Building Cincinnati

Westwood developing strategic plan

2009-11-19T05:10:00.001-05:00

The community of Westwood has created a draft strategic plan that will provide a framework for development, policy, and resource allocation for the City's largest neighborhood.

The Westwood Civic Associatio (WCA) organized a task force to update the 2002 strategic plan, which was never adopted by the City and, the WCA believes, no longer reflects the community's goals.

Following a 2008 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) survey issued to residents and businesses in 2008 that led to 908 comments, the task force identified eight specific goals:

Enhance the quality of the housing stock through increased homeownership and elimination of blighted properties
Enforce building codes and ordinances strictly
Maintain infrastructure, facilities, and public spaces
Revitalize the neighborhood business districts
Enhance the quality of life through improving public safety and the delivery of public services
Collaborate with the neighborhood's schools to improve educational performance
Advocate for the preservation of the neighborhood's historic character
Develop a marketing strategy to promote the neighborhood as a vibrant, thriving place

Comments will be used to revise the draft plan before consideration by WCA. It then will be submitted to the City Planning Commission for approval early next year.

Feedback will be accepted through December 6 and can be submitted to the WCA by e-mail at info@westwoodcivic.org, by mail at P.O. Box 11466 (Zip 45211), or at the Westwood branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Cincinnati to enter LPA with ODOT on MLK project

2009-11-19T05:07:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously an ordinance authorizing the City to enter into a local public agency (LPA) agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation for the West Martin Luther King Jr. Improvements Project.

The $9.9 million project will address safety issues between W McMicken and Clifton Avenues by improving the S-curve, improving the W Martin Luther King Jr./Clifton intersection, and installing a dedicated bike lane.

The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments will provide $7.9 million for the project. Department of Transportation and Engineering capital improvement program project accounts will fund the balance of the cost.

Scheduled to begin in 2016, the project is currently in the conceptual design phase.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati taking action on roadway improvements (11/3/09)

Butterfield Alley renamed for Van Volkenburgh

2009-11-19T05:05:00.001-05:00

Butterfield Alley in Columbia Tusculum will be renamed Van Volkenburgh Lane following the passage of a Cincinnati City Council ordinance last week.

Named after John Van Volkenburgh, the alley runs between Stanley Avenue and Broughton Street, near the Columbia Square development.

Van Volkenburgh, who died in 2005, was a long-time neighborhood resident, advocate, and former director of the Columbia Tusculum Economic Development Corporation who was instrumental in working with the City and local real estate officials to get the project built.

As a consultant, he also assisted Hamilton County in the creation of a solid waste management plan. The Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District presents an annual award for recycling innovation in his honor.

Both the City Planning Commission and the Columbia Tusculum Community Council approved of the change.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati to sell streets for Columbia Square (2/26/08)

Wrecking Cincinnati, 11/19/09

2009-11-19T05:02:00.000-05:00

2495 Blaine Road, South Fairmount
Two-family
DOB: 1890
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Decayed interior framing on the lower level, mechanical systems in disrepair, numerous broken windows, gutters and downspouts in disrepair. The property required City barricading on numerous occasions. It was likely abandoned.

A new owner took over the property in 2006, with the house already having been ordered vacant by the City. Apparently, he began rehabbing it, but the project somehow stalled. A criminal case was filed against him in 2007, but was later dismissed.

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

Remembering Cincinnati, 11/19/09

2009-11-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

Two years ago:

One year ago:

Hover over the slideshow to bring up the controls. You may stop the slideshow by clicking on the square "stop" button, allowing you to scroll through the photos at your own leisure. To get a better view, click on each image to enlarge to 800 x 600. Photos will open in a new browser window.

Motion supports making urban gardening program permanent

2009-11-18T05:10:00.001-05:00

At last week's meeting, Cincinnati City Council adopted a motion by Vice Mayor David Crowley supporting the transformation of the City's Urban Gardening Pilot Program into a new, permanent Urban Agriculture Program.

Over the next three years, the program would be funded with $75,000 from the City's Energy Efficient Block Grant. No operational or capital funding would be required.

This year, community gardens sprang up in California, Northside, Over-the-Rhine, South Cumminsville and Westwood.

"Although this Pilot Program received a very late start (in terms of the growing season) with very little time for promotion or planning, the first years' outcome was very successful," said a statement accompanying the motion. "Six of the eight vacant lots were successfully transformed into community gardens."

