October 23, 200618 yr Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/17/06 Queensgate building owner Albert Lane figures he's clutching at one last straw. When a Cincinnati zoning appeals board on Monday refused to overturn a city staff decision to deny Lane two 6-by-8-foot signs on an sign post (and a rain awning), Lane figured he has only one place left to go - take his sign battle to City Council. "At this point I would not tell anybody to invest in this city because it just doesn't pay," Lane said. "You get a convoluted hard time." Lane wanted permission to let any prospective new tenant advertise its business on a post that once held a legal sign. A former tenant had a sign there when the office building opened in the mid-1960s, but later took it down. Lane didn't replace the sign, which is on redeveloped land he bought from the city, and years later officials restricted signs like the former pole sign. I don't know whether this particular rule is good or bad (though I would bet it was implemented for a reason), but just because someone did something 40 years ago, and then stopped, doesn't mean you get to be grandfathered in...that doesn't mean it's a bad place to do business, it just means it has rules, and it enforces those rules...
October 23, 200618 yr Found this ad in a magazine and had not heard of the project before. There is no additional info at the GBBN website and the buildings have not changed hands since 1999. These buildings are on Vine St. adjacent to the Carew Tower and the closer one in the pic is where the Jean-Ro's Bistro is located. Anyone know of any additional info on these? No info, but at the latest downtown tour of living, someone was passing out these flyers.
October 24, 200618 yr Found this ad in a magazine and had not heard of the project before. There is no additional info at the GBBN website and the buildings have not changed hands since 1999. These buildings are on Vine St. adjacent to the Carew Tower and the closer one in the pic is where the Jean-Ro's Bistro is located. Anyone know of any additional info on these? I've always thought those buildings would make excellent residential. Let's hope this comes to fruition.
October 24, 200618 yr They had renderings set up during the downtown tour of living in one of the 18 E. Fourth Street units. I picked up a packet of info with floorplans, etc (but no prices). I could not get much information out of the person who was there other than that the units would be comparably priced to 18 E. Fourth and the McAlpin. From what I remember, there will be 4 units per floor ranging from about 800 sq ft to about 1600 sq ft. I'll try to post more detailed info or copies of what I picked up tomorrow.
October 24, 200618 yr No really sure where to post this, please feel free to move it if necessary.... County to pay sewer costs Hamilton County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Monday, hoping to spur economic growth. The new policy will allow developers who lay sewer pipe or build treatment facilities to be reimbursed when users tap into and start using the county-owned sewer system. Developers now have to wait years for the government to install the sewers or do it themselves and pay for it. Under the new policy, developers can be reimbursed over 12 years, receiving no more than they spent. Commissioners see the program as a way to address the job and population loss the county has suffered over the last 15 years. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/NEWS01/610240377/1056/COL02
October 24, 200618 yr Author From the 10/23/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Gayle Jackson, of Loveland, looks at a display at the Little Miami Scenic River and Trail Center. She and her husband, Steve, live a short distance away from the center and are glad it is finally open. Photos by Leigh Taylor/The Enquirer PHOTO: The exterior of the Little Miami Scenic River and Trail Center is in C. Roger Nisbet Park in Loveland. The center opened for the first time over the weekend. Precious resource Little Miami Scenic River and Trail Center opens its exhibits BY JESSICA BROWN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER LOVELAND - In a small white building 10 feet from the Little Miami bike path, visitors can find bike trail maps, interactive exhibits of the Little Miami River watershed and a stuffed muskrat. Gayle Jackson, 39, of Loveland, saw a photo of a red-tailed hawk pop up on a flat screen monitor. "That's the kind of hawk we have," she exclaimed. The exhibits are part of the Little Miami Scenic River and Trail Center, an interactive learning center on Railroad Avenue that opened this weekend in the old section of Loveland. There, visitors can learn about the river, its wildlife, and how people's everyday actions can help or harm the river. The Little Miami River is 105.5 miles long and its watershed occupies 1,757 square miles and includes 133 tributaries. Thousands of people flock to its waters every year for recreation or relaxation. But the river is more than a pretty picnic spot. It also has been designated a state and national scenic waterway. If you go: Little Miami Scenic River and Trail Center 211 Railroad Ave., Loveland 513-893-HIKE Information: www.littlemiami.com MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061023/NEWS01/610230403/1077/COL02
October 26, 200618 yr <i>It will be interesting to see how these sell considering the location. Anything on Queen City would have to be considered risky. Through these condos seem to somewhat isolated.</i> <b>Construction Begins On New Westwood Condos</b> Reported by: 9News Web produced by: Candice Terrell First posted: 10/25/2006 10:21:38 AM Construction on Cincinnati's newest condominium development is officially underway. The Bluffs at Woodcrest development will go up at the corner of Queen City and Sunset in Westwood. City Manager Milton Dohoney joined members of MI Homes for Wednesday's ground breaking ceremony. The condos feature two or three bedrooms, attached garages, cove doorways, and wooded views. They are also tax abated. The new condos will be finished in late spring. MORE: http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/10/25/westwood.html
October 26, 200618 yr When I thought Queen City I thought South Fairmount... Nice to see they're giving the west side some love.
October 26, 200618 yr that's why we have over the rhine. Buy a condo, rent it to an art academy student at a break even price and then move in as gentrification gets to a level you find acceptable. the problem with that is you cant rent the condo at a break even price, most condos downtown would cost at least 150k to rent that out you would need to rent it for 1200 +
October 30, 200618 yr Author UPDATE Walnut Hills: 631-639 E McMillan Ave City council has passed an ordinance requiring B&I to issue a building permit for the vacant land at 631-639 E McMillan Ave. This land at the corner of McMillan and Boone had commercial structures demolished in late 2005. The land is owned by Dan Druffel Inc., a landscaping/nursery company that operates out of Maineville. I still have no more idea now than I did seven months ago what the building(s) will look like. NEW INFORMATION Lower Price Hill: New single-family housing There are a couple of particulars about the proposed 5 new single-family homes that I haven't posted. The homes will be affordable to 80% of the area residents and the developer works with the Home Ownership Center to assist homebuyers. The homes will be 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths and will include a full basement. LAST UPDATE (10/23/06) I might be wrong But it's possible that Cincinnati Bengals tackle Levi Jones has bought this newly-constructed house at 8447 Miami Rd in Sycamore Twp. $749,900. Round-up: City of Cincinnati AVONDALE After 18 months vacant and on the market, 546 Prospect Pl has been sold for $12,000. (That breaks down to $2.28 per square foot.) The multi-family building, built in 1890, is a former HUD property and it shows. Work has already started on drywall as plumbing and HVAC also gets replaced. I don't think they'll be anywhere near having tenants until 2007. CARTHAGE 221 W 70th St has been rehabbed and is on the market as affordable housing. Work was mostly cosmetic, as it was a dump before. COLLEGE HILL A new single-family home is being built on the vacant land at 6071 Belmont Ave (corner of Belmont and Monticello). HYDE PARK Church plans interior renovations Eastern Hills Journal, 10/25/06 Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church will begin renovations on its Grace campus next month. The church plans to convert the gym into a new welcome center and additional classrooms. "We needed a place to gather and meet," said Greg Rogers, chair of the building committee. Parishioners will be able to use the welcome center as a gathering place between services, Rogers said. About 450 people attend each service. The church also plans to convert the gym and current music room into classrooms. Although the church will no longer have a gymnasium, it plans to move the music room to the second floor. LINWOOD It looks like the Morrow Gravel Copmany is looking to expand, having purchased 5205-5215 Wooster Pk earlier this year. They plan to (may have already) demolish the structures that were there. There are two residential structures (built 1880 and 1895) and one commercial building. (5205, 5211 and 5215 Wooster Pk) MADISONVILLE Starfire relocates to Madisonville Eastern Hills Journal, 10/25/06 Starfire, a local organization that focuses on enriching teens and adults with disabilities through social and service opportunities, has relocated to a 7,500-square-foot facility at 5030 Oaklawn Drive in Madisonville. The expanded facility represents quadruple the space of their former Victory Parkway facility. Starfire provides annual activities for individuals with disabilities, with the help of over 110 community volunteers. Starfire activities not only offer occasions for social interaction, but also provide the opportunity to gain skills needed to eliminate social isolation. Late in 2005, Starfire kicked off Building Lives, a $ 3 million capital campaign to raise funds for the new facility and to establish a first time endowment for the organization. In June, Starfire announced the goal had been met. Two of Starfire's Trustees, Rob Heimann, a venture capitalist with River Cities Capital Fund and Mount Lookout resident, and David Hill Kohnen, a private investor and Indian Hill resident, led the fundraising effort to purchase and renovate the warehouse. MT AUBURN After 14 months, the three-family at 2207 Highland Ave has been purchased for $25,000. The new owner owns a few marginal properties in Mt Auburn, Walnut Hills and OTR, with a ton of evictions. The structure has a few outside issues like the chimney and the cornice, but is up to code. So far, no improvements have been made. NORTHSIDE A new single-family home is being built at 4763 Chapelridge Dr. It will be over 1600 square feet. Most of the homes in the area date from the 1990s and are valued around $300,000. PRICE HILL 5054 Sidney Rd is getting a rehab after a long period of being an unofficial garbage dump. SOUTH CUMMINSVILLE The seven-month vacant property at 3713 Llewellyn Ave has been purchased by an investor. This single-family home was a HUD property. I see Section 8 in its future. WESTWOOD After 17 months listed by a lender, 2326 Harrison Ave was snapped up for a cool $8,500. The single-family home, built in 1898, has been ordered vacant by the city. It appears that it has been vacant by city order since 2004. So far, no work has started to make it VBML-compliant or tenant-ready. Round-up: Metro ALEXANDRIA Point opening homes in Alexandria Alexandria Recorder, 10/26/06 The Point/ARC of Northern Kentucky plans to open two group homes for developmentally challenged people in the city by the summer of 2007. The Point, started in 1972, already operates nine group homes in Northern Kentucky. The first Point home in Alexandria, the former Zinn home at 8306 W. Main St., opened in February, but could only accommodate two residents, said Greg Gannon, special projects director for the Point. The house will be replaced with a larger home that can accommodate four people. Newton Zinn donated his estate to the Point after his death in August 2006. His daughter, Nancy Zinn, 46, has continued to live at the family's home with caregiver supervision from the Point. BETHEL Cabin committee starts planning efforts Bethel Journal, 10/26/06 The introductions are finished and now it is time for the real work to begin. In the three weeks since Bethel council tabled a resolution to remove the Acord Cabin and blacksmith shop from Burke Park, Ron Shouse has formed a committee of 40 members who will have until Nov. 20 to come up with a plan to give council another option. Shouse, chairman of the Burke Park Log Cabin Committee, came before council Sept. 25 to express his concern about losing the cabins. He was granted a 60-day extension to come up with a solution before council would vote on the demolition resolution. Since then Shouse has organized two introductory meetings, formed a committee and set a schedule for the future. "We've got such a wide variety of folks who have been out," he said. "Each of them have special attributes that will help this committee. They are all unique. They are all caring and they all want to see this come to pass." COLD SPRING Homebuilder gives city acre for park Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/27/06 An acre of property in the Granite Spring subdivision off U.S. 27 in Cold Spring will be a public park. Fischer Homes put playground equipment and a picnic shelter on the property and left a large portion of the property open for recreation and natural conservation. The home builder will give the land to the city of Cold Spring to maintain. The park's grand opening will be noon to 1 p.m. Saturday. Two local school children, Allison Corry of St. Joseph School and Allison Weyman of Cline Elementary, won a contest to name the park. It will be called Sunshine Park. About 700 homes are near the park, said Mayor Mark Stoeber. CRESTVIEW HILLS Being neighborly has limits Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/25/06 The renovation of Dixie Heights High School has temporarily eliminated some student parking, forcing drivers to park on Summit Drive, adjacent to the school. Residents say that has created congestion, noise and trash for the past year. "It seems like it's been going on a little bit longer than we anticipated," said resident Lisa Schuchter. "It was a really bad summer." So city officials hosted a town meeting Tuesday night to address residents' concerns. While residents say it has not been easy living with the dirt, dust, and construction equipment, they are mainly concerned with safety issues. Speeding drivers leaving school, parked cars blocking driveways, deadlocked traffic when school lets out, and emergency access to the street are much bigger issues, residents said. DELHI TWP Slain vet's brother helps Delhi Twp. with memorial wall Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/22/06 Cliff Lefler would be proud. His little brother, Jeff, is honoring veterans by placing their names on a wall of black granite. Jeff Lefler serves as the secretary of the Delhi Township Veterans Association. He swears he's the only non-veteran in the group. He joined the association because of his brother. Cliff Lefler was killed in Vietnam in 1969 when he was 23. Jeff was 6. "War can scar families," Lefler said. "I know what it did to my family. So I'm doing this to help those wounds heal." Lefler runs the association's Web site and collects names for the township's veterans wall. FAIRFIELD Fairfield working to expand Marsh Lake Fairfield Echo, 10/26/06 Marsh Lake will be in Fairfield's control in four years. The lake is owned by Martin Marietta, an aggregate mining company that is mining for gravel and sand north of the 42-acre fishing pay lake. Negotiations by the city to purchase a 31-acre tract of land called Black Bottom led to negotiations with Martin Marietta to acquire its property once the firm was finished with its mining. In August, Martin Marietta and city officials began to negotiate to turn the land over to the city. Martin Marietta currently has rights to mine the property for the next 90 years, Customer Service manager Dave Crouch said. Martin Marietta will continue mining the Marsh Lake area for gravel and sand for three years from Jan. 1, 2007. Then the company will deed over the property to the city within the first six months of 2011, according to a letter from Steve Raffensperger, the company's southwest Ohio district vice president and general manager. FOREST PARK Bank's green is not only the color of money Hilltop Press, 10/25/06 Despite its brick facade, PNC Bank's new building in Parkwood Plaza is in fact a green building. The green building designation comes not from its color, but from the branch's use of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly materials in its construction. More than 50 percent of the branch's wall coverings, furniture fabric and floors are built from recycled materials. Bank manager Rhonda Moorman said the carpeting at the entrance is made of boar hair. "It's quite interesting," she said. The branch's many windows help keep energy costs down and minimize heating bills in the winter months. Moorman also said the bathroom sinks and toilets have been tweaked to use less water. GEORGETOWN, OH Land donated on Rankin Hill Georgetown News Democrat Economic and residential growth are two factors that have threatened views of historic sites in communities all over the United States. Thanks to a large