March 31, 200718 yr those condos in harrison make me gag. In high school, I did a lot of work for Mr. May in putting window shades in his developments across the west side. I can say these are the biggest p.o.s hes built in a while! Plus, they are cheap as hell, bringing down the average home sales price in Harrison. Bah!
April 2, 200718 yr Author From the 3/31/07 Enquirer: Carroll bell tower to be fixed BY CINDY SCHROEDER | [email protected] COVINGTON - Nearly three years after the Pied Piper of Hamelin figures in the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower quit working, city officials are taking steps to fix them. On Tuesday, Covington City Commission agreed to spend $245,610 in federal Community Development Block Grant money to replace the bell tower's roof and restore and repair its mechanical components. Commissioner Jerry Bamberger did not vote on the issue because he also serves as executive director of the MainStrasse Village Association. By late June, the 28-year-old landmark in Goebel Park should be fully operational. Jim Eckstein, president of C.A. Eckstein Inc., said the roof should be replaced by June 1. Once the Verdin Co. is officially notified it has the job, the mechanical repairs and restoration should take two to three months, said sales manager Bob Verdin. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070331/NEWS0103/703310395/ From the 3/30/07 Wilmington News Journal: Condo project planned Units to sell in $150,000 to $200,000 range Gary Huffenberger Staff Writer Plans have been unveiled for a 72-unit residential condominium project - The Villas at Prairie Road - on 16.5 acres on the north end of Wilmington. Representatives from Long & Wilcox, a residential development company based in Upper Arlington, addressed the Wilmington City Planning Commission this week about the plans. Long & Wilcox President Bob Long said the development will be built around a clubhouse, ponds and a swimming pool. "The idea is to have a place for people to come together. People are looking for a lifestyle. They're not just looking for a place to live," said Long. The concept drawing shows two ponds at the entrance as well as a larger third pond, a pool and a clubhouse within the development. The 1,250- to almost 1,900-square feet units will sell in the $150,000 to $200,000 price range, according to Long. MORE: http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=156&ArticleID=154060 Hamilton school board to discuss synthetic turf Hamilton JournalNews, 3/26/07 Hamilton High School's Schwarm Stadium may soon be sporting a new artificial turf field. Hamilton City School board members tonight will be asked to approve authorization to advertise for bids for the all-weather turf. The total cost is approximately $500,000 to $550,000. "Most of the high schools have it," said Board Member George Jonson. "You can use it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no mud, no ruts and there is a minimal amount of maintenance required." A private committee was formed last spring to raise funds for the new field. To date, $300,000 has been collected in pledges and cash. Bill Wilks, along with Jonson, is heading the fund-raising committee. They hope to raise the remaining $200,000 to $250,000 through private donations also. The school board is only being asked tonight to advertise for bids. One of eight new elementary schools will be built on the soccer field across the street from Garfield Middle School so soccer games will have to be moved over to the high school football field, Jonson said. First wall up on Habitat home Community Journal Clermont, 3/27/07 "I just about started crying," said Andrea Higgins. Higgins, her husband, Jeremy, and their children Sierra, 3, and Logan, 9 months, will move into the Habitat for Humanity home later this summer. The build is the result of cooperation between Thrivent Builds and the Clermont County Habitat for Humanity and is funded by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, the Spirit of America Bank, Thrivent Builds and the Clermont County Habitat for Humanity. Thrivent Build Chapter Specialist Jan Witkowski wrote the grant for the project and was thrilled at the construction's progress. "We will have closed on this house in less than a year since I called (Regional Thrivent Builds Specialist Kelsey Peterson) and said 'I want this in my county!' It's just a miracle." With the house, the Higgins will live across the street from longtime friends Adam Matthews and his family, also recipients of Habitat homes. "We'll be able to watch our children together ... We'll be able to show them the meaning of home," Higgins said. Cobblestone Church breaking ground on Sunday Oxford Press, 3/27/07 Oxford's Cobblestone Community Church will break ground for a projected $2.9 million facility at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 1, on their 50-acre campus in South Farm subdivision, off Kehr Road in Oxford. The building, dubbed "The Loft," is planned not only to host the church's weekend worship services (they currently meet on Saturday evenings in Tollgate Plaza and Sunday mornings at Talawanda Middle School), but also to provide a valuable resource for the community for many years to come. The groundbreaking ceremony will be followed by refreshments and fellowship at "The Corner," the church's ministry center in Oxford's Tollgate Mall. The church heartily invites members of the community to come and share in the joyful occasion. The planning for this facility started when the church's leadership saw an opportunity to retire a vision campaign called "Walk This Way," in which the church's members and attenders had pledged funds to acquire the South Farm campus. The campaign, launched in late 2004 and projected to take three years, was fully funded in just two years. That opened the door for Cobblestone's leadership to begin preparations for the next phase in the church's long-range plans. County proceeds with school sale Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/26/07 Hamilton County plans to sell a now-shuttered school for students with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. After 30 years in operation, the Frederick Breyer School in Colerain Township closed at the end of the 2005-06 school year – one of several painful cuts made by the Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. The decision to close Breyer was met with some resistance. “At times I know my computer has been lit up by e-mails of parents with students at Breyer about the wisdom, or lack thereof, of the decision to close Breyer,” said Commissioner Todd Portune. Because of steadily declining enrollment at MRDD schools, reopening the building is not an option, Craig Landers, MRDD’s director of business services, told county commissioners on Monday. Mount Healthy has open house on future plan Hilltop Press, 3/22/07 Residents will have another chance to peek into their possible future during a 7 p.m. open house Tuesday, April 3. The open house will be part of the regular City Council meeting at City Hall, 7700 Perry St. Safety/Service Director Bill Kocher said the comprehensive land use plan committee will submit its plan to council following the open house. Council then will review and likely vote to accept it at a future meeting, Kocher said. The plan, which residents were able to see and comment on at a January open house, takes a long-range look at the city, particularly the business district.
April 2, 200718 yr Author Clifton Heights: 315-316 Warner St The rezoning of 315-316 Warner St from SF-2 Single Family to RMX Residential Mix will go before the Economic Development Committee on April 10. The rezoning would allow for the rehab of 315 Warner St as a multi-family, which is not allowed under the current zoning. Neighbors have objected because of the lack of adequate neighborhood parking and the abundance of multi-family properties near the site. The City Planning Commission already approved the zoning change last November. After the Economic Development Committee hearings, it typically goes to City Council at either the next scheduled meeting or the one after. (In this case, probably April 11 or 18.) LAST UPDATE (1/2/07) From the 4/1/07 Enquirer: Hearing on converting golf course to housing THE ENQUIRER Plans to turn the Hillview Golf Course into a residential complex of 290 units are moving ahead. The next step takes place during the 1 p.m. April 5 public hearing of the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission in Room 805B of the Hamilton County Administration Building, 138 E. Court St. Green Township trustees have already voted to recommend that the township land-use plan be amended to allow housing to take the place of the golf course. The land-use plan and the application for the amendment may be reviewed at the offices of the planning commission and the Green Township Administration Building, 6303 Harrison Ave. Information: 513-574-4848. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070401/NEWS01/704010380/ Twin Lakes still under fire; residents pressure council Northeast Suburban Life, 3/28/07 Residents of Forestglen are pressuring city councilmembers again to block a housing development. The neighborhood group opposes a planned roadway across from Forestglen Drive. Twin Lakes, a senior-living organization, has presented plans to develop the road and 13 homes between Hopewell and Schoolhouse roads. During rush hours this week, hundreds of drivers will see "No 4-Way Road Here!" signs near Montgomery Road and Forestglen. It's the Forestglen group's protest. "We don't know how long it will last. We'll see what kind of reaction we get," said Sue Crittenden, who lives on Forestglen Drive. Public agencies asked to fund 'linear park' Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/28/07 Northern Kentucky's Vision 2015 effort asked Sanitation District No. 1 on Tuesday for $25,000 toward building a "linear park" along the Licking River, and hopes for another $10,000 from the Northern Kentucky Water District. The sanitation district's board of directors took the matter under consideration after hearing the request from Mike Phillips, a retired editorial director for the newspaper division of E.W. Scripps Co. He said the Water District hadn't told him yet whether it would contribute. "This is one of the key projects that came out of the visioning process," Phillips said. A park along the Licking River, which officials have said could include a 5-mile-plus path for biking and walking along the waterway, would help the sanitation district, Phillips told the board. "Northern Kentucky doesn't have much of a relationship with the Licking River," he said, adding a greenway could make people more attuned to such issues as ecology and water pollution. Residents want plans for future to protect county's bucolic setting Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/28/07 Plenty of green space mixed with some light residential and retail is what many southern Campbell County residents envision for the future. About 20 residents voiced their opinions Tuesday night at Campbell County High School. It was the first of two public meetings this week to gather input to update the county's five-year comprehensive plan. The next meeting is 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Southgate Community Center. The plan will guide zoning decisions in Campbell's unincorporated areas and in five cities. Some residents who participated Tuesday had farms. Some lived near farms. All wanted to keep the bucolic setting. "We have got a beautiful county," said George Koopman of Melbourne. "We don't have to take every road and make them into superhighways." Cincinnati Enquirer: Planners ask for your help (3/27/07) Board OKs bidding for stadium turf Hamilton JournalNews, 3/28/07 Hamilton City School District Board of Education members on Tuesday night approved authorization to advertise for bids for an artificial turf field at Hamilton High School's Schwarm Stadium. A public opening of bids is scheduled at 2 p.m. April 18. The total cost is approximately $500,000 to $550,000. The stadium now has a grass surface. Artificial turf can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a minimal amount of maintenance required, Board Member George Jonson said on Monday. A private committee was formed last spring to raise funds for the new field. To date, $300,000 has been collected in pledges and cash. They hope to raise the remaining $200,000 to $250,000 through private donations also. Anderson Veterans Park ceremony in time for sun Forest Hills Journal, 3/28/07 The winter was a good time to finish improvements at Anderson's Veterans Park, but spring is a better time to celebrate. The Anderson Hills Kiwanis will rededicate the park at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 9. Veterans Park, 8531 Forest Road, was first opened in 1986. The park was among the first to be designed with disabled children in mind, according to the Anderson Park District Executive Director Molly McClure. "We built Veterans Park before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was in effect," McClure said. "We try and transcend the minimum requirements." Features of this and the inclusive park at Beech Acres, currently under construction, include a specialized manufactured wood flooring, strategically placed handholds and transfer platforms designed for wheelchairs and those with partial mobility in mind. The ability of disabled parents and grandparents to interact with their children is also a consideration.
April 4, 200718 yr Author From the 4/4/07 Eastern Hills Journal: Revitalization faces funding gauntlet BY JEREME SIMMONS | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MT. LOOKOUT- City officials have given a project to revitalize Mt. Lookout Square the green light to begin its planning and funding application process. Cincinnati's Community Development and Planning, and Transportation and Engineering department officials decided to endorse preliminary plans for the square March 27. "The project has a couple of major goals," Mt. Lookout Community Councilman Andy Park said. "Safety is No. 1...we want to get pedestrians that are frequenting a business or restaurant from their destinations and back to their vehicles in safe and pleasant way. We are looking for safe, comfortable areas for people to visit and linger in. We also ant those that are driving through to get a good impression of the area." Landscape architect Vivian Llambi of Vivian Llambi and Associates, LLC, Walnut Hills, will head up the effort to create a master plan to present to the Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United group for funding. Last year 25 applicants competed for roughly $2 million in available funds. Seven groups were awarded grants ranging from $900,000 to $190,000. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070404/NEWS01/704040305/1002/RSS01 From the 4/4/07 Middletown Journal: Tie vote may nix senior housing proposal By Ed Richter Staff Writer Wednesday, April 04, 2007 MIDDLETOWN — A proposed senior housing project may have been derailed Tuesday by a tie vote by Middletown City Council. Towne Development Group's proposal to build a 100-unit senior housing apartment complex on a 16-acre parcel off Lefferson Road recently has generated a lot discussion by residents who say the project is a form of subsidized housing. The developer had sought a resolution of support to seek housing tax credits through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. The tax credits reduces the developer's federal tax liability and is an inducement to build the new housing. Vice Mayor Anthony "Tony" Marconi is the owner of the property and was advised by city Law Director Les Landen to abstain from participating in the discussion and voting on the matter. Jay Moorman, a downtown businessman, said the council had not shown residents there was a need for additional senior housing. "Just a desire to replace what we already have too much of with something new ... We do not consider this to be fiscally responsible leadership," Moorman said. MORE: http://www.middletownjournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/04/04/mj040407housing.html Union Township Trustees approve request for library construction Clermont Sun, 3/29/07 The Union Township board of trustees has cleared the path for the Clermont County Public Library to advance work on a new central office location. The newest branch of the library, which will be located on a portion of the new Ivy Pointe office park, will not only house the library's new administrative offices, but also a new Union Township library branch, which would replace the current location. "This is an application by Clermont County Public Library in conjunction with Cincinnati United Contractors," said Union Township Zoning Director Cory Wright. "This request would amend a portion of the formal plan on around 4.11 acres to include a 40,706 square foot Clermont County Public Library branch located along Clough Pike. If approved, this would offer floor space for both administrative purposes and library operation purposes." The new branch location would replace a structure more than two decades old, and alleviate a lot of overcrowding problems, said Clermont County Public Library Director Leslie Massey. Memorial baseball stadium promises to be a hit Fairfield Echo, 3/29/07 Hamilton Twp. trustees passed a motion March 21 to begin phase one of the Kevin C. Barnhill Memorial Baseball Stadium that will be built at the township's Testerman Park. "We all support this wholeheartedly in recognition of your son," Trustee Becky Ehling said. The Barnhills hoped to do a tribute for their son Kevin C. Barnhill, who was killed Aug. 26 in Mason. They chose renovations of the baseball fields where Kevin once played. "We knew the Reds were going to do an initial field renovation, and I wanted to do some type of improvement on top of the renovations — with some memorial or permanent legacy to Kevin's name," Kevin's father, Bill Barnhill, said. The official name of the stadium will be Champion Baseball Field and has been designed by Michael Schuster Associates Inc. — the same company that designed Great American Ball Park. The stadium will have more than 100,000 square feet of turf costing an estimated $350,000. After it's built, the continued maintenance and operational costs — estimated at $8,000 to $12,000 — will be Hamilton Twp.'s responsibility. Residents input needed on Montgomery parks Cincinnati.com, 3/29/07 After three public meetings to gauge residents' feelings on the city's parks and recreation programs, officials are still looking for more input — this time via e-mail. Officials want residents to weigh in before April 15, the deadline for getting public feedback that will be considered as they move forward with a proposal for the city's Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Residents wary of plans for park Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/29/07 Many residents here agree that a new park is needed; however, the proposed plan for improvements to Battery Hooper Park received some criticism during a special meeting of council Tuesday night at St. Agnes School gymnasium. About 100 people attended to express concerns about the park, which would feature an amphitheater, picnic shelters, restrooms and recreational trails. Long-range plans to develop a park at the historic location off Highland Avenue have been ongoing since 2003. The project expense is estimated at $2.3 million, of which $1.3 million would be obtained from loans. The city received a $250,000 grant from the state specifically for park improvements. Salem Twp. approves road extension Fairfield Echo, 3/29/07 The Salem Twp. Board of Trustees approved an extension on Brooke Drive Tuesday night for Gary Hamm of Eli Properties to construct a cul-de-sac and four homes. Hamm met with the Warren County Regional Planning Committee and it recommended he put in five lots and extend the road to the end of the property for more possible houses in the future. There is a 10-acre lot behind the proposed project, but no plans are set to expand further, and board members didn't like the current end of Brooke Drive looking like a mistake. "I don't like driving up there and seeing a dead-end road," Trustee Rob Glancy said. "To me it looks like a developer ran out of money or stopped working." Extending the road may provide another entrance in the future. But with no plans set, the cul-de-sac instantly will provide a place for fire, police and other traffic to turn around, avoiding residents' grass, driveways and mailboxes. Hamm also expanded the cul-de-sac to have a larger radius to better fit fire trucks.