The decision to continue to the program follows the release of a report put together by the citizens' advisory group, which established rules for and guided the operation of the pilot program.

In the report, the group recommended that the new Urban Agriculture Program identify additional properties for urban gardens, explore opportunities for partnerships and income generation, look for ways to better engage the public, and work to preserve existing farmland.

Also recommended was a nine-member advisory board, which would meet monthly. Six members, appointed by the City manager, would serve four-year terms. Three slots would be filled by the directors of the departments of City Planning, Office of Environmental Quality, and Public Services, or their designees.

"The success of urban agriculture is a result of both individual efforts and government-supported initiatives," the report said.

Created by Crowley as one of the 82 recommendations in the Green Cincinnati Action Plan, the pilot program is expected to beautify the City, make fresh foods more readily available, reduce storm water runoff, reduce the costs of property maintenance, and create local jobs.

Councilmembers Jeff Berding and Chris Monzel voted against the motion.

Photo credit: "Scenes from an Urban Garden" by Flickr user ItzaFineDay, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license,

Previous reading on BC:
Notwithstanding ordinances push community gardens forward (4/28/09)
Cincinnati Farm program could be in place by spring (1/12/09)
Crowley: Make vacant City parcels available for farms, gardens (10/30/08)

Providence North brownfield gets capital account

2009-11-18T05:08:00.001-05:00

A new capital improvement program project account has been created that could lead to the redevelopment of a West End brownfield.

Cincinnati City Council approved the account to hold a $282,228 in Clean Ohio Assistance Fund grant for a Phase II Environmental Assessment of soil and groundwater at the Providence North site, located at near Central Avenue and Findlay Street.

The Clean Ohio Fund grant was approved by the Ohio Department of Development early last month. The grant funds had previously been deposited in the Community Development Project Fund.

Providence North contains a mix of City-owned and privately-owned properties, including several businesses that have expressed an interest in expanding.

Five of the seven buildings on the site are vacant.

Expected to begin soon, the assessment will include the sampling of 15 existing monitoring wells and the installation of 13 10-foot soil borings, 20 20-foot soil borings, 28 shallow groundwater monitoring wells, six deep monitoring wells, and six shallow monitoring wells.

Previous Phase I and Phase II assessments, conducted by the Payne Firm and the Ohio EPA between 2005 and 2007, identified potential volatile organic compounds – including tetrachloroethene – near a dry cleaning warehouse on the site.

At the time, the Ohio EPA recommended further Phase II assessments, but lacked the funding to continue.

Data evaluation and modeling will determine the property's environmental suitability and the need for any further remediation.

Previous reading on BC:
Capital account could be created for Providence North (11/3/09)
ODOD awards $282K grant for West End site assessment (10/5/09)

Cincinnati approves LPA with ODOT for Ohio River Trail segment

2009-11-18T05:06:00.001-05:00

The City of Cincinnati has pledged its cooperation through a local public agency (LPA) agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for a segment of the Ohio River Trail, making the City eligible for $2.2 million in SAFETEA-LU federal funding through the Federal Highway Administration.

Work on the $2.75 million, nearly half-mile long hike-bike trail between Wilmer Avenue/Lunken Airport and the Magrish Preserve on Salem Road, scheduled to begin in 2012, will include restriping of the Kellogg Avenue bridge, realignment of the ramp from westbound Salem Road to Kellogg Avenue, and sidewalk improvements.

The balance of the project's funding will come from existing Department of Transportation and Engineering capital improvement program project accounts.

The project is currently in the environmental impact phase.

As envisioned, the completed Ohio River Trail would connect Downtown with the Little Miami Scenic Trail, and eventually to Lake Erie.

Previous reading on BC:
Agreement near for Lunken-Salem section of Ohio River Trail (11/4/09)
Cincinnati says 'yes' to Ohio River Trail funds (5/28/09)
Stimulus funds could go to Ohio River Trail (5/20/09)
Planning begins to connect Ohio River Trail to Little Miami (11/12/08)
Cincinnati council supports Ohio River Trail (3/19/08)

Cincinnati considers ordinances for ADDI, Habitat

2009-11-18T05:04:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati City Council is considering two ordinances that would transfer money from existing federal HOME Investment Trust project accounts for the creation of low- and moderate-income housing.

