Building Cincinnati

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

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:15:00 +0000

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 2940 Highland Avenue in Oakley into a new manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution facility.

The City will provide the company a total of up to $210,000 over the next seven years, with annual payments limited to 50 percent of the annual income tax revenue generated by the new jobs. Innotech's current payroll is approximately $2.8 million.

The jobs include positions in administration, sales, marketing, warehouse, and packaging.

"Continuing to help grow our neighborhood businesses provides a greater quality of life for the residents as well has helps in the recruitment of new businesses," Economic Development Director Odis Jones said in a prepared release. "We are glad that Innotech Products has decided to relocate their company to the City of Cincinnati."

The PIRA terms require the company to remain in the City for a minimum of 10 years.

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

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

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 Fourth and Race streets 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.

The sale will allow JDL Warm Construction to take on a $5 million redevelopment of the structure, adding between 525 and 700 parking spaces and at least 7,000 square feet of street-front retail.

No City funding is being used for the project.

The Pogue's Garage, its vehicular ramp, and skywalk will eventually be demolished.

To replace it, the City continues to negotiate to bring a 30-story, 300-unit apartment tower with a 15,000-square-foot high-end grocery store.

The City's $12 million contribution, to the project was supposed to come from the City's parking lease plan, a 30-year deal that would have provided a $92 million up-front payment to help fund several economic development projects. The deal was stopped in court and will be subject to a public vote on the November ballot.

The City's contribution would leverage an additional $82 million for the tower.

Opened in 1992, Tower Place Mall went into receivership in 2010. The City acquired the mall and garage in February for $8.5 million.

Previous reading on BC:
Dohoney: Parking Modernization Plan opens revenue stream, keeps City control (2/21/13)
City 'FAQs' address parking proposal misconceptions, concerns (12/21/12)
City plans offer for Tower Place in 9 days (11/20/12)
Elimination of Downtown, OTR parking minimums being studied (6/27/12)

Northside CC supports Hamilton/Blue Rock project, sees designs

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

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 corner of Hamilton Avenue and Blue Rock Street.

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.

The developer also was joined by representatives from CR Architecture + Design to present preliminary concept drawings.

The site plan shows commercial space along Hamilton Avenue and residential units along Blue Rock, Langland, and Knowlton streets. A plaza with outdoor seating features prominently at the main intersection.

The three- to four-story buildings are scaled to the neighborhood based upon massing studies and are intended to tie the development to the South Block.

Some who saw the designs found them to be out of character for the neighborhood – either too modern, too generic, or too massive.

But others liked the design, seeing it as an opportunity to bring something new to the neighborhood that the older architecture couldn't provide.

The community will vote its support for the design within the next couple of months before Milhaus Development takes it to the City for approvals.

Previous reading on BC:
City soliciting proposals for former Northside lumber yard (7/30/12)
Northside lumber yard redevelopment to be community process (6/15/12)
Northside's Factory Square set to begin (6/22/10)
Factory Square photo update, 4/4/09 (4/22/09)
ODOD: Forcing tax credit approvals would 'offend constitutional separation of powers' (5/16/08)

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1236 Groesbeck Rd

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

Wrecking Cincinnati: 826 Glenwood Ave

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

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

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

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.

According to the study, Cincinnati led the way with 1,087 completed sheriff's sales, with Westwood, West Price Hill, College Hill, East Price Hill, and Bond Hill having the most. Outside of the City, Colerain Township, Springfield Township, Green Township, Forest Park, and Delhi Township had the most.

As a percentage of housing units, Columbia Tusculum, Spring Grove Village, California, Linwood, and Paddock Hills took the biggest hit. In the county, Arlington Heights, North College Hill, Golf Manor, Addyston, and Mount Healthy topped the list.

"This figure represents not just vacant buildings, but homeless, displaced families," said WIN Executive Director S. Barbara Busch. "So what do we do about all of this? Those families need help getting back on their feet."

Seventy-eight percent of the county's foreclosures were attributed to the five banks that were sued by 49 state attorneys general for deceptive lending practices. Those five banks, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and Ally, were part of a $25 billion settlement reached in February 2012.

