the-Rhine +26 (256 photos)
• Botany Hills +3 (11 photos)
• Mount Auburn +3 (41 photos)
• Lewisburg +2 (7 photos)
• Cincinnati skyline +1 (78 photos)
• Clifton Heights +1 (40 photos)
• Downtown +1 (224 photos)

These galleries, and galleries for dozens of Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods, 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.

The City of Cincinnati is considering naming Over-the-Rhine Foundation executive Michael Morgan as the chair of its new Board of Housing Appeals.

"Since his appointment, Mr. Morgan has taken a leadership role on the Board and expressed a willingness to serve as the Chairperson," Dohoney said in a recent memo to City council. "Therefore, the Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Division of the Department of Community Development and I are recommending that Mr. Morgan assume the role of Chairperson."

Council created the new board in November 2008, a seven-member body that would address building code notices, decisions or orders from the Department of Community Development issued by code officials from the Division of Property Maintenance Inspections, and waivers from Vacated Building Maintenance License (VBML) requirements for building rehabilitation.

It was thought that the new board would lighten the heavy caseload handled by the Board of Building Appeals, which used to consider such cases.

In a December 2008 letter to councilmember Chris Bortz in which he advocated for a spot on the new board, Morgan said that as an attorney, real estate agent, and property owner and manager, he would bring knowledge to the job.

"In addition, I have been a very vocal proponent of changes to the VBML waiver process and creation of the Housing Board of Appeals," he said. "Having devoted a great deal of time to the issue, I have a vested interest in the composition of the board and am willing to serve on it if appointed."

Morgan's appointment is pending council approval.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati approves Board of Housing Appeals, repeal of VBML fees (11/4/08)
Two proposed ordinances meant to address Cincinnati blight (10/10/08)

A new single-family home is for sale at , just west of Cheviot in the Bridgetown area of Green Township.

The two-story, three bedroom/one-and-a-half bath house, to be built by Homes by Richard Alan, is being offered for $159,900.

According to the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati, features include a built-in, one-car garage and custom finishes.

The house is located in the Oak Hills Local School District.

A companion house at 4223 Westwood Northern Boulevard has just been completed, and its sale is pending.

Richard Hoeting of Hoeting Realtors is the agent.

Single-family
DOB: 1920
Died: March 2009
Cause of death: Owned by the Cincinnati Zoo Foundation since last August, this was likely demolished to expand the parking lot.

There were no orders against the house, and it appears that it was still quite inhabitable.

One year ago:

• An approved rezoning cleared the way for the rehabilitation of a multi-family building at 315 Warner Street in Clifton Heights.
• Walnut Hill Redevelopment was seeking low income housing tax credits through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency for the $3.8 million rehabilitation of the Walnut Hills Apartments.
• CityBeat launched the Cincitecture column, written by Sarah Stephens, a feature that really needs to come back.

A resolution expressing support for Hosea Worldwide, Inc.'s proposed Phase II environmental assessment of the Crosley Building in Camp Washington was passed by Cincinnati City Council yesterday.

The resolution also expresses support for the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority's application for grants from the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund (COAF), a requirement of the application process.

Hosea Worldwide has owned the 300,000-square-foot building at since 1998, but has not been able to maintain it.

It has attempted to sell the building for the past four years.

In order to better market the site to developers, the company has partnered with the Port Authority to better evaluate the environmental impacts of the property's prior uses, allowing it to develop a cost estimate and plan for any remediation and abatement activities.

COAF grants, administered by the Ohio Department of Development and the Ohio EPA, are capped at $300,000.

Built in 1929, the Crosley Building served for many years as the Crosley Radio Corporation's headquarters.
In addition to housing WLW's studios on the eighth floor until 1942, the building also was home to automobile manufacturing operations, radio studios, and research facilities.

The Crosley Corporation sold the building in the 1970s.

Envisioned as one of the centerpieces of an upcoming Camp Washington urban renewal plan, the City has requested $4.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding and has requested an earmark from Congress in its fiscal year 2010 budget.

