January 13, 200718 yr Zip Dip red tape to be discussed BY CLIFF RADEL | [email protected] January 13, 2007 CINCINNATI - There has to be a common sense way to help the Zip Dip. So says Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, who said today that the commission will discuss the plight of the West Side icon on Jan. 22. "The bottom line is that we are not going to stand by and allow a community icon to incur an extraordinary expense," Portune said. Portune was reacting to news, published in today's Enquirer, that the Zip Dip could wind up paying $300,000 to move the soft-serve ice cream stand out of the way of a potential widening of Harrison Avenue. And should such a move occur, the business would no longer be allowed to keep its distinctive roof-top neon sign. The changes would be required to make the Zip Dip conform to zoning standards and road plans that were established long after the business opened 57 years ago, according to county officials. Exactly what action the county commission could take remains to be seen. One option suggested by Portune would be to change the plans for widening Harrison Avenue so that the Zip Dip would not have to move. Another would be to allow owner Chris Torbeck to keep the Zip Dip sign on the roof even if the business has to move. Currently, Torbeck envisions having to move the sign to a pole. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070113/NEWS01/301130012
January 13, 200718 yr I was told that this is nothing more than a misunderstanding, and that everyone is on good grounds with one another (Green Twp, Hamilton County, Zip Dip). However...I still smell a skunk!!! Green Twp has operated in twisted ways before to get what they want (see Legacy Place ballot proposal) and I think that this is another one of their doings. In the Harrison Ave corridor study that Green Twp had done it called for this section of Harrison Ave to be widened, how convenient it would be to move the business out of the way without using emminent domain on a neighborhood favorite/icon. I am wrong to think this....but the stench is still there.
January 15, 200718 yr Author PHOTO UPDATE Corryville: New townhomes on Rochelle, Eden and Vaughn These things are flying up. Two are still on the market. I'm also including the first rendering I've ever seen of the project. It looks like it will be clad in brick and will probably resemble the adjacent Stetson Square development. LAST UPDATE (12/18/06) PHOTO UPDATE Walnut Hills: 2101 Florence Ave The office building for Cornerstone Broker Insurance Services Agency is really coming along. LAST UPDATE (8/21/06) UPDATE Eastern Avenue renaming There will be a public hearing regarding the renaming of a portion of Eastern Ave on January 30. The meeting will take place at noon in front of the Economic Development Committee. The renaming would extend the name of Riverside Drive from its current end at the railroad underpass all the way down to the intersection of Eastern with Delta and Kellogg. LAST UPDATE (11/13/06) Round-up: City of Cincinnati CLIFTON HEIGHTS There may be hope for the condemned building at 2139 Vine St. The case has been in and out of the Board of Appeals, but it appears that the owner now has plans for the rehab. I believe she has permits. However, I'm not aware if this will be a full rehab or just a "bring it up to code". There are permits for electrical work. Take that for what it's worth. NORTHSIDE 1504 Chase Ave was undergoing rehab, but it seems to have stalled. Some demo work has been done, but there's no possibility of it getting tenants in its current condition. (no photo) NORTHSIDE 1641 Knowlton St is supposed to be demolished. I'm not sure if it has or hasn't been. Sadly, I can find no evidence on why this demo has/had to be done. It sits on the mostly vacant corner of Knowlton and Turill and is owned by Adco Realty, which also owns the surrounding properties. Perhaps they are assembling lots. OAKLEY Boulder Construction has purchased the vacant lot at 3311 South Sterling Way. This may be an infill project. ROSELAWN 1547 Northwood Dr. Nice job on your rehab, people. You somehow managed to make a rehabbed property look WORSE. Round-up: Metro ALEXANDRIA Alexandria votes against annexing development Alexandria Recorder, 1/5/07 Alexandria City Council blocked a developer's request to build a 76 home development in the city. By a 4-1 vote on Thursday Jan. 4, council rejected Grand Communities' request to annex 15.6 acres of land off Persimmon Grove Pike. Grand Communities is a Fischer Group company. To proceed, a portion of the development known as Whistler's Point, would have to be built partially in the county and partially inside the city limits under different sets of zoning regulations. Mark Lehmann, a project planner for Fischer Development Co., declined to comment about what he thought of council's decision. "It takes us to the county," Lehmann said. ALEXANDRIA Alexandria development could spur retail Alexandria Recorder, 1/9/07 City and business leaders expect a planned 916 unit housing development to give restaurants and retailers an enticing reason to set up shop in Alexandria. Alexandria City Council approved on the annexation of 261 acres at the northwestern edge of the city on Thursday, Jan. 4 that would be part of the planned development named Arcadia. Council also approved two ordinances to zone the property, and another parcel that will be used for the development, as a Planned Unit Development zone. Drees Homes and Fischer Homes have partnered under the name Tollgate Development on the project that is expected to take 7-10 years to fully complete. To build Arcadia, the developer will extend Pat Fanning Way toward Tollgate Road in an area almost directly across Alexandria Pike from the Alexandria Village Green Shopping Center. "I think it will be beneficial to Alexandria," said Councilman Stacey Graus. ANDERSON TWP New Horizon building momentum in Anderson Forest Hills Journal, 1/12/07 Horizon Church is closing in on moving its location outside of Indian Hill and onto the location of a former golf course in Anderson Township. Building team leader Trey Smith said Horizon serves about 150 families and is visited by 400 to 500 people each Sunday. The church has been set up in Cincinnati County Day School since its formation in the spring of 2001. He said with such a high number of people calling Horizon "home," the church has decided to build a new base of operations. Early in 2006, Horizon bought the Indian Valley Golf Course property, a 154-acre site at 3950 Newtown Road in Anderson Township. The church has hired an architect, CDH Partners in Atlanta, for the project and the firm is working on a conceptual design for the building. Horizon has created a bevy of "ideation teams" to gather ideas on what features should be included in the building. Smith said just some of the ideas for the church include a large atrium space, coffee shop, plenty of windows, a user-friendly entrance area and a flexible environment for conducting services that allows set changes. "It wouldn't be a typical podium, it'd be a stage environment," he said. ANDERSON TWP St. Joseph breaks ground on new building Forest Hills Journal, 1/5/07 The groundbreaking ceremony for a 10,000-square-foot building for St. Joseph Orphanage, Altercrest Campus, 274 Sutton Road, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14. In order to successfully move new graduates of the intensive group residential program at Altercrest back into the community, St. Joseph Orphanage is opening a new "step-down life skills honors program" focusing on continued education, work experiences, recreation skills, home economics and other activities of daily living. The building will house eight young men. The groundbreaking for new construction at St. Joseph Orphanage's Altercrest Campus represents the first public announcement of a $3.2 million capital campaign. The orphanage raised approximately 65 percent of the goal from a $1.87 million grant received from the Bessie Steele Trust via the National City Bank Trust Department, and from an anonymous donor who contributed $225,000. Approximately $1.5 million will be used to construct and equip the new building on the Altercrest campus, with $1 million spent on renovations of 45-year-old St. Joseph Villa in Monfort Heights and $700,000 to be raised for endowing programs that operate from the two campuses. BELLEVUE Truce may be near on church windows Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/10/07 A compromise may be reached between the city of Bellevue and a church over the removal of historic stained-glass windows. A priest wants to take the stained-glass windows from the vacant St. Anthony of Padua and place them in another church so they can continue to be used for worship. City officials want to keep the 100-year-old church largely intact. This dispute touched off a debate over a church's right to control its property and a community's right to protect the historical integrity of a neighborhood. St. Anthony's is in a local and national historic district, making major changes subject to review by the city's Historical Preservation Commission. BETHEL Bethel to hear from two firms on new village hall Clermont Sun, 1/11/07 The Bethel Village Council met Monday and discussed leveling the playing field for the owners of an apartment complex in the village. According to Michael Shiverski, Bethel village administrator, a property recently purchased by a Missouri company is being charged a commercial rate for water when it should be charged the lower residential rate. "The new owner is Yarco Company and they are out of Kansas City, Missouri," said Shiverki. "The purchased the property in July of 2006 along with a property in Owensville. They compared water rates and Bethel was much higher because the village is charging a commercial rate rather than a residential rate, although it is all residential properties. The reason behind that was it was rumored the past owners would charge up the water rate after they bought it from the village. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore." Shiverski said that the village could opt to revert billing back to a residential rate, or even require Yarco to sign an agreement not to add to the cost of the water they purchase from the village. "The solicitor and I discussed that, if we had some documentation from Yarco saying that they wouldn't mark it up, would council be willing to charge the residential rate," said Shiverski. CLEVES Three Rivers seeks input on schools Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/10/07 Three Rivers school board members will spend the month gauging what the community wants for school facilities. The board Monday discussed three options for future ballot issues, but took no action. Instead, members will attend village and town council meetings to discuss facilities, as well as conduct a parent survey. "They're going to have to make a decision no later than Jan. 30 if they're going to put something on the May ballot," Superintendent Rhonda Bohannon said. A special meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the board offices, 92 Cleves Ave., Cleves. Three Rivers lost a bond issue in August to build two schools to house all district students. ERLANGER Housing unit ready to buy Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/8/07 This city's housing corporation has taken its first steps toward providing affordable housing for low-income residents. The Erlanger Housing Corporation is buying a property on Rosebud Avenue. The corporation's nine-member board is hoping to close on the property sometime this month. "We've been taking things one step at a time and we're really excited to be purchasing this first property," said Councilman John Dunhoft, president of the housing initiative. "This first one will give us some experience we can use in the future." The city started the corporation in 2002 in partnership with Brighton Properties Inc., but the two split in October 2005. "We just had different ideas," Dunhoft said. EVENDALE Evendale questionnaire to grind out skatepark issue Tri-County Press, 1/5/07 Village officials are exploring the idea of building a skatepark. A questionnaire by Evendale's Recreation Department is seeking residents' input on possibly building a skatepark, as well as other recreational issues in the village. A resident came to a village council meeting more than a year ago and suggested building a skatepark, prompting the questionnaire, according to David Nichols, Evendale recreation director. Nichols called the questionnaire an exploratory process. The form asks respondents questions about what type of skatepark they would like to have built and with what materials, methods of funding, demographics and other related issues. FAIRFIELD Ex-Bengal kicks off athletic complex Hamilton JournalNews, 1/11/07 Former Cincinnati Bengals kicker Jim Breech will be the keynote speaker today during the Fairfield Athletic Training Complex kickoff event at Jungle Jim's International Market. "We are starting to get good RSVPs and we believe we will have support come forward," said Rob Amodio, interim assistant superintendent for the Fairfield City School District. The goal of the evening, held in the Oscar Event Center, is to raise the funds to support a $350,000 to $450,000 training facility that will serve the more than 30,000 high school athletes and physical education students who currently work out in a building they call "the cage" due to its cramped quarters. More than half the funding has been raised for the structure that will be paid for entirely by community members and organizations. Resident Nick Dadabo said he thinks this is a great cause for which to donate money. FORT THOMAS Fort Thomas resident hopes for memorial Fort Thomas Recorder, 1/8/07 Nancy Wehmeyer Miller wants the city to honor military veterans with a memorial in the center of town. Miller wrote a letter to the Fort Thomas City Council in November, urging them to look into a memorial. "My son lives in Blue Ash and they have a great big beautiful memorial there," Miller said. "Our city is a beautiful city that does beautiful things. We would be enhanced by this kind of memorial." City council voted unanimously to send Miller's letter and suggestion to the Midway Steering Committee, which will decide whether to make a veteran's memorial part of the Midway revitalization project. Fort Thomas City Administrator Don Martin, a member of the Midway Steering Committee, said the committee hasn't met since receiving Miller's letter, but it will be reviewed. GLENDALE Man to use new law to help restore home Tri-County Press, 1/4/07 When Larry Bonhaus restores his Congress Avenue home he plans to get 25 percent of the money he's sinking in to the construction in a refundable tax credit. A recently signed state bill allows owners of historic structures to obtain a refundable tax credit equal to 25 percent of the amount spent on restoration on structures listed as historic landmarks, located in a historic district or certified by the state historic preservation officer as being of historic significance to a district. "Basically, they're taking 25 percent off of the cost of what you're doing. "That's really important because that's money that will help a person justify fixing up an old house rather than building new," said Bonhaus. "It's one step in the right direction in taking care of our traditional neighborhoods - the ones that have been there for 100 years. GREEN TWP Who will neighbor Wendy's on Harrison Ave.? Western Hills Press, 1/4/07 Green Township Development Director Adam Goetzman said House Construction Services Inc. is developing the mixed-use commercial building, which will complete the development of the site on Harrison Avenue near Hearne Road. He said the two-story building will have about 30,000 feet of space, and will be occupied by a mixture of commercial and office tenants. Construction of the facility is expected to wrap up this spring, he said. Goetzman said right now there are no definite tenants under contract to open shop in the building, but it's possible a bank and a daycare center will be among the tenant mix. "He's (David House) negotiating with several tenants, but I don't believe anything has been finalized," Goetzman said. INDIAN HILL Hmm. Here's what you get at Tall Trail Estates. $1.92 million. 2 Tall Trail. Or, for the poor, 1 Tall Trail for $1.649 million. By Chelsea Moore Construction. (2 Tall Trail and 1 Tall Trail) LEESBURG Looking to Rebuild Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 1/10/07 Though several buildings have been coming down in the village of Leesburg in the last few months, the village may soon see a bout of growth. On Veterans Day 2006, Leesburg American Legion saw the second story of their 65-year-old building gutted by fire. On Nov. 14, a Leesburg family lost their home when a fire ripped through their Church Street apartment. Recently a Leesburg pizza parlor was razed, leaving several new vacant lots in the village. Leesburg fiscal officer Tracey Evans told The Times-Gazette Monday that some of the lots have recently been purchased, however it is not certain what will be done with them. "A far as the pizza place, a gentleman bought that property," Evans said. "But as far as getting building permits, the village has not been contacted." LINCOLN HEIGHTS 1010 Van Buren Ave has been rehabbed. It was purchased in June for $15,000 and is one the market for $74,900. It has never been valued above $41,700. Zillow estimates its worth at $61,350. LOVELAND Loveland wants a Warren County park Loveland Herald, 1/12/07 Plans for a new park in the city are slowly under way. City officials recently bought an estimated 11 acres of property for $800,000, according to a purchase agreement. The acreage has been targeted for the city's first Warren County park. Terry and Mary Christman, who live on Butterworth Road, own the 11 acres, which abuts the Brandywine on the Little Miami subdivision. According to city memo dated Jan. 3, the Christmans have been reluctant to sell their property, which has been their home for more than 20 years. "However, as the area around them (Hamilton Township) continues to grow, they have felt more encroached upon over the years and are looking to find land further out of the metropolitan area." The Christmans could not be reached for comment before the Loveland Herald deadline. LOVELAND Loveland closer to adding new pool Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/10/07 City leaders made three moves Tuesday night to push forward the effort to build a pool and recreation center, including putting a 0.2 percent income tax increase before voters in May. Council also voted to designate 15 acres at Fallis and Rich roads as the preferred location for the facility and took a first vote to allow themselves to pay off the project in 25 years. The latter was an exception to former rules that allowed no debt longer than 20 years. City Manager Tom Carroll said it wasn't a problem to lengthen that time frame for the pool because the facility would still be usable long past the time it would be paid off. The votes came after a 90-minute public hearing during which more than a dozen people spoke. Virtually all supported the idea of having a new pool and recreation center. Many, however, expressed concerns about the safety of Fallis Road. Those who live nearest the proposed facility were concerned about music and public address announcements, and about how much light would reflect into their homes from the outdoor part of the complex. Dave Kothman praised what he called the transparency of the city's planning process, which started two years ago with development of a recreation master plan, which was passed a year ago. Residents surveyed as part of that process chose a pool first as their priority. MARIEMONT Mariemont barn sold to art club Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/12/07 The village has signed a letter of intent to sell the historic Resthaven Barn to the Women's Art Club of Cincinnati Foundation for $50,000. The agreement gives the art club, now based at the Pendleton Arts Center in Over-the-Rhine, the