April 6, 200718 yr Author From the 3/26/07 Hilltop Press: Mill Road housing project up in the air BY ROB DOWDY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER FOREST PARK - It's been two years and the final portion of Mill Road Station remains untouched. There has been no work on Phase III of the proposed 158-lot subdivision remains even though the site plan was approved by the city February 2005. Community Development Director Chris Anderson said Mill Road Station was proposed 10 years ago as a three-phase development. Phase I and II have 98 lots. Phase III would have 60 lots on 36 acres east of Mill Road and north of Kemper Road. The price range for proposed homes in Phase III would be between $275,000 and $400,000. Anderson said Ryan Homes has three years from the time of council approval to move forward with the project. "It appears to me that Ryan is not pursuing this project," he said. However, Tim Kling, general manager with Ryan Homes, said the project is at a standstill as Ryan waits for the developers on the project - Jim Wessel and John Zinn - to option the land to them so they can build. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS01/703260434/1093/Local From the 4/5/07 Tri-County Press: Springdale retirement community to replace older housing BY ANDREA REEVES | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER SPRINGDALE - New two- and three-story upscale retirement housing will soon replace 30 older cottages in the Maple Knoll Village retirement community. Officials from LifeSphere, the company that owns Maple Knoll Village, plan to demolish the cottages that were built in the 1970s and replace them with a group of larger independent-living housing buildings fronting Springfield Pike. LifeSphere Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Ken Huff told Springdale City Council April 4 that the cottages are "simply not desirable anymore." With living quarters of just 830 square feet it's hard for a couple to live there, he said. The new units will range in price from $180,000 for a smaller unit to $300,000 for a three-bedroom unit. Maple Knoll Village currently has 179 cottages, 89 apartments, 60 assisted living apartments and a 184-bed nursing home. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070405/NEWS01/704050346/ Muhlhauser Barn reconstruction coming soon Hamilton JournalNews, 4/1/07 After six years of debates, delays and redesigns, it appears the Muhlhauser Barn will be reconstructed. According to West Chester Twp. officials, excavation for the 150-year-old barn's foundation is scheduled to begin within the next two weeks. Weather and the processing of construction permits will determine when work will start, said township spokeswoman Barb Wilson. Resurrection of the historic barn will cost $1.6 million, taken from the 747 Tax Increment Financing fund. The barn has been stored in pieces at Beckett Park since 2001, when Ohio Casualty donated it to the township. The Muhlhauser family paid $40,000 to have it moved from its original location in Fairfield to Beckett Park. Original plans for the barn, which included turning it into a senior center, were scaled back over the past five years amid debates over funding and the best use for the structure. The barn will overlook a pond and walking path already under construction at Beckett Park on Union Centre Boulevard. Plans include construction of the barn with a rest room facility and stairs leading up to a mezzanine and down to a lower level. It will have a rear deck, and a kitchen will be included for small catered events. The facilities could be expanded to include a fireplace and a walk-out basement. Skate park breaks ground Loveland Herald, 4/2/07 Local skaters will flock to Lever Park starting in May. Their prayers have been answered. City officials hosted the groundbreaking of the city's first skate park March 27. Loveland City Council has planned for this project since 2003. Skaters pressed city officials to build a skate park because they had no place to do it legally. "The closest one is Miami Meadows," skater Bill Neal, 19, said of a Miami Township skate park. "We've been driving ... and I live right down the street." Covington baseball fields dedicated Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/31/07 The city of Covington will dedicate six youth baseball fields that have been renovated as part of the Reds Community Fund's field renovation initiative. The dedication ceremony will take place at Bill Cappel Sports Complex at 9:30 a.m. today. Representatives from the Reds Community Fund, Covington Parks and Recreation and Mayor Butch Callery will be there. After the dedication, Kenton County Knothole District 28 will host a baseball tournament with about 100 teams and 1,400 players from the region. The tournament will run through April 22. The Reds Community Fund has provided support to nine field renovation projects in Northern Kentucky. Covington sites include the five fields at the Cappel complex plus one at Meinken Field. Newport locations include two fields at Ralph Mussman Sports Complex and one at Riddleview Park. By the end of this year, the fund will have spent about $1 million to help renovate 140 fields. New Richmond looking to sell fields Community Journal Clermont, 3/29/07 The New Richmond village council is looking to sell the largest commercial land in the village, land that, for the past 40 years, has held four baseball fields used by area children for baseball and football. The plan has generated an emotional response from citizens, led by the New Richmond Knothole Baseball Association members. Association members presented a statement at council's March 27 meeting, rejecting a council statement that the fields "were no longer needed for public purposes." Reading from the statement, knothole president Aaron Humphries called the fields "a community treasure" and urged council to form a committee of interested parties to "investigate a solution to this problem." Council member Nick Wolf said the fields were a valuable property, worth about $40,000 per acre, not including taxes on any development. He said without development on the property, council would look into placing a levy on this November's ballot. While Mayor Terry Durrette said the village does not need the funds, Wolf said the village is in a "questionable financial situation." Mount Healthy ridding city of condemned properties Hilltop Press, 3/27/07 Bulldozers may be revving up for a return visit - this time to tear down a condemned property on Harrison Avenue. Last month, city officials made good their promise to raze a Werner Avenue house, much to the delight of neighbors. "It had been empty for at least five years and was an eyesore," said Dennis Custer, Stevens Avenue. "We are all very happy to see it gone." Next on the list is a house at 7820 Harrison Avenue. Safety/Service Director Bill Kocher said he's given the Maryland owner until May 15 to make the mandated improvements. Kocher said the property is in an estate and he has been working with the family for several years. The owner was granted the May extension following an appeal to the city's planning commission.
April 6, 200718 yr Author From the 4/5/07 Tri-County Press: Company wants to develop Evendale office condominiums BY ERIC BRADLEY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER EVENDALE - A developer wants to build office condominiums at 3000 Glendale-Milford Road. Village Council is expected to hear Developer Al Neyer Inc.'s request Thursday, April 12, to change the rules governing land uses in order to build four 9,000-square-foot medical office condominiums, said Jack Cameron, assistant to the mayor. The property is located behind the former Jewish Hospital building near Gold Star Chili and Burger King, he said. The request will heard at the Evendale Village Council meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in the Evendale Municipal Building, 10500 Reading Road. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070405/NEWS01/704050379/ From Northeast Suburban Life, 4/5/07: Financial planners to break ground in Sharonville SHARONVILLE - Patricia A. Heimbuch, CFP & Associates and Sonya R. Saskin, CFP & Associates, both individual owners of Ameriprise Financial Service franchises, will break ground on their new 5,400-square-foot building at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 19, in downtown historic Sharonville. An informal reception for attendees will immediately follow at the Blue Goose Sports Café located across the street. Heimbuch will own the building at 11145 Reading Road with her husband, Randy. Designed by Sabo Design Associates and constructed by Horton Homes Inc., the building will compliment a small urban renewal project already underway in the area. "We believe that the downtown area in Sharonville is poised to experience a great renewal," said Heimbuch, whose family heritage is in Sharonville with her grandparents, Marge and Bill Powers, having lived on Oak Street for more than 50 years. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070405/NEWS06/704050395/ Campbell County's jail expansion almost complete Kentucky Post, 4/4/07 Workers are putting the finishing touches on an expansion at the Campbell County jail that officials say will more than double its size and make it easier for deputies to watch over inmates. Structural work on the $9 million expansion at the Campbell County Detention Center on Central Avenue is already complete, said Campbell County Jailer Greg Buckler. Buckler said crews are now completing work on the interior, including assembling 256 beds for the new direct supervision facility. The addition should be ready for use by June 1, Buckler said. Coupled with the 124 beds in the restricted custody center - another dormitory-style structure adjacent to the jail that opened about three years ago and houses nonviolent inmates serving one to five-year sentences - the project will swell the capacity of the detention center from 139 to 549 beds in less than five years. CTL commits to new facility in Forest Park Cincinnati.com, 4/3/07 A company that tests a variety of industrial materials broke ground March 21 for a new facility in the Carillon Business Park adjacent to The Union Central Life Insurance Company. Cincinnati Testing Laboratories, Inc. (CTL) and its parent company, Oakley-based Metcut Research Inc., will invest nearly $4 million to build and equip a 43,000-square-foot facility on seven acres. The operation is expected to employ 50 people. Unit Building Services will oversee the design and construction of the new facility. Completion is scheduled for fall, 2007. “We are quite pleased to keep the CTL operation in Forest Park and even more pleased to build its new home in Carillon Business Park,” said Metcut President and CEO John P. Kahles. “Union Central and The City of Forest Park teamed together to create an attractive package that works for our company." Founded in 1946, CTL is an independent testing facility that specializes in the machining, conditioning, and testing of composites, plastics, elastomers and ceramics as well as high-performance metals. The lab moved to its current location at 417 Northland Blvd. in 1970 and in 1998 became a wholly owned subsidiary of Metcut. Board selects project architects Middletown Journal, 4/4/07 Board members voted unanimously Tuesday night to negotiate a contract with architects Cole Russell + Fanning Howey to design its new primary school. Madison Local Schools completed the first part of its master facilities plan — the high school — under the Ohio School Facilities Commission's Expedited Local Partnership Program, which allows districts to begin portions of their project early. Now, the district is working on a new primary building and the second phase, the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program. Madison's part of the CFAP is 43 percent of the cost of the total kindergarten to 12-grade project and the state will fund 57 percent, said Superintendent Chris Cline. Because the district participated in the ELPP, the local share is almost entirely paid and the second project would not push the district back to the ballot, said Cline. The district may be notified in July of a funding commitment, he said. 17 acres donated for school Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/4/07 The widow and son of a Covington lawyer want to honor him by naming a school after him. Glenna Bridges and Greg Bridges have given 17 acres in unincorporated Kenton County to Kenton County Schools. Though nothing is definite, the district says the land is "well-suited" for an elementary school. In exchange for the donation, the district will name the school after G. Wayne Bridges, a lawyer for 40 years before his death in September 2000. The land is off Hogreffe Road, just east of the Kenton County and Boone County line, south of Ky. 536 and north of Maher Road. "Knowing the growth in that area, if we were to pinpoint on a map where we will need our next elementary school, that's the spot," schools Superintendent Tim Hanner said. Historic chapel plans for future Indian Hill Journal, 4/2/07 Armstrong Chapel is determining what, if any, renovations or additions are needed to update the church into the 21st century. According to Armstrong Building and Facilities Committee chairman Galen Mills, those who attend the church are being asked to provide input into what they think the church is missing. He said the needs assessment process began about two weeks ago, and suggestions will be collected until the end of April. Mills said ideas include cosmetic improvements to the building's interior, refurbishing or replacing the church's pipe organ, updating the facility's commercial kitchen and adjusting the choir's stage for more effective delivery of performances. "I'm sure after we collect all the information, we'll have a more comprehensive look," he said. The building has received only minor changes in its 50 years, and a similar study was done in the late-1980s. Kenwood resident Bob Edwards, who's attended the church for 43 years, is one of the few people still with the church during this second possible improvement phase. He said that study produced cosmetic renovations and the church was made handicap-accessible. Edwards added those changes are probably rather minor in comparison to what could be on the horizon for Armstrong.
