On 11/29/2023 at 10:42 AM, Lazarus said:

 

Yes there have been a lot of improvements over the last 10 years but I still don't get the sense that Walnut Hills is "there" yet, or moving at a pace in which we can decisively say that it will be in five years.  There are still a ton of holes and the population is too small to support restaurants and other activity without people visiting the area from elsewhere. 

 

About 20 homes have been renovated west of Gilbert and about 5 new homes have been built.  That, of course, is a lot compared to the past 50~ years, but it's a sluggish pace compared to the breakneck speed seen in Nashville and other faster-growing cities.  I have the sense that developers are attacking the East End/Linwood much more aggressively than they are Walnut Hills, and there is a long way to go before all of the vacant lots have been developed over there. 

 

 

 

I agree completely. I get that sense with OTR as well but it feels like it's starting to hum a lot more recently in the last 3 years with development north of Liberty.

 

Back to WH, Even the SouthEast side of Gilbert/McMillan has a lot of holes to fill, the streets are in bad shape, etc. It feels kind of like an old, depressed neighborhood, but I do see a lot more people out and walking their dogs, etc. like you see in Hyde Park, just kind of few and far in between.

 

I still think the biggest potential of course coming from the Hyde Park neighborhood down but then from McMillan at UC and over. It feels like all the building around UC is immediately adjacent but if I were a student I would be happy to live further down McMillan and bike in or walk in or bus in to class. I think that is probably the next step that will get the neighborhood, as you say "there", the continued growth of the McMillan corridor from UC and businesses. Get enough housing towards 71 overpass, then people start using WH for more establishments, graduate and want to stay in the area, build a home/renovate one. It is very slow paced but I will be curious how it looks in 10 years, does it hit that critical mass yet?

12 minutes ago, IAGuy39 said:

I agree completely. I get that sense with OTR as well but it feels like it's starting to hum a lot more recently in the last 3 years with development north of Liberty.

 

Back to WH, Even the SouthEast side of Gilbert/McMillan has a lot of holes to fill, the streets are in bad shape, etc. It feels kind of like an old, depressed neighborhood, but I do see a lot more people out and walking their dogs, etc. like you see in Hyde Park, just kind of few and far in between.

 

I still think the biggest potential of course coming from the Hyde Park neighborhood down but then from McMillan at UC and over. It feels like all the building around UC is immediately adjacent but if I were a student I would be happy to live further down McMillan and bike in or walk in or bus in to class. I think that is probably the next step that will get the neighborhood, as you say "there", the continued growth of the McMillan corridor from UC and businesses. Get enough housing towards 71 overpass, then people start using WH for more establishments, graduate and want to stay in the area, build a home/renovate one. It is very slow paced but I will be curious how it looks in 10 years, does it hit that critical mass yet?

 

 

Yeah I agree that as UC-related stuff migrates eastward toward I-71, suddenly Walnut Hills is the same distance for those people as is UC.   But the area between the McMillan overpass over Reading and I-71 is seemingly always going to be a bit of a dead zone, even though the Essex Studios and other stuff is there.  I pretty much never see anyone walking or biking in the area between Reading Rd. and I-71.  The Losantiville Triangle tennis courts don't get a lot of use.

 

 

 

It will be interesting to see what UC does with the old Union Institute and whoever owns the lot behind the White Castle. Both of these would help towards what you're referencing.

 

Side note - I always forget that Essex Studios is where the Green Jacket is made for the Masters and Augusta National.

Edited December 5, 20231 yr by tonyt3524

12 hours ago, tonyt3524 said:

It will be interesting to see what UC does with the old Union Institute and whoever owns the lot behind the White Castle. Both of these would help towards what you're referencing

 

But I also think that the central part of Walnut Hills needs much bigger developments than anything that has occurred recently or anything that has been planned.  The new apartments going up in place of the Kroger are too small.  Adding 100-200 residents to that block isn't enough to really make a difference.  Walnut Hills needs thousands of new residents.

12 hours ago, Lazarus said:

 

But I also think that the central part of Walnut Hills needs much bigger developments than anything that has occurred recently or anything that has been planned.  The new apartments going up in place of the Kroger are too small.  Adding 100-200 residents to that block isn't enough to really make a difference.  Walnut Hills needs thousands of new residents.

There is a lot of open space in the central Walnut Hills area.

On 12/5/2023 at 11:05 AM, tonyt3524 said:

It will be interesting to see what UC does with the old Union Institute and whoever owns the lot behind the White Castle. Both of these would help towards what you're referencing.

 

Side note - I always forget that Essex Studios is where the Green Jacket is made for the Masters and Augusta National.

