September 7, 200618 yr Author From the 9/6/06 Northwest Press: Zoning commission OKs nursing center BY JENNIE KEY | COMMUNITY PRESS EDITOR The Colerain Zoning Commission recommended approval Aug. 22 of a new, 108-bed nursing facility with independent living villas on Pippin Road. The vote was unanimous. The proposed facility is planned for 15.5 acres on the east side of Pippin Road immediately to the north of Interstate 275. The property is in the process of being purchased from Hamilton County. The Trilogy health campus will feature skilled nursing, adult day care, assisted living and 15 independent living villas. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060906/NEWS01/609060624/1002/RSS01 From the 9/6/06 Enquirer: St. Elizabeth group goal near THE ENQUIRER EDGEWOOD - The St. Elizabeth Foundation announced Tuesday that it is nearing its goal to fund a freestanding inpatient hospice facility on the Edgewood campus with the help of 7,985 donors. Almost $4.8 million of the $6.4 million goal has been raised, with more than 25 major donors providing gifts of $30,000 or more. The facility is under construction on South Loop Road and is expected to be completed in March 2007. St. Elizabeth's current eight-bed inpatient hospice unit is at St. Elizabeth North in Covington. The new freestanding building will more than double the number of patients. Meeting rooms for bereavement services will be available on-site, and in-home and inpatient nursing staff will be based at the new facility. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20060906/NEWS0103/609060412
September 8, 200618 yr Actually St. X at least paid their priests and nun(s) full salary and that money went to whatever order they were a part of. Around 1990 St. X built a 13 bedroom house for the 11 or so Jesuits who taught there but they're down to maybe 3 now. Universities and public school districts are now stuck paying massive pension plans to not just retiring faculty but to janitors and handymen. That means a huge percentage of your tuition, or rather student loans, are going to pay some dude's pension plan. The answer of course is 401(k) and personal savings accounts, but universities are too PC to try and renegotiate pension plans, meaning this cycle will continue to spiral upward. Anyone with a calculator knows that you will have a much larger amount at retirement if you put away the same amount of money in a tax-free account than typical pension plans.
September 8, 200618 yr Walnut St. building to be renovated CINCINNATI ENQUIRER September 8, 2006 CINCINNATI - Metropole Apartments on Walnut Street downtown, which has been known for drug activity and prostitution, will soon be cleaned up and renovated after a consent decree was approved. Since January 2005, there have been 398 police calls; 64 crime reports, 35 of which were violent offenses; and 31 arrests at 609 Walnut St., according to police. Cincinnati police raided the building July 14 and arrested nine people, seven of them on drug charges. Cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and two guns were confiscated, police said. Prosecutors filed a nuisance action against the owners, 609 Walnut Limited Partnership and Showe Management Corp., in August. As a result, an agreement has been reached to renovate the nine-story building and install a security office, cameras and key card system. The agreement also requires screening of new tenants and eviction of residents who are arrested for criminal offenses. Off-duty Cincinnati police officers will also be hired to patrol the building. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060908/NEWS01/609080401/1056
September 8, 200618 yr The housing authority is replacing the roof and making other structural repairs at the Marx Cromer building at Ninth and Monmouth streets, which it bought to turn into a building with street-level retail space and five apartments. Middle Earth Development has begun a $9.6 million renovation at the former Marx Cromer furniture building in Newport. The five-building project is at the corner of Monmouth and Ninth Streets. The first floor witll be retail, and the upper floors will house 41 loft -style apartments. -Cincy Business Magazine, August/Sept 2006 issue
September 8, 200618 yr Here is a shot from the new development in Mt. Lookout, Delta Knoll. They have a website up as well: www.deltaknoll.com
September 8, 200618 yr More importantly, here are some photos of my Hyde Park project, Summit Commons, moving along nicely...
September 8, 200618 yr Summit Commons looks rockin' too! Say, can you remind us where exactly that project is?
September 8, 200618 yr Summit Commons is near the corner of Torrence (which shoots down to Columbia Pkwy.) and Herrick Streets, between Summit Country Day H.S. and the O'Bryonville business district, about as far west in Hyde Park as you can get.
September 8, 200618 yr ^And it's on Herrick then? I don't remember seeing it on Torrence - but then, I might have just missed it! I used to be the organist over at Holy Angels, before monsignor Amann retired and they merged the parish with St. Francis...and I lived on Pogue, a block north of O'Bryonville's business district...that's just a fantastic part of town - I'm thrilled to see action there! Are you the owner/developer of the project, or a contractor, or a future tennant, or a mix of all of those?
September 8, 200618 yr Author From the 9/8/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Construction will begin this month on the Fort Thomas Towne Center. The city has accepted a $1 million bid from contractor R.E. Schweitzer to do the work. The Enquirer / Ernest Coleman (GC: WARNING! This photo is CRAP!) City accepts bid to overhaul town center BY SCOTT WARTMAN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER FORT THOMAS - By springtime, the center of Fort Thomas could look more green. At least that's the hope of city leaders and businesses. The city accepted a bid this week of $1 million from Cincinnati-based contractor R.E. Schweitzer to overhaul the Fort Thomas Towne Center. Construction will begin this month and end in the spring, said City Administrator Don Martin. The Towne Center is located along North Fort Thomas Avenue between Miller Lane and Lumley Avenue and is home to a convenience store, dry cleaner and other businesses. The makeover includes facade work on the retail buildings and bank, including decorative cornices and gables. Among the most striking features will be a 35-foot clock tower in Tudor design installed by the city at Lumley and North Fort Thomas avenues. The plan also calls for decorative street lighting and brick sidewalks replacing concrete ones around the center. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060908/NEWS0103/609080439/1059/rss13 From the 9/7/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: The Vendome House, 841 Washington Ave. It's part of Newport's East Row Historic District. Enquirer file Historic District grows? New boundary would include 1800s buildings BY SCOTT WARTMAN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER NEWPORT - Some of the oldest homes in Newport may get historical protection if the East Row Historic District is expanded. The 200 block of East Fourth Street and the western side of the 500 to 700 blocks of Washington Avenue may be the last additions to the historic district. The Newport Historic Preservation Commission and Newport Planning and Zoning have recommended the expansion. Any new buildings and changes to the exterior of homes deemed of historical value must conform to certain standards and get approval from the city. The areas proposed contain some buildings dating from before the Civil War - including one of the oldest homes in Newport, a one-story building used as a duplex built in 1845, said Emily Jarzen, historic preservation officer. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/NEWS0103/609070396/1059/rss13
September 9, 200618 yr ^And it's on Herrick then? I don't remember seeing it on Torrence - but then, I might have just missed it! I used to be the organist over at Holy Angels, before monsignor Amann retired and they merged the parish with St. Francis...and I lived on Pogue, a block north of O'Bryonville's business district...that's just a fantastic part of town - I'm thrilled to see action there! Are you the owner/developer of the project, or a contractor, or a future tennant, or a mix of all of those? Yes, they have Herrick St. addresses, and I am the developer.
September 11, 200618 yr Author Update: East Price Hill Kroger The city council has approved unanimously approved the zone change from SF-2 Single-Family District to CC-A Commercial Community Auto-Oriented District on the proposed Kroger property. This property includes the area surrounded by Warsaw, McPherson, Van Vey and Enright avenues. The zoning change allows for a fuel island to be built on site. This ruling means that it is now legal for construction to start as planned. Northside Diversity Project I thought this was interesting. It appeared in the neighborhood's "Bits and Pieces" newsletter: "Professor Erinn Green of Wilmington College contacted me a couple of weeks ago and told me about a study she is working on to learn more about diverse and stable communities. Northside was selected, along with Pleasant Ridge, North Avondale, Madisonville and Kennedy Heights, for this study "In order to better understand the key factors that have kept Northside diverse and stable, she would like to gather more information from Northsiders. She will holding two large group events where citizens will first be asked to respond to several topics related to diversity and then will be asked to work in a small group to elaborate on major themes. These events will be held at the McKie center on Wednesday, September 27th and Tuesday, October 3rd, from 6:30-8pm. Food will be provided. "If you are interested in participating, please contact Erinn at [email protected] or telephone 513-919-8985, or sign up at the next Council meeting." From the 9/6/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Albert Lane, of Albert E. Lane Realty Co., is upset that the city officials will only allow one sign on a pole in front of the building he owns on West Eighth Street in Queensgate. Lane wants a second sign on the pole seen on the right side of the photo. The Enquirer / Gary Landers Debate over sign-pole zoning Landowner rights vs. city regulations BY JOHN ECKBERG | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER More than four decades ago, Amberley Village resident Albert Lane made a substantial investment in Cincinnati. Lane spent $33,000 in 1965 to buy vacant land from the city along West Eighth Street in Queensgate, just west of downtown. There, he built a brick, 30,000-square-foot commercial building and began leasing space. In a short time, Lane's building would be occupied by a handful of tenants, all hanging signs outside the building to drum up business in the soon-to-be redeveloped neighborhood. The signs would help all of his tenants thrive, Lane figured. But the days of unregulated sign-hanging are over, according to Cincinnati officials, who recently informed Lane that regulations passed by City Council in 2004 mean he can no longer put a sign on an existing post in front of his building because he already has one stand-alone sign there. It's a finding that Lane says is unfair and unwarranted. This sign-pole zoning case is a classic case of city regulations butting up against landowner rights. City officials say they are only enforcing rules, while property owner Lane believes property rights offered by the city when he bought the land decades ago should entitle him to another sign. