DeSales Corner evolving

Family Dollar Store not welcomed by rehabbers

By Steve Kemme

Enquirer staff writer

 

EAST WALNUT HILLS - DeSales Corner has the look of an area on the upswing.

 

A new three-story brick complex with new sidewalks and recently planted trees stands across the street from St. Francis DeSales Church, a towering neighborhood landmark since the days when carriage horses clip-clopped on the city's streets.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/NEWS01/412150410

 

Here is a pic of DeSales Plaza that ColDayMan took.  There are many more pics of the section under "Woodburn" in the E. Walnut Hills section of the Cincinnati pics on the main page.

 

There should NOT be a Family Dollar store, considering there is one (I believe; or something similar to) in Walnut Hills.  That neighborhood deserves better and we all know it. Simone's is fantastic, fyi.

I like Simone's decor - I'll post some pictures later of a nighttime view from our table to the intersection - they're kinda dark, but you get the idea.  Live jazz is a nice touch (though I'm not a big fan of the genre, it is well done).  But I have to say, I was a bit underwhelmed by the service and the food.  Only been there once, and I plan to go again, but there are a ton of better places in the city for that price range.  The nice thing about Simone's, though, is that it's in an area without a lot of competition in that price range - Chateau Pomije doesn't have a restaurant anymore, so I believe that leaves the Coach and Four (about a mile away down Victory) as the only other upscale place right around there.  I'm not horribly impressed with the Coach and Four either (other than their blackened strip steak - that's astonishingly good) - I'd much rather spend my money at Nicola's, or Prima Vista, or Tink's, or Boca, or the Bonefish Cafe (though their chairs suck ass (as it were)), or Dee Felice, or Mitchell's Fish Market, or that Pacific Rim place in Newport - there's a long list.

That said, I wish Simone's the best, and plan to patronize them more.  Few things I enjoy like eating, and the more options the better.

There should NOT be a Family Dollar store, considering there is one (I believe; or something similar to) in Walnut Hills.

 

From what I remember, I think it's a Dollar General.  Same thing, basically.

 

I say "bah" to the Family Dollar.  Those things are signs of neighborhoods in decline, and no one is going to invest if one goes in.

 

Here's a crappy pic showing more of DeSales Plaza...taken the same day ColDayMan took his:

Simone's is that crack.

 

Why can't they put the Family Dollar at Five Points in Evanston? It's maybe 3 blocks away and more conveinent. For some reason, I can't imagine the residents of DeSales shopping at Family Dollar that frequently.

Family Dollar,a shoppers paradise!! There goes the neighborhood :shoot: Im a capitalist pig but putting something like that in there just turned it ghetto. next there will be a Rentacenter and a paycheck advance.

BTW...

 

The Hamilton Mutual Insurance Company building at the corner of Madison and Victory (i.e. west of DeSales Plaza) is being vacated and is going to be available in June.  I wonder what type of company will move in there--that will say a lot about the future of the area.

 

It's nearly 39,000 SF of office space in 1-3 stories...an older part and a 22,000 SP addition was built in 1992.

 

Stats and floor plans here (PDF):

http://www.clcrealty.com/listings/1520%20Madison%20Bro,FS,FP.pdf

 

^regarding hamilton insurance, i say tear it down along with the rest of the 60's era buildings that clutter the area.  densify or die.

Desales is okay I am friends with the family of the Satisfying Place and I know that that area has seen better days.  Hopefully, a Neyer or somebody will invest in some nice rental properties, rehabbing some of those building a few blocks away would be nice.

When we moved to Cinci over the summer, we looked at Delales Plaza.  they only had 1 unit available.  They are nice, modern but a bit vanilla.  we loved the look of the neighborhood and thought it was an area that might "happen", but that's not why you rent in an area so we kept looking.  If I were goning to stay in Cinci for a ong time, I would look closely at e. walnut hils though.  It hasnt fallen so far that its hard to imagine it returning to what it has been. 

Based on a June 3 report from the City Planning Commission and a unanimous vote, this should go through:

 

 

NOTES:

* Study begun of the DeSales Corner area December 20, 2004 by the Historic Conservation Board, initiated by residents who feared uncontrolled development of the area.

* Meetings were held with residents starting in March 2005.

* Boundaries: extends two blocks along the west side of Woodburn from Burdette to Madison, and three blocks along the east side of Woodburn from Taft to Madison.

* Composed of 26 significant buildings.

 

There is a 62-page report (well, about half of that because many pages are duplicated later, which goes into greater detail on what the boundaries are, the character of the local buildings (including pics), and what adjacent areas were studied but not included (and why).  There's also a section on what type of new infill is allowed and stuff about building guidelines:

http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/13214.pdf

 

Very nice...this is a gem of an area architecturally (no thanks to Desales Plaza, of course - ick ick ick).  It would be great to see it redevelop.

By the way, that's a rockin' cool document...lots of history in it - some of it I'd heard before, but a good bit of it is new.  Great find!