ability to apply for grants to restore the building and to save it from possible demolition. The estimated cost of restoration is $1 million. According to the terms of the sale, the art club has to show within 90 days that it has the finances to restore the building, which dates to the founding of Mariemont in the 1920s and, for a time, housed the Lindner family's dairy business that grew into the United Dairy Farmers. If the art club satisfies the financial requirements, the closing of the sale will occur at the end of the 90-day period. The barn, on Cambridge Road in a residential area, had served as Mariemont's maintenance building for 50 years until the village last year moved its maintenance vehicles to an industrial park near Old Wooster Pike. "This is exciting," Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastro said. "I'm very optimistic. The Women's Art Club is a great organization. I think there are going to be a lot of organizations and individuals willing to donate money to help the art club buy the barn." Cincinnati Enquirer: Resthaven Barn may be restored (1/11/07) MASON Three-story Middletown Regional Hospital wellness center planned at Mason City Schools Western Star, 1/9/07 Mason City Schools plans to build a $5 million, three-story health and wellness center on the campus of Mason Middle School, school officials announced Monday. The school district will finance the project by subleasing the third floor of the facility to Middletown Regional Hospital and granting Middletown Regional naming rights, said school spokeswoman Tracey Carson. The center would be built at the north end of Dwire Field between the football stadium and the high school, and is projected to open in June 2009. The facility will be approximately 30,000 square feet and will feature a 10,000-square-foot high school weight room, covered stadium entry, additional concession stands, locker room space, showers and a trainers' office. Mason City Schools and Middletown Regional Hospital first partnered in 2003 to increase mentoring and shadowing opportunities for students, and the hospital provided the high school with a full-time athletic trainer. MILFORD Garfield Park suggested for fountain's home Milford-Miami Advertiser, 1/9/07 During Milford's parks and recreation commission's meeting Monday, Jan. 8, local resident Bill Knepp presented an idea of something that could add to Garfield Park: An arboretum. Knepp said he thinks an arboretum would be appropriate since Milford is recognized as a Tree City. Also, it would be a good community area and a good place for students - both Milford students as well as those who attend schools in other districts - to visit. "It's an educational experience for young and old," he said. "It's there. We own the property. Parking is plentiful." "It's an undertaking, but it can be accomplished," he said. He also said the Corcoran family fountain could be placed in the arboretum. MONTGOMERY Montgomery planning commission again delays Twin Lakes decision Northeast Suburban Life, 1/9/07 Safety is a prevalent issue in the city. So prevalent that Montgomery Planning Commission - once again - tabled discussions Monday evening on an upcoming senior housing development. It's unclear when the commission will approve site plans for 13 condos which Twin Lakes seeks to build. The commission requested that CDS Associates Inc., an architecture firm, study options for the development's incorporated access drive, which could intersect with Montgomery Road. "I have a hard time approving this (housing development) without some sort of (turning) restriction," said the commission's president, Greg Broderick. MT HEALTHY Bond issue being endorsed Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/13/07 A group of political leaders and clergy from Mount Healthy and Springfield and Colerain townships will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at Mount Healthy High School, 2046 Adams Road, to show support for Mount Healthy City Schools' bond issue on the Feb. 6 ballot. It would replace eight buildings and build three new ones. The bond issue would raise $33 million, the district's share of an estimated $90 million construction project. If passed, the Ohio Facilities Commission would give the district $57 million toward the project. The meeting is open to the public. NORTH COLLEGE HILL NCH school building plans on course Hilltop Press, 1/13/07 The North College Hill City School District school board is close to hiring an architect to design three new buildings. The board will have a special meeting Jan. 25 to interview representatives of the two firms being considered. The interviews will follow visits to the proposed building site. Superintendent Gary Gellert said the two firms in the running are Cole Russell/Fanning-Howey and SFA. Gellert said the district should know by late summer its eligibility status for money from the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission. The state would provide 62 percent of the total building project costs. Early estimates put the cost of building the three new schools and renovations at the high school at about $41 million. ST BERNARD City to discuss park removal Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/9/07 St. Bernard residents can weigh in Thursday on the city's plan to take out a park and replace it with three or four new houses. The park, at Bertus Street and Park Place near St. Clement School, has become a problem for the city because it attracts people from outside St. Bernard - people who, Mayor John Estep says, leave the place a mess. He already had the basketball hoops taken down to cut down on traffic in the park. The new houses would be a continuation of the Angels Way subdivision, houses of $200,000 and up on the former Our Lady of Angels High School property. "I think you either make dust or eat dust," Estep said. SHARONVILLE Sharonville may decide Jan. 30 whether to study Fields Ertel Road Tri-County Press, 1/12/07 Council members may vote on whether or not the city will study improvements for Fields Ertel Road at Sharonville council's next meeting on Jan. 30. Sharonville would pay $52,000 of a total $275,000 for a study of a 2.7-mile stretch of Fields Ertel Road, one mile of which lies within Sharonville borders. The study will take about one year, and will include a conceptual plan and cost estimates. Other parts of the road are in Butler County, Symmes Township, Sycamore Township and Warren County. Hamilton County engineers are also involved. SOUTHGATE Council to consider apartments at meeting Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/12/07 Southgate City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday night regarding a controversial proposed apartment complex on Moock Road. The developer, Herman & Kittle Properties of Indianapolis, wants to build 230 apartments in nine buildings at Moock Road and U.S. 27. This has drawn the ire of residents who say such a large complex will overburden the road with traffic and water runoff. Residents were further angered that the developer will rent some of the apartments at a slightly reduced rate so the complex can qualify for tax credits. Mayor Jim Hamberg said the meeting is to allow council members to ask questions of county planning and zoning director Peter Klear about Campbell County Planning Commission's approval of a stage 1 development plan for the complex. SPRINGDALE Clarke Custom Builders has purchased 940 Castro Ln in Heritage Hill for a relatively cheap price. The house, built in 1960, might be torn down for an infill project. SYCAMORE TWP Sycamore Twp. planning new park, community center in '07 Northeast Suburban Life, 1/10/07 With a new year in full swing, township officials are planning the next 12 months of construction, maintenance and improvement projects. Township Administrator Rob Molloy said Sycamore has two new major projects set for 2007: enhancements to the Interstate 71 interchange off of Montgomery Road and a new park on the east side of Deerfield Road south of Kemper Road. These projects are joined by the township's continued efforts to build a new community center. Work on the interchange is about 50 percent done, with workers still finishing some of the landscaping. Molloy said the $225,000 project is meant to clean up the entrance into "one of the premiere shopping areas in the Greater Cincinnati area." SYMMES TWP Northstar Vineyard Community Church has purchased 8.3 acres along the 9700 block of Union Cemetery Rd. This may be the future site of a church/worship center. The property currently contains a home built in 1952. WINDOWS LIVE LOCAL BIRD'S EYE VIEW (Property in middle with detached two-car garage) SYMMES TWP Symmes writing plan for its future Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/8/07 This built-up suburb has more than 14,400 residents, 500 large and small businesses, and sits near busy Interstate 71 and Fields Ertel and Montgomery roads in far northeast Hamilton County. That's why the township needs a far-reaching, forward-thinking master plan, said Township Trustee President Eric Minamyer. He'll meet with an all-volunteer committee of residents Wednesday to start the process. "The goal is to have a document which spells out, in a certain amount of detail, the plans of the township like a business plan," he said. "If we're planning parks it will say 'We'll buy land X when it comes available.' It will have benchmarks and broad topic goals and objectives in place so that somebody who comes in newly elected knows where we stand." This will be Symmes' first comprehensive master planning document. Officials hope to have it finished by the end of this year. What topics the plan will cover have not been spelled out, though it will likely project township business, residential and infrastructure needs for the next 15 to 20 years. UNION TWP (Clermont County) Union Township Trustees waiting for firehouse designs Clermont Sun, 1/11/06 The Union Township board of trustees will have to wait a little longer to make a decision as to the design of a new fire house. The new station, which will be located on Bach-Buxton Road, is currently in the design stage, but a strong dose of winter illness has delayed that process for the near future. "Unfortunately, we have not received a report on the review of the bids from the independent contractor," said Union Township Fire Chief Stan Deimling. "Apparently, this is due to widespread illness within that company. I don't have an indication at this point when we will receive that report. The board may want to set a special meeting to award that contract based on when we get it. I'll keep the board informed of the status of this." The trustees agreed to plan either a special meeting or incorporation of the process into their next regular meeting depending on when the plans are submitted to the township. WYOMING City seeks public input on future projects Tri-County Press, 1/7/07 When Harrison West was serving in the U.S. Army in Frankfurt, Germany, during World War II he happened upon the Palmengarten Solarium, a place he describes as teeming with little pools of water, fountains and flora. "It blew my mind. It was like having lunch in the Kron Conservatory," said the retired mechanical design engineer. The Palmengarten inspired him to design and construct a model of a partially-glassed-in atrium expansion for the Wyoming Civic Center. West now wants to share his idea to revitalize the Wyoming Civic Center with the city. West, who says a revitalization of the center is long overdue, calls the civic center a "cornerstone of the city."
January 15, 200718 yr Western Hills Press, 1/4/07 Green Township Development Director Adam Goetzman said House Construction Services Inc. is developing the mixed-use commercial building, which will complete the development of the site on Harrison Avenue near Hearne Road. He said the two-story building will have about 30,000 feet of space, and will be occupied by a mixture of commercial and office tenants. Construction of the facility is expected to wrap up this spring, he said. Goetzman said right now there are no definite tenants under contract to open shop in the building, but it's possible a bank and a daycare center will be among the tenant mix. "He's (David House) negotiating with several tenants, but I don't believe anything has been finalized," Goetzman said. I'm not real sure what township trustees are hoping to accomplish, but they are settling for crappy development. This site was originally rumored to be a Holiday Inn Express (Westside sorely lacking a decent hotel). They did massive site prep (cut into a massive hillside, and put in large retaining walls) all for what...30,000 sq. ft. of space!?!?!?! It just blows my mind!!!! Not to mention further up the road they have now constructed two commercial bldgs, with no potential tennants in sight!!! Whats up?!?!? Green Twp is blowing a major opportunity here to do something special with the infill lots it has along Harrison Ave.!
January 16, 200718 yr Loveland plan for downtown shelved Market's dried up for condos, stores THE ENQUIRER LOVELAND - A project that city leaders hoped would revitalize the historic downtown is dead, a victim of unfavorable market conditions. Great Traditions Land & Development Co. was chosen in February by Loveland City Council as the city's preferred developer for a combination of townhouses, retail and office space in a 6-acre spot at Broadway and Second Street. But that preferred developer status with the Blue Ash firm lapsed Dec. 31, and City Manager Tom Carroll says the company notified Loveland "that market conditions are not favorable for continuing the project." The townhouses, aimed at single professionals and empty-nesters with disposable income, were estimated to be priced starting at $300,000. Carroll had said the city expected the project to bring in $30 million or more in private investment. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070116/NEWS01/701160377/1056/COL02
January 16, 200718 yr The US is seeing a lot of this, residential development is going in the tank and so is the economy for the next few years. Look for more of these announcements over the next year or so. The good news is, we are not Florida, California, Arizona or Nevada. They are going to have a huge recession in these places with all their overbuilding, ARMs and I/O, and economies that are mainly supported on construction and tourism. OUCH!!!! The midwest may very well be the next best place to invest in the future.
January 17, 200718 yr Loveland annexing land for rec center CINCINNATI ENQUIRER January 17, 2007 LOVELAND - The land Loveland would like to use for a new pool and recreation center soon will actually be in the city. Hamilton County commissioners on Wednesday approved Loveland’s annexation request for the Mather property, at the corner of Rich and Fallis roads across from Loveland High School. The 15 acres, which now lie in Symmes Township, abut Phillips Park. Loveland City Council, after a 90-minute public hearing, last week approved this site as its preferred location and agreed to ask voters in May to approve a 0.2 percentage-point increase in the income tax, which would raise it to 1.2 percent, to pay for the facility. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070117/NEWS01/301170034
January 19, 200718 yr Price Hill boosts proposal to get bigger, better Kroger Cincinnati Business Courier - April 14, 2006 by Dan Monk You can't fault their effort, those Price Hill boosters. Neighborhood leaders are pulling out all the stops to persuade the Kroger Co. to build a larger and prettier replacement store for its aging Enright Avenue facility. Last summer, Kroger spent $713,000 to acquire seven properties for the project. Kroger spokesman Art Wulfeck said the company plans to double the size of its East Price Hill store and add a gas station at the corner of Enright and Warsaw avenues. I don't know much about the Kroger details, but as part of their project they are forcing the Family Dollar store to relocate. The new location is going to be the old Walgreens across the street from Seton/Elder at 3920 Glenway. Plans were submitted for permit this week as they need to be out of the existing store pretty quickly to not hold up Kroger. The new owner of the building is looking for a tenant for the second floor (last use was a doctor's office). There will not be much new done to the building, except some cosmetic improvements (ie paint) to the building and some site landscaping along Glenway.
January 19, 200718 yr ^What was the building originally, it is pretty unique. The second floor was a bowling alley originally. I've had people tell me the first floor was at one point a smorgasbord restaurant and at another point a psychedelic club called the "Luscious Lollipop" or something like that. Apparently it was painted black inside with a bunch of blacklight art.
January 22, 200718 yr Author PHOTO UPDATE Carthage: Cincinnati Central Credit Union This appears to be nearing completion, at least as far as the exterior goes. This building replaces a truly horrible building with asphalt siding. The redevelopment project is by Cincinnati Housing Partners, who has been doing a lot of positive, quality work in and around Carthage. LAST UPDATE (9/25/06) Round-up: City of Cincinnati AVONDALE 3161 Reading Rd, vacant and now condemned, has had work being done on it until just recently. This basically included doors, windows, roofs, etc. The City saw that the work was being done without a permit and condemned the building due to the shoddy work. The owner and contractor must now find an architect to plan this thing out. The property will stay vacant for now. COLUMBIA TUSCULUM A new home is going to be built at 3634 Columbia Pw. Priced at $415,000, the two-story home will have 3 BR/2.5 BA and a front side, 2 car garage. It's being built by Andrew James Builders. CORRYVILLE The two-family at 2811 Highland Ave is currently being gutted and rehabbed. It has been vacant and barricaded. EVANSTON Queen City Habitats has rehabbed 3326 Trimble Ave. FAIRVIEW 2871 W McMicken Ave has been rehabbed. They're asking for an ambitious $157,000. FAIRVIEW 2365 W McMicken is set for a massive renovation, pending permits. This three-unit rental building has been vacant, on and off, for the last few years. MT AIRY 2606 Kipling Ave has been rehabbed for resale. $112,000 may be pushing it, though. MT WASHINGTON Vacant gas station fuels controversy Forest Hills Journal, 1/16/07 The status of a former gas station is in limbo. The boarded up building on Beechmont Avenue has been a matter of contention for a number of months. Mt. Washington Community Council members call the vacant gas station an eyesore and say its owner, Marathon Petroleum Co. LLC, refuses to sell it. However, a representative for Marathon said no appropriate offers have been made. "It seems to be a kind of permanent situation of not being sold or developed in any way," said Greg Schrand, board president of the Mt. Washington Community Council. The building has been vacant for several years. The city did not approve an effort to build a Smokes for Less business at the location by Marathon after the station closed. NORTH FAIRMOUNT 2539 Cummins St has gone criminal. The condemned house has major problems, mostly involving the roof, gutters, and windows. Apparently the owner has severe mental conditions and is delusional. The City will find a way to separate this man from this property. NORTHSIDE 4042 Colerain Ave has been ordered barricaded. The problems with this property are too many to mention. The owner is an out of town bank, LaSalle Bank. What do they care? WESTWOOD 2738 Montana Ave has been rehabbed. Round-up: Metro DELHI TWP Delhi business association looking to spruce up intersections Delhi Press, 1/10/07 A proposal to spruce up designated spots in the township business areas will go before trustees Jan. 31. Without trustee approval and financial support, Ron Robben said the project won't be implemented. Robben is heading up the Planting Pride project for the Delhi Business Association. Plans call for large pots to be placed at proposed intersections. Most are along the