Michael L. Redmond

I am every bit as frustrated at the lack of goodwill coming from people in other parts of our city as it relates to the redevelopment efforts of both the CBD and OTR as anyone on this site. That being said, the sales team at the Q realizes that it is more beneficial to focus on a large percentage of a small group of people who actually get urban living vs striving to simply get a small percentage of the larger group of people who will never give places like OTR a chance. We as a community need to be proactive in countering false information, but do not get caught up in trying to win the hearts and minds of everyone as that will lead to frustration. 700 is anti OTR, always has been, always will be. 550 is much friendlier with Sweeney's show and Brian Tiffany's spot on Brian Thomas' show. Call into 550 and show them support rather than even bothering with 700. Those who tune into City Talk or listen to the Chambers "things to do" are looking for reinforcement in their thinking that Downtown has turned the corner so spend your time there instead on winning that group over entirely vs fighting to change 1 or 2 minds on 700.

That started out as a simple sandwich board sign outside of the office.

They will be put underground. For all 3CDC buildings, those are entire building renovations. Are there buildings that 3CDC does not own in that block and will some businesses remain?, possibly.

I do not see where the progress being made by 3CDC is in any way repeating what you described above, if anything, it is a reversal. We just attracted Dunnhumby with over 500 employees. We just attracted an Iams move by P&G with over 650 employees. We are attracting people to the Quarter who may have chosen to either stay in rental or move out of the area entirely. The Quarter is in many ways creating markets that did not exist and that goes beyond residential. It is encouraging moves due to proximity and style as well as having a ripple effect to businesses that can now be supported by what is becoming a viable neighborhood once again. Neighborhoods are dynamic, they are constantly changing, competing, and evolving into something better or worse. This goes for all neighborhood, all the time. Would the people in the Q have bought in one of the neighborhoods you mentioned, perhaps, perhaps not, but is the Q making OTR and the CBD by extension a more viable place for people to live and business to locate from both inside the City and abroad?...Absolutely. So we are attracting jobs, we are attracting residents, we are reducing crime, we are affecting the entire cities image and these are the affects that are being seen by our actions. In more ways than one, the efforts being put into both OTR and the CBD have a net positive effect on Oakley, Hyde Park, MTL and every other community that is interdependent on the success of the core.

I am sure a big portion of it is vandalism but it may also be our friendly neighborhood plant thief. I was hit by him last weekend and he tends to strike Sunday mornings and sells the plants outside of Findlay Market. If anyone wants a good pic of the guy, let me know.

I understand what you are saying about the stoops but put that in context of the issues we were having to confront just a few short years ago in and around that same block. Hopefully with the park redevelopment that starts this fall and SCPA, even issues like this will become more and more rare.

I believe you are talking about the building across from the Q office on 12th going West. It sits on the north side of the street before Race next to Lords Gym.

No offense, but I doubt it. I threw that out there as a possible location that has been discussed for years but at the same time I am not confident that this is the site that has been chosen. Nor do I wish this to get out there as some sort of forgone conclusion that causes people to make hasty decisions about the immediate area.

By a highly unreliable source I might add!!! The school situation may prevent it from going to Nu Blend. Rothenburg is still a school. Vine St. Elem. and isn't there a small school near the Franciscans? It may not be viable. There would also be fierce opposition from Pendleton, Prospect Hill, Mulberry/McMicken, the Wade's and on and on. The lack of consulting with these various groups if it is indeed Nu Blend would be surprising and a recipe for an all out war with council.

I have heard Nu Blend on more than one occasion by more than one source.

It is the Senate and they do serve hamburgers but it is more than just a hamburger restaurant. Gateway I is simply a different product type. The people who live there seem to love it. Some like new, some like old but the nice thing about the Quarter is there is something for everyone.

Just Crepes on Court. Open till 8 I believe.

Or grilled cheese. A sign is a sign, but a lease is a lease. Still trying to get clarification.

I don't know if that lease has been signed completely or not or if there is an LOI on the space. I will see what I can get from Kathleen.

Once again, the biggest component is having a ready, willing and able buyer at the end to want to purchase. We are moving at a break neck pace in OTR and it is those efforts that will see the saving of most buildings. Just a few short years ago the city had 100s of properties with very few takers. Now that redevelopemnt is happening, others can see not just the potential but the promise that developments like the Q are bringing, only now are these "desirable" properties. Nothing brings development quite like development and to think that just offering buildings up with tighter restrictions alone is a recipe for sucess isn't taking into consideration market reality.