"We believe these banks were holding foreclosures because they didn't know what to do with them until the terms of the settlement were decided," Busch said. "We hope the number of foreclosures goes down in 2013."

Busch said that the best way to end the crisis is for President Obama to appoint a permanent director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency who will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reduce the amount of principal owed on "underwater" homes to their real value.

Communities United for Action (CUFA) President Roger Davis agreed that the banks hold some accountability to the communities they serve.

In January, CUFA called for the pilot Vacant-Foreclosed Registration Program (VFRP) to be expanded to all 52 Cincinnati neighborhoods – even before real quantifiable results had been produced.

Under terms of the VFRP, lenders who foreclose on a property must pay a $500 registration fee within ten days of the property becoming vacant. An annual filing is required until the property is sold at a judicial sale, is transferred to an owner-occupant, or makes its way into the hands of a third party.

Lenders also must refrain from posting signs or placards indicating that the property is vacant or foreclosed, keep the grass and weeds to ten inches or less in height, keep the property litter-free, and make sure that the structure is secure and locked.

Launched in the five neighborhoods with the most foreclosures between 2007 and 2011 – College Hill, East Price Hill, Madisonville, West Price Hill, and Westwood – the program has collected nearly $80,000 so far.

CUFA reiterated its support for the VFRP following the report's release.

"CUFA won't quit," Davis said. "We can't quit, and we will win on these issues," he said.

WIN, which has produced its annual report on foreclosures since 2002, promised to keep plugging away as well.

On May 14, it welcomed a family into a newly-renovated home at 1817 Elmore Street in South Cumminsville. The home is part of the $1.3 million, 24-home Borden Corridor Redevelopment Project, a partnership with the South Cumminsville Community Council to raise the neighborhood's 54 percent homeownership rate.

"Without us, this report would look much, much worse," Busch said.

Ohio saw a 12.8 percent increase in foreclosure filings last year, compared to a 2.7 percent decrease nationwide. In April, one in 905 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing – the lowest level of foreclosure activity since February 2007.

Photo provided

Previous reading on BC:
Ohio foreclosure program expands benefits, increases eligibility (2/4/13)
Halfway through program, CUFA wants foreclosure pilot for 52 neighborhoods (1/30/13)
Ohio foreclosure prevention effort reaches $100M milestone (12/20/12)
Sale of vacant land to aid in Borden Street revitalization (7/9/12)
South Cumminsville board meets with Crowley on problem properties (3/11/08)

Fundraising under way for Ruthven mural, largest to date

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

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

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

The fundraising goal has been set at $200,000, and work is scheduled to begin sometime this summer. To create the mural, 15 youth apprentices will be hired to work under the guidance of lead artist Tim Parsley.

The reproduction of Ruthven's painting is part of a partnership between ArtWorks and the Cincinnati Nature Center called the "Year of John Ruthven", a City-wide series of events celebrating the artist's life's work in art and conservation.

Often called the "20th Century Audubon", Ruthven is renowned for the extensive study and research of every subject he undertakes before creating his beautifully detailed paintings. In 2004, he was honored with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the American people.

On October 1, Ruthven will be honored with the Cincinnati Nature Center's Wood Thrush Award for his lifetime contribution to conservation. Proceeds from the event will be used to preserve and protect the center's more than 1,600 acres through land acquisition and conservation easements.

The Ruthven mural is one of ten new ArtWorks murals planned for this summer. Other murals will be painted in Covington, Dayton, Eden Park, North Avondale, Over-the-Rhine (3 murals), Pendleton, and Queensgate.

Previous reading on BC:
Artists to team with Pendleton for public art input events (5/14/13)
Wowhaus selected to design Pendleton sculptures (4/8/13)
Finalists chosen for Pendleton public art project (2/4/13)
ArtWorks poring over 77 submissions for Pendleton public art project (12/20/12)
ArtWorks accepting applications for sculptural bike rack program (12/19/12)

Mount Healthy apartment project earns LEED Platinum

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

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.

According to the USGBC, it's one of only 22 Ohio projects to achieve LEED Platinum, the highest possible level of certification.

The Reserve on South Martin enjoys an advantageous location served by public transportation and within a short walk of local businesses, churches, and restaurants.