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060906/BIZ01/609060336/1076/rss01 Round-up: Cincinnati and inner burbs Includes the city of Cincinnati's neighborhoods, Bellevue, Covington, Dayton, Elmwood Place, Ludlow, Newport, Norwood and St. Bernard. AVONDALE Cincinnati Zoo Joins UC/Cincinnati Habitat Partnership UC News, 9/6/06 Cincinnati Zoo volunteers are joining the University of Cincinnati’s fourth university-wide building project with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity and Fifth Third Bank. The Cincinnati Zoo volunteer participation at the construction site, located at 3556 Haven St. in Avondale, is part of the Zoo’s “Community Giving” program for Zoo staff and volunteers to participate in community projects. Construction on the three-bedroom, two-story home got underway on Sept. 5, when a group of 20 first-year students started work at the site as part of their Honors Scholars English class. Future first-time homeowner Custodio Muianga, a UC doctoral student in Environmental Health & Occupational Hygiene, will be working alongside the UC volunteers on Saturdays. Muianga, his wife, Edite, and their three children – 8-year-old Maite, six-year-old Edivale and one-year-old Marla – can look forward to completion of the home next spring. CARTHAGE 6406 Rosewood St has been rehabbed from a two-family to a single-family and is another affordable housing option in the area. This house was condemned in May 2005, and rehab work began in March 2006. CLIFTON HEIGHTS 2362 Clifton Ave is currently having some kind of work done to it. There are people on scene. CLIFTON HEIGHTS Resurfacing this week Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/4/06 Streets in the Clifton Heights area will be resurfaced beginning this week. Those streets include Chickasaw from Warner to McMillan; Coon from Fox to Warner; Detzel Place from Moerlein to the end; Fairview Place from Fairview Avenue to the end; Lloyd Place from Fairview to the end; Lyon Street from Ohio to Clifton; McMillan Street; Moerlein Street from McMillan to Detzel; Rohs from McMillan to Warner; Stratford Avenue from McMillan to Klotter; and Warner Street from Clifton to Ohio. Work should be completed by December. EAST WALNUT HILLS 2543 Moorman Ave is currently undergoing a major overhaul. Right now it's being gutted while plans are being finalized. I wouldn't be surprised if it's being converted from a two-family to a single-family. This home, from 1895, was dangerously close to being condemned. EVANSTON After 8 months vacant and on the market, 1840 Kinney Ave was sold for $14,000 to an investor. The house is up to code, so a wouldn't expect much in the way of beautification. EVANSTON 1508 Lincoln Ave will finally be razed and will be replaced by a new two-family townhome. As you might recall, this house burned down more than two years ago and has been a vacant shell and neighborhood nuisance since. This place may be demolished already--I haven't been over that way recently. KENNEDY HEIGHTS This new single-family home is being built on vacant land at 6405 Coleridge Ave. It is listed for $175,900. This will be in a neighborhood with homes mostly from the 1930s and the 1940s. NORTH FAIRMOUNT The owner of 1848 Baltimore Ave plans to renovate the condemned structure as commercial space with adjacent living quarters. So far the plan has not met B&I approval. PLEASANT RIDGE 5805 Woodmont Ave has been renovated and updated. PRICE HILL 1718 Minion Ave will be razed by the city. Condemned in January 2006, it was declared a public nuisance in May 2006 and the Intent to Raze came down in July 2006. I believe it has been vacant for three years. COVINGTON 324 Bond St has been rehabbed. (after only) COVINGTON Linden Grove wins grant for new fencing Kenton Community Recorder, 9/7/06 On Friday, Aug. 25 the Governor's Office of Local Development notified Kenton County officials and members of the Linden Grove Cemetery Board of Overseers that a grant in the amount of $23,863.44 had been awarded to Linden Grove Cemetery from the Kentucky Cemetery Preservation Fund. The grant funding along with $44,000 in local match funding provided by Covington and the Kenton County Fiscal Court ($22,000 each), in addition to a $5,500 match provided by the cemetery, will be used to install new fencing along the cemetery's perimeters on West 13th Street and Linden Avenue in Covington. The existing fencing in these areas is seriously deteriorated. The Cemetery's northern perimeter on West 13th Street is its most visible and longest fence line. In 2003, the Fiscal Court was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Cemetery Preservation Fund to replace deteriorated perimeter fencing along Kavanaugh Street, the alley on the Cemetery's eastern boundary and a portion of Linden Avenue. That grant funding was combined with $85,000 in local match funding provided by the city and county to purchase and install approximately 2,600 lineal feet of new fencing for the cemetery. The fencing replacement project is part of the Board of Overseers ongoing efforts to restore, improve, preserve, and maintain this important historic landmark in Kenton County. The Board of Overseers was established by an inter-local agreement between the City of Covington and the Kenton County Fiscal Court in 1998 to provide for the ongoing maintenance and operation of Linden Grove Cemetery. NEWPORT Xavier Retail Marketing class to study Newport Downtown Newport Downtown eNewsletter, 9/7/06 Newport Downtown has been selected by the Xavier Marketing Department to be the class project for their Marketing 330-Retail Marketing course. The project is "What strategies should Downtown Newport pursue to increase its level of success and to ensure its long-term survival as a retail district in light of the competitive threat posed by other shopping alternatives?" There will be four teams of students working on the project, and its a great opportunity for Newport Downtown. I hope to have the students come to our September Newport Downtown meeting to meet the business owners and learn more about Newport Downtown. We will be inviting the students to attend the Thursday, September 21 Newport Downtown Meeting. Round-up: Outer burbs and metro ADDYSTON Ceremony marks closing of Hitchens school Western Hills Press, 9/6/06 Meredith Hitchens Elementary School may no longer serve as an educational institution, but the memories it holds for students, teachers and parents will always live on. In a touching school closing ceremony Sunday, more than 200 Three Rivers' teachers, students and parents officially bid farewell to the elementary school in Addyston as they shared stories of the past and looked to the future. "This is a building which has had lots of welcome visitors over the years, most importantly of whom were children," said Richard Scherer, Three Rivers Local School District's Superintendent from 1984 to 2003. "Today is a day to turn the page, to look forward to the future and smile back on the past." ANDERSON TWP CLOUGH REZONING Forest Hills Journal, 9/6/06 The Anderson Township Development Advisory Committee (DAC) will have an open house and public meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12, in the Anderson Township Administration Building, 7954 Beechmont Ave. They will discuss the potential rezoning of 5531 Clough Pike from "A" Residence and "H" Riverfront to "A CUP" Planned Residence to allow the construction of about 60 housing units on 25.05 acres, requested by Towne Development Group, LTD. A public open house will begin at 6:30 p.m. BATAVIA Township trustees grant abatement to business Clermont Sun, 9/8/06 An innovative and growing grassroots business is hoping to relocate into Batavia Township, and a tax abatement granted by the trustees on Sept. 5 is expected to have sealed the deal. Victory Industrial Products, a Miami Township business, is looking to expand its business by perhaps four times in a move to Batavia Township that will allow the business to keep up with demand. "Basically, we want to petition for a tax abatement for our business and move our business from Miami Township to Batavia Township," said owner Bonnie Freeman. "My husband and I are co-owners of the business, which we started in 1985 in the basement of our home. Now, we have 110 employees and we plan to quadruple in size, hopefully in Batavia Township." BATAVIA Batavia streetscape has been unveiled Clermont Sun, 9/8/06 The conceptual streetscape designs for the Batavia Main Street revitalization project will be on display at the Taste of Clermont this weekend, Sept. 8-10. The Batavia main street revitalization project is in the conceptual stage and this is the first chance that the public will have to look at the plans. Karen Adams, the Main Street Program Director for the Village Association of Batavia, is responsible for managing the program, coordinating the volunteer efforts, assisting with the program implementation, and acting as the primary spokesperson for the program. "The designs that the community will have a chance to see this weekend are a result of many concepts that have been distilled down into one version that the VAB is recommending to village council and the public," Adams said. "They are not the final plans. We are soliciting comments from council, the public, the merchants, and the business owners. That input will probably amend the drawing a little bit before the final version comes out." DELHI TWP Construction begins on Delhi athletic facility Delhi Press, 9/6/06 The Delhi Athletic Association soon will have a place to call home. A joint project between the township and the youth sports association is allowing the group to build a storage and meeting facility at the northeast corner of Delhi Township Park behind the Glen Carder Lodge. The building will be 40 feet by 60 feet with a meeting room big enough for a dozen people for board and committee meetings. "These meetings are generally held at someone's home or at one of the schools if they can accommodate us," said Ken Dolch, DAA president. "It will be the new home for all of our equipment which we currently store at a local storage facility. This includes our baseball, football, soccer and cheerleading equipment, and all of our festival set-ups." FAIRFIELD River Road to close Sept. 11 City of Fairfield press release, 9/5/06 River Road will close 1,000 feet northeast of Georgetown Road and 1 mile southwest of Lake Circle Drive for a bridge deck replacement beginning Monday, Sept. 11. The road is tentatively scheduled to reopen the week of Oct. 16. Northeastbound River Road traffic will detour south on U.S. 27 into Hamilton County, east on West Kemper Road, north on U.S. 127 into Butler County and the City of Fairfield, and west on Nilles Road to River Road. Southwestbound traffic will reverse this route. FLORENCE New park-and-ride lot opens Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/6/06 A new park-and-ride lot for the Transportation Authority of Northern Kentucky has opened off Mount Zion Road. The 1-acre lot is just off Interstate 71/75 at the Mount Zion Road exit, near the Sports of All Sorts complex and across Mount Zion from the new Gateway Community and Technical College campus. The 77-space lot is served by the 22X Walton Express route, which operates three morning and three afternoon trips to and from downtown Cincinnati on weekdays. There is a sheltered waiting area. FOREST PARK This home is being built on vacant land at 11431 Fremantle Dr, and is priced at $138,500. The subdivision, called "Model City", was developed with ranch-style homes around 1957. Most of these homes are valued at less than $100,000. GEORGETOWN, OH Southern Hills opening still slated for Sept. 11 Maysville Ledger Independent, 9/5/06 Southern Hills Career and Technical Center is still slated to open Sept. 11, said Superintendent Dr. Charles Guarino. In-service days for instructors began Tuesday and will continue through Thursday. Orientation for incoming juniors and their parents will be held Sept. 7. The first orientation session will begin at 5 p.m. and the second will begin at 6:30 p.m. Career center officials said they are ready to begin the new school year with confidence that the learning environment is safe and ready for student occupancy. Southern Hills delayed the school start date, due to much needed masonry repair, discovered during a summer renovation project. GREEN TWP BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT OK'D Western Hills Press, 8/6/06 Residents on North Bend Road between Ridgewood Place and Crestnoll Drive can look forward to seeing that part of the corridor dressed up this fall. The Monfort Heights/White Oak Community Association says trees and planting beds at corner intersections along the west side of North Bend Road will be installed this fall. This beautification is a result of the efforts of the North Bend Road Overlay Committee and the plan that the committee proposed for this section of North Bend Road. The committee worked with Green Township officials for four years to develop a