April 7, 200718 yr Hillside property offers rare panoramic view of Ohio River Exceptional site above Devou Park could sell for more than $1.5M BY LAURA BAVERMAN | [email protected] April 6, 2007 COVINGTON - Million-dollar condominiums with river views are getting more plentiful in the Tri-State, but million-dollar plots of land with views up and down the Ohio River are rare. The owner of two acres of hillside property above Devou Park is quietly marketing the land, entertaining private offers that are rumored to top $1.5 million. The site along Panorama Drive includes two homes built in 1955 by Ruth and Walter Wetzel and Bill and Ruby Schwarberg, parents and aunt and uncle to Kay Cottier. A schoolteacher who lives in Montgomery with her husband, Cottier inherited the property two years ago when her Uncle Bill, the Cincinnati Bengals' first quarterback, passed away. Cottier's family purchased the land from Carl and Olga Wooten, owners of the former Town & Country Restaurant on Dixie Highway. They employed Russell Myers, a well-known architect from the University of Cincinnati's Design, Art, Architecture and Planning program, to design the homes in a unique contemporary style with a full wall of windows facing north. MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/04/09/newscolumn1.html
April 7, 200718 yr Author From the 4/6/07 Enquirer: Project seeks annexation 600-home subdivision goes to planners BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] ALEXANDRIA - A planned 600-home subdivision soon will go before Alexandria's planning and zoning commission in hopes of getting annexed by the city. Alexandria City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to send the request for annexation to planning and zoning. Planning and zoning will hold a public meeting, likely within four to six weeks, to allow public comment on the project to be built by Cincinnati-based Ameritek. Planning and zoning will make a recommendation to council, which will vote on whether or not to annex the property and what zoning the property should have. Ameritek then will take a site plan before planning and zoning, then before council for approval. The project will be built across Tollgate Road from a 916-home development known as Arcadia, which is being built over the next 10 years by Fischer Homes and the Drees Co. Both developments are in the immediate vicinity of the Alexandria Village Green Shopping Center and are expected to draw retail to an area that has struggled to keep businesses open. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070406/NEWS0103/704060383/1059/rss13 From the Millcreek Valley Habitat for Humanity blog, 4/7/07: Photos of the Kick-off at our latest build site, 2131 Garfield Apr 7th, 2007 by billh Take a look at the photos taken by Susan McCamey at the Garfield kick-off on March 24. Several folks from Thrivent along with folks from local Lutheran churches were there to start the building a new house Tina Phillips. Tina has already been hard at work on the fanciest shed I have every seen. Click on the link below and it will take you to the Picasa Web Albums over at Google. Enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/millardblumer/KickOffGarfieldAve http://www.millcreekvalleyhfh.org/?p=52 Business moving from Towne Center to Madeira Suburban Life, 4/6/07 A new Madeira store may set a standard for future development in the business district. Gilson's Inc. will relocate from the Kenwood Towne Centre to 7116 Miami Ave. Demolition of the former building at the site was April 5. The previous tenant was Earthen Vessels. "It will set a standard for Madeira's redevelopment," said John Neyer, president of Neyer Construction Inc., about the new store. Tony Gilson, who owns the business with his wife, Susan, said the store fits in with the city's new master plan for the business district. Parking lot likely to be ballot issue Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/6/07 Opponents of a zoning decision that would allow a 10-space parking lot to be built next to a planned medical development on Kugler Mill Road have cleared a big hurdle in their effort to force a referendum. The Hamilton County Board of Elections said the referendum petitions have enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The petitioners needed 651 valid signatures and collected 740. The board will meet April 17 to discuss placing the issue on the November general election ballot. Sycamore residents object to changing the zoning for a quarter-acre parcel on Kugler Mill near Montgomery Road from residential to planned office use. They say the parking lot represents an unwanted encroachment of commercial development into a residential area. A reversal of the zoning decision would have no effect on the planned building of Ohio Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. It would affect only the parking lot, which would allow vehicles to turn right onto Kugler Mill from the office. Loveland hosts rec center open houses Loveland Herald, 4/6/07 The city of Loveland and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati will be hosting four community informational meetings in the next month to provide Loveland residents the opportunity to learn more about the proposed recreation and aquatic center. Voters in Loveland will decide May 8 whether to approve a 0.2 percent increase in the income tax rate to pay for a $10.5 million recreation and aquatic center facility and other various park improvements to Loveland's park system. All the meetings will be an open house format, meaning interested parties can come and go as they please. The open house meetings will be held on the following dates: * Thursday, April 19, 7p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Safety Center training room; * Thursday, April 26, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at city hall; * Saturday, April 28, 10 a.m. to noon at city hall; * Tuesday, May 1, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at city hall. The city of Loveland has spent the last two years engaging residents in a planning process that ultimately led to the proposal of a 38,000 square foot recreation center that will include an indoor competitive pool, a gym, a fitness area, classroom space, a child watch area and other accessory spaces. Fairfield breaks ground on athletic complex Fairfield Echo, 4/5/07 Fairfield City School board members and the Fairfield Athletic Training Complex committee broke ground Friday, and General Contractor Wayne Huber said he is confident the project will be complete by mid-June. The $425,000 project has been funded through donations, and all but $50,000 has been raised. The board approved the groundbreaking at the March 15 meeting, but stipulated it was not responsible for that sum if the committee could not find sufficient funds to provide windows and a storefront glass door. Huber said temporary windows would go up in the meantime, but he isn't sure if he will use boards or an inexpensive temporary glass. He said plans for the door also are uncertain, but there are hopes that more donations will come in time. The addition, which will double the size of the existing weight training facility, will extend from the Fairfield High School gym toward the parking lot. It is adjacent to the tennis courts, which will not be affected during construction, he said. The building will be built from the outside in to minimize disruption. Neighbors request animal shelter change Cincinnati.com, 4/5/07 Minor changes may be made in the plans for an animal control shelter to accommodate a group of Fairfield Township residents whose backyards abut the property it will be built on. Fairfield Ridge homeowners are requesting the Butler County animal shelter be turned so that the front entrance faces their backyards. That’s so the outdoor courtyard, which will be able to accommodate 109 dogs at one time – will be facing away from the residents’ backyards, said Terry Marischen, whose property abuts the county property. “There’s 3,000 square feet of open outdoor kennel space – more than we expected,” Marischen said. “If the entrance to the animal shelter is facing us, then the opening will be away from us. That would give us just a little more (buffering).” County Administrator Derek Conklin said he has approached the architect about the change. The kennel is being constructed in Hamilton on county-owned property behind the Butler County Care Facility on Princeton Road, across from Fairfield Ridge, where homes sell for $220,000 to $300,000. The nearest property line is about 860 feet from the kennel.
April 8, 200718 yr Parking lot likely to be ballot issue Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/6/07 Opponents of a zoning decision that would allow a 10-space parking lot to be built next to a planned medical development on Kugler Mill Road have cleared a big hurdle in their effort to force a referendum. wow, this is going to be a big election for sycamore township.
April 9, 200718 yr Voinovich calls for auction of riverfront fuel depot A long-idled U.S. Air Force fuel depot on Cincinnati's riverfront could become a biodiesel storage facility or a port, Sen. George Voinovich said Monday. Voinovich, R-Ohio, along with the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and the Ohio Soybean Association are holding a press conference Monday morning to ask the Air Force to auction off the depot, on River Road west of downtown. Read full article here: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/04/09/daily1.html
April 9, 200718 yr Ridge and Highland going green Dowdy area gets dressed up BY STEVE KEMME | [email protected] COLUMBIA TWP. - For many years, the business district at Ridge and Highland avenues has occupied a bargain-basement niche. It has featured lots of discount stores, such as Value City and Kmart, and loads of fast-food restaurants in a drab setting with little greenery and plenty of big, asphalt parking lots. But Columbia Township officials are taking steps to raise the business district's profile by improving the area's appearance and attracting a more diverse, upscale array of shops and restaurants as well as office developments... www.enquirer.com
April 10, 200718 yr U.S. ready to sell depot The federal government expects in a couple weeks to begin advertising the sale of the dormant fuel depot in Riverside that local officials envision as the only public Ohio River port between Huntington, W.Va. and Louisville. Joe O’Bradovic, chief of property dispositions for the General Services Administration, said today his office is still reviewing extensive environmental information on the 66-acre River Road site which the Air Force used as a fueling depot for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for nearly 50 years before idling the facility in 1996. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/BIZ01/304100030
April 11, 200718 yr Author This topic was split from P&C. I'll leave it in City Discussions until there is a buyer and a redevelopment plan in place.
April 11, 200718 yr Author Mt. Washington: 2312-2316 Beechmont Ave Cole Realty Associates can now proceed with a multi-tenant retail center on the northeast corner of Beechmont Ave and Roxbury St. On February 14, City Council voted unanimously to approve the extension of the Mount Washington Urban Design Boundary and to rezone, from Residential Multi-Family (RM-1.2) to Commercial Commmunity-Pedestrian (CC-P) the vacant residential properties at 2312-2316 Beechmont Ave. This change fits with the recently drafted Comprehensive Plan for the neighborhood, which addressed the lack of modern commercial space in the business district and cited such for the business district's inability to attract new retailers. Because it is in an Urban Design District, any commercial redevelopment of this property would be subject to public hearing in front of a hearing examiner from the Office of Administrative Hearings. No specific plans for the site are available at this time. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW LAST UPDATE (1/29/07) Link includes photos. From the 4/9/07 Enquirer: Multimedia Map: Stores cropping up (PDF) Retail crops up amid silos Campbell residents say it's about time BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] Retail has started to appear amid the pastures, barns and silos of the countryside in southern Campbell County about 25-30 miles south of Cincinnati. And many residents say it is about time. A grocery store, California Marketplace, opened in January on the AA Highway about a mile north of the Pendleton County line. Brinkman Oil in the Grants Lick area will move across U.S. 27 and open a dollar store, expanded convenience and room for two other businesses that will open in May. Other than gas stations, convenience stores and a handful of banks, these are the first major businesses of this size to open in this stretch of Campbell County in the far southern end for many years, residents say. The California Marketplace, a 12,000-square-foot grocery store, opened in January and has done brisk business, exceeding the owners' expectations by about 15 percent in the first few months. "It has been 15 years since we have had a store this size," said California resident Orveda Dunn, 70, while walking out of the Marketplace. "At one time there were two grocery stores in California. I can now get my groceries and put them away and not worry about them spoiling in my car." MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070409/NEWS0103/704090369/ Madeira Stadium field turf contract expected to be signed Suburban Life, 4/9/07 The Madeira Board of Education is expected to approve a $720,400 contract April 9 with Motz to install artificial turf at Madeira Stadium. A resolution ratifying the contract is on the agenda for the board meeting at 5 p.m. at the Madeira Middle School cafeteria, 6612 Miami Ave. Officials have said no school funds will be used for the project; the district is handling the execution for the turf replacement for time reasons and because work will be on the high school grounds. The Madeira School Foundation is raising funds for the turf as well as a renovation of Madeira Stadium the foundation hopes to start after the field is replaced. Work to replace the half-century old grass field will begin about May 15 and is expected to be completed in time for the fall football season. Construction continues at JVS Georgetown News Democrat, 4/8/07 Construction continues at the Southern Hills Joint Vocational School, as the representative from Resource Financial, Bob Hart, believes all the big surprises are finally behind them. The project had several setbacks in the past few months, such as finding poor construction work behind the old brick work, and issues with the dust collector that caused it to fail inspection. Hart expects most of the big construction work for the building to be done over the summer. With all the construction at the school, the board decided to move their summer school to Georgetown to keep everything running safely and smoothly for their students, and so the construction crews can work to get the school completed as quickly as possible. City wants more parking Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/8/07 The crowded parking on Helen Day's street may prompt her to move. Day has lobbied her city of Bellevue for four months for a handicapped spot in front of her home on Ward Avenue, and was denied this week. Day, 54, suffers from a weak bone condition in one of her legs, making it hard to walk long distances. "It is very difficult," Day said. "Your car is your legs." Though the city denied her request, city leaders hope to alleviate the city's parking woes through off-street parking incentives and construction of a public parking lot. The city must use discretion when giving handicapped parking spaces, said Tom Eigel, city administrator. Animal shelter concerns residents Hamilton JournalNews, 4/8/07 Butler County officials are being responsive to concerns from residents living near the future site of a levy-funded animal shelter, but all issues may not be resolved. "We were as happy as we could be with the situation," Terry Marischen, a resident of Fairfield Ridge, said about a meeting with the county commissioners Tuesday. "We know we can't stop it. It's their land. But they are listening to our concerns and trying to address them." Late last month, the Fairfield Ridge homeowners' association told county officials that the $3.6 million animal shelter could bring noise, odor, traffic and a decline in property values at its expected opening next year. The Animal Friends Humane Society shelter site is located off Princeton Road in Hamilton on county-owned land, adjacent to Fairfield Ridge, which lies just inside Fairfield Twp. In response to the concerns, County Administrator Derek Conklin said informational letters detailing the shelter's site plan were sent out Tuesday to residents of Fairfield Ridge. The packet was also given to some residents at Tuesday night's meeting. LARGE STORE MOVING HERE Wilmington News Journal, 4/6/07 A planned commercial development at the corner of Rombach Avenue and state Route 73 in Wilmington is expected to feature a 68,639-square-foot department store. A staffer from RG Properties, the developer of the commercial project, was present at the Thursday session of Wilmington City Council, for the first reading of legislation to annex 87 acres of farmland at the northwest corner of the Rombach Avenue/SR 73 intersection. The anchor business for the 20.7-acres phase 1 will be a department store, verified RG Properties Assistant Developer Mimi Fisher, but she said she can't be any more specific. "Not at this time. I'm sorry," said Fisher. Often, business enterprises prefer to announce a new location at a certain time rather than having the developer release the news. By way of a size comparison, the planned 68,639-square-foot department store has a similar square footage to the former Wilmington Wal-Mart facility at the Meadow Park Shopping Center on Rombach Avenue.
April 11, 200718 yr ^ We want Cracker Barrel and White Castle, but don't even think about putting in a Wal-mart!
April 12, 200718 yr I think that this could be a great opportunity for Sedamsville and the City of Cincinnati. It should be interesting to see how this whole thing eventually falls out.