Delhi Road business corridor with the exception of Rapid Run and Neeb roads and Cleves Warsaw and Ebenezer roads. All the proposed sites have to be approved by Hamilton County officials, Robben said. FAIRFIELD Old Fairfield Greens clubhouse razed Fairfield Echo, 1/18/07 The metal jaws of the large trac hoe tore into the old Fairfield Greens clubhouse Monday morning. To Councilman Tim Meyers, this is a sign of progress. Around 9:30 a.m. crews from Dayton Demolition, a subcontractor for general contractor CR&R, began razing the first of the two buildings — the club house and banquet facility — that make up the golf course operations. The demolition is to make way for a new $2.2 million clubhouse. "When they started digging dirt on this stuff, it's a big deal," said Meyers, council's representative to the parks board. The demolition started at the southwest corner of the clubhouse, and within hours, the 35-year-old facility was reduced to rubble. By mid-February, the building's foundation will be poured, Larry Ashland said, on-site superintendent for CR&R. After excavation and other preparatory work, construction should start around March, he said. FOREST PARK Cameron Park targeted by Forest Park for condos Hilltop Press, 1/16/07 Could Cameron Park Elementary School become condos? That could happen under a plan in the city's market study that is moving toward completion. The second phase of the market study, entitled strategic planning, was presented during council's Jan. 8 work session and focused on the redevelopment of Cameron Park and the Forest Park Activity Center into condominiums. Community Development Director Chris Anderson said the site is still being evaluated by the city, and that cost will be a deciding factor in the purchase and redevelopment of the site. "This is not a done deal, but that would be the direction we go in," Anderson said. FORT MITCHELL Council hears building plan Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/16/07 City Council started its first meeting of the new year Monday thinking about what the future could hold by way of new digs for city offices. Council heard a presentation by Robert Ehmet Hayes & Associates on a revised, scaled back version of an approximate $3.5 million city building expansion that would include more space for city, police and fire/EMS personnel. The city has toiled with details of an expansion for several years. An expansion bid provided to council last year was an estimated $2.9 million, City Administrator Steve Hensley said. The higher cost, according to Ehmet Hayes, a representative of the architectural firm, is because of a dramatic increase in construction products and labor in the past couple of years. The expansion would include additional fire/EMS bays, meeting space, men's and women's bunk room areas, restrooms, parking and storage space. There would also be an additional access point to the site off Silver Avenue. The look of the addition would match the existing (brick) building, Hayes said. GLENDALE Princeton residents providing input on new schools Tri-County Press, 1/19/07 Preliminary results of surveys from Princeton City School District's first four community input sessions show that a majority of residents favor building a new high school and middle school, district officials said. The sessions are being conducted by district officials to outline the conditions of the schools and to gauge support for a bond issue that may be on the ballot this November to raise money to replace the middle and high school. So far, four community input sessions have been conducted - at Springdale, Sharonville, Lincoln Heights and Stewart Elementary schools. At each session, attendees fill out a small survey when they walk in the door, view a presentation about the conditions of the middle and high schools, break out into facilitated small group discussions and participate in an electronic survey. Information from the surveys and community input, in addition to a formal districtwide survey of registered frequent voters, will be compiled to assist the Princeton school board when it makes a decision on asking voters for a bond issue. HILLSBORO Plans under way to demolish Washington Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 1/15/07 Plans for former, current and future facilities were the main topics of discussion Thursday at the Hillsboro City Schools Board of Education monthly and organizational meetings. The board also unanimously voted to elect Laura Bagshaw to her second one-year term as board president and to keep Darrell Wilson as board vice president. Regular board meetings for 2007 will be held at 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at Hillsboro Elementary. After an executive session, superintendent Art Reiber said the board decided to proceed with paperwork to demolish the Washington building. "Just looking at the appraisal and possibilities, we felt the land would be more valuable vacant than with the building on it," Reiber said. HILLSBORO Condo, sports complex plans discussed Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 1/18/07 The Hillsboro Planning Commission held its regular session Tuesday and opened the meeting with the yearly election of officers. Acting vice chairperson Eric Smith asked commission members for nominations for chairperson. Incumbent chairperson Fran Cole, who was not present at the meeting, was nominated and elected unanimously. Following the nomination process, a request to change the city's zoning was again a topic of discussion. Rusty Fite made a request for the city's zoning to be changed in the area behind Roberts Avenue and Sherwood Avenue from Industrial C, one of the least restrictive zones, to Residential B, one of the more restrictive zones, for the purpose of constructing senior housing, such as condos. INDIAN HILL Nature Re-emerges from Old Gravel Pit Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/20/07 Col. William McQueen ties a concrete block around an old Christmas tree and tosses it from a small fishing boat into the cold, 120-acre lake. He'll do that about 200 times in coming weeks, creating habitat for small fish in the village's new Grand Valley Park. "It gives them a chance against the larger bass," said McQueen, who recently retired as Indian Hill police chief and is now the city park manager and ranger. McQueen's work is just one part of an undertaking to turn a 300-acre former gravel pit into wildlife habitat and a park. Indian Hill bought the land for $7 million in 2002 to fend off a planned 600-home development along Ohio 126 and the Little Miami River in Symmes Township. It contained 12 man-made lakes that are atop the aquifer that feeds Indian Hill wells. "That was the main purpose for buying it, to protect the ecology and the water system," said Indian Hill Project Manager George Kipp Jr., an engineer with 35 years experience. LOVELAND Loveland council approves Y tax increase for ballot Loveland Herald, 1/15/07 It's official that voters will decide if Loveland should have a $9.25 million recreation center, which the city plans to for pay in a 25-year period. Council unanimously voted Jan. 12 to place a 0.2-percent income tax increase issue on the May ballot. The levy will pay for the costs of "acquiring, constructing, furnishing, equipping and operating a municipal recreation center." It will cover the costs of a recreation center even if the city doesn't pursue at partnership with the YMCA, City Manager Tom Carroll said. The income tax rate in Loveland is 1 percent. If the levy passes the tax increase will be effective in 2008, Carroll said. Carroll said 55 percent of employed Loveland residents pay city income taxes, while 45 percent of employed Loveland residents "receive an income tax credit from the city ... in recognition of the fact that they pay income taxes in the cities where they work, such as Cincinnati and Blue Ash." MT HEALTHY Voters asked to support bond Hilltop Press, 1/12/07 Mount Healthy School supporters are preparing for the final push leading up to the Feb. 6 special election. District officials want to issue bands to pay the local share of school construction under the Ohio Classroom Facilities Assistance Program, which will be about $33 million over 23 years. The bonds require a 5.6 mill levy. The district is also asking for a 0.5 mill levy to pay the cost of maintaining the facilities. If passed, the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $179 annually. The school district would like to replace its eight aging buildings with three new schools: two elementary schools and a grades 7-12 campus, allowing it to close the old buildings. Officials say the consolidation plan could save $1.5 million in operating costs. NORTH COLLEGE HILL NCH school building plans on course Hilltop Press, 1/13/07 The North College Hill City School District school board is close to hiring an architect to design three new buildings. The board will have a special meeting Jan. 25 to interview representatives of the two firms being considered. The interviews will follow visits to the proposed building site. Superintendent Gary Gellert said the two firms in the running are Cole Russell/Fanning-Howey and SFA. Gellert said the district should know by late summer its eligibility status for money from the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission. The state would provide 62 percent of the total building project costs. Early estimates put the cost of building the three new schools and renovations at the high school at about $41 million. RIPLEY Construction nears end at SHCC Georgetown News Democrat, 1/21/07 Although the project is nearly complete, the Southern Hills Career Center will have a new person overseeing construction and renovations at the vocational school. At the board's Jan. 10 meeting, superintendent Charles Guarino announced some restructuring in the project management company Resource International. "For the second time our project manager is being changed," said Guarino. The newest project manager, Bob Hart, was on hand to explain the situation and apologize on behalf of the company for the disruption. He said the previous manager, Steve Gillmore unexpected left Resource International on his own accord. Hart explained that SHCC's other contacts remain with the company and the project should still stay on track. "I can't apologize more for the changes," said Hart. "The job will not suffer because of it." Hart had only held the position of project manager for about 24 hours prior to the meeting, so he was not familiar with any specifics. Hart told the board that he wished to do a comprehensive review of all finances associated with the project in order to give the board an accurate report on where the district stands financially. He went on to say that a thorough financial overview will be important for the district in seeking contingency money being held by the Ohio School Facilities Commission, the major funder of the construction. SOUTHGATE Apartments still on track Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/18/07 Plans for a controversial development survived a city council vote Wednesday night. Southgate council tied 3-3 in a vote to approve a stage I development plan for a 230-unit complex slated on Moock Road and U.S. 27. That means Campbell County planning and zoning's recommendation to approve the plan stands. Indianapolis-based Herman & Kittle is developing the project. The three council members who voted against the development were newly elected in November. The three incumbents voted for the plan. Many Southgate residents in attendance shook their heads in disapproval after the vote. Opponents of the nine-building complex are concerned about water runoff, landslides and traffic. Fort Thomas Recorder: Southgate considers apartment plan (1/17/07) SPRINGFIELD TWP (Finneytown) Walgreens will begin building a new store at Winton and Galbraith this spring. SYCAMORE TWP Sycamore Twp. zoning change may fuel ballot referendum Northeast Suburban Life, 1/19/07 With a 10-space parking lot hanging in the balance, the Sycamore Township Trustees are stuck between a possible ballot referendum and a lawsuit. The trustees approved a zone change to 6840 Kugler Mill Road Jan. 18 from residential to planned office as part of a settlement with Ohio Valley Sports Medicine, which filed a $1.7 million lawsuit in 2004 claiming damages after the township denied the business's application to build an 18,000-square-foot-building on Kugler Mill in 2002. Sycamore fought with Ohio Valley over the building through the Court of Common Pleas and then the Court of Appeals before being denied a chance to get the case heard by the Ohio Supreme Court. Resident Joseph Smith, 6751 Kugler Mill Road, said concerned residents are attempting to block the parking lot by gathering signatures on a petition to get a referendum on either the May or November ballot. He said when the trustees approved the lot, they set a precedent that will allow other businesses to threaten lawsuits to get their way. "We need to say, 'No more of this in Sycamore Township,'" Smith said. TERRACE PARK Terrace Park restoration project on time, on budget Eastern Hills Journal, 1/18/07 Restoration of the Terrace Park Community Building and Fire Department is expected to be completed not only on time, but on budget. The $1.5-million restoration adds new heating and air conditioning to the building and will expand the area allocated for the fire department. Terrace Park Councilman Jeff Koreman, chair of the buildings and grounds committee, said the building had not been updated in years. "I think it's going to be a good legacy for the town," he said. "It will be a nice showcase, typical of Terrace Park. It's very understated." The building will include an updated community meeting area, also used by village council and mayor's court.
January 22, 200718 yr that westwood restoration looks pretty good and the mt. airy one looks homey...if thats a word.
January 22, 200718 yr Reading loses piece of industrial past BY JANE PRENDERGAST | [email protected] READING - A $2.3 million state grant to demolish a long-vacant factory will give the city 10 acres for what officials hope will be hundreds of well-paying biosciences jobs. The money will let the city buy and demolish the former Nivison-Weiskopf glass and box company on Third Street and clean up the industrial waste left behind. The grant process does not allow a user to be designated, but officials believe they'll have no trouble finding an occupant for the space next to the campus that's home to three growing drug-related companies. Reading, like a lot of Cincinnati's older suburbs, has little or no land available for development. That means there's not much promise for significant numbers of new businesses and jobs, which generate earnings taxes for the city. But with the state money, an Ohio Job Ready Sites grant, the city can turn a dilapidated 1820s factory - vacant for decades - into a piece of land big enough to attract what Mayor Robert "Bo" Bemmes hopes will be 500 or more employees. The city worked for years to develop its niche of bridal shops - a nice quality-of-life thing, Development Director Linda Fitzgerald said. But the three biotech entities on Reading's 59-acre campus, she said - Girindus America, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc. and the University of Cincinnati's Genome Research Institute - mean much more in employees and revenue. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070122/NEWS01/701220348/1056/COL02
January 22, 200718 yr This sounds like a GREAT project!!!! I know that technically Reading is its own entity, but the postive referberations will go far beyond Readings boudaries....any new high paying jobs like this are very nice to see within the core!
January 22, 200718 yr I recently worked on a project in Reading, and found it to be a well-run town, with well-kept homes, parks, and a decent business district. Their schools also have a good reputation. The bureaucrats were easy to work with, and there is a good mix of residential and commercial all mixed together. All in all, not a bad place to live and work.
January 23, 200718 yr Author Evanston: Jonathan Meadows These pics are from January 20, 2006. A story from Xavier University follows. Khaki and brick. How original. Why so bland? Is this Kyles Station? Seriously...what's with the seam down the middle? First New Major Housing Development in 50 Years Opens in Evanston Xavier University Congratulates its Neighbors 12/19/06 Xavier University congratulates the Evanston Community Council on the grand opening of its first new major housing development with units for sale in more than 50 years. Known as the Jonathan Meadows Townhomes and developed by a partnership between the Avondale Redevelopment Corporation and the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, this development will be the largest cluster of homes built for sale in the Evanston community in the past 50 years. The homes are located on Jonathan Avenue. When completed the subdivision will consist of (22) 2000-square foot townhomes. Each townhome, designed with four levels, 3-bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, family room, fully equipped kitchen, rear deck and a 2-car garage, is targeted not only to the first time homebuyer but also to those current homeowners making plans to downsize. Jonathan Meadows Townhomes are centrally located near Walnut Hills High School and Xavier University and is five-minutes away from I-71. Though a dream of the Evanston Community Council for many years, according to Jim King, Executive Director of the Partnership, “it is due to not only the strong leadership of the community council but the investment efforts of the Cincinnati Development Fund, City of Cincinnati, LISC and the National City Community Development Corporation that this project has become a reality.” The groups have also worked with Xavier University and the Community Building Institute, which is a partnership between Xavier University and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. The purchase of a unit comes with a15-year real estate tax abatement. National City Development is offering a 1 ½ percent reduction in the current interest rate to qualified buyers. The Jonathan Meadows Townhomes development is the first joint partnership of the Avondale Redevelopment Corporation and the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation. For more information please contact Jim King at 513-281-7070. http://www.xavier.edu/news/news.cfm?news_id=4661&archive=no
January 23, 200718 yr ^Those are interesting. The middle one with the full gable looks best, and with railings it should look better. Although I would have preferred all siding to the little brick used. Kyles Station...lol!
January 23, 200718 yr Those are terrbile, way to suburban oriented for an urban site. Don't even get me started on the choice of materials!
January 23, 200718 yr ^Those are interesting. The middle one with the full gable looks best, and with railings it should look better. Although I would have preferred all siding to the little brick used. Errr...more siding?!?!? IMO, siding only works well when used in moderation. These bldgs are too large to have that much siding...more brick or any other kind of material to break up those large walls would be nice. This is a terrible development for Evanston...nobody should be congratulating anyone!
January 23, 200718 yr ^Those are interesting. The middle one with the full gable looks best, and with railings it should look better. Although I would have preferred all siding to the little brick used. Errr...more siding?!?!? IMO, siding only works well when used in moderation. These bldgs are too large to have that much siding...more brick or any other kind of material to break up those large walls would be nice. This is a terrible development for Evanston...nobody should be congratulating anyone! Brick is ideal, but how many historic houses do you see that have a small amount here and there. You'd usually see all brick, with maybe sided gables, etc, or a siding house with a brick porch, etc, not brick wraps or facades like they do in the suburbs currently.
