Ehh, Gateway Quarter just needs a SuperCuts. :)

You mean a Super(White)Cuts.

There should be a black alternative: SupaCuts. Maybe some Gateway Q entrepreneur who reads this board could make that happen. Free business advice at UO!

 

Might make a good sequel to the Barbershop movie -- the chain SupaCuts is coming into the neighborhood and pushing out the mom & pop shop.

There should be a black alternative: SupaCuts. Maybe some Gateway Q entrepreneur who reads this board could make that happen. Free business advice at UO!

 

Might make a good sequel to the Barbershop movie -- the chain SupaCuts is coming into the neighborhood and pushing out the mom & pop shop.

 

Ummm...the black people I know are slightly classier than that.  ;)

K- I think we've gotten wayyy off topic.

On topic...  Does anyone else LOVE the Flying Pig on top of the three story Christmas Tree on Trideca?

^ Take a pic and I will tell you!

On topic...  Does anyone else LOVE the Flying Pig on top of the three story Christmas Tree on Trideca?

 

Glad you like it!  The work of my neighbor and I in Trideca.  The weather has not been helpful in keeping it all lit up all the time.

 

BTW- OC, do you check your PMs or do you just prefer to anonymously criticize?

 

Kaid Benfeld blogs regularly on urban and sustainability issues for NRDC.  He had a recent post discussing his opinion that center city redevelopment needs to move beyond "increased density" in ways that make places that we really will enjoy.

 

He featured a good pic of the gateway quarter redevelopment as an example of what he considers good sustainable urban design.  Didn't mention OTR - even though he has visited the area - but thought it might be of interest anyway.

 

The post is here:  http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/getting_more_smart_growth_mean.html

 

I noticed a couple of new camera along Vine, at 13th and 14th street. Nice to see if you ask me.  I assume they are police cameras.  They are mounted on large arms on the tops of the buildings.

I noticed a couple of new camera along Vine, at 13th and 14th street. Nice to see if you ask me.  I assume they are police cameras.  They are mounted on large arms on the tops of the buildings.

 

Why should the community be subject to surveillance?  In a privately-held bank or grocery, yes.  But outside, being recorded in public space that isn't serving a private business?  Is that an appropriate acknowledgment of rights?

You already are under surveillance by the Feds. Phone calls, satellites images, etc.

 

The anti CCTV movement has been huge in the UK for almost a decade. London alone has thousands and thousands of cameras recording public spaces. It's an interesting debate.

 

Personally I'm not to worried about Cincinnatio police using CCTV trying to catch a drug deal or shooting in order to more quickly apprehend the shooter.

 

What I will say is that I don't know why the put the camera at 12th & vine and not Green & republic.

 

I don't have a problem with the CCTV either.  As Octo said, there are thousands of them in London, and when I have been there, it gives a feeling of safety (whether that is true or not, I have no idea). 

So I have some random bits of news to share about the Gateway Quarter:

 

-      13th Street from Washington Park to Vine will be converted to two way by March. So that people exiting the garage have the option of heading towards Vine Street businesses and don't all have to turn right onto Race once they exit.

13th Street from Vine to Walnut will likely be converted later this year. 

Then Walnut to Main either very late this year or early next year.

 

-    From articles, it seems that the first phase of streetcar related construction will start on Elm street from 12th towards 15th.

Something about a new water main being installed to replace an aging out dated one that is in the way of the streetcar line anyway. 

 

-    There are two parties that have already expressed interest in the Restaurant spaces at 14th and Race.

 

-    Bakersfield has released their menu, can be found at:  https://www.facebook.com/bakersfieldotr  Opening likely to be within 7 days.

 

-    SoapBox reports that 3CDC hopes to have all three phases of Mercer Commons open by the end of 1Q of 2013.  Pretty fast, considering how many of the units are new construction.  Sounds as though they will have to begin the 2nd phase when the first phase is about halfway complete, and so on. 

 

-    The first Park Haus property sold is nearing completion (on 13th between Race & Repulbic) the second sold has had its plans approved by the Historic conservation board and will likely begin soon.  A third, 1419 race has an interested buyer with rumors that the person will finish it, but allow 3CDC to use it as a show house for an unspecified period of time (it's across from 3CDC's offices).  3CDC also recently added an additional property to their park haus list-  an abandoned building on Republic between 12th & 13th near the Bremen Lofts buildings.