donation from the Annabelle Zimmers, of Dayton, and her family, historic preservationists from the Ripley community can rest assured the view in front of the Rankin House will remain safe for many years to come. On Saturday, Oct. 14, Ripley Heritage received the deed for five-and-a-half acres of land that runs along the sides of the Rankin House and in front of the historic home of Reverend John Rankin, almost reaching to Fourth Street in Ripley. "It's great to come back to Ripley once again. I've been here several times, but I know this will be the last," said Annabelle Zimmers. "Thank you for having this (ceremony) today. "I'm happy that the land is going to be part of the Rankin heritage." GREEN TWP Plantings spruce up North Bend Road Western Hills Press, 10/25/06 Three intersections along the North Bend Road corridor now look much prettier. Green Township public works crews have installed landscaped planting beds along the roadway where Reemelin Road, Crestknoll Drive and Rackacres Drive each intersect North Bend Road. Fred Schlimm, director of public services for the township, said adding landscaping along the corridor was a recommendation in the North Bend Road Overlay Plan, which residents in the Monfort Heights/White Oak area helped develop. He said the planting beds feature a mixed variety of perennials, such as dwarf globe blue spruce, sedum autumn joy, dwarf fountain grass and day lilies. "We also included Cleveland Secret pear trees in the area," he said. INDIAN HILL Weather detours road work Indian Hill Journal, 10/26/06 The Remington Road project, originally scheduled to be completed by the first week of November, likely won't be finished until the middle or end of November. George Kipp, project manager for Indian Hill, said the recent rainy weather has left needed construction materials wet and has forced workers to either wait for better weather or take added steps to continue work. "The problem is, we've had rain every third day," Kipp said. The village has been collaborating with the Ohio Department of Transportation on the project since it began in July. When work is completed, the bridge culverts on the road will be replaced with a single culvert and a pier wall will be in place along the road to protect drivers against landslides. By working together with ODOT, Indian Hill saved about $100,000 and will have Remington Road opened many months before it would have if the village did the project separate from the state agency. LOCKLAND 345 Rolef Ave has been rehabbed. The landlords who own it are trying to sell it for $89,900. LOVELAND Pool planning step-up urged Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/24/06 Planners working on recreation recommendations for Loveland haven't finished, but City Council members will talk tonight about opening a pool by Memorial Day 2008. Factoring in the necessary time for recreation committee volunteers to finish, time to get a levy on the ballot, if necessary, and time to get the project out for bid, means "if we really want to build a pool by then, we need to get moving," City Manager Tom Carroll said. A pool ranked high on the wish lists of residents surveyed about the recreation master plan, which council passed in January. The plan includes an outdoor pool in a spot with plenty of room for expansion. To help pay for an aquatic facility, the city has been talking to representatives of public and private groups, including swim clubs, about financial partnerships. Those talks are ongoing, Carroll said, including with officials of the YMCA. To open a pool by May 2008, he said, the project would have to be put out for bid by August. Council meets at 8 p.m. in council chambers, 120 W. Loveland Ave. LOVELAND The city of Loveland is accepting bids for the widening and realignment of OH-48 from O'Bannon Creek to the corporation line. This approximately half-mile stretch of road extends northward from the historic downtown. Bids are being accepted until November 9. MADEIRA Madeira, school engage in turf talk Suburban Life, 10/25/06 For now artificial turf at Madeira High School is a field of dreams. Although the school would like to install artificial turf at its stadium, the funding is currently not available. The grass field at the high schools sees a lot of use by the school's football team, soccer teams, St. Gertrude's football team and the Madeira Colts Pee Wee football team, said Madeira City School District Superintendent Steve Kramer. The Madeira Schools Foundation has approved a feasibility study. The city of Madeira's Budget and Finance Committee has also discussed the subject of possibly paying for part of the cost of the artificial turf, but no decisions have been made. MARIEMONT FOUNTAIN IN SQUARE TO BE REPAIRED WITH GRANT Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/29/06 The fountain in the middle of Mariemont Square will be repaired and modified this winter with the help of a $15,000 grant from the Dornette Foundation of Cincinnati. The grant requires a $15,000 match. Village Council and the Mariemont Park Board will discuss where to obtain the matching funds. The fountain has cracks that need to be repaired. In addition, it has to be modified so that the water can be shut off during the winter without jeopardizing the underground pipes. The village plans to replace the space circling the fountain where ivy grows with a sitting rock wall around the fountain. The work should be completed before next spring. NORWOOD 1721 Sherman Ave has been rehabbed for sale. SHARONVILLE FOOTBRIDGE TO BE FIXED Tri-County Press, 10/18/06 The footbridge over Chester Road across from Princeton High School is getting some work done next year. Sharonville and the Princeton City School District will both chip in for the $190,000 in repairs. Princeton has committed $60,000 to the project, and Sharonville will pay the rest, according to Sharonville Safety Service Director Al Ledbetter. SPRINGDALE Springdale to take offers for property Tri-County Press, 10/25/06 After battling the owner of an unoccupied home at 12065 Greencastle early this year, Springdale crews have demolished the home and are ready to take offers from people interested in building on the lot. Springdale bought the property from Loveland resident Donald Anderson for $160,125 in January, after it sat vacant for 12 years. In January, Anderson decided to sell the property to Springdale, following eminent domain hearings. City officials said he never said why he never rented the property or why he initially didn't want to sell. Now that the house is gone, city officials want people who are interested in buying the lot to submit a design concept for the home as well as a purchase offer, rather than placing the lot on the market. SPRINGFIELD TWP Township vision subject of forum Hilltop Press, 10/27/06 Residents will have their chance to help direct the future of the township at a Nov. 15 public forum. The 2020 Vision Committee is having the forum from 5-7 p.m. at township offices, 9150 Winton Road. The committee is completing several months' worth of work focused on the township's future and will be submitting a final report to trustees. This is the third such in-depth report trustees have commissioned. This last committee was made up of 44 residents, business, church and school representatives. "We knew it would be a big group, but we really wanted a good cross section of the township and I think we achieved that goal," said township Administrator Mike Hinnenkamp.
November 6, 200618 yr Author UPDATE Lower Price Hill: New single-family housing The proposal to rezone 1657-1667 State Ave passed unanimously in Council on November 1. The rezoning changes the lots from MG Manufacturing General District to RM-1.2 Residential Multi-Family District. This makes it legal for Model Property Development to build 5 new single-family homes. LAST UPDATE (10/30/06) UPDATE Madisonville Artisan Overlay District City planning staff is now examining the possibility of Artisan Overlay Districts, including its extent and guidelines. A report is expected back to the City Manager and to Council in early 2007. LAST UPDATE (10/9/06) College Hill: Hamilton Ave widening City council has approved an ordinance allowing them to appropriate land for the widening of Hamilton Ave between Groesbeck and Windemere (Twin Towers). The $3.8M widening will add two feet to the width of the road and will add left turn lanes at the signalized intersections (Windemere, Belmont, Groesbeck). Funding for the project are available. $3.1M is from OKI, $590K comes from Ohio Public Works Commission funds, and the remainder is accounted for in the city's Capital Budget. The project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2007. From the 11/1/06 Hilltop Press: College Hill unveils mural to attract businesses The College Hill Business Association (CHBA) unveils the first storefront mural in its Discover the Avenue fantasy business art project at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11. The community-inspired art project will fill vacant storefronts on Hamilton Avenue with murals depicting the kinds of businesses College Hill residents want to see in their neighborhood. Painted by artist and College Hill resident Katie St. Clair, the first window, at 5838 Hamilton Ave., depicts a "fantasy" ice cream shop. The College Hill Business Association has as its goals to energize, revitalize, and market the business district. The College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and the business association have begun a marketing strategy using the theme Discover the Avenue. The top goal is attracting new businesses to the neighborhood. The Discover the Avenue fantasy business art project will bring this stretch of Hamilton Avenue to life by putting art where it is hoped businesses will move in. "Why sit around and dream?" said Phyllis Schoenberger, business association secretary and Arts Project Coordinator. "If we get creative, maybe that dream will become a reality." MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061101/NEWS05/611010504/1093/Local Round-up: City of Cincinnati CARTHAGE Fire repair is currently being done on the two-family at 100 W 64th St. On August 24, 2006, a one-alarm fire broke out. The fire was largely contained within one wall, and two residents who were home at the time escaped unharmed. Damage was estimated at $25,000. CLIFTON HTS The owners of 161 Warner St are planning a significant upgrade to their property at 161 Warner St. I'm not sure of the plans, other than the addition of a parking lot at Warner and Sauer and a re-orientation of the house in some form. They're having difficulty getting their permits approved. COLLEGE HILL 5727 Lantana Ave has been remodeled. Most of the work was exterior cosmetics. EVANSTON After 8 months on the market, a buyer has purchased 3321 Hackberry St from Fannie Mae for $40,800. (The homes is assessed at $100,200.) I believe the owner is an investor who has a property or two in the Section 8 program. EVANSTON 1937 Kinney Ave has been rehabbed for resale. HARTWELL A rehab is currently being done on 8266 Woodbine Ave. This is to repair minor fire damage. LOWER PRICE HILL 2122 St. Michael Ave is again safe and tenant-ready. This building used to be owned by Metro Management and was the focus of hundreds of police runs. Drug sales and use, as well as prostitution, were so pervasive that the Lower Price Hill Community Council and other local groups pleaded with city leaders to do something about it. The city barricaded the building, and new management came in and fixed it up. Round-up: Metro BETHEL Youth asked to help save Acord cabins Bethel Journal, 11/2/06 As plans to save Acord Cabin progress, committee leaders are enlisting the help of Bethel's youth. Ron Shouse, chair of the Committee to Save the Acord Cabin and blacksmith shop, met with members of Bethel village council at the regular meeting Oct. 23 to provide the council members with an update on the group's progress. Since the inception of the committee about a month ago, Shouse had made it clear that he wanted everyone, young and old, in Bethel to be involved in the preservation of the two structures in Burke Park. Now as grant deadlines are quickly approaching, the interest of the younger residents could be of vital importance in securing funds for the project. "We're rolling out our school programs this week," Shouse said. "We are having an essay writing contest and a poster contest." CLERMONT COUNTY Wetlands dedicated at East Fork State Park Clermont Sun, 10/26/06 East Fork State Park dedicated a new, six-acre wetlands in a ceremony Oct. 21. The wetlands project was a partnership between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, the state and local chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and East Fork State Park. "The project was approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1998 but shelved due to lack of funding," said Todd Haines, Division of Wildlife manager for Southwestern Ohio. "The NWTF, through fundraising efforts, donated $9,000 and the Division of Wildlife donated $1,000 to the construction of the wetland habitat which is important for a variety of species including the wild turkey, waterfowl, songbirds, deer, heron, turtles, frogs, and salamanders." The wetlands project, which took nine months to complete, is adjacent to the campground access road on the north side of East Fork State Park. It was developed from a farm field that was too wet for farming. "To create the wetland we needed to remove some of the vegetation and construct a levee which included a water level control structure," said Dave Kohler, wildlife management supervisor for southwest Ohio. "This was necessary to enhance the biodiversity in the area. Time will now play an important role in establishing the plant and animal communities." DELHI TWP Museum realizes firefighers' dream Delhi Press, 11/1/06 Firefighters old and young helped celebrate the dedication of the Delhi Historical Fire Museum recently. The privately funded $100,000 museum has been a six-year project of a dedicated group of past and present firefighters. The group formed a non-profit fire department historical society with the main aim of establishing a museum. With approval from township officials, the group has worked to gathering exhibits in a room it leases for $1 a year at the Neeb Road fire station. The museum recently was officially dedicated with the largest gathering of retired firefighters that have been able to meet at the fire department in years, according to Pete Pritchard, a firefighter/EMT who helped organize the society and museum. ERLANGER City to vote soon on offices for swim club site Erlanger Recorder, 11/2/06 Plans are moving forward for an office condominium complex on the Triple E Swim Club site, and officials say the issue could come before city council as soon as November 21. "I like what I see so far, and so does staff," Mayor Marc Otto said last month. The Kenton County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a zone change from R-3 to PO (professional office) for a portion of the 2.1-acre site. City council must also approve the zone change. City Administrator Bill Scheyer said it will likely vote on the zoning and the development plan simultaneously. City staff are working with the developer, Erlanger-based Terrace Holdings, to finalize the details of the plan. HAMILTON The Butler County Commissioners are accepting sealed bids until November 7 for demoliton and renovation at the Butler County Government Services Center. The work will renovate the first floor to accomodate a conference center. HAMILTON COUNTY I-275 resurfacing will be continuing Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/3/06 Resurfacing of Interstate 275 continues in both directions between Ohio 4 and U.S. 42 in Hamilton County. The project is to be completed on Nov. 17. LOCKLAND The Planning Commission of the Village of Lockland will be holding a public hearing on November 6 regarding a lot split. The split would create two new parcels at 219 and 221 Carthage Ave. The land has been owned by the Millcreek Valley Habitat for Humanity since 2004. LOVELAND Range becomes a waiting game Loveland Herald, 11/1/06 The fight over a proposed shooting range in Loveland is not over -- at least in one resident's opinion. The Loveland Planning and Zoning Commission approved plans last January that owners of Shooters' Supply Shop Inc. have for the shooting range, which would occupy the former facility of Matthew 25: Ministries on Loveland-Madeira Road. The Loveland Board of Zoning Appeals later denied resident Dave Miller's appeal of the commission's decision because he could not produce his attorney in a timely manner, which led to the appeal in Clermont County Court of Common Pleas, according to court documents. Clermont Common Pleas Judge Jerry McBride dismissed an appeal filed by Miller, ruling that he had no standing challenge against the board's decision. Miller said he will "spend the next several weeks in mustering the necessary resources to mount an appeal of Judge McBride's decision to the appellant court in Middletown." LOVELAND Church opens at new location Loveland Herald, 11/1/06 River Hills Christian Church recently moved into a new building at 6300 Price Road in Loveland, on a 23-acre wooded site. The 34,000-square-foot building features an auditorium, meeting rooms, a coffee bar and doors opening onto a patio beside a 2.5-acre lake. River Hills Christian Church began nine years ago in September 1997, and was formerly located on Branch Hill-Guinea Pike, in a building it sold to help pay for the new campus. While waiting for the new facility to be finished, the congregation met for worship on Sunday mornings at Loveland High School. The building