^ Definitely.  Parking isn't easy in Mt. Adams either.

Rehabs:

 

MT. AUBURN

* Bluenote Properties picked up the 4-unit 49 E. McMillan St. in June.  They are currently turning this 1900 home into a 3-family.

 

PADDOCK HILLS

* 1115 Egan Ct., a 4-flat, was bought in late June and is being totally rebuilt inside.

 

 

New Construction:

 

BOND HILL (Jonathan Meadows)

* New homes continue to be constructed at a brisk pace.  Up soon, the following: 1514, 1516, 1518, 1520, 1522, 1524 Jonathan Ave.; 1942 Langdon Farm.

 

CAMP WASHINGTON

* A new pre-engineered steel building will go up at 3028 Colerain Ave., filling an empty lot.

 

I haven't had much to post in here lately.  I did want to note one thing, though:

 

 

* The CMHA has decided to demolish 834 Charlotte St., built around 1875 and severely deteriorated.  The photo doesn't show the front, but it's basically windowless and doorless and boarded up.  As of now, there's very little left of Charlotte St. between Linn and Baymiller.

Academy's new digs picture-perfect

By Sara Pearce Enquirer staff writer

 

The red neon "Art" sign on Jackson Street was aglow on the front of the Art Academy of Cincinnati's new home in Over-the-Rhine, signaling the opening Friday night of the Ruthe G. Pearlman Gallery.  Inside, there was almost as much interest in gawking at the renovated warehouses as there was in viewing By Their Labor, the exhibit of glossy color photographs by Howard Wells documenting the construction.

 

But strategically-stationed art students kept the curious, including Kathy Holwadel of neighboring InkTank and freelance art critic Jane Durrell, from making it past the first floor.  Even photographer David Rosenthal, whose family once owned the south building as the home of Rosenthal Printing, was thwarted. He reminisced with Wells about a childhood visit as the two stood in front of a photograph of the sixth floor when it was dusty, peeling and empty.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050901/ENT/509010371

Cincinnati's high-society past gets a rebirth

Fleischmann estate to be arts center

 

By Maggie Downs

Enquirer staff writer

 

 

The Enquirer/Meggan Booker

 

The property is undergoing a $3 million renovation. Sean Penney (right) of Durable Slate and Kevin Brookover, a sheet metal mechanic, repair an original lead gutter.

 

ON THE WEB

For more information: www.green-acres.org

 

INDIAN HILL - At one time, the Fleischmann estate was the place to see and be seen.

 

It was the home of philanthropist Julius Fleischmann, Cincinnati's high society version of a Vanderbilt or Hearst. During the 1920s in Cincinnati, the place was like the elite sprawling resorts of the Hamptons on Long Island.

 

"This was as close as Cincinnati ever came to café society," said Walter E. Langsam, an architectural historian. "They were all there, the gorgeous people and royalty and the glamorous socialites - and (the Fleischmanns) seemed to know everybody."

 

Men and women often perched atop horses during fox hunts that rambled through 600 acres of sloping hills, thickets of trees and valleys slathered in green.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050908/NEWS01/509080348/1056

It sounds like they're about to tackle some of the visual blight.  From the 9/7/05 Suburban Life:

 

 

Columbia Township planning upgrades

By Lindsay Braud

Staff Reporter 

 

COLUMBIA TWP. - Worn-out sidewalks and overgrown on-ramps in the Ridge and Highland avenues area soon may be overhauled.

 

Columbia Township Administrator Mike Lemon said a contract is being negotiated between Hamilton County Engineers, JMA Engineering Consultants and the township to conduct engineering for the sidewalks along Ridge and Highland avenues.

 

The project should go out to bid in a couple of months, Lemon said...

 

Many of the projects should be finished in the next six to nine months.

 

[email protected]

248-7129

 

http://www.communitypress.com/KenwoodOH/News.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=17608&Section=Main%20News&OnlineSection=Main%20News&SectionPubDate=9/7/2005%203:53:27%20AM&RefDate=9/7/2005%203:53:27%20AM

 

Rehabs:

 

EAST END

* A three-family dwelling at 3910 Feemster St. will be converted into a two-family.  This home was built in 1844.

 

OVER-THE-RHINE

* The county commissioners will be doing some masonry work on the old Alms & Deopke Building.

 

 

New construction:

 

OAKLEY

* A couple of small commercial projects will be built on Wasson Rd. near Hyde Park Plaza.  One if them should be a Valvoline.

 

FOREST PARK

* More housing in the county...Mill Road Station Phase III, between I-275 and the H sectionof Pleasant Run Farms.

 

SPRINGDALE

* The Princeton City School District is building a new Springdale Elementary, set to be completed July, 2006.