plan to combat deterioration along North Bend Road from Boomer Road to Westwood Northern Boulevard. MADEIRA Madeira gets down to business with survey Suburban Life, 9/6/06 The city of Madeira wants feedback from residents and the business community. Both the city and the Madeira Chamber of Commerce have prepared a survey which will be sent out in the near future. "Given the economic development that is in front of us it's the right time to take the pulse of the (resident's) current and future needs," said Madeira City Councilman John Dobbs. Although council has not finalized a draft of the survey, Dobbs said the survey will address a number of areas. MIDDLETOWN Grant helps beautify Monroe Elementary Middletown Journal, 9/7/06 The exterior of Monroe Elementary School is now fit with a commemorative garden thanks to a beautification grant the district was awarded this spring. The Monroe schools PTO received a $5,000 beautification grant from Lowe's in May to complete the schools' commemorative garden, a project begun earlier this year. The garden — which features brickwork and landscaping by Berns Garden Center — is located near the entrance to Monroe Elementary School. It was completed in July with funds from the Lowe's Toolbox for Education program, which has donated nearly $5 million to local schools and school parent-teacher groups in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. MILFORD Park opens shelter house Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/9/06 A ribbon-cutting ceremony has been scheduled for 10 a.m. next Saturday to celebrate the opening of a new shelter house at Garfield Park. The 20-by-28-foot shelter house, which cost $16,328, features six picnic tables, a grill and a portable restroom. A drinking fountain will be added later. The shelter can be reserved by calling 513-831-4192. The 9.5-acre park is on Garfield Avenue near Bay Road. MT HEALTHY City approves park bid Hilltop Press, 9/6/06 Improvements to the city park will continue with council action to approve a $194,000 contract Aug. 29. Jeffrey Allen Corp. was awarded the bid for work including a 36-foot gazebo, landscaping, fence and handicapped railing, and brick work. Safety/Service Director Bill Kocher said the city will borrow up to $80,000 to put with a $120,000 Community Development grant to pay for this second phase of park improvements. The gazebo will be a steel structure with a cedar ceiling, Kocher said. He said it would be used for concerts, weddings and as a community "gathering spot." Work will begin immediately to complete this phase. NEW RICHMOND New Richmond gets grant Bethel Journal, 9/7/06 The village is "on a roll" with its new economic development plan. That's how New Richmond resident Bob Lees describes the progress that has taken place recently, with the grand opening of Riverview Barber -- the first business to open under the new economic development plan -- the securing of a grant to construct an observation deck along the Ohio River and Lees' purchase of a landmark, the Dr. John Rogers house. Village Administrator Dave Kennedy said the village is "very excited" about the grant, which is for $191,621 and comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Federal Highway Administration's National Scenic Byways Program. "This project was part of the village's overall Front Street downtown revitalization which was unfortunately not funded last December," Kennedy said. "We are attempting to utilize other funding sources to complete various parts of that much bigger project." In February, U.S. Senator Mike DeWine wrote a letter supporting the grant request and explaining that it would enhance the overall tourism experience in the area. OXFORD Spacious new building welcomes students Oxford Press, 8/25/06 While no student has learned to read or multiply by 10 in the new school building in Milford Twp., Bogan Elementary School will likely become a landmark to the students that pass through the halls of the building. A walk through the spacious halls of the elementary is an adventure in itself. The gymnasium is an impressive sight. With hardwood floors, numerous basketball hoops and plenty of space for children to run around, the Bogan gym should create plenty of memories for the students. Attached to the gymnasium is the school cafeteria, where rows of shiny tables fill the area. In the neighboring hallway, streams of decorative art flow throughout the space. Currently the building still has that "new smell" to it. It will soon be replaced by warm smells of meals emanating from the cafeteria at lunch time. Although the building may be new, it also will contain some history. A portrait of the elementary's namesake will hang inside the school. A plaque near the portrait of Bob Bogan will tell students and visitors his role in the creation of the Talawanda School District 50 years ago. The "Father of the Talawanda School District" was impressed with the building. READING Bond issue decision delayed Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/4/06 The Reading School Board has decided it needs to do a little more homework before seeking a bond issue. The district's facilities planning committee had recommended that a new junior-senior high school be built on the current property. The board considered placing a bond issue on the November ballot. The projected cost was $22.5 million, which would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $203 per year in taxes. Due to recent changes in assessed valuation and school funding, the board wants to first determine when it needs to place the district's next operating levy on the ballot. Board members also wanted to review the updated five-year financial forecast. The board then will decide when the bond issue or a modification may be placed on the ballot. SYCAMORE TWP BP wants to renovate site Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/9/06 The BP gas station at Kenwood and Montgomery roads abruptly closed last week, but the company has submitted plans to the township to redevelop the site. BP would tear down the current building and remove the pumps, and build a 3,600-square-foot convenience store and Wild Bean Café, and install eight gas pumps. BP could reopen the station by late next spring, said Planning and Zoning Administrator Greg Bickford.
September 11, 200618 yr They will discuss the potential rezoning of 5531 Clough Pike from "A" Residence and "H" Riverfront to "A CUP" Planned Residence to allow the construction of about 60 housing units on 25.05 acres, requested by Towne Development Group, LTD. Any idea what "A CUP" Planned Residence means?
September 11, 200618 yr ^Going through Anderson Twp's zoning codes you will find that they reference a: Community Unit Plan throughout the document. It was explained to me as being a type of project much like a PD (planned development) or something else along those lines. It is typical for each community to have their own custom program/acronym for this type of thing.
September 11, 200618 yr ^Thanks, Uncle Rando! EVANSTON 1508 Lincoln Ave will finally be razed and will be replaced by a new two-family townhome. As you might recall, this house burned down more than two years ago and has been a vacant shell and neighborhood nuisance since. This place may be demolished already--I haven't been over that way recently. I drove past there this morning so I could get a picture - the place looks like it's nearing the end of the demolition process:
September 11, 200618 yr Any ideas on where exactly the new American Apparel is going in Clifton Heights?
September 12, 200618 yr I think at the corner of McMillan and Rohs. It is the bldg that has had some extensive work done to it over the past few months (the old Laurel's Variety Store). American Apparel went in to renovate the structure, but it turned up that the bldg needed extensive foundation repair. I thought that they originally wanted to be open by the start of the school year, it now looks to be a month or so off still.
September 12, 200618 yr Author How come it looks like every car in front of the place is at least $15,000? From the 9/10/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Meadow Creek Townhomes in Warsaw, which offers housing for the low-income, has been open more than a year. Residents must meet income guidelines. Photo provided Upscale units offer housing for low-income BY MIKE RUTLEDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER WARSAW - They were built for people with "very low incomes," but are attractive enough that people earning several times as much might happily live in the Meadow Creek Townhomes. Residents who live in the $4.5 million, 42-unit development must earn less than 50 percent of the area's median income - meaning a family of four must bring in about $32,300 a year or less. "It fills the need of people who have a need for affordable housing, such as divorced mothers and people who are on Social Security and cannot get into an apartment based on their income," said Della Wood, the development's property manager, who also lives there. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060910/BIZ01/609100318/1076/rss01 Ah...I was wondering why these folks were buying all of this land. Here is my answer! Insider Plan for pre-fab homes meets opposition Cincinnati Business Courier - September 8, 2006 by Dan Monk Two Delhi Township developers are asking the city of Cincinnati for a $1.5 million grant to build new roads and sewers in North Fairmount to accommodate 45 new single-family homes off Ninann Court. The Ninann Woods project would use pre-fabricated homes built by Milford's Potterhill Homes LLC to keep the cost of the new units below $130,000 each. That's more than double the average sale price of existing homes in North Fairmount, but it's still not good enough for neighborhood activists who compare the project to a trailer park and are asking city officials to oppose it. MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/09/11/tidbits1.html
September 12, 200618 yr Plan for pre-fab homes meets opposition[/b] Cincinnati Business Courier - September 8, 2006 by Dan Monk Two Delhi Township developers are asking the city of Cincinnati for a $1.5 million grant to build new roads and sewers in North Fairmount to accommodate 45 new single-family homes off Ninann Court. The Ninann Woods project would use pre-fabricated homes built by Milford's Potterhill Homes LLC to keep the cost of the new units below $130,000 each. That's more than double the average sale price of existing homes in North Fairmount, but it's still not good enough for neighborhood activists who compare the project to a trailer park and are asking city officials to oppose it. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/09/11/tidbits1.html Ahh, the pleasure of investing in the city neighborhoods. These "activists" need to get over themselves. I don't know why pre-fab freaks so many people out. It's just a house built off site, big deal. Is it because they are going to be worth more that the homes already there? These "Delhi Township developers" are taking a big gamble building anything in that area. Ninann Court is off of McHenry, a well known drug street.
September 12, 200618 yr ^Yeah why have high hopes for any deteriorating areas (ie OTR)? One could just go in and build whatever crapola they wanted, just because they are doing a civic good :roll:
September 12, 200618 yr ^Yeah why have high hopes for any deteriorating areas (ie OTR)? One could just go in and build whatever crapola they wanted, just because they are doing a civic good :roll: Please, the current housing stock on that street is far more likely to meet your defintion of crapola than any new pre-fab housing that may get built there. Have you noticed how little new housing occurs in these neighborhoods?
September 12, 200618 yr Author Potterhill Homes are not crapola. These homes aren't top-of-the-line, but they're better than anything else being built in the Northwest Fairmount/East Westwood area, including the shite at Brodbeck Park. Go by the Mills at Carthage or DeWitt Landing in Greenhills....these homes fit the urban character much better than the shit being built by Drees, M/I, et al.
September 12, 200618 yr However, if the neighborhood does not want/agree with the development....it should be tweaked (within reason) to meet the current residents goals/desires.