was designed and built by HiFive Development Services, a design-build firm based in Mason, which donated more than $500,000 in design and other services to the $5.5 million project. Future plans for development include construction of walking trails and expansion of the current building, as well as a student center. MARIEMONT Effort continues for Indian museum funding Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/5/06 Efforts to obtain federal money for the construction of a new Mariemont administration building containing an American Indian museum will continue next year. Village officials were hoping Congress would appropriate funding this year to cover all or part of the $5 million cost of demolishing the existing administration building and constructing a new one that would include a museum with Indian artifacts excavated in Mariemont since the mid-19th century. But the funding wasn't available this year, Mayor Dan Policastro said. A large Indian village thrived in Mariemont for about 200 years. MIAMI TWP (Clermont County) Live Oaks' remodel updates campus life Milford-Miami Advertiser, 11/1/06 Changes being made to the heart of the building, and arteries as well, are bringing new life to the Live Oaks campus. The building that opened in Miami Township in 1973, like most construction of its time, was in need of a little updating. Great Oaks officials had considered and financially prepared for the project that is now in it's final weeks for some time, but actually started planning for the remodel in fall 2004. "Although (the building had) been well maintained, (it was) due for a face lift," said Jean Ciancio, public relations coordinator. As was true with a lot of 1970s construction, the style was open and airy, leaving much to be desired for the students working in class spaces that ran into other class spaces with no wall to speak of in-between. Further, administrators in the school faced a number of their own challenges in finding meeting spaces, a quiet area to counsel students or even just a door to shut to make a private phone call. MT. HEALTHY Resolution answer questions about Mt. Healthy school buildings Hilltop Press, 11/1/06 The Mount Healthy Board of Education passed a resolution last week designed to answer some questions voters may have about the future of the existing buildings in the district if voters pass the 5.95-mill bond issue on the ballot Nov. 7. The resolution spells out that: * Mount Healthy High School would be torn down upon completion of the 7-12 campus and the entire high school property will be used for the 7-12 facility. * North Middle School would be torn down for the northern elementary school. Students from North would be consolidated into South Middle School until the new schools open. * Jane Hoop Elementary School will torn down to replace softball fields at Morris Field, which is where the southern elementary school will be located. * Greener, Duvall and Frost elementary schools will be marketed soon after the passage of the bond issue with public input so these buildings and properties can be sold soon after they are vacated. * New Burlington and South Middle School properties will be evaluated soon after the passage of the bond issue, to determine which is most suitable to replace the varsity boys baseball field and possibly the girls varsity softball field. * Rex Ralph Center will continue to be leased to the multiple agencies now using the buildings. The board wants to keep this building, the newest, and the property it sits on in the event that additional space/property may be needed in the future. OXFORD New credit union headed to council for decision Oxford Press, 11/3/06 After a series of zoning and design obstacles, plans are advancing for the construction of a new branch of the Miami University Community Federal Credit Union to be built in Oxford at the intersection of College Corner Pike (U.S. 27 North) and Westgate Drive. Located next to a new Wendy's restaurant and across the road from the McGuffey Foundation School, the new branch will be the fourth location of a bank with three locations in Middletown, Hamilton and Oxford. The second Oxford branch will serve 1,000 to 1,200 customers daily, said MUCFCU President Richard Parker at an Oxford Planning Commission meeting. It will include a full-service lobby as well with an ATM in each of two drive-through lanes. "It's an opportunity to become part of an up and coming commercial district in Oxford," Parker said. "This is the ideal location to continue to offer nonprofit member banking." In November 2002, the Credit Union bought the land formerly occupied by the WOXY radio station. RIPLEY Trees along River Walk approved Georgetown News Democrat Tim Wilson, of the Ripley Tree Committee, appeared before Ripley council members during the Oct. 24 village council meeting to present to council a plan that would restore trees to Front Street without threatening a clear view of the Ohio River or causing future damage to the soon to be complete River Walk. "We have a wonderful opportunity to enhance the river front project," said Wilson. "We are proposing to plant a total of 10 trees." The Ripley Tree Committee was authorized by an ordinance passed by council last year. One of its functions is to advise council on the maintenance and establishment of trees on public property. Accompanying Wilson was JoAnn May, of Experience Ripley. May notified council during the Oct. 10 meeting that Experience Ripley has been approved for a Make A Difference Day grant from the Governor's Office of Appalachia that will aid in the purchase of the trees. But there was one Ripley resident who felt the view of the Ohio River from Front Street had improved since approximately 20 trees were removed to construct the River Walk. That resident said replanting trees along the river side of Front Street would only camouflage the beauty that lies in the wide river. SPRINGFIELD TWP Township vision subject of forum Hilltop Press, 11/1/06 Residents will have their chance to help direct the future of the township at a Nov. 15 public forum. The 2020 Vision Committee is having the forum from 5-7 p.m. at township offices, 9150 Winton Road. The committee is completing several months' worth of work focused on the township's future and will be submitting a final report to trustees. This is the third such in-depth report trustees have commissioned. This last committee was made up of 44 residents, business, church and school representatives. "We knew it would be a big group, but we really wanted a good cross section of the township and I think we achieved that goal," said township Administrator Mike Hinnenkamp. Committee members brainstormed in small groups, looking at what trustees' priorities should be and determining the township's strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. SYCAMORE TWP School opens fine-arts wing Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/31/06 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy recently unveiled its new fine-arts wing for its middle school. The $940,000 project added 5,500 square feet of classroom and rehearsal space for the middle school's band, strings, choir and ensemble. It unites visual-arts classes with the rest of the fine-arts programs, said Mona Summers, fine-arts director. Now music students can practice more comfortably, without so much ambient noise. "We had 75 students in the band classroom built for 30," Summers said. "Our trombone players were having to crane their necks to play properly." There are 383 students enrolled in the middle school. Most take fine-arts courses. SYMMES TWP Work begins at Blong Park Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/4/06 Work has started on long-planned Blong Memorial Park in Symmes Township. Officials said the park should be finished by spring. On less than 1 acre, the park will be near Montgomery and Kemper roads and will serve as a gateway to the township. Park use may be restricted when it first opens because of work to widen Montgomery Road, officials said.
November 6, 200618 yr Great update! Where did you find that bid info for the BCGSC? I saw this "house" and had to post it here for old times sake, it may be the worst I've ever seen. Cheaper section of Governor's Hill, Hamilton. Sibcy Cline photo.
November 6, 200618 yr Looks like Knox Presbyterian Church in Hyde Park (corner of Michigan and Observatory) is going to demo the two apartment buildings east of the church on Observatory. They aren't much to look at, and aren't really historic, but I do not know what they plan to do there. Let's hope it is not surface parking.
November 7, 200618 yr Author Great update! Where did you find that bid info for the BCGSC? In the newspaper. (EDIT: The Enquirer.)
November 8, 200618 yr Author From the 10/25/06 Eastern Hills Journal: Fairfax considers gateway improvements BY FORREST SELLERS | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER FAIRFAX -- Now that improvements to Red Bank Road are nearing completion, the village of Fairfax is turning its attention to Wooster Pike. Mayor Ted Shannon said he would like to see landscaping improvements along the Fairfax portion of Wooster Pike. "We want to do some things to make it more customer-friendly," he said. This would include adding gateways at the entrances to the village. Shannon said the village would likely begin gateway improvements in 2007 or 2008 after the state completes its repaving of Wooster Pike. He said the village has also suggested moving the gas and electric poles to one side of Wooster Pike to reduce the number of power lines extending across the road. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/NEWS01/610250458/1002/RSS01 From Northeast Suburban Life, 10/25/06: PHOTO: A view from Main Street of the Montgomery Gateway Triangle project, which is still under way. RICH SHIVENER/COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF Triangle completion just around the corner BY RICH SHIVENER | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MONTGOMERY -- Highlifts continue to roar up and down Main Street and construction workers stack steel, fire-resistant drywall and bricks. The skeletal structures of the Montgomery Gateway Triangle buildings are erected. So what is the status of the project? Jim Daniels of Montgomery Gateway Partners said construction is "right on schedule." He said the exteriors of the Triangle project should be finished before January. The large triangular building -- abutting Montgomery Road, Cooper Road and Main Street -- will also have an underground parking lot fit for 96 spaces. He said tenants of the building are not confirmed, yet added that a real estate firm, a restaurant and retail stores are among the possibilities. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/NEWS01/610250701/1002/RSS01
November 9, 200618 yr Author From the 10/26/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Shaun Alexander (left) says he plans to sell the former YMCA he had promised to turn into a community center. Enquirer File Photo Alexander will sell old YMCA Football star bails on plan for youth center BY BRENNA R. KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER FLORENCE - NFL football star Shaun Alexander says he plans to sell the former YMCA he had promised to turn into a community center. "Since we purchased the property, my foundation has refined its goals, and operating a youth facility is no longer one of our core missions," Alexander wrote in a letter to Florence Mayor Diane Whalen. Alexander, the Seattle Seahawks running back who grew up in Florence, bought the former Tri-City YMCA more than a year ago. With his brother, Durran, Alexander had announced plans to renovate and reopen the center by November 2005. Instead, the 40-year-old building sat vacant, became a target for vandals, and was cited for code violations. "I have decided to sell the property and focus our efforts in other projects to benefit Florence's youth," Alexander wrote in the Oct. 11 letter. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20061026/NEWS0103/610260402 Another megachurch, from the 10/30/06 Enquirer: Church plans for future BY STEVE KEMME | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER NEWTOWN - About a year from now, shouts of "fore" on the Indian Valley Golf Course will give way to exclamations of "Amen." The Horizon Community Church, which bought Indian Valley for $4.5 million earlier this year, plans to close the 18-hole golf course after next summer when construction of its church begins. Since the purchase, Horizon has been leasing the course to its previous owner. The new church, whose main entrance will be on Newtown Road, will open in fall 2008, said Trey Smith, the church's building team leader. Horizon, a sister church of the non-denominational Crossroads Community Church in Oakley, has been holding Sunday services at Cincinnati Country Day School in Indian Hill since its founding five years ago. Its administration offices are in rental space in Madeira. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/NEWS01/610300358/1056/COL02
November 10, 200618 yr Author From the 10/25/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: A photo of 2001 flood victims Ron and Anna Davenport is taped to the front window of their now-empty house. The Enquirer / Leigh Taylor Flood-plain home buyouts taking time BY STEVE KEMME | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER FAIRFAX - Since a flood devastated a low-lying residential area five years ago, killing two people, the village has been trying to buy and demolish the most vulnerable houses in that section. After the flood, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommended tearing down 41 houses in the flood plain, which is split in half by Watterson Road, and turning that section into a park. Fairfax, which has 1,783 residents, has bought 10 houses and demolished eight so far. The village recently closed the deal on two houses, including the one in which Ron Davenport and his 21-year-old daughter, Anna, were killed. During the flood, a basement wall collapsed on them. A photo of the two is taped to a front window of the vacant house. The house will be torn down before Thankgiving, village officials said. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/NEWS01/610250335/1056/COL02 From Northeast Suburban Life, 11/1/06: Agreement paves way for road improvements BY ROB DOWDY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER SYCAMORE TWP. -- An agreement between Sycamore schools and Sycamore Township means little to the district, but means a great deal for the township. During its Oct. 28 meeting, the Sycamore Community School District Board of Education approved a tax increment financing agreement between the district and Sycamore Township. The agreement allows the district to continue receiving the funds it would have received without the TIF, but the money will be paid by the township instead of through taxes. However, with the TIF agreement in place, which is for roughly eight acres between Snider Road and Interstate 275, the township can pool all the tax money collected from the site into a special fund used for improvements in that area. The property was little more than abandoned homes, but is currently being developed as one-story office condominiums and a 20,000 square foot office building. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061101/NEWS01/611010652/1062/Local
November 12, 200618 yr This is a definite improvement over the ugly warehouse that used to sit on the site.... Rendering: http://cmsimg.enquirer.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=AB&Date=20061112&Category=BIZ01&ArtNo=611120341&Ref=AR&Profile=1076&MaxW=315&border=1 Mornington Place offers townhouses Developer targeting younger professionals BY JEFF MCKINNEY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER HYDE PARK - Hoping to attract younger professionals, Chrisman Homes plans to build six townhomes at the corner of Shaw and Rosella avenues. The $3 millon project, to be called Mornington Place, will be built at the former Tricon Scaffolding site, said Chris Chrisman, owner of Chrisman Homes of Montgomery. The property was rezoned for residential development several years ago by the city of Cincinnati and recently sold to Chrisman, said Carl Uebelacker, a board member of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Council. He said the council and residents who live in the surrounding area supported the zone change. Chrisman said the project will include six detached custom-built townhomes ranging in price from $390,000 to $450,000, and, on average, all will be 2,000 square feet. The townhomes also will include a mixture of architectural styles and will be similar to homes built in Hyde Park in the early 1900s, said Randy Travis, owner of RLT Design, a Montgomery-based residential design firm. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061112/BIZ01/611120341/1076/BIZ
November 12, 200618 yr Chrisman said the project will include six detached custom-built townhomes ranging in price from $390,000 to $450,000, and, on average, all will be 2,000 square feet. He said they will include hardwood floors, granite kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances and high-efficiency energy systems. "We're confident that these will sell fast because we believe they will meet the lifestyle of young professionals," he said. What exactly is this guy's idea of a "young professional." $400,000 is a ton of cash for twenty-somethings. I'm sure they'll sell but you'd have to have a hell of a job bringing down at least six figures or, as jmeck has suggested before, a trust fund to afford one of those babies. That is not a starter home price. Hooray for the design though.
