buildingcincinnati

From the 12/2/06 DDN: Young sworn in as city manager, pledges to move Dayton forward He's the 16th person to hold the post, and at 30, is thought to be youngest since this form of government started in 1913. By Joanne Huist Smith Staff Writer Saturday, December 02, 2006 DAYTON — With his hand on a Bible held by his mother and his wife leading him in the oath of office, Dayton native Rashad Young became the city's 16th city manager at noon Friday. Young was born in Dayton and educated here. Now he will lead the city as it faces economic challenges caused by significant job losses from Delphi Corp. and MeadWestvaco, but that also has promising development on the horizon along the downtown waterfront. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/02/ddn120206citymanager.html

From the 12/16/06 Lima News: Sides want more time in Indian casino land case BY GREG SOWINSKI - Dec. 16, 2006 TOLEDO — Parties in a lawsuit over an American Indian land claim have asked a judge for more time to discuss a possible settlement, according to records filed Friday. The request by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the City of Lima, Lanny Durnell and Jerry L. Knief was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Toledo. A federal judge had asked the parties to provide an update. The parties said they need more time for further discussions in hopes of reaching a settlement, according to court records. The sides have asked for a revised status report deadline of Jan. 31. Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, who is on his way out following the November election, has opposed a settlement saying the tribe wants a court to approve a settlement only to bolster future legal arguments with the federal government in bringing gambling to Ohio. Full article at http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=33242

Here are a couple of older articles. Franklin County on board with plan Pact to safeguard Big Darby Creek now OK’d by 6 of 10 communities Wednesday, November 15, 2006 Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Franklin County became the sixth local government yesterday to sign on to the Big Darby Accord, the plan to control development along the environmentally sensitive Big Darby Creek. Although Hilliard and other holdouts are trying to address concerns about the pact, officials noted that communities where it has been approved represent 95 percent of county residents living in the Darby watershed. Franklin County joins Columbus and Brown, Pleasant, Prairie and Washington townships as accord signatories. County commissioners approved it, 3-0. The accord has yet to win approval in Hilliard, Grove City, Harrisburg and Norwich Township. Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/11/15/20061115-C4-02.html From ThisWeek Hilliard, 12/7/06: Working group will suggest Darby Accord compromises Thursday, December 7, 2006 By JEFF DONAHUE ThisWeek Staff Writer Hilliard City Council's newly established Big Darby Accord Working Group will pursue revisions to the planning document via a spirit of compromise according to Councilman Brett Sciotto, who headed up up the group's first meeting Nov. 29. Sciotto said the group has two duties, to review the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's 208 Plan and to suggest revisions to the Big Darby Accord. "The second mission is to navigate the concerns that the administration and Council share about the Accord as currently written, to see if we can counter propose alternatives and changes that we hope the group will then accept," Sciotto said. "Pending that acceptance, we could probably join the Accord, without that acceptance, we would probably go our own route. The third mission then being, if our counter proposals are not accepted, navigating what we need to do to write policies and procedures that protect the environment of the Big Darby, separate and distinct from the Accord." More at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=hilliard&story=sites/thisweeknews/120706/Hilliard/News/120706-News-273267.html

From the 11/21/06 ABJ: SELLER'S MARKET? Interest in buying mall high, representative says Developers eyeing mixed-use possibilities; asking price $4.9 million By Betty Lin-Fisher Beacon Journal business writer Interest in turning Rolling Acres Mall into some type of a mixed-use facility is high if preliminary inquiries after the mall went up for sale last week are any indication. Tim Dimoff, chief executive officer and president of SACS Consulting, said he has four to six interested parties... for more: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/business/16065015.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_business

From the 11/17/06 ABJ: $3.2 MILLION MORE THAN JULY SALE PRICE Rolling Acres Mall listed at $4.9 million Tenants still waiting for center to turn around By Betty Lin-Fisher Beacon Journal business writer Rolling Acres Mall is back up for sale. The beleaguered retail center was bought in July by a group of investors led by Beverly Hills lawyer Michael Mirharooni for $1.7 million. Mirharooni renamed it Rolling Acres Complex and said he planned a mixed-use facility with retail, a trade school, day-care center, small factory, sports center or other ideas that people have not considered... for more: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/business/16035559.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_business