^ Yeah, I spent way too much time reading that.

This was approved unanimously at the 6/29/05 city council meeting.  And why wouldn't it be?

 

Perhaps this will make more grants available to the neighborhood.

Here's a related story on a key part of the area's rejuvenation.  From the 8/28/05 Enquirer:

 

 

PHOTO: Seniors Alaundra Brown (left) and Ali Green talk in the cafeteria on the first day of school at Purcell Marian, formed by merging a boys school and a girls school.  The Enquirer/Meggan Booker

 

After wilting, Purcell Marian plots revival

Parents at East Walnut Hills school plan to boost enrollment

By Denise Smith Amos

Enquirer staff writer

 

Purcell Marian High School is trying to make a comeback, just as its East Walnut Hills neighborhood is.

 

E-mail [email protected]

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050828/NEWS0102/508280420/1058/news01

 

What happened to DeSales Pharmacy?  Drove by the other day and noticed they've closed up shop.

This is from a little earlier this year, but what never reported on UO...

 

Zoning change could bring restaurant, offices to DeSales

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/04/zoning-change-could-bring-restaurant.html

 

On Tuesday, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee will consider a zoning change that could bring a restaurant and offices to DeSales Corner in the Woodburn area of East Walnut Hills.

 

The 1.14-acre site, at 1523-1527 Madison Road (BIRD'S EYE), contains four buildings currently zoned OL Office Limited District.

 

Building owners DeSales Square, LLC, on behalf of petitioner Ronald Williams, would like to change the zoning to CC-P Commercial Community Pedestrian District to accommodate a full-service restaurant and commercial offices.

 

Surrounding land uses are primarily commercial and residential multi-family properties.

 

Citing the benefits of expanding the business district and redeveloping an highly-visible location, the City Planning Commission recommended the zoning change on March 26.

 

The East Walnut Hills Assembly voted in support of the rezoning on February 6.

 

There is no word on any particular restaurant type or office tenants.

Glaser seeking ordinance for 75-unit DeSales addition

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/06/glaser-seeking-ordinance-for-75-unit.html

 

Keith Glaser of Excalibur Development/DeSales Properties LLC has submitted an application for a notwithstanding ordinance that would allow him to build a 75-unit residential component at DeSales Plaza in East Walnut Hills, but he is not likely to get it.

 

The ordinance would cover the 2.45 acres of properties at 1529 Lincoln Avenue; 2901, 2911, 2913, 2921, 2925, 2927 and 2933 Woodburn Avenue; and 1524, 1528, 1530, 1532 and 1536 Chapel Street.

 

The proposed development, which is currently in the design stages, would include four buildings - three with 12 units apiece and one with 39 units.

 

A 98-space surface parking lot would serve the project.

 

Glaser is seeking the notwithstanding ordinance to allow him to:

 

* Place surface parking in an RMX Residential-Mixed District

* Add ground-floor residential and remove the required ground-floor transparency in a CC-M Commercial Community Mixed District due to a perceived lack of need for more neighborhood retail

* Remove the requirement for front-lot building placement in a CC-M district to give the residential units more privacy

 

The East Walnut Hills Assembly provided Department of City Planning Director Charles C. Graves III with a letter of support for the project on March 6.

 

In a letter accompanying the application, Glaser argues that, because the traditional zoning change process can take as much as six months to accomplish, use of the notwithstanding ordinance would be "a more efficient process".

 

City staff has recommended that Glaser would be better served by consolidating the lots, changing the zoning to RM 1.2 Multi-Family, and then subdividing the lot for each of the four buildings.

Reported last month on Building Cincinnati...

 

Second DeSales phase seeking City approval

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/09/second-desales-phase-seeking-city.html

 

After his notwithstanding ordinance application was rejected by the City, Keith Glaser of Excalibur Development/DeSales Properties, LLC is now seeking a rezoning for the second phase of DeSales Plaza in East Walnut Hills.

 

Next Tuesday, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee changing the zoning of the site from CC-M Commercial Community-Mixed District and RMX Residential Mixed District to PD Planned Development District (PD-56) to allow for a multi-family project of up to 85 apartments on 2.45 acres along Woodburn Avenue, Chapel Street, and Lincoln Avenue.

 

The properties to be rezoned include the vacant and cleared sites at:

 

• 2901, 2911, 2913, 2921, 2925, 2927 and 2933 Woodburn Avenue
  
• 1524, 1528, 1530, 1532 and 1536 Chapel Street
  
• 1529 Lincoln Avenue

 

Designed by Cole + Russell Architects, the apartments would be built in three three-story buildings, with 80 percent being one-bedroom units and the remainder two-bedroom units.

 

Two buildings would be oriented toward Woodburn Avenue (12,600 square feet and 7,340 square feet), and the other along Chapel Street (7,340 square feet), with setbacks of 7 to 10 feet from the rights-of-way.