 

I think this block with the Union Institute and Essex Studios would be dramatically improved if they reconfigured Taft and Essex to be two-way, and made the exit ramp from I-71 into a traditional intersection. Would also be great to get McMillan converted to two-way. 

 

 

Cross-posting since some (@IAGuy39 @jwulsin) expressed interest in the project recently.

In addition to what I mentioned earlier upthread, they are going to be looking at a 5-to-3 road diet and removing the slip lanes at 2 intersection. I talked to the engineer from Kleingers who is running this at yesterday's Wasson Way ribbon cutting, and he stated that there are some tricky spots that do not have obvious solutions that they will be specifically looking at feedback on.

EDIT: city's website states that construction is planned for summer of 2025, with completion in 2026.
  

4 minutes ago, Dev said:

The public engagement for the Gilbert Avenue Complete Street Project starts next Thursday the 21st. The work is being spearheaded by the Kleingers Group and the exhibits will be available on the city's project page afterwards. The meeting is being held at the Bush Recreation Center and will be an open house format allowing residents to stop by any time between 5:30 and 7:30 pm.
 

 

 

Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Dev

20 minutes ago, Dev said:

Cross-posting since some (@IAGuy39 @jwulsin) expressed interest in the project recently.

In addition to what I mentioned earlier upthread, they are going to be looking at a 5-to-3 road diet and removing the slip lanes at 2 intersection. I talked to the engineer from Kleingers who is running this at yesterday's Wasson Way ribbon cutting, and he stated that there are some tricky spots that do not have obvious solutions that they will be specifically looking at feedback on.

EDIT: city's website states that construction is planned for summer of 2025, with completion in 2026.
  

 

Niiice, thank you for posting!

 

5 to 3 lanes that is huge, will they be expanding sidewalks and adding protected bike lanes I wonder?

1 hour ago, IAGuy39 said:

Niiice, thank you for posting!

 

5 to 3 lanes that is huge, will they be expanding sidewalks and adding protected bike lanes I wonder?

I'm pretty sure protected bike infrastructure of some kind is essentially guaranteed but I'm not sure about the sidewalks getting much wider. The Walnut Hills Area Council was engaging with Devou Good, and previously Tri-State Trails. I remember they had created some complex asks or specific things they wanted but I can't find what I did with it atm. I thought it included angled parking for a block but in any case, it will be interesting to see if the community is essentially prepared to give more useful feedback than a typical neighborhood.

On 12/14/2023 at 5:52 PM, Dev said:

I'm pretty sure protected bike infrastructure of some kind is essentially guaranteed but I'm not sure about the sidewalks getting much wider. The Walnut Hills Area Council was engaging with Devou Good, and previously Tri-State Trails. I remember they had created some complex asks or specific things they wanted but I can't find what I did with it atm. I thought it included angled parking for a block but in any case, it will be interesting to see if the community is essentially prepared to give more useful feedback than a typical neighborhood.

Thank you!

 

I look forward to the details after the meeting on Thursday.

DOTE teasing it out:

 

I'm happy to see the 10' drive lanes! Much better than the 11' and 12' lanes that are all too common. 

23 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

I'm happy to see the 10' drive lanes! Much better than the 11' and 12' lanes that are all too common. 

I have been told several times that DOTE's standard is 10 foot lanes...but then it seems like they discard that real quickly if it's even remotely complicated or expensive to do. The Central Parkway redesign has 11 foot travel lanes, even though oversized vehicles will be buffered from each other.

3 hours ago, Dev said:

I have been told several times that DOTE's standard is 10 foot lanes...but then it seems like they discard that real quickly if it's even remotely complicated or expensive to do. The Central Parkway redesign has 11 foot travel lanes, even though oversized vehicles will be buffered from each other.

I've heard that sometimes it depends on where the funding comes from. ODOT wants the wider lanes, so perhaps (just speculation on my part) the Central Parkway project had funding from ODOT which mandated the wider lanes. 

On 12/20/2023 at 4:05 PM, Dev said:

DOTE teasing it out:

 

 

Thanks for posting this out! Super excited for this!

 

I wonder, and not sure if you have the information or anyway to know (don't go out of your way!!), for the median plantings and the tree plantings, is the city seriously at all considering native plantings for these?

 

On the recent street redo on McMillan in East Walnut Hills it looks to me like they used mostly native plantings. I am happy about this. There is really no reason for the most part to do non - natives anymore for city wide landscaping. Not sure what a good street tree would be in full sun for these areas but thinking something like the Appalachian Redbud as it can take more sun as a more cultivated redbud vs. the straight native redbud, while still providing a ton of benefits for wildlife.

