presOhio

Nope... Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart were married at Malabar Farm... which is several miles southeast of Mansfield. Kingwood Center is in Mansfield itself.

My daughter and I walked around Kingwood Center in Mansfield this evening, which we do every other month or so. This time, the evening sun was brilliant, and as I had camera in hand, I snapped a few shots. Kingwood was built by a wealthy local industrialist and its 47 acres grounds have been open to the public since 1953. It is amazingly beautiful and well worth the trip. http://www.kingwoodcenter.org/ Thomas/presOhio Going through the back gates to the gardens My daughter feeding the ducks...

Great job! I love that feeling of relief on "then and now" photos when there is enough historic fabric left to recognize a view. As an "outsider" to Hamilton, even though there are losses, I dare say that Hamilton has fared better in that time period than several other communities we could name (thanks in part to Ann and Jay Antenen). That includes a handful of really important "saves," including the Anthony Wayne and the Globe Opera House - which would make my list of the 100 most significant 19th century buildings standing in Ohio.

Absolutely incredible pics... I am assuming that the aerial views are taken from the Tour Montparnasse ... the Gare Montparnasse is also the only place I have ever been maced. Thanks again for this thread... its a gem!

Ink --- I had a hearing in the Crawford County Courthouse this afternoon, and shared your "terrorist" story with a couple of the "powers that be" there -- they were amazed and appalled.

You have to give kudos to The Blade ... they have done a superb job in covering the Seneca County Courthouse issue...

The scary thing is that I suspect Mr. Nutter actually believes it. I am sure that he envisions legions of preservation-minded developers flocking to invest in Tiffin just for a chance to be next to that new beacon of Ohio architecture. Too bad there aren't legions of preservation-minded developers out there -- and that the very few that do exist will be avoiding Tiffin like the plague.

Warning ... click on the link after the article to view the photo... and have a bucket handy. Courthouse Concept Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune August 8, 2007 Seneca County Commissioner Ben Nutter released a conceptual drawing of a new building to take the place of the existing 1884 courthouse. “I think a building that looks historic but built to today’s standards is the best possible solution to the courthouse issue,” Nutter said. The drawing, provided free by MKC Associates, provides an idea of how the new building may look. Nutter said there will be a review process before a committee to approve the final building design. Nutter added the building also may create private interest in the downtown area. “I also believe it will generate economic growth for Tiffin and Seneca County,” Nutter said. Full story: http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=9679

Know Marion very well... here's my very quick take on the city from a preservation/revitalization planning point of view: PROS --> Good courthouse, and a decently re-done county building smack in the middle of downtown --> Pretty good building stock downtown, including a good solid block of two-story Italianate commercial buildings on South Main that have potential --> A handful of large "Gee, I wish that met someone with vision and money" buildings, including the Masonic Temple (pic 20), the Old Opera House/Elks Building (pic 24), etc.. --> A John Eberson atmospheric theater -- one of his best --> A couple of solid local banks with downtown main offices --> Good local history museum in a very good historic structure (the old Post Office, pic 24) --> Nice adaptive reuse of the old Harding Hotel, which has amazing continuing potential (pic 2) --> The county and city planning people really care about the community, and the downtown --> Some investment occurring - one of the recent Ohio historic preservation tax credit projects is in downtown Marion --> Marion has an AMAZING collection of surviving bungalows and Craftsman-style residences; this is one of the city's strongest preservation resources --> Of course, the whole Warren Harding story, including one of the better Presidential homes in Ohio and an imposing final resting place CONS --> Lackluster downtown revitalization efforts over the years that have failed to capture the imagination (and money) of a critical mass of potential investors --> City Hall that is ugly and has turned its side to the street --> A very wide, one-way Main Street that is not amenable to creating a shopping/destination environment --> Very little retail downtown (what is there is nice, but it is hardly enough to entice more) --> A very weak design review/historic preservation ordinance that has practically no teeth and has allowed some very unusual alterations --> Two INCREDIBLY poorly located overpasses that block entire areas of downtown that, as a result, sit devoid of investment --> Like most Ohio cities, all of the schools have deserted the central city Thomas/presOhio

I don't know, maybe its just me... but the lack of either a diaper or anatomically correct body parts kinda creeps me out. Hamburgers look good, though.