November 12, 200618 yr I sure would not want to live at Shaw and Rosella, and have to squeeze my way through the Wasson/Edwards/Madison corridor every time I went anywhere...that would be the very definition of hell to me...
November 12, 200618 yr One part of the article I did not get was the line "...the $3 million project....", six houses even at $450K is only $2.7 million. If it is going to cost them $3M to build and their max revenue is $2.7M, they have a problem. Probably just writer error, but bad reporting nonetheless.
November 13, 200618 yr Author More of Eastern Avenue to die The East End Area Council (EEAC) wants to extend the length of Riverside Drive. They propose to extend Riverside Drive all the way out to the Kellogg/Delta intersection. (Perhaps to pick up on the cachet of its increasingly upscale western neighbors.) The EEAC mailed out a survey to property owners, residents, and business owners along the affected street. Each entity was given one vote. Property owners could receive additional votes per parcel of land. Votes supporting the name change won out 213-46. 126 ballots were returned as undeliverable. City staff reconfigured the survey data by eliminating multiple votes. Those in favor of the name change won 88-34. (77 "multiple" votes were tossed out.) The Committee of Names met on September 21, 2006. Along with survey results, they also consider the effects to emergency responses, historical issues, and costs to individuals and business. The committee could find no historical reasons why the road was called Eastern Avenue other than its direction from downtown. It was proposed in 1869 in an atlas notation (DOTE), and was built between 1869 and 1894, when it appeared on Sanborn fire maps. Street numbers appeared around that time. The road was improved to a sixty-six-foot width, with curbs, between 1912 and 1919. Many city planning documents use Eastern Avenue as a point of reference: The East End Plan of 1978, the Study of the Cincinnati Riverfront, Policies and Land Use Plan of 1981, and the East End Riverfront Community Development Plan and Guidelines of 1992. The committee agreed that there would be costs to businesses. (I could have told you that.) DOTE estimated that it would cost $250 per sign replaced (including installation). There are 25 intersecting streets. The Committee of Names recommended the name change, by a vote of 3-to-1, to the Director of the Department of Community Development and Planning, who will now make a recommendation to the City Planning Commission. A hearing on the subject will occur at the November 17, 2006 City Planning Commission meeting. UPDATE Columbia Tusculum: Golden Avenue Action You can't see this very well, but work has started on the Boulevard Custom Homes project at 3207-3211 Golden Ave. You can barely see the foundation. No details or renderings are out on development at 3216 Golden Ave, but the house is gone. Also, I didn't get any pics of the Coral project, but it's moving along quickly. It's not far from being done. LAST UPDATE: 3207-3211 Golden Ave (9/4/06) UPDATE Corryville: Townhomes on Rochelle St Foundation work appears to be happening. Rubble from a demolished house is also on site. LAST UPDATE (10/2/06) UPDATE Bond Hill: Millcreek Psychiatric Center redevelopment The ordinance changing the zoning at 6606 Paddock Rd from SF-6 Single-Family Residential District to ML Manufacturing District passed unanimously at the November 8 council meeting. This zoning change allows for commercial and/or light industrial development on the 25-acre site. The city will soon solicit RFPs for the site. The city will then sell the property to the winning developer. LAST UPDATE (8/28/06) Round-up: City of Cincinnati AVONDALE The newly-vacant lot at 619 Glenwood Ave has been sold to an investor for $3,000. This owner has no history of building houses, so I don't expect one here. As you may remember, this used to be the site of a HUD-owned triplex that had to be demolished. AVONDALE Two new single-family homes should be getting going at 690 and 692 Glenwood Ave. These are being built by Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity. CLIFTON HEIGHTS The two-family at 260 Klotter Ave has been demolished by the city. This was done on an emergency basis due to a severe concern for public safety. Things started to really fall apart in 2002, and, with an absentee landlord, small problems quickly became major problems. The city finally ordered it vacant in late 2004. Its neighbor, 262 Klotter, was demolished and still more problems became apparent. It was condemned in late 2005, and the roof collapsed this year. (QUOTE: "The roof has failed and no longer fulfils its intended purpose.") There is some promising news, though--the man who bought 262 Klotter Ave after it was demolished is now trying to buy 260 Klotter, so there's the possiblity of infill. COLLEGE HILL It looks like a new house is being built at 6071 Belmont Ave (corner of Belmont and Monticello). COLLEGE HILL The Hamilton County Development Company (HCDC) will hold a public hearing on November 21, 2006, regarding the renovation of Savannah Garden Apartments. To finance the renovation, the HCDC would like to issue $3.12M of Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds. The revenue from these bonds would be loaned to Savannah Garden Apartments II for the work. The 120-unit complex is just off of the 1900 block of Savannah Ave on Savannah Way. WINDOWS LIVE LOCAL BIRD'S EYE VIEW COLUMBIA TUSCULUM Five homes are for sale in the gated Alms Gate development taking shape on Tusculum Ave, across from Alms Park. These homes have 4 BR/3+ BA and are on the market for $995,000-$1,200,000. COLUMBIA TUSCULUM 558 Empress Ave should be demolished or, if not, should be soon. The property was purchased April 2006 for $163,000 when the county had it valued at $40,000. It only makes sense that this will be a teardown project. The home was built in 1888. EAST PRICE HILL After 15 months, 747 Fairbanks Ave was purchased from Fannie Mae for $14,100 by an investor from the neighborhood. The home appears distressed, but has no code violations. The home was valued at $50,000 before foreclosure. EAST WALNUT HILLS The single-family at 1521 Lincoln Ave (1889) has been demolished so that the Pilgrim Baptist Church can build a parking lot. Wonderful. This after it was being used as a transitional house called "God's Property" early in the decade, housing as many as six-women at a time. The city made the church discontinue the illegal use, so they left it and left it to rot. Shady people. MADISONVILLE The Cincinnati Bible Way Church has bought the single-family house at 6111 Sierra St. They also own some land around their church at Sierra and Chapman. They are looking to expand their campus, but I don't know whether they plan on doing it there or in a new location. The house needs a lot of work. NORTHSIDE 1631 Hoffner St has been sold to someone who owns a lot of marginal properties. I don't believe he's in the Section 8 program, but he has had a ton of evictions in a couple dozen properties. 1631 Hoffner, built around 1850, had fire damage earlier this year. A court case and a "no contest" plea led to a $100 fine, plus court costs. The building was then sold for half of its appraised value. Repairs are now being made. PRICE HILL Covedale garden project gets county funding Price Hill Press, 11/2/06 Hamilton County is kicking in some money to transform the vacant lot at the corner of Ralph and Covedale avenues into a neighborhood garden. The county's recent announcement to provide $15,000 toward the project comes more than two years after the Covedale Neighborhood Association first proposed turning the lot into the Covedale Gardens. Neighborhood leaders are pleased to have the start-up dollars needed to get the project underway, and they are excited about the beautification effort. "This is a great way to get this kicked off," said Pete Witte, president of the Price Hill Civic Club. "That grass lot will now be designed into a beautiful garden that should enhance the community." SEDAMSVILLE The city has demolished 687 Steiner Ave (1885). The house was condemened in 2004 when its foundation started to fail and it began to slowly slide down the hill. Kids played inside. While the owner debated whether to repair it or raze it, it was declared a public nuisance in February 2006. The city then made the decision for him. Round-up: Metro ANDERSON TWP Five Mile Road median to be bid in February Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/12/06 Landscaped medians will be built next year in the middle of Five Mile Road from Beechmont Avenue to Clough Pike. The Ohio Department of Transportation is handling the section from Beechmont to State Road, and the township is handling the section from State to Clough. Both sections will be bid in February so that construction can begin in the spring. The projects should be completed next fall. A federal grant will pay for most of the $750,000 cost for the median between Beechmont and State. Anderson Township will pay for the cost of the median work for the section from State to Clough. That cost hasn't been determined yet. AURORA Housing rehab bids up for council OK Aurora Journal-Press, 10/26/06 Aurora City Council will award bids for four of a dozen housing rehabilitation projects Monday, Nov. 6. The projects are being funded with a $150,000 grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, $15,000 from the Rising Sun Foundation to meet the required match, and a $28,301.11 grant from United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Housing Preservation, said Patty Jackson, special projects coordinator, Southeastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. SIRPC prepared the grant application for the city and is administering the funds for the project. “We targeted disabled, elderly and single-female heads of household. ... They got special preference, actually,” said Jackson. The city originally sought a $300,000 grant from IHCDA, but the state funded only half of that, she said. GEORGETOWN, OH Long-awaited airport renovations are coming Georgetown News Democrat Air travelers who make a stop at the Brown County Airport will find accommodations and safety features improved by the end of next year. A $450,000 grant is expected to upgrade the county airport and install indoor plumbing for the first time since it became an airport in 1968. The grant requires the county to pay five percent, which will total $22,500. "Although we are still under a continuing resolution, just waiting for the funds to be released," said Liz Corey, with the Federal Aviation Association, "we are advising airports to plan their projects." In order to protect air space around the runway in Brown County, it has been advised by the FAA that trees be cleared, a project already completed. They have also advised the county to remove the outhouse and the outbuilding on the property as well as a home at the end of the runway which are all within the safety zone. Weathered markings on the runways are also in the plan to be updated. Members of the Brown County Pilots Association think they have been kept in the dark about airport improvements, but according to Dorothy Ferris grant coordinator for the county, they have been invited to all the planning meetings. Brown County Commissioners have had several meetings with FAA representatives and Rick Grice and Steve Potoczak with Whitworth and Borta and Company, a planning firm hired by the county to draw plans for the project. Charlie McKinney, with the pilots association, said the airport was dedicated in 1971 to the people of Brown County. Initially, the airport was part of Governor James Rhodes economic plan for the state. He envisioned each county with airport access to entice businesses into the state. Brown County was one of 82 counties that received state help in building an airport. Each county was then entrusted with the upkeep and maintenance of the facility. GRANT COUNTY Veterans cemetery is coming Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/7/06 Gov. Ernie Fletcher has broken ground on a Northern Kentucky veteran's cemetery in Grant County. The cemetery is on 99 acres off of Interstate 75 on land donated by the Grant County Industrial Authority. Work is expected to begin in January, and the cemetery could open in 2008. Construction and initial equipment for Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North will cost approximately $7.5 million. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will reimburse the state for construction, and the state will pay the operating costs. Fletcher; state Rep. Royce Adams, D-Dry Ridge; state Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown; and several local officials attended last week's ground breaking. "Because of the service of the veterans who have gone before us, we have our freedoms, and we have our tomorrows," Fletcher said in a statement. "It is most fitting that we dedicate this land in our honor of our veterans." GREEN TWP Harborside Estates is starting up in the vacant area behind Oak Hills High School. Only one property is currently on the market, and it's for $450,000. JACKSON TWP (Clermont County) Mining construction starts in Jackson Twp. Community Journal Clermont, 11/6/06 Although mining won't begin for about two years, construction at Arch Materials LLC's site in Jackson Township started a few weeks ago. The site for this operation, which was first proposed to the township in September 2004, is at 4454 Ohio 276, between Hawley and Sharps Cutoff roads. Arch Materials, a company based in Nashville, Tenn., bought 53 acres and is leasing about 350. It will be using the underground portion of the 350 acres for mining, said Ben Rechter, president. The first step is to build the slope, or tunnels, into the ground. Two tunnels, which must be built about 800 feet underground, will be built about 100 feet apart, said Rechter. "So basically, we've got to build two miles of tunnel." "It's going to take a year and a half to get that done," he said. Right now, "we're moving dirt around." One condition of the agreement is that a 15-foot-tall berm must be constructed around the property. "That's what they'll be doing with the material coming out of the slope," said Bruce Privett, zoning administrator for Jackson Township. MT HEALTHY The home by Bittner Construction at 7400 Elizabeth St is completed and is on the market for $159,900. MT HEALTHY Mt. Healthy bond levy going back to voters Hilltop Press, 11/10/06 Two days after their bid for a $33 million bond issue failed, the Mount Healthy Board of Education voted Nov. 9 to go back to the voters in February to try again. The district asked voters to support a $33 million bond issue to allow the district to consolidate its buildings from eight to three. The project will cost an estimated $90 million. The Ohio Facilities Commission was set to pay $57 million of the cost, the $33 million represents the school district's share of the project. John Pennell, business director for the district, says the district's aged buildings are expensive to operate and upgrade. School officials said the consolidation could save the district about $1.5 million in annual operating costs. Superintendent David Horine said he expects the millage for the Feb. 6 vote will be the same as the Nov. 7 request. OXFORD Locust Street change may be finished in 2006 Oxford Press, 11/10/06 Motorists will be able to drive straight on through the intersection of Locust and Spring streets by the end of the year if the weather allows construction to stay on schedule, officials said. Construction workers are eliminating the unusual curvy jog in Locust Street and aligning the road into a four-way intersection, creating a corner lot where a new Walgreens drug store is being erected at the former location of the Agee True Value hardware store. "The city has been looking to do this for years," said Oxford Services Director Michael Dreisbach. "The bend was inconvenient and there were crashes from the awkwardness of the intersection." The city's target is to finish paving the new section of road before the asphalt plants close for the winter in late November to early December, said Victor Popescu, Oxford city engineer. "It is looking very likely they will make that date," he said. RIPLEY Ripley by-pass discussed Georgetown News Democrat Plans for a by-pass road around Ripley has sparked concerns for some Ripley village council members. Councilman Charles Poole alerted council during the Oct. 24 regular meeting that he recently attended an Ohio Department of Transportation District 9 meeting and a topic of discussion was a by-pass road around Ripley. Poole made it clear that he was not in favor of a by-pass around Ripley to solve traffic flow problems along U.S. 52. "What was proposed (at the ODOT meeting) will not benefit Ripley in the least," said Poole. Ripley Mayor Tom Leonard notified Poole that the by-pass around Ripley may be a project that takes place 20-years down the road. But Poole said he didn't want someone 20-years from now, if there is a by-pass, asking him why council didn't do something to prevent it while it was still just a plan. SPRINGDALE Contaminates cleaned up on Springdale land Tri-County Press, 11/10/06 After one year of environmental cleanup, the plot of land where the former Springdale Cleaners was once located on Springfield Pike is now chemical-free. Springdale recently paid $82,518 to Orin Remediation Technologies to decontaminate the site, according to Springdale City Administrator Cecil Osborn. When the city came in to possession of the property last year, chemicals used in the dry cleaning process were found in the soil on the property. And though the situation wasn't serious, according to Springdale Economic Development Director Jeff Tulloch, it could have been a problem if the chemicals seeped into the groundwater, which they did not. "It doesn't take much for remediation laws to be voiced on you," Tulloch said. SPRINGFIELD TWP Township voters reject road levy Hilltop Press, 11/7/06 By a margin of 207, voters opted to bypass the township's request for more money to maintain roads. Unofficial results had 7,018 against the replacement levy with 6,811 saying yes. It would have generated $1.7 million a year in revenues for street projects and repairs. "The people have spoken," said Trustee Gwen McFarlin. "We've been trying to stretch our dollars to improve the integrity of our community, but we're at the point I don't know how much longer we can continue to do that." Trustee Tom Bryan said he feels the loss was simply a money issue. TAYLOR MILL Sidewalk project expected to start next spring Kenton Community Recorder, 11/9/06 The city expects to have bids ready by late February to begin putting a sidewalk on Taylor Mill Road. The city received a $150,000 grant in September from the state to begin the sidewalk project, which will start around Pride Park and run north for close to 3,000 feet. The city had to match 20 percent, or $30,000, to receive the grant, which the city council voted unanimously to do at their Nov. 8 meeting. City administrator Jill Bailey said the total cost of the project should be approximately $200,000, although she said similar projects have come in under budget before. Bailey said that once the city has detailed plans for the project, they will begin contacting the residents who will be directly affected by the construction.