14 minutes ago, IAGuy39 said:

for the median plantings and the tree plantings, is the city seriously at all considering native plantings for these

Gilbert is so wide, I'd like to see some native trees that can grow bigger than a redbud so the trees can provide some nice shade. 

 

Lots of good tree options to choose from. https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Pub 5509 Trees of Ohio Field Guide.pdf 

15 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

Gilbert is so wide, I'd like to see some native trees that can grow bigger than a redbud so the trees can provide some nice shade. 

 

Lots of good tree options to choose from. https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Pub 5509 Trees of Ohio Field Guide.pdf 

Agree, if bigger room want bigger trees!!

 

I was thinking more of in tight spaces under power lines, etc. Oaks are probably too big but I think you can find some other good ones:

 

Black Gum

Ironwood (Hornbeem)

On 12/21/2023 at 4:08 PM, IAGuy39 said:

I wonder, and not sure if you have the information or anyway to know (don't go out of your way!!), for the median plantings and the tree plantings, is the city seriously at all considering native plantings for these?

I'm not sure how they make those decisions, although I think that is part of public engagement process. However DOTE, or any other department, will not maintain the plantings and will require a Revocable Street Privilege be granted to a community organization to take on that long-term responsibility.

This is wild. I love it.

 

 

Edited January 3, 20241 yr by Dev

The center running protected cycle track is great, but I wonder if there will be a dedicated bike signal and motorists given a "no left turn" signal (red left arrow) when bikes have a green to proceed through the intersection.

What is the yellow zone designated as "median". Would that end up being a landscaped area. All in all, I love it.

  

1 hour ago, taestell said:

The center running protected cycle track is great, but I wonder if there will be a dedicated bike signal and motorists given a "no left turn" signal (red left arrow) when bikes have a green to proceed through the intersection.

I was not at the meeting but I was told by someone who was that the short Gilbert crossings will have bike signals where people will be waiting to turn, but not sure about crossing though the whole intersection though.

EDIT: The contract language included the following reference for bike signals:
 

Quote

Scope shall include possible Leading Pedestrian Intervals at key locations to be determined by DOTE. Signals at Court, Casino/I-71, and Elsinore may require protected bicycle phasing, detection, and bicycle signal heads. 

 

Edited January 3, 20241 yr by Dev

The only feedback they are looking for is the north section, from Taft to MLK. The 1st alternative has a continuous left turn lane, the second does not. It looks to me like alternative 2 is better as it reduced the crossing distance at several points, and introduces some pedestrian islands. There are also 2 versions of alternate 2, asking where the utility poles should be located.

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 20241 yr by Dev

46 minutes ago, Dev said:

The only feedback they are looking for is the north section, from Taft to MLK. The 1st alternative has a continuous left turn lane, the second does not. It looks to me like alternative 2 is better as it reduced the crossing distance at several points, and introduces some pedestrian islands. There are also 2 versions of alternate 2, asking where the utility poles should be located.

 

 

 

In a perfect world when redoing streets,

the utility lines would be put

underground.  

Thanks for sharing. Did you find those at this site? https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/bikes/bike-projects/gilbert-ave-complete-street-project/

 

9 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

In a perfect world when redoing streets,

the utility lines would be put

underground.  

 

At first glance I thought this was a haiku. It has too many syllables, but if you tweak it just a bit:

 

In a perfect world

Underground utilities

When redoing streets

 

12 minutes ago, Miami-Erie said:

Thanks for sharing. Did you find those at this site? https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/bikes/bike-projects/gilbert-ave-complete-street-project/

 

Yup!

2 hours ago, taestell said:

 

At first glance I thought this was a haiku. It has too many syllables, but if you tweak it just a bit:

 

In a perfect world

Underground utilities

When redoing streets

 

Thanks haha not the best at grammar. 

20 hours ago, Chas Wiederhold said:

What is the yellow zone designated as "median". Would that end up being a landscaped area. All in all, I love it.

 

I asked that question and the team said that aspect is still undecided. There were some offhand comments about how "landscaping" isn't in scope, since it adds budget and needs to a third-party to commit to maintenance, but I'm not sure if there's a distinction between "landscaping" and "street trees". I provided feedback that street trees are vital to making this a street where people actually want to walk and bike. With such a wide right of way, if there aren't large trees to provide shade, then it will remain (as it is today) unbearably hot in the summer sun.