The first ordinance would authorize the transfer and appropriation of $100,000 to fund the American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI), a program that provides up to $8,500 in down payment and closing cost assistance to low- and moderate-income individuals seeking to buy their first homes.

Funding would come from tenant-based rental assistance and surplus ADDI 2007 project accounts.

To receive the sliding-scale grants, ADDI applicants are required to complete a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved homebuyer counseling program and must agree to remain in the home for at least five years. HUD must deem any loans "affordable", and strict limits are placed on the prices of homes that are eligible for the program.

So far this year, 55 new homeowners have received the grant at a cost of nearly $363,000. Over 200 additional applications have been pre-approved, with 31 applicants having purchase contracts on homes.

A second ordinance would authorize the transfer and appropriation of $165,000 in federal HOME funds to help Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity with tap and permit fees to aid in the construction of new housing for low-income families.

These funds would come from a 2001 housing development account, the McMicken Transitional Housing account, and tap and permit fee accounts for the years 2006-2008.

Previous reading on BC:
Neighborhood stabilization funding to be tweaked (5/13/09)
ADDI program helps sell homes in the City (12/14/07)

Wrecking Cincinnati, 11/18/09

2009-11-18T05:02:00.000-05:00

2457 Beekman Avenue, South Fairmount
Single-family
DOB: 1870
Died: May 2009
Cause of death: Defective framing and sheathing, a failing roofing system, a collapsing rear wall, and a deteriorated front concrete wall. The building required City barricading on numerous occasions.

The property was owned by investor Jason Anderson (aka Burr J. Anderson dba BJC Investments LLC), who purchased it in 2006 for $5,500. There were orders on the building at the time, and the City had ordered it vacant. A criminal case was filed against him in 2007. He applied for a Vacated Building Maintenance License in early 2008, and the court case was later thrown out for want of prosecution. However, a new criminal case is pending.

The house was condemned in May 2008 and declared a public nuisance in November 2008. It was razed by the City.

Remembering Cincinnati, 11/18/09

2009-11-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

Four years ago:

I visited Latonia, grabbed a pic of the Cincinnati skyline, then found my way Downtown. (see slideshow below)

One year ago:

MCRP makes pitch for Mill Creek trail funds

2009-11-17T05:10:00.001-05:00

The Mill Creek Restoration Project (MCRP) hosted a driving tour of the Queen City-South Mill Creek Greenway Trail in the hopes of securing $1.5 million in state capital funding.

State Senator Eric Kearney (D-9th) and State Representative Denise Driehaus (D-31st) joined MCRP staff, Cincinnati Department of Planning and Buildings director Charles C. Graves III, and representatives from the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and several Mill Creek communities for a look at several portions that have already been completed, including the Laughing Brook wetlands and a recently planted grove of Freedom Trees.

A $500,000 investment by the state in the years 2010-2012 would pay one-quarter of the cost of the 3.4-mile segment between Mitchell Avenue and the Mill Creek Road bridge and would leverage $2.5 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A half-mile segment between Cosby Street and Crawford Avenue in Northside has already been completed.

"It's a very exciting program," said MCRP executive director Robin Corathers. "This is a very urban piece of the trail. It's high visibility. It's a legacy program. It's a major public works project."

Synergy

The entire 13.5-mile trail, extending from the Hamilton County Fairgrounds to Cincinnati Riverfront Park and expected to cost at least $24 million, is envisioned as a safe, off-road alternative for transportation, recreation, and exercise. It would connect to existing public transit, on-street bike lanes, and pedestrian routes.

The full length could take five years to complete, and the completion of the Queen City-South Mill Creek segment is seen as key to getting the remainder funded.

"This project has a lot of momentum," Corathers said. "There's a lot of synergy going now."

This synergy includes the I-75 reconstruction, the Revive I-75 planning initiative, MSD's work to mitigate combined sewer overflows, and the City's bicycle master plan.

Corathers said that much of the MCRP's work includes habitat restoration and stream bank stabilization, stormwater management, and education and training.

Right now, the corridor has the lowest percentage of tree canopy in the City of Cincinnati. And what was once 300 miles of streams in the lower Mill Creek valley has been reduced to 75 miles, the majority of the streams now acting as sewers.

"It's not just a trail," Corathers said. "It's going to have green stuff in it, which means that we're going to reforest the whole river corridor."