January 28, 200718 yr Author From the 12/23/06 Enquirer: PHOTO: Congress has passed legislation that will allow Veterans Affairs to sell the 115-year-old houses that were built to house officers in Fort Thomas. These houses are on Alexander near Tower Park. The Enquirer / Patrick Reddy Historic homes acquisition is near BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] FORT THOMAS - The vacant, 115-year-old officers' houses in Tower Park are closer to being refurbished and occupied. All that's needed is a signature from President Bush. The city learned this week that Congress passed language in a bill that will allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to sell the 10 buildings to the city. The city will rehab the facades, then sell them to people on a waiting list of 140. City officials have yet to decide whether they will solicit sealed bids for the homes, set a fixed price or use some other method for determining who on the list can purchase them. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20061223/NEWS0103/612230413 From the 12/21/06 Fort Thomas Recorder: Fort Thomas construction on track for spring BY MARIANNE WELLENDORF AND JUSTIN DUKE | COMMUNITY RECORDER STAFF WRITERS FORT THOMAS - The dust is beginning to settle around the construction at the Fort Thomas Towne Center. City Council approved issuing $750,000 in bonds to begin the third and final phase of the project at a special meeting Monday, Dec. 18. The construction project is in the center of town, with Citizens Bank, Convenient Deli Mart and Schrader's Cleaners bearing the brunt of the work. "Crews are currently working on what will become the public plaza gathering place," said Fort Thomas Assistant City Administrator Jay Treft. "We will have a 35 foot tall clock tower and the whole project should, weather permitting, be done this spring." MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/NEWS01/612210308/1002/RSS01 From the 12/8/06 Dearborn County Register: Breaking Ground By Erika Schmidt Russell, News Editor 12/08/2006 It was hot and the program lasted all day when Dearborn County Hospital, Lawrenceburg, broke ground way back in August 1955. Fast forward to 2006, it is a cool, cloudy, blustery day, and it marks one of the biggest changes to the hospital since it was built 50 years ago. DCH administrators, board members, community leaders and government officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital’s new patient tower Thursday, Nov. 30. DCH is the second largest employer in the county, only behind Argosy Casino & Hotel, Lawrenceburg. The new patient tower will have almost as many beds as the original hospital, with plans for an 18-bed step down unit on the first floor, and 24 private hospital rooms on the second floor. Radiology/imaging and internal medicine are some the services that will be housed in the new tower’s ground floor, and the third floor will be available for further expansion. All of the work should be completed in 2009, said Roger Howard, DCH director of clinical services and facilities. While DCH is just starting its new tower, it recently completed a 247-space parking garage, and is wrapping up a dramatic renovation of its emergency department. MORE: http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17567883&BRD=2076&PAG=461&dept_id=384100&rfi=8
January 28, 200718 yr Author From the 1/5/07 Enquirer: Housing project gets go-ahead Arcadia in Alexandria concerns some BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] ALEXANDRIA - An anticipated surge of residents in southern Campbell County in the next 10 years has some residents eager while others brace for the growth. Driving much of the future influx will be a 916-unit housing development with townhomes, condos, single-family homes, parks and lakes to be built off U.S. 27 behind a car dealership across from Alexandria Village Shopping Center. Alexandria City Council night unanimously approved the annexation of 260 acres and a zone change Thursday night to allow for the joint development by Drees Co. and Fischer Homes known as Arcadia. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070105/NEWS0103/701050392 From the 1/10/07 Enquirer: Golf course may be sold to developer Officials considering change in Hillview zoning status BY CLIFF RADEL | [email protected] GREEN TWP. - Better not delay booking a tee time at Hillview Golf Course. The 90-acre, par-71 on Wesselman Road could one day be replaced by a housing development. "A developer is exploring his options," said Paul Macke, co-owner of the family-run course and son of its founder, the late Robert Macke. "We are going to be open for the 2007 season," Macke said. "In fact, with this mild weather, we're open right now." He would not predict whether the course would be open for golf in 2008. The developer is Towne Properties. The Mount Adams-based company has an option to buy Hillview if the necessary zoning changes can be obtained. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070110/NEWS01/701100353/1056/COL02 From the 12/25/06 Cincinnati Business Courier: Home builder sets sights on office space Cincinnati Business Courier - December 22, 2006 by Laura Baverman Although known for his custom luxury homes, Camden Homes founder Dutch Cambruzzi is banking on commercial development in 2007. He'll break ground on $16 million worth of office space in January, in areas he calls "niche in-fill." The first is a 30,000-square-foot office building on Cornell Road, visible from Interstate 275. Called Northpointe, the site is just off Montgomery Road in Sycamore Township, which falls in a zone with no earnings tax. The second, called Greenridge, will total 75,000 square feet and will be built on Ridge Road at its intersection with Interstate 71. It's an $11 million project, and its Columbia Township location also has no earnings tax. MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/12/25/newscolumn2.html
January 29, 200718 yr Author UPDATE Mount Washington: 2312-2316 Beechmont Ave The rezoning of 2312-2316 Beechmont Ave will have a public hearing before the Economic Development Committee on February 13, 2007, at noon. The rezoning would rezone the vacant land from residential to commercial and open the lots up for business development. LAST UPDATE (1/2/07) Round-up: City of Cincinnati CARTHAGE 209 W 70th St has been rehabbed. COLUMBIA TUSCULUM A brand new $425,000 home is being built by Boulder Construction at 467 Missouri Ave. It has no permits yet. There are also three vacant parcels in the 467-471 Missouri area that are for sale. These range from approximately $67,000 to a little over $100,000. Two of these properties are pending. EAST END LeBlond Center will reopen today Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/27/07 After a $2.8 million makeover, the LeBlond Recreation Center is ready to unveil its new look today. Since the center at 235 Eastern Ave. closed in November 2005, it has gained an addition to the gym, a new electric, plumbing and security system, a new pool-entry pavilion and several other aesthetic improvements. The center will reopen at 2:30 p.m. with a special re-dedication ceremony and an open house 2-8 p.m. For more information, visit www.cincyrec.org. KENNEDY HEIGHTS The home at 6257 Beech View Cir has been rehabbed. Oh, yeah, and now you can see the front of the house! OAKLEY There are plans to convert the 16 apartments at 4011 Allston St into 10 apartments. However, as of a few of days ago, the building plans were denied. Work would start once the permits get issued. PLEASANT RIDGE The multi-family at 6255 Cortelyou Ave has been rehabbed for resale. The asking price is $179,900. SOUTH CUMMINSVILLE 3733 Borden St was razed by the City. I believe it has been vacant and open for a very long time. There was a fire in 2004, possibly caused by squatters. The building was collapsing on itself and very unsafe, and the City took it criminal. It was discovered that the owner was dead. Nobody had the money to raze it, so the City stepped in. Round-up: Metro ANDERSON TWP New facility builds on life skills Forest Hills Journal, 1/22/07 St. Joseph Orphanage will offer a taste of home to boys living on the Altercrest campus. Construction will begin on a new facility at Altercrest, located at 274 Sutton Road. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new 10,000-square-foot building was Jan. 14. According to its Web site, St. Joseph Orphanage is a comprehensive children's mental health, educational, and residential treatment agency that helps abused, cognitively challenged, and/or emotionally disturbed children and their families on the road to recovery and success. St. Joseph is currently involved in a $3.2 million capital campaign to fund the project. The new facility will provide residential and educational space for eight additional boys at the Altercrest location. The current facility has 24 beds. BETHEL Two more presentations made for city hall contract Clermont Sun, 1/25/07 The Bethel Village Council heard the second and third presentations concerning the proposed construction of a new municipal building. The presentations, given Jan. 22 by K4/Stine and Brandstetter Carroll Inc., respectively, presented the village with a range of options for the new building, which is hoped to be completed sometime over the next year. Previously, the village heard a presentation by CDS Associates. Leading off the Monday night meeting, K4/Stine presented a plan based on their unique business model of a total-service firm, offering architectural, engineering and contracting services in one stop. As part of their presentation, K4/Stine listed a series of past projects in the area, including the Ripley Library expansion, the Western Brown school board office, the Union Township fire station located in the base of a water tower, the Brown County Regional Health facility located in Bethel and the 5/3 Bank regional office located in Milford. The presentation included a couple of different design ideas, each placing the new structure on the corner of the Bone Street and Main Street, featuring a bay for police vehicles in the basement section with access to Bone Street and a plaza in front of the structure, facing where the current municipal building currently stands. It also included more parking, as well as the possibility of creating a park and ride facility to entice bus service to Bethel. Brandstetter Carroll followed, emphasizing their 28 years of experience, largely in construction of municipal buildings, and highlighted some local structures they designed, including the Cincinnati Police headquarters, the DHL headquarters, the Williamsburg Town Hall and library and the Clermont County Engineer's Office. In all, they estimated that they have designed over 100 public buildings. BROOKSVILLE Bracken extension office addressing growing pains Maysville Ledger Independent, 1/25/07 With a growing need for its services, the Bracken County Cooperative Extension Service is going forward with plans to triple the size of its facility, said officials Wednesday. With blueprints in hand, Dave Appleman, extension agent, explained the costs and design to Bracken County Fiscal Court members. "The meeting room will have a capacity of 125 for banquet style occasions, or 175-200 in meeting style chairs," said Appleman. "There will also be a kitchen, improvements to the entire facility to bring it into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and storage space." So far, $154,000 has been accumulated to fund the project, plus another $100,000 for the project is being funneled through the fiscal court, at no expense to the county, said Appleman. "Homemakers, 4-H groups and others have been holding fund-raisers in support of the project," said Appleman. COLD SPRING New school on track in Cold Spring Campbell Community Recorder, 1/22/07 Construction of Crossroads Elementary School is on schedule and school district officials are working to hire a principal there. In the Fall of 2006 students at Campbell Ridge Elementary School started school two weeks late because the school building wasn't finished. This year should be different, said Campbell County School District Superintendent Anthony Strong. Construction on Crossroads is at the same state of progress as Campbell Ridge was in March of 2006, Strong said. The $18 million school is on budget, he said. COLD SPRING Cold Spring Roadhouse will be rehabbed, not redeveloped Campbell Community Recorder, 1/22/07 Speculation about the Cold Spring Roadhouse closing to be redeveloped is false, but the owner is planning to rehab the building. "The rumors that are floating around of tearing the building down, there's no truth to that," said Roadhouse owner Ron Rosen. Rosen said he considered a development proposal from an architect who is building a 72-unit apartment complex behind the Roadhouse property, but decided against it. "Our intentions are to improve what we've got," he said. The apartments are being built on land not owned or affiliated with the Roadhouse property. COVINGTON (Latonia) Company moves, but stays Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/26/07 Some of a city's development successes happen not when a business moves in, but when longtime companies decide to stay, Covington Mayor Butch Callery told an audience Thursday. That was the case with ACB American Inc., a 70-employee, 45-year-old firm that has been at the same Scott Boulevard address since 1982. In early March, rather than moving to Fort Thomas, the firm will relocate to the former Johnny's Toys space at Latonia Centre, between the vacated Frank's Nursery location and the Dollar Tree store. "We kept after them for probably the most part of a year," Callery told a Covington Business Council audience at The Madison banquet center in a state-of-the-city speech. ACB, a collections company that also handles insurance billing and statement processing, hopes to reach 100 employees within about a year and already needed more parking. "We originally looked in Covington, but because we're so labor intensive, there are not a lot of places that can accommodate our parking needs," confirmed ACB President Tony Faeth. "We looked to build, we looked to buy - everything." The nearly 26,000 square feet at the new location can accommodate up to 250 employees, Faeth said. EDGEWOOD Company to build preschool on St. Elizabeth campus Cincinnati Business Courier, 1/22/07 A private company will build a $1 million preschool on the St. Elizabeth Medical Center campus in Edgewood. Little Red School House hopes to open a nearly 11,000-square-foot building in the Freedom Park area in June or July. St. Elizabeth will provide about $1 million over four years to help the preschool get started and provide services the hospital considers crucial, including infant care and an "as-needed" room where employees can drop their children off when they're called to work at the last minute. EVENDALE Evendale seeks meeting facility Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/26/07 The village is looking for a non-profit organization to build a meeting facility adjacent to the Gorman Heritage Farm in exchange for leasing the Reading Road property for only $1 a year. The village is advertising for requests for proposals, due by noon Feb. 23. The village wants the building to be at least 25,000 square feet with at least one room where a minimum of 150 people can gather. And officials want it to work with Gorman by allowing some programs by the working, educational farm to be conducted there. The Gorman property has been farmland for more than 120 years. Leaders at the farm, now subsidized by the village, are working to make the farm self-sustaining with an endowment goal of $10 million. FAIRFIELD Land deal provides for Marsh Park expansion City of Fairfield The year was 1955. Fairfield had just established itself as a village. It was also the first year for mining operations of the Ohio Gravel Company in the sand- and gravel-rich deposits north of what is now Marsh Lake. The permit was part of a deal between the new village and the company, which agreed to donate the land to the community when operations ceased. A quote from the agreement says, “As work on a portion of the property is completed, we will put that land in condition for the development of a recreation area. When the entire operation on East River Road is complete, the land will be deeded over to the Fairfield Village.” The words in the agreement are soon to be a reality after 52 years. The City of Fairfield and the current gravel company owner Martin Marietta Aggregates (MMA) in 2004 agreed to negotiations about Marsh Lake operations and remaining mining area. During the 2 year time period, a study was conducted to evaluate mineral reserves, and how long it will take to extract them. The Fairfield Parks staff also toured MMA representatives around Marsh Park to share the many success stories about the lake. (The current arrangement for City use of Marsh Park is via a 99 year lease agreement, of which 91 years remain.) In August 2006, MMA announced the beginning of final mining operations this year. Two lakes currently exist on the site. The current mining plan is to connect the lakes by removing the land in between, possibly leaving an island. The existing bodies of water will grow by almost 10 acres and, upon completion, about 139 acres will be deeded to the City of Fairfield for recreational use. The target date for completion is summer of 2011, or sooner. GLENDALE 181 ramps to be replaced Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/27/07 Glendale will replace 181 sidewalk ramps to make them meet standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Village Administrator Walter Cordes said Friday that Glendale is getting a $74,000 Community Development Block Grant through Hamilton County to pay for the work, which should start this summer. The sidewalk ramps will be made flush with the street and get raised pads for blind people. HEBRON New hotel opens near airport Boone Community Recorder, 1/28/07 Business travelers and others stopping by Northern Kentucky have another place to stay in Boone County. A new Comfort Suites hotel opened on Jan. 12 at 775 Petersburg Road in Hebron. The hotel, called Comfort Suites Cincinnati Airport, is near several other hotels in the area including the Airport Marriott, a Country Inn & Suites and a Hampton Inn. Nick Schira, director of sales at the new Comfort Suites, said 50 percent of the hotel's business will be from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Corporate travelers are the hotel's target customers because of its location near the airport, several industrial parks in the area and local businesses, Schira said. "The ownership wanted an airport location," he said. "And with the way the Cincinnati airport's going, it made sense. There's not enough accommodations in this area." INDEPENDENCE Library celebrates new branch Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/28/07 The Kenton County Public Library will celebrate the grand opening of the William E. Durr branch at 2 p.m. today . The branch is at 1992 Walton-Nicholson Road near the intersection of Ky. 16 and Ky. 17. Simon Kenton High School's band will perform during a ribbon-cutting, and a dedication ceremony follows at 2:30 p.m. The event also features "Chris the Whip Guy" and free goodie bags while supplies last. Visit www.kentonlibrary.org. LEBANON Pile of rubble will one day be park Western Star, 1/25/07 It's one down and one to go for the Lebanon Public Library. The building the library owns at the corner of Main Sycamore was torn down Monday. Library Director Julie Florence said the lot will continue to be leveled off over the next few weeks. "We'll be planting a little grass as soon as we can after that," Florence said. The library is still looking for someone to take the adjacent building, which was built in the 19th century and once served as a doctor's office . The library had hoped to move the building to a vacant city-owned lot south of the old post office on South Broadway earlier this year. The move was opposed by the historical society, and eventually the private developer offering to move the building free of charge pulled out because a deed restriction on the vacant lot made moving the building there all but impossible. LOVELAND Commissioners OK Mather property annexation to Loveland Loveland Herald, 1/19/07 In the less than 60 days, 15.2 acres of Symmes Township belongs to Loveland. With that annexation, city officials can further their endeavors to develop a Loveland recreation center. Hamilton County Commissioners unanimously approved Loveland's petition to annex the acreage into the city. The acreage is known as the Mather property. City officials reached a maintenance agreement with Hamilton County Engineer William Brayshaw, according to the commissioners' Jan. 17 meeting minutes. The agreement says Loveland will maintain all of Rich and Fallis roads once the annexation commences. Rich and Fallis roads cross into Symmes Township. LUDLOW Ludlow H.S. gets $1 million Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/16/07 Ludlow High School is set to receive more than $1.1 million in state money for a renovation project, state Sen. Jack Westwood, R-Crescent Springs, announced Tuesday morning. Westwood, who represents Ludlow and is a member of the Senate Education Committee, said in a statement that legislators set aside a pool of funds during the 2006 General Assembly Session for schools that had special infrastructure needs. MARIEMONT Lindners donate $500K for barn Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/24/07 Cincinnati financier Carl H. Lindner and his family have donated $500,000 for the restoration of the historic Resthaven Barn, an architectural relic here. As boys, Lindner and his two brothers, Robert and Richard, helped their father, Carl Sr., operate the Quality Milk Co. from the barn, which was built during Mariemont's founding in the 1920s. That small company grew into United Dairy Farmers. The Lindner donation to the art club's foundation ensures that the barn will avoid demolition and will become the new home of the Women's Art Club of Cincinnati. Carl Lindner said through a spokeswoman that he made the donation because of his family's past ties to the historic structure. "When I was a boy, my dad rented the dairy barn and ran a little milk-bottling plant," Lindner said. "My two brothers and I worked in the plant and helped him in his business. All of us have fond memories of our first job, and I am happy to help preserve the barn." MIAMI TWP (Hamilton County) Zion Hill bridge work is almost completed Western Hills Press, 1/19/07 Hamilton County Chief Deputy Engineer Ted Hubbard said it should be open by the end of the month. Bennet won't be the only person happy to have the bridge back in service. The bridge closed in August for a $700,000 bridge replacement project, Hubbard said. Miami Township Trustee Paul Beck said that while two traffic signals on Bridgetown Road have helped with traffic, the bridge closing has diverted motorists to the area. "Once the bridge opens, we expect to see some relief in traffic on Bridgetown," Beck said. MONROE New trails may be added at Monroe Crossings Park Middletown Journal, 1/23/07 The city would like to add recreational trails to Monroe Crossings Park. City Council will vote tonight on whether to authorize City Manager Bill Brock to submit grants to both the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the state's Recreational Trails Program in hopes of obtaining funds for the park with 16 acres of passive park space with hiking trails off Ohio 4 and Ohio 63. "(This is) for a grant application to receive some grant funds to build a recreational trail at Monroe Crossings Park. We are doing it for both because we've been assured we would get it from one or the other," Brock said. "You have to apply for both." The council also is set to vote on a funds transfer of $275,360 from the 2000 Levy Fund to the General Obligation Fund. "It will be used to pay down the debt relating to the building of the fire station," Brock said. MT HEALTHY Mount Healthy unveils road map to the future Hilltop Press, 1/22/07 Residents had a chance to see how their hometown might change at a recent public forum. Members of the city's comprehensive land use committee unveiled their ideas asking for reaction and input. The long-reaching proposals include ambitious ideas such as routing traffic differently on Hamilton Avenue, Compton Road and Perry Street. "The idea is to make the business area more accessible," Councilman Joe Roetting said. While specifics, particularly funding, for that and other ideas are down the road, others might be more readily achievable. SPRINGFIELD TWP (West College Hill) 6401 Betts Ave has been rehabbed into a unit of affordable housing. SPRINGFIELD TWP Money approved to put Winton Road project in gear Hilltop Press, 1/26/07 Work is expected to start in earnest next month on the next phase of the Winton Road Corridor project. Hamilton County has received the necessary funding in State Capital Improvement Program grants, coupled with Springfield Township money, to move the long-awaited project forward. The county will receive $1,275,773 this year and next to complete the stretch of Winton Road in 2009. Township Administrator Mike Hinnenkamp said the next phase starts at Reynard Drive and ends at Fleming Road. It includes, as does all of the corridor plan, widening Winton Road to add a fifth lane for dedicated turns, including one at Fontainebleau Terrace. WYOMING Wyoming commission to beautify city one picket at a time Tri-County Press, 1/17/07 Instead of just giving beautification awards to people who have immaculate properties, the Beautify Wyoming Commission wants to help make their city beautiful, too. The commission was previously known as the Beautification Committee until Jan. 16, when council voted to make it more official as a commission. But now, the commission is changing from a group of people who met a couple times a year to select properties for the annual Beautification Awards to meeting more often and taking a more active role in improving the aesthetics of the community. And they want to start with a fence. The six members of the commission recently took a tour of Wyoming public property and decided that the parking lot where Jerry's Trackside once stood on Wyoming Avenue needs a fence.
January 29, 200718 yr A typo in the Enquirer piece about the LeBlond Recreation facilities - the address should be 2335 Eastern. I was really confused when I saw 235 Eastern, because that would put it downtown, on Pete Rose Way! And around 900 through around 1700 is now Riverside Drive...this is out where Collins comes into Eastern.