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance to execute a Community Reinvestment Area LEED tax exemption agreement to LaCaisse, Inc. for the buildout of KZF Design's new Downtown location.

The company is looking to renovate the three-story building at into 37,000-square-feet of loft office space and a showcase for sustainable design.

Under the agreement, LaCaisse, Inc. would receive a 12-year, 75 percent exemption on the increased tax value of the property, approximately $808,800 over the life of the contract.

Seventy-five employees would move from the Baldwin Building in Walnut Hills, a 30 percent increase in work space that would help accommodate KZF Design's recent growth.

700 Broadway has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council as both a LEED Core and Shell and a LEED for Commercial Interiors project, and the goal is to achieve LEED Silver certification.

The renovation, estimated to cost approximately $3.4 million, is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

With the approval of $25,000 from the Northern Kentucky Port Authority (NKPA), is more than halfway to its fundraising goal that would allow it to hire lobbyists and consultants to promote the $170 million Riverfront Commons project.

"In just two months, Southbank has raised over $200,000 of the $335,000 needed to engage consultants, including a Washington, DC-based consulting firm [20/20 Strategies] that will lobby for federal funds for this audacious project," said Roger Peterman, chairman of the NKPA.

The multi-use trail would connect all of Northern Kentucky's river cities and create what Southbank Partners president Bill Scheyer calls "the most exciting riverfront experience in the Midwest".

All of the cities' downtowns, riverfront parks and cultural assets would be tied to each other, and to Cincinnati's as well.

To help improve the project's chances for success, it has recently been merged with --> --> --> Licking River Greenway project, which would extend from the Ohio River to I-275.

Project promoters estimate that the entire project could stimulate $1.5 billion in private investment and create 4,000 permanent jobs.

"This support from the Northern Kentucky Port Authority shows further and deeper community involvement to reach our goals with these projects," Peterman said. "We want Northern Kentucky to be more and more attractive in our quest to attract talent in the workforce, and this is one more way to do it."

The cities of Bellevue, Covington, Dayton, Fort Thomas and Ludlow have committed funding for the effort, and decisions on project funding by the City of Newport and Campbell and Kenton counties are pending.

Previous reading on BC:
Public hearing seeks Licking Greenway ideas (1/21/09)

A final 38-page report (PDF) detailing the work accomplished during January's Over-the-Rhine Brewery District Charrette has been released by the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati.

Hosted by the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, AIA Cincinnati, and the Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (BDCURC) and held at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, more than 100 civic-minded citizens and students and 14 architects took part in the day-long session to brainstorm ways in which to make the Brewery District – especially the area around Findlay Market and Rookwood Pottery – more populated and vibrant.

Planning ideas from the five architect-led teams built upon givens of an operating streetcar system, mixed-uses allowable under the area's Urban Mix zoning, and the use of LEED and green building principles.

Although agreements were reached on creating a central pedestrian spine along Pleasant Street, creating iconic buildings, re-using existing buildings, and creating awareness of the sub-neighborhood, final recommendations focus on the immediate area around the market.

Attracting retail to the storefronts along Elder Street would make Findlay Market more vibrant, the report says.

But the largest problem identified seems to be parking, found to be lacking on the heaviest days and an underutilized space on off days.

As a solution, the report recommends programming events in the parking lot during off-peak hours and providing more parking in the interiors of adjacent blocks.

These ideas, which will be used by BDCURC to frame future planning discussions with City officials, architects, and developers, will be outlined in a future presentation at either the Art Academy or the Mercantile Library.

That presentation has not yet been scheduled.

Previous reading on BC:
Draft Brewery District charrette report available for comment (4/30/09)

Cincinnati City Council has approved special assessments called for in the 2010-2013 Downtown Cincinnati Improvement District plan and budget.

Beginning in January 2010, property owners will pay the additional assessment along with their real property taxes in eight semi-annual installments.

The assessment is expected to generate for DCI $2.25 million annually in 2010-2011 and $2.39 million annually in 2012-2013.

The council resolution says that the improvement district will improve Downtown's cleanliness and safety, help recruit and retain Downtown businesses, and lead to the development of more Downtown residential units.