April 12, 200718 yr Author Links contains a photo. From the 4/10/07 Miami Student: Municipal building to expand, relocate Kathleen Morton Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: Community Oxford city government will be seeing some changes, as plans are in the works for Oxford's Municipal Building to expand and relocate some of its facilities to the other side of High Street. Oxford City Council agreed to a decision March 20 to renovate the current Municipal Building and expand some of its facilities, with construction on the parking lot located on the corner of Church and Main streets. The current Municipal Building is located on 101 E. High St. on the corner of High and Poplar streets, and is expected soon to house only the city offices. The police and court facilities will be moved to what will be a new structure a block away, in the parking lot next to what used to be the uptown restaurant Pedro's. The floor plans for the two structures both include an option for parking garage, with approximately 20-30 parking spaces at each site, which would increase parking for Municipal Building employees. According to Vice Mayor Prue Dana, the benefit of approximately 60 city employees working in the uptown area is that they frequent the restaurants, banks and stores, adding diversity to the student orientation. MORE: http://www.miamistudent.net/media/storage/paper776/news/2007/04/10/Community/Municipal.Building.To.Expand.Relocate-2831697.shtml From the 4/12/07 Middletown Journal: Developer still pushing senior housing project By Ed Richter Staff Writer Thursday, April 12, 2007 MIDDLETOWN — The Cincinnati-based developer who wants to construct a 100-unit senior citizens housing complex off Lefferson Road says he will keep pushing to build the complex. Phil Montanus, managing partner for Towne Properties, said he believes "it's a good project," and said "there is a need for the project. "It would be an absolute asset for seniors in Middletown," Montanus said. The project is caught between the city's master plan, which seeks to revitalize some neighborhoods and its older housing stock, and city politics among members of Middletown City Council, Montanus said. MORE: http://www.middletownjournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/04/12/mj041207middcouncilnotebk.html Resthaven Barn deal ready for signatures Eastern Hills Journal, 4/10/07 The Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati is poised to present a check for $50,000 to the Village of Mariemont Friday, April 13, to finalize the purchase of the historic Resthaven Barn. "At one time our only option was to tear it down," Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastrosaid. The building which once served as a dairy barn for the Lindner family, founders of United Dairy Farmers, is now listed as a National Historic Landmark. Its second life will be as the headquarters of the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati. The group plans to use the space for educational, instructional and gallery purposes. Mariemont Village Council and the foundation representing its funding efforts have agreed on a wide range of points to reach Friday's deal, including sharing the cost of asbestos removal and the amount of parking the facility will have. Residents oppose proposed zoning change Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 4/10/07 More than 30 people were in attendance Monday for a hearing held by the Hillsboro City Council on the possible rezoning of eight acres of property behind Sherwood Drive. The meeting was held so council could obtain comments and feedback from area residents on the issue, with all Sherwood Drive residents who spoke out at the meeting saying they are firmly against the rezoning. The issue was first brought to the Hillsboro Planning Commission during the latter part of 2006, with representatives of the property owner requesting a change from Residential A to Residential B zoning, so that the property might more easily sell. The proprietor of the property, according to real estate agent Rusty Fite, is John Dragoo. Leatherwood (LW) Associates has expressed intent to construct condominiums on the property, and needs the zoning change to facilitate the construction. Newport wants to move building for trail Campbell Community Recorder, 4/10/07 Tourists and bicyclists may soon have a new home in Newport if funding comes through for the Raymond Motors Preservation and Trailhead Project. The project consists of converting the old Raymond Motors gas station at the corner of Fifth and York streets into a trailhead, which is a place where people can park and easily access bike trails. The plan is to move the building from its current location to the corner of 10th and Saratoga streets and make it not only a trailhead, but also a kiosk for tourist information and possibly a transportation museum, said Robert Yoder, Newport's Main Street coordinator. "We have a great need for a place where people can find information about our city," Yoder said. "I really think it would be a nice addition to downtown Newport." Horse farm to become a park Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/10/07 To serve the growing population in its Warren County section, Loveland has bought a 10.5-acre horse farm and will convert it to a public park. The city paid $800,000 to Terry and Mary Christman for the property on Butterworth Road on the north side of Ohio 48. City Manager Tom Carroll said the park probably will have no athletic fields because many of those living in the nearby Brandywine on the Little Miami subdivision prefer more passive kinds of recreation, such as playground equipment, walking trails and picnic and meeting areas. But Carroll and Mayor Rob Weisgerber said nothing will be decided before city officials conduct numerous discussions with Loveland residents, recreation officials, sports leagues and any other interested parties about what the new park should contain. Loveland Herald: City buys Christman farm for park (4/9/07) Princeton to survey voters about bond issue Tri-County Press, 4/10/07 In the next few weeks 500 Princeton City School District voters will get a phone call. Princeton is contracting with a company called Triad to conduct a districtwide survey of randomly selected registered voters who have voted in the last two elections. The survey will gauge support of a possible bond issue to construct new middle and high school buildings. Results of the 40-question survey will be shared with the Princeton school board at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in Room 524 of Princeton High School. The survey, which begins Wednesday, April 11, will take about 10 to 12 minutes. The call will show up on residents' caller identification systems as Landings Research.
April 13, 200718 yr When the existing Municipal Building undergoes complete renovation, city council has agreed to keep some of the same architectural style intact. "The city wants to have existing design elements be transferred to the new building," Oxford City Manager Jane Howington said. WHAT? I hate The Student. I though the latest plan was to replace the building on site, and although their article says otherwise, this leads me to believe they have it wrong.
April 13, 200718 yr Author From the 4/13/07 Enquirer: Blue Ash picks $9.3M rec center BY STEVE KEMME | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER BLUE ASH - The expansion plan for the Blue Ash Recreation Center, which has drawn City Council's support, would cost $9.3 million. The plan is a compromise between an $8.7 million plan and a $10.2 million plan. Council told Mike Schuster of MSA Architects Inc. of Cincinnati to proceed with the final design. The final plan will be finished this summer, and construction would begin in fall. The project would take a year to complete. The preferred plan includes a two-story fitness center, a three-lane, 0.1-mile indoor track, a new family and community area, new family locker rooms and a rock-climbing area attached to the fitness rooms. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070413/NEWS01/704130408/ SHCTC renovation project nearing completion Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 4/12/07 The superintendent of the Southern Hills Career/Technical Center met with the Highland County commissioners Wednesday to update the board on the facility's major renovations slated to be completed by early fall. Charles Guarino presented the commissioners with several photographs of the SHCTC facility before and after the renovations began to show the progress of the $12 million project. Seventy-five percent of the funding for the project was provided by the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission - the first time the OSFC has funded renovations to a career facility in the state. In June 2006, the project began with updating the outside drainage system and completely rewiring the inside of the building. Construction workers also took off all the bricks from the front of the building, giving the facility a new and modern facelift. The building was installed with a sprinkler system, security system, new plumbing and an addition to the welding lab. Lloyd bids up for approval Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/12/07 A new Lloyd Memorial High School - or at least a piece of it - could become a step closer to reality this evening. The Erlanger-Elsmere Board of Education will vote at tonight's meeting whether to approve bid documents for phase one of the four-phase, $27 million project. If endorsed, bids from contractors will be sought in the coming weeks and a contract could be awarded as soon as the board meeting on May 10. Ground could be broken in June. "We'd like to be in by August of 2008," said Superintendent Mike Sander. Phase one, estimated to cost $5.5 million, will be built in front of the current school and include a main office, restrooms, five special education classrooms, five science classrooms and two science labs. It will connect to the current high school so students won't have to go outside to change classes. Everybody’s Treehouse to be dedicated April 17 Cincinnati.com, 4/10/07 Everybody’s Treehouse, the Tri-State’s first universally accessible treehouse, was built in Mount Airy Forest thanks to 12,000 volunteer hours, $500,000 in donations and a wealth of community spirit. The public is invited to join Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, the Cincinnati Park Board and the many Treehouse partners, donors and volunteers at Mount Airy Forest, 5083 Colerain Ave., as they dedicate the treehouse at 4 p.m. April 17. The only such public treehouse in the Tri-State, this universally accessible treehouse has a series of ramps that provide access to all, including children and adults with special needs who are routinely confronted with barriers to fun and play in their daily lives. Everybody’s Treehouse is connected to 12 trees in Mt. Airy Forest. It stands 14 feet above the ground, supported by black locust logs chosen for their strength and resistance to rot. The logs, weighing up to 1,500 pounds and measuring up to 22 feet in length, came from locust trees cut from a nearby road project. Sugar maple and black maple, chosen because they are strong but fairly light, were used for the treehouse rafters. The floor of the treehouse was made from ipê, a strong, rot-resistant wood from the tropics. Cedar shakes comprise the roof. The treehouse, including its ramps and landings, is 1,500 square feet. It has a series of ramps six feet wide that lead up to it. The ramps begin in concrete leading down from a parking area; then wooden ramps gradually rise through the forest up to the treehouse floor. Highlands moves into temporary cafeteria Fort Thomas Recorder, 4/9/07 Highlands High School cafeteria workers were at work before sunrise Monday, April 9. That's what happens when you have to borrow a kitchen. The high school is serving meals out of a temporary space while construction crews are gutting the normal cafeteria for renovations. Workers had to go to Highlands Middle School at 4:30 a.m. to cook the food, and bring it to the high school. Cafeteria Director Judy Bryant said hopefully once workers get used to the transition they won't have to come in so early. Exterior restorations planned for Cheviot City Hall Western Hills Press, 4/6/07 It's Extreme Makeover: City Hall Edition. The city's headquarters for the administration, fire and police departments will receive an exterior facelift this summer, just in time for the building's 20th birthday. City Hall opened in October 1987 and Cheviot Safety Service Director Steve Neal said the restorations planned mark the first time the building will receive any exterior work. The scope of work includes masonry cleaning, spot tuckpointing, a water repellent coating, brick replacement where needed, urethane caulking, dryvit renovations and a new coat of paint on the garage doors. "You can see where the building needs work," Neal said.
April 15, 200718 yr Author From the 4/15/07 Enquirer: Tourist/cyclist depot may be in '20s gas station City applied for grant to move it BY SCOTT WARTMAN | [email protected] NEWPORT - An old gas station building in Newport where Model T's used to fill up in the 1920s could be moved to become a depot for cyclists and tourists. The city of Newport has applied for a state transportation grant of $336,000 to move the small building with a Spanish tile roof and canopy from its current location at the corner of Fifth and York streets to city-owned property at the corner of Saratoga and 10th streets. If the grant is approved, the city will turn the building into a tourist office and starting point for a bike trail marked on Newport roads. The city will learn whether it gets the grant in July. If it does, the building could open by spring 2008, said Bob Yoder, Newport's Main Street coordinator. The owner of the Fifth and York streets property, Dwight Broeman, is donating the building to the city so it can be saved from development, according to city officials. Among the amenities proposed for the tourist center: bike racks, air pumps, a water fountain, tourist information and a transportation museum detailing the area's railroads and other landmarks. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070415/NEWS0103/704150386/1059/rss13 Park moves ahead as township looks back Northeast Suburban Life, 4/13/07 Work continues on Blong Road Park, eight years after a devastating tornado swept through Symmes Township and destroyed property as well as lives. Township officials and members of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department gathered at the park site April 9, exactly eight years after the tornado came through, to remember the tragedies associated with the disaster and look forward to a memorial park on the corner of Blong and Montgomery roads. Township Trustee Eric Minamyer spoke during the brief event, stating his pride in the fire and police departments for their hard work during and after the tornado. He said the fact that the apartments off of Montgomery Road near Blong and the nearby Don Pablo's Restaurant were rebuilt so quickly is a testament to the people of Symmes. Jack Bresnen, vice president of the Jeffrey Allen Corp., is one of the people charged with creating the memorial park. He said the work is about 50 percent completed, and workers are preparing Blong Park for a May 30 completion date. Feds to pay for NKY veteran cemetery Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/13/07 The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is allocating $6.9 million to pay most of the costs of the Northern Kentucky State Veterans Cemetery under construction in Williamstown. The grant was announced Friday by Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. Construction of the 99-acre cemetery began in January and is expected to be completed early next year. “Our veterans have honorably served our country, and they deserve the utmost respect long after their service is over,” McConnell said in a statement. “This funding will be used to honor them.” Senior housing project invalid without funding Wilmington News Journal, 4/13/07 Some Pansy Pike residents are opposed to a zoning change for property located at 344 Pansy Pike, from R2 to PD (planned development), for the purpose of building senior housing. A public hearing on the zoning change was held at the Thursday night meeting of Blanchester Village Council. Dean Knapp, director of the Clinton County Community Action, said if zoning is changed for the property and the project is approved, 40 two-bedroom units with attached garages would be built. At a previous meeting, Wayne West, chairman of the zoning board, said the Planning Commission recommended the zoning change. West told council at the hearing, "if the zoning is changed to Planned Development now and the financing is not approved, the property would go back to R2 zoning," he said. Firms contend for Loveland Y Loveland Herald, 4/13/07 Jon Bennett is hoping to take charge of developing the Loveland YMCA. The engineer's firm, KZF Design, could know by April 19 if it's qualified to do it. City personnel is selecting "a short-list" of firms that want pitch their ideas for Loveland's proposed recreation center. A city document dated March 30 shows that 20 firms are interested in the project. "We have worked with the YMCA on other projects and we enjoyed that experience," Bennett said from his office in Cincinnati. "When our work is fun and enjoyable, we like doing that." Brandstetter-Carroll Inc., an architectural firm in Lexington, has planned the YMCA with the city's recreation and aquatic center committee since August. Hiking trails proposed for Bender Mountain Delhi Press, 4/12/07 An ambitious trek up the recently-dubbed Bender Mountain is being proposed by the Western Wildlife Corridor. Tim Sisson, corridor president, presented proposals to Delhi Township trustees detailing three future plans for new walking trails looping along Bender Road. Some of the property currently is owned by Hamilton County and some is in the process of being deeded to the township from the Hamilton County Park District. "This site offers some of the best hiking opportunities in the area," Sisson said. "It would provide spectacular Ohio River views and the rare opportunity to walk through old growth forest that remains much as the pioneers probably found it." Sisson's first proposal is for a modest, but strenuous trail beginning on Hillside Road. It would ascend the slope and switch back to descend the other side of the ridge toward Bender Road.