It replaces 15 blighted apartment buildings that had been a major source of complaints from neighborhood residents for nearly four decades.

Rents are $449 per month for a one-bedroom apartment and $583 for a two-bedroom apartment. Tenants must be age 55 or older and meet income requirements.

Photos courtesy of CMHA

Previous reading on BC:
Mount Healthy hears details of 40-unit project for people with disabilities (1/17/13)

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1 Leroy Ct

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

South Cumminsville park could be lost to business expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:45:00 +0000

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.

The expansion would address an overflow of trailers on its current lot and would allow the company to retain 85 jobs. It would also allow the company to add 25 new positions, mostly trailer mechanics.

The sale is contingent on City Council approval of a zoning change from PR Parks and Recreation District to ML Manufacturing Limited District to allow for the expansion. If the rezoning and sale is not approved, the company has indicated that it may have to move to Kentucky this summer.

Neighborhood concerns

A March 5 public meeting provided more questions than answers.

Two days later, South Cumminsville Community Council (SCCC) President Marilyn Evans recapped her concerns in a letter to Felix Bere, senior city planner with the Department of Planning and Buildings.

"While the South Cumminsville community is happy that Truckway is a viable business in our neighborhood, we have some concerns about the proposed zoning change and the decrease of green space in our community," she wrote. "We are concerned about the displacement of our neighbors due to this proposal and the potential harm that more trucks could do to the homes on Roll Ave. We are also concerned about bringing more trucks over our residential streets."

The City Planning Commission recommended the zoning change and sale on March 15, citing its proximity to other manufacturing districts, its promotion of economic development, and its planned environmental mitigation measures.

City places conditions on sale

On April 24, City Council adopted a motion placing several conditions on the rezoning and sale:

The establishment of permanent floodplain/conservation easements along the eastern and southern portions of the property, at a preferred width of 200 feet but at a minimum width of 100 feet;
The establishment of a green buffer between the proposed parking lot and adjacent residences;
Restrict the proceeds from the property's sale to investments in Wayne Playground, which is located at Beekman and Elmore streets, to include a public restroom, a sprayground, a walking track, and the expansion of the football field to make it regulation size;
Collaborate with the SCCC, Interstate-Trucking, and Truckway Leasing and Rental to achieve needed restrictions on truck traffic on residential streets, to evaluate the impacts that I-74 and I-75 changes will have on the neighborhood, and to improve local traffic circulation;
Require semi-pervious surfaces to construct the new parking lot; and
Require Interstate-Trucking/Truckway Leasing and Rental to provide at least 25 percent of the anticipated 25 new jobs to South Cumminsville residents.

Opportunity to unite

Attempts are still being made to save the park.

On May 4, the Cumminsville Reunification Project (CRP) held and environmental justice walk from Hoffner Park in Northside to Hille Field.

The group formed to reunite South Cumminsville with neighboring Northside, both originally part of the Village of Cumminsville.

"South Cumminsville has been neglected for a long time," CRP wrote on its Facebook page. "Fifty years ago, I-74 cut the community in half...South Cumminsville has no banks and no grocery stores. It has one of the highest rates of subprime loans and high school drop outs in Hamilton County. It has not seen any significant City investment in years. It has simply been abused and neglected for the benefit of a few marginal interests. All of this has come at the expense of the residents of South Cumminsville."

Part of that unification includes the ‎Mill Creek Greenway Trail. CRP envisions Hille Ball Field as the site of a Cumminsville Confluence Park, a sustainable passive recreation area served by the trail.

"This trail will allow pedestrian and bicycle traffic to move to and from Northside's business district, as well as its recreation areas...which poses a great potential for the City of Cincinnati as well as the neighborhoods of Cumminsville," CRP wrote.

Previous reading on BC:
Planning Commission Friday: dunnhumbyUSA, Fire Station No. 35, land sales and rezoning (5/2/13)
Building official gets go-ahead for six MuralWorks sites (10/12/09)
Five neighborhoods approved for foreclosure initiative (6/10/09)
Cincinnati development director recommends five neighborhoods for foreclosure initiative (5/20/09)
NHI funded neighborhoods in question (4/13/09)

Two key College Hill redevelopment projects moving forward

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

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 6000 block of Hamilton Avenue, 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.