A petition signed by owners of more than 60 percent of the district's street frontage was accepted by council late last month.

Previous reading on BC:
Ginsburg: Prepared for challenges, Downtown improves against benchmarks (5/18/09)
Last days for Downtown Perceptions Survey (4/30/09)
DCI releases State of Downtown for second half of 2008 (3/23/09)
Downtown SID focus group this evening (6/25/08)
Downtown marketing campaign to be revealed Friday (6/18/08)

A brand new, 4,800-square-foot single-family house will replace one built in 1955 at in Hyde Park, near the Hyde Park Country Club.

Designed by Hans Neutzel and to be built by Metropolitan Design and Development, the $849,000 house will feature four bedrooms and four bathrooms on a quarter-acre lot.

In addition to a two-story foyer and built-in two-car garage, there will be huge rooms – a 510-square-foot recreation room, a 336-square-foot master bedroom, and a 330-square-foot kitchen.

The project's Multiple Listing Service says that the house will be "green built" and subject to the City of Cincinnati's property tax abatement.

Michael Sweeney of Comey & Shepherd Realtors City Office is the agent.

School
DOB: 1955
Died: February 2009
Cause of death: Built in 1949, with additions in 1953 and 1976, the Ohio School Facilities Commission and DeJong & Associates, Inc. found during a 2002 inspection that the building has poor ventilations, undersized classrooms, inadequate parking and bus drop-offs, and was not ADA-compliant.

Cincinnati Public Schools will replace it with a $14.3 million, 85,470-square-foot building for 650 students, to be completed in summer 2010.

Students are attending classes at the former Burton School at 876 Glenwood Avenue in Avondale until construction is completed.

Two years ago:

• Citi Trends announced it was opening an apparel store at Peebles Corner, which never happened.
• Photos galleries for University Heights, Ault Park, Alms Park, and Winton Place were added to Building Cincinnati, as were new photos of East Walnut Hills.
  
• I ranted about the Cincinnati Enquirer's story about the "new" Pet Athletic Club Downtown, which had been open for nine months.

One year ago:

• The East Price Hill Improvement Association again asked the City to purchase the former site of Whittier School for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art District 3 police station.
• The City of Cincinnati paid Pleasant Ridge Community Council nearly $10,000 for environmental consulting work related to the former Hilton Davis site.
• The Downtown Cincinnati Enhanced Marketing Campaign, "Life Happens Here", was unveiled by Downtown Cincinnati Inc.
• In the West End, another Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority multi-family was razed due to apparent indifference.

The $25 million awarded in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for public infrastructure at The Banks will put the project's overall timeline ahead of schedule, but could drive up its costs.

Construction of the infrastructure, a part of Phase 2A that includes the project's street grid, public parking, transit accommodations, and overbuild support for the private development, is required to begin by January 2010 to be eligible for the funding.

But Phase 2A was not scheduled to begin for another 5 to 7 years.

A recent report from Cincinnati city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. says that, because the private development mix for Phase 2A is not yet known, costs for the overbuild support – ineligible for ARRA funding – could rise by as much as an estimated $4 million to $5 million.

A better estimate is expected by mid-summer, he says.

Any additional costs will be split equally between the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, and the City already is investigating possible funding sources.

Dohoney says that the overages likely will be budgeted over a three-year time frame.

Construction of the parking decks that will support Phase 1A of The Banks, which will include up to 300 apartments and 70,000 square feet of retail space, is already underway.

A portion of Freedom Way, the first street to be poured since last year's groundbreaking, began last month.

Previous reading on BC:
First street poured at The Banks (5/26/09)
Cincinnati passes three funding ordinances for The Banks (3/30/09)
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)

The City of Cincinnati would like to transfer funds from one Evanston project account to another to help jumpstart the King Studios project on Montgomery Road.

Just three blocks from of the historic King Records, the $12.5 million, 30,000-square-foot King Studios, is envisioned to include:

• King Records Memorial Hall, providing visitors with an interactive history of King Records and Cincinnati's musical roots
• King Recording Studio
• Flavor of Art Studio, which will help community residents discover the power of making visual art, and also will train and develop arts educators to serve at schools and other community facilities throughout the area

"The new King Studios will serve as a catalyst for revitalization in the Montgomery Road corridor and will complement other improvements underway in the area including the new Keystone Parke office development, Xavier University’s Hoff Academic Quad and Xavier Commons," Dohoney said.

