>like the shorter walk (yes, WALK) back from New Orleans.   

>Ouch.

 

Before steamboats walking was the only way back, unless you bought a horse in New Orleans and rode it back.  The usual path was the Natchez Trace which ran from Natchez, Miss to just south of Nashville.  The Natchez Trace Parkway is always one of those "great drives" featured in the front of the big atlases you can buy at most gas stations, I have driven most of it and it is actually pretty damn boring.  The section near Nashville is the most scenic, with a pretty major arch bridge completed around 1994 that has unfortunately become a popular suicide venue.  The parkway also crosses the Tennessee River and Tenn-Tombigbee Canal.  Fragments of the original trace remain along the route, but they look no different than a typical trail in the woods.     

 

>Looking on google earth at Rome and Cairo the buildings look really old yet the layout looks really complex. It's not a bunch of squares, the buildings have narrow roads that often connect with evenly spaced 5 point intersections. It looks really cool.

 

I'm sure it is pretty cool and there are endless examples of attempts to simplify European cities street layouts over the centuries, with Paris being the most extensive example.  There are also quite a number of grids in Spain, look at Madrid and especially Barcelona on Google maps.  Barcelona probably has the most extensive grid system of any European city, the grid fills the gap of maybe 2X2 miles between medieval Barcelona and similarly congested towns that occupied that valley. 

 

The Pogue Center is hard to even notice if you drive or walk by

I walk behind this place almost every day. The guys sit out on an old loading dock & mouth off quite a bit.

They yell at the passers by, well, at least at the girls.

There are apartments with kids on streets at each end of the block.

I have no idea how this concentration of fuck ups is supposed to be good for anybody.

What's wrong with moving it to the Queensgate area? Granted, I don't like the idea of the whole State using it as a place to dump all predators, we already know there really aren't any residents in this area.

 

There are actually NO residents in Queensgate whatsoever.  When looking at Cincinnati population numbers, by neighborhood, you will notice that Queensgate has a N/A next to every residential category.  I dont really see the problem with this either, you could go ahead and put it next to the new Hamilton County jail.

Theres 600 something people in Queensgate. Not trying to be Mr. Technicalities or anything though. In my infinite 19 year old wisdom I say move 'em there.

We may be seeing some action with some of these 3CDC (OTR Holdings) properties.

 

213 Odeon - permits in route

1201 Vine - applied for permits

1203 Vine - applied for permits

1205 Vine - applied for permits

1207 Vine - applied for permits

1211 Vine - applied for permits

 

213 Odeon is for the demolition of an outbuilding on the property.  The ones on Vine are for interior demo only.

 

It's my understanding that the population of Queensgate consists solely of prisoners on Linn St., folks at the rehab/training center on Western, and that's it. I don't think, for the City's purposes, that counts as permanent residents.

 

Interesting note. There have been some rumblings lately of an effort to get an official, City recognized neighborhood council for Queensgate. Why? Because then the city is on the hook to provide $10k per year. I think it's coming from Dale Mallory and Junebug Beatty.

I have heard the same thing about Mallory's involvement in Queensgate, but I don't have a lot of the details nailed down.

 

Something big is going down.  They are talking about moving the Drop Inn Center and the Pouge Center in the news this week, and I have heard about other agencies being "asked" to leave.  I wonder who is doing the asking.  The CityLink effort involves relocating several social service agencies as well.  CityLink is appealing their loss at the hands of the Zoning board of appeals.

 

It looks like we are going to have a major shakeup in the social service sector downtown.  Something big is going down.

From the 6/5/06 Cincinnati Business Courier:

 

 

Housing groups to merge

Over-the-Rhine Housing Network, ReStoc joining forces

Cincinnati Business Courier - June 2, 2006

by Lucy May

Senior Staff Reporter

 

Two affordable housing development groups in Over-the-Rhine are merging to form a stronger community development organization for the neighborhood.

 

At a grand opening scheduled for June 8, leaders of the Over-the-Rhine Housing Network and ReStoc will announce that their organizations will merge as equal partners to form Over-the-Rhine Community Housing.