September 14, 200618 yr Author From the 9/12/06 Enquirer: RENDERING: A treehouse will be built in Mount Airy Forest with ramps to allow easy access to handicapped people. The project and fundraising for the $500,000 job has been led by WCPO-TV reporter Michael Flannery. Rendering provided $500,000 treehouse for everyone Mount Airy getting structure with ramps BY LORI KURTZMAN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER He built treehouses with little effort when he was a kid. All it took was a triangle of trees, some sturdy 2-by-4s, maybe a "No Girls Allowed" sign, and Michael Flannery was up there with the birds, breathing fresh air, hands sticky with sap. The WCPO-TV reporter's latest treehouse project - which kicks off today - is not nearly as simple. This one will cost a half-million dollars. It'll take weeks of work following carefully drawn blueprints. It'll stand 14 feet off the ground, supported by specially chosen black locust logs and be connected to 12 trees in Mount Airy Forest. But the biggest way this treehouse will differ from the crude forts of Flannery's childhood? It'll be open to everybody. Even the kids who can't climb trees. The treehouse is the area's first "universally accessible" public treehouse, which means it'll have ramps that make it possible for anyone to join the birds, regardless of physical handicaps. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060912/NEWS01/609120381/-1/rss From the 9/11/06 Cincinnati Post: Naming rights boost new hospice By Peggy Kreimer Post staff reporter Northern Kentucky families and businesses are putting their names on the region's newest inpatient hospice, as the St. Elizabeth Foundation works to raise $6.4 million for the new building to house it on the St. Elizabeth Medical Centers South campus in Edgewood. The new one-story facility with 12 patient rooms is scheduled to open in March. The Foundation already has raised $4.8 million, much of it through the naming rights, said Barbara Cunningham, vice president of development. The naming rights range from $30,000 for a patient room to $2 million for the whole building. MORE: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060911/NEWS01/609110366/1014/NEWS02
September 14, 200618 yr Author From the 9/13/06 Enquirer: Multimedia Library's full 2007 budget (PDF) Library wants new branches in 2007 budget Planning remains up in air because of budget uncertainty BY KIMBALL PERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Hamilton County library officials want to build new branches in St. Bernard, Reading and Woodlawn - but uncertainty about the library budget means that's unlikely to happen soon. Because they won't know what their 2007 budget will be until they are six months into next year, officials at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County proposed three budgets Tuesday to the Hamilton County Budget Commission. The most realistic was the budget that saw no increase in state funding. The library also wants to improve some of its 41 other branches - "We have some very tired branches," board President William Moran said - but lack of money is preventing that. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060913/NEWS01/609130364/1056/rss02 From the 9/13/06 Western Hills Press: 3 Rivers considers a 'cooling off period' School board may wait until May to ask voters for another bond issue to build to new school buildings BY KURT BACKSCHEIDER | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER Voters in the Three Rivers Local School District could have until May 2007 to decide whether they want to give the district money to build new schools. The board of education already chose not to put the $54 million bond issue before voters again this November, and during a special board meeting last week, the members discussed placing the issue on next year's May ballot. The board debated placing the 4.95-mill bond issue, plus 0.5-mill permanent improvement levy on the special February ballot versus the May ballot after hearing responses the district gathered from the community through a survey and meetings with three separate focus groups. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060913/NEWS01/609130768/1002/RSS01
September 16, 200618 yr Author From the 9/13/06 Tri-County Press: PHOTO: The old Act One Theater in historic downtown Sharonville, which is more than 100 years old, is in need of a $1 million renovation. The Fine Arts Council has raised $35,000 so far. The theater renovation is just part of a concept of making downtown Sharonville into a place for the arts. ANDREA REEVES/COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF Theater restoration part of one big arty picture BY ANDREA REEVES | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER SHARONVILLE -- Janey Kattelman remembers seeing "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando at the old Sharonville theater when she was just 15 years old. Former Sharonville Councilman Bill Lewis lived in the rooms above that same theater when he was a little boy. He lived in rooms with hardwood floors and tin ceilings while his dad showed movies downstairs, and when the theater was rented out to soldiers during World War II. "It has atmosphere," said Kattelman. Kattelman, who is involved in the Sharonville Fine Arts Council, has been working with the council for about four years to resurrect the beloved old theater. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060913/NEWS01/609130746/1089/Local
September 17, 200618 yr 77 new homes target buyers moving up BY JEFF MCKINNEY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER NEW RICHMOND - Maple Street Homes plans to build 77 houses in this Clermont County village targeted to renters looking to buy homes and move-up buyers. The project, to be called Union Station, will include homes built along Bethel-New Richmond Road, priced from the $150,000s to $190,000s and ranging from 1,400 to 3,000 square feet. Maple Street Homes, a division of Crestview Hills-based The Fischer Group, expects to begin building the homes in October. The project is expected to be completed in about four years. The project has been approved by the New Richmond Village Council, said Dave Kennedy, the village's administrator. He said Maple Street Homes agreed to make a concession by expanding sewer lines near the project. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060917/NEWS01/609170312/1056
September 18, 200618 yr Author Linwood: Neyer to build office condos On September 13, Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed an ordinance granting a tax exemption for the creation of office condimiums in Linwood. (Cole and Ghiz were absent.) Wooster Park, LLC (Neyer) is looking to construct three buildings in two phases in the area of 5088 Wooster Pike. Each building will house 12 office condominums, for a total of 36. These office condos would be geared towards small business owners. Phase I of the development would consist of two buildings. This phase would start in the fall and be completed by July 2007. Phase II, the third building, would be built based on market demand. Total space at buildout is over 44,000 square feet and is estimated to exceed 70 full-time-equivalent jobs. Project cost is estimated at $5.1 million. To do this, they sought a Community Reinvestment Area Tax Exemption agreement with the City. The exemption would last for 15 years and would exempt the developers from taxes on the increase in the assessed value of the project property. They also entered into an agreement with Cincinnati Public Schools for a 75% exemption for 15 years, which would reduce the tax liability of the developers by $1.17 million. Annual revenue to CPS is estimated at $25,960. Land acquisition is still necessary. The city owns the land, so it should be smooth sailing. UPDATE California: 5700 block of Panama Ave The Economic Development Committee will have a public hearing on the rezoning of land at 5731 and 5749 Panama Ave on Septeber 19, 2006, at 1 PM. The rezoning is from PD-3 Planned Development District to RF-R Riverfront Residential/Recreational District. The landowner, William Schmidter had originally planned a Planned Development consisting of two condo buildings, consisting of 20 units, which would be raised above the flood plain. However, Schmidter never went through with obtaining permits and the building plan was not pursued, so the PD zoning designation will expire in February 2007. The zoning change must legally occur before the PD lapses. Neither Schmidter nor the community has any plans for the site, though Schmidter does say that the land could be used for condos, single-family homes, or boat storage. There is no opposition to this zoning change request. Madeira: 7116 Miami Ave The City of Madeira Planning Commission will hear a request regarding 7116 Miami Ave on September 18, 2006 at 7 PM. The applicant is requesting a variance allowing the construction of a 45' high building which would include a third-floor residential unit. Madeira Code for the area allows buildings to be no higher than 35'. The parcel is currently occupied by a home which has been used as an office: Here is a Windows Live Local bird's eye view of the general area. You can see the current structure in the middle: http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qhyfcn7z2rq9&style=o&lvl=2&scene=1883520 Round-up: Cincinnati and inner burbs Includes the city of Cincinnati's neighborhoods, Bellevue, Covington, Dayton, Elmwood Place, Ludlow, Newport, Norwood and St. Bernard. CARTHAGE Cincinnati Housing Partners has completed the rehab of 234 W 69th St, which they began in March. COLUMBIA TUSCULUM 566 and 568 Hoge St have been purchased. 566 is vacant land, and 568 has a home built in 1931. I wouldn't be surprised if this is redevloped. (568 Hoge St) COLUMBIA TUSCULUM Two new homes will be built at 3148 Columbia Parkway. Access would be from Golden Ave via Aspasia St, near the Riverview East apartments. EAST END 227 Carrel St was gutted and rebuilt. This house was previously condemned. EAST PRICE HILL 2594 Ring Pl will be razed by the city after having been vacant for years. Condemned in October 2005, the house was declared a public nuisance in March and the Intent to Raze came in July. The owners are deceased. I believe demolition has started but there may be asbestos issues. HYDE PARK 35 Arcadia Pl has had an extensive renovation. MARIEMONT Slain Marine's kin pay tribute at park dedicated to him Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/17/06 Two of the late U.S. Marine Capt. Tyler Swisher's children -Jacob, 6, and Madison, 8 - performed the ribbon-cutting at Saturday's ceremony renaming a small neighborhood park in the memory of their father. The park behind the home where Swisher spent his childhood is now officially named Patriots Park. "It is very fitting that we honor him with this memorial," Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastro said of the 35-year-old Swisher, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in October. The renaming of the park honors the memory of "a very brave, young man," the mayor told a crowd of about 100. "This is something special," said Swisher's 39-year-old brother, John, who now resides in the family home bordering the park. "This is where we grew up. We played here every day." The park is off Wooster Pike between Oak and Beech streets. MT LOOKOUT 810 Delta Ave has been remodeled. MT LOOKOUT A new, expensive single-family home is being built at 3499 Linwood Ave. This is across from the intersection of Linwood and Beverly Hill. NORTH AVONDALE 167 E Mitchell Ave is currently being rehabbed so that it can start housing tenants again. The home was vacated by the city in 2005. SEDAMSVILLE After being held by a bank and being (probably) vacant for 20 months, 754 Delhi Ave was purchased for $10,900. This two-family can't be in great shape, though the siding is newer. It isn't currently condemened. Round-up: Outer burbs and metro ADDYSTON 130 First St has been rehabbed. It's still a weird looking little place, though. CAMPBELL COUNTY Grocery to open on AA Highway Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/16/06 Farmland and isolated homes line the AA Highway as the road stretches south in Campbell County to the Pendleton County border. The perfect place for a grocery store, thought three southern Campbell County residents. A Supervalu grocery store will open Dec. 1 near California. If certain permits come through, two restaurants and a bank also will be built on the 10-acre site at the corner of Short Cut Road and the AA Highway. This area has a significant population that needs a grocery store, the owners say. Vic Dawn, Randy Nehus and Scott Schoulties are partners in the venture. Dawn and Nehus own Supervalu stores in Dayton and Covington. The store will be known as the Supervalu California Marketplace. CAMPBELL COUNTY New home Kentucky Post, 9/16/06 On Sunday, Plum Creek Christian Church will hold the first service in its new, $5.6 million building in southern Campbell County. The building includes a 530-seat worship center, which looks like an auditorium with a very high ceiling, complete with very large, rear-projection video screens for the congregation's viewing pleasure. It's built so that the church can easily move out a back wall and add another 370 seats or so. Senior Minister Larry Travis believes that within a few years, the church will have more than 1,000 members. "We're excited, we're hopeful, we're thankful," Travis said. COLD SPRING Cold Spring boundary extended Alexandria Recorder, 9/14/06 Cold Spring has closed the gap in its boundaries north of East Low Gap Road between U.S. 27 and the AA Highway. Cold Spring City Council approved the annexation of 10 acres on two tracts of land bordering the north side of East Low Gap Road at the Monday, Sept. 11 council meeting. It's the conclusion of a year and a half of work by the city to get the consent for the annexation of about 10 homeowners, said Mayor Mark Stoeber. The other property annexed by council is owned by Bray/Pickett Properties. The owners intend to build condominiums there, Stoeber said. COLERAIN TWP The township is holding a public hearing, September 19, 2006, at the Colerain Twp Government Complex. The public hearing is regarding a rezoning letting J.D. Byrider expand their lot. Yes, this is great. Let Colerain Twp look like Kings Fucking Auto Mall! Oh, wait...it already does. DELHI TWP MUSEUM DEDICATION Delhi Press, 9/13/06 The Delhi Township Fire Museum Society will dedicate its museum at the Neeb Road fire station Sunday, Oct. 8. There will be an open house from 1-4 p.m. with the dedication ceremony at 1:30 p.m. The museum, which is privately funded with donations, houses historic township fire equipment including a 1935 fire truck. The society also has a collection of fire gear, photos and other memorabilia. The museum and fire station are at 697 Neeb Road. DELHI TWP Floral Paradise Gardens set to open Delhi Press, 9/13/06 Nancy Fehr gets a littler closer to her roots with every flower she plants. Fehr is one of 30 volunteers who have been