The community focal point will be owned and operated by a limited partnership including the Evanston Community Council, Ultrasuede Studio, Flavor of Art Studio, and Xavier University.

SHP Leading Design will serve as the project architect.

In 2005, council established a capital improvement program project account, funded with $2 million, that has been used to provide deferred loans of up to $5,000 to residents of owner-occupied structures in the neighborhood for exterior improvements to their properties.

As of this month, more than $723,000 has been spent from that account.

$950,000 of the remaining funds would be used to acquire three properties on Montgomery Road, demolish them, and perform environmental assessments on the site.

Before the funds can be used for this purpose, council must pass an ordinance transferring the requested funding from the capital improvement program project account and into another account, called Income Tax Permanent Improvement Fund 758.

Launched by Syd Nathan in 1943 as a country label, King Records eventually got in on the ground floor of the burgeoning rhythm and blues market.

The company soon grew into the nation's sixth-largest label, and was ahead of its time in putting African Americans into positions of leadership in recording, pressing, designing, warehousing and shipping – all of which was done on site.

King Records was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum during a historical marker unveiling and ceremony last November.

Previous reading on BC:
King Records renderings (12/10/08)

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance to execute a Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption agreement for the renovation of a three-story, ten-unit apartment building in Columbia Tusculum.

Emerson Place Apartments, LLC plans a $325,500 rehabilitation of the building at that would include new roofing, windows, flooring, and mechanicals.

A burned-out building next door would be demolished to create green space.

If approved by council, the eight-year, 75 percent exemption on the increased property tax value would save the developer nearly $52,000 in tax liability.

The project would be completed by December 2009.

According to City building inspection records, the structure has been vacant for nearly three years.

Cincinnati Museum Center has unveiled a new website that not only allows users to share their memories of Cincinnati Union Terminal, but to learn about a possible tax levy as well.

MyUnionTerminal.org, designed and programmed by Cincinnati-based Landor Associates, asks users to "Be a Star for Union Terminal" by sharing personal stories and photos of their experiences at the National Historic Landmark, which has seen more than 150 million visitors pass through its doors since opening in 1933.

"This Web site has the potential to capture and preserve some amazing stories," said Douglass W. McDonald, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. "Every day we hear about people's wonderful connections to Union Terminal and we're happy that many of these memories will now be located in one place."

Users can also browse through other memories and disseminate them through the ShareThis widget, allowing content to be spread through people's personal networks, e-mail, and multiple social media platforms.

The most powerful application of the website's tools may be the ability to spread the word about and recruit volunteers for a possible tax levy, which the Cincinnati Museum Center is hoping to place on the ballot this November.

The levy would help fund the estimated $120 in repairs needed to fully restore the 500,000-square-foot structure, including the repair of roofing, steel columns, flashing, masonry, original and replacement windows and building systems.

Restoration of interior finishes and several historic murals would also be included.

A smaller, $9 million first phase began just over a week ago when HGC Construction was named as the general contractor for the restoration of the Cincinnati Dining Room and adjacent areas.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati Goes to War at Union Terminal (6/10/09)
Contractor selected, $120M Union Terminal restoration begins (6/8/09)
Museum Center seeking expanded landmark status (5/26/09)
Inside Cincinnati Union Terminal (2/18/09)
Photos: Union Terminal turns 75 (4/4/08)

While Cincinnati's City administration generally supports the use of the careful deconstruction and salvage of blighted buildings, the City lacks the means to do so, according to a recent report from city manager Milton Dohoney Jr.

Dohoney's report is in response to a May 13 motion by councilmembers Greg Harris and Cecil Thomas asking that the City use $160,000 in hazard abatement funds to perform this work, thereby diverting waste materials from landfills.

"The deconstruction process allows items with architectural or antique value to be salvaged and allows debris to be recycled," said a statement accompanying the motion.

