Readers,

Over the past three-plus years, I have been working to uncover the development news that you have wanted to read, and I'm proud to say that I believe I've built a pretty good product.

But my savings can't last forever, and, despite my best attempts to make Building Cincinnati a full-time endeavor, it's just not working. Modern life demands a modern income, which this website just can't provide.

It no longer seems economically viable for me to continue spending 50-60 hours a week researching, attending meetings, interviewing, photographing, writing, illustrating, and posting.

It's a very tough decision, whether to continue this website or to end up taking some job for which I have no passion. I am extremely passionate about development news. I love the work. I love the interesting people I've been able to meet and the interesting places I've had the opportunity to explore.

How often do people get to do what they love?

So, I'm mulling it over and spending these next few days making one last-ditch effort at saving this labor of love. I really hope that I can find a solution.

Thank you for your enduring trust and support, and I hope to be back soon.

Kevin

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance allowing the City to apply for a grant of approximately $300,000 through the Ohio Department of Development's Clean Ohio Assistance Fund for environmental assessments at the former Hudepohl brewery site in Queensgate, a move that could push the complex closer to redevelopment.

The property, at , is in a partial state of demolition and has been eyed for office, light industrial, or residential redevelopment by owners Hudepohl Square, LLC, which purchased the long-dormant plant in 2004.

In preparation for next month's opening of the Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand, the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is seeking wall spaces throughout the City for the exhibition's public murals.

By February 4, the CAC is looking to find at least 30 outdoor spaces for the installations, which will consist of long-lasting – but not permanent – pasted paper and wheat paste artworks.

Firefighters have been battling hot spots at the former Christian Moerlein bottling plant, , since a four-alarm fire that started Friday evening.

No amount on damage has been reported, but the fire was contained to the roof and fourth floor of the 250,000-square-foot Brewery District anchor.

Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD) Captain Michael Washington said that he doesn't believe that the building will need to be torn down.

The following fire photos were taken on Friday evening by photographer David J. Jones, who often photographs fire scenes for CFD.

* 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:
Mill Creek 'landmark' coming down (10/22/08)
Findlay Market fire photos by David J. Jones (9/17/08)

Dozens of residents in Hamilton and Butler counties could have the opportunity to gain skills in the abatement of lead, asbestos, mold and hazardous wastes through a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).

Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously last month to accept the funding for its Brownfield Job Training Program, which is scheduled to be awarded in February or March. U.S. EPA plans on awarding grants to 12 to 13 such programs this fiscal year.

An ordinance passed unanimously by Cincinnati City Council last month means that three of the City's "hot spot" accident locations will be studied by the Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE).

The ordinance approves the acceptance and appropriation of $60,000 in Ohio Department of Public Safety grants to analyze Reading Road, and , as well as .

Both the theories and the practices of homeownership will be up for discussion this week during a series of events being held Downtown.

This Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 1 p.m., the Fifth Third Banking Center will host First Time Homebuyers Workshops at its City Living Mortgage Office on Fountain Square.

Three-family
DOB: circa 1900-1910
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Demolished as part of the Burnet Place project, a development by the Model Group to create 62 low-income housing units and 8,000 square feet of commercial space at Burnet and Rockdale avenues.

Two years ago:

• The first results of a survey of Building Cincinnati readers were posted.
• In Columbia Tusculum, two houses in the Cottage Hill development had just been completed and foundations were poured for two more.
• The Clifton Cultural Arts Center was seeking volunteers to clean the historic Clifton School.
• Keepin' it REAL Estate emerged as the latest local real estate blog.
• A West End multi-family was razed for no apparent reason.

Building Cincinnati has just received word that the Cincinnati Department of Community Development's proposed Neighborhood Grants Program, detailed in a January 5, 2010 story, was not funded for 2010 as a result of the late December budget negotiations.

Attempts to verify this evening's meeting were unsuccessful; however, there was no meeting scheduled for tonight.

The City will continue to provide funding to community councils through the Neighborhood Support Program and the Neighborhood Business District Support Fund.

Cincinnati's Department of Community Development (DCD) has adopted best practices from a City of Seattle program to promote resident-driven, place-based projects in the City's neighborhoods.

