Building Cincinnati: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

Liberty St 'road diet' advances, to be bid by Nov. 2014

Cincinnati is moving ahead with a "road diet" for Liberty Street, an idea that is meant to eliminate the perceived barrier between the northern and southern portions of Over-the-Rhine and to open up more than four acres of vacant or underutilized parcels for redevelopment.

In a May 15 report to City Council prepared by Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) Director Michael Moore, DOTE Acting City Architect Matthew Andrews, and DOTE Project Engineer Martha Kelly said that the addition of $400,000 in City funding through an expansion of its casino-area infrastructure improvements program will allow the City to move forward with the study and design of the high-traffic roadway.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 2833 Ruberg Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Westwood
YEAR BUILT: 1957
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Emily I. Emmons
ASSESSED VALUE: $39,450
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: April 2007, for water damage due to a faulty roof, litter, broken windows, and a lack of utilities and functioning mechanicals. A criminal case was filed in November 2007. The owner was placed into a housing diversion program.
HAZARD: June 2008, adding plaster, flooring, structural failure, a cracked foundation, exterior paint, chimney, and weeds. By late 2008, the owner had acquired a stay of demolition and rehab work had started. In May 2010, City inspectors found that the owner's brother was occupying the house illegally while work was being done. Work soon stopped, and the house became the target of vandals.
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1545 Ruth Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1904
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Jesse Merriweather
ASSESSED VALUE: $64,220
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: August 2009, for a deteriorated front porch and roof, exterior paint, and cornice. Repairs were started on the porch in May 2010, four months after a criminal case was filed. The criminal case was dismissed in April 2011 after the former owner, going through bankruptcy, transferred the property via quit clain deed to her brother. Orders were reissued to the current owner. A civil fine was levied in November 2011. In late 2012, a criminal case was prepared and reviewed, but never filed.
HAZARD: September 2012, adding litter and weeds, broken and missing windows, and deteriorated and falling siding.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1207 Chapel St

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1890
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Bobby Oglesby
ASSESSED VALUE: $51,310
ORDERS: March 2007, for chimney, cornice, windows, a rotten addition, smoke detectors, doors, cabinets, and litter.
CONDEMNED: October 2009, adding severe structural damage to the masonry walls and support footers, cracked lintels, gutters and downspouts, and exterior paint. A civil fine was levied in March 2011. A criminal case was filed in June 2012, but dismissed three months later for want of prosecution.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. The final of three buildings owned by Oglesby on the 1200 block of Chapel Street to be razed by the City.

Public nuisance hearing, 5/31/13

The City of Cincinnati's Director of Buildings and Inspections will hold a public hearing Friday at 9 A.M. in the Main Conference Room of the Building Development and Permit Center, , to determine if the following 12 buildings should be declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program:

, West Price Hill (two-family, 1900)
, North Fairmount (multi-family, 1961)
, Over-the-Rhine (commercial, 1865)
, Westwood (single-family, 1923)
, East Price Hill (multi-family, 1910)

Wrecking Cincinnati: 4535 Eastern Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Linwood
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: William J. and Brenda Snyder
ASSESSED VALUE: $78,300
ORDERS: December 2004, ordered vacated and barricaded due to work being done without a permit. Orders reissued in September 2006, then again in December 2008. In September 2010, a neighbor called the City and told them that people had been seen going into and out of the house. Orders were reissued in July 2011, and an open cistern was declared a hazard. In August 2011, the Board of Housing Appeals granted a six month suspension of Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) fees, provided the owner clean up brush in the yard, repair downspouts, and secure the cistern within 30 days.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Motion: Resume negotiations to buy Wasson Way tracks

Cincinnati administration has been directed by City Council to undertake negotiations with for the purchase of six miles of unused track, which would be used to build the Wasson Way hike-bike trail.

In a June 2012 resolution, Council asked City staff to look into pursuing the purchase and, although staff obtained appraisals for the property, it has not made a formal offer to the railroad. A May 15 motion by Councilmember Laure Quinlivan is meant to speed the process along.