 

You can provide feedback at: https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/bikes/bike-projects/gilbert-ave-complete-street-project/

 

 

2 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

 

I asked that question and the team said that aspect is still undecided. There were some offhand comments about how "landscaping" isn't in scope, since it adds budget and needs to a third-party to commit to maintenance, but I'm not sure if there's a distinction between "landscaping" and "street trees".

The Urban Forestry team at the Parks Department manages publicly owned street trees, but does not do any landscaping. Their program is paid through a special assessment on all parcels in the city, which was raised last year by city council. I had asked about some parks that don't have street trees in my neighborhood and was told they were not planting much last year because they ran low on funds. I'll try to contact the forester for downtown to see if they can cover the median strip.

I do not think there is any department that does landscaping on or along the public right-of-way.

23 hours ago, Dev said:

The Urban Forestry team at the Parks Department manages publicly owned street trees, but does not do any landscaping. Their program is paid through a special assessment on all parcels in the city, which was raised last year by city council. I had asked about some parks that don't have street trees in my neighborhood and was told they were not planting much last year because they ran low on funds. I'll try to contact the forester for downtown to see if they can cover the median strip.

I do not think there is any department that does landscaping on or along the public right-of-way.

What would be good and could work and hopefully at some point this catches on more is to create a sustainable landscape using trees and native grasses / sedges / flowers.

 

This can easily be done and is gaining steam. The highline in NYC used this method called Matrix Planting with Natives.

 

I've also done this in my backyard, where basically you put in the native wildflower plants in certain spots and spread the rest of the area with native grasses / sedges seeds. Sedges are cool season grass and grasses are warm season, so you get a mix.

 

Basically the concept is then the area fills in naturally and you maybe only need to mow it high a couple times the first year to bat down weeds, do it the same the next year, and by the third year the grasses /sedges and forbs fill in and outcompete all the weeds growing.

 

You would want a base of trees, then the forbs placement, and fill in the rest with grass / sedge seeds, and let nature take it's course. It significantly cuts down on run off and adds pollinator / bird habitat and cuts down on maintenance. There are actual studies done on the cost savings of this and most importantly it is beautiful!

 

The city has done a lot of this already and so they have the blueprint, just need to put it in action. You could easily do a short grass / forb matrix so it doesn't hurt sightlines at all and the maintenance would be minimal after a year or so:

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cincyparks/news/transform-your-lawn-into-a-native-plant-sanctuary/

https://www.ecolandscaping.org/08/designing-ecological-landscapes/landscape-design/urban-landscape-inspirations-from-native-plant-communities/

Here is the one I was looking for specifically which has costs etc.

 

https://law.pace.edu/sites/default/files/Team %233 Brief.pdf

 

f installing native plants on a plot can be higher
than re-seeding existing traditional landscaping, the long-term
cost of native planting has been shown to be lower than upkeep
on traditional plantings.39 Even with native prairie expenses
including “seeding, planting plugs, mulching, and maintenance
costs” of installing the new system, the EPA has found that
native prairie costs 56% less than turf to install in a new area
and can provide significant savings on maintenance costs over
a period of five years.40 Furthermore, simply paving the median
could be more costly than either traditional or native planting,
with one estimate stating that a median “20 feet wide and one
mile long costs $200,000 to asphalt,” while seeding native
species would be about 5% of the cost.41And green infrastructure
such as native plantings can also help slow deterioration of
existing pavement, saving money on street maintenance
and reducing upkeep cost of city streets by anywhere from
15-60%, depending on the type of planting used.42 Long-term
reduction in maintenance costs may be an effective tool for local
governments to reduce expenditures and balance budgets

 

https://www.hortmag.com/gardens/matrix-planting-garden-design

I did get a response from Urban Forestry and while it's not a hard no, it's not encouraging:
 

Quote

We prefer not to plant trees there because they are frequently hit by cars and is thus mostly a waste of money. The maintenance of the trees there is higher as there is traffic that needs clearance on both sides of the tree. It is also difficult to perform as we need to block lanes in both directions (if they live long enough to need pruning) in order to safely perform the work.

 

Looks like the original Skyline Chili Taco Casa is coming down:

On 11/29/2023 at 11:52 AM, Dev said:

Shared Use Path

 

On 11/29/2023 at 11:51 AM, jwulsin said:

What is "the SUP" in this context?

 

"Sup someone on a SUP today."

 

Is supping still a verb or is that in 1997 only?

The corner of Essex and June St is pretty unrecognizable now that it has all been leveled:

 

3 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

The corner of Essex and June St is pretty unrecognizable now that it has all been leveled:

 

Hopefully Cincinnati Children’s has a plan for that site sometime in the near future. I don’t know if it’s just me but seeing vacant land makes all the buildings around it look run down even if they have tenants. 