 

 

Teardowns:

 

EAST END

* A house from 1890 will be demolished at 1927 Eastern Ave.  In its place, a $200,000 home will be built at 1929 Eastern Ave.

 

HYDE PARK

* A 1924 home at 3804 Aylesboro Ave. will be demolished to make way for a new $150,000 house.  It is being built by Boulder Construction.

 

 

Updates:

 

COLLEGE HILL

* A new home will be going up at 5998 Capri Dr. in the new Capri Woods subdivision.  The price will be somewhere around $120,000.

 

EAST WALNUT HILLS

* Look for the three-family at 1715 E. McMillan St. to come down soon.  This is the site of a condo project.

 

 

Buildings lost:

 

AVONDALE

* This beautiful three-family at 617 and 619 Glenwood Ave., built in 1898, is going to be demolished.  I believe this was a HUD Section 8 building.  This was purchased in August for only $17,000, so it must have been in terrible shape.

 

SOUTH FAIRMOUNT

* This nondescript building at 1717 Queen City Ave. is being demolished.  It was erected in 1910.

 

 

Odds and ends:

 

GOLF MANOR

* Golf Manor is considering a small-scale residential redevlopment project.  They are looking into contracting with Potterhill Homes to do a redevelopment similar to Greenhills' DeWitt Landing.

 

FOREST PARK

* The city of Forest Park and ODOT are working on a study to upgrade the Winton Rd./I-275 interchange.

 

Cincinnati Commercial Contracting is building on Red Bank.  I haven't been over there in a while, but CCC lists the following properties:

 

Red Bank East (industrial/flex)

two floors, 27,000 SF

 

Red Bank West (office)

two floors, 21,600 SF

wow the buildings in Avodale and East Walnut Hills are beautiful...definitely a shame theyre being demolished.

I felt the same way.

 

BTW...the Enquirer had a background story on the house at 5335 Ward St. in Madisonville that I mentioned in this post.  Here's the story:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/NEWS01/509110407/1056

 

Drive-thru town in line for big retail

 

Dan Monk

Senior Staff Reporter

 

 

An Oakley developer is planning a 60-acre retail complex on U.S. 50 in Riverside, with the goal of generating tax-increment financing revenue that could spark the redevelopment of West Price Hill.

 

"This is probably the best location for a retail project on the West Side," said Rob Smyjunas. "Everybody uses Route 50 to come into town. It's everybody's connection road."

 

Smyjunas is hoping to attract up to five big-box retail tenants to the riverfront site, in a project he estimated would cost between $60 million and $80 million. He has no commitments from retailers but said the tenant mix could include a Meijer or Wal-Mart store and a home-improvement retailer such as Lowes or Home Depot. Preliminary plans also call for several restaurants on the site and a 40,000-square-foot medical office building. When fully developed, he estimated the site would employ between 1,200 and 1,500 people.

 

The site is now owned by an Indianapolis company, the Port Group, that was trying to build a state-of-the-art shipping facility on the property, a $100 million development that would have attracted several industrial tenants and 300 jobs.

 

Read more here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/09/12/story2.html

I can't quite picture this location. Sedamsville, Riverside to Glenway - I tried to google map it. Wouldn't that run into Mt Echo Park. I know we aren't suppose to be fans of big boxes, but this area is hurting.

New Mariemont condos boast scenery, nearby attractions

 

By Marla Matzer Rose

Enquirer staff writer

 

 

The developers behind downtown's Crawford Lofts project and the Parkside Condominiums in Clifton's Gaslight district today are unveiling models for a new apartment-to-condo conversion building in Mariemont.

 

Miami Overlook, located on Wooster Pike, will contain 120 one- and two-bedroom condos in the $120,000-to-$165,000 range.

 

E-mail [email protected]

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050913/BIZ01/509130326/1076/BIZ

From the parcels they own, it appears that it's along River Rd. near/around Southside, i.e. just west of Sedamsville.

^ Here's what these things are.  They look like standard garden apartments to me:

 

Wow, those are ugly!

From the 9/14/05 Eastern Hills Journal:

 

 

Ford site to be cleaned

By Forrest Sellers

Community Press Staff Writer 

 

FAIRFAX - Although rumors have circulated about a potential Super Wal-Mart on Red Bank Road, nothing has been confirmed.

 

"That is all it is, a rumor," said Fairfax Mayor Ted Shannon about the site located at the former Ford transmissions plant.

 

However, Shannon did say a mixed use development including business and retail is being discussed for the site.

 

http://www.communitypress.com/ColumbiaTwpOH/News.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=17769&Section=Main%20News&OnlineSection=Main%20News&SectionPubDate=9/14/2005%203:03:52%20AM&RefDate=9/14/2005%203:03:52%20AM

 

Rehabs:

 

CORRYVILLE

* A minor renovation is going on at 113 Calhoun St.