City approves sale, development agreement with Sedamsville manufacturer

Cincinnati City Council on May 15 authorized a property sale and development agreement with Peter Cremer NA to allow the oleochemical supplier to construct a $4 million, 40,000-square-foot LEED certified office and warehouse facility in Sedamsville.

The City will sell 8.9 acres to the company for the fair market value of $322,319, as determined by a professional appraisal. The agreement also gives the company a two-year option to purchase an adjoining 1.04-acre parcel.

Tax exemption approved for 580 Building apartments, offices

On May 15, Cincinnati City Council approved a Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption agreement with affiliate Cincinnati Development I, LLC for the $40 million redevelopment of Downtown's 580 Building into 176 apartments, 181,376 square feet of Class A office space, and 58,492 square feet of retail space.

The 12-year exemption will reduce the developer's tax liability by $4.8 million over the life of the agreement.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1218 Chapel St

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1895
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Bobby Oglesby
ASSESSED VALUE: $35,180
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: October 2011, for a collapsing retaining wall, gutters and downspouts, soffits, missing siding, interior vandalism, a cracked and bulging foundation, exterior paint, and trash and weeds. A civil fine was issued in April 2012. A criminal case was filed in August 2012, but dismissed by the prosecutor one month later.
HAZARD: October 2012, adding broken and missing windows.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

LEED tax exemption granted for Bartlett Building hotel

Cincinnati City Council on May 15 passed unanimously an ordinance approving a Community Reinvestment Area LEED tax exemption agreement with Columbia Sussex Corp. affiliate Bartlett Building, Ltd. that will facilitate the historic office building's conversion into a 312-room luxury hotel.

The $33.3 million rehabilitation of the 18-story tower at is pursuing LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Setty Kuhn set for modernization

The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) has issued an invitation to bid for the modernization of its 11-building, 64-unit Setty Kuhn Terrace complex in Walnut Hills.

Work will include roof replacement; new kitchens, finishes and mechanicals; the removal of the existing playground; replacement of damaged walks, stairs and hand rails; new landscaping; and upgraded exterior lighting. Four of the units will be remodeled to meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards.

Covington housing authority seeks appraisal services

The Housing Authority of Covington is accepting requests for qualifications (RFQ) for real estate appraisal services on 11 of its properties, which will allow it to set loan amounts for each of the 19 units.

The properties are located at 220-222 E 8th Street; 128 E 13th Street; 1210-1212, 1213-1215, 1229-1231, 1319-1321 and 1401-1403 Banklick Street; 1324 and 1717 Holman Avenue; and 2021 and 2025 Mackoy Street. All were rehabilitated between 2012 and 2013 using Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 123 Valencia St

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1905
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: Reginald Anderson (Atlanta, GA)
ASSESSED VALUE: $12,000
ORDERS: April 2005, ordered vacated and barricaded. In December 2005, orders were issued for gutters and downspouts and windows. In February 2006, the building was again ordered vacated and barricaded. One month later, the owner claimed he would begin work when he got his income tax return. In October 2006, the property changed hands and orders were reissued. A criminal case was filed against the owner, but later dropped after the property was transferred to a new owner. Again ordered vacated and barricaded in December 2008.
CONDEMNED: April 2010, after a large sheet of rolled roofing blew off and landed in the driveway. The orders also cited a defective chimney, and a separating rear wall. The fire escape detached from the building and fell to the ground in October 2010.
HAZARD: October 2010, adding broken and missing windows, gutters and downspouts, holes in the siding, and trash and debris.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Cincinnati supports West Side river trail, but money an issue

The City of Cincinnati fully supports the idea of a Cincinnati Western Riverwalk extending along the Ohio River west of Downtown, but funding remains an issue.

According to a May 15 report from the City's Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) and Cincinnati Parks, the project could be broken down into phases to allow for an analysis of alternatives, design work, site preparation, construction, and maintenance.