 

-    The City Gospel Mission, Lord's Gym & Lord's Pantry facility on Dalton will likely break ground in Q2, with an opening date of February or March 2013.  3CDC has already purchased the current CGM facility in OTR and I would assume will tear it down after the move (it's a strange building, majorly renovated in the 70's).    Lord's Gym & Lord's Pantry are at the intersection of 12th and Race across from the 1132 Bar. For those of you not familiar with the 1132 bar, it's only open during the day, and it's clientele are the homeless.  the owner has no interest of changing that.

 

That's all for now!

Any idea if the 13th St conversion includes any streetscape work such as new lights and utilities undergrounding?

You already are under surveillance by the Feds. Phone calls, satellites images, etc.

 

The anti CCTV movement has been huge in the UK for almost a decade. London alone has thousands and thousands of cameras recording public spaces. It's an interesting debate.

 

Personally I'm not to worried about Cincinnatio police using CCTV trying to catch a drug deal or shooting in order to more quickly apprehend the shooter.

 

What I will say is that I don't know why the put the camera at 12th & vine and not Green & republic.

 

 

I've seen them in London as well, and I don't enjoy it any more than I would in Cincinnati.  I know that privacy isn't what it used to be due to technology and the modern age, however, the cameras CPD installs are concentrated in black areas primarily.  It gives off a sense that certain communities are being profiled.  We all know the reasons people sell drugs, in particular, minorities.  It's hard to encourage the youth not to follow down the dangerous path laid for them in places like Avondale when the surveillance cameras they see on every corner are intrinsically telling them that their peers and family members are being targeted as deviant.  The perception is strong, as well as the reality.  There aren't too many people sitting on kilos of heroin at their residence on Blair Avenue, but the police could likely make a huge sting in Deerfield Twp. that would take much more measurable amounts of drugs off the streets of the city of Cincinnati.

They have their pros and cons.  But they are not being targeted at black people.  They are being placed in high crime areas to target criminals.

What happened to the Shoe Repair place on Vine? That was a short lived endeavor.... sucks too because that's the kind of (service-oriented) new businesses that the GQ needs, ugh.

When did it close?!? It was open a few weeks ago!

^My wife talked with him and he said he had another location that was doing better, so he was consolidating.

 

I'm also wondering about the streetscape.  Main Street was improved years ago and Vine last year, but all the other streets have the ugly cobrahead lights and wires, and crappy sidewalks.  Would love to see all the streets around the park redone as well as 13th.

I just noticed a sign on the door of Roxy's stating that they're moving the Restaurant side of their business to OTR in February.  Not sure where or if the bar will move with it.

I just noticed a sign on the door of Roxy's stating that they're moving the Restaurant side of their business to OTR in February.  Not sure where or if the bar will move with it.

 

I haven't seen them apply to transfer the liquor license.

Big new land purchase by 3CDC last week.

 

1447 Walnut

1445 walnut

1512 Moore st

20 E 15th st

23 Liberty St

 

Most of these properties had been owned by Die Hard Realty while one was owned by united realty.

All were purchased for $70,000 <del>each</del> in total. Both previous owners had significant taxes owed. Additionally, Auditors website lists market values of these 5 properties of between 7,000 and 45,000. <del>Far below the $70,000 a piece 3CDC paid. </del>

 

I've always hoped they'd buy these! Will make a great addition to the neighborhood.

 

 

EDIT: After finding out the Enquirer's retail page confusingly lists multiple addresses purchased for one price several times individually, I've fixed the above language. 

 

 

Paying far more than the property is worth has been a continual criticism is 3cdc. It hurts the ability of the little guy by inflating the prices of all properties.

Paying far more than the property is worth has been a continual criticism is 3cdc. It hurts the ability of the little guy by inflating the prices of all properties.

 

But let's be honest -- the credit for aggressive redevelopment efforts in this area in the first place belongs to 3CDC.

I think 70,000 was for the entire purchase, not per building.  I follow the transactions on the auditors website and if a single transaction is made for multiple properties the sale amount for the entire purchase gets assigned to each property.

 

For example, look up 1425, 1429, 1431, and 1433 Vine St.  Each is listed as sold for 265,000 from Smitty's.  But this was the value of the transaction for the entire set of buildings not the single building listed.

K- that might be true. I saw on the Enquirer Real Estate page and it listed each address as a separate transaction and $70,000 each which was a little crazy.