"Tearing down these buildings creates new opportunities for redevelopment so we can keep the momentum going in College Hill," said Mike Cappel, president of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, in a prepared release.

The City invested $1.5 million to acquire and demolish the properties, and the site will be marketed for redevelopment next year.

And at the northern gateway into the business district, Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls has announced that the long-vacant Kroger property at Hamilton Avenue and W North Bend Road has been purchased using $700,000 in Focus 52 program funding.

The property will be added to the former Shuller's Wigwam and Masonic Eastern Star properties, creating an 8-acre redevelopment opportunity at College Hill's main intersection.

The 8 acres were once part of a development plan called Linden Park, which was scheduled to include condominiums, retail and townhomes. In late 2008, preferred developer Al. Neyer, Inc. backed out of the project, citing poor condominium pre-sales and Midland Retail's inability to pre-lease the commercial spaces.

College Hill has since stopped two proposals for affordable housing development on the site – a 50-unit project by Alpha Phi Alpha Homes late last year and Cary Court, a 40-unit project by Episcopal Retirement Homes in 2009.

When marketed to developers later this year, the site will become the first true test of the neighborhood's form-based code.

"The College Hill community participated through numerous hours of presentations, meetings, discussion and collaboration so they could choose for themselves what kind of development they wanted to see here," Qualls said. "Form-based codes give neighbors a voice so they can dream big and expect better."

State historical marker dedicated

A new Ohio Historical Marker was placed at John T. Crawford Commons on Saturday afternoon.

The marker, at 1400 W North Bend Road, honors Crawford, a Union soldier who was aided by southern slaves and African American laborers on his long walk home after escaping Richmond's infamous Libby Prison.

Following the war, bitter over the government's treatment of African Americans – many of whom died for the Union cause, he willed his 18.5-acre farm for the establishment of a home for "aged, indigent worthy colored men, preference to be given to those who have suffered the miseries of American Slavery".

The Crawford Old Men's Home opened in 1888 and operated until 1964, when it merged with the Progressive Benefit Society's Home for Colored Women to become the Lincoln Crawford Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and relocated to Walnut Hills.

The site of Crawford's farm is now occupied by Crawford Commons, Pleasant Hill Academy, and the College Hill library branch.

Previous reading on BC:
College Hill, Walnut Hills win $2.5M for redevelopment (2/26/13)
Controversial College Hill project withdrawn (1/9/13)
College Hill: Affordable development not 'highest and best use' (12/11/12)
College Hill dedicates walking paths, celebrates history (10/30/12)
College Hill residents reject senior housing (9/30/09)

Wrecking Cincinnati: 3507 Bevis Ave

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

Construction photos: Mercer Commons, 4/12/13

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

On April 12, 2013, Luke Field of ‎City Studios Architecture walked me through the rehabilitation project that will bring 11 condominiums to 17-29 Mercer Street, part of the Mercer Commons redevelopment in Over-the-Rhine.

The work is part of the first phase of a three-phased, $62 million project by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), NorthPointe Group, and McCormack Baron Salazar to remake the blocks bordered by Vine, 13th, Walnut and 14th streets into 154 housing units – 126 of which will be rentals – 17,600 square feet of commercial space, and a 340-space parking garage.

The units pictured are scheduled for completion next month. The parking garage opened to the public May 9 and was dedicated during a ceremony held this morning.

Five new construction townhomes on Mercer Street and a 12-unit condominium building on Vine Street will close out Phase I.

The $22 million second phase, scheduled to break ground on May 31, will include a mix of rehabs and new construction that will yield 67 mixed-income apartments and 10,600 square feet of commercial space.

The tour starts with exteriors, then a couple of parking structure shots, then interiors moving from 17 Mercer Street to 29 Mercer Street. Unfortunately, old age and the passage of time have kind of clouded my memory when it comes to which building's which – including the one I had to climb a narrow fire escape and crawl into a third floor window to see because the new exterior staircase had yet to be built!

Please click on each photo to enlarge to 640 x 480 resolution.

1.