Five development control districts extended

Five Interim Development Control (IDC) Overlay Districts have been extended for six months following action by Cincinnati City Council on May 8.

IDCs, as established in Section 1431-01 of the City's zoning code, temporarily regulate the establishment of uses, construction of new buildings, and demolition or alteration of existing structures in areas where the adoption of amendments to the zoning code have been proposed in a plan approved by the City Planning Commission. Any changes within the IDC are subject to review by Department of City Planning and Buildings staff and the City Planning Commission before permits can be issued.

Construction photos: U Square @ the Loop, 5/23/13

Last Thursday morning, the developers of U Square @ the Loop in Clifton Heights held a "hard hat" media tour to show off the development's office, retail, and residential spaces.

Co-developers Towne Properties and Al. Neyer, Inc. are putting the finishing touches on the $82 million project, which includes 161 apartment units, 77,000 square feet of street-level retail, 40,000 square feet of office space, a community plaza, and two parking garages that provide approximately 700 spaces. A hotel pad, which will be marketed to hoteliers, provides the opportunity for a 100- to 110-room hotel.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1214 Chapel St

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Bobby Oglesby
ASSESSED VALUE: $35,740
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: October 2011, for siding, gutters and downspouts, broken and missing windows, a bulging wall, exterior paint, dangerous steps and sidewalks, and weeds and litter. A civil fine was issued. A later criminal case was filed for want of prosecution.
HAZARD: October 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

St. Leger apartment redevelopment advances

The approval of a rezoning will allow the redevelopment of Evanston's St. Leger Apartments to move forward.

Cincinnati City Council on May 8 approved of a rezoning of 1.75 acres at from Residential Mixed District to RM-0.7 Residential Multi-Family, which will allow the Model Group to demolish the current building and replace it with a 26-unit multi-family apartment structure.

City adopts form-based codes, form over function

Cincinnati City Council on May 8 approved of a new zoning tool that emphasizes building form over function.

The adoption of the , which will become Chapter 1703 of the Cincinnati Municipal Code in less than two weeks, means that residents will be better able to shape the look and feel of their neighborhoods.

City seeks grant to improve Ryan Sports Complex

On May 1, Cincinnati City Council approved two applications for Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) grants to assist the planned renovation of the Ryan Sports Complex, located at in Westwood.

The grants, for approximately $126,000 and $70,000 through the ODNR NatureWorks Grant Program and the Land and Water Grant Program, respectively, would provide for the relocation of three baseball fields, the development of a football field, the addition of a walking trail, and ADA-compliant access upgrades.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 7 Glencoe Pl

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1875
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Leroy Glen Investment LLC (Eagle Realty Group)
ASSESSED VALUE: $54,630
ORDERS: October 2007, ordered vacated and barricaded due to trespassing, missing windows, and a lack of utilities.
CONDEMNED: March 2010, adding water damage, gutters and downspouts, weeds and litter. Owned by Dorian Development, which made no attempt to purchase a Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) and was depending on City support for a redevelopment project, which never came. Eventually, all attempts to clean up the property, keep it barricaded, and abate graffiti were abandoned. In July 2011, the City spent $1,525.46 barricading the building. Following the building's acquisition by Eagle Realty Group in November 2011, condemnation orders were reissued. The company petitioned the City to block off traffic into and out of the complex to cut down on illegal dumping and vandalism, and soon began cleaning up the site.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by Eagle Realty Group for future redevelopment as workforce housing. The building was part of the Glencoe-Auburn Hotel and Glencoe-Auburn Place Row Houses, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2003.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Wrecking Cincinnati: 5438 Madison Rd