putting their collective green thumbs to work at the Delhi Township Floral Paradise Gardens. The township's newest park on Greenwell Avenue was once the site of the Rutenschroer greenhouses, owned by Fehr's husband's family. "He lived right across the street and worked at the greenhouse growing up," Fehr said, while taking a break from planting a batch of impatiens. "There's a lot of rich history here and every time I come here, I feel like I'm coming home." EDGEWOOD Dixie christens stadium Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/16/06 The only sure-fire way Dixie Heights would enjoy the first game in its new stadium would be to open the venue with a victory. Even more important was earning the first win of the season, as the Colonels came into Friday's game against Scott (0-3). Behind junior Marty Molony's 132 yards rushing on 19 carries and two touchdowns, coupled with a stifling defensive effort, the Colonels accomplished all goals associated with the christening of their new stadium. Dixie won 35-0 over Scott. "Like the coaches told us all week, we were going to make history tonight," Molony said. "We wanted to win. We wanted to get a shutout. We wanted to do this for all the Dixie Heights alumni that didn't get to play in this stadium.'' ELSMERE Foundation Drive project to begin in spring Erlanger Recorder, 9/14/06 The city council voted unanimously to accept a grant from the state that will allow the reconstruction of Foundation Drive to begin as soon as next spring. The $473,000 grant was actually given to the city a few weeks prior to the Sept. 12 council meeting, but the council needed to formally accept the money before they could put the project out to bid. City engineer Ray Erpenbeck said he expected to get the bids out for the project by January, with the project itself actually starting in early spring. "We worked very hard to get this money," said Mayor Billy Bradford. "There's a lot more work that goes into getting this than what most people would think. But we're happy to have received it, and we'll keep looking for more grants that we can get to help fix our streets." Council member Don Koop, who did not file to run for re-election in November, joked that he was going to miss seeing the project take shape next year. "This is one of the biggest things to happen here in my time," said Koop. "I'm very excited to see it, and I'm just sorry that I won't be sitting here to watch it go." FORT THOMAS Board buys furnishings for high school Fort Thomas Recorder, 9/14/06 The Fort Thomas School Board discussed the ongoing construction at Highlands High School and how to better equip playgrounds for elementary students, Monday, Sept. 11. The board voted unanimously to purchase new furnishings and equipment for the new high school upon completion. Assistant Superintendent John Williamson told the board that officials accepted nine bids from potential vendors and decided to award bids to those that offered the best prices. Most of the new high school's furnishings and equipment will come from School Specialty, with a total cost of about $1.5 million. "We were really pleased to have so many bids, it was very competitive," School Board Member Karen Allen said. GLENDALE This is the new welcome sign at Springfield Pike and Congress Ave, at Tollgate Park. GREEN TWP Restaurant going next to E-check Western Hills Press, 9/13/06 Q: Susan Bley and Karen Rechel both sent in e-mails inquiring about the same construction project. They want to know what type of business is going to occupy the building being constructed between the United Dairy Farmers and the old E-check facility on Harrison Avenue in Green Township. The construction site is near the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Wesselman Road. A: Bley and Rechel may want to stop in the new building when it's finished. It will be an authentic Mexican restaurant called Gran Fiesta. Dave Hummel, owner of HDP Properties, said his company is building the Gran Fiesta restaurant, which is one of 13 establishments the El Rancho Grande restaurant group owns throughout Ohio and Michigan. KENTON COUNTY Newest branch of library to open in January Kenton Community Recorder, 9/14/06 The new year will bring a new addition to the Kenton County Public Library. The William E. Durr Branch of the library is set to open this January, unveiling a new set of programs and activities for the entire family. The new facility will take the place of the Independence Branch on Taylor Mill Road. "It's a fantastic-looking building, and we're real proud of it already," said Milton Mains, the President of the Library's Board of Trustees. "We're really looking forward to it, and I think people are going to enjoy it. " Mains said the Durr Branch will be more than three times as large as the current Independence Branch and will require more staff members. The Durr Branch will feature nearly 25,000 new items, including books and supplies, in addition to the items that will be transferred from Independence. The old facility will be put on the market once the supplies have been transferred in December. LOVELAND Less dense, more room? Loveland Herald, 9/13/06 If property zoning laws didn't change in Ken Ellis' neighborhood, he would probably move. He's not going anywhere. After much deliberation, city council voted 5-to-2 in favor of an ordinance that reassigns the zoning definition of the West Loveland Corridor from medium density (one house per half acre) to low density (one house per acre). Residents and council members feared medium density would change the face of the community, allowing developers to build more homes if they wished. Ellis, a resident of the West Loveland Avenue neighborhood, has lived in the city for 25 years. He and several other residents urged city officials to redefine zoning in the neighborhood. "I wanted it to stay the way it is," Ellis said. "I don't want houses packed in." MADEIRA Madeira to resurface tennis courts Suburban Life, 9/13/06 Tennis enthusiasts may once again flock to McDonald Commons. The Madeira City Council has approved rebuilding both courts at the park. "The repair has been badly needed for several years," said Mayor Dave Sams. Council had originally discussed repairing the courts at Sellman Park, but decided the courts at McDonald Commons were more in need of repair. The project will include completely rebuilding both courts and installing an under-drain beneath the asphalt to prevent water damage. New nets will also be installed on the courts. MARIEMONT Mayor to put proposal to residents Eastern Hills Journal, 9/13/06 Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastro said he would take a proposal to develop land at Chestnut Street and Plainville Road to village residents before submitting anything to council. At the village's council meeting Sept. 11, village resident Denise McCarthy presented Policastro with more than 100 signatures on a petition opposed to any development at the area between the Mariemont City School District's elementary and middle schools. "At the last meeting, it came out that property at Chestnut and Plainville could be developed," she said. "We have 103 signatures, and are expecting another 75 to 80, asking the property not to be sold." Policastro said a survey on the issue, and other land use proposals, would be mailed to residents for their opinions. "We're going to do it the democratic way," he said. "The facts have to be out." MIDDLETOWN Seniors break ground on center Middletown Journal, 9/14/06 With construction dirt as the backdrop, community leaders overturned ceremonial dirt Wednesday as they broke ground for the new Middletown Area Senior Citizens building. The leaders and area residents praised the project at the site of the former John XXIII Elementary School on 3907 Central Ave., which is in a wooded area. "We love the land and the trees. It's gorgeous out here. We'll finally have a safe place to walk," said resident Joyce Hinkle. "And to park," added resident Emma Mehl, Alan McCoy, an AK Steel vice president, attended as the executive director of the AK Foundation, the steelmaker's charitable arm. "On behalf of AK and the AK Foundation, we've never made a larger contribution than the $1 million it pledged for the senior center," he said. RICHWOOD Flea market reborn Kentucky Post, 9/14/06 More than six months after a spring storm ravaged their building, the owners of the Richwood Flea Market have decided to rebuild. The damaged steel-frame building is being disassembled, according to Mike Rider, site supervisor of a crew from 127 Equipment of Glencoe, which has been hired to tear down what is left of the 120,000-square-foot structure. The new flea market will be one story metal buildings with a main hall with three wings, shaped like an "E," said co-owner Mike Stallings. "It's more cost effective, and that's pretty much the design of most flea markets today," he said. The new building will have room for about 200 vendors, with capabilities for expansion, he said. The old building had 300 vendor spaces. SHARONVILLE Lanes restricted on bridge Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/12/06 Work will begin Wednesday on the Sharon Road Bridge, about 200 feet west of Reading Road, in Sharonville. The John R. Jurgensen Co. will waterproof and resurface the bridge deck. The job is expected to be completed in three weeks. During that time, one lane will be closed in each direction on the bridge. Motorists should expect delays and plan on longer travel times. SPRINGDALE CITY BUYS LAND FOR ROAD Tri-County Press, 9/13/06 City officials recently bought a slice of property from Lowe's Home Center on Kemper Road to accommodate phase three of improvements to Kemper Road. The property is being bought for $59,586. The Cincinnati Water Works plans to reimburse the city for $35,776 of the cost of the land purchase because it plans a project to extend pipes to Butler County on the property. The city will pay the remaining $23,810. Plans for the Kemper Road project include widening Kemper Road between Tri-County Parkway and Best Buy, including the bridge over the railroad tracks, and sections of Tri-County Parkway. SYMMES TWP Historic log cabin awaits renovation Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/17/06 An 1830s-era log cabin donated to Symmes historians is a pile of logs now, but the local historical society wants to turn those pieces of history into a museum. Developer and Symmes Historical Society President C.J. Carr found the two-story cabin intact off Rich Road, south of Fields Ertel, in Symmes while clearing land around it. He donated it to the organization, and members were happy to take in the treasure. "He asked if we wanted it and if it could be used for educational purposes," said Carol Sims, historical society secretary. "It was sitting there covered with siding. It looked like an old farm house," Carr said. Carr said he'd heard there might be an old cabin on the property when he bought it but didn't think much about it. When the siding was removed, Carr said, the cabin was in fairly good shape. TAYLOR MILL Sidewalk project granted funding Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/15/06 Sidewalks linking this growing suburb's signature park with nearby homes soon will become a reality, thanks to $150,000 in state construction money, Taylor Mill officials say. During a visit to Northern Kentucky this week, Gov. Ernie Fletcher announced that Taylor Mill will receive $150,000 in federal T-21 money dispersed by the state. The state will reimburse Taylor Mill for most of the cost of building 5-foot-wide sidewalks along the east side of Ky. 16, starting at Pride Park and continuing north for 3,000 feet. State and city officials say the sidewalks will address safety concerns and help residents in this city of 6,733 lead a healthier lifestyle. It also will link neighborhoods along Ky. 16 with one another and enable residents to walk to the Shoppes of Taylor Mill. "(This) provides a solution to a somewhat dangerous situation in an older area of Taylor Mill where the volume of traffic is high and we have no sidewalks," said City Administrator Jill Bailey. "Our thanks go out to the Transportation Cabinet and to Sen. (Damon) Thayer, who worked with us every step of the way to make this project happen." Bailey said the city will serve as its own contractor on the project and seek reimbursement from the state. She said Taylor Mill officials will keep applying for grant money for sidewalks and predicted it will take years to finish building sidewalks along Ky. 16 within the city limits. WILLIAMSTOWN Williamstown approves TIF zone Grant County News, 9/13/06 The Williamstown city council approved an ordinance to create a development area at an August special meeting. The development area, known as Williamstown Development Area No. 1, is a Tax Increment Finance, or 'TIF' zone. That means that an assessment fee of 2 percent will be imposed on any person employed in the zone or whose job is newly created because of the area. The revenue created from the fees will go directly to the city to pay for the cost of projects and debts as a result of the development area. The city will establish a special fund referred to as "Williamstown Development Area No. 1 Special Fund," which will hold the assessment fees and other revenue as a result of the TIF zone. The city will use the revenue for roads and utilities for the area. Any future developers in the area will be responsible for construction and maintenance of buildings. "This gives flexibility for the city to pay for projects as opposed to relying on taxpayers," said Vincent Gabbert, a financial advisor from Ross, Sinclair and Associates, Inc., of Frankfort. WYOMING Park Homes is building new homes in the area of 160-180 Compton Rd. Two are currently listed: 180 Compton for $1.1M, 172 Compton for $899K. (180 and 172 Compton)
September 19, 200618 yr Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/17/06 An 1830s-era log cabin donated to Symmes historians is a pile of logs now, but the local historical society wants to turn those pieces of history into a museum. Developer and Symmes Historical Society President C.J. Carr found the two-story cabin intact off Rich Road, south of Fields Ertel, in Symmes while clearing land around it. He donated it to the organization, and members were happy to take in the treasure. "He asked if we wanted it and if it could be used for educational purposes," said Carol Sims, historical society secretary. "It was sitting there covered with siding. It looked like an old farm house," Carr said. Carr said he'd heard there might be an old cabin on the property when he bought it but didn't think much about it. When the siding was removed, Carr said, the cabin was in fairly good shape. Kinda funny - we're on vacation this week. We spent the day in Gettysburg, and the guide pointed out a house in Gettysburg where the exact same thing happened. Someone had bought a house, and tore the siding off to find that it was a log house - turns out it's one of the oldest houses in Gettysburg, and nobody knew it was even standing during the battle!