January 29, 200718 yr Author From the 1/18/07 Enquirer: Licking River bike trail gets a lift BY MIKE RUTLEDGE | [email protected] Prospects for a proposed Licking River Greenway became greener Wednesday when the Northern Kentucky Port Authority agreed to contribute $50,000 toward a greenway study, about half its cost. Advocates envision a 5-mile-plus trail for walking and biking along the Licking River between the Ohio River and Interstate 275, perhaps skipping from one river bank to the other using a new or existing bridge. Advocates "see it going along one part and then crossing to the other side - so we're talking about bridges" across the Licking, said Michael Hammons of the Northern Kentucky Vision 2015 effort, which placed emphasis on developing green space and creating more park areas in the region. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070118/NEWS0103/701180384 From the 1/20/07 Enquirer: Light industry in the offing BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] Silver Grove officials say land across from the Lafarge Gypsum plant might soon be home to light industry. Some residents expressed concern about noise and pollution, but city officials say the businesses would help - not hurt - Silver Grove. Real estate developer Ken Perry approached City Council in the fall requesting a change in zoning of the 25-acre parcel to allow development of a commerce park. The parcel is along Mary Ingles Highway - Ky. 8 - between a bar and a paintball store. Council agreed to apply for the zone change. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070120/NEWS0103/701200387 From the 1/12/06 Oxford Press: Oxford townhouse plans shot down by commission By Sean Strader Staff Writer Friday, January 12, 2007 Plans for a new development of townhouse apartments on South Poplar Street were dealt a blow by the Oxford Planning Commission Tuesday. The commission voted 6-1 to deny the application amid concerns about whether it satisfied requirements to be a Planned Unit Development and whether it violated the city charter's three-unit per building limit. "From a conceptual standpoint, it doesn't meet the criteria of a planned development," said Vice Chairman Bill Brewer. Several residents spoke to the commission in opposition, citing concerns about more student housing within Mile Square and calling the architecture "motel-like." The 39-unit complex would have been built on a 7.8 acre vacant site owned by the Paul W. Baer Trust that runs south of Spring Street between Poplar Street and Campus Avenue, behind the Delta Sigma Pi headquarters, Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Campus Courts Apartments. MORE: http://www.oxfordpress.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/10/op011207planning.html
January 29, 200718 yr ^Housing behind Faith would be great for the resident, but for the city and congregation, it wouldn't be positive. Hopefully a good compromise can be found.
January 31, 200718 yr Author From the 1/23/07 Cincinnati Business Courier: Council to consider tax incentive for Restaurant Depot Cincinnati Business Courier - January 23, 2007 A proposal to tear down a building in Winton Place and replace it with a Restaurant Depot warehouse is on Cincinnati City Council's plate this week. RD America Inc., Restaurant Depot's parent, is asking for a 15-year property tax exemption to build the facility on West Mitchell Avenue. The College Point, N.Y. company's plan is to demolish the existing structure and build a 55,000-60,000-square-foot warehouse, costing about $4.9 million, along with an 85-space parking lot. Construction would begin in February with the opening scheduled for September, and the company expects to create at least 40 jobs at the site. MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/01/22/daily21.html?surround=lfn From the 1/7/07 Enquirer: Not all like look of homes Neighbors want subdivision's style to fit BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] ALEXANDRIA - Some Alexandria City Council members and residents hope Fischer Homes reconsiders its design of a 74-single-family-home subdivision planned for the city's southern border. City council voted 4-1 this week not to annex and change zoning for 15.6 acres of the 35-acre Whistler's Point on Persimmon Grove Pike, south of the Country Grove subdivision. The hope is that Fischer Homes changes the design, said Councilman Stacey Graus. "In the end, we would like Fischer Homes to work with us to develop the property and homes that are more consistent with the surrounding homes," Graus said. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070107/NEWS0103/701070388 From the 1/26/07 Enquirer: Apartment site planned off U.S. 27 BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] Apartments will be built at the site of a former drive-in movie theater in Cold Spring. Crews are starting foundation work for the 72 apartments set to go between Murnan Road and Buning Lane on U.S. 27. The developer will build eight two-story apartment buildings. "We are building another one in Elizabethtown," said David Padgett, managing partner for the developer, Northern Kentucky Properties LLC. "We are looking for areas that are growing, that have a need. We did a feasibility study and found there was enough demand there and a need for an apartment complex." The complex will exit off U.S. 27 and in the nearby Granite Springs subdivision. The first apartments will be available in about six months and the complex likely will take about one year to complete, developers say. The apartments will be two-bedroom with rent at about $800 a month. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070126/NEWS0103/701260382
February 2, 200718 yr Author From the 1/30/07 Enquirer: Building already has tenants Kenwood development about two-thirds leased BY MIKE BOYER | [email protected] BLUE ASH - Hills Cos., primarily a residential developer, is taking the wraps off its first new commercial development in more than a decade, a block south from its corporate office at 4901 Hunt Road. Kenwood Corporate Centre is a two-story, 34,000-square-foot office building at 9395 Kenwood Road. It overlooks the Ronald Reagan Highway and is adjacent to Hills' Kenwood Professional Building, a 52,000-square-foot building it renovated about five years ago. The new building is about two-thirds leased. Premier Manufacturing Services, a service provider to global automotive plants, will relocate its offices and 45 employees from Norwood to become the anchor tenant of Kenwood Corporate Centre, taking all 18,000 square feet on the second floor. Harry Nieman, president of the wholly-owned subsidiary of Voith AG in Germany, said Premier had outgrown its offices on Highland Avenue. It expects to move in March. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070130/BIZ01/701300328/1076/BIZ From the 1/26/07 Oxford Press: Oxford Press: Potential municipal building sites topic on Tuesday meeting (1/19/07) Citizens speak up about location Residents at special Tuesday meeting say they want city building to stay Uptown. By Sean Strader Staff Writer Friday, January 26, 2007 A large chorus of citizens stepped up to the podium at council's special meeting Tuesday, but their message was nearly unanimous: Keep the municipal building Uptown, or at least east of the railroad tracks. With a pressing need for new facilities for municipal functions, the police station and the Area I Courthouse, council will decide their future locations during its February and March meetings. "I would like to see the municipal facility stay in the Uptown area," said Steve Flee of 310 Erickson Dr. "We're going to live with this decision for 50, 75, 100 years, so let's do it right the first time." MORE: http://www.oxfordpress.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/25/op012607municipal.html
February 5, 200718 yr Author Anderson Twp: English Garden Home Wood Development is seeking to build a 15-lot subdivision off of Markley Rd. The 3.8 acre subdivision will be on the east side of Markley, between James Hill Dr and Beechmont Ave. Demolition of the homes at 1102 and 1120 Markley Rd would be necessary for the access drive, which will be a public street named English Garden Lane. The 15 lots will surround a cul-de-sac. (1102 and 1120 Markley) Round-up: City of Cincinnati EAST WALNUT HILLS 1315 Burdett Ave has been rehabbed and is on the market for $214,900. It has never been valued at more than half of this amount, and not even half of the surrounding properties break $100K. EAST WALNUT HILLS It has taken a few years, but the rehab of 2332 Gladstone Ave is complete. MADISONVILLE 4436 Lucerne Ave is being upgraded. MT WASHINGTON A new single-family home will be built at 6149 Mariwood Ln. This project, by Housley Homes, is erroneously listed as 6491 Mariwood in the real estate listings. At $232,850, the home will be 3 BR/2 BA with an attached frontal two-car garage. MT WASHINGTON Mt. Washington seeks input on master plan Forest Hills Journal, 1/29/07 Mt. Washington residents will have an opportunity to offer feedback on the community's comprehensive plan. An open house will begin 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Mt. Washington Recreation Center, 1715 Beacon St. "It will be an informal gathering in which people can talk to the heads of each subcommittee (that prepared the plan)," said steering committee chair Jacob Williams. Topics will include housing, economic development, historic preservation, transportation and quality of life. Land use maps will also be on display. "Given the process the city (of Cincinnati) laid out, I think we did a pretty good job (with the plan)," Williams said. Discussions on the plan began about a year and a half ago. About 50 volunteers and city employees helped in preparing the plan. NORTHSIDE 1834 Chase Ave has been rehabbed for resale. No good photo exists of its "before" condition, but it was red, painted brick. The trees have been cut back and this home can be enjoyed from the street again. OAKLEY 2726 Atlantic Ave has been rehabbed, mostly consmetically. SOUTH CUMMINSVILLE 3618 Roll Ave has been condemned. It's been vacant for at least six years. The owner has not replied to any of the City's orders. This home, built around 1890, might not be around too much longer. WALNUT HILLS The two-family at 647-649 E McMillan Ave has been razed for a parking lot. How much parking is needed here? None. This was simply a way to comply with orders on the property by eliminating the problem. Round-up: Metro BETHEL Batavia Township intersection to be closed for repair and reconstruction Clermont Sun, 2/2/07 One of Batavia Township's most problematic intersections will get a boost of sorts sometime this summer when the Bauer Road, Old SR 32 intersection is closed for repairs and reconstruction. The intersection, which is located just east of Batavia, currently features a large dip in a curve that creates a hiding place for oncoming traffic, resulting in several traffic accidents over the years. "That's a real bad intersection," said Batavia Township Administrator Rex Parsons. "Given the growth with the Cross Pointe subdivision and the growth on the other side of SR 32 on Bauer Road, with the county offices, people coming to and from that generates a lot of traffic. You can't see very far and there are more cars coming faster, making for a bad intersection. We've been wanting to address this." According to Parsons, the township and county will be working together to make the improvements, which will benefit both a township and county road. A grant will contribute much of the half million dollar pricetag for the project, which will also use matching funds from the county and township. "We spoke with the county engineer and agreed to partner on it," said Parsons. "We actually agreed to do this intersection and another in our township. The county got some Ohio Public Works Commission money to do this work. This will replace a bridge there as well, which is a win-win for both of us. They're getting their bridge replaced out of this." COLD SPRING Cold Spring to monitor traffic at school site Campbell Community Recorder, 1/30/07 The City of Cold Spring plans to monitor traffic in and out of the Cold Spring Crossing shopping center this year where a new elementary school is expected to open in the fall. The new Crossroads Elementary School was designed to handle up to 750 students, but the district plans to start school with about 500 students enrolled. Monitoring traffic flow in the city, especially at the Crossroads Boulevard and Bunning Lane intersections with U.S. 27, is a strategic focus this year, said Cold Spring Mayor Mark Stoeber. Campbell County School District Superintendent Anthony Strong has expressed a willingness to work with the city and is working to provide a bus schedule in the next month or two, Stoeber said. Several weeks ago the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet installed a device at the Crossroads Boulevard and U.S. 27 intersection that allows police to change the light manually if traffic warrants, said Cold Spring Police Department Chief Ed Burk. COLERAIN TWP This new home was built at 2342 Washington Ave in the Mt. Healthy Heights subdivision, on vacant land purchased for $6,000. FORT WRIGHT Fort Wright wants to widen Kyles Lane Erlanger Recorder, 1/26/07 City administration is pursuing federal money to widen Kyles Lane. City administrator Larry Klein said a proposal was drafted to Senator Jim Bunning seeking the funds. The project would wide Kyles Lane from Highland Pike to Farrell Drive, and add sidewalks along both sides. Klein said the estimated cost of the project is $2.75 million. "Each state gets money from the gasoline tax each year, and we're looking to get some of that money earmarked for this project," explained Klein. "This would be a huge public safety project, and we're hoping that we can get this done as soon as possible." The Kyles Lane and Farrell Drive intersection sits on a steep grade, limiting the sight visibility of people driving or walking in the area. Farrell Drive is the only entrance to a number of facilities, including Fort Wright Elementary School, Atria Highland Crossing, St. Charles Care Center and Northkey Community Care. According to the proposal, poor road conditions also poses a safety threat to emergency vehicles, who may have trouble getting to facilities at times. HIGHLAND HEIGHTS School land to be park Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/1/07 The city of Highland Heights now owns the seven-acre Highland Heights Elementary School property with plans to convert it to a park. The city bought the property from the Campbell County School District for $385,000 and closed on the sale this week. The school of 320 students will close at the end of the school year May 16 and move into the new Crossroads Elementary in Cold Spring. The city will allow school personnel to remain on the property until Sept. 15. After the school vacates, the city will start work on a city park, Mayor Greg Meyers said. The goal is to have a soccer field, baseball field and possibly a volleyball field, Meyers said. But that could change, he said. Meyers expects the park will be open by summer 2008. Alexandria Recorder: City closes deal to buy school (1/30/07) INDEPENDENCE Library's opening crowded Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/29/07 Freezing weather couldn't keep people from flocking to the grand opening Sunday of the new $8.9 million William E. Durr branch of the Kenton County Public Library in southern Kenton County. "If it had been real pretty weather, we might not have been able to handle a bigger crowd," said Milton Mains, library board of trustees' president. "It just shows the support that the people of this county have for our library, and I'm very pleased with the way the building looks, and I'm certainly pleased at this turnout today." More than 1,250 people attended the grand opening ceremony, which included a performance by the Simon Kenton High School band, a ribbon-cutting by library and state officials and a visit from the library's namesake, William E. Durr. Chris "The Whip Guy" Camp also performed his bullwhip routine for a standing-room-only crowd. He holds the Guinness World Record for most whip cracks in a minute at 222. The branch at 1992 Walton-Nicholson Road replaces the smaller Independence branch, which closed in late December. The new 39,000-square-foot facility includes drive-through window service, an outdoor reading garden, more than 90,000 items in the collection, 59 public computer terminals, a circus-themed children's department with more than 35,000 items, public meeting rooms, study rooms and Wi-Fi capabilities. KENTON COUNTY Donated land will be preserved as natural park Kenton Community Recorder, 1/30/07 George Wolsing is using his love of nature to give a gift to the entire county. Wolsing, an Independence native, recently completed a donation of 42 acres to the Kenton Conservancy, a local group dedicated to preserving the natural areas and green space of the county. Wolsing said the area will be turned into a naturalist park, the only one if it's kind in Kenton County. Wolsing, who at one time owned close to 300 acres off Cody Road, was born on the land, and worked as a farmer on it for 70 years. Now 85, he said he wanted to be sure it was preserved in it's natural beauty. "I thought this particular area would be ideally suited for a park, because it runs along the Banklick Creek and there's a lot of wildlife there," said Wolsing. "I didn't want to see that get ruined by a developer or someone coming in to build on it. This way, it will be left how it is so everyone can enjoy it." Janet Scanlon, a board member of the Kenton Conservancy, said the land will remain largely untouched, except for the addition of some hiking trails. LOVELAND City awaits Y officials' partnership decision Loveland Herald, 2/1/07 City officials could reach a partnership agreement with the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati by Feb. 7. The agreement would be another cleared hurdle for the city's administration, which seeks to develop a recreation center on 24 acres between Fallis and Rich roads. The agreement has been deliberated for months. So has planning for the recreation center. According to City Manager Tom Carroll, many have inquired about the Y's membership fees for Loveland residents and outside individuals. Some say it should be cheaper if their tax dollars are paying for it. MADEIRA This teardown project at 7049 Shawnee Run Rd isn't so bad. It's a definite improvement to what was there and a definite improvement over most new construction we're seeing these days. It can be yours for $480,000. MONTGOMERY Officials answer Twin Lakes questions Northeast Suburban Life, 1/26/07 The final plans for a senior-housing development are still before the city's planning commission. The commission could continute discussions the project at its Feb. 5 meeting. Twin Lakes, a senior-living organization, has plans to develop 13 homes between Hopewell and Schoolhouse Roads. The homes have frequently caused interested parties to raise questions about its plans. Thus, Northeast Suburban Life asked readers what questions they had about this development. In an effort to acquire answers, the questions were addressed to city officials, Twin Lakes officials and CDS Associates Inc., an architecture firm in Blue Ash examining the project. MT HEALTHY Mount Healthy makes final push for bond levy Hilltop Press, 1/26/07 Officials in the Mount Healthy City School District are making a final push to get voters to the polls on Feb. 6. There is one issue on the ballot: a 6.1-mill bond issue that would allow the district to consolidate, replacing its eight aging buildings with three new sites: two elementary schools and a grades 7-12 campus. Officials say the consolidation plan could save $1.5 million in operating costs. Board president Steve Harness said the savings will be from reduced maintenance costs, improved energy efficiency, and consolidation of educational resources. District officials want to issue bonds to pay the local share of school construction under the Ohio Classroom Facilities Assistance Program, which will be about $33 million over 23 years. NEW RICHMOND New Richmond High School to be renovated Clermont Sun, 2/2/07 The New Richmond High School is receiving a much needed and long overdue face lift. The New Richmond Board of Education passed a resolution commencing with the $2.274 million repair/renovation project in December. At a special meeting Jan. 25, the board approved the final estimated price tag and awarded the contracts to the following three companies. The general contracting contract was awarded to R.J. Belschel, the ventilator and mechanical work involved was awarded to Quality Mechanicals, and the