NEIGHBORHOOD: Madisonville
YEAR BUILT: 1962
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Madison Road Real Estate LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $392,500
ORDERS: December 2011, for a lack of heating, door security, hazardous wiring, and water leaking onto adjoining property. In January 2012, orders were issued for downspouts, soffit, exterior doors, interior paint, cluttered hallways, handrail, sinks, lack of heating, and door security. By March 2012, a new owner acquired the property following foreclosure and the City decided to hold off on criminal enforcement. Orders were reissued in June 2012, adding hazardous wiring, and the issued again in October 2012.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the current owner, which purchased it and the adjacent property in March 2013 for $465,000, to close out orders. Likely redevelopment.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 2 Glencoe Pl

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1870
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Leroy Glen Investment LLC (Eagle Realty Group)
ASSESSED VALUE: $52,990
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: October 2008, for windows, missing doors, gutters and downspouts, deteriorated masonry, water damage, missing and vandalized mechanicals, and litter. In criminal status with previous owner Dorian Development, which made no attempt to purchase a Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) and was depending on City support for a redevelopment project, which never came. Eventually, all attempts to clean up the property, keep it barricaded, and abate graffiti were abandoned. Following the building's acquisition by Eagle Realty Group in November 2011, condemnation orders were reissued. The company petitioned the City to block off traffic into and out of the complex to cut down on illegal dumping and vandalism, and soon began cleaning up the site.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by Eagle Realty Group for future redevelopment as workforce housing. The building was part of the Glencoe-Auburn Hotel and Glencoe-Auburn Place Row Houses, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2003.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Betts Longworth walking tours come back Saturday

The guided walking tour of Cincinnati's Betts Longworth Historic District is back this year, with the first taking place this Saturday at 1 P.M at the Betts House, located at .

The 90-minute tour shares the story the unique architecture and history of this small slice of the West End, which developed as farmland but soon became the home of Cincinnati's most notable manufacturers and retailers. Featuring Federal, Italianate, and Queen Anne architecture, the 10-block district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 5430 Madison Rd

NEIGHBORHOOD: Madisonville
YEAR BUILT: 1962
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Madison Road Real Estate LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $392,500
ORDERS: October 2009, for roof, plaster, water leaks, paint, and flooring. In April 2010, a tenant reported mold, water leaks, and a crack in the ceiling of her apartment. She also said that the building smelled of mildew and sewage, that there were mice in the building, and that the hallway was blocked with furniture. In August 2010, orders were issued for smoke detectors, plaster, water leaks, and defective baths and showers. Two civil fines were issued. Orders were issued for fire damage in October 2010. By March 2012, a new owner acquired the property following foreclosure and the City decided to hold off on criminal enforcement. Orders were issued that month for roof, plaster, water leaks, paint, and flooring, then again in June 2012. In October 2012, the building was ordered vacated following a flood caused by a plumbing problem, displacing ten families and leaving the building without water or power.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the current owner, which purchased it and the adjacent property in March 2013 for $465,000, to close out orders. Likely redevelopment.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 3056 Kerper Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Walnut Hills
YEAR BUILT: 1916
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Toni Easley
ASSESSED VALUE: $39,900
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: April 15, 2010, four days after a one-alarm fire caused significant damage to the roof system and walls. The house was vacant at the time. The owner told the City that she had no money to rehabilitate the house and had been dropped by her insurance company prior to the fire.
HAZARD: October 2012, adding gutters and downspouts and broken or missing windows.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1240 Groesbeck Rd

NEIGHBORHOOD: College Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Willa L. Hinkston
ASSESSED VALUE: $95,420
ORDERS: July 2003, ordered barricaded. In February 2004, orders were issued for windows. Ordered vacated and barricaded in October 2005. In July 2007, Hinkston, the new owner, walked City inspectors through the house and found severe damage to the floor joists, right rear wall of the building addition, a collapsing box gutter, disturbed asbestos, and brick falling from three chimneys. Orders to keep the building vacated and barricaded were issued to her in September 2007. Work began on the floor joists and abating the asbestos and lead paint.
CONDEMNED: September 2010, citing roof, chimneys, gutters and downspouts, cornice, windows, front porch, front steps, litter and weeds, junk cars, a lack of utilities and missing or vandalized mechanicals. A civil fine was issued in July 2011.
HAZARD: June 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 3925 Pattison St