23 hours ago, GCrites said:

 

 

"Sup someone on a SUP today."

 

Is supping still a verb or is that in 1997 only?

 

 

'sup is still sort-of around.  "Cuz" completely faded out. 

 

 

 

This is some next-level NIMBY action: neighbors of 3043 Wold objected to the proposed addition which consists of adding 1-car garage with a second-floor guest room above it, on the grounds that the proposal doesn't have enough parking. Pretty bold rationale for objecting to a new garage, if you ask me.

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/february-5-2024-case-materials-and-staff-report/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P1udRGmRS4

 

The HCB approved the proposal with a split 3-2 vote. 

Beck Hardware finally repaved their parking lot and fixed the crazy front step they had. 

Model Group plans $36M apartment building in Walnut Hills to complete Paramount Square

By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Mar 19, 2024

 

Seven years after the Walnut Hills Kroger store closed, leaving a blighted void in the neighborhood’s main commercial district, an ambitious plan to redevelop the site is within spitting distance of completion.

 

Model Group is moving forward with the final building in Paramount Square, a multi-phase, master-planned development strategy that, when complete, will have cost more than $125 million.

 

The Over-the-Rhine-based developer will construct a six-story, 65-unit building at 2505 Kemper Lane, dubbed Paramount Works, with ground-floor commercial space and possible commercial space on the second floor. Some of the apartments will be income restricted to 60% and 80% of the area median income, while the rest will be market rate, according to Jason Chamlee, vice president of mixed-use development at Model Group.

 

MORE

29 minutes ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said:

Model Group plans $36M apartment building in Walnut Hills to complete Paramount Square

By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Mar 19, 2024

 

Seven years after the Walnut Hills Kroger store closed, leaving a blighted void in the neighborhood’s main commercial district, an ambitious plan to redevelop the site is within spitting distance of completion.

 

Model Group is moving forward with the final building in Paramount Square, a multi-phase, master-planned development strategy that, when complete, will have cost more than $125 million.

 

The Over-the-Rhine-based developer will construct a six-story, 65-unit building at 2505 Kemper Lane, dubbed Paramount Works, with ground-floor commercial space and possible commercial space on the second floor. Some of the apartments will be income restricted to 60% and 80% of the area median income, while the rest will be market rate, according to Jason Chamlee, vice president of mixed-use development at Model Group.

 

MORE

Love that they are adding some height to this. 

That will be a really good addition to the block. I was wondering what was going to happen in that space on the corner, I thought maybe it would be a garden landing but wasn't sure. Good to see more units added.

R2 Partners to build 48-unit Kemper Apartments in East Walnut Hills

By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Mar 20, 2024

 

A developer will break ground in the coming months on apartment buildings in East Walnut Hills with views of the Ohio River.

 

The project will see two four-story buildings with 48 total units – half being two-bedrooms – built on Kemper Lane, just south of Francis Lane, as the terrain slopes down to U.S. 50/Columbia Parkway, according to planning documents.

 

The buildings will be tiered, one above the other, on the development site. The vertical drop is around 50 feet from the top of the site to the bottom.

 

MORE

On 3/19/2024 at 8:15 AM, The_Cincinnati_Kid said:

 

the density is great. The era of "hide the cube in a wrapping of graphic games" can please end, though. 

The corner space in The Paramount Building should have been filled with a brightly-lit 24-hour restaurant like a diner.  Instead, we have a very dead-looking intersection, despite the fact that the long-vacant building now has Aperture in the corner and Esoteric Brewing one space over.  Both of these places close early.  In fact, it's unclear as to when Aperture is even open (its website is very poorly written and lacks basic information like hours of operation).  I just looked at Esoteric's website and similarly - no basic information, just fluff that reads like it was written by a human resources intern. 

 

If businesses want to stay open, they need to...look like they're open.  At least Rook looks like it's open. 

 

 

Surveyors were in action this week on lot next to McDonald's:

 

6 hours ago, Lazarus said:

Surveyors were in action this week on lot next to McDonald's:

 

Park Ave Square is what was planned for that site. $29 million dollars and 176 apartments. 

On 1/29/2024 at 6:16 PM, Lazarus said:

Looks like the original Skyline Chili Taco Casa is coming down:

I work right next to here, drove by, and saw a sign for, Chipotle???

On 4/2/2024 at 12:09 PM, IAGuy39 said:

I work right next to here, drove by, and saw a sign for, Chipotle???

 

Drove by today, can confirm.

 

 

11 hours ago, Lazarus said:

 

Drove by today, can confirm.

 

 

Tearing it down this morning, two excavators on site.