April 18, 200718 yr Author From the 4/17/07 Tri-County Press: Wyoming residents speak up about group home BY ANDREA REEVES | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER WYOMING - Council chambers overflowed with residents, some of whom sat on the floor in the hallway, who came to hear more about a proposed group home and to voice their opinions on the matter at a public hearing April 17. GraceWorks Lutheran Services is proposing the relocation of 10 group home residents from a home in Avondale to a newly constructed 4,852-square-foot home at 1227 and 1229 Springfield Pike, near Chestnut Avenue. About the proposal GraceWorks Lutheran Services is asking Wyoming City Council to grant it a special use permit to allow 10 group home residents to relocate to a proposed newly constructed group home on Springfield Pike. City code written in 1983 allows group homes to have no more than six residents. GraceWorks officials want to move the home from an unsafe community, and they want to keep the residents together. Judy Stang of GraceWorks said during the last five years the Avondale home has experienced shootings in the front yard, robbery of a pharmacy delivery driver, and several car break-ins. Council plans to vote on the development plan and the special use permit at its May 21 meeting. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070417/NEWS01/704170312/1002/RSS01 Work begins on $3.5M office-warehouse center Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/14/07 Construction has begun on a $3.5 million office-warehouse building overlooking Interstate 75 in Arlington Heights. Called Galbraith Business Center, the 52,000-square-foot project on nearly four acres at 409 Elliott Ave., east of I-75, is being developed by Cole Realty Associates of Blue Ash. Cincinnati Commercial Contracting is the builder. Wentz Design is architect. Leasing for the project, slated for completion in September, is being handled by CB Richard Ellis. TMC plans athletic upgrades Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/14/07 Thomas More College is embarking on a fundraising campaign so that it can switch to a synthetic turf football field and make other improvements to its athletic complex. School representatives plan to meet soon with neighboring residents and other interested parties to explain the plan and answer questions about the project, Gerald Dusing, chairman of the school's board of trustees told Crestview Hills City Council Thursday. He offered no cost estimate, but three years ago, school officials estimated it would cost about $1 million for the artificial turf. "We're anxious to get started on this," Dusing said. "We hope to have the artificial turf finished by at least mid-season next year, if not the beginning of the season." The school plans to do some grading to lower the current football field about four feet and widen it to accommodate an eight-lane regulation artificial-surface track, Dusing said. He said additional plantings will provide a screen between the football field and residents on Trevino Ridge. A second phase calls for replacing the portable aluminum stands with larger bleachers that are encased. Skate park ready to roll Delhi Press, 4/14/07 After months of weather-related delays, the Delhi Skate Plaza will open Saturday, April 21. The skate park in Delhi Township Park, 5125 Foley Road, was designed with the help of area teens. Sandy Monahan, township parks and recreation director, said it features many of the elements teens said they wanted, such as simulated curbs and ramps. Designed for skateboards and skates, the new park addition was paid for, in part, with a state grant. On hand for the 4 p.m. grand opening ceremony will be three professional skaterboarders Ryan Gallant, Gary Collins and Kokomo Joe. They will start their demonstration at 4:20 p.m. There will be free skateboard lessons at 6 p.m. Church's new look Kentucky Post, 4/14/07 Covington's First Christian Church may not have the congregation it once had, but the building itself sure looks great. The church recently spent $170,000 to add new mortar to the bricks, clean the exterior walls and repaint and recarpet the sanctuary. "There's a night and day difference in the exterior of the building," the Rev. Patricia Hatfield said. "There was maybe 100 years of grime on that building." The congregation had to act, because pieces of concrete trim were starting to fall and hit the sidewalk below. "We had to move fast, so we would not get hit with the liability," Hatfield said. "We had no idea how we were going to pay for this." Firms contend for Loveland Y Loveland Herald, 4/13/07 Jon Bennett is hoping to take charge of developing the Loveland YMCA. The engineer's firm, KZF Design, could know by April 19 if it's qualified to do it. City personnel is selecting "a short-list" of firms that want pitch their ideas for Loveland's proposed recreation center. A city document dated March 30 shows that 20 firms are interested in the project. Brandstetter-Carroll Inc., an architectural firm in Lexington, has planned the YMCA with the city's recreation and aquatic center committee since August.
April 20, 200718 yr Author Link contains a photo. From the 4/20/07 Kentucky Post: Newport: New housing for public tenants By Greg Paeth Post staff report The Newport Housing Authority is creating new homes for some of the tenants who were forced to move out of the housing project that was leveled to clear the way for a new development in the city's northwest corner. The agency is committed to building 192 rental units as well as at least 54 homes that will be available for sale, said its executive director, Joe Condit. Condit said the blend of rentals and owner-occupied housing reflects the theory that public housing should no longer be concentrated in one neighborhood where all of the property is for rent. Like public housing agencies all over the country, the Newport agency is attempting to move its tenants into homes throughout the city, avoiding high concentrations in any one neighborhood. The housing authority plans to award a contract that calls for the construction of 15 homes that will be offered for sale along Liberty Street between Seventh and Eighth streets and nearby on Isabella Street. A separate contract with a bid deadline of April 27 covers eight new homes that would be built in the 600 block of Saratoga Street, Condit said. MORE: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AE/20070420/NEWS02/704200352/ Knox Church Breaks New Ground Cincinnati.com, 4/17/07 After much planning and preparation, on April 15, 2007 Knox Church in Hyde Park celebrated the start of construction for their new space. A crowd gathered on the Observatory side of the property, braving the cold winds and thankful for no rain, to share together the hope for the future that such an undertaking exibits. Grant working on a new school Kentucky Post, 4/16/07 Where Grant County cattle recently roamed, kids in a year and a half will be grazing on math, social studies and CATS tests. The county school district last week continued to grade the site of the new Sherman Elementary School off U.S. 25, following a March groundbreaking. The 74,000-square-foot school building will cost $12.8 million, with road construction and landscaping bringing the project price tag to $15.3 million. It is expected to accommodate 500 to 550 students when it opens for the 2008-2009 school year, said Grant County Schools spokeswoman Nancy Howe. "We are in a real good position because we're not seeing the explosive growth you see in Boone County," she said, "but we are growing in the northern part of the county." The county population was 22,384, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Just five years later, it estimated the county had grown to 24,610, an increase of 9.9 percent. And that doesn't include the 157 building permits issued in 2005. Church spreads its wings Cincinnati Post, 4/16/07 While remodeling their new home in downtown Cincinnati, members of the Uptown Church hit an obstacle they didn't expect. For weeks since they had bought the old Trinity Methodist Church building at 118 W. Ninth Street, they had smelled gas, but didn't know why. A technician from Duke Energy found the answer in vertical channels cut into the building's 144-year-old walls, which are made from thick rows of brick. Pipes for gaslights, long rusted away, had formed the channels, which were now leaking gas. At 12,500 square feet, the structure's a little more than twice the size of the church's present home, the former Uptown Theater at 18 E. McMicken Ave. in Over-the-Rhine. "We're getting into a bigger building, but we still have an outreach into the inner city," said pastor Keith Gabbard. "We don't feel like we're abandoning who we came here to minister to." New skate park to alleviate school damage Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/15/07 Skateboards have worn down steps and benches in Newport Middle School's parking lot where teenagers often congregate. This puts school officials in the tough position of choosing whether to run the skaters off the property into the city, where they could get hurt, or let them skate in the parking lot, where they can also get hurt and do damage, said Paul Baker, youth services center at the middle school and the grant writer for the skate park. By October, school and city leaders hope to have a skate park underneath the Interstate 471 overpass by Newport High School to send the skaters to. "There is nowhere to send them to," Baker said. "If we have a park, we will not be so reticent to say leave the parking lot. Skating is not going away. ... If anything, it is increasing." The city applied this week for a $25,000 state grant to help build $67,000 worth of ramps, grind boxes, rails and other features for a skate park to open by October. Deer Park working on first master plan Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/15/07 Since 1912, when it was incorporated as a village, Deer Park has never had a comprehensive master plan. That's going to change. The city is working on a plan to "set the path to the future," said Michael J. Berens, Deer Park safety-service director. The master plan will cover regulations and goals for land use, economic development, planning, zoning and a maintenance code. Berens needs residents to volunteer to create the master plan through a year-long series of monthly two-hour meetings.
April 21, 200718 yr Author From Northeast Suburban Life, 4/20/07: Blue Ash estimates recreation makeover to cost $9.3 million BY RICH SHIVENER | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER BLUE ASH - Expansions on the Blue Ash Recreation Center could begin in August or September. That means the estimated 350,000 people that exercise there will have a lot more room, said Chuck Funk, the city's recreation director. Funk said the center hasn't been renovated since 1993, when a fitness area, lobby and offices were added. That project amounted to $6.2 million, he said. Council recently supported a $9.3 million renovation plan proposed by Michael Schuster Associates. The plan, according to the design firm, includes new amenities such as a two-floor fitness area with a running track, a second gym, a game room and a rock-climbing wall. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/NEWS01/704200403/1002/RSS01 Montgomery roadway comes to vote in June Northeast Suburban Life, 4/19/07 City council's discussions about a contentious roadway design could end in June. Twin Lakes has sought an easement from the city since March. The city-owned land submission, which council will vote on, would allow the senior-living organization to build a roadway across from Forestglen Drive. It would be a drive for residents of 13 homes on 2.8 acres between Hopewell and Schoolhouse roads, a project approved by the city's planning commission in February. Connie Schmitt, a spokeswoman for Twin Lakes, said the organization will buy the property from Sam Boymel, a Fairfield resident, after council's approval. Millions needed for Turkeyfoot Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/18/07 Crestview Hills officials are lobbying for state money to get an additional northbound lane built on a congested section of Turkeyfoot Road. City officials have been trying to get funding for the additional lane for 11 months, Councilman Frank Sommerkamp says. Sommerkamp said the lane needs to go from Villa Madonna Drive north to just past the U.S. Bank to relieve traffic tie-ups, especially during the evening rush hour. "We have talked to state Sen. Dick Roeding (on the state transportation committee) and he said we need to get this project into the six-year road plan," Crestview Hills Administrator Dan Groth said. "We need this lane to relieve traffic between Thomas More Parkway and Mall Road." When Crestview Hills officials first proposed the additional lane, its estimated cost was $300,000 to $400,000, so the city offered to contribute 10 percent to get the work under way, Sommerkamp said. But when city officials recently met with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's District 6 highway officials, they said the state now wants to include Crestview Hills' request in a larger $2.5 million project, he said. The new plan calls for building another northbound lane on Turkeyfoot Road from Villa Madonna Drive to the eastbound entrance ramp on Interstate 275. It also would include dual left-turn lanes onto westbound I-275 from Turkeyfoot Road, and an additional southbound lane on the I-275 eastbound exit ramp near T.G.I. Friday's that would continue to Dudley Road. Changes coming to interchanges Northwest Press, 4/18/07 The Ohio Department of Transportation is preparing to restrict left turns at East Miami River Road and U.S. 27. The agency has scheduled a public meeting to explain changes and hear public input from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 23, at Ross High School, 3425 Hamilton Cleves Road. ODOT spokeswoman Sharon Smigielski said the reconfiguration is needed because of the increased number and severity of traffic accidents - including three fatalities - at the intersection of U.S. 27 and East Miami River Road. State, county and township officials agree changes to the intersection's configuration are needed. Jay Hamilton, an engineer with ODOT District 8, said the state and county hope to build a new entrance/exit ramp for southbound U.S. 27 traffic at East Miami, eliminating all left turns at this intersection. Park handed over to Wyoming homeowner association Tri-County Press, 4/17/07 The Edges of Wyoming, one of three planned communities in Wyoming, is getting a small park. Wyoming City Council on April 17 approved the donation of a one-third acre of land at the end of Ashley Lane to the Edges Homeowners Association to plant and maintain. The city required the small park to be created when the development was first proposed in 1997 since the lot was too small for a home, according to Homeowners Association member Mike Kremzar. "Rather than the Recreation Department taking care of it, we thought we'll take responsibility for it," said Kremzar. Homeowners Association members shared with council drawings that include landscaping, trees and benches for the park. Price Hill entrance point getting new sign Price Hill Press, 4/13/07 A new welcome sign will soon greet motorists as they enter the neighborhood from Sunset Avenue. The Price Hill Civic Club is allocating $3,400 of its Neighborhood Support Program money from the city toward the purchase of a new sign at Guerley Road and Sunset Avenue. "The existing sign is kind of getting worn out and you really can't see it very well because it's hidden in bushes and shrubs," said Joe Hirth, a member of the Civic Club's board of directors and chairman of the group's NSP committee. He said a new three-sided sign, one that is much taller and stands above the landscaping, will replace the wooden sign now at the intersection. "The new sign is really nice," he said.