NEIGHBORHOOD: Riverside
YEAR BUILT: 1924
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Key Bank National Association (Brooklyn, OH)
ASSESSED VALUE: $40,810
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: July 2012, due to vandalism, water damage, structural cracks in the foundation, and an unsafe rear deck. A civil fine was issued in September 2012.
HAZARD: December 2012, adding falling rake boards and trim work and excessive litter.
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

'HeaterMeals' company relocating from Forest Park to Cincinnati, bringing 50 jobs

Cincinnati City Council on May 1 unanimously approved a Property Investment Reimbursement Agreement (PIRA) with Innotech Products, Ltd. to consolidate and move its company from Forest Park to Cincinnati, which will bring 50 new jobs to the City.

The company, a global leader in self-heating technology that's best known for producing HeaterMeals and its flameless ration heaters used in MREs for the U.S. Armed Forces, plans to rehabilitate a 253,000-square-foot building at in Oakley into a new manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution facility.

City sells Tower Place for $1; Parking and retail coming

On May 1, Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved a property sale and development agreement for Downtown's Tower Place Mall, which will convert the property at into parking and street-level retail.

Under terms of the agreement, the City will sell the property to the Hamilton County Land Reutilization Corporation for $1. Following the removal of tax liens, easements, and other title encumbrances on the mall, the adjacent Pogue's Garage, and the skywalk and car ramp, the land bank will sell the property to JDL Warm Construction affiliate Brook Lane Holdings LLC for $1.

Northside CC supports Hamilton/Blue Rock project, sees designs

Northside Community Council yesterday evening approved a motion supporting Milhaus Development's continued pursuit of a development agreement with the City for the former Myron G. Johnson & Son Lumber Co. property, located at the .

The Indianapolis-based developer plans a LEED Silver-certified project of approximately 100 apartments and 8,500 square feet of commercial space for the City-owned site, which has been vacant since the lumber company moved to a larger space in Queensgate in 2005.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1236 Groesbeck Rd

NEIGHBORHOOD: College Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1935
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Andrew Kyle, Jr.
ASSESSED VALUE: $96,550
ORDERS: April 2009, for roof, windows, gutters and downspouts, and a dilapidated fence.
CONDEMNED: February 2010, adding exterior paint, litter, missing and vandalized mechanicals, and a lack of utility service.
HAZARD: May 2010. By 2013, the house had been abandoned for three or four years and the driveway was being used as a dump.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 826 Glenwood Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1900
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: Deller Properties I
ASSESSED VALUE: $67,870
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: February 2013, following a two-alarm fire that caused an estimated $75,000 in damage to the three-story house. Eight children and three adults were displaced, but none was injured. The fire caused significant damage to second- and third-floor framing members, holes in the roof and floors, unstable chimneys and dormers, burnt soffits and gutters, and a faulty fire escape.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out orders.

Monday, May 20, 2013

WIN study: 45.2% rise in completed sheriff's sales in 2012

A report on Hamilton County's foreclosure numbers by nonprofit housing advocacy group Working in Neighborhoods (WIN) showed a 45.2 percent increase in completed sheriff's sales of foreclosed properties between 2011 and 2012.

The 44-page report, released on April 30, includes trending data for the past seven years, a breakdown of foreclosure activity by lender, and case studies of the communities of College Hill, Elmwood Place, and Northside.

Fundraising under way for Ruthven mural, largest to date

Fundraising is under way for a Downtown mural that will celebrate famed Cincinnati naturalist and wildlife artist John Ruthven.

In what will be largest mural to date, the 6,000-square-foot work at will feature Martha, the last surviving passenger pigeon, flying over the pagodas of the ‎Cincinnati Zoo. Martha died at the zoo in 1914.