<b> 3CDC's Newest Acquisition </b>

 

After years of acquisitions, 3CDC had taken a major pause from land banking from 2009 through 2011.  Looking at 3CDC's OTR workgroup reports it seemed that the nonprofit had decided to focus solely on developing it's current offerings & not expanding to new territory.  Finally, after nearly 2 years with virtually no purchases, 3CDC purchased 5 abandoned buildings that have for years been a major eye sore to anyone traveling down Liberty, visiting Grammer's or crossing between Vine & Walnut on 15th.

 

<b> Corner of 15th & Moore (taken from Moore)

 

1512 & 1510 Moore St </b> The Shell Station on Liberty is in the distance

 

<b>1508 & 1506 Moore St. </b> The building to the right was purchased by an LLC affiliated with Urban Sites while the other was purchased by OTR Holdings (3CDC).  Urban Sites purchased the building shortly before 3CDC's larger purchase.  It would be a fair assumption that they are planning to work together to redevelop all the units. 

 

<b>1447 & 1445 Walnut Street </b> These units share a large open space with the Moore Street Properties (immediately behind them). Grammer's is to my back in this photo.

 

<b>View from Liberty. </b> Arrowed properties are now owned by 3CDC or Urban Sites.  Also, all of the dirt/grass was picked up in this same purchase.  The buildings in the back are owned by "Franciscan Homes IV" (30 W 15th Street) listing Denver Colorado as its main address, and "OTR-Walnut Street Housing" (24 W 15th Street) listing 421 E 4th Street as its main address.

^Thanks for putting that together, OC. I am glad to see this action by 3CDC.

so it was brought to my attention that the bar next to Bakersfield is not actually a part of Bakersfield -- it's a separate business in itself with different owners. Both should open this week.

 

I can't remember the name of this new bar. The price point is supposed to be much more reasonable than Abagail St, also with a big focus on wine. 

It's called 1215 (the address) and its a partnership between Tazza Mia and a wine guy. Focus is wine and coffee drinks.

 

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/developingnow/tag/over-the-rhine/

<b>New OTR Work Group Report: January 2012</b>

http://www.3cdc.org/images/editor/OTR%20workgroup%20-%20Jan%2017%202012%20(NXPowerLite).pdf

 

Highlights include:

 

-  88% of Gateway 1-4 Condos are sold.

-  80% of Retail is leased

-  Saengerhalle has only 2,100 sq/feet of office space available and 2,730 sq/f for the restaurant.  Currently a total of 100 people work in Saengerhalle. It's a 32,000 SqF development.

-  Paint Building is under construction and will likely finish in late spring.  Will be 9,700 square feet of office space.

-  Phase V will include:

        98 Residential units (about a third marked For Sale, a quarter marked For Rent, and the remaining just noted as "residential units" (probably depends on financing which way they will go).

        $23 million in investment

        8500 sq feet in street level commercial space.

        Renovation of 21 Vacant buildings

-      Park Haus has three homes sold/under contract (1/3 of all designated park haus properties)

-      15th & Race church has new roof & new floor.  12,500 feet of commercial space.

-      Mercer Commons is barely mentioned in this update.  Just a few images.  It's been developed as it's own project, not part of Gateway V.

-      In total, just about 255 residential units will be added in the next 18-24 months.  About 150 apartments & 105 for sale units.  30 Apartments in Mercer Commons Phase two are for affordable housing.

 

 

 

Aside from Mercer, I'm really excited about Park Haus and Paint Building.

Bakersfield officially opened for business today at 4PM!

Bakersfield officially opened for business today at 4PM!

 

pics and info https://www.facebook.com/Bakersfieldovertherhine

I noticed a couple of new camera along Vine, at 13th and 14th street. Nice to see if you ask me.  I assume they are police cameras.  They are mounted on large arms on the tops of the buildings.

 

Your observations are accurate. Police department mounted the cameras. These cameras transmit real time and are capable of zooming in/out the distance of a few blocks. Camera at 13th & Vine is mounted on the buddy's place building, 1300 Vine, owned by Over-the-Rhine Community Housing. They allowed the Police Dept to do so. The camera near 15th & Vine is also mounted on a building owned by OTRCH - 1511 Vine Street. These cameras are $25,000 a pop and although I don't have the specific details in front of me (I learned all of this at one of the public Washington Park Safety Sector meetings + took notes) I do know there are several other new cameras up in OTR as well, North of Liberty.