Bottom line ... no, a property does not have to be zoned commercially, and it might be theoretically possible for individual residences to use the credit (unlike the Federal Rehab Tax Credit, which is clearly not available for non-income producing properties). Two additional eligibility factors are at play, however. First, an applicant must show that the Ohio tax credit is a major factor in the building rehab or increased investment, and Second, the Ohio Department of Development and Ohio Tax Commissioners office will conduct a "cost benefit analysis" on each project to ensure that there is a "net revenue gain in state and local taxes" after completion of the project. This is a somewhat mysterious calculation, although the Cuyahoga County Department of Development has developed a model to make this calculation. This is a good overview chart from Squires, Sanders & Dempsey that compares the Ohio and Federal credits: http://www.ssd.com/pdf/AffordableHousing/04262007/chart.pdf Thomas/presOhio

To be eligible, properties must be: 1. Listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places, or 2. Included in a National Register Historic District and certified as contributing to the district, or 3. Included in a local historic district in a community which is a Certified Local Government, and certified as contributing... In the 1970s and 1980s, back in the days when there were large sums of money coming from the Federal government for state historic preservation offices, most states spent their pot of gold on bricks and mortar rehab projects. Ohio, on the other hand, concentrated on planning and inventory efforts... and as a result Ohio has more properties included on the National Register than any other state, with the majority of them in very large National Register Historic Districts. The work was not uniform across the state, however. Cuyahoga County has several gigantic National Register Districts -- including Brooklyn Center, Shaker Heights and Tremont -- that have over 1,000 eligible properties each. Some of the biggest challenges for the tax credit are in communities that have no districts and are not Certified Local Governments. Mansfield is good shape, as as it is a CLG, and it has several reasonably sized historic districts (with 300-400 tax credit eligible properties) -- Lima, a comparably-sized but non-CLG city, has only 35. The other dynamic at play is that most of these large districts are composed solely, or primarily, of residential structures. Several of Ohio's mid to large-sized downtowns are therefore at a disadvantage. Canton, a non-CLG community, has only 13 eligible buildings in its central city area; of the 105 eligible structures in Springfield, only 7 are commercial buildings in its downtown area, and Marion has only 5 downtown buildings eligible. I believe that not a single building in downtown Middletown qualifies. Of course, the hope is that these communities realize this and work to create either NR Districts or to become a CLG. Thomas/presOhio

Anyone have any thoughts on why there has been such a disparity in which communities apply for these credits? For instance, I know they're very different cities, but I was really surprised to see Columbus with only one application. So what's the reason? Different supply levels of historic buildings? Different sets of community priorities regarding preservation? Different levels of market demand for office and residential historic rehabs? Lack of awareness that the credits are available? Cleveland's strong CDC community? I don't get it ... I (and I think a lot of people in Cleveland) thought the credits would be exhausted in a day or two, which they would have been if each of the 3 Cs had brought in 25 - 30 apps. But only one did :? From my perspective... the following dynamics are at play: The planning and CDC community in Cleveland has been incredibly active in getting word out about the tax credit. The only regional Ohio tax credit seminar I am aware of was presented in May by the Cuyahoga County Department of Development (and others), and attendees came across northeast Ohio. You are also absolutely right about the federal credit – if one looks use of the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit in Ohio over the last several years (which, by the way, routinely ranks in the top 3 of all 50 states), you would find that the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio region routinely has this same level of participation compared to the rest of Ohio. This means that there are preservation consultants, law firms and financial advisors in the Cleveland metro region that already have substantial practical experience in completing major renovation/tax credit projects. As the application itself was released only a few weeks before the July 2 date, it would make sense that Clevelanders would have a leg up on everyone else. I don’t know that any of the difference is attributable to the number of historic buildings, but it is interesting to note that Ohio communities and counties are in a widely divergent position in terms of eligible properties for the program. Cuyahoga County, for instance, has substantially more eligible buildings than Hamilton County – although the latter certainly has just as many (if not more) period structures. Marietta (population 15,000) has over 2,000 eligible buildings, whereas Springfield (65,000 population ), which has no large National Register Historic Districts and is not a Certified Local Government, has only 105 or so. Thomas/presOhio

I just posted this on MyHometownOhio -- thought you might find some of these interesting... Tax Credit Applications Represent an Outstanding Slate of Projects by Staff on Mon 30 Jul 2007 07:39 PM EDT A look through applications for the new Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit reveals an amazing selection of potential projects. From the landmark Terminal Tower on Cleveland’s Public Square to the more modest John T. Wilson House in rural Adams County, they include a wide variety of project sizes and are located across the state – with a healthy dose from northeast Ohio and several from Cincinnati, Akron and Dayton. The landmark Golden Lamb in Lebanon is also included. http://myhometownohio.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/7/30/3129447.html