Mount Healthy apartment project earns LEED Platinum

The ‎Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) has announced that the ‎Reserve on South Martin, a 60-unit apartment project for senior citizens in Mount Healthy, has achieved LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The $12 million joint project between CMHA, the City of Mount Healthy, and the Cincinnati-Hamilton County NSP2 Consortium was completed in December.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1 Leroy Ct

NEIGHBORHOOD: Mount Auburn
YEAR BUILT: 1875
USE: Multi-family dwelling
OWNER: Leroy Glen Investment LLC (Eagle Realty Group)
ASSESSED VALUE: $88,230
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: April 2001. Reissued in April 2003, citing holes in ceilings, walls and floors, deteriorated brick and mortar, gutters and downspouts, missing or vandalized mechanicals, and missing windows. Orders reissued to Dorian Development in July 2003. The building was taken from condemned status due to some rehabilitation work, but it was ordered to be kept barricaded in July 2004. Orders to vacate and barricade the building were reissued in August 2004, then again in January 2007. A criminal case was filed against the developer in May 2007. Throughout the period, the owner made no attempt to purchase a Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) and was depending on City support for a redevelopment project, which never came. Eventually, all attempts to clean up the property, keep it barricaded, and abate graffiti were abandoned. Following damage from Hurricane Ike in 2008, a portion of its southwest wall and roof had to be rebuilt by the City. The criminal case was dismissed in May 2010 and refiled two months later. Following the building's acquisition by Eagle Realty Group in November 2011, condemnation orders were reissued. The company petitioned the City to block off traffic into and out of the complex to cut down on illegal dumping and vandalism, and soon began cleaning up the site.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by Eagle Realty Group for future redevelopment as workforce housing. The building was part of the Glencoe-Auburn Hotel and Glencoe-Auburn Place Row Houses, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2003.

South Cumminsville park could be lost to business expansion

South Cumminsville may lose a significant amount of its green space to business expansion.

Interstate-Trucking, Inc. is seeking to buy 8.1 acres of property, which includes Hille Ball Field, for the expansion of the parking lot at Truckway Leasing and Rental, located at 1745 Dreman Avenue.

Two key College Hill redevelopment projects moving forward

The redevelopment of two key areas took another step forward on Friday afternoon in College Hill with the beginning of the demolition of six blighted and outdated buildings on the , in the middle of the neighborhood's business district.

The neighborhood's 2000 Strategic Urban Design Plan and its 2009 Market Feasibility Study concluded that its business district was far too long and recommended the replacement of the "Mid-Block" with mixed-use buildings, infill housing, and community green space.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 3507 Bevis Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Evanston
YEAR BUILT: 1911
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Andrew J. Rodgers, Jr.
ASSESSED VALUE: $17,170
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: December 2011, following a fire that damaged the roof and its support structure, floor structure, walls, doors, windows, siding, and interior stairs. According to news reports, Rodgers and his wife were watching television when they smelled smoke and saw flames coming from a second floor bedroom.
HAZARD: November 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Construction photos: Mercer Commons, 4/12/13

On April 12, 2013, Luke Field of ‎City Studios Architecture walked me through the rehabilitation project that will bring 11 condominiums to , part of the Mercer Commons redevelopment in Over-the-Rhine.

MetroWest's water could drive development

The City of Cincinnati is hoping that an abundance of water will help attract companies to the MetroWest Commerce Park, an 18-acre industrial site located in Lower Price Hill.

The City, , and the has launched a nationwide marketing campaign to lure high volume water users such as food and beverage processors, high-tech firms, and other light manufacturers. Up to 50 million gallons are available daily, with rates significantly lower than some of the City's peers.

Metro short-term service changes coming this fall

Metro has announced a number of short-term service improvements for 2013, all with an eye toward boosting efficiency and ease of ridership through its updated Go*Forward regional transit plan.