Funding was approved for the Neighborhood Grants Program in the Office of the City Manager's 2010 budget. A community match of at least 20 percent of the project's cost would be required to leverage City money.*

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously an ordinance allowing the City to accept three grants for the installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic arrays in more than a dozen local locations.

The grants, from federal economic stimulus funds disbursed through the Ohio Department of Development, are:

Last month, Cincinnati City Council adopted the GO Cincinnati (Growth and Opportunities) report and action plan as the official economic growth strategy of the City of Cincinnati.

The motion to adopt was presented by Councilmember Chris Bortz, co-chair of a steering committee that spent more than a year developing the plan for targeted, place-based development, workforce development, and transportation investments in the City.

A South Fairmount product analysis and research firm will be able to add much needed office and laboratory space – and more jobs – thanks to an ordinance passed by Cincinnati City Council shortly before its holiday break.

The ordinance approves a 15-year, 75 percent Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption agreement with MTK, Inc. for a two-story, 9,000-square-foot addition to the Q Laboratories, Inc. headquarters at .

The Hamilton County Park District and the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance are conducting a survey to further understand the local mountain biking demographic.

The short online survey asks about the availability and quality of local mountain bike trails and on-site amenities, what type of equipment and what skill level respondents have, and how many hours respondents have spent volunteering on local trail projects.

Single-family
DOB: 1937
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Interior fire damage, plus damage to the roof, siding, gutters, downspouts and windows. The house and lot was littered with debris and abandoned furniture, and the structure was open to trespassers.

The house was condemned in August 2007 and was declared a public nuisance in November 2008. It was razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

It appears that the property was abandoned.

One year ago:

• The Ohio Department of Development announced changes to the Clean Ohio Fund program.
• Final voting opened for the ill-fated 2009 BC Development Awards.
• A slideshow confirmed that construction at the Palisades of Mount Adams had stalled.
• An East Walnut Hills house that was being lost to the hillside was razed by the City.

A store that bills itself as the first in Cincinnati to specialize in building supplies made from recycled or rapidly renewable materials is set to open on January 12 in Columbia Tusculum.

Greener Stock, located at , is the concept of architect Heather E. Curless, a South Carolina transplant who specializes in residential remodeling work.

The Cincinnati chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has been presented with the Award of Excellence for Advocacy & Influence during the USGBC's 2009 Chapter Awards of Excellence presented last month at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Phoenix.

One of seven of USGBC's 78 local chapters to win an award, Cincinnati's was recognized for building the capacity of its Advocacy Circle, which helped to influence local and statewide policy.

Cincinnati City Council has approved the execution of a Community Reinvestment Area LEED tax exemption agreement with Forest Square Apartments Limited Partnership (the Model Group) for a 21-unit senior housing infill project in Avondale.

Construction began last month at on the $4.2 million Forest Square Senior Apartments, a 26,000-square-foot building that has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council under the LEED for Homes program. Completion is scheduled for fall 2010.

The U.S. Green Building Council Cincinnati Regional Chapter will hold a free tour of the LEED Gold Cincinnati Herald Building this Thursday from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

The three-story, 46,000-square-foot building at in Avondale was designed by DNK Architects, Inc. and serves as the headquarters of the Cincinnati Herald. The building also houses offices for Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and street-level retail space.

Single-family
DOB: 1874
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Water damage due to deteriorated roof, gutters, and downspouts. Insect rot. The siding had been stripped off.

It was purchased in 2006 by an investor for $5,000. Barricades on the building were removed and it was illegally occupied during 2007. The City vacated the building, and it was identified as blighted during the 90-day Neighborhood Enhancement Program blitz later that year. The property became a neighborhood dump site.

The house condemned in August 2007 and was declared a public nuisance in April 2008. It was razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

A criminal case against the owners was dropped after an inability to serve summons.

Two years ago:

• A Building Cincinnati study showed that Lower Price Hill lost the greatest percentage of its housing units in 2007, followed by Camp Washington and Avondale.
• The Montgomery Parks and Recreation Commission received a copy of the Park Study, commissioned by the city as part of its ten-year Parks Master Plan.
• In Westwood, siding was installed on a third building and was nearly installed on a fourth building at the Bluffs at Woodcrest.
• An abandoned, nuisance two-family in Avondale was razed.
• I visited Cincinnati Union Terminal, grabbed a shot of the Cincinnati skyline, then headed Downtown and to Fountain Square.*