Two-family
DOB: 1895
Died: July 2009
Cause of death: Fire damage, a deteriorated roof, crumbling foundation, broken and missing windows, and water damage.

The City ordered the building vacant in January 2007. It was declared a public nuisance in June 2007 and razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

At the time of demolition, the property was assessed at $8,340 and the structure was valued at $4,430.

Three years ago:

• Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity and the University of Cincinnati announced they would partner on their third Avondale home at 3570 Haven Street.
• Building Cincinnati went to a three-column format, with an improved masthead and better access to the photo galleries.

Two years ago:

• Cincinnati City Council was considering a resolution of support for a Clean Ohio Fund grant application that would help turn Camp Washington's Harrison Terminal Building into market-rate apartments.
• Planning for development on Cincinnati's hillsides was underway, according to a report from Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney.
• Work was moving into the interiors of several houses along the 600 block of Saratoga Street in Newport, part of the 39-unit, scattered-site Liberty Homes public housing project.
• The Clifton Heights Improvement Association was asking residents to let Cincinnati City Council know if they preferred W Clifton Avenue or Vine Street for the Uptown streetcar connector.
• A blighted Madisonville house was razed.

The deadline is approaching quickly for presentation submissions for the 2010 Green Homes Summit, to be held November 13 at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

The summit, presented by the AIA Cincinnati's Congress of Residential Architecture and its Committee on the Environment, the Cincinnati chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council's Residential Green Building Committee, and the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati, will focus on homeowners as the true users of green homes.

The new elevators at the Great American Tower at Queen City Square, which will be among the fastest in the City of Cincinnati, has been selected as the 2010 Project of the Year for New Installation Projects by their manufacturer and installer.

Currently being installed by ThyssenKrupp Elevator, the project includes the installation of 28 elevators. The three executive high-rise elevators will travel at 1,400 feet per minute and are being equipped with special high-speed ride quality features, including Destination Dispatch, which directs passengers to the elevator that will get them to their destination in the shortest travel time.

Single-family
DOB: 1918
Died: July 2009
Cause of death: Deteriorated roof, gutters and downspouts; structural damage due to moisture; ceiling collapse; brick damage; unsafe stairs; and a rotted front porch. The property was frequented by drug users and squatters.

It was condemned in March 2007, declared a public nuisance in September 2007, and razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

The property was one of many local blighted properties owned by Evelyn Baskin. In April 2007, Baskin claimed that she didn't have the funds for rehabilitation or a Vacated Building Maintenance License. A month later, a potential buyer had been identified. The sale never went through when it was discovered that he didn't have any money.

A 2007 criminal case filed against Baskin could not be found in the Clerk of Courts database.

Two years ago:

• The first annual Cincinnati Bloggers Convention at the Mercantile Library was a success.
• Clifton Town Meeting continued its fight for a promised plaza on the former site of Bender Optical on Ludlow Avenue.
• A short-lived series on the walkability of local buildings began using the online Walk Score tool.
• The Mill Creek Restoration Project was seeking volunteers for its Laughing Brook wetlands project at Salway Park.
• Carson School in West Price Hill was demolished.

One year ago:

• Receivership 101, part of the City of Cincinnati's Home Grown Expert Roundtable Series, showed how the legal remedy can be used to get blighted properties into the hands of those who can redevelop them.
• Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee was considering a rezoning request that would bring two new six-unit apartment buildings and a rehabilitated ten-unit apartment building to the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Charlton Street in Corryville.
• Cincinnati City Council also was considering the transfer of federal HOME funding for Forest Square, a new 21-unit senior housing project in Avondale.
• An ordinance was pending that would fund infrastructure improvements at the CitiRama 2010 site at Rockford Woods in Northside.
• The U.S. Green Building Council was seeking input on how it could improve its green rating system.
• A Northside single-family was razed for some reason.
• I visited Wyoming.
  

The State of Ohio's Development Financing Authority Council has awarded $5 million through its Urban Development Loan program to help pay for a 450-space underground parking garage in Over-the-Rhine's Washington Park.