 

Mary Burke, who ran the Over-the-Rhine Housing Network, will serve as executive director. Andy Hutzel, who ran ReStoc, will be director of operations.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/06/05/story4.html?from_rss=1

 

way outta my field - but, of course, still many many vacant OTR buildings.  Very happy to see lots of 'em being 'stabilized' recently by sealing windows and doors - maybe this merger will be one more step to hasten their salvation and return to use - at many income levels hopefully.  thanks for that post grasscat

Isn't RESTOC supposed to be non-profit?

^ You can sell something and still not make a profit. :-)

I know, I just don't know much about it but my friend and I were going to get involved in it. I think he said that all of the money they make goes towards buying more houses.

Why don't you send him a personal message if you are so curious?

Kendall lives on main... has for awhile I believe.

Yeah, that was me.  I would have posted the article, but I couldn't find it online.  I think Urban Sites put the reporter in contact with us.  They got a couple details wrong, such as the square footage (it's really only 1,050, not 1,959) and the building is Italianate (not Federal).  And they said we moved here in 2004, when I moved here in 2003.

Yeah, that was me.  I would have posted the article, but I couldn't find it online.  I think Urban Sites put the reporter in contact with us.  They got a couple details wrong, such as the square footage (it's really only 1,050, not 1,959) and the building is Italianate (not Federal).  And they said we moved here in 2004, when I moved here in 2003.

 

Explains why I thought it wasn't you :).

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/06/26/story3.html?hbx=e_sw

 

Until at least 2010, Leeper to retain role

CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER - JUNE 23, 2006

 

The corporate titans who govern the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. have extended the contract of agency chief executive Stephen Leeper through 2010.

...

And progress in Over-the-Rhine is at least two years ahead of where Pichler thought it would be when he agreed to chair 3CDC's Over-the-Rhine working group, he said.

....

"Steve has exceeded everybody's expectations, and we had high expectations to start out with," Pichler said. "We need him."

3CDC has spent $8 million in Over-the-Rhine to buy property there to be redeveloped by others. Already, the agency has about 60 condos and rental units in the works, Leeper said, adding that the goal is to have 100 units either under construction or completed each year with a constant pipeline ready to go.

Leeper acknowledged 3CDC's early work in the neighborhood was hampered by poor communication with agencies and residents there, many of whom felt the city's "suits" were swooping in to gentrify the troubled area without regard for a comprehensive plan for Over-the-Rhine created by those who live and work there.

But he said 3CDC has mended many of those relationships and assured the community that its goals are consistent with the comprehensive plan.

"We all can do better in terms of our communication and being as inclusive as we can in terms of process," said Andy Hutzel, director of operations for Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, an advocate and developer of affordable housing. "But I think he gets that affordable needs to be part of this revitalization process." ...

Zimmerman said it's too early to declare 3CDC's projects a success. After all, he said, the agency hasn't finished anything yet.

....

Bank gives subsidies for OTR housing

BY JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati has granted $410,000 in interest-rate subsidies to finance 25 low-income housing units in Over-the-Rhine being rehabilitated by the nonprofit Cornerstone Community Loan Fund, the bank said this week.

 

The bank's grant will facilitate an $800,000 advance from Huntington National Bank and is part of $2.6 million in overall funding that Cornerstone is assembling, including a grant from the city of Cincinnati.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060628/BIZ01/606280342/1076/rss01

 

3CDC selects Dansby for job

Group working in Over-the-Rhine

BY JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

 

The nonprofit development group charged with transforming Over-the-Rhine into a viable mixed-income neighborhood has tapped Darrick Dansby, president of SmartMoney Community Services since 2000, as its new development director for the neighborhood immediately north of downtown Cincinnati.

 

Dansby will take on his new assignment for the nonprofit Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., known as 3CDC, on July 31. The post is now held by Des Bracey, whose wife is being transferred out of town.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060629/BIZ01/606290345/1076/rss01

 

We may be seeing some action with some of these 3CDC (OTR Holdings) properties.