The changes were identified during a major transit planning effort conducted last year and were highlighted at a public meeting held May 1 at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 6665 Parkland Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Sayler Park
YEAR BUILT: 1880
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Lillian Justice
ASSESSED VALUE: $31,960
ORDERS: August 2009, for roof, gutters and downspouts, siding, exterior paint, and windows. A civil fine was issued in July 2010. Water service was shut of in October 2010.
CONDEMNED: April 2011, adding rotten sill plate, a failed rear foundation wall, and weeds. An additional civil fine was issued in November 2011.
HAZARD: September 2012. The owner is deceased.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

Planning Commission Friday: Goetz House, Oakley Kroger, Brewery District plan

Six items appear on the agenda of the Cincinnati City Planning Commission's next meeting, to be held tomorrow morning at 9 A.M. on the seventh floor of Centennial Two, located Downtown at .

The agenda includes reports and recommendations on:

Glendale exhibit highlights four decades of change

A unique photo exhibit showing changes in the Glendale Historic District over the past 38 years will be on display this Saturday and Sunday from 11 A.M.-3 P.M. at Glendale Town Hall, located at 80 E Sharon Avenue.

"The Glendale Historic District Then and Now – 1976 to 2013", presented by ‎Glendale Heritage Preservation, features "before and after" images of 500 homes in the village's historic district and shows how many buildings have been lost, built, or remodeled over nearly four decades.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 2704 W Eighth St

NEIGHBORHOOD: East Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1875
USE: Two-family dwelling
OWNER: Incline Place LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $39,190
ORDERS: February 2012, ordered vacated and barricaded due to gutters and downspouts, exterior paint, broken and missing windows, exterior doors, trash, missing and vandalized mechanicals, and a lack of utilities.
CONDEMNED: January 2013, issued to current owner.
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner for future redevelopment.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1774 Carll St

NEIGHBORHOOD: North Fairmount
YEAR BUILT: 1911
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Cross Homes LLC
ASSESSED VALUE: $29,260
ORDERS: September 2010, ordered vacated and barricaded due to windows, exterior paint, and absence of utilities. Orders reissued to a new owner in March 2012. The house was approved for occupancy in July 2012. On December 29, 2012, a structure fire damaged a second floor bedroom and the attic. The fire was caused by an electrical short. Four adults and four children were displaced.
CONDEMNED: --
HAZARD: --
REASON RAZED: Demolished by the owner to close out fire damage orders.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1376 Hopple St

NEIGHBORHOOD: Camp Washington
YEAR BUILT: 1895
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: Floyd Chambers
ASSESSED VALUE: $20,430
ORDERS: December 2010, for broken windows and gutters and downspouts. Compliance was achieved in February 2011, when it was discovered that the owner had been placed in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and was likely to remain there. The building was ordered vacated and barricaded in July 2011, citing the windows, gutters and downspouts, exterior paint, and cornice.
CONDEMNED: February 2012, adding soffits, missing doors, a rusty fire escape, cracked masonry walls and foundation, and missing mechanicals.
HAZARD: October 2012, adding rubbish and holes in the walls and ceilings.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1124 Winfield Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Price Hill
YEAR BUILT: 1906
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Roosevelt Elliott
ASSESSED VALUE: $57,850
ORDERS: January 2006, for porch and siding. Orders reissued to a new owner in January 2007, and then again, adding porch guardrails and windows, in April 2007. Orders reissued to new owner in March 2009, adding roof and gutters and downspouts. A civil fine was issued in October 2009.
CONDEMNED: July 2011, to the new and current owner. A criminal case was filed in March 2012. In May 2012, the owner, who was already in jail at the time, was found guilty. He was given a 180 day suspended jail sentence, court costs, and a year of probation, plus required to achieve compliance through a Vacant Building Maintenance License (VBML) or demolition.
HAZARD: September 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

April 17 ordinances help dunnhumbyUSA, Fifth and Race

On April 17, Cincinnati City Council approved three ordinances that will advance construction of the $122 million dunnhumby Centre, already underway at .

The first ordinance authorized the use of tax increment financing (TIF) funds to pay for the 1,093-space parking structure and the 30,000 square feet of street-level retail space in the development. The improvements, to be financed through federal tax credits and bonds issued by the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, would be exempt from property taxes for 30 years and would be serviced by ‎dunnhumbyUSA and the building's commercial tenants.