I do know of a business closing. Greg's Antiques on Main St. has been auctioning off their inventory of antiques, art & architectural items. I was told the owners will be focusing on their gardening business.

 

I got the impression they aren't staying in the building which is sharp. Open first floor, very high ceilings. Hate to admit IDK what type it is. It says "The Woodward" on the front.

I do know of a business closing. Greg's Antiques on Main St. has been auctioning off their inventory of antiques, art & architectural items. I was told the owners will be focusing on their gardening business.

 

I got the impression they aren't staying in the building which is sharp. Open first floor, very high ceilings. Hate to admit IDK what type it is. It says "The Woodward" on the front.

 

That building used to be some sort of theater, movie or otherwise, I believe. You can clearly see the theater infrastructure still inside. How cool would that be if it could be returned to its original intent?

This weekend it seemed like every establishment on vine st. was packed. On the coldest weekend of the year. 1215 just opened and I hear rumors of new bars/restaurants coming down the pipeline for the street.  In a couple of years Mercer commons will add a slew of new residents to the area and of course the streetcar factors in too.  Without question, the Gateway Quarter is a huge success.  If you are going to open a restaurant in Cincinnati that caters to a hip crowd, you would almost be a fool not to locate on Vine st. right now.

This weekend it seemed like every establishment on vine st. was packed. On the coldest weekend of the year. 1215 just opened and I hear rumors of new bars/restaurants coming down the pipeline for the street.  In a couple of years Mercer commons will add a slew of new residents to the area and of course the streetcar factors in too.  Without question, the Gateway Quarter is a huge success.  If you are going to open a restaurant in Cincinnati that caters to a hip crowd, you would almost be a fool not to locate on Vine st. right now.

 

100% Agreed. I'm constantly running to people I know that, even 6 months ago, wouldn't have been caught in OTR. Time are a changing and it seems like Mt. Adams is no longer the go-to spot for YPs with disposable income anymore.

 

I seem to have hard a rumor of a thai place coming soon? Anyone know anything about this?

A realtor told me a few months ago that a Thai place had signed a letter of intent for one of the spaces I believe in the 1300 block of Vine. 

^Confirmed.  When I saw plans it was called "Vine St. Thai."  No idea who the owner is.  Layout is similar to every other restaurant in the area (not an insult, just stating facts).  I didn't get an opening date so I didn't share.

 

 

For those that frequent the area regulalry and/or live there, what do you guys think of 1215; is it a concept that  should work there?

For those that frequent the area regulalry and/or live there, what do you guys think of 1215; is it a concept that  should work there?

 

Absolutely; however, they definitely have solid competition on both the coffee (Coffee Emporium) and wine (Abagail St.) fronts already.

^^^I'm also incredibly disappointed by their Bloody Mary bar. 

Whose Bloody Mary bar? 1215?? Considering they opened a couple days ago im pretty sure it'll get better.

Whose Bloody Mary bar? 1215?? Considering they opened a couple days ago im pretty sure it'll get better.

 

I commented on their Facebook page that I didn't see any Slim Jims on their Bloody Mary bar.  It's just NOT a Bloody Mary without meat in it and I refuse to drink one without.  They deleted my comment from FB so I take that as a big old F--- You / not interested in customer feedback we don't agree with.

 

Not a fan.

Never heard of putting Slim Jims in a Bloody Mary.

 

That is weaksauce for them to delete your comment though!!

Whose Bloody Mary bar? 1215?? Considering they opened a couple days ago im pretty sure it'll get better.

 

I commented on their Facebook page that I didn't see any Slim Jims on their Bloody Mary bar.  It's just NOT a Bloody Mary without meat in it and I refuse to drink one without.  They deleted my comment from FB so I take that as a big old F--- You / not interested in customer feedback we don't agree with.

 

Not a fan.

 

Definitely not the way to get off on the right foot!

^100% Agreed. If a business can't accept constructive criticism on their social media outlets, then they should not have them at all. It's a two way street. (in their defense, I've never heard of slim jims in a bloody mary either...)

 

Part of the reason why I like to wait 2 weeks or so from the opening of a new establishment is to let them work their opening kinks out. There's some things you just can't/won't know as an operator until you have real customers and real problems to solve.