 

213 Odeon - permits in route

1201 Vine - applied for permits

1203 Vine - applied for permits

1205 Vine - applied for permits

1207 Vine - applied for permits

1211 Vine - applied for permits

 

213 Odeon is for the demolition of an outbuilding on the property.  The ones on Vine are for interior demo only.

 

 

I went on Cincinnati Advance's tour last Saturday, and we went through 1201 and 1203 Vine.  They are currently doing demo work, to be market rate condos.  1201 is a great building, with most of the interior trim intact, including a beautiful stair off of 12th Street (including a dumbwaiter).  The project manager from HGC said they were going to demo most of the interior walls, since that was the easiest.  It seemed that this building could have avoided that fate, with the 12' ceilings and all.

 

Over all, it seemed that the plans were decent.  They were combining a number of buildings to share a common elevator core, with gated parking behind in 1416-1418 W 12th Street vacant lots.

 

We also saw the Bank Cafe buildings across the street, which are to be dorms for the Art Academy.  Not too bad, though some of the choices were interesting to say the least (concrete topping slabs on the upper floors?).

 

Sorry, no pics.

^I think Greg Badger did concrete on top of all his floors on the Dunlap building, and it turned out pretty sharp looking.  I think the rationalization is that it covers all the deformities and makes a tight fire separation all at once.  Interesting.

I got this from an iRhine e-mail on 6/28/06:

 

 

Northern Row Park:

Communities of Gardens, Part 1

by Sam St John, iRhine Contributor

 

Imagine a green space in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. Imagine a place where people can come together for art, for play, for pleasure. Imagine a place called Northern Row Park at the corner of Clay and Melindy Streets just a half block off of the northern end of Main Street in Over-the-Rhine. Situated in a place adjacent to Uptown Arts, the Park has been adopted by a group of community residents who affectionately call themselves, 'Friends of Northern Row Park.' After an early sordid history, the park is once again the focus of a community trying to highlight the powerful and alive culture that now lives in a historically German neighborhood of the City. Over-the-Rhine is home to mixed-income and mixed-race residents, but remains largely poor. The goal of this community group's interest in the Park is to focus attention on the nascent community and what it has to offer to the City.

 

Over-the-Rhine served first as a port-of-entry for immigrants into Cincinnati and is famous for its German heritage. It has always been a place of wide economic disparities between its wealthiest and poorest residents as evidenced by the variety of housing mixed with some of the finest architecture in America including such landmarks as Music Hall, Emery Theater, and the largest collection of standing buildings constructed in the Italianate style. The region saw a boom of building as German immigrants occupied the land north of the Erie and Miami canals in Cincinnati, now Central Parkway. They affectionately named the place "Over-the-Rhine" out of nostalgia for their homeland and the canal workers crossed on a daily basis traveling to-and-from work in the central business district. The northern edge of the City was then where Liberty Street is now. This "row" at the northern edge of the City is where Northern Row Park draws its name from and is a way to link today's community to that of the past while anchoring the historical foundations of Over-the-Rhine.

 

For the past 30 years, the Park has been used as a meeting place to broker drug deals, to illicit sex trade, and for the lowest levels of human activity. The space was largely infertile, thoroughly paved, and poorly lit - phenomena leading to a general state of misuse and disrepair. Although rapid changes are happening, perspective of Over-the-Rhine is still as a neighborhood plagued by drug use, homicide, poverty, and loss of economic activity; 79% of residents are below the poverty line whereas the City average is 20%. Most startling is the loss of homeowners (ownership rates are less than 5%) and population (OTR has shrunk from 100,000 peoples in 1900 to 32,000 in 1950 to less than 5,000 in 2004). Active community involvements seek to bring a more sustainable mix of lower and upper income persons and increase on property ownership. This park rejuvenation effort ties in with community efforts of other neighborhood residents and neighborhood stakeholders.