September 19, 200618 yr Carwash plan dies THE ENQUIRER The opponents of a proposed carwash on a small vacant lot at Wasson Road and Paxton Avenue in Oakley have won their fight. A city zoning examiner had rejected the proposal by developer Kevin McClorey. McClorey didn't appeal that decision within the time allowed. Nearby residents had objected, saying the carwash would hurt their property values and would create too much noise, nighttime light and traffic. A Cincinnati hearing examiner issued a report in August rejecting the carwash proposal for those same reasons. The site is just inside Oakley's border and abuts the yards of houses in Hyde Park. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060919/NEWS01/609190381
September 19, 200618 yr I had NO idea where else to post this article :| Community preservation of four acres moves ahead BY STEVE KEMME | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER September 19, 2006 MOUNT WASHINGTON - This Cincinnati neighborhood's effort to save four acres of rare wooded wetland from being developed is close to succeeding. A local advisory council to the Ohio Public Works Commission has approved a $139,000 state grant toward the purchase of the land by the Hillside Trust, a nonprofit organization in Cincinnati that promotes responsible use of hillside land. The commission will decide in late September or early October whether to give final approval. Coupled with the $36,000 raised by a group of residents wanting to save the green space, the state money would enable the Hillside trust to buy the property for $175,000 from Black Hawk Land Development LLC of Blue Ash. The residents' group still needs to raise $27,000 to tear down a structure on the land, build trails for use by neighbors and schools and maintain the property. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060919/NEWS01/609190384/1056
September 20, 200618 yr <i>I thought this was pretty cool. Hockey on the Westside, maybe. If this spreads it would be nice to use the old Gardens for tournaments, etc</i> <b>Coach scores points to get West Side hockey arena</b> <b>Green Twp. to study facility as part of green-space plan</b> Cincinnati Business Courier - September 15, 2006 by Dan Monk, Senior Staff Reporter Joe Puls is a part-time hockey coach. But he's a full-time zealot for the sport. After four years of advocacy, the Dent resident is finding some allies in his quest to build a West Side hockey arena. Green Township has agreed to study a hockey rink as part of the township's green-space master plan, which means a new rink could be under construction on North Bend Road near Interstate 74 as early as 2008. In Delhi Township, private investors have inquired about empty space in the Del Fair Shopping Center, where owner Jack Michael is willing to make structural changes needed to accommodate a hockey facility. "There's an ice crisis in Cincinnati right now," said Puls, founder of the Western Hockey Association for Cincinnati Kids, or Whack Inc., a nonprofit that promotes hockey on Cincinnati's West Side. The program is a victim of its own success. Six local high schools and five elementary schools now have hockey programs. They travel as far as Miami University in Oxford to skate. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/09/18/story12.html?i=55883&b=1158552000^1346145
September 22, 200618 yr Author From the 9/20/06 Eastern Hills Journal: Arts center hoped to revitalize Madisonville BY LIZ CAREY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MADISONVILLE -- In the former Madisonville Senior Center, efforts to remove lead paint and building inspections are over, Madisonville Community Council President Kathy Garrison said. Hopefully they will make way for a thriving new arts community, which Garrison and others hope will trickle down to an economic revitalization for the area. Ed Cohen, an executive board member along with his wife, Dee Anne Bryll, and Dan Dermody, run the non-profit organization, Madisonville Arts Center. "Ultimately, what we're trying to do with it, the facility itself is going to have a number of things going on there," he said. "But most importantly, on the second floor, there is going to be a 160-seat theater with new light and sound capabilities." MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060920/NEWS01/609200442/1090/Local From the 9/21/06 Erlanger Recorder: Proposal stirs debate in Erlanger BY AMANDA VAN BENSCHOTEN | COMMUNITY RECORDER STAFF WRITER ERLANGER -- A $3.5 million condominium development planned for Brightleaf Boulevard is stirring debate in Erlanger. During two recent discussions, members of city council expressed reservations about the plan, which would require a zone change for the 4.2-acre site atop a ridge off Brightleaf. The 18-unit condo development is dubbed "Brightleaf Bluffs" and advertised as "affordable upscale condominiums," according to Shawn Egan, owner of Wedgewood Homes. Egan is in the process of buying the site, though he declined to say from whom or name a price. He estimates it will cost between $3.5 and $4 million to prepare the wooded site and build the 18 condo units, set in three rows of six each. He estimates the condos, ranging in size from 1,700 to 2,200 square feet, will sell for between $210,000 and $250,000 each. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060921/NEWS01/609210522/1002/RSS01
September 22, 200618 yr Author From the 9/19/06 Florence Recorder: Study a positive for Alexander center BY LINDSAY KOTTMANN | COMMUNITY RECORDER STAFF WRITER FLORENCE - A feasibility study commissioned to determine community interest in investing in The Alexander Community Center on Main Street was completed with positive results, but the Alexanders haven't taken any action on it yet. Seattle Seahawks football player and Florence native Shaun Alexander bought the former Tri-City YMCA property on Main Street last August for $1.8 million through Main Street LLC, a for-profit organization created for the project. He and his brother Durran Alexander hoped to transform the property into a new community center. They had a symbolic groundbreaking for the center that November, but the property fell into disrepair as construction was postponed. Part of the delay was due to a new plan to incorporate more financial involvement from the community, Durran Alexander said previously. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060919/NEWS01/609190305/1056/Local
September 23, 200618 yr Blue Ash Target to be blocked Commissioners side with residents BY KIMBALL PERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Hamilton County commissioners plan to approve a lease on Monday that will ensure that a Super Target won't be built in Blue Ash - thanks to a fierce fight by Sycamore Township residents - for at least 10 years and maybe as long as 50 years. Last year, Midland Atlantic managing principal John Silverman proposed a development off Plainfield Road and Ronald Reagan Highway to be anchored by a Super Target store. The development was planned for Blue Ash but butted up against the Sycamore Township border. It would have required Silverman to buy a 15-acre lot now owned by Hamilton County but used by Sycamore Township for leaf composting and yard-waste disposal. Members of the Dillonvale area of Sycamore Township - to the west of Plainfield Road - fought against the proposal, saying it would create too much traffic and congestion in their neighborhood. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060923/NEWS01/609230365/1056
September 23, 200618 yr Cincinnati to dedicate new 323-acre park today BY JAMES PROFFITT | POST CONTRIBUTOR The area's newest park - and the second largest park in the city of Cincinnati - will be dedicated today. The Otto Armleder Memorial Park and Recreation Complex is a 323-acre park bordered by Wooster Pike and the Little Miami River in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Linwood. Armleder Park features a 1.9-mile multi-purpose trail, seven soccer fields, a large playground, a sheltered pavilion and a concession building with rest-ooms. The park also features a 10-acre dog park, five times the size of the one in Mount Airy Forest. It features three fenced areas instead of one, with an area for large breeds and one for small breeds. The third area will be used on a rotating basis to help keep the grass green and clean. There is also a dog shower and drinking fountains. The park is a cooperative effort between three organizations. The Recreation Commission will oversee scheduling and operations of fields, playgrounds and concession stand; Hamilton County will operate and maintain the trails, dog parks and wildlife areas, which the Cincinnati Park Board owns; and Hamilton County Park Rangers will patrol the entire park. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AE/20060923/NEWS02/609230331/1011/NEWS0103
September 23, 200618 yr Awesome. I've been using the dog park in Ft. Thomas, but this one sounds way better. I use Cincinnati parks regularly, and I had no idea this was coming. I'm pleasantly surprised.
September 24, 200618 yr Serves them right for letting the building look like a stained piece of crap for so long.