The garage is part of a $47.3 million redevelopment project by 3CDC and the Cincinnati Park Board that will also include an event lawn and stage, a centerpiece fountain, picnic tables and seating, a dog park, children's playground, walkways, restrooms, a concession building, and new lighting and irrigation.

Two-family
DOB: 1883
Died: August 2009
Cause of death: No clue!

At the time of demolition, the property was assessed at $6,000, with the structure valued at $2,340.

Three years ago:

• The City of Cincinnati received $3 million in Clean Ohio Revitalization Funds for environmental remediation work at the MetroWest Commerce Park site.
• It was discovered that Vladimir Putin is a Cincinnati property owner!
• The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Cincinnati.com and CincyTechUSA were sponsoring a "Best Blogs" contest.

One year ago:

• Frost Brown Todd signed a deal to move its 300 employees into the Great American Tower at Queen City Square, making the City's new tallest building 80 percent leased.
• The Ohio Housing Finance Agency began administering the Grants for Grads program, providing down payment and closing cost assistance to graduates of Ohio's colleges and universities in an effort to keep them from leaving the state.
• Thirty-six photos of Covington's Westside neighborhood, South Fairmount, the West End, Downtown, Northside, Over-the-Rhine, and Downtown Covington were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
• The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments won a Special Achievement in GIS Award for its implementation of ERSI's geographic information system technology.
• 3CDC unveiled a redesigned website featuring more photographs and in-depth information on its development projects.
• A Linwood house that suffered a one-alarm fire was razed by the City.

Single-family
DOB: 1875-1900
Died: July 2009
Cause of death: Demolished by the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency to make way for the construction of new green homes.

This property was once part of a mortgage fraud scheme. In November 2001, Donald Powers purchased the property for $6,000. In May 2002, he sold the property for $110,000. Powers then knowingly signed a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) document indicating that the buyer had provided a down payment of $11,808.46 at closing, though it was later discovered that no money had ever changed hands.

The fraud occurred when Powers signed the HUD document knowing that the information was false, then submitted it to ABN Amro, whose deposits were then insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

In all, Powers defrauded various financial and lending institutions for nearly $3.5 million through his illegal flipping scheme. He also pled guilty to filing false income tax returns in the years 2001 and 2002.

Three years ago:

• Cole Realty Associates was set to begin construction of a multi-tenant retail building at the corner of Beechmont and Roxbury avenues in Mount Washington.
• The Anderson Township Board of Trustees approved preliminary plans for Horizon Community Church's 160,000-square-foot megachurch on the former Indian Valley Golf Course.

Two years ago:

• I visited Over-the-Rhine.
  

The following photos were taken June 19 and June 25, 2010.

The Covington photos were taken during half time of an inconsequential World Cup match between Cameroon and Denmark, which I was watching at Molly Malone's. The Findlay Market shot was taken that same afternoon.

Mixed-use
DOB: 1861
Died: August 2009
Cause of death: A missing roof, masonry and structural damage caused by the September 2008 windstorm. Building collapse. Children were seen playing inside.

The building was condemned in March 2009 and razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

One-time owner Revolution Properties had been rehabbing the building as recently as 2006.

Two years ago:

• Vision Land Development posted site plans and 3D massing models for Oakley's $300 million, 67-acre Millworks project to its website.
• A condemned West End warehouse was razed by its owners to prevent further prosecution.

Two-family
DOB: 1870-1890
Died: July 2009
Cause of death: Defective roof, chimney, side porch, cornice, gutters and downspouts; loose brick; missing and broken windows; and lack of protective paint. Located adjacent to Oyler School, the building owner was cited for drug and prostitution activity in the vacant property three years ago.

The building was condemned in September 2008, declared a public nuisance in December 2008, and razed by the City.

A criminal case was filed against the owner in August 2008, but has not proceeded.

Two years ago:

• Photos of Prospect Hill, Walnut Hills, Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, Downtown Covington, the Cincinnati skyline, Botany Hills, and Lewisburg were added to the Building Cincinnati galleries.
• In a YouTube video, the young muralists behind the "Campy Washington" mural described their work in their own words.
• A Pleasant Street two-family was razed to make way for the City Home project in Over-the-Rhine.