 

John Spencer and Ken Cunningham of KCAI, a local architectural firm, are the enabling force behind the rejuvenation of the Park space. Beginning their work nearly 8 years ago, John and Ken lobbied the City for the authority to transform the asphalt playground that had been the home of decaying and dangerous equipment as well as human squalor into a place that the community could claim as its own. In that time they have used their own resources and connections to push ahead development. They are spearheading the capital campaign to raise the funds necessary to firmly establish this green-space in perpetuity.

 

In 2004 a critical mass of residents came together to begin the bricks-and-mortar effort of the rejuvenation. In the spring of that year community residents began removing the debris like rail-road ties, trash, weed plants, and drug paraphernalia. In that same summer, their efforts blossomed and with a grant from The Procter & Gamble Co., the Friends were able to remove the asphalt, seed a bed of new topsoil, and install two new street lights and canopy tree lighting. Part of the goal of restoring the space is to clean and beautify it, but also to make it safer with better care and more community access and involvement. The vision is to see the Park as a community space used as an art venue, as a gathering and relaxation area, and as a symbol of the power of positive community involvement.

 

The Friends continued their work through the fall and spring in conjunction with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and the Great American Clean-up that focuses volunteer efforts on community areas for the purpose of dialogue and civic action. In the summer of 2005, with the help of the City of Cincinnati and countless volunteers, the granite paving stones that were once pavement of the Government Square bus station were moved to the Park space and used to pave over the asphalt, helping to complete the transformation from an asphalt playground to a park space.

 

The work was completed with collaboration with Stewart Ironworks of Covington, KY and the City of Cincinnati's Safe and Clean Grants to secure a historically-accurate, wrought-iron fence to ring the Park and define the space with gates open as a symbol of welcome to the community the Park exists in. After the fence the group focuses its efforts on construction of a shed and performance pavilion to store maintenance equipment, cover extra recycling containers, and serve as a stage space for performing artists. The Park is now a place of constant community events for years to come and just had its own elegant promenade when it plays host to a wedding to two of residents this early summer.

 

The Park work has brought together an exciting mix of people all with interest in Over-the-Rhine. The core working members of the Friends of Northern Row Park group include: John Spencer and Ken Cunningham in addition to Sam St. John, Pattie Klein, Reid Hartmann, Tamara Schwarting, and Cheryl Curtis (Over-the-Rhine Chamber). But the interest is not limited to this group of people as they have reached out to nearly 25 interested community residents and numerous downtown organizations for sponsorship and support (including: P&G, Jack Martin and the City of Cincinnati, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, Stewart Ironworks, OTR Chamber of Commerce, Spring City, City Center Properties, Brooks Associates, Mies Tile, High Country Roses, the Cincinnati Park Board, Marvin's Organic Gardens, O'Heil Irrigation Co., PNC bank, and the Jeffery Allen Corporation).

 

For those interested in working on the park, please contact John Spencer or Ken Cunningham at [email protected]. Or check out the Yahoo! Group where the community shares updates and posts notices to each other: groups.yahoo.com/group/friends_of_noma

 

Sam St. John lives in Over-the-Rhine. He's interested in the park and in mixed-income, and sustainable, urban development. Contact: [email protected]

 

http://www.irhine.com/

 

* In Pendleton, a project is in the works to convert the buildings at 512-526 Reading Rd (auditor lists both as 512) into 12 condos.  Joe Bley is the developer and the architects are John Grier and Terry Daspit.  Parking will be on the first floor, accessible by the neighboring vacant parcel.  The building would have a glass facade to tie the two buildings together and to make them viable as living spaces.  The HCB opposes this and instead wants repairs to the damaged limestone panels on 520 Reading  (cost-prohibitive) and wants the original facades preserved.  The HCB went on to pick apart almost every design element at the April preliminary design review.  So this project may or may not happen.

(the ugly "historic" concrete building and the brown one to the left)

 

* Permits are in route for the Dandridge townhomes project.

 

* Big Dog Holdings is looking to develop the vacant buildings at 10-14 E Fifteenth St into 11 loft-style apartments of approximately 1500 square feet each.  They are looking to the city to release a mortgage the city holds on the property when the project is completed, which will be sometime within the next five years.  The time the rehab will take from start to finish is one year.  I believe this is currently in Finance Committee.