 

 

Updates:

 

DOWNTOWN

* Work is ongoing at 835 Main St.  A kitchen is being installed.  The building will most likely continue to be a bar and it looks like they will serve food.

 

* At 905 Race St., work is continuing on the Brittany Condo project.  If you walk by soon you may see people doing some exterior work.

 

EAST WALNUT HILLS

* The condo at 1715 E. McMillan Ave. will cost $950,000.  It is supposed to have 3 units.

 

MADISONVILLE

* Yet another story on the former drug property at 5335 Ward St. appeared in the 9/14/05 Eastern Hills Journal:

http://www.communitypress.com/ColumbiaTwpOH/News.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=17768&Section=Main%20News&OnlineSection=Main%20News&SectionPubDate=9/14/2005%203:03:52%20AM&RefDate=9/14/2005%203:03:52%20AM

 

OAKLEY

* The city council has expressed its support to the citizens of Oakley/Hyde Park for stopping auto-related businesses from setting up shop in the Wasson/Paxton area.  An emergency ordinance was passed to change the zoning from Commercial General Auto-Oriented District to Commercial Community Pedestrian District.  Other parcels farther to the east are being considered for a shift from Commercial Auto-Oriented to Single-Family.  Not known what's going to come of this...the permits have not yet been approved to build the Valvoline and the other commercial project.

Council's support (PDF)

Emergency Zone Change (PDF)

Single-Family Zone Change (PDF)

 

 

New construction:

 

SOUTH CUMMINSVILLE

* The former St. Pius school will become a senior citizen housing project.  The following appeared in the Local News Briefs section of the 9/13/05 Enquirer:

 

Senior apartments unveiled today

 

Plans will be revealed this morning for an 18-unit senior citizen apartment building in the former St. Pius School in South Cumminsville. The $2 million project is the final leg of construction for the $4.4 million Working in Neighborhoods Economic Learning Campus. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the campus, 1814 Dreman Ave.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050913/NEWS01/509130371/1077/rss02

 

 

Odds and ends:

 

CITY-WIDE

* A transfer of money of $100,000 has been made from the Miscellaneous Permanent Improvement Fund to a new DOTE project to study "Public View Corridors".  This study will look at ways to protect views.  This emergency ordinance been passed to the Finance Committee.

http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/15408.pdf

 

CLIFTON

* Joining the list of communities wanting arts centers is Clifton.  In the 9/11/05 Enquirer's "On Stage" portion of its Life section, the following blurb came out:

 

Clifton eager to build arts center

 

Clifton looks like the latest neighborhood to embark on plans for a cultural arts center - or, being Clifton, a "centre."

 

Residents are envisioning "a community learning center campus with a strong arts component," says Cindy Herrick, president of the Clifton Cultural Arts Centre board, more or less surrounding the new elementary school on Clifton Avenue. Part of the plan is renovating a stone carriage house behind the school.

 

It all rose out of Cincinnati Public Schools' community engagement process that invited residents to weigh in on what would be important community components for neighborhood schools - and how to make it happen.

 

Arts was high on the list of every community conversation, says Darlene Kamine, who led the discussions for Cincinnati Public Schools.

 

Clifton maintains its artsy, activist rep by convening a crowd of residents who envisioned "a place crazy with creativity," defines Herrick. That includes arts (visual and performing) for kids during and after school and for the entire community in evenings. "Multidisciplinary," Herrick says firmly, "that can bring the diverse community of Uptown together," from arts to ethnic cooking classes.

 

The arts centre board is ready to embark on a feasibility study for a capital campaign. In addition to estimated $500,000 renovations, Herrick foresees a $350,000 annual operating budget that would include a salaried director.

 

Herrick hopes to have the study done by January and to be raising dollars by early spring.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/ENT/509110321/-1/back01

 

EAST END

* The Cincinnati Recreation Commission is spending $200,000 for improvements to Schmidt Field.

 

NORTHSIDE

* Northside recently completed a Comprehensive Land Use Plan and will be submitting it to the city's Planning Commission.  A little bit of a fuss has ensued, including businesses such as Donnellon McCarthy (4141 Turrill St.).  Also submitting a letter to the city was Capozzolo Printing (Hamilton and Spring Grove).  Apparently the businesses are non-conforming uses in the new zoning, so they'll have to seek a variance any time they want to make ANY changes on their property.  They feel that they should have been consulted.  The property is considered a future Chase Cultural Complex, a neighborhood plaza, amateur theater, and music building.  The following are the two letters:

http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/15973.pdf

http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/15975.pdf

 

RIVERSIDE

* The city council unanimously passed an ordinance to rezone property at 5012 River Rd. to allow for a new softball field for the College of Mt. St. Joseph.

http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/15125.pdf

 

 

Demolitions:

 

WEST PRICE HILL

* The Archbishop of Cincinnati is demolishing a two-family structure at 1123 Iliff Ave. and a single-family at 1136 Iliff Ave.  This is in the area of both Elder and Seton high schools.