2. Staging.

3. Parking structure visible from Walnut Street.

4.

5.

6.

7. Rough.

8. Closer.

9. !!!

10. Does anyone remember when this building's facade collapsed?

11.

12. A better look at the crumblage.

13. Behind the crumblage.

14. Parking.

15.

16. A side of parking.

17. A rear of parking.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23. Here you can see the stairs for the third floor unit I was talking about, on site and ready for assembly.

24.

25.

26.

27. Old woodwork.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36. Deck.

37.

38.

39.

40. Great view.

41.

42.

43. A former courtyard, will now be an entryway.

44. Deck. Hell of a view, due to parking garage encroachment.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50. This unit is the manifestation of Kramer's idea of "levels".

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57. Great view, again. :(

Previous reading on BC:
More than $14M approved for Gateway's fifth phase (10/30/12)
The payoff: $59M Mercer Commons breaks ground in OTR (6/27/12)
Four ordinances approved for Mercer Commons (6/8/12)
3CDC, Model Group to highlight affordable housing options (3/16/12)
Three OTR projects win $7.1M in state tax credits (12/14/09)

MetroWest's water could drive development

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

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, Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW), and the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) 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.

"Water is the new liquid gold," said Biju George, GCWW interim director, in a prepared release. "Many communities across our country struggle with being able to provide a large quantity of high quality water at competitive prices. MetroWest provides a great opportunity for a company to reduce its water footprint because the company can use as much reclaimed water as it needs to help meet its sustainability and environmental goals."

The site also offers the potential for reduced discharge rates due to the MSD processing facility, located just north of Gest Street.

"The proximity to our wastewater treatment facility offers a real advantage," said MSD Executive Director Tony Parrott. "We discharge about 180 million gallons of treated wastewater to the Ohio River every day. A potential high-volume user would have access to an abundant supply of non-potable water for irrigation, cooling and other industrial needs at reduced rates."

Part of the site once was occupied by Queen City Barrel, which was lost in a massive fire in 2004. Since 2008, environmental remediation and infrastructure improvements have taken place at the site to ready it for light industrial, flex, and office use.

Centered around Gest, W Eighth, and Evans streets, MetroWest Commerce Park is close to river port facilities, four major railroads, and Interstates 71 and 75. The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is only 12 miles away.

"The City of Cincinnati, MSD and GCWW are focused on economic and community development," said Odis Jones, director of the City's Department of Economic Development. "We see MetroWest as an opportunity to attract local, national and even global interest in a site that helps bring high volume water users -- along with jobs and new investment – to our community."

In March, City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr. announced the formation of a Global Water Technology Hub, which could possibly take advantage of such a site.

Image courtesy of Google Maps

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati to accept $475K in HUD funding for MetroWest remediation (7/1/09)
Cincinnati seeking more MetroWest funds (6/9/09)
Cincinnati creates MetroWest remediation account (4/28/09)
Council to vote on MetroWest account today (4/22/09)
Cincinnati approves bonds, land swap, lease for new MSD offices (3/20/08)

Metro short-term service changes coming this fall

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

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.

Planned improvements, which will be rolled out this August and December, include:

A new limited-stop service called Metro*Plus, a bus rapid transit (BRT) demonstration project that will connect the Montgomery Road corridor from Kenwood to Uptown and Downtown, scheduled to launch in August. Currently, riders must transfer to get from Montgomery Road to Uptown.
Additional service options along heavily-traveled corridors, including Colerain Avenue, Glenway Avenue, Winton Road, Vine Street, and Reading Road.
More crosstown services, which will reduce the focus on Downtown transfers.
Streamlined routes that will shorten travel times.

The new $6.9 million Uptown Transit District, which will consolidate routes to better serve the neighborhood's major employment centers, is scheduled to break ground soon and should be open by the end of the year. Boarding areas, which will feature enhanced shelters and real-time information boards, will be located on Vine Street, between E McMillan and Calhoun streets; at Jefferson and W University avenues; at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; and at Hughes Corner, located at the western end of the Clifton Heights business district.