Sidewinder Electric Company was awarded the electrical contract work. "This is going to be a significant and major project," said superintendent Tom Durbin. "The front of the high school (which was built in 1965) is in serious need of repairs. There are many things that are happening. There is water running down in between the walls that you can hear when it rains. This moisture is leaking out, running down the windows, and causing the deterioration of the metal brackets that secure the school's windows in place." There are many cracks in the walls from the ceiling to the floor, where original tiles are chipped and almost completely destroyed. There are even spaces in the walls that actually allow daylight to creep through. NORTH COLLEGE HILL 6933 Noble Ave has been rehabbed. SPRINGDALE Riley's opening here soon Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/20/07 Riley's Restaurant and Bakery, an institution in Greenhills for 26 years, will open a new location this summer as the anchor tenant of the new $5 million-plus Springdale Town Center, at Springfield Pike and Kemper Road. Ken Riley and his wife Gloria on Friday marked the 26th anniversary of the opening of their restaurant in a former chili parlor in the Greenhills Shopping Center. They said they haven't decided whether the new restaurant will be an outright relocation or a second location. "Our lease here runs into 2008, and we may tweak the concept here a little bit,'' said Riley. "The Springdale Town Center is such a beautiful shopping center, we couldn't pass it up." Riley said 85 percent of the customers are from outside Greenhills. Since opening in 1981, Riley's has expanded several times. The new restaurant, seating 200, will offer the same fare and baked goods as the Greenhills restaurant, he said. It will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The new Riley's will occupy the center of the 43,000-square-foot Springdale neighborhood center developed by Myers Y. Cooper Co. of Milford. Cooper acquired the land on the east side of Springfield Pike from the city and demolished several older buildings to make way for the new neighborhood retail center with parking for about 250 vehicles. SPRINGFIELD TWP Meeting explains road widening Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/3/07 Before major work starts Feb. 19 along Winton Road, Springfield Township officials are holding a meeting Wednesday to tell residents what's happening. The road will be widened from four lanes to five between Reynard Avenue and Fleming Road, and utilities will be relocated. The streetscape plan approved by the township also calls for new decorative sidewalks and lighting. The meeting is at 7 p.m. in Grove Hall, 9158 Winton Road. SYCAMORE TWP Township moving forward with land use plan Northeast Suburban Life, 2/2/07 Township officials are finding that working on a land use plan in-house is a timely process, but one that will pay long-term dividends. Typically sent out to a consultant for completion, Sycamore decided late last year to do the work itself, which will save thousands of dollars as well as make the plan a better fit for the community. A land use plan helps officials make decisions on potential developments. The plan - revised every five years - allows the township to deny developers permission to build, but isn't considered law and can be overturned or ignored. Township Administrator Rob Molloy said the "lengthy process" is in its earliest stages, and he doesn't expect the new plan to differ greatly from the current one. "You're not going to see any big changes," he said. Cincinnati Enquirer: Land-use plan being reviewed (1/29/07) SYCAMORE TWP New lodge in Sycamore Twp. closer to becoming reality Northeast Suburban Life, 1/29/07 After tearing down the fire-damaged Bechtold Lodge in August 2006 Sycamore Township officials are preparing to build its replacement. Trustees have said they want work on a new lodge/community center as soon as possible, and the township's parks and recreation board has been in talks about what and where the new lodge will be. Parks and Recreation Director Mike McKeown said while plans aren't yet official, the parks board is discussing expanding the lodge to include a gym area and reception hall, as well as larger meeting rooms, and placing it on the property directly behind the administration building. "The use there could really be multipurpose," said Al Godbey, parks board member. McKeown said in place of Bechtold Lodge, the township could build a "super shelter" at Bechtold Park, which would include a large picnic area and a fireplace, among other amenities. SYMMES TWP Symmes offer: $150K per acre Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/1/07 Voters will soon decide on a levy for the $7.6 million purchase of the 51-acre Rozzi's Famous Fireworks site for sports fields. Township officials last week announced the plan. After 70 years in Symmes, Rozzi's will move to Clinton County by May 2009. Rozzi's will stay open until the move to a 100-acre site in Wilmington. Two public meetings on the 30-year, 0.9-mill levy are set for 7 p.m. Tuesdayand Feb. 13 at the Symmes Safety Service Center, 8871 Weekly Road. The deadline to get the measure on the May ballot is Feb. 22. Once the family announced the land was on the market, the township made a quick offer. Symmes Trustee President Eric Minamyer said the board is moving quickly to keep any potential private developers from buying the land between Lebanon and Union Cemetery roads. Wilmington News Journal: Rozzi's expands county presence (1/27/07) Cincinnati Enquirer: Rozzi will sell out of Symmes (1/26/07) Loveland Herald: New Symmes levy to determine land deal (1/25/07) WILMINGTON Council split on requiring roadway Wilmington News Journal, 2/2/07 In a 4 to 3 decision Thursday, Wilmington City Council voted to not make extension of Lowe's Drive a precondition for a proposed annexation of a large tract of land on the city's north edge. City Councilman Scott Kirchner asked that any developer of the land be required to include a roadway from Prairie Avenue on one end of the property to the state Route 134 North end of the property. Kirchner's goal is to assure an exit onto state Route 134 North (Lincoln Street) to prevent a traffic influx into existing Denver Addition neighborhoods from the annexed land which is expected to become a residential development. There are many Denver Addition residents who oppose any annexation that potentially could hurt the chances of extending Lowe's Drive from Prairie Avenue to Lincoln Street. Councilman Don Wells and Councilwoman Cindy Peterson joined Kirchner in voting in favor of a deed-restrictive right-of-way that would guarantee the extension of Lowe's Drive as the property is developed. Council members who voted against the requirement were David Hockaday, Mike Wallace, Sandy Mongold and Mark McKay.
February 5, 200718 yr You're right that the rehabbed house on Burdett St. in Walnut Hills is priced much higher than its neighbors. But it does sit directly across from the new Schoolhouse condos. You have to imagine the rehabber had that in mind when making the investment.
February 5, 200718 yr I love that stretch of Burdett - I love that dense, single-family type neighborhood. But yeah, it ain't a $215K-type street...it'll be interesting to see what it finally sells for... WALNUT HILLS The two-family at 647-649 E McMillan Ave has been razed for a parking lot. How much parking is needed here? None. This was simply a way to comply with orders on the property by eliminating the problem. Isn't the lot across Boone from that also bare? Something around there was torn down not too long ago...if Peebles Corner ever comes back to life, that could be a great spot for something new...
February 5, 200718 yr i love that north college hill rehab. it does kinda look like a barn now, but a nice barn with lots of charm. :-D
February 9, 200718 yr Author From the 2/4/07 Enquirer: PHOTO: Zeke Adams' six-bedroom home (right) on East 24th Street in Covington's Wallace Woods is one of four that has already been rehabbed. Adams bought the house, which has three fireplaces, for $128,000. The Enquirer / Patrick Reddy PHOTO: Zeke Adams (left) talks with his friend, Oakley Farris, in the living room of Adams' rehabbed home on East 24th Street, Covington. Residents are proud of Wallace Woods' recent revitalization. THE ENQUIRER / PATRICK REDDY Area's revitalization brings pride Covington street no longer an 'eyesore' BY MIKE RUTLEDGE | [email protected] COVINGTON - Residents of East 24th Street are so proud of their area's recent turnaround within Covington's Wallace Woods neighborhood, they've put up a sign. "Within a one-year period, working with (neighborhood) associations and the city, we have totally changed this area of the street," said Zeke Adams, who moved in last year to a six-bedroom, four-bathroom house with three fireplaces. He and wife Angela paid $128,000. "This was one of the eyesores of Covington," Adams said about the area. Four homes already have been rehabbed, including the Adamses', "and we have three more as we speak," he said. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070204/NEWS0103/702040395/1059/rss13 From the 2/4/07 Enquirer: Hearing Feb. 13 for retail center THE ENQUIRER MT. WASHINGTON - The public will have a chance on Feb. 13 to comment on a proposed zoning change that would allow a $1.5 million retail project to be built on a vacant lot on the northeast corner of Beechmont Avenue and Roxbury Street. The public hearing will be conducted by Cincinnati City Council's economic development committee at noon, Feb. 13, at City Hall, 801 Plum St., in council chambers. Cole Realty Associates has proposed constructing a brick-and-stone building large enough to handle six tenants, including restaurants with outdoor seating at each end. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070204/NEWS01/702040380/
February 10, 200718 yr Author From Northeast Suburban Life, 2/5/07: PHOTO RICH SHIVENER/COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF Restaurant, spa among Montgomery Triangle tenants BY RICH SHIVENER | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MONTGOMERY - The status of the Montgomery Triangle Gateway project has been unclear since December. Attempts to reach Montgomery Gateway Partners - Bill Heckman and Jim Daniels - were unsuccessful before the Northeast Suburban Life deadline. Bob Nikula, public works director, said the city should finish its streetscaping on Cooper, Main and Montgomery roads by March. Bad weather could cause some unexpected delays, he said There will be no reconfiguration of the aforementioned roads, he said, adding that on-street parking on the east side of Montgomery Road will be available during select hours once Triangle project is completed. The city's streetscaping project includes the installation of new streetlights, sidewalks, road repair, trees and benches, Nikula said MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070205/NEWS01/702050342/1062/Local From the 2/5/07 Cincinnati Business Courier: Dearborn courts companies to design jail expansion Argosy gaming tax to help foot bill for $26M project Cincinnati Business Courier - February 2, 2007 by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter Dearborn County is pursuing a jail and courthouse expansion that will cost up to $26 million and add 120 beds to a jail that now houses about 200. The facility has been running at full capacity for several years, thanks in part to a sharp increase in crime following the opening of the Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg in 1996. Fittingly, the financing plan for the new jail includes the use of gaming-tax revenue to fund $612,000 in preliminary planning costs and about a third of the long-term debt that will be issued in 2010. The Dearborn County Council approved a financing plan for the new facility Jan. 22. It calls for the county to issue bond anticipation notes in 2007, the completion of the new jail in 2009 and the issuance of long-term bonds in 2010. MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/02/05/story13.html
February 10, 200718 yr Author From the 2/8/07 Enquirer: West 13th St. residents cheer demolition plans BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] NEWPORT - Age, neglect and the elements have rendered some homes along West 13th Street uninhabitable. Property owner and nearby resident Jerry Newberry this week will start tearing down 10 of the vacant houses he bought in recent years to rid the street of the eyesores. Time has been rough on these homes. Floors have caved in. Yellowed newspapers, decades old, hang from walls covering gaping holes. Broken glass and signs of vagrants and drug use litter floors. Newberry bought the properties to renovate and improve Newport's Clifton neighborhood where he lives. He rents some of his buildings, but others are beyond rehabilitation. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070208/NEWS0103/702080406/1059/rss13 From the 2/9/07 Enquirer: Team hired to redesign Devou Park Goal: More attractive, better traffic access BY CINDY SCHROEDER | [email protected] Covington City Commission has approved hiring Human Nature Inc. to update the 9-year-old Devou Park master plan. The Walnut Hills-based landscape design and consulting firm specializes in developing recreational projects and parks. It has done work for a number of Greater Cincinnati communities. The Devou Park Properties Board, which operates the Drees Pavilion, is paying for the $125,000 study, said Denny Bowman, Covington recreation director. MORE: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070209/NEWS0103/702090380
February 10, 200718 yr Author From the 12/26/06 Enquirer: Big plans growing bigger Complex rescued, wants more BY JANE PRENDERGAST | [email protected] LINCOLN HEIGHTS - Residents of Valley Homes who had to fight to keep their heat and lights on a year ago are working now on something unimaginable then - a plan to redevelop the long-troubled place with new housing. A task force of residents envisions 40 to 150 units of housing for older people, some rental townhouses mostly for families and 40 townhouses to be available for sale. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061226/NEWS01/612260377/1077/COL02
February 10, 200718 yr Author From the 12/31/06 Enquirer: Plans for Valley Homes to be aired THE ENQUIRER LINCOLN HEIGHTS - The new board members of Valley Homes, with the complex's development task force, will unveil their plans and hopes for the 350-unit neighborhood at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Medosch Avenue office. A year ago, residents were begging then-Cinergy not to cut off their heat and lights, after learning that the previous property manager had not paid the utilities. Since, a court ordered the property into receivership. And while there's still about $350,000 owed in back utilities, residents are pleased with regular trash pickup and improved maintenance. The place was built in the 1940s. Jackie Hawkins, a resident of the complex since 1978, wants all residents to be part of what she hopes will turn Valley Homes into a combination of rentals for seniors, rentals for families and some owner-occupied homes. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061231/NEWS01/612310391/1056/COL02
February 10, 200718 yr Author From the 1/3/07 Enquirer: Lincoln Heights complex seeks proposals for rebuilding BY JANE PRENDERGAST | [email protected] LINCOLN HEIGHTS - Continuing with their new motto, "The train is rolling," the residents' board of Valley Homes voted Tuesday night to ask developers for proposals detailing how they would replace the World War II-era complex with new housing. In spite of some questions about whether enough residents knew the meeting was happening, the board went ahead with a plan to send out the requests for proposals. They asked for the developers' plans by March 15. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/NEWS01/701030345/1056/COL02
February 11, 200718 yr Village to rename street in honor of Ford plant A road known as Track Street along abandoned railroad tracks on the former Ford transmission plant site on Red Bank Road in Fairfax will be replaced with a new street called Crown Lane, a name derived from Ford's Crown Victoria automobiles. Regency Centers Inc., the Jacksonville, Fla.-based developer planning to build a $60 million office-retail-commercial development on the site, recently awarded a bid for construction of the new street to Proust Construction for $837,000. Proust Construction is now widening Red Bank Road as part of the development project. Fairfax Village Council members are expected to rename Track Street at their next meeting, which is scheduled for Feb. 20. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070211/NEWS01/702110380/1056/COL02
February 12, 200718 yr Author Sycamore Twp: Kenwood Crossing Phase II and III Neyer Properties is seeking a major adjustment to the PUD zoning plan for its Kenwood Crossing plan, NW of the intersection of Galbraith and Kenwood roads. Phases II and III would consist of two new office buildings, one of 31,600 SF and the other at 40,000 SF. Pine Road would be extended and renamed Kenwood Crossing Way. (Township trustees do not appear to be behind this move.) This will appear before the Sycamore Township Zoning Commission on February 12. GOOGLE AERIAL MAP WINDOWS LIVE SEARCH BIRD'S EYE VIEW Symmes Twp: Primrose Grand Horizons is looking to develop a subdivision on 6 acres along the west side of Lebanon Rd, just south of Bent Creek Dr. The subdivision will contain 13 lots. Two of the lots will front on Lebanon Rd, but will be accessed from the new public street. Several of the end lots will be connected to the new street by a private drive. GOOGLE AERIAL MAP WINDOWS LIVE SEARCH BIRD'S EYE VIEW Round-up: City of Cincinnati BOND HILL/ROSELAWN Lease Signed and $750,000 Fundraising Goal Reached for New, Expanded Bond Hill/Roselawn Branch Library Cincinnati.com, 2/6/07 Charles D. Lindberg, President of the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, today announced that the two major contingencies holding up the planned new, expanded and combined Bond Hill/Roselawn Branch Library have been met. With the signing of a lease and successful completion of fundraising to cover the costs of finishing the new facility, the project will now proceed. The Library has signed a ten-year lease with the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency (CAA) for a 12,000 square-foot space in its building anchoring Jordan Crossing, formerly Swifton Commons. “As the CAA oversees programs for economic development and youth services, this is an ideal match for the library facility to reach CAA’s participants as well as students from nearby schools,” said CAA President/CEO Gwen L. Robinson. Major funding to cover the $750,000 cost to finish the space has been provided by a lead gift of $100,000 from Carl H. Lindner, a $100,000 Jacob Schmidlapp Trust challenge grant from Fifth Third Bank, and a $150,000 allowance from the CAA for building out the space. Additional funding was provided by a bequest in excess of $100,000 from Norma Holt, $25,000 grants from both the Farmer Family Foundation and an anonymous foundation, and gifts received from the Library Foundation’s Annual Fund. K4 Architects have completed design work for the facility and bids are currently out for construction. The new Bond Hill Branch project is on schedule for completion in August 2007. CARTHAGE Cincinnati Housing Partners is awaiting permits to begin a rehab on 7310 Fairpark Ave. CARTHAGE Cincinnati Housing Partners is currently rehabbing 6619 Vine St. EAST PRICE HILL A civil fine of $500 has been given to the owner of 2535 Warsaw Ave for failure to comply with orders. The code violations are too numerous to list. The owner is absentee, and there's no way anyone is living there (legally). EVANSTON 1624 Blair Ave was demolished after being devastated by fire. The house was vacant. SEDAMSVILLE 624 Steiner Ave (two-family, 1894) has been demolished. This went from being ordered vacant by the city to the lot being seeded and strawed in about five months, which is rather quickly. The absentee, out-of-state owners apparently made no attempt to save it. WALNUT HILLS 1112 Yale Ave has gone criminal and is in court versus the State of Ohio. The two-family, built around 1880, has been a code violation since at least 2001. Attempts to remedy the property's condition were futile and slow. This house will probably be gone by 2008. Round-up: Metro ALEXANDRIA County mulling options for A.J. Jolly Alexandria Recorder, 2/10/07 Campbell County Fiscal Court could ask the state to take over operation of A.J. Jolly Park. That was one of several ideas county commissioners discussed Wednesday, Feb. 