This is crazy. The time to buy is now!

I can't wait for Starbucks to show up.  Once that happens, the neighborhood will be on the map...sadly.

Prok your right! hahahahaha.  Either that or a Dunken Donuts.  Can you imagine? btw, whats Joseph Williams Home?

I can't wait for Starbucks to show up. Once that happens, the neighborhood will be on the map...sadly.

 

That seems slightly naive.

 

I also don't see Starbucks opening any new locations anytime soon.

btw, whats Joseph Williams Home?

 

http://www.josephwilliamshome.com/

 

They are opening in the storefront that is part of Trideca at the SE corner of 13th & Vine.  They are moving from their previous location at 550 Reading Road.

I can't wait for Starbucks to show up. Once that happens, the neighborhood will be on the map...sadly

 

That seems slightly naive.

 

I don't know if that is necessarily naive or insightful as to what it will take to get some to reconsider OTR-product familiarity (but I don't see that ever happening). Slowly but surely I am hearing a chorus change that once said "who would ever want to live in OTR and Downtown" to "I hear OTR is doing very well" (and then they temper that with a "I would still never live there") but I see a softening in the hardline position that OTR could never make it. Part of this is a perception change with the constant good news that is coming out of both Gateway and the CBD and the other part is a reality change that no longer hears of another shooting on the streets of OTR every morning on 700 WLW.

 

One day people will forget what OTR was for the past 50 years, just the same as they forgot what it was the previous 50 years before that. The problem is just getting to that tipping point but I truly believe that the hardest work is behind us now and there is enough of a foothold and enough results from the sales team that OTR is going to be the next hotspot for Cincinnati.

Very cool.  I'm starting to wonder what OTR could offer as far as tourist attractions go in ther future.  SCPA and Music Hall are a given.  Its understandably a neighborhood but you never know.

Someone else brought that up either here or on another thread. Randy Simes had a good follow up point about that in that OTR may not be a "draw" in and of itself, but when people do come to Cincinnati for conventions or any other reason, OTR is on their must see list. There are any number of reasons to go to OTR and there always has; Findlay, Music Hall, all of the theaters, Final Friday, Second Sundays, specialty shops, the architecture etc. but we were never short on that. The big thing will be the removal of the reasons not to go to OTR; Crime, blight etc. The latter is what will free up OTR to realize its full potential and we are well on our way.

Now all we need are those huge boat shaped tourists buses lol.  It's definitely exciting to see all the development.

I can't wait for Starbucks to show up.  Once that happens, the neighborhood will be on the map...sadly.

 

That seems slightly naive.

 

I also don't see Starbucks opening any new locations anytime soon.

 

I know I'm totally jumping the gun.  I was just commenting on the landslide changes that are happening, and making the slightly snide comment that we wont know that the neighborhood's done a 180 until the Starbucks goes in. 

 

...and for the second comment, Starbucks is still opening stores pretty regularly.  They just purged all the crappy, misquided stores that the former CEO built.  They send us memos as employees to let us know what's going on.  The VAST majority of the stores that closed were in random one intersection towns off of freeway exits...places that NEVER should have had Starbucks to begin with.

 

But anyway, back to OTR...

 

Here's one issue I have.  There are no laundromats to speak of in OTR.  I almost got an apartment at Findlay Market a few weeks back and couldn't because the nearest laundromat was 6-7 blocks away across Central Pkwy.  This is a serious problem if you don't have a car, and living in a dense place like OTR, a car is a really stupid waste.

Someone else brought that up either here or on another thread. Randy Simes had a good follow up point about that in that OTR may not be a "draw" in and of itself, but when people do come to Cincinnati for conventions or any other reason, OTR is on their must see list. There are any number of reasons to go to OTR and there always has; Findlay, Music Hall, all of the theaters, Final Friday, Second Sundays, specialty shops, the architecture etc. but we were never short on that. The big thing will be the removal of the reasons not to go to OTR; Crime, blight etc. The latter is what will free up OTR to realize its full potential and we are well on our way.

 

sounds perfect for a streetcar system.  Somebody call Duke Energy!

^ :x

 

 

Here's one issue I have. There are no laundromats to speak of in OTR.

We had the new york dry cleaner on Main but they retired about a year or so ago. I would lobby for these things to Kathleen Norris by sending in emails to the Gateway office. This is the surest way that we have a retail/service mix that best reflects the residents or hopefully soon to be residents.  Never assume they have thought of everything.

 

[email protected]

I went by tonight and there was absolutely no hint that it will be gone tomorrow.  Then again, there was no hint that the last remaining homes on Martin Luther King @Bishop St. would be leaving us but today they knocked them down. 

I went by tonight and there was absolutely no hint that it will be gone tomorrow. Then again, there was no hint that the last remaining homes on Martin Luther King @Bishop St. would be leaving us but today they knocked them down.