"Last year, we listened to the community's suggestions and, as a result, are proposing a number of service changes to better meet our customers' needs and attract new riders," Metro CEO and General Manager Terry Garcia Crews said in a prepared release. "We're ready to go forward with improvements that will make Metro more efficient, more convenient, and easier to ride."

Suggested long-term recommendations include full BRT service, additional crosstown routes, neighborhood circulators, more express buses and park-and-ride locations, call-and-ride zones, transit centers and upgraded stops, and additional shelters.

Metro is a non-profit, tax-funded public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 17 million rides per year.

Its regional transit plan was last updated in 2008.

Previous reading on BC:
Metro: 2012 one of its 'greenest years ever' (4/12/13)
Metro ridership up 4.2% in 2012 (1/25/13)
Metro phasing out tokens for tickets, passes (12/28/12)
Feedback sought for Metro's draft regional transit plan (11/13/12)
Montgomery Road Metro*Plus service to be precursor to bus rapid transit (10/31/12)

Wrecking Cincinnati: 6665 Parkland Ave

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

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

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:30:00 +0000

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 805 Central Avenue.

The agenda includes reports and recommendations on:

A utility easement for Duke Energy Ohio over portions of City-owned property at 6600 River Road in Fairfield, which would be conveyed for $1 and would allow the utility company to install overhead electric utilities that are being rerouted away from the current location, which is vulnerable to erosion by the Great Miami River.
A map amendment and nine-month extension of Interim Development Control (IDC) Overlay District No. 71 CUF Neighborhood Business District, which will allow the neighborhoods to pursue form-based codes. IDC No. 71 went into effect early this month and doesn't expire until August 8, but the extension process must begin now to accommodate Council's summer recess and its inability to use emergency clauses in its ordinances.
A nine-month extension of IDC No. 72 Uptown District, allowing for the continuation of the MLK Strategic Planning Analysis of the effects on the Martin Luther King Drive and Reading Road corridors that will result from the proposed new I-71 interchange. IDC No. 72 went into effect early this month and doesn't expire until August 8, but the extension process must begin now to accommodate Council's summer recess and its inability to use emergency clauses in its ordinances.
A final development plan for Phase 1C and a major amendment to the concept plan of Planned Development District #64 Oakley Station that would permit the construction of a 145,568-square-foot Kroger Marketplace with a fuel center area.
Local landmark and historic site designation for the Goetz House, which is located at 151 W McMillan Street in Clifton Heights. The Historic Conservation Board recommended the designation at its April 22 meeting.
Consideration of the Brewery District Master Plan.

City staff has recommended approval of all six items.

Previous reading on BC:
Development controls established in two Uptown districts (4/29/13)
Goetz house receives initial approval for landmark status (3/27/13)
Oakley Olive Garden gets LEED tax break (1/29/13)
Liberty Street 'road diet', other changes moving forward (12/20/12)

Glendale exhibit highlights four decades of change

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

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.

The exhibit is the work of Glendale Heritage Preservation founder Doreen Gove and trustee Bob Galbraith.

The "before" images were collected in the 1970s as part of the National Register of Historic Places nomination process. The 392-acre district, which includes 439 contributing buildings, was listed on the National Register in 1976 and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1977.

Formed in 1974, Glendale Heritage Preservation is headquartered in the village square in the former Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad depot.

Previous reading on BC:
Initial railroad quiet zone study includes 6 crossings (2/19/13)
CPA lecture highlights architects of Glendale (4/19/10)
Plans for Glendale Village Square shown to public (8/31/09)
'Historic Glendale' signs make I-75 debut (4/1/08)
Evendale council to discuss Erickson impacts (1/9/08)

Wrecking Cincinnati: 2704 W Eighth St

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1774 Carll St

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1376 Hopple St

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

Wrecking Cincinnati: 1124 Winfield Ave

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

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.
MAP

April 17 ordinances help dunnhumbyUSA, Fifth and Race

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

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

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.

The second ordinance authorized a 15-year Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) LEED property tax exemption agreement with dunnhumby HQ Building Company, LLC. The company is seeking LEED Silver certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.