From UC News, 12/27/06: UC’s Teachers College on the Move A renovation is about to begin on UC’s Teachers College, so over the break, the staff is on the move for a lengthy stay in Edwards One. Date: 12/27/2006 By: Dawn Fuller Phone: (513) 556-1823 Last fall marked the first time in 15 years that University of Cincinnati students on the West Campus were free of weaving around construction fences. But come winter quarter, the fences are going up again for a massive renovation at Teachers College. The fences started going up on Dec. 18, so pedestrian traffic will no longer be able to move through the breezeway of the college. As a result of the renovation project, a massive migration got underway as much of the faculty and staff for the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) wait out the renovation. Ironically, they’re setting up in the building where UC’s construction fences were first erected in 1991 – the Edwards Center. Nelson Vincent, associate dean for CECH, says the last of the move wrapped up Dec. 18 when 35 staff members, including employees of the Office of the Dean, moved into suite 5150 of Edwards One. The move had 300 CECH faculty, staff and graduate students packing up and moving to Edwards as autumn quarter came to a close. It also meant the college: * Changed 300 locks * Moved 275 phones * Moved 475 computers * Set up three computer labs and one math lab in Edwards One * Installed five electronic classrooms in Edwards One CECH celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, but the one aspect of the college that was struggling rather than shining with age was the college building that was constructed in the early 1930s. The first phase of renovating the building was completed earlier with 7,000 square feet of classroom and office space, ADA upgrades, a new elevator and HVAC improvements. Phase two of the renovation begins in January as abatement and salvage gets underway. Vincent says construction starts in February on the second phase of renovation, estimated at $17.5 million and paid for by the state. Completion of phase two of the construction project is expected in 2009. Vincent adds that during the last week of their December break, students will receive an electronic postcard reminding them that much of the Teachers College is now located in Edwards One. But despite the construction and the fences, the Teachers College is not entirely closed. CECH’s Divisions of Criminal Justice and Human Services will remain at the Teachers College along with the Office of Research & Development, as will the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences Departments of Psychology and Communication, and the UC Counseling Center. http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=4929

From the 11/15/06 (UC) News Record: Teachers renovation through first phase Completion date unknown Andrew Welsh Issue date: 11/15/06 Section: News The $15 million first of three phases of renovation at Teachers College is finished. With an estimated $39 million worth of renovations to go, phase two is scheduled to start at the end of January, 2007. A final completion date has not been set for the project. http://www.newsrecord.org/media/storage/paper693/news/2006/11/15/News/Teachers.Renovation.Through.First.Phase-2459226.shtml?norewrite200612311853&sourcedomain=www.newsrecord.org

From the 11/22/06 Kentucky Post: TANK funds fueled judge's ruling By Paul A. Long Post staff writer For the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, it was a slim positive in a judicial opinion full of negatives. Campbell Circuit Judge Julie Reinhardt Ward ruled Tuesday that TANK cannot force a Newport family to sell its property near the courthouse for a bus depot. But she also denied the Fennell family's request to make TANK pay the family's legal fees, which so far have amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. "This court does not believe that there is sufficient evidence that TANK was proceeding with the case in an effort to wear out the respondents," the judge ruled in the latest decision in the long-running dispute. Click on link for article. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061122/NEWS02/611220352/1014/NEWS02

Poll added.

From the 12/1/06 Enquirer: Multimedia * Mayor's Year One Report (PDF) The state of the mayor After a year, some say Mallory needs more time; others say it's time to get it in gear BY HOWARD WILKINSON | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER On his first anniversary in office, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory said this morning he hopes city residents have noticed that he has delivered on one particular campaign promise he made while running for the job last year. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061201/NEWS01/612010371/1077/COL02

From the 12/23/06 Warren Tribune Chronicle: City asks judge to dismiss suit By Tribune Chronicle YOUNGSTOWN — Lawyers for the city have asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by a former city patrolman who was fired for violating the city residency requirement. Neil Schor of the firm Harrington, Hoppe and Mitchell asked U.S. Northern District Court Judge Peter Economus to dismiss a lawsuit filed in November by former Patrolman Daniel Tickerhoof. Tickerhoof, who joined the force in June 2001, informed city officials he was moving after a state law that took effect in May banned municipalities from making residency a requirement for employment. Tickerhoof moved to Canal Fulton in July. Schor said in papers filed Friday that Tickerhoof’s complaint should be dismissed because it has not yet been determined if a municipality’s enforcement of its residency claim is unconstitutional. Youngstown and several other cities with residency requirements say the new law is unfair because it interferes with the rights of cities to make their own ordinances. He had a hearing Sept. 13 with fire Chief John O’Neill acting as the hearing officer. The lawsuit claims that the outcome — his firing — was predetermined before the hearing. Tickerhoof says in his lawsuit that that made the hearing unfair. The Youngstown Patrolmen’s Association is appealing the firing. Tickerhoof’s lawsuit also claims that other city employees are breaking the residency law but they have not been punished. He is asking for his job back and back pay. He also claims the city violated his rights to due process and privacy. Schor said Tickerhoof’s due process rights were not violated and he also has the chance to appeal his firing through arbitration. http://tribune-chronicle.com/articles.asp?articleID=12620