7. The county has had to cover an operational deficit at the park's golf course for the last two years. Commissioner Mark Hayden proposed four options for changing the golf course's operations: * Do nothing. * Privatize the management of the golf course and make no improvements. * Make substantial improvements while maintaining county management. * Privatize the management of the golf course and make substantial improvements. BELLEVUE 424 Berry St has been rehabbed. BLANCHESTER Habitat houses planned in Blanchester Wilmington News Journal, 2/10/07 Rezoning was approved for two parcels of land in Blanchester during the regular Thursday night meeting of Blanchester Village Council. During a public hearing on a rezoning request, Ron McHenry, attorney for Tony Falgner, asked for the rezoning of property at Willow Drive and Ash Grove. "It's currently zoned R2 suburban residential and we're asking that it be rezoned R3 suburban 2 residential in order for Mr. Falgner to build a duplex on that lot," McHenry said. He said the lot is bigger than neighboring lots. "Immediately adjacent to it to the west is property owned by the village of Blanchester where the park is. There are no buildings on this lot (Falgner) presently. R3 suburban would allow two-family residences for conditional use." Falgner said he plans to build only one duplex on the property. McHenry said letters have been sent out to neighboring property owners and he has not received any response. BLUE ASH Two homes of the Reserves of Blue Ash are now on the market. Lot 1 on Myerdale Dr (pictured) is on the market for $1,167,900. The other, Lot 3, is on the market for $979,900. BLUE ASH Blue Ash contracts up for approval Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/8/07 City Council is set to vote on engineering and design contracts for major renovations at the Blue Ash Recreation Center and the city's municipal golf course. Council is expected today to approve contracts with both Michael Schuster Associates for the rec center expansion and Steed Hammond Paul for work at the golf course. The city will pay $55 to $150 an hour for design and engineering work. Construction should begin late this year or early 2008. CLEVES Income tax to be on ballot Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/8/07 The Three Rivers Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to place a 1 percent earned income tax on the May 8 ballot to build and maintain a pre-K through sixth grade school on the current site of Miami Heights Elementary. Three Rivers lost a bond issue in August to build two schools. COLUMBIA TWP Church agrees to buy Friarhurst Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/7/07 SonRise Community Church, a nondenominational church based in Milford, has signed a tentative agreement to purchase the Friarhurst, a former Catholic chapel and retreat house on a hillside along Wooster Pike. The Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, which owns the 11-acre Columbia Township site, closed Friarhurst at the end of 2005. SonRise has two months to decide whether it wants to finalize the purchase, said the Rev. Maynard Tetreault, building coordinator for the Franciscan Province. "It's not a done deal," he said. "I've seen deals come apart. But this one feels really good." Jeff Arington, SonRise pastor, said he's optimistic about working out the final details. Cincinnati Enquirer: Friarhurst finds a buyer (2/6/07) COVINGTON 1052 Banklick St has been rehabbed. EDGEWOOD District replacing its worst building Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/6/07 The fall of 2009 seems far away, but the Kenton County School District is already gearing up for it. That's when the new Turkey Foot Middle School is scheduled to open. The district hired architects Piaskowy & Cooper of Covington last week to begin the planning. The company will spend the next six months talking to school staff and community members to determine what the new building should look like. "It's not like the architect does the design and says 'Here is your new school,'" Superintendent Tim Hanner said. "Everybody is involved with the vision of what it should be." The building is expected to cost $20 million to $25 million. FORT THOMAS Park, parking in streetscape plans Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/9/07 Streetscape plans for Fort Thomas' Midway District may net a better traffic flow, more parking and a green space with statutes honoring veterans. The improvements include a proposed realignment of the intersection of River Road and South Fort Thomas Avenue in the Midway business district. The city has proposed making River Road perpendicular to South Fort Thomas Avenue, said Assistant City Administrator Jay Treft. The realignment would put that section of River Road several yards north, where there's a public parking lot beside the Veterans Affairs Nursing Home next to Tower Park. Plans call for the city to buy property on the nursing home's campus off River Road to create a 32-space parking lot and small park with statues of veterans, including one of the city's namesake, Gen. George Henry Thomas, Treft said. "We feel like the concept and overall plan will enhance the Midway Business District from a functional standpoint and aesthetic standpoint and will provide a benefit to the businesses there to prosper and be more successful," Treft said. GREEN TWP Oak Hills buying land on Wesselman Road Western Hills Press, 2/9/07 The Oak Hills Local School District is buying property on Wesselman Road. The Oak Hills board of education approved a resolution at its meeting Monday, Feb. 5, to purchase a piece of land at 6454 Wesselman Road. The property encompasses about 0.73 acres. "At this particular point it will just be vacant property," said Oak Hills Assistant Superintendent Michael Amos. "The property backs up to Diamond Oaks." He said the district has an agreement with the Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development that if Oak Hills ever needed to build a new school Great Oaks has about 7.25 acres behind its Diamond Oak campus on Harrison Avenue available for the district to use. GREEN TWP Family involved in lawsuit files request for zoning Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/11/07 Get ready for the next chapter in the Rack family versus Green Township saga. Dale J. Rack, on behalf of his family's firm, Monfort Supply Co., wants the Hamilton County Board of Zoning Appeals to approve a compatible nonconforming use certificate, allowing the sale of materials associated with the Racks' construction business. The company already stores earth-moving equipment on the site. Green Township officials oppose the request. Adam Goetzman, township development director, called the request "too vague" in detailing what will be sold and how much will be stored on the grounds. The site is the subject of a lawsuit. The township wants to take the property by eminent domain and turn it into a park. The certificate hearing takes place at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Hamilton County Administrative Building, 138 E. Court St., Room 805. HAMILTON Lot development deal hinges on price tag Hamilton JournalNews, 2/7/07 The price tag of six city-owned parcels could make or break a development deal that would result in a warehouse and two parking lots being built near the old Ringel's warehouse on Hanover Street. Bob Brown, president of Robert M. Brown Construction and Development, has reached a tentative agreement with the city to purchase land on the corner of Walnut Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to build a 4,000-square-foot warehouse and a parking lot. He already owns three lots to the south of the property and a parcel in between the city's land. The agreement includes the sale of a 12,000-square-foot undeveloped lot Brown owns on Hanover Street to Community Behavioral Health to build a parking lot. CBH — a subsidiary of Fort Hamilton Healthcare Corp. specializing in alcohol, drug and mental health treatment — purchased the vacant Ringel's warehouse in October for $350,000, according to the Butler County recorder. The agency currently operates out of six sites across the county. It plans to consolidate its services and administration into the warehouse and open next spring, said Jean Glowka, the president of CBH. INDEPENDENCE Input sought for small area study Kenton Community Recorder, 2/6/07 The city will hold a series of public meetings this month as they gather input from residents about the small area study being conducted of the downtown area. Mayor Chris Moriconi said the city mailed out surveys to residents, and is looking forward to the first informational session, to be held February 22 at city hall. The session will feature a presentation by Doug Harnish, an analyst with the Kinzelman Kline Grossman Firm, who is conducting the study. "Hearing what the residents have to say and knowing what they want for the city is important to this process," said Moriconi. "We're looking to lay the city out right, and to do that, we need to know what the people want. It's vital for everyone to get involved." There will be another meeting on Feb. 24 at St. Cecilia, where design teams will be available to work with residents on more specific areas of the city. Finally, on Feb. 26, there will be a video presentation at city hall from 7-9 p.m. that will showcase results of the public input and information sessions. KENTON COUNTY Dissolved Latonia Lakes transfers zoning to county Kenton Community Recorder, 2/4/07 The Kenton County Planning Commission recommended approval of the fiscal court taking over the zoning of the now dissolved Latonia Lakes. Residents of Latonia Lakes voted to dissolve the city in the November election, therefore becoming part of unincorporated Kenton County. To finalize the dissolution, the former city had to transfer their zoning jurisdiction to the county. "This won't necessarily change a lot as far as what the zoning entails," explained Michael Schwartz, the NKAPC Deputy Director for current planning. "The lots sizes are fairly consistent across the board, and this will merely enable the fiscal court to adopt the area and apply their zoning regulations to it." The fiscal court presented seven different zones that Latonia Lakes had. Of the seven zones, only one will be actually changed rather than transferred. Unlike Latonia Lakes, the fiscal court doesn't have a limited service commercial zone in their regulations, so that zone will now become a neighborhood commercial zone. Lance Wade, who owns an automotive business on the corner of Taylor Mill Road and Lipscomb Road, said he was concerned that the zone change would affect his property boundaries, as well as the conditional use permit he has to operate his business. LINCOLN HEIGHTS Millcreek Valley Habitat for Humanity has purchased the vacant lot at 613 Jackson St for $11,000. LOCKLAND This new construction at 623 Maple St is listed for $119,000. LOVELAND Loveland has deal if income-tax OK'd Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/9/07 Residents already have heard from city officials that Loveland can't afford a new swimming pool if a 20 percent income tax increase on the ballot May 8 doesn't pass. But what some have been wanting to know is how much of a discount they'll get on memberships at the proposed $9.5 million facility in exchange for supporting it with their tax dollars. The answer: no initiation fee and a 20 percent discount on memberships. The Y hasn't set its 2008 rates yet. But this year, the initial fee for a family is $150 and a family membership costs $71 a month. The discount amounts were revealed this week in the contract between the city and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, which would operate the facility after the city builds it. City Council will consider the contract Tuesday. The YMCA board approved the deal Wednesday. The lease calls for the YMCA to pay the city $1 a year for the property for 25 years, with the option to renew after that. It also would require the YMCA to market it, repair equipment and maintain it. On major repairs, such as to the roof, pool plumbing and boiler, the YMCA would have to pay the first $25,000, with the city kicking in on the rest of the bill. That's for the first dozen years of the lease. Cincinnati Enquirer: Loveland Y details emerge (2/8/07) MADEIRA Campaign to replace field ramps up Suburban Life, 2/2/07 March 1 has been set as the date for receiving contribution commitments to replace Madeira High's half-century old athletic field with synthetic turf by the fall football season. With an estimated cost of $700,000, the turf installation is the first phase of a $1.5 million project by the Madeira Schools Foundation to renovate and upgrade Madeira Stadium. The Foundation recently began a mailing campaign to solicit donations for the project, which is depending on tax-deductible fundraising and in-kind contributions by businesses. The co-chair of the project, Terry Jacobs, said he is confident the donations will come once the Madeira community learns more about it. "We believe Madeira residents and alumni will do what they have always done - rise to the challenge and support the dreams of Madeira's children," he said. MASON Educational center set for Pine Hill Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/7/07 Mason's Pine Hill Lakes Park soon will have its own educational center. A house next to the park is being converted to a parks education facility. Called Pine Run Lodge, the building is on a 1-acre lot next to the park entrance on Kings Mills Road. The city bought the property last year and workers have been adapting the structure. The Parks Department plans to use the house and grounds for outdoor education, naturalist programs, and summer camps. The lodge should be ready this spring. MOUNT HEALTHY Mount Healthy making plans after levy passes Hilltop Press, 2/6/07 Officials in Mount Healthy are getting ready now for a massive building project: three brand new school buildings. The project is possible because district voters approved a bond levy Feb. 6. A similar levy failed in November. The bond issue passed with 1,548, or 54 percent, voting yes, and 1,319, or 46 percent, opposed. Officials said the voter turnout, at 17 percent, was likely hampered by more than 6 inches of snow that fell, but more than 2,600 made it to the polls. There were 190 who voted via absentee ballot. The district asked voters to support a 6.1-mill bond levy to pay the local share of school construction under the State of Ohio Classroom Facilities Assistance Program, which will be about $33 million over 23 years. OXFORD www.miamistudent.net/media/storage/paper776/news/2007/02/06/FrontPage/Former.WalMart.Lot.Still.Empty.As.Realtors.Make.Plans.For.Sale-2699607.shtml?sourcedomain=www.miamistudent.net&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com]Former Wal-Mart lot still empty as realtors make plans for sale[/url] Miami Student, 2/6/07 More than a year and a half after the Wal-Mart store on Locust Street closed its doors, the building and parking lot remain empty, a common fate for many so-called "big box" style stores across the country. Whether they go out of business or simply relocate like Wal-Mart, the shells of these old super-centers, often more than 100,000 square feet in area, are often left to collect dust. There are several factors responsible for this trend, according to Miami University professors Jack Gifford and Dennis Sullivan. One reason is that the size of these buildings doesn't make them very adaptable or attractive to new businesses. "It's going to take an enormous amount of money to renovate it into something useful," said Sullivan, professor of economics at Miami. "It's a barn of a building." READING 131 Pike St has been rehabbed. Just getting rid of that awful siding would have improved the house 100%. SPRINGDALE Plans underway to build memorial Tri-County Press, 2/9/07 City Council plans to begin construction on a veterans memorial this year. The memorial will be built near the corner of Springfield Pike and Lawnview Avenue Jack Willard with CDS Associates Inc. presented preliminary drawings of the first phase of the veterans memorial at the Feb. 7 council meeting. The first phase of the veterans memorial includes a memorial wall, the primary landscaping and engraved bricks the city plans to sell to raise money to complete the project. Preliminary concepts show the memorial grounds as circular, with a walkway circling the grounds, a semicircular memorial with several standing stones, cascading fountains, and bronze soldier statues. SPRINGFIELD TWP Springfield Twp. road levy could be back on May ballot Hilltop Press, 2/1/07 Township voters may see a second request for a road levy on the May ballot. Trustees are expected to discuss the road levy at their Tuesday, Feb. 13, meeting. Voters turned down a 2.5-mill levy in November. "It was only by about 200 votes and it was the largest voter turnout since I've been here," said Administrator Mike Hinnenkamp. "I don't think the word got out about the levy. We can't promote it, by law, or spend money for signs or fliers."
February 12, 200718 yr Thank you as always for the updates! It's a shame about some of those places, like the place on Yale - that's 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, in a not-too-bad area of Walnut Hills...what a waste... And that place in Blue Ash - my Lord, is that incongruous with the post-war ranch/rambler housing stock that has always been Blue Ash to me...ick...
February 12, 200718 yr I don't really understand the sentiment behind naming the street after the Crown Vic's that were once produced at the former Ford Plant...I don't know; I just don't get it :wtf: Hey...thanks for leaving, and screwing us economically; we're now naming a street after you...oh and here is a key to the city while we're at it!
February 12, 200718 yr businesses come and go...thats nothing new. nobody screwed anybody intentionally so why not recognize them for what they provided while they were here. why does everything have to have such a negative reception.
February 12, 200718 yr I don't give everything a negative reception (most would actually do too much the opposite). But, even if a business had once before given greatly to a community; I don't see the need to commemorate them. Hell, I don't want to see a Pampers Ln. (in respect to the great business of P&G)...or a Mortgage Rd. (for 5/3). I personally just find it tacky and unneccessary.
February 12, 200718 yr Author From the 2/11/07 Enquirer: RENDERING: The Clarion Hotel & Suites on Pfeiffer Road will be renamed the Crowne Plaza Hotel after a $5 million renovation is completed April 1. It will have a restaurant, renovated rooms and meeting space. Photo provided Hotel gets face-lift, new name to boost business BY JEFF MCKINNEY | [email protected] BLUE ASH - The Clarion Hotel & Suites on Pfeiffer Road is getting a new name and look. The hotel will be renamed the Crowne Plaza Hotel after a $5 million renovation is completed April 1. The face-lift will bring the hotel a new restaurant, newly-renovated rooms and 14,000 square feet of meeting space. The new look will include a multi-purpose lounge that seats about 70 people and plans for new signage to provide greater visibility from Interstate 71 and Pfeiffer Road. The hotel also hopes the face-lift will help it attract more business and leisure travelers visiting the redeveloped Blue Ash Airport. Plans call for Blue Ash to buy more than half of the 226-acre airport site to develop it into a public park that would include a "municipal mall" and the city's performing arts center. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070211/BIZ01/702110357/1076/rss01 From the 2/10/07 Enquirer: Group hopes to lure stores BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] Some Fort Thomas residents and business owners don't see enough retail in their city and want to do something about it. About 40 residents have offered to help the Fort Thomas Renaissance Board. They believe relaxing the parking requirements and an influx of volunteers may entice more boutiques and coffee shops. A posting on a Yahoo message group at the end of last year by Marc Roth provided the initial spark. He moved to Fort Thomas last summer for the schools and the close-knit community. Roth, 35, became a renaissance board member in January and brought with him a number of people who want to help. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070210/NEWS0103/702100414/1059/rss13
February 12, 200718 yr Bowman agrees. "Oakley and Bellevue have much greater density of businesses and no parking restrictions," he said. I wouldn't go that far. Very few places in the country have no parking requirements. However, 5.5 spaces per 1000 sq ft is definitely ridiculous.