But Dohoney says that the cost outweights the benefits, especially considering the large backlog of buildings awaiting City demolition.

"Unfortunately, deconstruction is estimated to cost 30 percent to 40 percent more than typical demolition," he says.

Only $198,000 in hazard abatement funds remain for 2009.

"An allocation of $160,000 for deconstruction would deplete the Hazard Abatement Program reserves earmarked for emergency demolition in the event of partial collapse or any other situation of immediate danger," Dohoney says.

Instead of dedicating funding, Dohoney says that City administration recommends a plan to deconstruct six buildings over the next 12 months, using hazard abatement and Neighborhood Stabilization Program money.

Additionally, Dohoney says that demolitions leading to new construction could be excellent candidates for deconstruction because doing so could contribute to LEED certification for the new project.

The motion also requested that any request for proposal (RFP) for the deconstruction include a job training program for unskilled or unemployed workers.

"Workers learn construction, safety, math, and tool/equipment handling skills that can be applied to other disciplines or trades," the motion's statement said.

Dohoney says that City administration recommends awarding any deconstruction contracts to companies that have a job training element.

Over-the-Rhine, a neighborhood best experienced on foot, will appear in its full glory during this year's Go OTR 5K Run/Walk, this Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

Beginning at , participants will wind their way along a 3.1-mile course that passes by many of the neighborhood's most beloved buildings.

WLWT meteorologist Valerie Abati will serve as the event's emcee, and awards specially designed by Rookwood Pottery will be presented following the race.

The event benefits the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce. In addition to the OTR Chamber, title sponsors for the event are 3CDC, PNC Bank, and the Model Group. Other sponsors include Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, Eagle Realty Group, Grammer's, Lavomatic Cafe, and Rookwood Pottery.

Pre-registration is $12 – it's $20 the day of the race – and can be accomplished by visiting the OTR Chamber website.

Participants are encouraged to pick up their race packets the day before the race from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gateway Quarter Sales Office, southwest corner of 12th and Vine streets.

Organizers expect more than 1,000 participants this year, a 33 percent increase over last year's total.


Don't go home just yet….

Also beginning at 10 a.m. at 12th and Vine streets – but really heating up after the conclusion of the race – is the first-ever OTR/Gateway Summer Celebration.

Organized by the OTR Gateway Merchants Group, the full-day celebration will feature live music, art, food and drink that celebrates the past, present, and future of the neighborhood.

Visitors will find more than a dozen local artists, eight musical acts (including The Sundresses), several neighborhood food vendors, and plenty of Christian Moerlein beer.

The party concludes at 7 p.m.

Sponsors include Ignite Cincinnati, the Central Vine Street Business Association, the OTR Chamber, 3CDC, Go OTR 5K Run/Walk, Downtown Cincinnati Jazzercise, The Model Group, VisuaLingual, and The Little Mahatma. BuyCincy and 89.7 WNKU-FM are the media partners.

Multi-family
DOB: 1941
Died: March 2009
Cause of death: Once owned by two men from the Dayton suburb of Oakwood and later seized in foeclosure proceedings, the building had numerous broken windows, a defective roof, missing gutters and downspouts, interior water damage, a deteriorated front porch, and a lot of litter. The property required City barricading on several occasions.

The building has been vacant since at least 2001. It was condemned in June 2008 and declared a public nuisance in January 2009.

The multi-family structure was razed privately. A criminal case against the prior owners was dismissed without prejudice at the owners' costs.

One year ago:

• Cincinnati City Councilmember John Cranley introduced the Regional Transportation Act, a motion that would restructure the finances and control of SORTA.
• A Community Reinvestment Area agreement was amended to give the eight upper units at East Walnut Hills' Schoolhouse Lofts a 15-year property tax exemption.
• Grant money was being channeled into the Local Initiatives Support Corporation's Recoverable Grant Pool to provide more funding for the pre-development of market-rate housing.
• In the West End, a neglected three-family with severe structural problems was razed by the City.

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance to extend a Community Reinvestment Area LEED tax exemption agreement to the DeVotie Hall Association for the renovation and expansion of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house in University Heights.