   

 

WESTWOOD

* A hole is burning in the city's pockets.  They would like to use the abandoned building demolition fund to tear down 2600 Harrison Ave., 2163 Harrison Ave., 2722 Faber Ave., 2728 Faber Ave. and 1206 Dewey Ave.  This money has to be spent by the end of the year.  Most of these didn't look so abandoned to me, but I'm not against anything that thins out these ill-planned apartment projects from otherwise beautiful Westwood.  1206 Dewey is a commercial building in Price Hill, at Dewey and Glenway.

               

 

A couple of articles appeared recently about the new homes in Lincoln Hts.  This is an area of town that really need an injection of new construction.  It also appears that some of the homes will be subsidized to allow local residents to be able to purchase them.

 

Cincinnati Business Courier: Lincoln Heights breaks ground on home project (9/15/05)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Lincoln Hts. subdivision adding houses (9/19/05)

 

The townhomes off of Mt. Lookout Square are done, I'm sure you noticed.  They look pretty nice to me--definitely influenced more by the near-city housing stock than the homes surrounding them:

 

It looks so bear over the porch, otherwise, a lot better than the usual vinyl siding condo I've been seeing.

It's interesting that they brought a Mt. Auburn-style of house (on the cheap side) to Mt. Lookout.  I do like the contrast.

Now that those things are finished, they are uglier than i could've imagined.  I repeat, suburban builders should NOT attempt an urban style.  It is a forgotten art, at least in Cincinnati.  Everything from the ridiculous proportions to the driveways--which should've never been allowed that close to such a busy pedestrian oriented intersection anyway-- is just pathetic.

I think they could be much better, but compared to what could have been built they are not so bad at all.  And I'm usually VERY critical.

^nope, you're wrong.  they're disgusting.

DAMN!  Bitchslap!!!

Two things:

1. The builder is not a suburban builder, he has only built stuff in the City of Cincy and Covington, KY.

 

2.  As far as parking/driveways, there are two sides:  First, it is his land and he has no obligation to provide metered parking for the area.  In fact, it probably added net spaces.  Second, if the City wanted to, they could have denied him a curb cut for the driveway, but that would have added more cars to the area (even assuming one car per unit as t here was only one house there before, and it would have been against the City's goal of adding new homes and homeowners to the City.

The windows are so plain and cheap too. They could have used the ones with mutton bars at least.

geeeeezzzz....bitch bitch bitch bitch

Two things:

1. The builder is not a suburban builder, he has only built stuff in the City of Cincy and Covington, KY.

 

who is the builder again and do you have examples of other projects?

 

2.  As far as parking/driveways, there are two sides:  First, it is his land and he has no obligation to provide metered parking for the area.  In fact, it probably added net spaces.  Second, if the City wanted to, they could have denied him a curb cut for the driveway, but that would have added more cars to the area (even assuming one car per unit as t here was only one house there before, and it would have been against the City's goal of adding new homes and homeowners to the City.

 

I'm sorry, but if we accept mediocrity, then more mediocrity is what we will get.  Unless there are issues that I am unaware of, a creative developer could have figured out a way to place the parking behind the houses, resulting in 2 fewer curb cuts and greatly improved facades.  If homebuyers absolutely require their own private driveway, then perhaps they should look somewhere besides right in the middle of the neighborhood business district.  This is a prime location in a fairly busy area and the opportunity to set a good example has been lost.

 

But hey, the builder made his buck, right?

^just wondering...have you seen these houses in person? Because really they dont look bad at all.

The only true beef I have with this project is the idea of the sidewalk not connecting to the door.  You have to walk up the driveway *tsk tsk* to get to the house.  Otherwise, I'm not going to complain about this; Mt. Lookout's done alot worse:  Spencer Hill.

I don't know how creative you could get, the buildings go all the way to the setback lines on the sideyards and the backyards of all the houses on that side of the street go up at a huge angel, he had to install several terraces of retaining beyond even the foundation wall to make the site work.  The old house that sat there sat at grade about at the top of Million's Cafe just to demonstrate the grade.

 

I have been through the houses and they are very nice, they were built with relatively high end finishes, and most of the purchasers opted to upgrade even from there.