A catalyst for development, jobs

Until recently, the public has not had access to the Mill Creek – they were greeted by a high chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

The Mill Creek Valley Conservancy District, local sponsor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project, relented, opening up the whole corridor as a catalyst for development.

A recent study by the University of Cincinnati Applied Economics Research Institute estimated that the 13.5-mile trail would create at least 445 jobs and create an economic impact of $52.18 million within the metropolitan area, generating $1.86 million in local tax revenue.

Tim Jeckering, president of the Northside Community Council, said that the trail is a key part of the Northside Land Use Plan, adopted by City Council in 2006.

"The trail here along the Mill Creek here ties in directly into the development of what we call 'Downtown Northside'," he said. "Key components and key things that are in motion are happening in Northside right now."

Corathers pointed out that the American Can Building, soon to be developed into market-rate apartments and commercial space, is only one block away from the trail.

"So, as we improve the appearance of the river corridor, American Can is going to really take off," she said. "They're going to be able to get higher rents, they're going to be able to offer this amenity. It's going to make their project more marketable."

In Jeckering's opinion, there is no better way to spend federal stimulus money than on projects that come from the community, for the community.

Northside Community Council meetings regularly have attendance of 75 people or more, he said.

"If there is stimulus money out there for good, community-based projects, I would hope this would qualify for those," Jeckering said. "Because the Land Use Plan was completely community-driven. When we approached the City at the time, they didn't have the funding for doing land use plans. We did it ourselves. It's a community that's very involved and very active."

Improving connectivity

The entire watershed extends approximately 28 miles from its headwaters in Butler County.

So far, 14 suburban communities have contacted MCRP about linking to the trail.

To Corathers, it's all about connecting all of these communities along the region's original superhighway.

"Mill Creek was here before I-75," she said. "It's not the I-75 corridor, it's the Mill Creek Corridor!"

Previous reading on BC:
Mill Creek greenway project wins $500K grant (10/12/09)
Report: Mill Creek trail could create 445 jobs, $52 million economic impact (9/8/09)

College Hill's new green fire station a 'significant investment'

2009-11-17T05:07:00.001-05:00

The City of Cincinnati dedicated its newest public building on Monday with a community open house for Fire Station No. 51, prominently located at the corner of Hamilton and Llanfair avenues in College Hill.

A crowd of more than 200 toured the 12,000-square-foot facility, which is three times larger than the current single-bay station at 1654 Marlowe Avenue.

"It's unbelievable," said Amy Finnegan, president of the College Hill Forum. "We have waited a long time for this."

New features include a dayroom, conference room, fitness room, and kitchen for the firefighters, who typically spend at least one-third of their careers in-house.

The station is also better integrated into the community.

"I was talking with retired councilmember Tom Luken, and he was saying that he never knew where the firehouse was in this community," said Cincinnati Fire Department Chief Robert Wright. "Well, now he knows. He pointed that out, that finally it took a place of prominence in the community, so that people would know that the Fire Department was here to protect them."

Safe in multiple ways

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory said that public safety is the City's number one priority, and the addition of Ambulance 51, multiple bays, and better ingress and egress will improve response times to the station's service area.

"This new firehouse will dramatically improve the ability of the Cincinnati Fire Department to serve this neighborhood and the surrounding communities," he said.

Mallory also said that the station will be the City's first public building to pursue U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold certification, noting such green features as an innovative rain collection system and rain gardens, pervious concrete parking lot, vegetated and reflective roofs, low E triple-pane glass, and natural lighting.

Modeling has shown that the new building will be 28 percent more energy efficient than typical new building construction.

A significant investment

City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. said that Fire Station No. 51 represents a significant investment and anchor for the business district.

"So, as this neighborhood continues to thrive with investments from public and private sources, it really helps to raise all boats," he said.

Everyone in attendance seemed to agree.

"We want to be a positive anchor point for this community, and we hope that development is one of the big things that grows from this investment from the City of Cincinnati," Wright said.

"College Hill is one of the greatest communities of the City of Cincinnati," Mallory said. "College Hill deserves this investment that's been made by the City of Cincinnati. And I can't think of a better partner to have in any community than the Cincinnati Fire Department."

"This anchor builds our community," Finnegan said. "It's a place for us to gather. It's a piece of pride for us. We have to thank the City of Cincinnati for all of our opportunities that they give us."