As part of the agreement, the organization would receive a 15-year property tax exemption to build a two-story wing and renovate 14,800 square feet of existing space at .

The nearly $3.8 million project would increase living capacity from 32 students to 46 students, increase living space by 7,200 square feet, and would include the upgrade and expansion of the 1925 building's bathroom facilities, mechanical systems, and sprinkler systems.

DeVotie Hall Association has registered the project with the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED NC 2.2 development.

Seventy-five percent of the increased tax value of the property would be exempt, a reduction of more than $1.1 million in tax liability over the life of the agreement.

If approved, the project would be completed by spring 2010.

In October 2007, two multi-family houses on Stratford Avenue were razed to make way for the expansion.

Previous reading on BC:
Wrecking Cincinnati, 11/8/07 (11/8/07)

An ordinance authorizing the City to amend an agreement with the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) to accept an additional $300,000 for Graeter's new Bond Hill manufacturing facility is currently being considered by Cincinnati City Council.

The amendment would allow the City to accept an additional $300,000 from ODOD's Job Ready Sites (JRS) grant program for the new $11 million, 28,000-square-foot plant already under construction at .

The City has already received more than $1.8 million in JRS grant funding for the project.

Cincinnati's local match of $116,000 would come from surplus funds from two capital improvement program project accounts.

Council already has approved the issuance up to $10 million in economic development bonds, to be serviced over 20 years through a loan to the company, in exchange for the Graeter's commitment to retain 68 jobs and to create 30 new jobs over the next three years.

The new plant, scheduled to begin production in January 2010, will allow the company to expand to national markets by quadrupling its ice cream output to 1 million gallons annually.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati creates account for new Graeter's facility (4/23/09)
Plans for new Graeter's plant in Finance Committee (4/1/09)

The following photos were all taken on May 21 along Monmouth and York streets in Newport, during a blogger event for the Gangsters, Gamblers & Girls Newport Historical Walking Tour.

There are 15 photos in this slideshow, and they have been added to the "Taylor's Landing" gallery.

Galleries for 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.

It appears that the City may be willing to give Walker Street property owners 30 years to pay off the cost of a new retaining wall, but will only provide 2 percent of the estimated $588,000 cost.

In May, the group sent a draft petition to the office of Cincinnati City Councilmember Roxanne Qualls asking the City to build a retaining wall along approximately 566 frontage feet , which would help correct ongoing landslide problems caused by a burst water main and a nearby --> --> --> project.

Petition language asking the City to cover one-third of the costs and allow 50 years for residents to pay the City back for the bonds was immediately rejected.

According to assistant city solicitor Stephen Fagel, the costs of the project are determined by the Department of Transportation and Engineering when they bid the job, and the repayment schedule is at the discretion of council.

The payback period cannot be longer than the length of the bonds, and the petitioners are required to pay the bonds' interest.

Estimates are that over 30 years, a $588,000 note, with interest included, would require $1.098 million in debt service at 4.5 percent and $1.296 million at 6 percent.

Each property owner would be assessed based upon their total street frontage.

In a series of recent e-mails obtained by Building Cincinnati, one resident asked if stimulus money was available, and another asked if the City would be looking at competitive bids – or would the costs be higher due to prevailing wage or small- and minority-owned business requirements.

Still others feared that, by pushing too hard, they may cause the City to back away from the project entirely – forcing many who have City orders against them to walk away from their properties.

"Yes the city will be charged a higher rate but they will also be receiving the economy of scale by doing the entire project," one property owner said. "Also the city will be financing the entire thing at a good interest rate."

Residents and property owners continue to work with Qualls' office, and will continue to meet before submitting a formal petition to council.

The approval of owners of 60 percent of the street frontage within the identified area will be required for the petition to be considered.

Previous reading on BC:
Walker Street residents craft petition (5/5/09)
Walker Street residents assembling petition for retaining wall assessment (4/23/09)
Walker Street retaining wall closer to Council vote (4/8/09)
Resident: 'Please help us save Walker Street' (2/24/09)

In the June edition of the Lower Price Hill Community Council newsletter, council president Dr. Jack Degano said that the threat of an "even larger junkyard" has re-emerged in his community.