November 13, 200618 yr so I guess I should post this here. My dad sold his building in downtown. Its the one at the corner of ninth and vine I think right next to Hamburger Marys(or whatever its called now) But the guy he sold it to plans to convert the first floor to an art gallery and he wants to live on the top 2 floors. I am glad someone like that is getting the building but it is sad to see the building go as my dad's business, and my grandpa's business, and his dad's and his dad's business, Handy Window Shade, has been in that building for a while, since 1902 I believe. Anyway, unfortunately my dad is moving the business to the 'burbs to take advantage of lower tax situations and more business I guess.
November 13, 200618 yr and the roof collapsed this year. (QUOTE: "The roof has failed and no longer fulfils its intended purpose.") LOL... Atlas - sorry to hear your father is leaving town, but God love him and your family for more than 100 years of running a business in the city...all the best!
November 13, 200618 yr Atlas; Sorry to see Handy Window Shade go. They were a great asset to downtown. At one time, downtown was full of small businesses like this. There were independent shoe stores like Potters, and hardware stores, like Aufdenkampe's, novelty stores and all kinds of places. Looks like a sign of the times to have an art gallery and two story loft above.
November 13, 200618 yr just an fyi, the business may be back in the city, just not downtown, in a year. hes moving the bus. to a temp. location so they can re-org, evaluate, etc. and then find a permanent home again and he hopefully, if i have something to say about it, he will atleast go back to the urban core and not sprawl-type areas. we will see.
November 14, 200618 yr This home on Dick Avenue in Hamilton (Highland Park) saw exterior upgrades recently, I think it looks much better. Before, a pic I took last year After, taken last week
November 14, 200618 yr that does look great. so is this 'hood close to downtown hamilton or where is it?
November 14, 200618 yr ^It is about 7 or so blocks from downtown, I actually was parked downtown and walked over to get the last pic. I'd say it is a 10 minute walk, more or less, and the sidewalks are very well connected.
November 15, 200618 yr West Price Hill could see new pizza parlor, bank BY EILEEN KELLEY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER November 15, 2006 WEST PRICE HILL - Change is coming. And it might just be bubbling over with gooey cheese, black olives - and a bank. The Price Hill Civic Club on Tuesday unveiled plans for a new development near Elder High School. Pete Witte, the president of the group, has been integral in the campaign to clean up blighted areas in Price Hill. He said there is a chance that a pizza parlor, a bank, and possibly one more business will be built in place of a former apartment and business at the corner of Dewey and Glenway Avenue. The old building - which in 2004 had more than 200 calls for police service - was condemned and demolished. Developer Paul Hemmer Cos. has been working to make the project a reality. Zoning and other issues still need to be worked out before any ground is broken. Witte anticipates starting the new development early next year. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061115/NEWS01/611150370/1056/COL02
November 15, 200618 yr Author From the 11/6/06 Eastern Hills Journal: Wal-Mart to be part of Red Bank project BY FORREST SELLERS | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER FAIRFAX - Construction crews are expected to break ground on the new Red Bank Village next week. Developer Regency Centers has also confirmed a Wal-Mart SuperCenter will be part of the development. The $60 million, 350,000 square-foot development will be mixed use featuring office, retail and restaurants. It will be located at 4000 Red Bank Road, the site of the former Ford transmission plant. "I've never worked on a project that had so many members of a team involved that gelled so perfectly," said David Birdsall, vice president of investment for Regency Centers. http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/NEWS01/611060327/1090/Local
November 16, 200618 yr From National Trust online magaizine (Preservation in architecture) New Owner of 150-Year-Old Cincinnati House Wants to Build Condos Story by Margaret Foster / Nov. 14, 2006 Cincinnati, Ohio On a hill overlooking downtown Cincinnati sits an Italianate mansion built in the mid-1800s. Some look at the Moore-Knight House and see one of the few city landmarks with ties to African American history. Others, like the house's new owner, see new condos in its place. Now flanked by two condominium buildings, the structure was home to Cincinnati Mayor Robert Moore before it became the home of the Knights, a prominent African American family who owned it for more than 80 years. Before Mimi Knight Faulkner died in 1999, she asked a local historical society to help protect the house. "She was concerned about it because she was constantly being approached by developers," says Valda Moore, executive secretary of the board of the Price Hill Historical Society, which succeeded in getting the Moore-Knight House listed on the city register in 1996. MORE: http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/archives/arc_news_2006/111406.htm
November 16, 200618 yr uuuhhhhh, thats obvious. if they tear that down so many people would be so very livid.
November 16, 200618 yr Author Also, are there Kenton or a Cambell county websites for foreclosure/tax sales or are these notices simply listed in the newspaper? Louisville has a nice one for anyone who has time to kill http://www.jcomm.org/default.asp Thanks, John Miller I sure don't know of any local website that lists foreclosures/tax sales. Perhaps try their clerk of courts websites. I really haven't navigated those so I don't know if they have much useful info. Foreclosure notices are often listed in the newspaper, but I don't think that's very comprehensive. The best time to catch them is on Mondays...section 050 of the classifieds.
November 20, 200618 yr Author Monfort Heights: Yeah, it's a slow week Jim Ritter, PDA Inc./ILIA Coroporation are looking to build a two-story, 35,050-square-foot office building on 2.25 acres at 3401 North Bend Rd. Access would be from one point on North Bend Rd. There will be 78 surface parking spaces, both in front of and behind the building. The area currently is occupied by two residential structures (one single-family, one two-family) and a 5-unit apartment building. The houses will be demolished. The apartment building may be demolished in the future for a parking lot expansion of 28 spaces. The houses to be demolished are 3407 and 3415 North Bend Rd. (3407 and 3415 North Bend) Round-up: City of Cincinnati AVONDALE The rehab of the three-family at 603 Prospect Pl has been completed. CLIFTON Gaslight Property has purchased 404-420 Ludlow Ave, commonly known as the Tudor Court Apartments, for $3.05M. These are between Middleton and Whitfield. They have also purchased 451 Ludlow Ave for $1.552M. (451 Ludlow) EAST PRICE HILL After six months on the market, 932 Fairbanks Ave has been purchased by an investor for $11,300. EAST PRICE HILL 408 Hawthorne Ave has been rehabbed for resale. EVANSTON 1836 Brewster Ave has a new roof and is currently being gutted. This is known as the Swan House, for women who have been battered and abused. It is a project of Pastor Nate Banks and the "I Am Somebody Ministries". Project website MT AIRY Treehouse gets named Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/19/06 Amber Daniels, 10, and Becky Lilley's class at Concordia School in Clifton will receive prizes for suggesting the name chosen for the universally accessible treehouse under construction in Mount Airy Forest. The structure will be known as "Everybody's Treehouse." The Cincinnati Park Board received more than 300 entries for its contest to name the treehouse. Amber will receive a football signed by Cincinnati Bengals players and Lilley's class will get a field trip to the treehouse. Everybody's Treehouse - which will be wheelchair accessible and free to the public - is its final stages. It is to be opened at the end of this month. A grand opening is planned for spring. NORTHSIDE After 7 months on the market, 4143 Langland St has been purchased by an investor for $13,000. It had been ordered vacant by the City, but work to fix the problems is occurring right now. PRICE HILL 1730 Wyoming Ave had a roof and truss replacement after a fire in the summer. SOUTH FAIRMOUNT After eight months on the market, 1937 Fairmount Ave has been purchased by an investor for $14,500. The house is ready for tenants. Round-up: Metro BOONE COUNTY (Richwood) Flea market aims for February opening Boone County Recorder, 11/16/06 The Richwood Flea Market, whose building was damaged in a severe storm last spring, should have a new structure ready by February. Mark Stallings, who owns the market with his brother Mike, said the roof and 30 percent of the building were lost. The flea market has been operating only with its outdoor facility. "We're going to be here as long as the weather's nice during the winter," he said. Stallings said business is probably off 75 percent than normal. "It's tough. We've been here 20 years. So, it's been really hard on us," he said. COLD SPRING New school will meet at the crossroads Alexandria Recorder, 11/14/06 All buses going to the Campbell County School District's newest school will meet at the crossroads. The Campbell County School District's Board of Education named the 700-student capacity elementary school "Crossroads Elementary" Monday, Nov. 13. There were 108 name suggestions received from 256 different individuals, and 55 of the names included "crossing" or "crossroads" in the name, said Superintendent Anthony Strong. Two other names the board considered at Monday's meeting were Cedar View Elementary, for the numerous trees in the area, and Meridian Elementary, which by definition means the apex of excellence, Strong said. District Spokeswoman Juli Hale said one of the more fun names included a suggestion from a Cold Spring child who proposed "Oreo" as a name "because Oreo's are good." CRESTVIEW HILLS Intersection widening delayed Erlanger Recorder, 11/16/06 Drivers hoping for relief from the congestion at Turkeyfoot and Crestview Hills Mall roads will have to wait a bit longer. City officials had hoped to widen the intersection by mid-2007, but the projects have been delayed. In July, the city approved a development at the corner of Mall and Turkeyfoot. Developer Gallenstein Companies agreed to pay for an extra turn lane onto Turkeyfoot. The development has been delayed, however, over a curb cut Gallenstein is requesting on Turkeyfoot, a state road. The state must approve the request, "and apparently that goes slowly," said Councilman Frank Sommerkamp, Jr., chairman of the public works committee. FORT THOMAS Children's Advocacy Center building new home Fort Thomas Recorder, 11/14/06 The City of Fort Thomas will hold a public hearing before St. Luke Hospitals East and West go after federal grant money to build a permanent home for the Children's Advocacy Center. The center will consist of a 5,000 square foot building which will house comprehensive services for victims of child abuse and their families at St. Luke Hospital West in Florence. "We see children from birth to 17 years old who have been sexually abused or witnessed a violent crime," said Vickie Henderson, coordinator of the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center. "This center is extremely important to the community and the kids." Henderson said that while the center has been in existence since 1988, it has never had its own space. "We are currently housed at a medical office building in Bellevue and there are some confidentiality concerns there because, when we come out to the waiting room, people know that we aren't the doctor and they can figure out which child has been abused," Henderson said. "We really need our very own center where children can feel safe and be in a friendly surrounding." HAMILTON Site proposed for animal shelter Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/16/06 Butler County officials are expected to announce today they have picked a potential site for the county's new animal shelter: five or six acres of a 40-acre, county-owned parcel on Princeton Road in Hamilton. The site has plenty of room for the shelter and already holds a county halfway house for the needy, buildings for agricultural and soil services, and the county's nursing home for senior citizens, said county Administrator Derek Conklin. The land is somewhat secluded and about 500 yards away from homes, he said. The county will gauge public reaction to the location over the next few weeks and make a final decision before year's end, he said. Other sites will be considered if anyone is interested in donating land, he said. Voters last week passed a one-year, 0.5-mill levy to raise about $3 million for a new animal shelter. The one in Trenton has become overcrowded, outdated and unsanitary. HAMILTON Habitat for Humanity dedicates new home for Hamilton family Hamilton JournalNews, 11/19/06 Wanda Johnson knows life has many lessons to be learned. The most important one is believing you're here on earth for a purpose. It's what she teaches her family. "Try to do the best that you can," Johnson said. "You're not a throw-away. You are loved, needed and wanted. That's what I want the children to know." Johnson, a 26-year Hamilton resident, and her family of six children — whose ages range from 3 to 16, are the latest to receive a new home from the Hamilton-Fairfield chapter of Habitat for Humanity. A dedication ceremony was held Saturday morning at the new site on Beckett Street in Hamilton. Coldwell Banker West Shell Realtor sponsored the construction that began in September. Johnson is a mother of two adult children, grandmother of six, and legal guardian of her three nieces, two great-nieces and one great-nephew who has Down syndrome. The little boy was recently diagnosed with leukemia, Johnson said. HILLSBORO Future taking shape Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 11/9/06 Work on two pods being added to the present Hillsboro Elementary building continued in this picture taken Wednesday afternoon. When the pods are completed, the building will house all the Hillsboro City School District's students in grades K-5. It is expected to be finished by July of 2007 and should be ready for use by next school year. LOCKLAND 118 Washington Ave has been rehabbed for resale. LOCKLAND Cincinnati Housing Partners has purchased 614-616 Walnut St. There is a vacant lot at 614 and a vacant commercial structure at 616. It will be interesting to see if they demolish the business and build anew. If otherwise, it doesn't make much sense. They usually do rehab work on houses and very few infill projects, and usually not in this part of town. MARIEMONT Bid for Resthaven Barn heads to planning, zoning Eastern Hills Journal, 11/14/06 Now its a question of whether they can do the job for as little as they say they will spend. Mariemont Village Council accepted a bid Nov. 13 for $50,000 from Cincinnati Women's Art Club Foundation to do Phase I of the restoration of the Resthaven Barn. Jane McDonald, president of the group, said the group would apply for grants to help them pay for the restoration and had access to private money they felt would also help their effort. "Although the bid looks small, it is a heartfelt and compassionate bid," she said. She asked council to determine who would be responsible for environmental cleanup of the barn. MONTGOMERY Senior center's plan on Web site Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/18/06 The city of Montgomery has posted information on the possible expansion of Twin Lakes senior living center on its Web site: www.ci.montgomery.oh.us. The nonprofit corporation is working with Montgomery for approval of a multi-unit residential development near the Montgomery Safety Center. It would be on 3 acres of privately owned wooded land south of the Montgomery and Hopewell road intersection. The Montgomery Planning Commission has asked Twin Lakes to make several revisions, including lowering the density. Twin Lakes will submit a new plan after a traffic impact study of Montgomery Road and nearby Forestglen Drive is finished, city officials said. Several neighboring residents are concerned about the plan, which they say will increase traffic and eliminate green space. MT HEALTHY Committee plotting Mount Healthy's