Michael L. Redmond

I am privy to some of the details (and personally helped bring some major players to the table) and this is a great project as it fills a condo price gap in a unique and strategically important setting. We have spoken for Pauline several times and Holly spoke at this last meeting to demonstrate both the need and the viability of this project. Council membersshould know that this is not important to just Mt. Auburn, but the entire linkage from Uptown to Downtown. So much is left out of the article above and I do not know what Pauline wants released and what she doesn't, but the question of who the builders are, who the sales team would be and what the market looks like for that price range in that area--I will simply say there is know doubt in my mind, this is the right thing for the city to do. Now I am not sure what the fate of this project will be.

On the face of it, any program that tries to help save buildings here in OTR is great but I have some serious reservations about this. Property rights aside, I saw people, who I will not name by name, Johny Van Stein, be pushed by the city to improve his properties on Mulberry and Peete and instead of giving into the cities demands, tore them down himself (105 and 107 Mulberry). Larry Rhodes is another example and both of these people were and perhaps still are, some of the largest property owners north of Liberty who will tear the structures down just to spite the city and their efforts. The law of unintended consequences was written by people like Johny an Larry. Then what do we do about people, Larry is also one, who is wealthy enough to pay and pay, along with Brandon Blatt who just had a building colapse partly into the street? On the flip side, do we put pressure on people who are trying to fix buidlings like Steve Kreimer who has done beautiful jobs on Mulberry and buildings on North Main who can't afford to hold onto structures in his pipeline because of $2700 in VBML's (that promises to go up yearly) but allow Larry to just pay on dead buildings like 95 Mulberry? Pay me and you are ok, don't pay me and your building is mine? Sounds good when presented as "allow city to get them ready for use", but this is no different than a Kelo Vs. New London...your property is not really your property if I say I can do something more with it. This is nothing but a back door tax with the added bonus of property seizure all in the name of redevelopment. There is a better way out there that doesn't send a chill up the spine of all of us who see this hit on property rights on top of already in place restrictions of Historic Boards that scares away one developer after another. In an effort to speed up redevelopment, we hinder it at the same time. For the most part, ( with a few crazy exceptions) people buy property in blighted areas like OTR because they have the sense that they can get in cheap, and let rising tides raise all ships, or add some other value to the properties through say accumulation and contiguity then sell for a profit. Does this mean your neighbors always will do exactly what you want, no, but why force them into another system that dictates what and when to do with their property? Let people invest in what they feel will be an appreciating asset and then develop it or sell it on their terms, that is why they bought it in the first place (lets just call that demand). Otherwise, we will continue down that path until you have no rights with your properties, only responsibilities (which translates nicely into risk in this situation). Not a good reason to invest in Real Estate anywhere let alone an already identifiably risky place such as the Mulberry/McMicken Sector of OTR or the Brewery Dist. As someone who lives there, I would ask Mike Morgan not to do me any favors by pushing this and would ask Berding to do more to protect my rights, and not focus on affecting my motivations when deciding to invest or divest of a property.

I am going to start calling it uptown just for you...no, no....middletown...like that do ya!?! :wink2:

And do you pick them up? Why so negative? Like the way that picture once looked at 12th and Vine? Like the images that we can find of Republic as it was just a year or two ago? Like the nonstop negative reporting that helped define OTR for 40 plus years? I am proud of OTR today. I am proud of the pictures above showing new buildings, and new life in a once wasteland of crime. Put your money in a building in the Q and you can assure that no gates, no fences, no security, and ultimately no sales goes into that building. Be proud people have been smart enough to take actions that has turned OTR and the GATEWAY Quarter into one of the best selling projects in the city and breathed new life into a one time ghetto--fences and all.

Do you really want me to post pics of Hust Alley where even the police recruits two years ago refused to help clean up due to the bio hazard from needles? Bottom line is, we are being successful in cleaning up OTR. The tactics that are used can be debated, but the results are undeniable.

Perhaps I could interest you in Trinity Flats then.