 

I don't know how creative you could get, the buildings go all the way to the setback lines on the sideyards and the backyards of all the houses on that side of the street go up at a huge angel, he had to install several terraces of retaining beyond even the foundation wall to make the site work.  The old house that sat there sat at grade about at the top of Million's Cafe just to demonstrate the grade.

Yeah, I was wondering how an alley behind the houses for parking access would even work with a hillside so steep behind them.

 

I have been through the houses and they are very nice, they were built with relatively high end finishes, and most of the purchasers opted to upgrade even from there.

Yep.  They did go for the mid $300Ks, after all.

The following article from the 9/21/05 Eastern Hills Journal expands on the Wasson/Paxton auto-oriented zoning fight I was talking about in this post.

 

Apparently it's going to be a Valvoline and a Johnny's Car Wash.  The whole issue is the timing, and can it be stopped.  Here's the link.  There's also some material in the link I provided above.

http://www.communitypress.com/ColumbiaTwpOH/News.asp?pageType=Story&StoryID=18056&Section=Main%20News&OnlineSection=Main%20News&SectionPubDate=9/21/2005%203:25:39%20AM&RefDate=9/21/2005%203:25:39%20AM

I agree with inkaelin about the windows (though I think the term is 'muntin' bars) and with CiNYC that the proportions are off.  It seems like any first-year design or architecture student could have done better.  It's really too bad, because these houses are prominently located next to the busy Mt. Lookout square.  An opportunity squandered...

I don't know how creative you could get, the buildings go all the way to the setback lines on the sideyards and the backyards of all the houses on that side of the street go up at a huge angel, he had to install several terraces of retaining beyond even the foundation wall to make the site work.  The old house that sat there sat at grade about at the top of Million's Cafe just to demonstrate the grade.

 

I have been through the houses and they are very nice, they were built with relatively high end finishes, and most of the purchasers opted to upgrade even from there.

 

 

Here are a couple of ideas:

 

1.  If the buildings had been placed at the sidewalk, the 20' of extra space (given that the buildings remained the same size) would be to the rear, enough for rear garage access.

 

2.  The houses could've been made smaller and most likely still attract purchasers.  I'm sure there is no shortage of those that fit the demographic that would trade space for convenience of the Mt. Lookout Square location.  There are many ways to reconfigure these things to recoup the space that would be used for a shared entrance on the left or right side if necessary. 

 

3.  I'm sure the houses are nice inside.  That is exactly what residential developers do these days.  They provide countless interior private amenities with little regard for the exterior.  From the street, these look exactly like what they are; boxes for residents to keep all of their stuff.

Here are a couple of ideas:

 

1.  If the buildings had been placed at the sidewalk, the 20' of extra space (given that the buildings remained the same size) would be to the rear, enough for rear garage access.

 

2.  The houses could've been made smaller and most likely still attract purchasers.  I'm sure there is no shortage of those that fit the demographic that would trade space for convenience of the Mt. Lookout Square location.  There are many ways to reconfigure these things to recoup the space that would be used for a shared entrance on the left or right side if necessary. 

 

3.  I'm sure the houses are nice inside.  That is exactly what residential developers do these days.  They provide countless interior private amenities with little regard for the exterior.  From the street, these look exactly like what they are; boxes for residents to keep all of their stuff.

 

Well, if you took the time to look at the zoning code, you would find that this land is zoned RM 2.0.  This MANDATES a 20 foot frontyard setback with a 5 foot sideyard.  Second, these houses are 20-22 feet wide at best, hacking off 8 feet for a side driveway would have lead to the loss of one unit.  Aside from the 8 feet necessary for a side driveway, the backside garages and turn ins probably would require at least 20 - 25 feet of clearance for turning and access to the garage spaces.  Like I said before, the site slopes up at an incredible rate toward the back.  Doing that kind of earthwork would probably be cost prohibitive. 

 

I am not saying I like front facing garage doors either, but with Cincinnati's standard 25x100 lots, there are not many other options when you only have one or two parcels to work with.  If you look around at most new construction in the City (especially Mt. Adams and the Mt. Lookout/Columbia-Tusculum area) pretty much all of them have front entrance garages.

 

CiNYC, as for the comment "There are many ways to recoup the space that would used for a shared entrance....", if I am not seeing what you are talking about, please explain it to me.

From the 9/22/05 Kentucky Post:

 

 

Fort Thomas plans moving forward

By Denise Wilson

Post staff reporter

 

The city of Fort Thomas' plans for redeveloping the community's Towne Center and Citizen Bank properties off North Fort Thomas Avenue are close to becoming a reality.

 

The city's administration made a progress report to City Council to update it on the proposed Towne Center Revitalization Plan during its meeting Monday, said Fort Thomas City Administrator Jeff Earlywine.