future Hilltop Press, 11/15/06 A committee taking a comprehensive look into the city's future soon will be asking for guidance. A survey is ready to be distributed to residents and businesses seeking answers to 23 questions. Anyone who would like to receive a survey can call City Hall at 931-8840. The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee has had five meetings to chart its course. The 10 members, including residents, business owners and city officials, are getting help from Lee Ward, senior planner with McGill Smith Punshon Inc. Ward's firm was hired by city council to provide professional advice and recommendations. The $30,000 contract was approved last summer. "We expect the work to take close to a year to complete," said Bill Kocher, Mount Healthy safety/service director. SHARONVILLE Sharonville to help with road study Tri-County Press, 11/15/06 Due to safety and congestion issues on a 2.7-mile stretch of Fields Ertel Road, several jurisdictions, including Sharonville, may be paying $275,000 for a study of what can be done to remedy the problems. Sharonville would pay $52,500 of the total cost for the one mile of Fields Ertel Road within in the city. The stretch of road spanning from Reed Hartman Highway to Snyder Road is a problem, according to Sharonville Safety Service Director Al Ledbetter. "It's narrow, it's congested, you can't get from the side streets on to Fields Ertel," he said. "There's a safety issue with the corner of Butler/Warren Road and Fields Ertel. And since it lies in multiple jurisdictions, nobody can fix it themselves." SPRINGDALE Springdale council OKs doctor's office plan Tri-County Press, 11/16/06 A new 18,000-square-foot physician's office building may be in the future near the corner of Sharon Road and Springfield Pike. Springdale City Council on Nov. 15 approved preliminary plans for Glenview Greene, the name of the complex, as well as the zoning modifications necessary to construct that type of development. The facility is the brainchild of Dr. Michael Todd, a physician in Springdale Family Medicine on the corner of Sharon Road and Springfield Pike, and is designed by Canfield Properties. The complex would be a step up in size from Todd's current 11,000-square-foot office. "We take care of a lot of Maple Knoll residents, a lot of Springdale residents. We don't have a facility in Springdale to take care of all the medical needs in Springdale," Todd said. WILLIAMSTOWN Final resting place-Groundbreaking held for cemetery Grant County News, 11/13/06 Many years from now, a field off of Eibeck Lane in Williamstown will be filled with rows upon rows of simple white graves, honoring veterans and their families. The first step toward this vision happened on Friday, Nov. 3, as several local and state leaders took part in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North. "Because of the service of the veterans who have gone before us, we have our freedoms, and we have our tomorrows," said Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher. "It is most fitting that we dedicate this land in honor of our veterans." Construction of the cemetery is expected to begin in January of 2007, and could open as early as 2008. Construction will be in three phases and will include a 3,600-square-foot administration building, a 4,400-square-foot maintenance building with service area, committal facility and columbarium. It is expected to eventually hold 9,070 caskets, 6,780 crypts, 5,000 columbarium niches and 1,350 in-ground cremains. "Today, Grant County joins the ranks of places with veterans cemeteries," said county Judge-Executive Darrell Link. "We will assemble here to remember on this holy ground." WYOMING Revitalized Wyoming Swim Club to Open Cincinnati.com, 11/15/06 A groundbreaking new agreement between the Board of Trustees of the Wyoming Swim Club and the Powel Crosley, Jr. YMCA ensures that the Wyoming Swim Club will open next summer as it has for the last 48 years. Under the agreement signed Wednesday, Powel Crosley, Jr. YMCA will assume responsibility for the operations of the Wyoming Swim Club, under the direction of the swim club’s Board of Trustees. Their duties will include management of the facility and employees. In this capacity the YMCA will oversee repairs, programming and improvements as well as hire lifeguards and instructors. "We are very pleased to partner with the Wyoming Swim Club as part of our outreach into our neighboring communities," says Cindy Tomaszewski, Executive Director of Powel Crosley, Jr. YMCA. "Our association with the Wyoming Swim Club is consistent with our objectives of helping build strong communities and strong families while modeling our core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Because of our years of experience with pool operations and maintenance, we can help the Board manage their facility effectively and efficiently." Andrew Abel, President of the Board of Trustees of the Wyoming Swim Club, is equally enthusiastic about the partnership: "We look forward to working with the Powel Crosley, Jr. YMCA. We welcome their expertise and knowledge in pool operations and management and the improved programming they will bring to our club. This agreement will allow the Board members to focus on improving the facilities and the summer experience for our members," says Abel. The Wyoming Swim Club, on Firewood Drive in Wyoming, is a non-profit, member-supported club that’s long cherished in the community as a place for neighbors to gather, swim and socialize. Its secluded setting and family-centered programming, such as swimming lessons and a parent-run competitive swim and dive team, has provided a neighborhood recreational outlet for generations of Wyoming families.
November 20, 200618 yr Despite housing woes, firm plans 3 subdivisions Hal Homes subsidiary to build 490 homes by next fall Cincinnati Business Courier - November 17, 2006 by Dan Monk, Senior Staff Reporter Undaunted by a recent downturn in the nation's housing market, Blue Ash developer Hal Silverman is planning to open three new subdivisions - with a combined 490 new homes - by next fall. The new projects involve the development of just over 250 acres of land in Mason, Miami Township and Batavia Township. Each will target different segments of the housing market with prices ranging from $200,000 to $1 million. The homes will cost a combined $175 million to build over the next several years. Silverman's Hal Homes subsidiary hopes to sell 30 to 40 homes at the Mason and Miami Township developments next year. It plans to bring the larger Batavia Township development online in the fall of 2007. MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/11/20/story5.html?page=2&b=1163998800^1377952
November 21, 200618 yr ^regarding that article above there is still weak overall job creation thus a lack of new regional influx so new housing development will have the overwhelming percentage of its share concentrated with movement of existing home owners to these new sub divisions.
November 27, 200618 yr Author East Walnut Hills: New retail NE corner of McMillan and Victory The owners of the Skyline Chili at 1202 E McMillan St are planning a retail development consisting of a new Skyline Chili and several other retail/restaurant storefronts. To begin the process, they were seeking a zoning change for the properties at 1202 E McMillan St (Skyline), 1216 E McMillan St (Cinelect union building), and 2516 Victory Pw (Clermont Pharmacy). The zoning would change from OG Office General and CC-M Commercial Community-Mixed to CC-A Commercial Community-Auto. As it stands now, the Clermont Pharmacy property is not part of the proposed development. However, it is surrounded on all sides by the other two properties, and talks have been ongoing about possibly including it. (Let's hope so.) Though I have seen no plans, the zoning that they're seeking screams "strip center". (Though the main argument for CC-A is that it may be necessary, due to topography, to put drive-through facilities in front of buildings, which is not allowed within other zoning categories.) Even the East Walnut Hills Area Assembly (EWHAA), who supported this project in general, wss opposed to the rezoning because of its auto-oriented nature. They do not believe that it is a proper use for land bordering a parkway. The EWHAA and the developer came to a compromise--the Cinelect property at 1216 E McMillan would be rezoned to CC-M, making all of the properties on that corner CC-M. The developer could then seek a variance for the drive-through uses. The City Planning Commission approved this compromise. The architect is currently working on site plans and working with DOTE to insure that the ingress and egress issuesare hammered out. (Cinelect and Clermont Pharmacy buildings) Round-up: City of Cincinnati AVONDALE The rehab of 849 Rockdale Ave is complete. The home, built in 1896, has been converted from a two-family to a single-family and is on the market for slightly less than $100,000. In 2005 it was assessed at just over $95,000 but deteriorated to the point that it was purchased in May 2006 for $8,000. CLIFTON/CORRYVILLE Major Changes Begin Tuesday on MLK Construction Project UC News, 11/20/06 The City of Cincinnati is improving Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in order to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for motorists at the intersection with Jefferson Avenue and Vine Street. New lane restrictions will begin on Tuesday, November 21. This phase of the project will last for about two months; however, these detours are expected to be maintained until August 2007. Two lanes of traffic will remain open in both directions on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive during this phase of construction.Cars traveling north on Jefferson Avenue will be able to access MLK, Jr. Drive from the Jefferson Avenue Connector (this connector is currently used by cars traveling northbound on Jefferson Ave. wanting to head westbound on MLK, Jr. Drive.). From there, cars can turn east or west onto MLK, Jr. Drive. A section of Jefferson Avenue will be closed from the Jefferson Avenue Connector to MLK, Jr. Drive. This closure is expected to last about two months. There will be additional changes in how traffic will access, exit and cross Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive: * From eastbound MLK, Jr. Dr. to northbound Vine St.: Traffic will be detoured east of Vine Street to Eden Avenue. Traffic will proceed north on Eden to westbound Goodman Street. From Goodman, cars can access northbound Vine Street. * From northbound Jefferson Ave. to northbound Vine St.: Traffic will turn east onto MLK, Jr. Dr., then proceed to Eden Avenue. Traffic will proceed north on Eden to westbound Goodman Street. From Goodman, cars can access northbound Vine Street. * From southbound Vine St. to Jefferson Avenue: Traffic will turn west onto MLK, Jr. Drive and south onto the Jefferson Ave. Connector. COLLEGE HILL After being vacant for over a year, 1301 Cedar Ave has a new owner. It looks like this will become a rental property. In fact, the city had ordered it vacant but, upon inspection, found a tenant had been moved in. Apparently the structure is in good enough condition. EAST PRICE HILL 704 Hawthorne Ave has been rehabbed. It had been vacated by the city in February 2006. The owner lost it in foreclosure and the new buyer rescued it in July 2006. EVANSTON 1868 Kinney Ave is being converted from a four-family to a three-family, pending building plan approval. The work will combine the two first-floor apartments including Apartment 1, which has serious code issues. LOWER PRICE HILL A public hearing regarding the multi-family at 2129 Staebler St has been scheduled for December 1, 2006 after several stays. The building has been kept vacant/condemned for a number of years and has been a danger to children around the Oyler School area. Recently, new owners have started work. New windows have been installed, as well as new gutters and downspouts. The masonry has been tuck-pointed and the building is barricaded. These owners plan on applying for a VBML soon, which would eliminate the need for the public hearing. This building was recommended for demolition in April 2006. Now it looks like it might have been saved. MILLVALE The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority is currently accepting bids for the modernization of 4 buildings (24 units) in Millvale South. Bids will be accepted until December 14, 2006. PRICE HILL After 13 months on the market, 1532 Beech Ave has been purchased from Fannie Mae for $9,000. The adjacent vacant parcel at 1530 Beech was also included. It looks like this will turn out to be a rental property. SOUTH FAIRMOUNT 2486 Seegar Ave is supposed to be razed. Condemned for years, it was declared a public nuisance in May 2006. Throughout that time it has had multiple owners who have tried to evade the City. The building lacked almost everything that makes a building a building, except for four walls and a roof. Intent to Raze came in August 2006. I believe they are now doing asbestos abatement. (House built in 1891.) More of South Fairmount dies. WALNUT HILLS 2226 Park Ave is getting some work done on it. I have seen some porch work and work on the front stairs. Round-up: Metro ANDERSON TWP The Anderson Township Zoning Commission will be holding a public hearing on November 27, 2006 regarding a final development plan for Beechwood Terrace, an 87-bed skilled nursing facility to be located at the corner of Mt. Carmel and Beechwood roads. The applicant, Clint Baggette of Harrel PPB, LLC, proposes a 64,750-square-foot building on 5.41 acres. BROWN COUNTY Forum set for Brown County Thoroughfare Plan Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 11/22/06 Following the study and development of a transportation plan for Brown County, the Ohio Department of Transportation will host a public meeting to present the findings of the Brown County Thoroughfare Plan. The public meeting will be held Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Gaslight Theater in Georgetown, 301 S. Main St. The purpose of the meeting is to share the results of the study and present recommendations to the local community. "The Brown County Thoroughfare Plan is a study of the existing transportation network and the potential future needs of the area," said Todd Long, ODOT District 9 planning administrator. "It is important to note that while we have the outcome of the study and recommendations for Brown County, we do not have any specific highway projects slated as a result of the study." Initiated in March of this year, the Brown County Thoroughfare Plan assesses long-term transportation needs, and it involves an analysis of safety and congestion issues on the state and federal highway system, as well as land use and growth in the county and regional connectivity with the city of Cincinnati and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The recommendations in this plan were made based on input from a variety of sources, including advice from a stakeholder committee comprised of elected officials, local government representatives and major employers. The plan also comprises suggestions from comments received during a public meeting held in May and public survey responses. BROWN COUNTY Sterling Twp.:Land Use Plan draws criticism, praise Georgetown News Democrat, 11/26/06 The subject of land zoning, commonly referred to locally as the "z" word, for residents in many parts of Brown County is one preferably avoided. But there is one township in the county that has been looking very closely into the adoption of a Land Use Plan, which tends to be more lenient than zoning. On Nov. 16, 45 people crowded into Bloomrose Church in Sterling Township to voice their opinions on the township trustees plans to adopt a Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The process would involve the creation of a Land Use Plan Guide, which designates specific areas of the township for specific use, as well as other things. The Sterling Township trustees welcomed John E. "Jack" Pflum, vice president of Edwards and Kelcey of Cincinnati, to share his knowledge of a Land Use Plan with concerned Sterling Township residents. Edwards and Kelcey specializes in engineering, architectural, planning and construction. According to Pflum, making changes to a Land Use Plan can be a simpler process than making changes to zoning plan. COLERAIN TWP Sidewalk variances requested for two Colerain Township projects Northwest Press, 11/15/06 Colerain Township trustees had two different requests to participate in the new