I understand what you are saying, but I do not agree this is always the case. I am rehabbing an 1865 home on Mulberry St. now (and have been for the last 6 years and will be for the next 60) but if it weren't for the new const on Mulberry that signalled the beginnings of true investment in the street, I never would have purchased and 103 would have just sat. The same goes for many of my neighbors. Preservation is one thing, but the market for the preserved property must also be there. Let me give you an example of preservation gone horribly wrong. The OTR Foundation purchased 101, 105 Peete, 100 E. Clifton and another property on the corner of 14th and Race all in the name of preservation and the dismissal of a demo order. Those 4 properties over the past 5 years have done more to detract investment in the adjacent properties, many of which have now been lost. It takes more than just "saving" a building, and to save one at the expense of 5 others is stupidity. Preservation and new can coexist but only with a market that can support it. I work with Developers who have not built or rehabbed on certain streets in favor of others due to not wanting to be subjected to Historic. Sometimes it is that one preservationist that can actually limit redevelopment. It is the law of unintended consequence. We need to be of the mindset that both can be positive for the overall good of the neighborhood especially if one is leveraged as a catylyst for the other.

The VBML's or any other pressure that the city tries to put on some of these individuals will be flawed in one way or another. There was a VBML on 140 Mulberry and it fell into the street on its own two years ago. A property on Main (owned by Larry Rhodes) dropped large debris including a lentil onto the sidewalk. If we take away the VBML's, or not, we still need a buyer who is willing to put in the work, money, and risk into the property. In short, we will lose buildings. The only hope is to get in and turn as many as possible while at the same time reaching out to the market and changing the perception of the area and therefor creating a demand for the finished product. Groups like 3CDC are doing this and simoultaneously creating a demand for others to do the same. We have large amounts of properties that are at least being purchased, secured, stabalized, and redeveloped at a pace that is absorbed by the market. OTR is on its way, but not everything will be saved.

Unfortunalty it is not always that simple. Take the two cases of Larry Rhodes and Johny Van Stein. Larry inherited a massive amount of property, primarily in OTR. He has gone to jail over his properties being put into criminal status (two of which were disputed for 11 years) charged VBML's, fines, threat of demo, demo, charge back on demo....and nothing stopped this man. Now 95 Mulberry is threatened with demolition and he will just let it happen as it is cheaper to own a vacant lot than the property. He refuses to sell and refuses to do anything other than "try" and bring the properties up to the level of recieving a VBML. Once the propety recieves a VBML and the fees are paid, it can sit vacant indefinetly. (On a side note, the man is worth and estimated 42 million so fees are not an issue) Now we have a reverse problem. Two demos at 144 and 146 Mulberry which left two 30 X 52.5 lots were under contract to sell to a developer who has built new const. on the street and the city refused to release the leins for the demo as they did not want to see Larry "profit" in any way. This has left us with two undeveloped, vacant, lots that will sit and sit. Johny was a little different. For years he owned a dozen properties that were in marginal shape but when the city began putting orders on them, Johny one night took two down by hand himself just to spite the city (105 & 107 Mulberry). He has sold off his remaining holdings in OTR but even afterwards, his own personal home had to be torn down because of massive structural issues. My point is that personalities of individuals can derail even the most basic of plans to save some of these structures. And the city, sometimes in doing what they believe will help the area, actually hastens the destruction of the properties and in the case of Larry, stands in the way of new developement simultaneously.

That was a program for a couple of units in Centenial and 10K for a unit in Bremen. The money would have to be repaid if when the unit sold there was a profit. If not, then no. That is how I understand it. Private grant money. Once again, that is how I understand it. Additional grants are available for units in City Home.

I believe Dan McDonald pulled together all of that info for Findlay. I will see him tonight and will try and remember to ask if he has it.

Before I throw anything out, let me ask a question. Are you trying to draw a correlation between number of units that could go into OTR to surface space needed for parking? The reason I ask is that you will come to a false conclusion unless you take into account garage spaces both contained in buildings and ancillary garages like the one that will be going up on Vine.

Does that happen? Sure. Some places more than others but I will say that my wife and I moved to OTR after living in Mt. Adams. She grew up in West Chester, I in Amberly Village and yet we wouldn't want to live anyplace else. OTR isn't for everyone. Even now, it takes a bit of a pioneering spirit but this isn't the same OTR as it was 5 years ago and it will be even a different OTR 5 years from now. I guarantee if you move to OTR expecting to hear loud car stereos, see thugs on corners then that is exactly what you will get. On the flip side, if you want to see a tight knit neighborhood, a fun place too live and work, then that to is exactly what you will get. You will make this, or any community into what you want it to be, good or bad.

They will go under const. in August and should be completed late winter to spring. I am not sure about the rates just yet but I will keep you posted.

The next phase is primarily rental and you can see the buildings as you travel north of 14th on Vine St. on the Western (left) side of the street. 399,000. There is some real intrest in that unit and hopefully it will be sold very soon. That is one of my favorite units in the Q. Holly and I felt the same way after we had a get together on the roof of the Emery building. --The Expansion Tour had over 700 people in attendance.

Mottainai has some of the most unique sinks I have ever seen.