From the 11/19/06 DDN. Check out the graphic. GRAPHIC: Things are looking up for downtown Dayton Downtown evolving, officials say The core city is turning into an entertainment and residential district. What's missing? A new role for the Arcade. By Joanne Huist Smith Staff Writer Sunday, November 19, 2006 DAYTON — It's been a sobering year for downtown Dayton with word of jobs moving out of the center city. While Dayton officials worked in vain with some companies to keep jobs downtown, they were connecting with others interested in investing in the city's core. "We are changing from what we were to something else," said Stanley Earley, Dayton assistant city manager. Sandy Gudorf, interim president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, said downtown is evolving from the retail destination it once was toward entertainment and a housing with lofts, apartments and condominiums. Read More...

From the 12/3/06 PD: Ares I boosts NASA Glenn Rocket segments put Ohio in the thick of new space program Sunday, December 03, 2006 John Mangels Plain Dealer Science Writer They're making tuna cans at Cleveland's NASA Glenn Research Center, but not anything like you'd find at the grocery store. These monsters are 18 feet wide, stand taller than LeBron James in a top hat, and tip the scales at 5 tons, even empty. You could park a Ford F150 pickup inside one with room to spare. When they've done their job, soaring to the edge of space, they'll plummet earthward and sink into the Atlantic Ocean the same neighborhood where their fish namesakes swim. The big steel canisters that Glenn workers have affectionately dubbed "tuna cans" actually are rocket segments. http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/116513845929880.xml&coll=2

But it is partially an urban versus suburban argument. Didn't you just mention two brand new schools? Why did those schools need to be built? I do concede that the way the county handled it was shady, though.

From Gannett, 11/18/06: Boehner easily wins top House GOP job BY MALIA RULON | ENQUIRER WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON - Greater Cincinnati could be home to the next House speaker if Republicans regain control of the U.S. House in two years, a prospect that West Chester's John Boehner pledged Friday to make happen. Boehner was overwhelmingly elected to be the Republican leader in next year's Democratic-controlled Congress during a four-hour closed-door meeting. He beat back a challenge from Republican neighbor Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana. That means Boehner, who won the job on a 168-27 vote, will replace House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., as the No. 1 Republican in the House. More at: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/NEWS01/611180391/1056/COL02

From the 12/22/06 Enquirer: Warren spending more on safety Next year's general fund budget reflects population growth BY JESSICA BROWN | [email protected] LEBANON - Fast-growing Warren County on Thursday passed a $59.4 million 2007 general fund budget that includes 18 new positions - most of them in public safety. The budget does not fund a courthouse or jail expansion, but that money can be allocated later or financed, when the county chooses to move forward with those plans, commissioners said. The budget is a 6 percent increase over 2006 when appropriations made throughout the year are factored in. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061222/NEWS01/612220355/1056/COL02 From the 12/29/06 Enquirer: Cincinnati Enquirer: Buried drums are toxic threat (12/28/06) PHOTO GALLERIES Photos: Buried paint Multimedia Maps of the cleanup (JPG) PHOTO: An environmental cleanup worker hired by the U.S. EPA digs up drums of paint and solvent buried at least 20 years ago on property near the Little Miami River in Hamilton Township. PROVIDED AERIAL MAP Buried threat: Old toxic waste 1,300 drums dug up near water source BY JESSICA BROWN | [email protected] Miami Bluffs resident Karen Rizzo would be able to see the $1 million environmental cleanup project going on less than half a mile from her house if it weren't for the trees. Until a reporter told her about it, Rizzo had no idea somebody buried more than 1,300 barrels of waste paint and solvents as much as 20 feet deep into a hillside along the Little Miami River. The site at 6451 Striker Road is about 800 feet from the popular Little Miami bike trail. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061229/NEWS01/312290006/1077/COL02

I hate you.

A recent pic from the 17th:

Statue's unveiling today BY MIKE RUTLEDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF REPORTER The shrouded statue of painter Frank Duveneck will be unveiled again - for good, this time - at 3 p.m. today in the Covington Arts District. The bronze statue of the Covington artist was briefly displayed during the Oct. 6 Art Off Pike event but shortly afterward was covered up. There was no truth to the rumor among people who work nearby that Duveneck was wrapped up again because he was missing a body part, Covington Renaissance Manager Kathie Hickey said, laughing. Instead, the bronze statue was covered to protect it during construction of its base and the landscaping around it, she said. The monument, commissioned by Covington philanthropists Oakley and Eva Farris, was created by sculptor Matt Langford, who was born in Mariemont and lives in Union. Its red-granite base is the same color as Duveneck's gravestone at Mother of God Cemetery in Latonia. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20061121/NEWS0103/611210384