September 24, 200618 yr Author From the 9/23/06 Enquirer: West Clermont effort begins Campaign seeks 2.5-mill bond issue BY CINDY KRANZ | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER AMELIA - Amelia Elementary is where Clermont County historian Rick Crawford attended the first kindergarten class in the county in the mid-1950s. It's where West Clermont Superintendent Gary Brooks played his first trumpet solo. And, it's where West Clermont School Board President Jo Ann Beamer taught 40 years ago. School and community leaders shared fond memories of their days in the Amelia building on Friday, but they said the venerable old structure is no longer fit for a school. "It's going to be very heartbreaking to see this building go, but we know it's got to go," Crawford said. The occasion was the kickoff of West Clermont's 2.5-mill bond issue campaign. The district wants to replace four elementary schools with new buildings: Amelia, Brantner, Summerside and Withamsville-Tobasco. "Philosophically, I'd rather keep old buildings and retrofit them," Brooks said. But, he said, it would be more costly to renovate the old schools than to build new ones. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060923/NEWS0102/609230366/1058/NEWS01 From same: PHOTO: Superintendent Dan Bragg stands on the campus of Cincinnati Christian Schools in Fairfield Township. The Enquirer / Carrie Cochran Cincy Christian Schools look ahead BY MICHAEL D. CLARK | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER FAIRFIELD TWP. - From the hilltop perch of Dan Bragg's office window, the new Cincinnati Christian Schools superintendent gazes over the school's 30-acre wooded campus and sees the future. "We're planning on building a football field and track and adding another school building," said Bragg. "We want to grow not just because Christian-based education is a great thing to offer but also because we think we can do it cost-effectively." Cincinnati Christian is a non-denominational Christian school with 645 students enrolled at two locations. Sixth- through 12th-graders attend the campus on Morris Road in Fairfield Township while kindergarten students through fifth-graders go to a building along Route 4 in Fairfield. After years of multiple locations, financial struggles and stop-and-start growth, the school is gaining momentum with steady enrollment growth and two well-established campuses. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060923/NEWS0102/609230361/1058/NEWS01
September 25, 200618 yr Author Downtown: The Pet Athletic Club The Pet Athletic Club is moving into the warehouse at 818 Reedy St, which is around 9500 square feet. This will be a place where owners can bring their dogs to exercise, train and play, and where owners can be educated by professionals on how to best care for their dog. Started by the person who runs the Last Resort K-9 Academy in Mason, the chain is going to put together plans for three more by the end of the year and is looking at eventually expanding indefinitely. Cincinnati will be their first location. Oh, yeah. And there's plenty of nearby parking! :D UPDATE Carthage: Cincinnati Central Credit Union Demolition has begun on 7000 Vine St. This lot and the adjacent empty lot at 7004 Vine will be the home of a newly-built credit union. UPDATE California: 5700 block of Panama Ave After a public hearing before the Economic Development Committee, City Council voted unanimously for the rezoning of 5731 and 5749 Panama Ave. The zoning change is now RF-R Riverfront Residential/Recreational District. This will replace PD-3 in February 2007. A little more background can be found in last week's post: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=333.msg126691#msg126691 UPDATE Oakley: 3357-3363 Madison Rd The new office building is pretty much completed and it looks like pure sh*t. Round-up: City of Cincinnati COLLEGE HILL Glenview Avenue Improvements Coming College Hill eNewsletter, 9/21/06 This is an update on the progress of the Glenview Avenue Task Force's comprehensive plan to improve safety for both motorists and residents while reducing opportunities for dumping. Andy Carter, senior engineer with the Department of Transportation & Engineering, reports the Glenview Avenue Improvement Project has been sent to the Purchasing Department for the solicitation of bids. Construction will probably begin in late 2006 or early 2007. Andy says, "The scope of the project has not changed since our presentation at the Forum meeting. The project will include pier wall construction, storm sewer replacement and ditch repair between Tanglewood and Kirby and pavement repair & construction between Belmont and Kirby." The Task Force is comprised of representatives from the City's Transportation and Engineering Dept., Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, the Parks Dept., the Cincinnati Police Dept., the Forum Quality of Life team, Public Works, the Forum and Glenview area residents. It formed to respond to residents' complaints about speeding, safety, dumping and litter along Glenview Avenue. Forum President Elizabeth Sherwood says of this effort, "The College Hill Forum thanks all the members of the Glenview Avenue Task Force for this impressive collaborative effort. The City took these complaints seriously and the Task Force has been working for several years to develop and implement a comprehensive permanent plan to address our residents' concerns." COLUMBIA TUSCULUM Garry Brasch Custom Homes will be building a new single-family home on the vacant land at 623 Rushton Rd. This is an oddity, because they usually build in the suburbs. My guess is that this home will lack the character and the sensibilities that the surrounding area is known for. I hope I'm wrong. COLUMBIA TUSCULUM 407 Stanley Ave was demolished a couple of weeks ago. It had been condemned back in May and was purchased for $57,000 in late July. With that purchase price, I wouldn't be surprised if it is redeveloped, though I don't know of any imminent plans there. EAST PRICE HILL The condemned home at 926 Wells St was purchased two months ago and not a damn thing's been done. EAST PRICE HILL 369 Rosemont Ave was demolished. This was a 700-square-foot box built in 1950. The city ordered it vacant in 2003. Apparently the owner died in 2002 the house began to fall apart. It was eventually lost in foreclosure and purchased in August. So this person spent $13,000 on a vacant lot in an undesirable neighborhood. EAST PRICE HILL Gaslight Property has purchased the single-family home at 3608 W Eighth St. I thought it was kind of odd, but I see that the also have places in Mariemont, in Mt. Lookout and in East Walnut Hills. FAIRVIEW After 11 months lender-owned, 2871 W McMicken Ave has been purchased for $26,000. HYDE PARK 1260 Morten St has been rehabbed. KENNEDY HEIGHTS/SILVERTON Plainfield being upgraded Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/18/06 An improvement project on Plainfield Road is scheduled to start this morning from Diehl Avenue to Woodford Road. The $750,000 project will include road resurfacing, curb replacement and drainage improvements. Plainfield will be open to local traffic during construction, which should be completed by mid-November. LOWER PRICE HILL After nine months seeking a buyer, the two-family at 4 Nevada St has sold for $22,000. NORTHSIDE It took a year, but 1767 Hanfield St has sold for $17,000. I don't believe the buyer will be a tenant. The building contains one unit and is up to code. NORTHSIDE 4338 Kirby Ave was purchased earlier this year at sheriff's sale and is currently being rehabbed. The city had ordered it vacant in 2004. NORTHSIDE After 7 months, the HUD property at 4727 Howard Ave has sold, and it looks like this person will be a homeowner. PADDOCK HILLS The rehab of 1266 Avon Dr is complete. (after only) PADDOCK HILLS Firehouse gets started Cincinnati Post, 9/18/06 A groundbreaking ceremony for a new Cincinnati Fire Department Engine 9 firehouse will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at 4379 Reading Road. Mayor Mark Mallory, members of City Council, City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. and fire department officials are expected to attend. SOUTH FAIRMOUNT After U.S. Bank tried to unload 1903 Fairmount Ave for 15 months without success, a new buyer has picked it up for $7,000. The buyer appears to be using the two-family as an investment property. Round-up: Metro AMBERLEY VILLAGE Walking path mapped out Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/18/06 Village officials are considering building a walking path along parts of Ridge and Section roads and Elbrook Avenue. Amberley Village will be spending $2,900 for an engineering study to determine the economic feasibility of building the walking path from Amberley's south border on Ridge, up to Section, over to and along Elbrook. The path would be four to five feet wide. ANDERSON TWP Trails connect township, residents Forest Hills Journal, 9/20/06 The past 10 years, Anderson Trails Coordinator Al Mink estimates, have been working up to this. By the end of this fall, the Ohio Department of Transportation will finish construction on the Five Mile Trail, the spine, he said, of the Anderson Trails System. "We started planning some of these things back in 1996," he said. "The most exciting part to me is that the plan itself is all coming together. When we get that Towne Center stretch finished, people can go from the southeast corner of the township (Veterans Park) all the way to the Northwest corner of the township." Construction on the trail began in May. It is expected to be completed in spring 2007, he said. COLERAIN TWP Three office buildings totalling 33,970 square feet will be built in the vicinity of 3541 Struble Rd. On the attached map, it's that dirt area in front of the self-storage buildings. GOOGLE MAP COLERAIN TWP Here's the site plan for the independent living facility on Pippin Rd at I-275 that I last updated on September 7, 2006. Pippin Rd curves from south to north. The "villas" line I-275. COLERAIN TWP Trustee to state: You broke Colerain Avenue, now fix it Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/20/06 A slow leak made township Trustee Bernie Fiedeldey do a slow burn. His anger led him to request a meeting Thursday with Ohio Department of Transportation and Colerain Township officials. Three weeks ago, as a mechanic replaced a leaky tire on Fiedeldey's SUV, the trustee heard sirens and saw red lights on Colerain Avenue. A fire truck was stuck in traffic. Lights flashing and sirens wailing, the truck stood still, stopped by a red traffic light and hemmed in by concrete lane-dividing islands or medians. DEARBORN COUNTY Walking trail impresses, but additional work remains Aurora Journal-Press, 9/21/06 The walking and biking trail between Aurora and Lawrenceburg wheeled in many positive comments Monday, Sept. 11, from Richard Vonnegut, president of the Indiana Rails-to-Trails Council. Vonnegut had walked the former railbed with original trail proponent Ed Dierking long before it became a trail. “That one can walk, bike, study nature and not hear other traffic and urban din adds a wonderful quietude to the trail,” said Vonnegut after bicycling the length of the trail with a few local folks. “There aren’t many negatives except ... the trail is overbuilt and expensive, and took a long time to build,” he said. Concept to ribbon cutting took 12 years, and the trail isn’t yet completed into Lawrenceburg or through Aurora. Walkers and bicyclists can complete the downtown Aurora end on their own. DEER PARK Deer Park market gets face lift Suburban Life, 9/13/06 Deer Park Remke Markets, located at 4116 Webster Ave., recently has been remodeled and re-merchandized. The décor has been updated on the exterior and interior of the building in an effort to make the market a warmer, more inviting place to shop. In addition to the face-lift, the Deer Park location now carries Boar's Head premium lunch meats and features Busken and Servatii bakery products each week. The market can special-order anything that the customers wants. GOSHEN Goshen schools start work on future plans Community Journal North Clermont, 9/20/06 The Goshen Local School District is getting started on its plans for the future. The school board approved a site plan for future expansion -- which includes projects such as adding a walking path, upgrading the soccer field and building new parking lots -- last year. During a special meeting Aug. 30, board members employed architectural firm McCarty and Associates LLC of Hillsboro for these projects. A different firm, Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc., had