April 23, 200718 yr Aticle by Dan Hurley in the Post: Challenge in OTR is changing vision of how it can work Over-the-Rhine is the most contested piece of real estate in the region. How can we understand the forces at work in 2007? Over-the-Rhine sits far from this vibrant edge near the center of the old city. The present and the future of OTR can only be understood if the metropolitan framework is kept in mind. Too often the dilemma of OTR is posed totally in terms of its housing stock. On the one side are people who love the "architecturally wonderful" 19th century buildings and want to rescue, restore or renovate them before they completely deteriorate and have to be demolished. But recovering and modernizing these old buildings is expensive, and the low-income people living in the area, as well as their advocates, worry that increased property values will drive up rents and force them out of their homes. Developers counter that with fewer than 8,000 people living in the OTR (down from 45,000+), so many vacant buildings exist that displacement is not inevitable. The problem with that formulation of the issue confronting OTR is that it ignores the dynamics of the larger forces at work. After 150 years of developing a metropolitan region, which assumes that people should live in neighborhoods that are physically separated from retail, commercial and industrial functions, and in which all the residents come from a narrow cross-section of society, we have lost our skills for living in mixed-use areas. MORE: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/LIFE/704200337/1005&template=printpicart
April 26, 200718 yr Author From the 4/18/07 Hilltop Press: City closes on Kmart, adjoining site BY ROB DOWDY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER FOREST PARK - The city continues to be proactive in redevelopment issues by buying a 12-acre property for $1.5 million with plans to create a new gateway into Forest Park. The former Kmart property on Hamilton Avenue, an eight-acre site vacant for several years, was purchased at a sheriff's sale Nov. 30 by the city for $806,000. Since that purchase, Economic Development Director Paul Brehm said the city had been working to buy the four-acre adjoining shopping center, a feat recently accomplished for $725,000. "That is now totally owned by the city," said City Manager Ray Hodges, adding that the property is just another piece of the city's long-term redevelopment puzzle. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070418/NEWS01/704180408/1093/Local From the 4/25/07 Fairfield Echo: Fairfeld offers to buy 11 flood houses By Michael D. Pitman Staff Writer Tuesday, April 24, 2007 FAIRFIELD — There were a number reasons Harry Deaton didn't accept the city's offer to buy out his flood-prone home. Deaton's 5495 Bandelier Court home — along with 22 other homes along the valley that follows Pleasant Run Creek near Banker Drive and Crystal Court — flooded in June 2003. Four year's ago this Father's Day, Deaton found four feet of water in his basement. In 28 years, Deaton's home has flooded three times. Fairfield applied to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency for the $2.58 million Federal Emergency Management Agency voluntary buyout grant program. Twenty-one of the Pleasant Run Creek homes were bought and razed. The city's offer to buy the homes was on the table until spring 2006 when the grant expired. MORE: http://www.fairfield-echo.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/04/24/hjn042507ffcouncil.html Demonstrators criticize senior housing plan Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/24/07 Opponents of a plan that would create a four-way intersection at Montgomery Road and Forestglen Drive have taken to the streets to air their protests. For three weeks, sign-toting demonstrators have been standing at the intersection during the weekday afternoon rush hour, waving at the cars passing by. Occasionally, a motorist honks to express sympathy for their cause. But the Forestglen residents think that the demonstrations are necessary to rally support and persuade Montgomery City Council to refuse an easement to build the driveway for planned senior living quarters on the east side of Montgomery Road. Landen Lake restoration on schedule Cincinnati.com, 4/23/07 According to an update from the Landen Community Services Association, work on Landen Lake is ahead of schedule. However the update also informed residents that the company hired to measure the amount of sediment in the lake – causing the water level to drop over the last 10 years – was a low estimate. The Lake Committee has asked Otte Enterprise to re-evaluate the sediment thickness and volume in order to proceed with work. The project began in February. Landen CSA has said it should take five months before the restoration project is complete. To read all the update details, visit www.landencsa.com. While the project is being completed the lake is closed, this includes the pathway around the construction area, Landen CSA staff said. The construction zone is not safe for pedestrians. Board to debate putting zoning issue on ballot Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/22/07 The Hamilton County Board of Elections will hold a hearing at 1:30 p.m. May 14 at their offices at 824 Broadway to determine whether to place a Sycamore Township zoning issue on the November general election ballot. Those who submitted petitions for a referendum want to reverse the township's zoning decision that would allow a 10-space parking lot to be built next to the Ohio Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine's planned medical development on Kugler Road near Montgomery Road. The Board of Elections has ruled that there are more than enough valid signatures to place the issue on the ballot. But Ohio Valley has challenged the legality of the petitions. The company says the petitions were not in the correct legal form. Residents say the parking lot isn't appropriate for a residential area. A reversal of the zoning decision would affect the parking lot only, not the planned medical building. Beverly Hills memorial built Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/22/07 At the top of the hill, inside a canopy of overgrown brush, pieces of twisted, rusted metal lie scattered on the rocky ground. But to Wayne Dammert, it's the Cabaret Room. And that piece of metal over there - that's a table. It's been nearly 30 years since Dammert was the banquet captain at the Beverly Hills Supper Club on the night it burned, killing 165 people. But Dammert remembers. That's why the 70-year-old, with the help of five others, lugged a 25-foot, fluorescent-green cross to the top of the hill Saturday. TMC shares athletic complex plans Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/20/07 Thomas More College is hosting a meeting Tuesday to explain a planned $5 million to $6 million upgrade of its athletic complex. Groundbreaking for the initial phase, which would include synthetic turf on the football field, could happen by early June, said Kelly Marsh, Thomas More's director of communications. "Our goal is to let residents in the community see what our plans are, explain the timeline and just answer any questions," Marsh said. Backers hope to have the new football field finished in time for Thomas More's Sept. 29 homecoming, Marsh said. "Nothing has been confirmed yet in terms of individual or corporate giving, but we feel pretty confident we can raise the money," she said.
April 26, 200718 yr They've been saying the same thing about that Kmart for years now. Too bad the whole thing still equals "nothing happening, nothing planned"
April 26, 200718 yr Author From the 4/24/07 Forest Hills Journal: Mt. Washington approves zone change at Corbly BY FORREST SELLERS | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MT. WASHINGTON - The Mt. Washington Community Council has voted in support of a zone change on Corbly Road. Tanner Custom Homes wants to build 14 condominiums in the 6600 block of Corbly Road. Current zoning would permit them to build 12. "We need to determine if that density is what we want," said board president Bryan Snyder, who voted in favor of the zone change. However, other board members including Yvonne Scheiderer opposed the zone change. Although Tanner Homes said it would only build two additional condos, the zone change would permit a developer to build up to 21 units at the site. Scheiderer said she had concerns that if Tanner ever decided to move, another developer could take advantage of this. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/NEWS01/704240323/1002/RSS01 From the 4/24/07 Alexandria Recorder: Housing plan sews developments together BY CHRIS MAYHEW | COMMUNITY RECORDER STAFF WRITER ALEXANDRIA - A developer's plan to build 99 housing units near Tollgate Road would fit between two other planned housing developments, effectively connecting them. Towne Properties is working with the city on a development and annexation plan for an area between Carriage Park Drive and the previously announced Arcadia development, said Mayor Dan McGinley. Towne Properties' development would further extend Pat Fanning Way from the bordering Arcadia and provide a connection with Tollgate Road, McGinley said. "This will tie up that area for development," he said. Fischer Homes and Drees Homes are cooperating on a plan to build the 960-units Arcadia over the next seven to 10 years by extending Pat Fanning Way from Alexandria Pike. Ameritek Homes has plans to build another 600 housing units off Tollgate Road and Gilbert Ridge Road. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/NEWS01/704240327/1002/RSS01 New high school wins favor, but not price tag Oxford Press, 4/25/07 According to a Talawanda survey, Oxford businesses appear to overwhelmingly be in favor of a new high school, but when it comes to paying for it — it's a little cloudy. More than 70 people in the business community responded to the Talawanda survey administered through the Oxford Chamber of Commerce. Sixty-five of the people agreed with the construction of a new high school, but only 39 would actively work to pass a bond issue. The comments for placing a bond issue on the ballot were scattered across the spectrum. One business person said "ASAP, we needed a new high school yesterday." Another was more hesitant. Their statement read, "After paying off Bogan (Elementary) — NO NEW TAXES!!!" Cagwin explained the survey is another piece of information the board of education will utilize in their decision on the future of Talawanda facilities. New Crittenden city building moves forward Grant County News, 4/25/07 Hermes Construction, of Wilder, has been selected to construct the new Crittenden city building at a cost of $242,432. "We plan to start with designing the mechanical, electrical and plumbing system. That will take about two weeks," said Tyson Hermes, vice president of Hermes Construction. "After that, I anticipate another two weeks for the permits and we should break ground in mid-May." The lowest bidder was K&W Homes with a bid of $234,500. "The main reason why we didn't choose them was because they did not abide by the rules and regulations of the bidding process," said council member Gayle Cayton. "They didn't offer a bid breakdown like it was requested or a bond amount." Mayor Ralph Byrley phoned the Kentucky League of Cities and was told the city was free to choose any bidder it wished. Sharonville opens new $6 million fire station Tri-County Press, 4/24/07 With a towering cathedral ceiling in the garage, sleeping quarters and a training room that will seat the entire department, the new $6 million Sharonville fire station on Chester Road gives the 80 firefighters on staff plenty of stretching room. The need for space and to be closer to Sharonville's industrial district were the two main reasons for moving the city's main fire station from the corner of Reading and Cornell roads to the new Chester Road location. Five years ago, the department transitioned from all-volunteer to a full-time department that's on-station 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Sharonville Mayor Virgil Lovitt. "When we did that, the existing firehouses were not capable of sleeping people while on duty and they didn't have other amenities like showers," Lovitt said. New community in Miami Twp. Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/23/07 Robert Lucke Homes, Inc. and the Drees Homes Co. will host a grand opening for the Wittmer community in western Hamilton County’s Miami Township at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24. The community includes Wittmer Meadows, a 54-site development by Drees Homes, starting at $275,000, and Wittmer Estates, a 28-site development by Robert Lucke Homes, starting at $450,000. Future uncertain for former gas station Fort Thomas Recorder, 4/21/07 Three parties are interested in buying the former BP gas station at the corner of Highland and Grand avenues that closed in October 2006.Assistant City Administrator Jay Treft said the BP representatives told him three convenient or retail store owners are interested in the location, but he did not know specifically who. Treft has been working with BP officials to find a replacement business for the former gas station. He said BP representatives indicated they are scheduling a time for the gas tanks to be removed, but did not give him an idea of when a different operation will be up and running. BP spokeswoman Valerie Corr said BP is trying to get fair market value for the site, but sometimes with former gas station sites, there are restrictions on what can and cannot go there.
May 1, 200718 yr Author From the 5/1/07 Eastern Hills Journal: * PHOTO: These two and five additional units on Miami Road in Mariemont may be demolished in favor of high-end, tudor style condominiums if a deal with Greiwe Development Group meets final approval this summer. Photo by Jereme Simmons New condos slated for 3900 block of Miami Road BY JEREME SIMMONS | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER MARIEMONT- The developer best known for his work in starting the Flying Pigs phenomena, Rick Greiwe, is poised to transform the 3900 block of Miami Road in Mariemont by building a series of Tudor style condominiums. The Mariemont Planning Commission recommended accepting Greiwe Development Group's proposal to raze seven existing apartment buildings with a total of 28 rental units, to be replaced by 30 condominiums. The next step will be a formal proposal to the village council in its entirety. "Everyone seems to be in agreement," Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastro said. "We don't just want anything built there. We want to build something the village can be proud of. Rick is a class developer." Formal architectural plans are now being drawn up and a final proposal between Building Commissioner Dennis Malone and Greiwe should be ready by July. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070501/NEWS01/705010304/ St. Anthony may have buyer Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/28/07 St. Anthony of Padua Church has a suitor. The 100-year-old Bellevue church has been vacant since merging with nearby Sacred Heart Church in 2002 to form Divine Mercy Parish. Divine Mercy, which owns the building, won't say who it is, but signs indicate the church may become a banquet center. The city's planning commission this week unanimously recommended changing the zoning of the property at 320 Poplar St. from residential to neighborhood commercial. The commission also recommended adding a banquet center to the list of possible businesses that can open in a neighborhood commercial zone. The changes were requested by Divine Mercy. Village, Knothole discuss future of ball fields Community Journal Clermont, 4/27/07 Shortly after New Richmond's council put its ball fields up for sale, representatives from council and the New Richmond Knothole Baseball Association met to discuss the future of the fields. At council's March meeting, Humphries read a statement objecting to selling the fields and calling for discussion among interested parties. Carr said they discussed the cost of building a ball field, among other topics. Council mentioned moving fields to a new location, though no space was set. Both Dunbar and Durrette said the meeting was positive. Dunbar said such talk is part of knothole's commitment to a "collective solution." District dealing with asbestos at high school Fort Thomas Recorder, 4/27/07 Fort Thomas School District officials say they are going to great lengths to ensure the safe removal of asbestos found at Highlands High School during renovations. The district has hired LVI Services, experts in asbestos removal, to safely remove any asbestos found at the school. "Any building that age will probably have asbestos in it," said Superintendent Larry Stinson. "We are aware of it and are going beyond the guidelines and regulations for removing it." Jerry Wissman, director of operations for the district, said the removal has been going on throughout the renovation project. "No one knew it was going to be there, but as soon as they discovered it LVI came in," Wissman said. Hamilton board awards $550K turf field bid Hamilton JournalNews, 4/26/07 A new synthetic all-weather turf field should be installed at Hamilton High School's Schwarm Stadium in time for the 2007 football and soccer seasons. Hamilton City School District board members Wednesday night approved a bid of $549,969 for the project from the Motz Group, Inc. District officials had estimated the cost at approximately $500,000 to $550,000. A private committee was formed last spring to raise funds for the new field. To date, $320,000 has been collected in pledges and cash. Most high schools have the synthetic turf, said Board Member George Jonson. "You can use it 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "There is no mud, no ruts and there is a minimal amount of maintenance required." Promenade Plaza getting a facelift Hilltop Press, 4/18/07 The city's focus on redevelopment projects continues with the likelihood of a new Walgreen's moving to Promenade Plaza. The plan for Prominade, at the corner of Kemper and Winton roads, calls for the redevelopment of the northwest portion, the demolition of two buildings and the construction of a new Walgreen's store. A public hearing on the project has been postponed several times. Community Development Director Chris Anderson said developers plan to present a final development plan at the May 7 council meeting. He said they're still working on revisions to plans requested by the city, though the delay is no cause for concern. "All indications are that this is a project they intend to pursue," Anderson said. One of the buildings being torn down is the Wild Birds store, which has already relocated to the interior of the plaza. The Subway building will also be demolished and the business will move to the former Sound Systems building next to Jiffy Lube on Kemper Road.