 

The three former residences on the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Bishop St have been owned by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees since 2001.  No sign yet on any transfer of property, and the only thing I can wrap my head around for the parcels is a multi-story multi-family builiding.

I went by tonight and there was absolutely no hint that it will be gone tomorrow.  Then again, there was no hint that the last remaining homes on Martin Luther King @Bishop St. would be leaving us but today they knocked them down. 

 

The three former residences on the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Bishop St have been owned by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees since 2001.  No sign yet on any transfer of property, and the only thing I can wrap my head around for the parcels is a multi-story multi-family builiding.

 

Wow a multi-story building would be great- but I thought it was for future MLK widening?

That's what I heard too, but it just seems like a complete waste of money with the work that was already completed last year.

 

What also comes to mind is the Jefferson/Vine intersection, which was also just completed.

 

I think attention needs to be brought to those who are trying to push a widening project forward...that massive road projects will not solve our problems.  In fact, I don't see much problem with MLK as it is now.  We all know that the proposed interchange will spell chaos.

 

Next thing you know, they'll turn that end of Bishop into a cul-de-sac.

 

This is definitely off-topic, but there really isn't a thread for it right now.

In fact, I don't see much problem with MLK as it is now.  We all know that the proposed interchange will spell chaos.

 

Yeah, it's certainly off-topic for this thread, but I'd still like to know more about the interchange project to which you are referring. Can someone find a link or another thread that talks about this interchange?

In fact, I don't see much problem with MLK as it is now. We all know that the proposed interchange will spell chaos.

 

Yeah, it's certainly off-topic for this thread, but I'd still like to know more about the interchange project to which you are referring. Can someone find a link or another thread that talks about this interchange?

 

You can see at the following link at is listed as "Priority 6" on OKI's 2030 plan recommendations:

 

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/01/qualls-submits-oki-2030-recommendations.html

 

It can also be found in the Uptown Transportation Study  (http://www.uptowntransportationstudy.org/)

The three former residences on the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Bishop St have been owned by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees since 2001.  No sign yet on any transfer of property, and the only thing I can wrap my head around for the parcels is a multi-story multi-family building.

 

You wouldn't be confusing this location for this project would you?

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16080.msg283753.html#msg283753

Behind Grammers  from Clay st. 11/5/08

 

The three former residences on the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Bishop St have been owned by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees since 2001. No sign yet on any transfer of property, and the only thing I can wrap my head around for the parcels is a multi-story multi-family building.

 

You wouldn't be confusing this location for this project would you?

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,16080.msg283753.html#msg283753

 

That's about two blocks up the street, but this is a different site.

3 vacant OTR properties--1914 Vine St., 95 Mulberry St. and 1618 Pleasant St.--are on the agenda for a public hearing on Friday, Nov. 21 at 9:00 a.m. at 3300 Central Parkway. The purpose of the meeting will be to determine if the buildings constitute a public nuisance and shall be razed. For more info, call the Division of Building & Inspections at 352-4888.

 

 

1914 Vine is a fantastic flat iron type building that is owned by a strange fella who refuses to do any work on it or sell it. Larry Rhodes owns the one on Mulberry.  1618 Pleasant is a Permastone covered one-story weird building, and I think the owner is unreachable.  The first two definitely should be saved somehow.

which building is 1914 vine?  I wish we had pictures...

google streetview

 

okay, I forgot about that...

I know which one it is now.  I was worried it was the Schwartz building---a truly unique building that should not be demolished at any time. I don't see why 1914 vine couldn't be saved.

95 Mulberry would be a huge loss to the street.  Plus it would be a difficult teardown as you have two occupied buildings on either side of it on.  This is the house that originally attracted Holly and I to Mulberry.  Tear down Larry, not 95.

Plus it would be a difficult teardown as you have two occupied buildings on either side of it

Just what OTR needs another broken tooth in its dense fabric.  The Orange(salmon) interior brick on the other 2 surrounding buildings would be exposed to the weather furthering the detiroration of those.

 

I eyed buying 1618 Plesant a few years ago.  Have a ton of interior shots.  I know it is not contributing to OTR but I love how it runs flush to levi alley and the fact that it has a garage. Also the back building which IS contributing to OTR would probably get the Claw of death too....

Additional demolitions will be discussed Monday night at the OTR Community Council meeting (5PM OTR Rec Center 1715 Republic):

 

CPS and its design team will be presenting the current plans (Schematic Design Phase) for a renovated Rothenberg Elementary School, which includes the proposed demolition of:

 

142-144 East McMicken (large 4 Story from 1895 with first floor storefront)

146 East McMicken (3 story residential from 1879, which they do not currently own, and is currently occupied by a family who has lived there for 40 years)

154 East McMicken (3 story residential from 1870, formerly owned by OTR Community Housing)

158 East McMicken (3 story residential from 1870, formerly owned by OTR Community Housing)

217 East Clifton (2 story residential from 1830)

 

CPS will be asking for support from the council, so it can go before the city's Historic Conservation Board early next year (they are scheduling a non-binding design review presentation before the board in December).