 

http://news.kypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050922/NEWS02/509220365/1014

Buildings being lost:

 

* 423 Whiteman St., a single-family home built around 1880.  I believe it is the building that fronts Horace St.  Anyway, I can't find a photo.

 

* The CMHA is demolishing 832 Findlay St., which was also built around 1880.  It's the one on the left in this photo.  I'm not sure if the others are coming down with it.

New construction:

 

COLUMBIA TUSCULUM

* A new single-family home with a value around $500,000 will be built at 2617 Grandin Rd.

 

NORTH FAIRMOUNT

* Habitat for Humanity is building a new home at 2623 Beekman St.  The value is estimated at around $83,000.

 

WALNUT HILLS

* Habitat for Humanity is building a new home at 809 Oak St.

 

FORT THOMAS

* This might be the ugliest new construction I've ever seen.  This is at 29 Brittany Ln.:

 

 

Rehabs:

 

AVONDALE

* 610 Maple Ave. is undergoing a condo conversion by Redman Properties.  The home was built in 1900.

 

CLIFTON HEIGHTS/FAIRVIEW

* This single-family home at 548 Klotter Ave. was built around 1885.

(before and after)

   

 

COLLEGE HILL

* This 1902 home at 6098 Belmont Ave. was revived from the dead over the past year.  It's now selling for $169,900.

(before and after)

   

 

COLUMBIA TUSCULUM

* A great rehab of a single-family home at 424 Stanley Ave.  This home was built around 1880.  It was purchased in January for $100,000 and is now on the market for $229,900.

(before and after)

   

 

EAST WALNUT HILLS

* Mayer Newburgh Historical Properties has converted 2327 Upland Pl into three condo units.  One is on sale for $210,000.  It was originally built around 1885.

(after photo only)

 

EVANSTON

* 1851 Kinney Ave., a single-family home built in 1915.  Purchased just a few months ago for $30,000, it's now listed for $109,900.

(before and after)

   

 

* Down the street at 1979 Kinney Ave., the owner (Provident Bank) will be fixing this eyesore of a crooked porch.

 

MADISONVILLE

* A truly amazing transformation of this 1914 home at 4511 Lucerne Ave. done by Clifton Investments Properties.  It's now going for $169,900, nearly twice it's former assessed value.

(before and after)

   

 

MT. AUBURN

* Though it's not that easy to tell, this home at 2346 Highland Ave. was recently rehabbed.  It sold for $50K last year, and it's going for $124,900 now.  It was built in 1905.

(before and after)

   

 

NORTHSIDE

* 1639 Philomena St., built around 1890.

(before and after)

   

 

OAKLEY

* This 1912 home at 3220 Bach Ave. has had a total rehab.  It has been converted from a 2-family to single-family and is selling for 70% more than was paid for it a year ago.

(before and after)

   

 

* The home at 3316 Brotherton Rd. is from the same era.

(before and after)

   

 

WALNUT HILLS

* The home at 1124 Yale Ave. was indeed in bad shape.  Built in 1848, it was purchased earlier this year for $11,500.  One complete rehab later, it's now on the market for $149,900 and there's a sale pending.  It's just too bad the home next door is in terrible condition.  Maybe it can be next!

(before and after)

   

 

NORWOOD

* This turn-of-the-century home at 4739 Section Ave. has nearly doubled in value over the course of a year.

(before and after)

   

 

* WHAT THE HELL DID THIS PERSON DO TO THIS HOUSE AT 5200 WARREN AVE.?!?

(before and worse)

   

 

COVINGTON (Latonia)

* 3526 Glenn Ave. has gotten a complete rehab.

(after photo only)

 

SOUTHGATE

* A very nice rehab at 118 Electric Ave. (<--- no jokes, please!):

(before and after)

   

 

 

Buildings being lost:

 

NORTHSIDE

* This piece of crap at 1540 West Fork Rd. is going to be demolished.  Thank God.

 

 

Updates:

 

WESTWOOD

* Garbage is still being built at Woodcrest Park and it's going for around $200K.

 

NEWPORT

* The city is trying to get a grant to tear down blighted buildings along Monmouth St., between 11th and 12th, and replace them with a parking lot.  This is supposed to add jobs to the business district somehow.  They are also going to break ground on a county administration building ($12.2M) at 11th and Monmouth by the end of the year.  The Enquirer ran a story on it on 9/23/05:

Enquirer: Newport, county jointly apply to fund

 

 

Possible future construction:

 

CORRYVILLE

* Land is for sale along the south side of Rochelle St. between Vaughn and Eden.  The site has been approved for 6 townhouses.  Two structures currently occupy the land.