May 2, 200718 yr Top story The Arbors of Pleasant Ridge: Finally beginning? The Arbors of Pleasant Ridge might now be getting off the ground with some excavation and fill work. The development will abut the Ridge Club. Access will be from Losantiville Ave via the newly-created Tudor Ave, and from Burkhart Ave via Lisbon Ave. City Lands Development Company has had this project in the works since 2001, when the last parcel for the 14-home single-family development was purchased. Details are still pretty sketchy about the price or the look of the units. All that is known is that they will be detached, and pricey. MAP OF SITE Looks like there is movement on the Arbors of Pleasant Ridge project again. Judith Lewis of City Lands Development Company & Tom Walter of Klotter Builders made a presentation at the Pleasant Ridge Community Council meeting tonight. They have applied for LEED certification; the idea to have the entire project be a "green" development. They are also working to get the City for provide the necessary infrastructure and were looking for the neighborhood council to support this project as it goes before the city. We were shown renderings of the several houses which I thought looked really sharp. They would all have detached garages which were entered from a rear access road, so they would avoid the full frontal garage syndrome that plagues much of new construction. If I remember correctly, they said the price point would be between $300 - $350K. I would really like to see the project come to fruition.
May 3, 200718 yr Author Where exactly was Tudor Avenue created? I don't know because I haven't seen a revised site plan. PRidgeFlyer might be better able to answer that, since he saw some recent documents. The very old site plan had Tudor Ave coming off of Losantiville Ave (at a 90 degree angle) around the area of 2905 Losantiville. In other words, the street would be just opposite of Bona Vista. Tudor would then make a 90 degree turn and meet up with the existing Burkhart, making a rectangular block.
May 3, 200718 yr I don't know because I haven't seen a revised site plan. PRidgeFlyer might be better able to answer that, since he saw some recent documents. The very old site plan had Tudor Ave coming off of Losantiville Ave (at a 90 degree angle) around the area of 2905 Losantiville. In other words, the street would be just opposite of Bona Vista. Tudor would then make a 90 degree turn and meet up with the existing Burkhart, making a rectangular block. Grasscat has the right spot, but the plans I saw the other night appear as if this development would not meet up with Burkhart - it would only be accessable via Tudor. Tudor would be the entry road off of Losantiville and there would be two parallel steets running perpendicular to Tudor on the right. The first right would be an access road on for people to enter their detached garages from the rear of the property. The second would be the main road that would front the properties. Also part of the plan was for several additional larger homes that would be built on land adjacent to the Ridge Club golf course, but the deal for that land is still being negotiated.
May 3, 200718 yr Author Demolition Zone: 460 Conroy St 460 Conroy St is a pile of rubble. When talking to developer John Walter a couple of years ago, he mentioned that the home was owned by an older lady who didn't wish to sell. Walter wanted to demolish that house, as soon as it became available, so that he could build more new houses like the ones he's already developed on the street. I'm not sure what exactly happened. I can find no record of it being demolished due to poor condition, I can find no record that the lady is deceased, and she's still listed as the property owner. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I've fired off an e-mail to John, but I haven't heard back from him yet. The three-family, 5000+ square-foot building was erected in 1870. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW Before
May 4, 200718 yr The very old site plan had Tudor Ave coming off of Losantiville Ave (at a 90 degree angle) around the area of 2905 Losantiville. In other words, the street would be just opposite of Bona Vista. Tudor would then make a 90 degree turn and meet up with the existing Burkhart, making a rectangular block. You can get a good idea of the location by using the map search function on the Hamilton County Auditor site: it shows Tudor Ave. The PR community site used to have a link to the developer, http://www.thearbors.info/ and http://www.citylands.info/pleasant_ridge/index.html, both kinda out of date.
May 5, 200718 yr School, carriage house to become arts center Group turning Clifton landmarks into legacies BY MELISSA HALLER | COURIER CONTRIBUTER May 4, 2007 PHOTO: The 1906 beaux-arts Clifton School will be part of a new community arts center. Courtesy of Clifton Cultural Arts Center CLIFTON - Restoration projects that aim to be mindful of the past often require guesswork about history. But in the case of the planned Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC), there's no speculation: The original trust of the land where the 1906 Clifton School building and 1880s McDonald Estate Carriage House dwell says the site is to be used "to promote the education of youth of both sexes" and to cultivate "a taste for science, literature and the fine arts." That's precisely what the board of the CCAC has in mind. "Our vision is that this should be a learning center in Clifton," said Mark McKillip, an architect and one of the founders of the CCAC board. "The vision that they had back then is one that we want to continue into the 21st century." The board plans to renovate and expand the buildings, both to be vacant soon, on the nine-acre site to create a 57,000-square-foot venue where people of all ages can meet, take classes, and experience a range of arts from theater to painting to drawing, poetry, dance, cooking and music.
May 5, 200718 yr "The approximately 18 classrooms are fully functional as they are, he said." What does it take to make a classroom functional?
May 6, 200718 yr Author From the 5/4/07 Eastern Hills Journal: Council weighs in on business BY FORREST SELLERS | [email protected] OAKLEY - The Oakley Community Council has voted in support of a potential development at Isabella Avenue and Wasson Road. The development will include a Noodles restaurant and a Verizon Wireless store. "Not having a drive through or huge commercial space there works with our (community plan)," said council president Dave Schaff, who said he supported the plan. Representatives for developer Midland Atlantic Properties have requested several variances for the property including: * Front-yard setback. * Placement of the main entrance in the rear instead of the front. * Signage variances that would allow for more square feet and increase the number of signs. * A reduced yard buffer. Zoning at the site currently allows for 10 feet. The developer has requested a 5-foot buffer. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070504/NEWS01/705040334/ Link contains a photo. From the 5/5/07 Cincinnati Post: Urban style in Blue Ash Compact village will offer varied facades, lots of luxurious details By Joyce Rosencrans Post home editor Kurlemann Custom Building Group, founded in 1985, has constructed "estate" homes on 3- to 5-acre lots in Indian Hill. Gaze at the gorgeous online photography at www.kurlemannhomes.com. Some pictures were shot at sunset, some in the spring, some when snow covered the ground, and each occasion was flattering to the grand domestic architecture. These rambling houses resemble fairy-tale castles or, at least, some fine English-country hotel. The price for same can spiral to $3.5 million. Kurlemann Homes builds on smaller lots, too, with some prices around $800,000 in the Mason area, Montgomery, Blue Ash and in various golf and gated "lifestyle" communities, such as Long Cove, River's Bend and Heritage Place. MORE: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AE/20070505/LIFE/705050316/ Ground broken on new animal shelter Middletown Journal, 5/3/07 Butler County commissioners broke ground on a new $3.6 million animal shelter Wednesday morning, sharing the credit with hundreds of volunteers and voters who passed a levy that made such a milestone possible. "We agreed to put it on the ballot. That's really what we did as commissioners," Commission President Gregory Jolivette said. "The people who are here and all the people who love animals in the county did the rest." Last summer, volunteers and workers from Butler County Animal Friends Humane Society shelter in Trenton asked county officials for increased funding to build a larger shelter. The goal was to stop overcrowding and the spread of disease that forced about 4,000 animals to be put down each year. That's more than half the number accepted at the open admission shelter. Erlanger hopes Lakemont Park done by fall Erlanger Recorder, 5/2/07 The city approved bids for the second phase of construction in Lakemont Park, and hopes the park will be nearly completed by late this fall. The second phase of the construction involves the areas of the park that will be blacktopped, including the walking paths and the parking lots. The low bid was awarded to M&W Excavation for $282,918. Work is expected to begin shortly. "It's been a long time coming, but we're getting there," said Kathy Cahill, the city's community development director. "It's finally going to be a reality, and I think people are really going to like it." The park, which will cover approximately 32 acres, has been being planned for close to five years. The city has already completed the first phase of the project by grading the land. The park will include a multi-purpose field for sports, as well as walking paths and a shelterhouse. It will be the largest park in the city. Ground broken on Eulett Center West Union People's Defender, 5/2/07 The ground was officially broken on April 30 to begin construction of the Edge of Appalachia Preserve's Charles A. Eulett Center. The center will be located on Waggoner Riffle Road, on a hillside over-looking Ohio Brush Creek. Wielding the first shovelfuls of dirt were Charles H. Gerhardt, III, member, Cincinnati Museum Center Board of Trustees; Douglas McDonald, president and C.E.O. of the Cincinnati Museum Center; former state Director of Commerce Doug White; state Senator Tom Niehaus; and David Bohl, member, Cincinnati Museum Center Board of Trustees. The center is funded by the state of Ohio in the capital budget, with oversight of the project by the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission. The architectural firm is GBBN from Cincinnati, and the total project cost is $2,150,000. Mt. Orab council annexes more land Georgetown News Democrat, 4/29/07 Council members approved plans to build single family housing in two different subdivisions at Mt. Orab's Village Council meeting Tuesday, March 6, with a unanimous vote. Council voted to allow Mayor Bruce Lunsford and fiscal officer Michael Boyd to sign documents approving of plans for the development of the two subdivisions. The two subdivisions in question are Grant's Crossing Subdivision number two, located off Grant Road, and Briar Creek Subdivision number one, located off E. Main and Briar Street, directly to the west of the Briar Creek apartment complex. Council agreed to plans to build 24 housing lots in Grant's Crossing, and 21 housing lots in Briar Creek. The plans for the Grant's Crossing Subdivision have been in the works for a long time and will be developed by Bob Grant, of Hillsboro. The Briar Creek Subdivision was bought from Joe Glover, and is an area directly to the west of the Briar Creek apartment complex. State seeks contractor for Kincaid Lake project Cincinnati Business Courier, 5/4/07 The Kentucky Department of Parks is seeking a private contractor to build and operate a lodge and restaurant at Kincaid Lake State Park in Northern Kentucky. The lodge must be at least 48 rooms and include a swimming pool and gift shop. The state will lease the property to the operator and receive a portion of the annual revenue in return, according to a news release. Kincaid Lake State Park is located in Falmouth, in Pendleton County. The park has an 84-site campground, mini golf course, volleyball and basketball courts, tennis court, playground, two hiking trails, paddleboats, a picnic shelter, boat dock with motor boat and pontoon rental, a new 9-hole regulation golf course and a 183-acre lake. More information about the proposal is available at www.eprocurement.ky.gov. The deadline is July 13.
May 9, 200718 yr Author From the 5/8/07 Enquirer: * PHOTO: Overgrown grass and weeds line the sidewalk at the old Tri-City YMCA building in Florence. City officials cited the center Monday for the high grass, which is a code violation. The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy * PHOTO: Debris fill the swimming pool at old Tri-City YMCA building on Main Street, Florence. The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy YMCA sale may be near NFL star's property in violation BY BRENNA R. KELLY | [email protected] Two-foot-tall grass surrounds the former Tri-City YMCA on Main Street. Graffiti adorns the walls near the pool. A man who appeared to be homeless slept with his radio plugged into an outside outlet Monday afternoon. More than eight months ago, NFL football star and Florence native Shaun Alexander said he would sell the building that he once planned to turn into a community center for Florence's children. Now, a sale could be close, said Ken Holliday, a real estate agent with Huff Commercial Group, which is listing the center for $2.5 million. Alexander, who has an eight-year, $63 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, bought the center for $1.8 million in 2005 through his company, Main Street LLC. Florence officials cited the center Monday for the high grass, which is a code violation. The citation was issued after officials gave the owners five days to cut the grass, said Bob Townsend, public services director. In addition to a $25 fine, if the owners do not cut the grass, the city will cut the grass and bill them. MORE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070508/NEWS0103/705080385/1059/rss13 Another bond issue for Princeton? Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/8/07 After building seven new grade schools and renovating an eighth, Princeton City Schools this week is trying to predict whether the public is ready for a new bond issue, this time to build high school and a middle school. A recent survey of 400 “likely voters” in the district revealed no clear majority in favor of starting a new school project, and no clear majority against it. The survey revealed 46 percent would likely support new secondary buildings, while 39 percent would be against it. Fifteen percent said they don’t know. Triad Research telephoned 400 likely voters on April 11-16. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Likely voters are defined as residents who voted in two or more of the last four general elections. Princeton spokeswoman Robyn Carey Allgeyer said Tuesday that district officials are trying to be realistic about public sentiment, considering that Princeton hasn’t yet finished its $85 million school construction project, which replaced all but one of its elementary schools. New JC Penney store will help anchor Governor's Place Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/8/07 JC Penney will open a 119,000-square-foot department store in Governor's Place retail center at Fields-Ertel and Union Cemetery roads, Symmes Township, in a vacant former Wal-Mart store. The new store is expected to open this fall. Casto, the Columbus-based real estate firm that owns Governor's Place, said the new store would join Kohl's, Linens 'N Things and Office Max as anchors of the 339,000-square-foot retail center. Casto, which acquired the property from Duke Realty in 2001, said it is also planning a new façade on stores in the retail center. The new Penney store will feature the retailer's new off-mall format featuring apparel and home merchandise on wide aisles. Feedback on plan requested Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/8/07 Residents are closer to offering input for Independence's downtown study. Council members heard an update on the project Monday from Keith Logsdon, a long-range-planning director for the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission. Since September 2006, the city has been studying ways to better define and plan for its downtown area, commonly defined as the area between Summit View Middle School and Simon Kenton High School. The city is paying $75,000 for the study. Logsdon said that at 4:30 p.m. May 31 at the city building, residents will have their first opportunity to voice their opinions at an open house-style public meeting. Campbell County plan takes shape Kentucky Post, 5/7/07 A plan charting projected growth in Campbell County over the next 20 years should be finished sometime this summer, officials say. In the past year, Campbell County officials have held four public hearings and analyzed pages of citizen input to craft the county's comprehensive plan, a state-required document used to guide growth and development over the next 20 years. State law requires that the plans be updated every five years to account for new growth and development, changing trends and new technologies. "Right now we have about a dozen different land-use alternatives for the county," said Peter Klear, Campbell County planning director. "We need to get that down to one plan." Klear said the comprehensive plan up to now had been divided into two parts. First was the visioning portion, in which residents at two public hearings used interactive displays and photographs to tell county leaders what they wanted the county to look like in 20 years. Dedication is Tuesday for expanded detention center Kentucky Post, 5/7/07 County officials are hosting an open house of the newly remodeled and expanded Campbell County Detention Center from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, with formal dedication ceremonies at 4 p.m. The jail, located on Central Street in Newport, underwent a $9 million improvement this winter, nearly doubling its bed space and adding a new medical unit and passive booking area. Visitors to the open house should enter from Columbia Street between Sixth and Seventh streets.