February 19, 200718 yr Author City of Cincinnati: GET TO WORK!!! This is one of my favorite stretches of street in the city, the 800 block of Lincoln Ave in Walnut Hills. These red brick houses were built in the 1880s and 1890s. Some are in decent shape and appear to have tenants, while many are vacant. The vacant ones are the ones owned by the City of Cincinnati -- specifically, 842, 844 and 846 Lincoln. While it appears that there is work going on, I've never seen anyone on site and I haven't noticed any progress at all. The sad thing is that the City is in violation of its own VBML code. 842 Lincoln even has open windows with jagged, broken glass. These could be neat little houses if someone, besides the City, took the time to fix them up. Round-up: City of Cincinnati BOND HILL New public library branch coming to Bond Hill Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/12/07 The fundraising is over and a 10-year lease is signed, clearing the way for the expanded and combined Bond Hill/Roselawn Branch Library. Charles D. Lindberg, president of the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, said the library has signed a lease with the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency to house the new library in a 12,000 square-foot space in its building in Jordan Crossing in Bond Hill. Major funding to cover the $750,000 cost to finish the space has been provided by a lead gift of $100,000 from Carl Lindner, a $100,000 Jacob Schmidlapp Trust challenge grant from Fifth Third Bank, and a $150,000 allowance from the CAA for building out the space. Additional funding was provided by a bequest in excess of $100,000 from Norma Holt, $25,000 grants from both the Farmer Family Foundation and an anonymous foundation, and gifts received from the Library Foundation's Annual Fund. The new branch is on schedule for completion in August, this year. CLIFTON I noticed that some work was going on at 3471 Brookline Ave. This is a two-family owned by Gaslight Properties. CORRYVILLE 2809 Gerard St has been rehabbed. This house was going to be razed around 2004. KENNEDY HEIGHTS A new single-family home will be built at 3618 Aikenside Ave. They are currently preparing the lot. For some reason, this land has remained undeveloped for many years. MILLVALE 3077 Moosewood Ave is going into pre-prosecution hearings and is also likely to be barricaded by the City. The condemned building has been vacant for quite some time. It's literally rotting away. NORTHSIDE 1316 Boyd St has been updated and is on the market for $61,900. SOUTH FAIRMOUNT 1781 Queen City Ave has been razed, and I have no idea why. The owner lives just down the street. WESTWOOD 2539 Talbott Ave has been rehabbed over the past year. Round-up: Metro ALEXANDRIA Permit could put U.S. 27 work in neutral Alexandria Recorder, 2/12/07 Construction on U.S. 27 could stall this summer. Final approval for the next phase of the widening project has been bogged down over the need for a new federal waterway disturbance permit. The need for the permit arose after the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet decided to realign a previously-designed path for the new right-of-way south of A.J. Jolly Park. The estimated construction cost is $28 million for the 2.4-mile project. It would extend U.S. 27 as a four-lane highway from Race Track Road past Grant's Lick to Nagel Road. Construction started in early 2004 to widen U.S. 27 to four lanes south from Alexandria to Race Track Road. Work on that section should be completed in early summer, possibly in June, said Nancy Wood, a spokeswoman for District 6 of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Department of Highways. BATAVIA School renovations considered Community Journal Clermont, 2/16/07 Batavia Local School District Board of Education members continued evaluating options for renovations to buildings in an open meeting Tuesday, Feb. 13. Local architecture firm Fanning and Howey presented the board with several options for a new master plan, all designed to comply with regulations of a state funding commission. Superintendent Barbara Bradley described the firm's work as a "helping hand" in the long process of revising the district's master plan. Former Superintendent Jim Fite volunteered his firm Fanning and Howey to present to the board; the firm worked with the district in 2002 as well as with Goshen, Bethel-Tate and Felicity-Franklin local school districts. The district will work closely with the Ohio School Facilities Commission throughout the planning process. In addition to assessments from planners and architects, the master plan must meet regulations on student-teacher ratio, building size and other aspects before any funding or construction can begin. "Working with the OSFC requires a long lead time," said board member Steve Staton. Batavia is currently 270th on the list of 613 Ohio school districts eligible for OSFC funding, a number determined by enrollment, poverty level and the conditions of school buildings. According to Fanning and Howey, that number could make Batavia eligible for funding in the next two years. BROWN COUNTY Brown County plan released Georgetown News Democrat, 2/16/07 A comprehensive study of Brown County's transportation system was recently released that outlines major current and expected problem areas as well as possible solutions. The finalized Brown County Thoroughfare Plan, developed by Wilbur Smith Associates in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Transportation, contains a multitude of data, analysis and recommendations concerning traffic and transportation within the county. Limited copies of the Thoroughfare Plan are available at the Brown County Chamber of Commerce, in Georgetown. The Plan may also be downloaded from the ODOT District 9 web site www.dot.state.oh.us/dist9 by following the Project Overview link in the Brown County Thoroughfare Plan section. The Chamber was a driving force in the development of the study. "We have been excited to be involved (with the Thoroughfare Plan,)" said Chamber director Ray Becraft. CAMPBELL COUNTY Sites eyed for nursing home Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/15/07 The licensed nursing home beds from Lakeside Heights Nursing Center might end up in Cold Spring or Alexandria. Tower Holdings is looking at both locations for a new nursing home that will use the license it acquired from the Highland Heights nursing home. In December, the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued a license to Tower Holdings for Lakeside Heights' 286 nursing home beds. Lakeside closed in April amid a state investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect. George Hagan IV, a veteran in nursing care, formed Tower Holdings to reopen a new nursing home with Lakeside Heights' license. Northern Kentucky University plans to purchase the vacant Lakeside Heights building and convert it into dorms. So Hagan has looked elsewhere in Campbell County to open a nursing home. COLD SPRING Furniture delivery holds up Cold Spring library reopening Campbell Community Recorder, 2/12/07 The reopening of the Cold Spring Branch of the Campbell County Public Library will be a week overdue. The late delivery of furniture, including the central reference desk, has delayed the reopening to Monday, Feb. 26, said Kiki Dreyer Burke, library spokeswoman. The library was previously slated to reopen Monday, Feb. 19. It has been closed for the $600,000 renovation project since Thanksgiving weekend. When the library does reopen patrons should notice surroundings that are warmer and more inviting, said Dave Anderson, branch manager. Wall colors include orange and light yellow. Colorful murals are being added around the children's area with a transportation theme including a biplane, school bus, hot air balloon, riverboat, and train. EVENDALE The Princeton City School District is currently accepting bids for the demolition of Evendale Elementary School. The sealed bids will be read by the Board on March 5, 2007. FORT THOMAS Veteran's plaza in plans for Fort Thomas Fort Thomas Recorder, 2/12/07 Fort Thomas, a city steeped in military history, is planning to honor its veterans with a plaza.The Midway Steering Committee's Streetscape Master Plan includes a plaza in front of the Fort Thomas campus of the Cincinnati VA Medical Center at the corner of River Road and South Fort Thomas Avenue. According to Jay Treft, assistant city administrator, the plaza will honor all veterans and will include numerous statues. "We are planning to have a statue of General Thomas as the key focal point in the plaza," Treft said. General George Henry Thomas was a Union general during the Civil War. Fort Thomas is named after him. The committee is currently working with the VA to acquire the property and add additional parking to the area. Treft said that while nothing is definite yet, the VA has given preliminary support to the project. FORT WRIGHT Fort Wright condos set to rise Erlanger Recorder, 2/8/07 Construction is expected to begin this year on Madison Woods of Fort Wright, an upscale condominium community that will sit on Madison Pike. The condos, which will consist of three buildings with 24 units each, will sit across from the Fort Wright Driving Range. Each unit will be 1,300 to 1,700 square feet, and prices will range from $200,000 up to $350,000. The condos will be marketed for seniors age 55 and up. According to studies, approximately 32 percent of the nearly 5,500 Fort Wright residents fall into the range. "Our market study of that area showed a real need for quality housing for that age group," said city administrator Larry Klein. "It's something that we really think is going to be a benefit for the city." James Titus, of Dunn & Titus professional service design firm, said the designs of the condos will fall in line with the new design standards the city is implementing along the Madison corridor. The standards include restrictions on building height, appearance and landscaping as the city looks to establish a Town Center District. The condos will have sidewalks and walking trails to tie into the district. There will also be a TANK bus shelter near the base of the community. GLENDALE Glendale Elementary renovation price tag soars Tri-County Press, 2/9/07 Renovation of Glendale Elementary School will cost at least $200,000 more than anticipated. A sewage line problem and several other unforeseen issues discovered during the renovation will also force crews to work two months longer on the school, Turner-Megan Construction officials told the Princeton City School District Board of Education Feb. 9. The sanitary line in the school had to be completely replaced - costing $150,000 more than anticipated - after it was discovered that the line was not capable of carrying even the current amount of effluent, said Dallas Hall, the project supervisor with Turner-Megan. "The big issue is the underground sanitary," Hall said. "We had to do it to before the building could open." HIGHLAND COUNTY Commission informed of housing plans Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 2/15/07 The Highland County commissioners received a letter from PMI: The Provident Companies about their housing units that are located on Treewood Drive. PMI, which owns more than 40 housing units, applied for funds from the state and informed the commissioners about their applying for the funds. "The letter was to tell us about their plans and seeing if we disapproved of the funds. If that had happened the area would not receive improvements," commissioner Mike Rector said. "We took no action, which allows them to receive funds and allows the renovation of the properties." Highland County Engineer Dean Otworth sent a duplicate letter to the Highland County commissioners that was mailed to Jackson Township informing them about Rolfe Lane. The letter informed them that the township was responsible for Rolfe Lane and any actions involved. INDIAN HILL Twin Lakes building homes in Indian Hill Indian Hill Journal, 2/8/07 Twin Lakes, a development which features senior living for Montgomery residents, is extending its services into the village. The company is in the process of building two of a possible six Manor Homes, single-standing houses adjacent to Twin Lakes' North campus on Montgomery Road. The new homes will sit on 18 acres in Indian Hill bought by Twin Lakes in 1999 and will have all the benefits of the senior living company's villas and apartments. "It's an entirely different product than what we've built in our community," said Connie Schmitt, spokeswoman for Twin Lakes. Each of the Manor Homes are about 3,000 square feet, making them about 1,000 feet bigger than Twin Lakes' other offerings. The homes are on wooded 2.5-acre to 3-acre landscaped lots and all maintenance inside and outside the houses is taken care of by the company. The homes are built after the lots are purchased and can be customized by the owner to make each one unique. MONTGOMERY The City of Montgomery is creating a Parks and Recreation Master Plan to go along with the city's Strategic Plan. They will be holding open houses on March 8, March 12, and March 19. These open houses will allow one-on-one discussion between citizens and consultants, and will end with a group Q&A. MONTGOMERY Forestglen hires lawyer, Twin Lakes next week Northeast Suburban Life, 2/9/07 The city's deliberation over an upcoming senior-housing development could turn into a legal battle. Montgomery Planning Commission is scheduled to vote Feb. 19 on the final plans for 13 homes between Hopewell and Schoolhouse roads. The commission's Feb. 5 meeting was canceled because only four of seven members could attend, said Frank Davis, community development director and the commission's staff adviser. Twin Lakes, the senior-living organization which authored the plans, has awaited the commission's decision for months. The organization has a 56-acre campus in Montgomery, so why does it seek to expand? SYCAMORE TWP Pinnacle Building Group is seeking a variance from the township's Board of Zoning for the construction of this new house at 8008 Keller Rd. This is a corner lot and the site of a teardown. SYCAMORE TWP New building planned where lodge burned Cincinnati Enquirer, 2/18/07 Trustees are making plans to replace the burned-down Bechtold Lodge with a "super shelter" and to build a community center behind the township's administrative building. Details on the projects are still being worked out, but should be more firm in the next month or so, township trustees said. Bechtold Lodge, a longtime popular community hall in Bechtold Park, was torn down in August after being gutted by fire a year earlier. Bechtold Lodge, named for long-time township Trustee Jim Bechtold, was home to private and public community functions, holiday parties and family reunions. The township waited months for insurers to determine whether the lodge, at 4312 Sycamore Road, could be rebuilt before finally deciding it was too costly. Instead, trustees have discussed putting in a super shelter at the 21-acre park, said trustee Cliff Bishop. VILLA HILLS Madonna Manor may be expanded Kentucky Post, 2/16/07 The construction of a new nursing home in Villa Hills may be one of the offshoots of the change in sponsorship - in effect, the ownership - of Madonna Manor. The Amsterdam Road nursing home, which also provides 47 "independent living" units for senior citizens on the site, is now being operated by Franciscan Services Corp., the health care ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, a Toledo suburb. The home opened in 1964 and until Feb. 1, when Franciscan Services took it over, was part of the healthcare ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Walburg Monastery, which is located on the same Amsterdam Road campus. Villa Madonna Academy and Villa Madonna Montessori School also are located on the same hilltop tract that provides a breathtaking view of the Ohio River far below. Rick Ryan, president of Franciscan Care Centers, said one of the first issues that the Madonna Manor board will deal with is whether a new, larger building should be constructed to replace the aging building that now houses the nursing home, which has 35 "skilled care" beds - the highest level of care - and 25 "personal care" beds. WEST UNION Innovative construction may be utilized in Adams schools Maysville Ledger Independent, 2/11/07 As plans for the construction of three new elementary schools inch into the next phase of creation in Adams County, consideration is being made to use green construction methods whenever possible. An innovation that is being explored is use of a geothermal heating and cooling system at each of the new schools. "We have no access to natural gas so we are dependent on propane fuel and that can get expensive," said Patrick Kimble, Adams County Ohio Valley School superintendent. A sea of propane tanks which currently fill a large plot of land on the school grounds could eventually be replaced with the heating and cooling talents of Mother Nature. "The school board has authorized funds for the drilling of two test bore holes, for up to 400 feet, at each site and for soil analysis to see if it would be a successful site for a geothermal field," said Kimble. "An active field would have about 140 wells." WILMINGTON Large tract to be added Wilmington News Journal, 2/17/07 A large tract of farmland at the north edge of Wilmington has been approved for annexation into the city. The territory, encompassing 119 acres, is proposed as a site for a residential development. The location of the tract is at the Prairie Avenue end of Lowe's Drive. The proximity to Denver Addition neighborhoods led to concerns about the requested annexation. Many Denver Addition residents understandably are opposed to their streets serving as passageways for traffic generated by the proposed development. As a solution, they propose that Lowe's Drive be extended from Prairie Avenue to Lincoln Street, which presumably would absorb the new traffic and keep it out of existing neighborhoods. But on Feb. 1, Wilmington City Council voted 4 to 3 to not make extension of Lowe's Drive a precondition for annexation. Then on Thursday, city council voted 5-2 to authorize annexation. Council members who voted to annex are David Hockaday, Mike Wallace, Cindy Peterson, Sandy Mongold and Mark McKay. Voting against the annexation legislation as it was written were councilmen Scott Kirchner and Don Wells.
February 20, 200718 yr New Jewish center started BY STEVE KEMME | [email protected] February 20, 2007 AMBERLEY VILLAGE – Construction of the new $40 million Jewish Community Center of Cincinnati has begun on Ridge Road on a portion of the Rockdale Temple site. A wing of the temple has been demolished to make way for the new center, which will replace the existing center in Silverton. The new center will be much larger than the existing one and will accommodate a wide variety of programs and activities. The facility will include a state-of-the-art fitness center, an indoor water park with a lazy river and a slide, an 800-seat auditorium and a café. The new center will open in a little more than a year, said Mark Rothschild, CEO of the Jewish Community Center of Cincinnati. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070220/NEWS01/302200048/
February 21, 200718 yr City of Cincinnati: GET TO WORK!!! This is one of my favorite stretches of street in the city, the 800 block of Lincoln Ave in Walnut Hills. These red brick houses were built in the 1880s and 1890s. Some are in decent shape and appear to have tenants, while many are vacant. The vacant ones are the ones owned by the City of Cincinnati -- specifically, 842, 844 and 846 Lincoln. While it appears that there is work going on, I've never seen anyone on site and I haven't noticed any progress at all. The sad thing is that the City is in violation of its own VBML code. 842 Lincoln even has open windows with jagged, broken glass. These could be neat little houses if someone, besides the City, took the time to fix them up. They sit right across the street from that church that collapsed last year - that was 845 Lincoln...The Doomed Block? And I'm very happy they saved that place in Corryville - that's a cute little house! Thanks as always for the updates, both of you!
February 21, 200718 yr Author From the 2/15/07 Cincinnati Business Courier: Lloyd Library unveils renovation Cincinnati Business Courier - February 15, 2007 The Lloyd Library and Museum downtown is showing off its first renovation since it was built 38 years ago. The recently completed first-floor renovation includes new carpeting, updated lighting and wiring, new exhibition cases and work stations, and a small art gallery-- all with a botanical theme. The conference room was also redesigned to allow flexibility for meetings, lectures and children's programming. The work was completed by Terry-DeRees Associates, Hunt Builders Corp., OstermanCron and several local furniture restorers, the library said in a news release. Lloyd Library, founded in the 19th century as a reference source for a pharmaceutical company, is now a research center for the scientific community. Its collections focus on pharmacy, botany, horticulture, herbal and alternative medicine and pharmacognosy, which studies medicinal drugs obtained from plants or other natural sources. The library, at 917 Plum St., is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/02/12/daily37.html?from_rss=1 From the 2/13/07 Western Hills Press: Green Twp. trustees support land use change for Hillview BY KURT BACKSCHEIDER | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER GREEN TWP. - Towne Properties cleared another hurdle in its proposal to develop a master planned residential community on the Hillview Golf Course property. The Green Township Board of Trustees voted Monday, Feb. 12, to recommend approval of the Mt. Adams-based company's request to change the land use of the golf course on Wesselman Road from public, semi-public institutional to mixed residential. Brad Austin, of Towne Properties, said the development would offer a mix of single-family homes, attached single-family dwellings and condominiums. Austin said the development would have single-family homes ranging in price from about $250,000 to $400,000; attached single-family residences selling for $200,000 to $300,000; and condominiums ranging in price from $150,000 to $200,000. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070213/NEWS01/702130330/1067/Local
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