sidewalk variance program this week. The new program allows developers with sidewalks that are difficult to install or don't connect to other sidewalks to pay into a sidewalk fund in lieu of building sidewalks that would be impractical to install or not used by pedestrians because of their location or isolation from other sidewalks. The money in the sidewalk fund will build and maintain sidewalks in areas of the township that need them. The new SuperAmerica at Springdale and Pippin roads, wants a waiver for sidewalks along the Pippin Road side of the project. Zac Snyder, project manager for Marathon Oil, asked the board to allow participation in the program. COVINGTON 401 E 16th St has been rehabbed. This is a 5-unit building. COVINGTON OFFICE BUILDING GOING UP AT MORE CENTRE Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/26/06 Paul Hemmer Cos. plans to build a medical and professional building on a 9-acre site on Chancellor Drive at the Thomas More Centre. The $8 million project, to be called Chancellor Commons Building C, will be about 45,000 square feet and designed for doctors, lawyers, accountants and other professional services clients. Two existing buildings in the Chancellor Commons development total nearly 90,000 square feet and are almost fully occupied, said Jack Levermann, vice president of real estate and development at Paul Hemmer. He said the new building will allow the company to fill a demand for medical and professional office space at its 160-acre Thomas More Centre office park. Construction is to be completed by spring 2008. DELHI TWP Weather derails skate park completion Delhi Press, 11/22/06 If the weather cooperates, the new skate park at Delhi Township Park should be ready to roll next month. Taking over the old tennis courts adjacent the concession stand in the park, the skate facility has been delayed because of rain. "Rain and mud have been our biggest problems," said Jeremy Stump of Suburban Rails, the company building the park. Work started in October and was scheduled to be finished by now. "If it continues to be nice, weatherwise, we should be finished by mid December," Stump said. FOREST PARK City takes steps toward redevelopment Hilltop Press, 11/22/06 City officials are in the midst of a community assessment that could lead to redevelopment projects throughout Forest Park for years to come. The city's strategic redevelopment assessment began in August with Property Advisors Real Estate Consulting Co. conducting a residential market study to determine areas in which the city could focus on redeveloping. The market study is the first of five phases to be completed before the city begins redevelopment. Phase one is the market study, completed in early November. Consultants looked at the overall community and identified areas, niches and opportunities throughout the city. City Manager Ray Hodges said city council is looking at 12 locations as targets for community redevelopment. He said the city would choose a site based on which of the 12 would provide the greatest financial and quality of life return as well as which one would benefit most from the involvement of local government. "We're looking at those areas that may need an extra boost," he said. Phase two involves strategic planning. Community Development Director Chris Anderson said that by the end of this step, the council should know which city property will be developed. Hodges said phase two will narrow the city's focus, with the consultants helping to determine what redevelopment project would go best with each property. HAMILTON TWP Ball fields will get renovated, renamed Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/26/06 Hamilton Township's ball fields will be renovated and renamed in honor of Kevin Barnhill, a Little Miami High School graduate who was stabbed to death this summer. As a youth, Barnhill played Knothole, soccer and baseball at Testerman Park. Now, the Warren County Community Foundation and the Reds Community Fund are teaming up through the Kevin C. Barnhill Memorial Scholarship Fund to give the park a face lift. The six major baseball fields will be resurfaced and a "championship field" will be built and named the Kevin C. Barnhill Memorial Field. Renovations are being funded by the Reds and are expected to be completed by the beginning of the baseball season in 2007. The community will seek donations to develop the championship field. LOCKLAND 714 Walnut St has been renovated and updated. This is now a clean and safe affordable housing option. MT HEALTHY Not too noteworthy, but it is near me--7414 Hickman St has owners. I think the house, built around 1865, has been vacant for a couple of years. The new owners also bought another house just down the street in July. Like I said, it's not noteworthy but I do like the house. NEWPORT The Campbell County Development Board is accepting proposals to renovate and to add an annex to the County Court House. Proposals are being accepted until November 28. 2006. NEW RICHMOND Historic Rogers home being restored in New Richmond Clermont Sun, 11/24/06 The historically significant Rogers riverfront home in New Richmond is being restored. Purchased and saved from demolition in September by New Richmond native and economic development expert Robert Lees, the restoration has been underway for the past 60 days. "I was born and raised only a couple of houses up the street from the old Roger's house," said Lees. "As a child, my friends and I would play along the riverbank behind the home. I have bought the property and am saving the home not only for nostalgic reasons, but because it represents a vibrant part of New Richmond's history." Lees has hired S&K Contractors to renovate the building as close to its original condition as possible. "There is not much that you can save in an old building like this, but we are doing our best to restore it and keep it as close to the original condition as we possibly can," said S&K site foreman Glen Hampton. "We will have to of course modernize it, but our goal is to keep as much of the historical feel as possible." NEW RICHMOND New Richmond pursues development Clermont Sun, 11/24/06 "New Richmond is ready to explode, it only needs the right fuse to ignite it." These were the words spoken by New Richmond resident, councilman, and former mayor Nick Wolf at the village's third economic development meeting Nov. 18. For six months, village residents have been formulating plans to locate that fuse and revitalize the village with an explosive economic development plan. In July, the initiative kicked off with a public meeting; the newly-formed economic development steering committee introduced the project and solicited ideas and suggestions from the public at that time. The second phase of the initiative was to have those concerned residents (some 30 in all) volunteer and sign up for seven areas of public interest and expertise.
November 27, 200618 yr Grasscat - thanks so much for yet another astonishingly thorough update! Not very exciting about that McMillan & Victory development, but I guess it's at least investment in the area...now if someone would just move a few blocks west...
November 27, 200618 yr I've scoured the forum and figured this would be the most logical place to pose this question. What is going with the MLK Road construction? They've pretty much shut the intersections of Jefferson/Vine/MLK recently. I've not seen any plans or sketches. Are they available? I just want to know whats going on. Thanks
November 27, 200618 yr This was in the paper the other day. Not much info, I would call the Dept. of Public Works if you want any additional info. Traffic detours on MLK Jr. Drive THE ENQUIRER Lane restrictions and detours will be in effect on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Jefferson Avenue beginning today to allow for road improvements. Cars traveling through the Jefferson Avenue/Vine Street section of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive will have to take modified detours. Two lanes of traffic will remain open in both directions on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Vehicles traveling north on Jefferson Avenue will be able to access Martin Luther King Drive from the Jefferson Avenue Connector. Detours are expected to be maintained until August. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061121/NEWS01/611210396/-1/all
November 27, 200618 yr Thanks...I was kind of hoping maybe someone on this forum would have some internal knowledge maybe.
November 27, 200618 yr ^ from the looks of the construction I'm assuming that they will be making all of the turns for MLK/Jefferson to be at the intersection. Thus, eliminating the Jefferson connector the article mentioned. I know they are moving the enterance to the epa further west, where a new traffic signal is installed. Also you will be able to turn east and west onto MLK from Short Vine, previously you could only turn eastbound.
November 27, 200618 yr Yeah, that whole intersection could definitely do with some simplification - it's a huge cluster farg right now...
December 1, 200618 yr Author A similar story was posted by TCK. This one, from the 11/16/06 Price Hill Press, includes a graphic: GRAPHIC: Conceptual plan Concept plan presented for 1206 Dewey Ave. BY KURT BACKSCHEIDER | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER PRICE HILL - What was once a major neighborhood problem will now become a positive development for the Glenway Avenue business district. At the Price Hill Civic Club meeting Tuesday, Nov. 14, president Pete Witte presented the initial concept plans for redeveloping the property at 1206 Dewey Ave., which sits at the corner of Dewey and Glenway avenues. Witte said the vacant storefronts and dilapidated apartment units at 1206 Dewey Ave. were an epicenter for crime and disorderly conduct. In 2004, the police were called to the address more than 200 times. "Dewey and Glenway was our blight," he said. "It was everything negative that could be happening to us based on irresponsible property ownership, irresponsible tenants and just the overall condition of the property itself. It was a complete poke in the eye for Price Hill." MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061116/NEWS01/611160416/1140/Local From the 11/15/06 Enquirer: RENDERING: Fairfield Golf Course is in line for a new clubhouse, pro shop and concessions area by next fall. Rendering provided New clubhouse on the way BY SUE KIESEWETTER | ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR FAIRFIELD - Construction is expected to begin by year's end on a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse for Fairfield's golfers. It would replace the outdated John Gray Road clubhouse and pro shop, which would be leveled to make room for the new building. Money for the project, estimated to cost $2.2 million, has been allocated through the city's capital improvements program. City Council on Monday held first reading of ordinances awarding contracts for general contracting, electrical, and plumbing/HVAC work. Planned is a one-story structure with no basement that would house both the grill/concession area and pro shop. It would also accommodate banquets, weddings or other events for up to about 150 guests, said Bob Schappacher, facilities manager. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061115/NEWS01/611150359/1056/COL02 From the 11/17/06 Oxford Press: Work continuing on Community Arts Center By Brian Byrne Staff Writer Friday, November 17, 2006 Oxford's Community Arts Center has continued its extensive renovation projects through the fall, gradually making the building accessible for all visitors. Phase I renovations began in the summer with the primary intent of improving the handicap accessibility to the building that dates back to 1849 when it served as the home of the Oxford College for Women. A handicap-accessible women's restroom was recently completed, with a men's restroom in the beginning stages of construction. A major component of the restroom renovations includes installing modern plumbing, as the systems installed in the 1920s are situated above the floor and restricts accessibility. A four-story elevator shaft has been completed despite several obstacles that are common in renovations of buildings of this age. While constructing the shaft, it was discovered that not all of the floors were entirely level, forcing the builders to even them before moving on with the project. MORE: http://www.oxfordpress.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/11/16/op111706artcenter.html
December 2, 200618 yr Author From the 11/25/06 Middletown Journal: Schools construction on schedule By Ed Richter Staff Writer Sunday, November 26, 2006 Construction on the Middletown City School District's newest buildings are on schedule and on budget, district officials and construction managers say. Miller Ridge, Wildwood and Mayfield elementary school buildings' projects are the second phase of new school construction in the district. Fifty percent of the Miller Ridge building is complete, said project manager Nate Minnich-Weber of Quandel Group/ProjDel, who updated the Board of Education Monday on the progress on all three new schools. At Miller Ridge, 90 percent of the exterior brick work has been completed and 100 percent of the steel trusses have been installed at the site, which is expected to be completed by July 13. MORE: http://www.middletownjournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/11/26/mj112506schoolconstruction.html From the 11/26/06 Enquirer: Way cleared for new flea market BY RYAN CLARK | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER RICHWOOD - From the interstate, it looks like a pile of debris. But Mike Stallings says there is progress being made at the Richwood Flea Market site. There, work crews have demolished the remains of the old market, which was destroyed by storm winds last spring. Now, the site is being cleared to begin construction next week, said Stallings, co-owner of the market. The project is scheduled to be completed in February, he said. The flea market was devastated in the spring by 76-mph winds that left a gaping scar in the building. The National Weather Service blamed the damage on straight-line winds, and said they were the strongest recorded in a series of storm systems that did extensive damage in Kentucky and Ohio. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20061126/NEWS0103/611260404