Max, I resent the fact I have to lock the doors of my home but the criminal element down here dictates that I do. We do a lot of things that we wish we didn't have to because of the lack of respect of both laws and private property by a few. This is the reality that we are faced with down here and if we want it to ever change so that we can get more people down in these buildings and more people on the streets (suburbanites or otherwise) then certain actions must be taken. OTR is a big tent, and I want any law abiding resident or visitor here in our community of OTR and less of the law breaking, often non residents--that is why we have Mt. Auburn. :wink: That is probably why the city has to have unanimous consent from both sides of an alley way before they will allow it to be turned over. The owner is responsible for their actions and probably feel that a fire truck couldn't make it down the alley to begin with. I am sitting here with the person who has feedback from every person ever shown Centenial Row and she is telling me that those problems, 1132 Bar and Wash. Park were more problems for Duncanson and the alley is the number one issue of concern for prospects as they typically use the Central route to go to Centenial as they leave Gateway I. Those two are certainly detractors from Centenial but the image of a person defecating in the alley during a showing turns out is a negative...who knew?

I am going to go out a limb here and agree with you. But first things first...people. We have to get people in the area first and then we can reopen everything. As it stands now, a lot of what goes on in the alleys are deal killers and the people you are talking about never materialize in our neighborhood. Eyes in the windows and feet on the street is however in the long run what eliminates these problems but lets do what it takes in the short run to get them there.

Short of posting a 24 hour officer there, I don't think that will help. I too can post some pics and some stats to what happens to not just alleys, but entire neighborhoods when no action is taken to curb a problem like we have in some alleys. Be upset with the people who abuse the alleyways and stairways, be upset with rampant crime and vagrancy that occurs there, be upset with the real reason that actions like closing an alleyway is occuring, and not with those who are simply trying to help solve the problem. Are you suggesting that West Chester gated communities have anything in common with alleyways in OTR?

Consider this, Centenial Row on Race. Great condos but everytime someone is taken to the back deck that overlooks the alley behind it that runs perpendicular to 12th, a drug deal is occuring, someone is relieving themeselves, or getting the daily nooner right there in the alley. Centenial is sitting there empty for just this reason so what should 3CDC do? Leave the alley open and just let Centenial go vacant? Give up on Centenial entirely? Or close the alley and allow these buildings a chance to be sold and to further the redevelopment around Washington Park? I say the latter. Do you disagree?

This doesn't fall into the "new" category but there is the Emory.

That is Switch.

If you call into the city or go onto Cincinnati's website and make a service request then there is a record of the complaint and every effort has to be made to remedy the complaint in a reasonable amount of time. The online method is actually better in my opinion because they will send you email updates when the service request has been completed. Also, the 591-6000 is not limited to just trash can emptying. Graffiti removal and building barracade are some of the other request that can be made. If everyone would call when they saw a problem or take a minute and go to the link this will go a long way for all of OTR. https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/pubsrv/pages/-4267-/

I could not disagree more. The easiest push will be 14th and northward (eastward and westward) and this is with or without the streetcar. 12 to 14th was the hard part as the beginning of any new, unproven project would be and many of the hurdles that were in place are now crashing down. Trinity will set a new anchor and some other moves will firmly establish 14th as the epicenter of OTR development. My point is that the streetcar is primarily an enhancement on development that is already happening. My bigger point is that if for any reason the streetcar fails, will we then be saying development isn't happening or will be diminished somehow now the streetcar went down? Watch the rhetoric and not get too myopic in our goals, because this type of stuff has come back to bite us before down here. Gateway stands with other projects in the greater scheme, but stands alone in its own viability.

City West had a huge impact when you look at what was vs what is now. And I would argue that Gateway would not be as successful as it is already proving to be without projects like City West plus several other things that have happened in the past couple of years downtown that has helped lend to an overall excitement in Downtown, not just the individual project. The sheer size of Gateway is one of the biggest reasons it is so successful. It is a mix of buildings, old and new. A mix of price points, high and low. Plus a good retail mix (which you are correct, city west does not have). And it has some of the best developers and sales people (who are genuine OTR people themeselves) who are so entrenched in the daily life of OTR and Downtown that they are able to convey the excitement and feeling of being a part of a great redevelopment effort. But that being said, the Banks helps Gateway, City West helps Gateway, SCPA helps Gateway, and the countless other projects happening in and around downtown all lend to the overall redevelopment story that Gateway embodies. As for the streetcar, it is a protection of this investment that is already in place. I hear it sold time and time again as a catalyst for development when it is truly the other way around. We already have a huge investment in Downtown and OTR, the streetcar is simply a way to protect and enhance that investment.