helped the district design its plan last year. However, McCarty and Associates was chosen for the project, although Fanning/Howey was recommended. McCarty and Associates was chosen largely because of Eric Lutz, who works with the organization, said Sue Steele, vice president of the school board. INDEPENDENCE Council agrees to downtown area study Kenton Community Recorder, 9/21/06 The city council has agreed to spend approximately $85,000 on a downtown small area study that will help guide land usage as the new Ky. 17 nears completion. The study, which will be conducted by the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission (NKAPC) and Kinzelman, Kline, and Gossman Professional Planning Firm (KKG), will begin within the next week with a market analysis. It is expected to be completed by early next summer. Keith Logsdon, the Deputy Director for Long-range Planning for the NKAPC, said the total cost of the study is approximately $100,000, but the NKAPC is contributing some funding for the project. "I think it's a great idea, because we need some structure with our planning," said council member Carol Franzen. "We can't keep piece-mealing things together. With this, we'll be able to dictate to developers what we would like to see there, instead of the other way around." According to Logsdon, the study will focus on the area of the city between Summit View Elementary and Simon Kenton High School, including the new Ky. 17. The study will look to identify future development areas and establish guidelines as the city continues to grow. Cincinnati Enquirer: Plotting downtown's future (9/20/06) LINCOLN HEIGHTS/WOODLAWN Housing may be planned in the area between where Prairie Ave dead ends and Dixie Ct. I am investigating. Stay tuned. GOOGLE MAP MASON Luxury pet resort on hold Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/20/06 Plans to build a luxury pet resort in Mason are on hold after a deal with the developer fell through. Pet Nation Lodge was going to build a $3 million, 18,070-square-foot "pet hotel" on a 2-acre lot on Snider Road, just north of Reading Road. The property is owned by Henkle Schuler Development Co. "It was a build-to-suit. We just ran into too many problems for the project to go forward," said Don Follmer of Henkle Schuler. The lodge was initially scheduled to be open by August. Now, Pet Nation will submit new plans to the city next month. If things don't work out at the site, Pet Nation owner Brian Clegg says he will likely build near Kroger in Liberty Township. The lodge will offer 60 luxury suites, Internet cameras, a "chef" to handle dietary needs of the animals and door-to-door limousine service. The standard package is $38 a day. NEWPORT The rehab of 719 Washington Ave is complete. The asking price is $299,900. NEWPORT Historic district set to expand Kentucky Post, 9/19/06 The state's second largest historic district is about to get bigger. The Newport City Commission on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to expand the city's East Row Historic District by 42 properties. If approved, it would be the district's third expansion this year. The district is bounded roughly by Washington Avenue on the West, Oak Street and Linden Avenue to the east, Second Street on the North and 10th Street to the south. The new properties are located in the 500, 600 and 700 blocks of Washington Avenue, along with the 200 block of East Fourth Street. The district contained about 1,000 properties prior to the expansion, said Emily Jarzen, Newport's historic preservation officer. With a third expansion, that number grow by about 100 properties. Jarzen said no other expansions are planned in the near future, but it could happen at some point. ST BERNARD The city of St. Bernard is currently seeking proposals, until 11 AM, September 28, 2006, for the demolition and seeding of 4300 Sullivan Ave. This commercial building was purchased by the city in June 2006. SHARONVILLE SHARON ROAD LANE CLOSURES Tri-County Press, 9/20/06 Work on the Sharon Road bridge just west of Reading Road in Sharonville is expected to cause delays, according to Hamilton County Engineer William Brayshaw. Work began last week. The bridge deck is being waterproofed and resurfaced by John R. Jurgensen. Work is expected to last about three weeks. During the course of the three-week closure, one lane will be closed in each direction. Longer travel times and delays are expected. SPRINGFIELD TWP The Springfield Twp Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on September 27, 2006, 6:30 PM regarding the property at 8375 Winton Rd. New Plan Realty Trust would like to build a multi-tenant commercial building and is seeking approval under the township zoning resolution and the Winton Road Corridor Overlay District. The site is currently owned by the township and has housed a fire station and a maintenance facility. (The parcel can be seen just to the left of the Kroger) WINDOWS LIVE LOCAL BIRD'S EYE VIEW SYCAMORE TWP Sycamore cheers new stadium Cincinnati Enquirer, 9/21/06 Sycamore Community Schools celebrate the opening of its renovated stadium and new Coach Bud Acus Alumni Field at 7:30 p.m. Friday when the Aviators play Oak Hills. A ceremony with speakers, including Acus, and dedication of the field begins at 6:20 p.m. Upgrades began in June to bring Sycamore’s 41-year-old stadium to the same level as other stadiums in the Greater Miami Conference. New features include an entrance and ticket booth to help with crowd control, a press box, end zone graphics, an observation deck, locker room expansions and addition of a synthetic turf field. TAYLOR MILL Grant will place sidewalk on Taylor Mill Road Kenton Community Recorder, 9/21/06 Senator Damon Thayer appeared in the city last week, and he came bearing gifts. Thayer, the 17th District State Senator, visited the Taylor Mill city commission on Sept. 13 to deliver a check for $150,000 to go toward sidewalk repair in the city. The money will allow the city to place a five-foot concrete sidewalk along Taylor Mill Road, starting at Pride Park and running north for close to 3000 feet. "One of [Governor Ernie Fletcher's] initiatives is safe and healthy families in Kentucky, and this falls in line with that," said Thayer. "Putting a sidewalk in will obviously improve safety along the road, and it will also give people a chance to get out and exercise, whether it be walking the dog or going for a run. I just felt this was a necessary project." Thayer said that he had been working on securing the sidewalk money for close to two years, but had previously been unsuccessful. However, he said that the city commissioners and city administrator Jill Bailey were dogged in their efforts to receive some funding, and that persistence finally paid off. VILLA HILLS Monument to remember fallen soldiers Erlanger Recorder, 9/21/06 The Adopt-A-Troop Committee announced that they will donate $3,000 toward the building of a monument that will honor the soldiers of the 1/320 Field Artillery Regiment who have been killed in action. The monument, which will sit outside of the company's command post in Fort Campbell, will list the names of the fourteen soldiers who have been killed. Nearby, there will also be a listing of the cities who donated to the unit. Villa Hills, Crescent Springs, Lakeside Park and Taylor Mill have all adopted a battery within the unit, which has approximately 350 soldiers. "We had some tough times on this deployment, and lost some dear friends," said CPT Robert Jenkins in a recent e-mail to the cities. "We plan to honor and remember our fallen comrades with this monument." Julie Schuler of the Adopt-A-Troop Committee said that the donation money came from the sale of yellow ribbons and rubber bracelets adorned with the words 1/320 Field Artillery Regiment, as well as personal donations from residents. She also said each of the cities will continue to hold fundraisers throughout the year to show support for the soldiers, including upcoming Halloween events in Villa Hills and Taylor Mill. "Our residents have been wonderful throughout this, because they know how important it is to support the troops," said Schuler. "For this to continue to be a successful program, it has to be fully supported by all of the city councils, because they can really make it work. I truly believe that this can't work without their support." WILMINGTON Money needed to redevelop Sugartree Street Wilmington News Journal, 9/22/06 The city of Wilmington will apply for $15,000 in matching grant dollars that, if awarded, would fund a plan to redevelop the Sugartree Street corridor. The designated corridor extends eastward from the west end of Sugartree Street over to the intersection of College and Douglas streets on the doorstep of the Wilmington College campus. Danielle Steinhauser, a community development specialist with Poggemeyer Design Group in Bowling Green, spoke Thursday night to Wilmington City Council concerning the Downtown Revitalization Planning Program Tier I funds the city will apply for. "I don't come into this with any preconceived notions about what should be done or what should happen here because this isn't my community. I will look to you folks to really set those priorities, and then it kind of falls to us to make sure we get from where you are to where you want to be," Steinhauser said.
September 25, 200618 yr Macy's has vacancy in 3rd floor corner Tenant sought for space with Fountain Square view Cincinnati Business Courier - September 22, 2006 by Lisa Biank Fasig, Staff Reporter Federated Department Stores Inc. is looking for a tenant to lease about 15 percent of its downtown Macy's store, a location that has never been a major seller but serves important symbolic purposes. The available space is on the third floor, at the corner of the building overlooking Fountain Square at Fifth and Vine streets. That is a location once occupied by the housewares department, which was moved earlier this year during a store renovation. Now it is walled off. MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/09/25/story12.html
September 25, 200618 yr Author Way to fact check, Enquirer. This place is actually in Paddock Hills. From the 9/25/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: The $3.7 million structure, with a kitchen and a conference room, is to be completed within a year. The building is going up at 4379 Reading Road. PROVIDED Avondale fire station on the way BY ALLEN HOWARD | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER AVONDALE - Cincinnati is building something it hasn't built in nearly a quarter century: a firehouse. A state-of-the-art firehouse means a kitchen and a conference room on the second floor. That is, of course, along with space for an engine company, a heavy rescue squad and an ambulance. The 15,555-square-foot, two-story structure is going up at 4379 Reading Road, Avondale. The new building on Reading Road will replace the current Engine Company No. 9 a few blocks south, built as a combined police and fire station in 1929. The $3.7 million structure is to be completed within a year. The last fire station was built in 1982 in Northside. About the station WHAT: New fire station for Engine Company No. 9, a rescue squad and an ambulance. LOCATION: 4379 Reading Road, Avondale COST: $3.750,465.65 SIZE: 15,555 square feet EXPECTED COMPLETION: September 2007 MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060925/NEWS01/609250360/1056/rss02 From the 9/23/06 Middletown Journal: School groundbreakings herald new era One more milestone for new schools in Middletown. By Carrie Whitaker Staff Writer Saturday, September 23, 2006 It's not the beginning of an end — but the beginning of a beginning. Old Mayfield and Wildwood elementary schools are gone. Groundbreakings are scheduled for their replacement school buildings today, and the community is welcomed to celebrate new construction. Mayfield's groundbreaking begins at 10 a.m. on Burbank Avenue, and Wildwood's at 11:30 a.m. on Wildwood Road. Everyone is excited about the new Mayfield building, said Jean Hayes, Reading First teacher. MORE: http://www.middletownjournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/09/23/mj092306groundbreakings.html
September 26, 200618 yr Yeah, any fire trucks that leave 4379 Reading Road have to leave Paddock Hills and pass entirely through North Avondale before they even get to Avondale...crazy...
September 26, 200618 yr Author ^ Yeah, I thought it was funny because Avondale's nearly a mile away. On an unrelated note, the 5 pics that were missing from my "big" post have been added.
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