The final ordinance executed a second amendment to the October 2012 property sale and development agreement with Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) affiliate Fifth and Race, LLC and dunnhumby HQ Building Company, LLC that makes five changes from the original agreement, including:

The removal of all references to the residential portion of the project, eliminated due to the end user's office needs and logistical issues;
Clarification that service payments from the end users will be paid to the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, rather than a loan from PNC Bank and Fifth Third Bank;
An opportunity for garage manager 3CDC to purchase the three above-ground levels of the garage from the City, for $1 per level, should dunnhumbyUSA need to expand;
The fact that dunnhumbyUSA intended to seek a CRA LEED tax exemption, which was granted; and
A statement that the lenders are entitled to certain third-party beneficiary rights.

DunnhumbyUSA will occupy 280,000 square feet of office space over five floors, and plans to add 800 full-time positions within three years of the building's completion in December 2014.

The property has been a parking lot since 2000, when the Fifth & Race Tower was demolished for an unspecified redevelopment project, including an unsuccessful overture to retailer Nordstrom. In 2008, following a condominium proposal by Eagle Realty Group that failed to materialize, 3CDC was brought on board to find a user for the site.

Just ten years ago, dunnhumbyUSA launched with four employees.

Previous reading on BC:
Fifth and Race awakes with dunnhumby Centre groundbreaking (2/1/13)
Agreements approved for Fifth and Race (7/2/12)
New Fifth and Race proposal could reach 30 stories in height (6/15/12)
Amended agreement provides up to $12M for dunnhumbyUSA building, relocation (3/26/12)
dunnhumbyUSA unveils new Downtown HQ (9/30/09)

Duke Energy Garden newest Smale feature

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:00:00 +0000

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.

The attraction, located east of the park's Main Street Fountain and Plaza, is part of the new Duke Energy Garden, which was dedicated yesterday morning by the City of Cincinnati, Duke Energy, and the Cincinnati Park Board. The garden also includes large trees and landscaping, walking paths, and granite seating areas.

The swings received significant funding through a $250,000 gift to the Park Board and the Cincinnati Parks Foundation by Dianne and J. David Rosenberg. The Duke Energy Foundation contributed $450,000 to the garden project.

Cincinnati Park Board President Otto Budig, Jr. joked about the swings' immediate popularity.

"It's very clear that we're going to have to issue 15 minute tickets for these swings," he said.

Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls agreed, saying that the Duke Energy Garden will enrich the lives of everyone in Cincinnati – and the region.

"It took no 'energy' to be able to move it," she said. "We're going to see people throng down to this park due to this newest addition."

"I think it will be a huge success, and one of the most popular parts of the park," said Cincinnati Parks Foundation President Judy Dalambakis. "This is a game changer for this City."

An economic engine

Phase I of Smale Riverfront Park opened one year ago and has already been cited by economists as being a meaningful contributor to the economic growth of the riverfront and Downtown. The United States Army Corps of Engineers estimates that the park will attract 1.1 million new visitors annually.

More than $42 million already has been raised or leveraged to build the park.

"It's already an economic engine," Budig said. "It's bringing people from the City, and from the region. There are numbers we've never seen before."

Additional features scheduled to open this year will more than double the size of the park.

The Women's Committee Garden, located just west of the labyrinth, will open later this month. An extension of the Ohio River Trail to Paddlewheel Park will be completed this fall.

And next spring, the Heekin/PNC Grow Up Great Adventure Playground will open west of the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. A 1,000-foot transient boat dock is scheduled for completion in May 2015.

Carousel, the future up for view

All of these features are highlighted in a spring 2013 construction update by Project Manager Dave Prather – including the first concept renderings of the glass-enclosed carousel building that will be installed in 2015.

Last month, the City issued a call for letters of interest from prospective firms to develop and manage the two-story 5,000-square-foot building, which would also be used as a 300-seat banquet/meeting center and would include fountains, a plaza, restrooms, and park maintenance facilities. It would be built along the north side of Mehring Way, in the vicinity of the alignment of Vine (Rosa Parks) Street.

Carousel Works, of Mansfield, Ohio is working with ArtWorks on the carousel's design (chime in here), which should be completed later this spring.

Until the park's finished, you can see an animated "flyover" video of what the 45-acre park will look like when completed, narrated by Cincinnati Parks Superintendent of Planning and Design Steve Schuckman.