December 4, 200618 yr Author PHOTO UPDATE Mount Lookout: 3646 Heekin Ave Two photos of the Chrisman Homes project from November 28, 2006. LAST UPDATE (8/26/05) East End: 3960-3966 Eastern Ave Here is a post-demolition photo of the site at 3960-3966 Eastern Ave (corner of Eastern and McCullough). This site was once occupied by buildings from the 1870s and 1880s. The buildings were condemned. Meanwhile, the owner was looking for city funding to build a residential project on the site. It seems that he had no interest in repairing or maintaining the condemned buildings, so he had them torn down. There is no plan in place for redevelopment of the parcels, and no city money forthcoming. Pictured below are 3960 Eastern, 3962 Eastern, and 3964-3966 Eastern. Round-up: City of Cincinnati EAST PRICE HILL After foreclosure and a year vacant and on the market, 1019 Wells St has been sold to an investor for $18,100. The home, built in 1880, is up to code but needs a lot of cosmetic work. EAST PRICE HILL Meyer Management has assumed control of 921 McPherson Ave, a two-family built in 1887. Meyer has a lot of pretty crappy properties around the city, and this one is destined to join the club. EAST PRICE HILL It's hard to tell, but 1016 Underwood Pl has been rehabbed. EVANSTON 1611 Jonathan Ave has been rehabbed. I'm not sure that I like the job. The "before" house had more charm, while the new version is basic and unadorned. Still, the house is in better shape. EVANSTON Starting soon, the multi-family at 3121 Durrell Ave will be converted from a five-family to a three-family. There will be one apartment per floor. (The building is 3676 square feet.) FAIRVIEW 2629 Halstead St may be coming down soon. The property had a fire in April 2006. The owner told the city that a buyer was going to come forth and buy the building as is. The city barricaded it and a new owner did purchase it in July 2006. However, no plans have materialized from this new owner on how to fix the building and they have not responded to B&I inquiries. I would expect a hearing soon. NORTHSIDE A great job was done on the rehab of 1579 Pullan Ave. NORTHSIDE 1711 Jo Williams St has been updated. PLEASANT RIDGE A New Look for Pleasant Ridge Branch Library Cincinnati.com (reader submitted), 11/28/06 Members of Local Businesses and Area Residents Contribute to Landscaping Makeover During October overgrown shrubbery and old evergreens were replaced with new plantings at the Pleasant Ridge Branch Library. Proposed by the Community Library Committee of the Pleasant Ridge Community Council, the landscape makeover is one piece of the capital project approved by the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County Board of Trustees to renovate the branch and provide handicap accessibility for area residents. A new irrigation system will be installed and funded by the Public Library as part of a collaborative venture. Donations of services and materials from generous professionals and businesses make this project possible: Martha Wassermann Landscape, Design & Services,L.C.C. (landscape design), Jeff Dapper Landscape & Design, L.C.C. (removal of old shrubbery), Natorp’s (discounted cost of plantings), Harry Ewers & Sons (mulch), Bzak Landscaping Services (compost), Perfect Cut Tree Service (tree service) Funds donated specifically for this project were received from Natorp’s, Pleasant Ridge Garden Club, and other area residents. SOUTH FAIRMOUNT Last week I mentioned 2486 Seegar Ave. Its neighbor, 2488 Seegar Ave, was demolished about a week ago. The house, which was condemned and has been vacant since August 2004, had a cracked and failing foundation, wall failure and was routinely open. WESTWOOD After foreclosure and 9 months on the market, 3358 Cavanaugh Ave has sold to an investor for $9,800. The mortgage company lost over $30,000 on the deal, and this guy gets a house that's up to code for about 1/8th of its 2005 appraised value. Round-up: Metro AMBERLEY VILLAGE Amberley's renewed path proposal stirs debate Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/27/06 A proposal to build a hike-and-bike path along busy Section Road in the southwestern part of the village is sparking a debate again between supporters and opponents. Amberley Village officials rejected the proposal 12 years ago because of engineering challenges involved in the project. But at the urging of some residents, the village has pulled the hike/bike path proposal off the shelf and will reconsider it. The 1½-mile path would run along Section Road from Ridge Road to Elbrook Avenue and on Ridge Road from Section to the south village border near Losantaridge Avenue. The main proponents of the proposal 12 years ago were the village's Orthodox Jews, who don't drive motorized vehicles to synagogue on the Sabbath and some Jewish holidays. Some Conservative Jews in Amberley, which has a large Jewish population, also observe that practice. BETHEL Bethel council to look at municipal building plans Clermont Sun, 12/1/06 Sometime in late December or early January the Bethel Village Council will interview a pair of engineering firms concerning plans to build a new village municipal building. Recently, the village purchased three properties to the north of the current municipal building in order to build the new structure, which will replace an aging and crumbling structure that is currently being used as the village headquarters. "The new building, there are two design firms who have taken an interest in this," said councilman Tim Cherry. "That's CDS Associations and Brandsetter and Carroll. Both of these have expressed interest in the design of the new building and the development of the master plan for Burke Park." Cherry also said that options would have to be examined concerning the possible donation of two historic log cabins that are located in Bethel's Burke Park. The cabins, which have fallen into disrepair, have been sought after by both a historical society and private individuals. A local group of history enthusiasts have been working to find a way to save the structures and keep them local. CLERMONT COUNTY Hike-bike trail project underway Clermont Sun, 12/1/06 The first phase of the proposed $4 million 15-mile hiking/biking trail between the villages of Williamsburg and Batavia is now underway. Phase one consists of the engineering and design work for the first part of the trail that will connect Williamsburg to the East Fork State Park Campground. According to Clermont Park District District Director Chris Clingman, partial funding for the trail has been secured through a $240,000 Federal Highway Administration Improvement grant and an additional $85,000 has been received from Ohio's capital improvement budget. "We are seeking additional grant funds," he said. "But local matching funds will be needed to secure more grants." The trail committee has estimated that a local match of an additional $250,000 is needed to complete phase one of the trail. CVG Airport plans to improve park Boone Community Recorder, 11/21/06 The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is planning to upgrade a park on its grounds, including honoring its retirees and its longtime aviation director. The park is on the south side of the airport's airfield that has been used by groups as part of tours, according to Rita Wetterstroem, the airport's director of human resources. Wetterstroem said the park will be beautified and "make it a nicer area for the tours" with an aviation theme. A wall will be built that will honor the Kenton County Airport Board's retirees, the organization that operates the airport. "We also want to make it more into an educational area," she said. That will be accomplished by having information in the park about environmental issues, the airport's history and aviation history. There also will be a paved area that will resemble a runway. DEARBORN COUNTY Time to talk land use plan Aurora Journal-Press, 11/30/06 Dearborn County officials will host an interactive open house to discuss revisions and additions to the land use element of the county’s current comprehensive plan from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, in the Sunman-Dearborn Middle School cafeteria, 8356 Schuman Road, St. Leon. The event is the first in a series of public meetings planned throughout the community in the next few months. County officials and staff will be present to discuss the driving purposes in evaluating and formulating a future land use component to the county’s comprehensive plan and to share the recommendations and findings from a 60-person advisory committee. The committee has already dedicated 320 hours of service in the past 1 1/2 years. Officials and staff also will be on hand to discuss interrelated studies and efforts and most importantly to solicit feedback from all interested persons and parties. FOREST PARK Winton Woods schools may be realigned Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/29/06 Winton Woods elementary school students might be changing schools throughout childhood if the district revamps its elementary schools into grade-level buildings. Superintendent Camille Nasbe recommended Monday night that Winton Woods close Cameron Park Elementary because the building is too costly to renovate. She also recommended that the district convert its other elementary buildings into specific grades. The change means grade school students would switch school three times before middle school, which prompted some parents to object to the plan at the meeting. Larry Parks, of Springfield Township, told the board that he might take his sons to other schools rather than separate them. Both attend Lakeside Elementary. "We cannot jeopardize or risk their potential," he said. "We are causing an otherwise excellent school system to be dismantled and rebuilt while my children are there. That is unacceptable." INDEPENDENCE Independence receives more sidewalk money Kenton Community Recorder, 11/27/06 The city announced that they have received an additional $130,000 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to continue placing sidewalks along Madison Pike. The council voted unanimously at their Nov. 20 meeting to authorize Mayor Chris Moriconi to accept the money, which will go toward Phase III of the Renaissance Construction Project. Moriconi said the goal of the Renaissance Construction Project is to have sidewalks from "school-to school", meaning from the north side of Madison Pike at Summit View Elementary down to Kenton Elementary. He said the sidewalks will help maintain the city's historic areas which will become low-traffic upon completion of the new Ky. 17. The council as also expressed interest in revitalizing the downtown area to make it more family-friendly, with outdoor dining and decorative landscaping. "This is good news that we've received this money," said Moriconi. "We're very pleased that we're keeping this project going, and that the state is recognizing the importance of it." City clerk Pat Taney said the project will likely be put out to bid after the first of the year, and actual construction work would likely begin in late spring or early summer. INDIAN HILL Remington Rd (OH-126) has reopened to traffic. It has been closed since summer for culvert replacement and landslide abatement. LOVELAND Loveland tries annexation again, only without high school Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/1/06 After wanting for years to annex property in the Loveland High School area, the city is asking again, but this time without the school land itself. Officials have filed a petition with the Hamilton County commissioners that seeks the annexation of Boike Park, which abuts the school land, and land across the street known as the Mather property. The city already owns both, though they lie in Symmes Township. But because both are in the township, the city doesn't have control over them in the same way it has controls of land within the city. The city police and firefighters don't respond there and the city planning and zoning boards don't have authority outside the city. The move is important, City Manager Tom Carroll said, in case the city decides to put its proposed swimming pool in Boike Park, the spot that has become the front-runner for that project. Committee members working on the pool plan are pushing to quickly finish it so the city can be ready, if necessary, to put a levy on the ballot in 2007 to pay for it. Cincinnati Enquirer: Loveland pool levy up for discussion (11/27/06) MARIEMONT Council to hold meeting on Resthaven renovation Eastern Hills Journal, 11/28/06 Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastro is concerned the bid to renovate the Resthaven Barn will not be enough to finish it properly. Policastro asked Mariemont Village councilmembers to meet as a committee of the whole with a representative of the Cincinnati Women's Art Club Foundation to discuss the project. The meeting, tentatively scheduled for 7 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4, in council chambers, would be open to the public. The club had bid $50,000 to renovate one floor of the building. Policastro said he had been told by others the renovation would cost between $1 million and $2 million. MIAMI TWP (Clermont County) New civic center opens on Saturday Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/29/06 Residents of Miami Township in Clermont County don't have to wait until Christmas to unwrap this year's big present. Trustees will dedicate the new, 38,000-square-foot Civic Center and hold an open house at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. From 4 to 8 p.m., children can visit with Santa Claus, decorate cookies, have their faces painted and make holiday crafts. The Miami Township Christmas tree will be lighted at 7:15 p.m. Acquired for $2.35 million in December 2004, the building at 6101 Meijer Drive has undergone a $1.39 million renovation. The center is available for use by local nonprofit groups and for business or organizational meetings. MIAMI TWP (Clermont County) Clermont County amphitheater planned Cincinnati Enquirer, 11/30/06 The next time the Clermont Philharmonic Orchestra strikes up the band here, it could be in an outdoor amphitheater. One will be built in Community Park next year. The cost hasn't been determined, but a $50,000 grant has been lined up from the state to cover at least some of it. Katie Turning, a member of the orchestra's board of directors, said a fund-raising concert might be scheduled to help with construction costs. An amphitheater in the 17-acre park at 5951 Buckwheat Road could be used for occasional concerts by the orchestra, which usually performs with 55 musicians. The rest of the time, the building would be used as a picnic shelter. While other township parks were considered, "Community Park is centrally located and where we've tended to have most of the concerts anyway," said Edwin H. Humphrey, president of the township board of trustees. "We have parking there and across the street at Mulberry Elementary School." MT HEALTHY Mount Healthy board finalizes February bond levy Hilltop Press, 11/29/06 The Mount Healthy Board of Education took the final step Nov. 20 to put a $33 million bond issue back on the ballot in February. The district asked voters to support a $33 million bond issue in November to allow the district to consolidate its buildings from eight to three. According to unofficial results from the Hamilton County Board of Elections, the issue lost by about 110 votes. School officials want to follow a plan that would cost about $90 million to build three new buildings to replace the eight buildings currently used by the district. The Ohio Facilities Commission is set to pay $57 million of the cost. The $33 million represents the school district's share of the project. Superintendent David Horine said the district has a one-year window to pass this issue and take advantage of $57 million in state funds. School officials say the consolidation could save the district about $1.5 million in annual operating costs. OXFORD Walgreens builds in Oxford Miami Student, 11/10/06 As the new CVS in Stewart Square prepares to open, Oxford gets ready to welcome another drug store with construction of a Walgreens pharmacy on the corner of Locust and Spring streets underway. Walgreens' $3-5 million plan for constructing a 14,820-square-foot site is well on track, and the new pharmacy is expected to open by midsummer of 2007, according to Walgreens corporate spokesperson Carol Hively. Walgreens has 200 stores in Ohio and is building in Oxford as part of its ongoing state expansion project. The Oxford store will employ approximately 25 to 30 people and is expected to average more than $7 million in annual sales, according to the Walgreens' sales and earnings fact sheet on the company's Web site. Features of the coming Walgreens will include a drive-thru pharmacy, photo processing center and fountain drink station. But according to project developer Nat Stark, the store will be not open 24 hours a day like many Walgreens in other locations. With Kroger, Wal-Mart, CVS and now a Walgreens, when driving around the city of Oxford, it is hard to miss the abundance of pharmacies. ST BERNARD The city of St. Bernard is currently accepting bids for a gateway wall project. What this project will look like or where it will be placed is unknown to me. My guess is that it will be some sort of brick "Welcome" sign and that it will be somewhere on Vine St. Bids are being accepted until December 11, 2006. SHARONVILLE Sharonville wants to make theater center-stage Tri-County Press, 11/30/06 Bill Lewis, who spent much of his childhood living in the apartment above the Act One Theater on Main Street in Sharonville, stepped to the microphone to speak in front of Sharonville council Nov. 28 on behalf of restoring the crumbling theater. "I'm the kid that grew up in there and caused mischief for 10 years," he said with a chuckle. "But that is not a reason for saving it ... We have a number of gems here and that theater is one of them. It's got a place in the history of Sharonville and it still can. "Even though that was my home, I am so ashamed to admit I lived in it. It is blight." The theater has definitely seen better days, and that's exactly why Sharonville and the Sharonville Fine Arts Council want to partner in restoration efforts and have the theater up and running as a live playhouse by the end of next year. The Fine Arts Council, a non-profit organization, volunteered to take on the project, but is having difficulty raising the capital necessary for the $1.4 million project, Sharonville Mayor Virgil Lovitt said. They do have renderings drawn for the completed theater, and know the scope of remodeling work that needs done.
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