May 9, 200718 yr Author From Northeast Suburban Life, 5/9/07: Symmes voters pass levy, approve park plan BY ROB DOWDY | [email protected] SYMMES TWP. - With only one issue on the ballot in Symmes Township, voters went to polls and approved a 0.9-mill 30-year levy that will help the township buy and redevelop the Rozzi's Fireworks property. According to unofficial results, 55.8 percent of those who voted approved the levy, while 44.2 percent voted against it. Sue Ethridge and her father Herb Taube were two of those voting in favor of the levy. Ethridge said she voted for the levy because a new park is exactly what the township needs, and it will increase property values in the surrounding areas. Taube said he voted for it because his grandchildren would benefit from a new park to play in. The levy will generate $7.75 million to purchase the 51-acre property, with a portion of that money to be used for development of the site. Symmes officials plan to turn it into a recreation complex, complete with athletic fields, walking trails and other amenities. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070509/NEWS01/705090368/ Oxford commission considers Southpointe zoning, Uptown alleys Oxford Press, 5/9/07 The planning commission considered a number of issues Tuesday, including the zoning for the potential annexation of the Southpointe development on U.S. 27. Southpointe, which includes the completed College Suites complex as well as a proposed tech park and residential area, will be considered for annexation by council this summer. The commission voted unanimously to recommend that council split the development into several different zoning designations based on the development plan, which has already been approved by the Butler County Commissioners. The issue was tabled from the April 10 commission meeting. Since then, city staff and developers have negotiated what zoning would be appropriate for the residential area on the south side of the development. Staff originally suggested zoning the area for single family homes while the developer wanted multi-family zoning for higher density condominium construction, said development architect Scott Webb. Jail of the future debuts Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/9/07 Future visitors to the newly completed $7 million addition to the Campbell County jail won't be as happy as those who were there Tuesday afternoon. Local officials munched on cookies and sipped punch at the grand opening for the facility. The austere metal bunks and concrete walls in one wing of the 256-bed addition were bathed with sunshine from skylights overhead. It will be housing prisoners in two to three weeks. The jail addition will alleviate crowding in the county jail. Bids are sought to build resort at Kincaid Lake Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/9/07 For more than a decade, state and local officials have worked to get a resort built at Kincaid Lake State Park. That might finally become a reality - without a dime of state money. The Kentucky Department of Parks is accepting bids from a private developer to build - and operate - a 48-room lodge and restaurant resort at Kincaid. The developer would finance the infrastructure and construction, then lease the land from the state to operate the resort. The state would receive a percentage of the profits. Although most resorts at other state parks have been built using state funds, the Kincaid public-private arrangement is nothing new - nine marinas have been built at state parks during the past 30 years using the concept.
May 11, 200718 yr Author Link contains photos. From Northeast Suburban Life, 5/10/07: Triangular affair almost complete Development anchors Montgomery's southern gateway RICH SHIVENER | [email protected] MONTGOMERY - More businesses within the Montgomery Triangle Gateway should open by June 1. In conjunction with the developers, a construction company, R.B. Jergens, has resurfaced parts of Cooper, Main and Montgomery roads, added sidewalks and renovated streetlights and traffic signals adjacent to the building. The contractor is still working on the southern tip of the triangle, which includes greenspace, fences, benches and a fountain. Bob Nikula, the city's public works director, said Jergens should complete the construction by early June. The specs Bill Heckman, a developer of Montgomery Gateway Center, pointed out businesses that have secured leases in the 38,000 square-foot building. * On the top floor: - Endres Gateway Dental - Montgomery Chiropractic - Daniels Home - Fitness Together - Huff Realty * On the bottom floor - Stone Creek Dining - Woodhousee Day Spa. - Marvin Showroom, a window business - Green Diamond, a non-profit baseball museum MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070510/NEWS01/705100415/ Evendale Boy Scout Center moving forward Tri-County Press, 5/11/07 Plans to bring a Boy Scout Achievement Center to Evendale should be approved next month. Officials expect to finalize plans June 14 that would bring a 29,400-square-foot Scout Achievement Center to village-owned land on Reading Road near Gorman Heritage Farm. The Dan Beard Council of the Boy Scouts of America submitted the proposal in February. Evendale Village Council approved a second reading May 10 of legislation authorizing Mayor Don Apking to enter into a construction and lease agreement for the center. The plan would consolidate operation at the council's Fairfield and Victory Parkway locations to Evendale, making the center the destination for Scout Shop retail sales to 30,000 families, business operations for 10,000 Scout leaders, new Scout and parent orientation, daily business of professional staff and Scout leader training. Douglass Park renovation: 'We believe if you build, they will come' Middletown Journal, 5/11/07 A group of local citizens are joining together to revitalize the city's second-largest park. A proposed renovation of Douglass Park will be presented at this morning's Middletown Park Board meeting. Verlena Stewart, community services director, said the proposed project, called Douglass Park Matters, would renovate many of the park's current amenities. At 29.7 acres, Douglass Park is the second-largest park after Smith Park. Stewart said the approximate timelines are to clean up the existing amenities and re-engineer the ball fields in 2007; install the splash pad and playground equipment in 2008; and install the amphitheater in 2009. Technical or middle/high school next on drawing board Campbell County Recorder, 5/10/07 The Campbell County School District expects its next new building to either be a new middle school/high school combination or a new technical center. But it probably won't be until at least 2009 before one of those two projects could be funded, said Superintendent Anthony Strong. The district's Board of Education has unanimously approved a new four-year facilities plan including construction and renovation projects. It's the board's prerogative to choose what building and renovation projects they want to fund, as long as they're in the district facilities plan, Strong said. Three Rivers gets message Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/10/07 Three Rivers school officials called Tuesday's vote against an earned-income tax an "overwhelming defeat," saying they're reluctant to ask voters again for money for new schools. Three Rivers had proposed a 1 percent tax on salaries, wages and tips to pay for a new pre-K-6 school, and to pay for operations. The measure was turned down, 69 percent to 31 percent, with nearly half of all registered voters in the district casting ballots. "It's so disheartening," said board member Connie Crofford, who lives in Cleves. "I didn't feel like going out of my house this morning. I know some of my neighbors didn't vote for it." Backers still tout tax boost Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/10/07 Supporters of an income tax increase to build a recreation center and swimming pool vow that the issue will not fade away, despite voters' rejection Tuesday of the proposed tax that would have enabled the city to build those amenities. "It's premature to say the issue is dead in Loveland," said Dave Kothman, president of Citizens for a Loveland Recreation Center. "We're very disappointed, but we're still optimistic that this community does want a recreation center." The proposal was defeated, 53 percent to 47 percent. It would have generated $612,000 in 2008. The tax increase was designed to fund the construction of the $9.5 million recreation center and swimming pool on 15 acres on Fallis Road, near Loveland High School. Another $1 million raised by the increase would have been be used for other park improvements. "It was clear from all the working groups we had that people want a recreation center of some kind in the city of Loveland," Mayor Rob Weisgerber said. "We took a shot at what we thought was the best package."
May 13, 200718 yr Author From the 5/11/07 Eastern Hills Journal: Isabella development approved BY FORREST SELLERS | [email protected] OAKLEY - A recent zoning decision may mean an end to a local eyesore. Steven Kurtz, zoning hearing examiner for Cincinnati, has approved an application to build a Noodles restaurant and Verizon Wireless store at Isabella Avenue and Wasson Road. Kurtz had said several conditions would need to be met. Developer Midland Atlantic Properties had wanted to locate the main entrance in the rear, even though zoning requires an entrance in the front or street side of the building. Kurtz approved a rear entrance as long as a secondary entrance was in the front. Certain signage and landscaping requirements would also have to be met. Oakley Community Council President Dave Schaff said the development would be an improvement over the vacant lot currently on the site. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070511/NEWS01/705110404/ From same: Plainville Road targeted for economic growth BY JEREME SIMMONS | [email protected] MADISON PLACE - Columbia Township trustees voted May 8 to create a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) on Plainville Road in Madison Place. The township has two other CRAs in place on Wooster Pike and in the Ridge and Highland avenues' business district. "We have pinpointed this area as our next push for bringing in development," Trustees President Stephen Langenkamp said. "A lot of this area is blighted and vacant. We have to get people in there because most of our revenue is from property tax." According to township Administrator C. Michael Lemon, the process generally takes about four months. The Hamilton County Commissioners office and the Ohio Department of Development must approve the designation. These designated areas provide the opportunity for tax abatements for both businesses and homeowners. MORE: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20070511/NEWS01/705110403/ Walgreens revises plan for its proposed store Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/13/07 Hum-drum, box-shaped store design is not welcome in Forest Park. The city recently spent six weeks working with Walgreens on the design of a new $2 million, 15,000-square-foot drug store in Promenade Plaza at Kemper and Winton roads. Walgreens revised its design for the proposed store to give the façade a more residential look with gabled, shingled roofing, columns, bricked walls and a mini-tower above the entrance. An empty structure on the site will have to be demolished before work on the Walgreens store begins. Demolition is planned to begin in August and to be completed by early 2008. State gives $300,000 for Heritage Park Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/13/07 Ohio taxpayers are contributing $300,000 to Heritage Park. The state controlling board approved the release of the funds last week for improvements to the year-old, 126-acre Colerain Township park. The $300,000 will help pay for the development of additional athletic fields, walking trails and canoe ramps. The largest recreation area in the township, Heritage Park, 11405 East Miami River Road, stands at a bend in the Great Miami River. The park features a varied topography spotlighting ball fields, wetlands and scenic river views. Society to refurbish historic school Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/13/07 The school is a bit different from the modern structures seen today. Sitting on a plot of land in Dry Ridge, it has wooden panels and a tin roof, with six windows on the east side and five windows on the west side to let in the sun. It looks a lot like all the Rosenwald schools, which were built around the early 1920s to help educate southern blacks. About 5,000 were built in the south, and 150 were originally built in the state, but now only two remain in Kentucky. Many of the rest were demolished. But historical officials want to preserve the Dry Ridge school, located off U.S. 25 near Dry Ridge Road and Assembly Church Road. Built in 1923, the one-room school is now a symbol of black education in Kentucky, they say. "We want to create a historic site to commemorate and celebrate a very significant phase of black education in Kentucky," said Charles Nuckolls, a member of the Northern Kentucky African-American Heritage Task Force. UC Celebrates the Completion of Another Habitat Home UC News, 5/11/07 It has been a year of anticipation for Custodio Muianga, his wife, Edite, and their three small children, Maite, Edivale and Marla. After raising the first wall of their future home with University of Cincinnati student volunteers in early September, their dream of home ownership is now a reality. UC president Nancy L. Zimpher will join the Muiangas and UC volunteers as they formally dedicate the fourth home UC has built in partnership with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity and Fifth Third Bank. The dedication takes place at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 19, at the new home at 3556 Haven St. in Avondale, just two doors down from where UC volunteers completed the third home in partnership with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity last spring. The Muiangas are from Mozambique. Custodio Muianga has a full scholarship to UC as he studies for his PhD in environmental safety and occupational hygiene. He is also a student helper in the UC Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Construction began on the Muiangas’ two-story, three-bedroom home in early September, when a group of first-year UC Honors Scholars started work at the site two weeks before fall classes got underway as part of their service-learning English class. Throughout the academic year, UC student volunteers have spent Saturdays working at the site with the new homeowners. N. College Hill plans for three new buildings Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/11/07 The North College Hill school district is in line to get 63 percent of its proposed $38.4 million school construction plan - about $24 million - paid for by the state, Superintendent Gary Gellert said Thursday. District officials are devising a three-pronged strategy to raise the local share of the building project. Over the next four years, North College Hill plans to build three schools - an elementary, and a middle and a high school that will share some common space. The district also plans to close its five old schools, saving money on operations and repairs, Gellert said. Four of the school buildings are 50 to 84 years old, and the newest building, Becker Elementary, is 44. The new schools would be built to hold all the district's current 1,530 students in a central-district location, keeping the current high school's gymnasium and auditorium. The plan calls for the elementary school (preK-4) to go on the field west of the pool, the middle school (Grades 5-8) near the parking lot west of the gymnasium, and the new high school in front of the current one.
May 14, 200718 yr Does anyone know what is happening on the west side of I-471 just north of Exit #3 in KY? The land/hills on both sides of the street has been cleared of trees and growth. It is very close to the highway and very hilly as well.
May 15, 200718 yr That was my first thought, but this was raw land, and I thought they bought a ton of houses further west for the Newport Pavilion. This land sits both north and south of whatever street exit #3 goes to, and it is very hilly and about 30 feet above the grade of 471. Does anyone know the exact location of the Newport Pavilion?
Create an account or sign in to comment