(the cream-colored ones)

 

* 516 E Twelfth St was purchased not too long ago.  I don't know the history of the owners, nor the condition of the building.  There are no code violations on the 1879 home, but it is a bit under-valued so it probably needs some work.

 

* Living Water Ministry is rehabbing 1510 Republic St.

 

* 1201 and 1205 Elm St have sold for $195,000.  This is the St. Johannes Church property which was sold by the Greater Bethlehem Temple Aposolic Church, which moved up to Hamilton and Ashtree in Northside.  A new parcel was also created between the church and 1207 Elm.  This is a very small space and I don't know the purpose of this new parcel.  I hope to get to the bottom of this.

 

* Sondra Walls has purchased the lovely building at 1709 Race St.  Am I wrong, or does that make at least 50 shitty buildings this person now owns?  And she's been in court for foreclosure and other property-related problems dozens of times.  NO MORE PURCHASING OF BUILDINGS!

 

* The 6-unit building at 2015 Elm St was ordered demolished due to the possibility of structural collapse.  I don't believe the demolition has occurred yet.  This building lasted 136 years.

 

Thanks Grasscat - very interesting.    That church had shingles applied last year, it looks pretty stable. There are lots of vagrants that lean on it all day, that helps I guess.

 

Yes!!  Historic concrete rocks!  ;)

* 1201 and 1205 Elm St have sold for $195,000.  This is the St. Johannes Church property which was sold by the Greater Bethlehem Temple Aposolic Church, which moved up to Hamilton and Ashtree in Northside.  A new parcel was also created between the church and 1207 Elm.  This is a very small space and I don't know the purpose of this new parcel.  I hope to get to the bottom of this.

Very curious.  Perhaps Mr. Redmond knows the agent of the LLC.

 

 

 

3CDC sees promise, faces challenges in Over-the-Rhine

Bracey leaves position with hope for neighborhood

Cincinnati Business Courier - July 7, 2006by Lucy MaySenior Staff Reporter

 

Des Bracey started work at the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. six months after 3CDC was formed in July 2003.

 

His mission as the private non-profit's Over-the-Rhine project manager was to begin making inroads in the historic neighborhood and help figure out the best way to help spur more revitalization there.

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/07/10/story8.html

Sixty units currently in progress, another 40 underway by year's end, and the capacity for 75-100 a year thereafter.  Added to existing residents, that would easily result in a critical mass of market rate residents within two years for some real businesses on Vine St. Things are looking up!

3CDC to focus on OTR

BY JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

As the new Fountain Square takes shape in the heart of downtown, the Cincinnati Central City Development Corp. also is focusing on Over-the-Rhine, where more than 100 vacant buildings and lots are under the control of 3CDC and other groups for future residential redevelopment.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060716/BIZ01/607160348

Good to hear they're not going to tear down the Pipefitters Union building for parking.

Very good news indeed. That was a great fear of mine.

Here are a few shots of some stuff I saw around OTR

 

 

The corner of Central Pkwy. and Broadway, more new lofts!

 

 

Near the corner of Elliot and Broadway (completed rehab and new one in rear of pic)...

 

 

Vine St. ( I believe all of the following are 3CDC Projects)

 

 

The old People's Theatre I believe

 

 

 

The Bank Cafe Building and neighbor

This isn't exactly "news"--it's been publicized for quite some time.  From the 7/14/06 Cincinnati Business Courier:

 

 

Nuns offer job training through inner-city pizzeria

Cincinnati Business Courier - July 14, 2006

by Lucy May

Senior Staff Reporter

 

It's not just that the people who come to Power Inspires Progress have had a hard time holding jobs.

 

Many have limited reading and math skills. Others don't see the importance of showing up on time -- or even on the days they're scheduled. Still others are felons who have meetings with parole officers and court appearances that demand their time.