One year ago:

• A group led by Over-the-Rhine Foundation Executive Director Mike Morgan and Danny Klingler submitted a 29-page report to Cincinnati City Council, outlining a number of poposals to change the City's code enforcement policies in order to save historic buildings and promote economic development.
• Agenda 360 named a new team of leaders to help implement its regional action plan.
• In Westwood, the preferred alternative for the reconstruction of a portion of Harrison Avenue was presented at a public open house.
• In Mount Auburn, a three-family house ordered vacant by the City was razed by the owner, who also owned the neighboring property.
• I visited Hyde Park and Over-the-Rhine.*
  

* 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.

Megen Construction Company has won a $4.9 million contract for the construction of the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Stage and Event Lawn at Cincinnati Riverfront Park, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Cincinnati Park Board announced yesterday.

Part of the park's second phase, the event lawn will be built at Walnut Street and Mehring Way, adjacent to the planned Moerlein Lager House.

The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) has released its 2010 Northern Kentucky Bike Route Guide (PDF), the first update to its bike map since 2002.

OKI Senior Planner and Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator Don Burrell and a volunteer group of area cyclists reviewed existing maps and newly-constructed lanes, evaluating the suitability of roads that could serve as useful biking connectors. The new map also details where bicycle infrastructure, parks, stores, and significant hills are located.

Building Cincinnati would like to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to the readers of Cincy Chic, who voted it one of the eight best local blogs.

To compile the results, the online publication solicited comments through the use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

Three-family
DOB: 1885
Died: November 2009
Cause of death: Loose and falling bricks, a defective roof, loose metal trim, missing and broken windows, deteriorating gutters and downspouts, and lack of protective paint. Trespassers were seen entering and exiting the premises, and there were signs of vandalism. The building had been vacant since at least 1992.

The property was condemned in September 2008, declared a public nuisance in December 2008, and razed by the City.

A criminal case was filed against the owner in 2003. He was granted a continuance and then probation, and was able to obtain a vacated building maintenance license and get off of probation in 2005. Following condemnation orders in 2008, the owner told City inspectors that he was unable to find the funding to rehabilitate the building. A new criminal case was filed, but has not progressed.

Three years ago:

• The Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission approved Anderson Township's Clough Pike Business District Redevelopment Plan.

One year ago:

• The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington was awarded a $10,000 grant by the Home Depot Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation to improve energy efficiency in the city's single-family homes.
• Krohn Conservatory was set to close for six weeks for a $200,000 reconstruction project.
• Fifty photos from inside of South Fairmount's vacant Roosevelt School were posted to Building Cincinnati.
• In Roselawn, a vacant house that had become a haven of drug activity was razed by its owner.

The City of Cincinnati has received a $1.4 million grant through the Ohio Job Ready Sites (JRS) program for a total makeover of a portion of Dana Avenue in Evanston.

The grant will allow the City to work in conjunction with Neyer Properties on a reconfiguration of the on- and off-ramps at the . This work, already underway, will allow the developer to create a new gateway to Keystone Parke, the region's first green office campus.

Phil Nuxhall, historian and tour coordinator for the Spring Grove Cemetery Heritage Foundation, will share his knowledge of the 733-acre regional treasure this Thursday at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

"Beauty in the Grove", part of the center's Insights Lecture Series, will feature themes explored in his book Beauty in the Grove – The History, Art, Architecture and Landscape of Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum. A slideshow of images will accompany the lecture.

Summer is a time when a lot of us slow down. School is out. People go on vacation. There are fewer public meetings.

But that doesn't mean that construction grinds to a halt!

Single-family
DOB: 1927
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Foundation cracks, a collapsing chimney, broken and missing windows, water damage. deteriorating gutters and downspouts, a failing front porch, and trash and debris. City barricading has been necessary on at least five occasions since becoming vacant in 2002.

The house was condemned in April 2005, declared a public nuisance in April 2008, and razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

City records indicate that a criminal case was filed against the owner, but those records cannot be found on the Clerk of Courts website.

Three years ago:

• Twenty-five photos of the American Can building in Northside were posted to Building Cincinnati.