And teeth!

I have heard towards the end of the year the entire park will be fenced off and go under const. The plans are at the Gateway office now. As for where the drug addicts and dealers will go, I say they are like water, they will take the path of least resistance so wherever they are left alone to do what they do, that is where they will go. Fewer and fewer places in OTR are fitting that description any more. That would be a great question for the Washington Park Safety Sector Meeting. Call Cheryl at the OTR Chamber of Commerce at 241-2690 for date/time and location. Former Dist. 1 Captain Ken Jones always said that enforcement was only half and had little impact without development. He was correct when looking at past calls for service at 12th and Vine compared to today. He was correct in my sector of Mulberry/McMicken as well. Development puts the eyes in the windows that do not tollerate what has historically happened in OTR and Washington Park will be no exception.

I am not sure I understand the question. The park is being redone. City Home is simply another part of Gateway that also lends to the reasoning behind the park along with the new school and will provide users for the park. I don't think the city needs to be petitioned at this point, its going to happen.

I am not sure that really matters. The real take away here is the fact that more and more stakeholders in pockets of downtown are stepping up and trying to bring attention to their neighborhood or street. We did it with a Mulberry Hill Tour. The Brewery Dist. is doing everything under the sun. Main St. Entertainment Dist. does their thing. Gateway and Vine St Merchants are doing their thing. Merchants on Main are doing their thing. The Chamber is actively promoting downtown on 550 AM. DCI is running both radio and TV spots. DRC is doing their part with various promotions. 7th St. Entertainment Group is doing their radio ads now. And there are several more who are doing active promotion of Downtown and collectively it all ads to the change in perception of downtown and OTR as a whole. Soapbox Dist can come and go but added to the mix of everything else, that positive article lent to an overall branding of energy, excitement and renewal of downtown Cincy.

Of course I will have to object to this. Several years ago, even before "Gateway" was ever out of the ground, I sat with Tarbell in NKY at a lunch looking straight up Vine St and he said, to everyone, "How could we the city, let the Gateway to our core be so neglected?" Vine is Gateway, well before there was a project so really any other name would have been a bit of marketing babbitry. Gateway is a statement of fact. As for the Soapbox Dist, if it gets a few extra people talking about downtown in a positive light then that amateur campaign is a successful campaign none the less.

A guy was shot in the back at 14th and Republic. No real details yet. Not life threating.

^Any can "The element emanates naturally from the ground all over the world, but particularly in regions with soils containing granite or shale. However, not all granitic regions are prone to high emissions of radon."

Have a conversation with the retailers, see what they say. Keep in mind also that they have been going through the past month and a half of being inconvenienced as well with the new gas lines. First, I am not 100% sure about the streetscaping. I could be wrong about how they are doing it, the important thing is they are doing it. Second, future phases rely on the success of previous phases and one phase does not necessarily begin when the last is sold out. Many units are still left in the previous phases and knowing the sales team down there, they will push the project, not the phase. No, otherwise you would see streetscaping being done on Main where the most expensive units will be. As I said, I may be wrong about the streets they are beginning with or even the reasoning behind it but if you look at the dollar value on units, the highest exist between 12 and 13 with Duvneck and Trideca, not 13 and 14 and I would bet if you asked the agents, they would prefer the streets not be torn up while introducing a new phase.

It sounds like they are going to begin the fall between 13th and 14th and wait until spring to go back to 12th so not to disrupt the retailers during the holidays.

That is true of anything. Contracts can fall through for any number of reasons. Also, on the RE end, it is not up to us when and how to "Announce" a new store. It is only floated out there in concept until the store decides it is time to release the information their way. That being said, everything that has been mentioned above I feel very confident in actually happening.