 

SPRINGDALE

* The city of Springdale is going ahead with plans for a Springdale Town Center PUD on city-owned land at the SE corner of Springfield Pike (OH-4) and Kemper Rd.  Unfortunately, it will only be a 46,000 sf retail center.  The city's planning commission will make a decision at their October 11 meeting.

 

 

Odds and ends:

 

CAMP WASHINGTON

* The owner of the Shell station has purchased a few small adjacent parcels between Colerain and Henshaw, including a parking lot and other neglected bits of land.  Could they be expanding?  Hell...adding a car wash?

 

NORTHSIDE

* The city council voted unanimously to allow NorthPointe Land Company to develop the housing units on land freed up by ODOT's dropping of the Colerain Connector project.  They now have exclusive development rights for the next 12 months.

 

* It appears that someone is taking care of putting new siding on the "Nick Spencer" building on the corner of Hamilton and Hoffner.  That building has been an eyesore for too long and it makes a bad impression on people coming into the neighborhood from the south.

 

* Tally up another Northside business upset that they weren't consulted on the Northside Comprehensive Land Use Plan.  This time it's North Side Bank and Trust.

 

I was on the Hamilton County Auditor website yesterday and noticed they now plaster their name over all the pics, as seen above.

It sucks, doesn't it?  Why would they do that?  Do they think people are stealing their photos and making money off of them?

Buildings being lost:

 

EAST END

* This eyesore at 2721 Eastern Ave. will be demolished.  It's a multi-family building built in 1900.

 

FOREST PARK

* This suburb is now starting to see some blight here and there.  The city council is considering demolishing vacant homes at 949 Waycross Rd., 11765 Elkwood Dr., and 11474 Gresham Pl.  The oldest is from 1959 and the newest is from 1971.  Here's a story about it from the 9/28/05 Hilltop Press:

Hilltop Press: City may tear down three houses (9/28/05)

   

 

 

Updates:

 

EAST WESTWOOD

* Urban Housing Concepts will be building another home in the Locust Creek subdivision at 2342 Henrianne Ct.  This home will cost around $50K to build.

 

WESTWOOD

* M/I will start construction of a new home at 1987 Wildoak Ct. and at 2357 Oaktree Pl in the Woodcrest Park subdivision.  These homes will be in the $160K range.

 

This site is now almost completely clear and work is moving right along.  The road work on Red Bank appears to be moving along pretty well too.  This will really help access from I-71 to Mt. Lookout, Anderson, Mariemont, etc. when it is complete.

New construction:

 

AVONDALE

* Habitat for Humanity is building a home at 3552 Haven St.  It is expected that 100 UC students will take part in the volunteer work.  You can read more about it here:

UC News Record: Students give helping hand for Habitat (10/3/05)

 

EVANSTON (Jonathan Meadows)

* Work should be starting on 1524 Jonathan Ave. soon.

 

 

Possible new construction:

 

CLIFTON HTS.

* The city has committed $61,000 of CDBG money for a pre-development marketing study to construct a parking garage at 2437 Clifton Ave. (just south of Clifton/McMillan).  They are also working on a zoning change to allow the structure.  The parcel is currently a surface parking lot.

 

 

Demolition:

 

AVONDALE

* 3454 Burnet Ave. will be demolished.  The two-family house dates from the 1860s.

 

PRICE HILL

* BP Products North America will demolish the commercial buildings at 5115 and 5119 Glenway Ave. (corner of Glenway and Heuwirth).  A logical guess is that it will be the site of a new gas station.  Both of these buildings date from the 1930s.

   

 

SEDAMSVILLE

* This 1898 home at 2537 Galvin Ave. was bought about six weeks ago for $59,900.  The property is owned by the same person who lives in the adjacent lot at 2538 River Rd.  Galvin Ave. is little more than a paper street these days.  This basically doubles the length of this man's lot.

 

WALNUT HILLS

* THERE IS A GOD!  This eyesore at 924 Wm. H Taft is going to be demolished.  Some outfit called Grandmark Ltd owns all of the parcels along Taft between Gilbert and Kemper.