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/07/17/story6.html

 

Thanks for the update.Looks as tho things are starting to come together. It really does my soul good to see this happening. 3CDC (and others) is starting to push up Vine St!!!! I'm sorry, but I'm pissing my pants right now.That is exciting news!A healthy,resurgent Vine is critical to the sucess of OTR and ultimately to the revival of Cincinnati.Vine is amazing,its painful to see all that potential just sitting there-slowly rotting,deteriorating,disappearing.More and more good things are happening all the time;these are just the "signs" i've been looking for,and they are occurring much more frequently than realized. Forgive my gushing optimism, but having grown up in OTR, these are events I have long dreamed of. Quite possibly we're about to turn a corner here--KEEP THE GOOD NEWS COMIN'!!! Lets get OTR off of death-watch and well on the road to recovery. :clap:

I hope they bury the powerlines in front of the Bank Cafe building.  They are pretty distracting. 

Pendleton project to get under way after years of delay

First phase involves 8 townhouses

BY JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

A Pendleton housing project by Gary Mark Custom Homes LLC, about to get under way after several years of delay, will soon be the first single-family homes built in that area in decades.

 

The first phase, dubbed Galleries at Pendleton, will consist of eight townhouses - one building of six attached units and another with two - across from the Pendleton Arts Center at Pendleton and Dandridge streets.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/BIZ01/607230341/1076/BIZ

An investor has purchased 1612 Elm St, which is in a state of disrepair but still has tenants. There is a long list of items that B&I wants done to bring the property up to code. There is no indication that any repairs have been made, but the new owner just closed on the property a little over two weeks ago. This building was built in 1846.

(Red brick building)

 

1428 Pleasant St is going to be demolished. This building is owned by the U.S. Marshals.

 

The city is going to work on shoring up the building it owns at 1720 Pleasant St, which is currently crumbling. This was supposed to become 5 condos. Yeah, right.

 

Model Management has purchased 1332 Vine St. More rentals.

(Building at right)

 

Model Management has also purchased 1405-1413 Vine St.

(I believe the building to which the Roth Furniture sign is attached)

 

Rendering from MLS:

 

Model Management has purchased 1332 Vine St.  More rentals.

(Building at right)

 

 

When you say rentals do you mean Section 8?  I would hate to see new section 8 go in less than a block from where 3CDC is investing millions of dollars in market rate housing.

Not necessarily Section 8, though the city has ordered at least part of the building vacated.  It needs some work.  As for the future renters in this particular building, I don't know.  Model Management does have a large proportion of its units as affordable housing.

 

Nonprofit pharmacy coming to Over-Rhine

BY PEGGY O'FARRELL | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

OVER-THE-RHINE - The neighborhood's only pharmacy should be open for business next month, thanks to a city grant and many donations.

 

Organizers Thursday announced the opening of Pharmacy Over-the-Rhine, which is believed to be the country's first full-service, nonprofit pharmacy.

 

It is in the Crossroad Health Center Building at Liberty and Vine streets.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/NEWS01/608040401/1056

I'm not sure if this is the best section to post in, but this tour will be going through at least one building that is currently being redeveloped into condos (Clyffside Brewery) and one building that is rumored to being sold and redeveloped (Grammer's Restaurant):

 

The Brewery District cordially invites you to the:

 

Prohibition Resistance Tour

Saturday, September 16

 

A two-hour bus and walking tour of some of Over-the-Rhine's most historic brewery buildings, including the Clyffside and Jackson Breweries and Grammer's Restaurant.  There will be a special presentation on the history of Cincinnati's own Christian Moerlein beer by the new owner of Christian Moerlein and Hudepohl.

 

Tickets are $20.00, and will include refreshments.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you are interested.  We expect tickets to sell very quickly.

 

Tours will leave from both Arnold's Bar and Grille and Milton's Tavern at set times between 11AM and 1PM.  Arnold's will also be celebrating their 145th Anniversary that day as Cincinnati's oldest operating bar.

 

Start your Oktoberfest off right!

 

For more information, please go to www.otrbrewerydistrict.com. (website will be active this weekend, for information contact Steve Hampton at [email protected] or (513) 784-0352) (Tickets will be available next week from Arnold's and Milton's as well)

 

 

(Promising) News on the Kaufmann Building:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1981.0

 

It's worth checking out.