MORE PHOTOS BELOW.

1. Riverwalk.

2. Awesome. Pay me $63,873/hr to do this.

3. From a swing.

4.

5. Pshtt..."labels", right?

6.

7. Macro attempts....

8.

9. This one turned out best.

10.

Previous reading on BC:
Video: Smale Riverfront Park to more than double in size this May (3/18/13)
Dohoney: Parking Modernization Plan opens revenue stream, keeps City control (2/21/13)
Cincinnati riverfront plan wins national award (1/11/13)
Smale project manager details continuing construction in video update (12/19/12)
Duke Energy provides $450K for Smale garden (10/31/12)

Artists to team with Pendleton for public art input events

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin LeMaster) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Wowhaus Studios, the award-winning artist team selected to design sculptures for the Pendleton Public Art Project, 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 ArtWorks, is seeking ideas, images and stories to inspire a number of elements that will be installed along Pendleton Street, at its intersections with 12th and 13th streets, later this fall.

"We are inspired by the rich history and vibrant sense of community and creativity in Cincinnati, and the Pendleton neighborhood in particular," Osteraas-Constable said in a prepared release. "We see tremendous potential in this project and are excited to begin our artistic collaboration with community members and ArtWorks to create dynamic works that will become beloved icons in the Pendleton community."

The visit is part of two weeks of project-related events, which includes:

ArtWorks Pendleton Stories Night, Friday from 6 P.M.-8 P.M. at Mr. Bubbles Auto Detailing, 512 E 13th Street. Professional storyteller Omope Carter Daboiku and community expert Dan Joyner will lead an interactive story night to gather and share thoughts on the neighborhood.
ArtWorks Pendleton Photo Safari, Saturday from 10 A.M.-noon at the Pendleton Art Center, 1320 Pendleton Street. Osteraas-Constable and Cincinnati artist and photographer Marc Wavra will take residents and local youth on a walk through the neighborhood to identify and document what is meaningful and significant to them.
ArtWorks Pendleton Public Art Community Workshop, Saturday from 1 P.M.-3 P.M. at Mr. Bubbles Auto Detailing. Osteraas-Constable will offer a hands-on opportunity to the community to share the type of public art it enjoys and what artistic qualities they'd like to see in the design of the project.
ArtWorks Pendleton Cake and Paper Party, Thursday, May 30 from 6 P.M.-8 P.M. at the Pendleton Art Center. Chef Frances Kroner, founder of FEAST and a graduate of ArtWorks' SpringBoard program, will guide community members in shaping paper and food into things that reflect what they love about Pendleton.
ArtWorks Pendleton Block Party, Saturday, June 1 from 1 P.M.-5 P.M. between Spring Street Playground and 13th Street. Part of the SpringFling celebration, the party will include barbecue, live music, chalk art, and other activities for all ages.

Wowhaus was selected from 77 firms that expressed interest in the project. Based approximately 50 miles north of San Francisco in Sebastopol, Calif., Wowhaus has more than 10 years of experience in public art, furniture production, architecture, and environmental design.

"Wowhaus was a natural fit for this project," said Tamara Harkavy, ArtWorks CEO and artistic director. "They are an incredible team of artists who channel their energy and passion into understanding the many forces at play in an area. That perspective aligns perfectly with our vision – ArtWorks is the creative and economic engine which unites citizens to transform our region."

Funding for the $215,000 Pendleton Public Art Project comes from the City of Cincinnati, a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Final designs are expected to be revealed in June or July.

Also, ArtWorks is seeking an artist for a new mural that will be installed this summer on the side of the former Pendleton Joe's coffee shop, located at 1321 Pendleton Street.

Proposals are due by May 31 at 5 P.M., and an artist will be chosen on June 5.

Previous reading on BC:
Wowhaus selected to design Pendleton sculptures (4/8/13)
Finalists chosen for Pendleton public art project (2/4/13)
ArtWorks poring over 77 submissions for Pendleton public art project (12/20/12)
ArtWorks accepting applications for sculptural bike rack program (12/19/12)
Pendleton enforcement blitz reduces blight and crime, promotes redevelopment (11/20/12)