On Monday at 4 p.m., the Columbia Township Board of Trustees will hold a public meeting to discuss the creation of a tax increment financing (TIF) district that could lead to the redevelopment of the vacant K-mart building at , near the intersection of Ridge and Highland.

Property owner Ridge K, LLC (Neyer Properties) has been looking to develop the 10.1-acre property as Ridge Pointe, a $21 million project which would include major renovations to the 108,000-square-foot building's façade and the construction of two retail buildings of 10,500- and 14,000-square-feet. A vacant Firestone tire store would be demolished, and more than 400 surface parking spaces would be created.

The following photos were taken on June 4 and June 19, 2010.

A recent story I wrote about North Fairmount piqued my interest in learning more about the neighborhood, so, on June 19, North Fairmount Community Center (NFCC) Co-Director Lois Broerman was kind enough to take me on a driving tour of the neighborhood. We eventually made it as far north as East Westwood, where NFCC also does quite a bit of work.

The final few shots of Downtown were taken from Ninth Street while awaiting my tour of City Hall's green roof.

These 27 photos have been added to the following galleries:

• North Fairmount +18 (27 photos)
• Downtown +5 (299 photos)
• East Westwood +2 (3 photos)

These galleries, and those for dozens of other Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods, can be found in the drop-down menu in the right-hand column.

Click on each photo to enlarge to 800x600.

1. St. Leo the Great Church and St. Leo Place, North Fairmount.


2. North Fairmount Community Center, St. Leo Place, North Fairmount.


3.


4. St. Leo Place, North Fairmount.


5. Seegar Avenue, North Fairmount.


6. Grove Street, North Fairmount.


7. Beekman Street, North Fairmount.


8. Beekman and Cummins streets, North Fairmount.


9. Pulte Street, North Fairmount.


10. Community garden, Baltimore Avenue near Casper Street, North Fairmount.


11. Baltimore Avenue and Casper Street, North Fairmount.


12. Weron Lane, East Westwood.


13. McHenry House senior living, McHenry Avenue, East Westwood.


14. Church, formerly a Kroger, Baltimore Avenue and Carll and Casper streets, North Fairmount.


15. Denham Street, North Fairmount.


16. Carll Street at Geiger Street, North Fairmount.


17. Baltimore Avenue, North Fairmount.


18. Baltimore Avenue and Trevor Place, North Fairmount.


19. Seegar Avenue, North Fairmount.


20. Denham Street, from Seegar Avenue, North Fairmount.


21. Cincinnati City Hall, Ninth Street side, Downtown.


22.


23.


24.


25. Plum and Richmond streets, Downtown.

Ohio State Sen. Eric Kearney (D-9th) has introduced legislation that he hopes will better focus state spending and spur economic development.

Created in conjunction with non-profit advocacy group Greater Ohio, Senate Bill 284 (S.B. 284) would leverage private sector investments by carefully targeting state resources around Centers of Development, or already proven job creation catalysts such as medical centers and educational institutions.

Single-family
DOB: 1887
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Structural damage resulting from water penetration, holes in the floors and ceilings, broken and missing windows, peeling and missing siding, heavy litter. City barricading was required on at least three occasions.

The house condemned in May 2007, declared a public nuisance in July 2007, and razed by the City following asbestos abatement.

At the time of demolition, the property was assessed at $9,230 and the structure was assessed at $3,530.

The property owner was deceased.

Two years ago:

• Building Cincinnati was turned over to the readers for a day.
• A former Arby's restaurant on Calhoun Street was demolished to make way for a development that has yet to happen.
• In Covington, I explored its Botany Hills, Lewisburg, and Downtown neighborhoods.*
  

One year ago:

• The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments released an interactive online version of its 2009 Cincinnati Bike Route Guide.
• A 55-photo slideshow of the West End's vacant Heberle School was posted to Building Cincinnati.
• A Madisonville warehouse 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.

The development team behind the $4 million Moerlein Lager House released new details and architectural renderings during a press conference today at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, just a stone's throw from the restaurant and microbrewery's future location at Cincinnati Riverfront Park.

Scheduled for completion in August 2011, the 15,000-square-foot, two-story building will have a seating capacity of 500 people inside, with room for an additional 600 people in its outdoor beer garden. The building plans to pursue LEED certification.