This is the second fire station built in the City since 1982. Fire Station No. 9 in Paddock Hills opened in February 2008 and has achieved LEED certification.

Previous reading on BC:
Cincinnati, College Hill celebrate groundbreaking for new LEED fire station (2/9/09)

Revive I-75 seeks to improve adjacent neighborhoods

2009-11-17T05:05:00.001-05:00

With the impending reconstruction of the Brent Spence Bridge and Interstate 75 through the Mill Creek corridor, the City of Cincinnati and Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati have teamed up on an ambitious study of the valley's future.

Urban Design Associates (UDA), creators of the Cincinnati Riverfront Plan, is leading the public process for Revive I-75, an exploration of economic development, neighborhood revitalization, green infrastructure and transportation improvements around the Mitchell Avenue interchange, the I-74 interchange, the Hopple Street interchange, and the Queensgate/Central Business District area.

At a public meeting held at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College last Thursday, more than 120 people attended a project overview and breakout sessions for each of the four study areas, brainstorming their visions for the corridor's future.

A follow-up session is scheduled for January 14, during which Urban Design Associates will present some preliminary design alternatives developed from the attendees' ideas.

"The format will be similar — a presentation and then breakout discussions that will allow attendees to react to the sketches and provide comments directly to UDA," says Stacy Stufft of Vehr Communications, part of the Revive I-75 project team. "UDA uses this input as they develop the final design recommendations."

A final plan could be completed as early as next March, and recommendations are expected to be included in the City's new master plan.

Cincinnati City Councilmember Roxanne Qualls chairs council's Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, a body whose jurisdiction is Interstate 75 and the Mill Creek corridor.

"The I-75 corridor is one of the busiest in the nation for moving people and goods, and cuts through the heart of our city," Qualls says. "The current project to redesign the corridor from the Brent Spence Bridge to I-275 will have a profound impact on our city and the region."

Wrecking Cincinnati, 11/17/09

2009-11-17T05:02:00.000-05:00

2222 St. James Avenue, Walnut Hills
Two-family
DOB: 1890
Died: July 2009
Cause of death: Razed by First Fisher Properties/Fisher Builders as part of the Volterra Condominiums project. The house had several building code violations since 2008, but had not been condemned or declared a nuisance.

Remembering Cincinnati, 11/17/09

2009-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Four years ago:

I visited Oakley and Peaselburg. (see slideshow below)

One year ago:

Building Value expands stock, opportunities in Northside

2009-11-16T05:10:00.001-05:00

With a de-nailing ceremony symbolic of renewal, Building Value celebrated the grand opening of its new location on Saturday.

The new 23,000-square-foot location, at 4040 Spring Grove Avenue in Northside, is 50 percent larger than its former Walnut Hills location and features additional outdoor storage for its bulk building materials.

"Northside is the perfect community for Building Value, and we are happy to be here," said Jerry Janszen, director of Building Value. "We're lucky to have this new space so that we can expand our services and touch the lives of even more individuals with our hands-on experience and employment services."

A business with a mission

Founded in 2004 by the Easter Seals Work Resource Center, Building Value salvages and re-sells building materials that would otherwise make their way into local landfills.

But it also provides valuable job training in retail and the construction trades to people who have difficulty entering the mainstream job market due to disability, lack of work history, criminal conviction, or other barriers to employment.

To date, more than 5,000 tons of materials have been diverted from area landfills. More than 57,000 hours of training and paid employment have been provided to people with workplace disadvantages.

The goal is to teach skills that those employees can take to find full-time work.

"When they leave us they take a lot of knowledge and a lot of new skills, but also the feeling that it's important to re-use and to recycle materials," Janszen said.

Expanding opportunity

Building Value's expansion was made necessary by the expansion of its full-house deconstruction services. In its first six months, the non-profit has taken apart, by hand, nine houses.

This work brings in intricate woodwork, cabinets, fixtures and flooring, but it also brings in such mundane items as doorknobs, nails and screws.

Building Value estimates that between 60 percent and 90 percent of any house it deconstructs can be re-used. Items can be had for up to 75 percent less than their retail value.

"This is all the stuff that Cincinnati was built with, and we've got it here," Janszen said. "It's a shame that they have to come down, but, when they do, we're able to preserve most of it."

Right now, Building Value employs 25 people.