 

The plan for the interior of the school is progressing well, including plans for a teaching garden on a green roof.  However, alternatives for the site have been shot down repeatedly by CPS.  So far the Core Team (which is CPS, Turner, GBBN, and OSFC) have denied the School Planning Team (consisting of CPS, GBBN, WA, teachers, and community members) the opportunity to look for options other than demolition, including locating parking across the street in currently vacant lots at 137-139 East McMicken, 1632 Main Street (recently emergency demo'd), or the nonconforming buildings of the Quality Casing buildings at 1630 Main Street.

 

We need voices at the Community Council meeting on Monday to give some pushback to CPS.

 

<a href=" title="ROTHENBERG_DEMO by hamptonphotos, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/3054354661_846ef541b4.jpg"></a>

So im reading this correctly that the school WILL be renovated and NOT demolished?

^

Renovation is the current plan.  Design is at the Schematic Design level, and pricing will be received on the current plans in January.  Final funding for the actual renovation costs have not been approved by the School Board yet.  The current target date for occupancy is fall 2011.

Why is CPS pushing the demolitions so heavily?

The building is landlocked and needs additional space for a new gym, playground, and surface parking.  CPS made the arbitrary choice that they would not look at properties across the street for parking, and therefore need a large amount of contiguous space that can only be accomplished by demolition.

They better be 100% committed to this project.  I don't want to see more poorly justified teardowns.

I remember a while back a sign on the corner of 13th and Vine (opposite Trideca), in the building currently being renovated, that said a Green Building supply or something like that was going to open there.

 

Anyone know if that is still the case?

^That's not what my sources have told me...although I haven't had anything confirmed yet.

I remember a while back a sign on the corner of 13th and Vine (opposite Trideca), in the building currently being renovated, that said a Green Building supply or something like that was going to open there.

 

Anyone know if that is still the case?

It was in a building just to the south, not right on the corner, and that was a Brian Garry initiative that seems to have lost steam.

I remember a while back a sign on the corner of 13th and Vine (opposite Trideca), in the building currently being renovated, that said a Green Building supply or something like that was going to open there.

 

Anyone know if that is still the case?

It was in a building just to the south, not right on the corner, and that was a Brian Garry initiative that seems to have lost steam.

 

A sign in the window used to say that it'd open in Summer 2008.

Some of the buildings that would be d'mod.

 

 

 

 

Ouch!

There was some heated discussion last night at the OTR Community Council meeting, mostly in favor of saving the buildings.  CPS decided to wait to ask for a vote until January's meeting.  One fun thing is that a small faction of people (led by the Bonnie Neumier/OTRCH faction) claim that if you are for saving the buildings, you don't care about the children and that if you don't have children in the school you should have no say in the matter.

 

There was also an update from OTR Community Housing about the Odeon Street permanent supportive housing project (now called the Jimmy Heath Supportive Housing project) at 209-219 Odeon Street (between Elm and Central Parkway south of Liberty).  This will be five buildings renovated at a cost of $3.2 Million dollars for 25 units that will house the long term chronically homeless with substance abuse problems.  In principle, I think this can be a good program, but it comes down to the same old problem in OTR of concentration.  Providing housing for non-detoxed people next to Washington Park is a recipe for disaster.  3CDC is very involved in this project.  They are looking to be occupied by December 2009.

Hmm...those two angled buildings are pretty strange and I can't really see them being returned to any useful purpose...BUT this building:

 

 

Does anyone else think that this could make a pretty sweet gymnasium for the school?  Hollow out the third and fourth floors for the gym with a rock climbing wall up in that raised corner to the East.  Maybe a concession stand at the street level for the street front retail.  Any thoughts?  I can dream, right?

Hmm...those two angled buildings are pretty strange

 

Only strange now, because of the the surgical demolitions of their former neighbors over the years.  They have plenty of room to the west for a new gynasium even though the original intact one is much cooler.

 

 

Those angled buildings were once next to St Peter Church.  Could they build the gym to look like what once stood at this corner?  A fitting monument at the north end of Main Street:

A portion of the School Planning Team supported a similar option (including myself), but with CPS's track record any building built there will probably be value engineered down to a dumb box.

14/v (part of Trinity Flats) is coming along quite nicely.  The scale of the building is perfect and the brick is going on the north side of the building (sorry no pic) and from what I saw it actually looks good.  I think this will be a fantastic addition when all is said and done.

 

yeah it looks really good

 

i was thinking about the lack of a gateway in the gateway quarter. maybe they should get one of those

It's incredibly encouraging to see that building going in.

 

It looks great and hopefully will serve as an example of the kind of infill that OTR needs.

Tear down Larry, not 95.

 

I need to read the forum more often, because I love to read lines like this one.