Great news concerning the Kaufmann Brewery Bldg. Hopefully this will be the catalyst needed to get development started up Vine. I hadn't heard anything for so long I assumed the old girl was going to be lost for good.

I thought this was strictly a 3CDC project, but I guess the Art Academy is the main force behind it.

 

Student housing revamped

BY LORI KURTZMAN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

OVER-THE-RHINE - Desiree Waltz toured her new home for the first time last week and was blown away.

 

The butter-yellow kitchen, the exposed brick, the private shower. Her boyfriend remarked that this was the kind of place people drop thousands of dollars on each month in New York.

 

Only this was Waltz's college dorm. And it was in Over-the-Rhine.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060807/NEWS01/608070377/1077

I would love to see the academy venture into some more student oriented housing, in and around, their bldg.  They look great and its a nice addition to the OTR landscape!

This little blurb appeared in today's Enquirer:

 

 

Health center receives $25,000

THE ENQUIRER

 

An organization providing health care for disadvantaged inner-city residents received $25,000.

 

The Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trust awarded the money to Crossroad Health Center to update the facility and add services, such as pharmacy, vision care and mammography.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060807/NEWS01/608070384/1056/NEWS01

 

Residents Revive Over-the-Rhine With Corner Park

Reported by: Becky Freemal

9News

8/13/2006

 

When you think of Over-the-Rhine, there's a good chance crime comes to your mind.

 

It's a reputation that residents there are trying to change -- one brick at a time.

 

And they've made a years-long dream a reality at the corner of Clay and Melindy streets in Over-the-Rhine, where they've renovated the park.

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/08/13/otr_park.html

The condemned building at 1703 Elm St is set to be demolished pending Historic Conservation Board approval. 

 

This is property of Smith Foundation Properties (Gale Smith), who began buying properties in the early 2000s.  The purpose was to rehab the buildings and make them a viable part of a new Over-the-Rhine, especially as this particular stretch is one of the worst in the neighborhood.

 

The drama with this building has been going on since well before 2003, just after the Smith Foundation bought the group of area buildings.  CityBeat labelled it the "Blight of the Week":

http://www.citybeat.com/2003-10-29/blight.shtml

 

The strategy appears to have been to let the buildings disintegrate and then demolish them.  The Foundation does a lot of good things, but redevelopment doesn't appear to be one of them.

 

A few articles about Smith and the Foundation and the plan for OTR can be found here.  The most recent is from February 2004:

http://www.smithfamilyfoundation.org/grassroots/index.htm

 

Here's the building (it's the one on the right):

 

Also, 1501 Vine St, which is currently vacant, is supposed to be fixed up soon.  I believe there was a fire there not too long ago.  The building's been a mess for years.  I believe the owner just wants to get a VBML.

 

Don't know if this belongs here or if I have skipped it somewhere else.  But, I noticed that they are extending the tree lined median on Liberty.  It looked like it was extended westward to Main St.  Hopefully they will continue this all the way to at least Central Pky.  That street is pretty ugly and it would really do wonders just astheticly.

I noticed that they are extending the tree lined median on Liberty.  It looked like it was extended westward to Main St.

I originally heard it would be extended to walnut. Get ready for BIG changes on liberty.  There will be a new traffic pattern at liberty and liberty hill, including a traffic light.  Liberty hill going down the hill  from highland you will have to make a sharp left at the bottom.  This will slow speeders going down the hill and you will be able to turn left onto eastbound liberty safely at the new light.

Urban Sites might be trying a new project on Wade St.  They've picked up 208 Wade ($50,000), 212 and 214 Wade ($36,700).  These buildings combine to about 6400 square feet, with 208 Wade being nearly 4000.

 

208 Wade has been ordered vacant by the city and is a total mess.  214 Wade is condemned and has fire damage.  212 Wade appears to be somewhat okay, but I don't think there are any tenants.

 

(208 Wade, 214/212 Wade)

   

 

Nothing is posted on the Urban Sites website yet and there hasn't been any press.