 

 

Possible future demoltion:

 

WESTWOOD

* Great news for Westwood, a neighborhood that's plagued with far too many poorly run apartment buildings.  Cincinnati city council has approved money for the demoltion of 2600 Harrison Ave., 2569 Talbott Ave. (2163 Harrison Ave.), 2722 and 2728 Faber Ave. and 1206 Dewey Ave.  All of the buildings except the one on Dewey are owned by the same company and are in foreclosure.  The city is looking to buy them, then demolish them.  More in this story:

Western Hills Press: City wants to demolish vacant buildings (9/28/05)

               

 

 

Updates:

 

EAST WALNUT HILLS (Woodburn)

* Work continues at the Bulluck Terrace condos at 1402-1410 Locust Ave.  This project will have a total of 34 units.  No prices or much of anything else yet, though if you go to their website (still under construction) there are a few details there.  Below is a site plan--the building is three stories.

http://www.bulluckterrace.com/index.htm

 

NORTHSIDE (Land Use Plan)

* Due to complaints from businesses such as Donnellon McCarthy and Cappozollo, the city planning commission has decided to table consideration of the Northside Land Use Plan and to send it to the Neighborhoods and Public Safety Committee.  Also, he Northside Steering Committee (NSC) was supposed to take it back for further discussion with all local citizen and business groups.  It is requested that the NSC amend the plan and return it back to the planning commission by October 21.

 

WESTWOOD (Brodbeck Park)

* Phase I of Brodbeck Park is almost built out, with only 8 houses left to build.  Phase II should start very soon.  It will be 8.4 acres and will have 25 lots.  All will front on the cul-de-sac streets of Deercove Ct. and Foxcove Ct.  One lot will remain 4.9 acres of green space.

 

 

Odds and ends:

 

CORRYVILLE

* A proposition from Darnice R. Langford, Chair of the Government Recognition Task Force of the University of Cincinnati 2006 Cooperative Education Centennial Committee, came before the Planning Commission to rename Jefferson Ave. between Calhoun and MLK "Herman Schneider Boulevard".  Herman Schneider was Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati (1906-28) and President of the University (1929-32).  The staff of the Community Development and Planning Department sent surveys to all known property owners on that stretch of Jefferson in the spring.  Half of the 176 surveys were returned.  Of those that were returned, opposition to the name change won by a ratio of 5-to-1.  Mr. Tom Dubold from the University of Cincinnati pointed out that the university owned a majority of the property on one side of the street. He said that if the Commission was relying on the survey, the survey was not sufficient enough to make a judgment.  CPC Member Mooney assured the university representative that the Commission was not relying on the survey. He stated that Jefferson Avenue has always been a major thoroughfare in the City of Cincinnati that people are familiar with.

City Manager Valerie Lemmie suggested the university should consider naming a building on campus after Mr. Schneider which could then reflect the involvement of the university.

 

PRICE HILL

* Iliff Ave. will be renamed Panther Ct. from Glenway Ave. to its southern terminus.  The request was received from a resident and property owner of Iliff Avenue, Cindy Armstrong. A petition was also submitted with six signatures from residents or property owners on Iliff Avenue.

Community Development and Planning Department staff conducted a post card survey of the residents and property owners in the spring of 2005, which saw a majority supporting the name change.  "There is a historical reference for the Iliff Avenue name. Charles Edwin Iliff was a member of a family that settled here in 1815. He started a general contracting business in 1867 and specialized in brick and concrete construction. Charles Iliff went to Chicago in 1872 and helps rebuild that City following the great fire. His firm erected a number of larger buildings in Cincinnati in the late 1800’s. This street was called Second Street until 1874 when it was renamed in Iliff’s honor."  The Committee of Names recommended to the Director of Community Development and Planning to change the name of Iliff Avenue to Panther Court from the intersection of Glenway Avenue to the southern terminus of Iliff Avenue.  The remainder of Iliff Avenue from the Glenway Avenue intersection northward will remain so that the historical reference to Charles Edwin Iliff will not be lost.

 

But why Panther Ct?

But why Panther Ct?

 

As in Elder Panther. <gag> I think there was a shooting recently on this street.

Yeah...Panther Ct. is just a little dead end street that leads into Elder HS.

 

The shooting on Iliff was north of Glenway.  I think it was up near Iliff and Liberty.

Fairfax brownfield site set for retail/office makeover

Developer hoping to add restaurant, big-box store

Lisa Biank Fasig

Staff Reporter

 

After almost two years and $10 million of hazardous waste cleanup, developers are about to unveil a $60 million project in Fairfax that will put offices and retail along the industry-heavy Red Bank Road.

 

The 35-acre project is an expensive and unlikely fate for the site, a former Ford plant which in the 1940s is said to have made transmissions for defense aircraft. Seeping with toxins and dominated by an asbestos-filled building, it was at the onset a challenging development site. Add to that the area's surrounding industrial buildings, its pebble-scrubbed roadsides and the general lack of glitz and it's a hard sell for most any retail.

 

But in November, the main developer of the site, Regency Centers, will present the village of Fairfax with a plan to convert the brownfield into a development with 70,000 square feet of office space, a 29,000-square-foot strip center, restaurants and a 215,000-square-foot big-box store. A meeting with the planning commission, meanwhile, is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 13. 

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/10/10/story4.html