Gee, thanks. Actually, I believe that the "powers that be" at BGSU have been told that their campus lacks a certain, well, integrity of design. The relatively-new BGSU Campus Master Plan lists its number one planning principle as "Be Distinctive, Be Attractive" -- leading off with the need to "...develop a more consistent character for the campus." The Master Plan is at: http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/architect/masterplan/index.htm I spent two years at BGSU after a year at OSU in Cols... and really enjoyed it. Bowling Green is a good college town -- small enough to be friendly and walkable, but large enough for a B-Dubs and Panera Bread.

Spent a couple of days at BGSU this past week.... Forward Falcons!

Super shots as usual... I have always really hated this view, which is in a lot of the Troy promotional literature. It begs the question of who painted that hideous mural... it is entirely out of keeping with its context... plus its just plug ugly.

The Blade has had excellent coverage of this story from the beginning. I don't believe their July 1 editorial has been posted ... its a rare (but beautiful) thing for major Ohio regional papers to opine on the subject of preservation, and this one was incredibly strong.... Thomas/PresOhio Full editorial: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070701/OPINION02/706300316/-1/OPINION Article posted on July 1, 2007 Keep Tiffin's Treasure Some of Ohio's most historically significant and architecturally beautiful structures are its county courthouses. It's possible no other state so values these marvelous ties to the past and so appreciates that they represent much more than just the seat of county government. So it is dismaying and unforgivable that the Seneca County Board of Commissioners has voted to tear down the county's splendid 1884 courthouse in downtown Tiffin. As if that were not enough of an insult to the community, Commissioner Ben Nutter compounds the foolishness with his recommendation to build - on the same spot - a new courts building that will no doubt look like most new government structures these days, a concrete and glass box devoid of any character whatsoever. We come down strongly on the side of Commissioner Michael Bridinger, the single dissenting vote on the road to demolition.

We had a table at the event (handing out Preservation Ohio stuff as well as coffee/donuts)... here is a shot of applicants handing in their paperwork: Talked to several people about projects, including the Terminal Tower, Higbees and umpteen other Cleveland projects, as well as submitted tax credit projects in Akron, Youngstown, Springfield, Marion, Lebanon, Canton, Adams County and elsewhere... Thomas/presOhio

My lips are sealed. I can tell you that I am quickly learning a lot about Cleveland politics -- which is a lot like small town politics, only... well, bigger.

Wow, guys... thanks mucho. MayDay, that map is a veritable masterpiece! I will undoubtedly be up there again before the end of the month, and will try it out. I see now that I was turning right off of Lorain Avenue (onto dead-end streets)... who would have known I needed to turn left to go right? Well, at least I found my meeting location (the Hermit Club) and the Breuer Tower...

Wow ... looks like I may need to hire a sherpa (or follow someone heading to the Rowing Club)!

Hey – all you Clevelanders… need your help… could someone kindly tell me how the heck to get to the Scranton Peninsula? I know where it is -- I can see it from Terminal Tower -- but how do I get there? Its a long story, but I am now serving on the Board of a company with interests in that area. I went to my first Board meeting Tuesday - and then went to take a look at the peninsula… or at least tried to take a look. I am not a Clevelander, and while I have been downtown a bunch of times, I just couldn’t figure out how to get down there. I went across the Lorain Road bridge, then hit West 25th Street – took a right, went down to the next major road, took another right – and there I was again, heading back into Public Square. I did manage to get down into the traditional Flats area. I then backtracked, figuring some road must head south out of there that I could catch… but never found one. I eventually gave up and headed home. Thanks! Thomas/presOhio

OMG! You picked the one day in the last two weeks I was out of town - had a business meeting in downtown Cleveland. My son is actually in the "Galion High School last day" photo (main group, fourth row from bottom, second from right, striped shirt). I did a couple of Galion spreads a couple of years back; think the pics still work: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4220.0 http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4144.0 Oh.. and by the way... the last shot is the defunct Lazarus at Richland Mall in Ontario. We don't claim it! Thomas/presOhio (and Galion resident)

This is my childhood Carnegie Library in Galion... still live within a stone's throw of it (not that I would do such a thing!)... tastefully expanded to the rear in the late 1980s.