From Xavier University, 12/1/06: Xavier receives $3 million gift from the Schott Family Foundation for new learning commons The atrium of the new high-tech building will be named for the Schott family 12/01/06 The Marge and Charles Schott Family Foundation is contributing $3 million for the construction of a new learning commons on the Xavier campus. The building’s atrium will be named in their honor. The learning commons is arguably the paramount building in the development of the James E. Hoff, S.J., Academic Quadrangle, a new high-tech, learning-centered addition to campus that will turn Xavier into a national model of excellence for 21st century students. The quad is being created with revenues generated from the University's new $200 million capital campaign, the most ambitious campaign in the school’s history. The gift from the Schott Foundation is the first gift of the campaign to be publicly announced. Gary Massa, vice president for University relations at Xavier, says the gift underscores the University’s role as a valued partner in the Greater Cincinnati community and, in particular, builds on Marge Schott’s longstanding belief in and support of Catholic education. “We are truly honored that the Schott foundation chose Xavier University for such a generous gift,” Massa says. “Marge Schott and the Schott family have a long, respected tradition of civic, community and educational support that extends throughout Greater Cincinnati and beyond. We are very appreciative to be included in that tradition.” This isn’t the first time the Schott family has stepped forward to support Xavier. In 1970, the family built an on-campus residence hall for the University’s Jesuit priests. Today, Schott Hall is an office and administrative building and houses the offices of admission and financial aid. In addition to the learning commons, the Hoff Academic Quad also includes a new facility to better serve the Williams College of Business, which has become one of the nation’s most dynamic business schools. It also includes the renovation and modernization of the University Library and Alter Hall, the main classroom building on campus. The Hoff Academic Quad will be located on the academic mall and will create a new entry to the Xavier campus at the corner of Dana and Ledgewood avenues. Construction of the project is slated to begin once a significant portion of the funding goal is secured. The total cost of the project is estimated at $100 million. http://www.xavier.edu/news/news.cfm?news_id=4587&archive=no

Yep.

Hilarious!

From Business First of Columbus, 12/22/06: Ohio at fifth in the country for mass layoffs Business First of Columbus - December 22, 2006 Large-scale layoffs in Ohio rose last month compared with October, although the jobs picture was brighter than November 2005. For the year so far, Ohio ranks fifth nationally for the most claims filed for unemployment benefits as a result of mass layoffs, defined by the U.S. Labor Department as involving at least 50 workers. Ohio companies reported 39 large-scale layoffs in November, resulting in 5,275 initial claims. In October, Ohio had 35 events resulting in 2,890 claims, and in November 2005 it had 52 events leading to 5,607 claims. The number of claims filed in the state year-to-date has dropped to 64,443, from 100,106 filed from January through November 2005. California leads the country with 283,059 claims filed from January through November. Nationally, there were 1,208 mass layoffs last month affecting 136,415 workers, compared with 1,183 layoffs affecting 113,724 workers in November 2005. The bureau releases mass layoff statistics on a monthly and quarterly basis. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/12/18/daily37.html?surround=lfn

From the 11/16/06 DDN: Mass layoffs down but Ohio still 5th highest for claims The state is still the fifth highest in initial unemployment claims, according to a report. By Lisa A. Bernard Staff Writer Thursday, November 16, 2006 Mass layoffs decreased slightly in the third quarter in Ohio compared to this time last year, with figures that placed the state as the fifth highest in the nation for initial unemployment claims, according to a report by the federal Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The national unemployment in the third quarter was 4.7 percent, a decline from last year's rate at 5.0 percent. Initial unemployment claims in Ohio in the third quarter were 5,452, due to 37 mass layoff events. This was largely due to layoffs in transportation equipment manufacturing and construction, the bureau reported. Unemployment by industry Industries with the highest number of initial unemployment claims nationally: Construction: 13,945 Manufacturing: 37,030, of which 12,379 are related to transportation equipment Administrative and waste services: 13,105 Unemployment by state Four states accounted for 53 percent of the total mass layoff events during the third quarter: State, Layoffs California, 29,692 Florida, 21,002 Illinois, 13,052 New York, 8,311 http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/11/15/ddn111606masslayoffs.html

From the 12/17/06 Enquirer: Mini-park proposal defeated by one vote THE ENQUIRER One door has slammed on Colerain Township's proposed gateway project; another remains open. One trustee's vote defeated a proposal this week to buy - via a tax-increment financing mechanism - and build a $2.5 million gateway mini-park with a 50-foot clock tower and water feature... http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/NEWS01/612170391/1056/COL02