"This new building allows us to expand opportunities for employment," Janszen said.

Years in the making

Northside had been seeking a similar business since a brainstorming session by the community council more than five years ago –and even had a site in mind – according to Northside Community Council President Tim Jeckering.

"And then Building Value kind of springs out of action and opens up on Gilbert Avenue," he said.

Jeckering said they went about addressing other issues until Janszen approached him several months ago with the idea of relocating.

"So I kind of launched on a building-finding campaign for Jerry to find him a warehouse," Jeckering said. "Several I identified, and this one came about and then went away and came about again, and I'm thrilled they're here. It didn't happen five or seven years ago, but I'm thrilled it happened now."

'Building Value Day'

Cincinnati City Councilmember Greg Harris read a proclamation from Mayor Mark Mallory declaring November 14 Building Value Day in the City of Cincinnati.

"What's beautiful about their business plan is that it's brilliant by its simplicity," Harris said. "Folks go out there and, instead of demolishing houses, they deconstruct them. The content of those houses, instead of going to Rumpke, go into re-use. And they're re-used and sold here where people are trained on the retail side to sell the materials, and the folks that are doing the deconstruction are trained on the construction side. It's pretty simple, but when folks talk about workforce development and the environment, sometimes the talk gets kind of complicated. This is really brilliant in its simplicity, and it's really effective."

"Our business plan may have raised a few eyebrows," Janszen said. "And there are certainly easier ways to build a business. But the truth is we enjoy being different. We're still interested in the return on our investment, but we invest in more than just the building."

Previous reading on BC:
Area's first full-house deconstruction starts in Wyoming (8/3/09)

Betts House receives state award for 'Great Cincinnati Families' exhibit

2009-11-16T05:06:00.001-05:00

The Betts House Research Center, located at 416 Clark Street in the West End, has received an Outstanding Achievement Award for History Outreach from the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums for a two-part exhibit detailing the histories of the private residences of some of the City's most prominent families.

Great Cincinnati Families at Home featured the private residences of the Hauck, Huenefeld, Probasco-Rowe, and Taft families.

The second in the series, More Great Cincinnati Families at Home, featured the residences of the Emery, Longworth-Anderson, Maxwell-Schmidlapp-Graydon, and Werk-Oskamp families. This exhibit is currently on display at Cincinnati City Hall through November 20, and can be seen at Park + Vine from Thanksgiving through the holidays.

Curators Walter E. Langsam and Beth Sullebarger accepted the award last month.

Founded in 1960 and sponsored by the Ohio Historical Society, OAHSM is comprised of local historic societies, historic preservation groups, history museums, archives, libraries, genealogical societies, and local historians throughout the state.

Eighteen recipients from around the state, representing four individuals and 14 history organizations, were honored in the categories of Individual Achievement and History Outreach.

Locally, the Evendale Historical Commission and Gorman Heritage Farm received a History Outreach award for the battle reenactment "Gen. John Hunt Morgan Returns to Evendale", and the Warren County Historical Society won one for a 2009 calendar featuring the people, places and events of historical importance to the City of Lebanon.

Exploring Cincinnati, a series of photographs and historical narratives by Sherman Cahal, Craig Moyer, and Ronny Salerno, can be viewed at the Betts House through November 19.

Previous reading on BC:
Historic residence exhibit at Christ Church Cathedral (2/12/09)
Langsam to present lecture series (6/11/08)

Cincinnati library has Sanborn maps online

2009-11-16T05:04:00.001-05:00

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is digitizing its Sanborn Fire Insurance Map collection, and its first two volumes now are available to the public.

Spanning the years between 1904 and 1930, the maps, available in PDF format and between 2 MB and 4 MB in size, show street plans, building outlines, property boundaries and building uses.

Originally created for assessing fire insurance liability in urbanized areas, Sanborn maps are now often used by historians and genealogists, preservationists and city planners.

The Library also has established a Facebook page to alert users of updates to its online content.

Wrecking Cincinnati, 11/16/09

2009-11-16T05:02:00.000-05:00

1728 Young Street, Mount Auburn
Two-family
DOB: 1870
Died: July 2009
Cause of death: Multiple exterior code violations, extremely blighted.

Saddled with orders since at least 2002, the owner could not afford repairs and tried to get assistance from People Working Cooperatively. Eventually, she quit answering calls and replying to door hangers left by City inspectors. The case went to court, and she was entered into a diversion program.