River Metals Recycling, a subsidiary of David J. Joseph Companies and the largest scrap processor in Greater Cincinnati and in Kentucky, has proposed using the 7.8 acres at to accept and store ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal and junked cars for one to three weeks at a time.

But neighborhood resident Charlie Mattingly believes that River Metals has larger aspirations – and will require far more land.

"Shipping scrap metals to China is a boom industry," he said. "Other rapidly expanding economies, like South Korea, also seek scrap metal in quantities."

Mattingly said that there is adjacent and nearby acreage available that allow the company to build up its operations beyond what the neighborhood can control.

"River Metals is interested in buying the Mike Kaeser junkyard in LPH, with its entrance in South Fairmount," he said. "In particular, River Metals wants the acreage of the Petermann bus depot off State Avenue. Petermann's lease expired in May. We were told the school bus drivers operating out of there were fired, and the busses move elsewhere. That land has rail access, and is adjacent to Mill Creek, and thus, to the Ohio River."

Degano said that political operatives have prevented the junkyard issue from being discussed or voted on by council, and he has urged citizens to contact Cincinnati City Council, Hamilton County Commissioners, and Governor Ted Strickland to stop both the junkyard – and the Queensgate Terminals container-to-barge port proposed for River Road.

Lower Price Hill Community Council has voted against the proposal on several occasions, citing an over-concentration of industrial uses in the neighborhood, noise, and pollution as its chief concerns.

"The City of Cincinnati has launched war on two fronts," Degano says. "Lower Price Hill does not need a noisy, polluting 7.8 acre junkyard in the midst of homes on State Avenue and Ernst Street. Lower Price Hill does not need a noisy, polluting, taxpayer-funded China export operation on its riverfront that would operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is new hope in Lower Price Hill from ongoing positive developments."

Mattingly promised that his "small, mighty" neighborhood will fight to protect its families and homes.

"We fight back against injustice," he said. "We have an earned track record of what can be achieved when one smart Italian, a few organized Irish and German descendants, many more determined Appalachians, African-Americans, Hispanics and other nationalities, all pull together to right a wrong against us. The unifying fact is we are all proud Americans who choose to live in LPH."

Degano agreed.

"The Lower Price Hill Community Council, with the invaluable help of many residents – all volunteers – is devoting long hours to protecting the safety and health of people who live here, who work here, and who attend Lower Price Hill’s three schools," he said.

River Metals has yet to request permits for the project.

"junk cars" photo by , courtesy of Flickr.

Previous reading on BC:
Health Department replies to LPH concerns about junkyard licensing (2/24/09)
Lower Price Hill seeks Cole's help in stopping junkyard (2/17/09)
River Metals to apply for junkyard use (11/13/08)
Lower Price Hill fighting proposed junkyard (10/9/08)

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance that would make more money available for the abatement of unsanitary buildings and overgrown and blighted private lots.

The ordinance, introduced by councilmember Chris Monzel and drawn up by city solicitor John Curp, would draw $83,950 from two Department of Planning and Buildings operating accounts and transferred it into a Department of Public Services operating account to fund the Private Lots Abatement Program (PLAP), which has run out of money.

The 2009/2010 biennial budget reduced the program's funding to $27,000, or less than 10 percent of its 2008 level.

Through early April, 239 properties had been referred to PLAP, on pace to top last year's total of 1,662.

Last month, city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. requested $310,000 in City contingency funding for the program, but that ordinance has not made it to a council vote.

Funds for the current ordinance had been set aside for the City's census efforts.

Previous reading on BC:
Extra $310K requested for litter, weeds abatement (5/18/09)

Single-family
DOB: 1925
Died: February 2009
Cause of death: A foreclosure, owned by Deutsche Bank. There were orders for broken windows, lack of exterior paint and a damaged cornice, but the building was not condemned.

It appears that the Andrew James Custom Builders is planning to build a new $235,000 house on the site, which is a short walk from the O'Bryonville business district.