Duke Energy Garden newest Smale feature

This year's additions to Smale Riverfront Park are in full swing.

Twelve oversized family swings, suspended from undulating pergolas overlooking the Ohio River, to be exact.

Artists to team with Pendleton for public art input events

, the award-winning artist team selected to design sculptures for the , will visit the neighborhood for a series of collaborative events with residents to inform the final design of its works.

The Wowhaus team of Scott Constable and Ene Osteraas-Constable, along with project facilitator , is seeking ideas, images and stories to inspire a number of elements that will be installed , later this fall.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1380 Hopple St

NEIGHBORHOOD: Camp Washington
YEAR BUILT: 1882
USE: Single-family dwelling
OWNER: Floyd Chambers
ASSESSED VALUE: $16,700
ORDERS: December 2010, for windows, soffit, cornice, and gutters and downspouts. In February 2011, the owner's girlfriend contacted City inspectors and told them that he was in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and was likely to remain there. The house was ordered vacated and barricaded in July 2011, adding tuckpointing, a lack of exterior paint, and no water service.
CONDEMNED: February 2012, adding missing doors, rusting fire escape, masonry damage, missing and vandalized mechanicals, a lack of utilities, and trash.
HAZARD: August 2012.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funds.

Monday, May 13, 2013

ODOT to take over Lytle Tunnel maintenance following upcoming project

The discovery of a 1966 agreement between the City of Cincinnati and the over maintenance of the has required the City to approve an ordinance of support for an upcoming project to upgrade the tunnel's lighting and ventilation systems.

ODOT had been reimbursing the City for its maintenance; however, the agreement specifies that the City is responsible for the costs. But with no money in the budget for the tunnel's ongoing maintenance needs, Council on April 10 approved the ordinance that pledges the City's cooperation with ODOT on the $26.3 million project, a move that will enable ODOT to take over maintenance duties once the project is completed.

Sale of low-value land banked parcels no longer need Council approval

The City of Cincinnati will now be able to bypass several steps in getting low value, non-productive land parcels into the hands of new owners.

An ordinance passed by City Council on April 10 allows the City to work with the Hamilton County Reutilization Corporation for the disposal of abandoned or tax delinquent parcels valued at less than $25,000. These property sales will no longer be subject to City Planning Commission review and Council approval.

Construction photos: Cintrifuse, 4/12/13

Well, not so much construction photos, per se...but pre-construction photos....

On April 12, 2013, Luke Field of City Studios Architecture took me on a tour of a couple of his firm's Over-the-Rhine projects.

Wrecking Cincinnati: 901 Blair Ave

NEIGHBORHOOD: Avondale
YEAR BUILT: 1925
USE: Three-family dwelling
OWNER: Marcus E. Burnett
ASSESSED VALUE: $65,880
ORDERS: --
CONDEMNED: March 2010, for a rotten and collapsed roof, gutters and downspouts, broken and missing windows and doors, a deteriorated fire escape, defective stucco, hazardouse front porch stairs and decking, and trash. The interior of the building had been gutted of its plaster. The owner told the City he planned to sell the building, but apparently had no success. Condemnation orders were reissued in September 2011. A criminal case was filed in January 2012. Two months later, Burnett was found guilty and placed into a housing compliance program.
HAZARD: July 2012, adding cracks in the foundation and masonry walls.
REASON RAZED: Declared a public nuisance and entered into the City's hazard abatement program. Demolished using Moving Ohio Forward program funding.

Cincinnati moving closer to solar rooftop program

On April 10, Cincinnati City Council adopted a motion directing the administration to establish a solar rooftop program and a new financing mechanism that would enable the bundling of residential and commercial properties to facilitate power purchase and lease agreements for solar energy installations.

The motion, drafted by Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, requests that the City partner with the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, Green Umbrella, and the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance to develop the program.

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