God's Bible School and College purchased the property in May 2009 for $10,000, part of the college's strategy of buying and razing dilapidated houses on the streets around its campus.

Remembering Cincinnati, 11/16/09

2009-11-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Two years ago:

Tax exemption for Medpace building, jobs considered

2009-11-11T05:10:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance to execute a Community Reinvestment Area LEED tax exemption agreement with RBM Development Company, LLC for the new Medpace headquarters at Madison and Red Bank roads in Madisonville.

The $15 million project, consisting of a 132,000-square-foot office building constructed to LEED standards, would allow Medpace to relocate 462 employees from its current headquarters in Norwood.

Under terms of the agreement, Medpace would be required to add 158 full-time and 11 part-time positions within the next three years, adding $11.8 million in taxable payroll to the City of Cincinnati. The relocated jobs would add $29 million in taxable payroll.

The company has said that it would relocate approximately 535 Norwood employees when its current lease expires in 2013, and could add up to 800 more employees by 2014.

In return, the company would receive a 15-year, 100 percent property tax exemption from the increased assessed value of the 7.5-acre property.

If $3 million in Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund money is approved this month, construction could begin immediately and be completed by October 2010.

Previous reading on BC:
Public meeting to be held on NuTone remediation grant (9/8/09)
Madisonville: NuTone redevelopment (5/29/07)

Vacant Northside building could house condos, commercial

2009-11-11T05:07:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati City Council is considering an ordinance that would provide a $140,000 forgivable loan to MC3 GROUP, LTD. as gap financing for the mixed-use rehabilitation of a long-vacant Northside building.

The Northside-based development group plans to convert the 119-year-old building at 3925 Spring Grove Avenue into four market-rate condominiums and approximately 1,695 square feet of commercial space.

Residential units would be between 845 square feet and 1,765 square feet and priced for between $110,000 and $157,000.

The forgivable loan, which would come from the Neighborhood Market Rate Housing capital project account, would be forgiven upon the sale of all four residential units.

The total project cost is estimated at more than $661,000.

If the ordinance is approved, work could begin next month.

Serving as a saloon for many years, the building housed the Idle Hour Café until the early 1980s.

The building has been largely vacant since, and was listed by CityBeat as "Blight of the Week" in January 2003.

Park Board seeking artists for Cincinnati Riverfront Park

2009-11-11T05:05:00.001-05:00

The Cincinnati Park Board is inviting professional artists to submit portfolios, resumes and statements for its Artists Registry, from which it will select artists for commissions for Cincinnati Riverfront Park and other park locations throughout the City.

All media and techniques are eligible for consideration, but themes are expected to include the intersection of different cultures, timelines of City and riverfront history, interpretations of Cincinnati's development, unique local traditions, and Cincinnati "firsts".

Applications, which are available on the Cincinnati Parks website, will be reviewed by a panel of Park Board staff and selected professionals. Works will be commissioned as site design develops and funding becomes available.

Questions may be directed to Park Board art administrator Jan Brown Checco at jan@brownchecco.com or to the board's administration office at (513) 357-2604.

In September, the Park Board selected sculptors John Hebenstreit and Carolyn Manto, writer Tyrone Williams, and graphic designer Erik Brown to design a monument dedicated to the Black Brigade of Cincinnati, the first piece of public art commissioned for the new park.

The first phase of the 45-acre Cincinnati Riverfront Park, estimated to cost between $30 million and $36 million, is scheduled for completion in spring 2011.

Previous reading on BC:
Fund established by riverfront park, public artists named (9/21/09)
Cincinnati to enter agreement with Army Corps on riverfront park (7/1/09)
$2.97M Cincinnati Riverfront Park grant application approved (6/22/09)
Ohio grant could aid first phase of Cincinnati Riverfront Park (6/15/09)

Wrecking Cincinnati, 11/11/09

2009-11-11T05:02:00.000-05:00

1710 State Avenue, South Fairmount
Single-family
DOB: 1890
Died: June 2009
Cause of death: Deteriorated sheathing, siding, sill plates and wall framing; a rear addition separating from the main structure; missing gutters and downspouts; an unsafe porch roof; and lack of paint.

A tenant was living inside the building rent-free, and had not heard from the owner for several years. It's likely that the owner was deceased.

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