 

A pedestrian entrance would be located at the corner of Woodburn Avenue and Chapel Street, and a gated surface parking lot for 96 vehicles, including dedicated fuel-efficient spaces, would be available from Chapel Street and Lincoln Avenue.

 

All units would contain either enclosed patios or balconies, and the façade would be a mix of masonry and painted cement fiber board siding.

 

The project will be submitted for LEED certification.

 

According to the concept plan, groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for this fall with completion in the fall of 2009.

 

The project has received a vote of support from the East Walnut Hills Assembly, and there has been no vocal neighborhood opposition.

 

"The Planned Development District zoning designation will not negatively impact the existing character of the area," director of the Department of City Planning Charles C. Graves III says in a communication to the Economic Development Committee. "Instead it will allow for new investment in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood through the construction of a high-quality, multi-family residential development with buildings oriented to Woodburn Avenue and Chapel Street."

 

The City Planning Commission approved of the rezoning on September 5.

 

In May, Glaser, hoping to shorten the zoning change process, applied for a notwithstanding ordinance that would have given him a variance to build a surface parking lot in an RMX district, and ground-floor residential with no transparency and a lot-line setback in a CC-M district.

 

City staff recommended that Glaser consolidate his parcels, rezone them all to RM-1.2 Residential Multi-Family District, and then subdivide the lot for what was then a four-building, 75-unit proposal.

 

Some images included with the article...

 

Phase II Site Plan

 

Chapel Street Elevation

 

Woodburn Avenue Elevation

DeSales Apartments wins tax breaks

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/11/03/daily41.html

 

Cincinnati City Council has approved tax breaks worth $1.7 million over 15 years to encourage the development of an energy-efficient apartment building in East Walnut Hills.

 

DeSales Apartments II LLC is a real estate investment company that plans three new apartment buildings that will house 76 units on a 2.5 acre site at the corner of Chapel Street and Woodburn Avenue. The project is expected to cost $7.1 million and be completed by December 2009.

 

The tax abatement is subject to the project receiving certification as meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

DeSales Corner is one of my favorite hidden gems of the city

Some great shots of this gem midway through this ColDayMan thread from back in 2004!

 

Also, a little ColDay love in this Gritcinnati thread...

 

I agree, I love Desales corner.  Sitting in MOCA and looking out you would have no idea what city you were in- very cosmo feel.  Awesome little hood.

76-unit DeSales Flats project near completion

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/0908desalesplaza.aspx

 

In recent years East Walnut Hills has been transformed by the DeSales Plaza developments.  The newest addition to this transformation, Desales Flats, will bring 76 new apartment units to the neighborhood in an environmentally sustainable way.

 

DeSales Flats is being developed by Cincinnati-based Towne Properties with designs being drawn up by CR Architecture + Design.  The project is one of Towne Properties' first LEED projects and was incentivised by Cincinnati's LEED tax breaks according to the LEED accredited team from CR Architecture + Design.

 

"Almost every project is working towards LEED certification now," says Shannon Duffy, housing design group director for CR Architecture + Design.  At DeSales Flats many of the LEED approaches are being taken during construction which will compliment amenities like covered bicycle parking once the project is complete.

 

Project developers note that DeSales is located on some of the city's best bicycle routes and that with its location near the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and several neighborhood business districts, bicycling just seems to make a lot of sense for future residents here.

 

One bedroom units will range from 700 to 890 square feet, while two bedroom units will range from 980 to 1,360 square feet , with prices averaging about $1 per square-foot.  Every unit will have its own outdoor space as well with balconies on upper-level units and terraces on ground-floor units.

 

The project is moving along now and will finish in a rolling fashion.  The first of three, three-story buildings will be complete at the end of October, with the final building coming online at the beginning of 2010.

 

Project developers note that neighborhood residents really pushed for additional residential in this phase of the larger project.  Earlier phases have been extremely popular and identified an untapped market for this kind of residential offering.

 

FYI, there will be a walking tour of East Walnut Hills on Oct. 31. and it will include DeSales Corner, Woodburn Ave. and Upland Place.  Presented by ARCHITREKS, it will be 5$ and leaving from Parkside Cafe.

Lots of updated photos from Building Cincinnati here:

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2009/09/desales-flats-photo-update-9409.html

DeSales Flats celebrates grand opening in East Walnut Hills

By Randy A. Simes, Soapbox Cincinnati | November 17, 2009

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/1117desalesflats.aspx

 

This past Thursday Towne Properties, CR Architecture + Design, and community leaders celebrated the grand opening of DeSales Flats in the heart of East Walnut Hills.  DeSales Flats joins the larger DeSales Corner development projects completed in recent years that have introduced a slew of new residential and retail offerings to one of Cincinnati's most historic neighborhood business districts.

 

The new 76-unit apartment project is the result of community input that pushed hard for a significant residential presence in that part of the neighborhood.

 

The completed units are currently being marketed with rents around $1 per square-foot.  Each unit features its own outdoor space with balconies for upper-level units and terraces on ground-floor units.  One unique appeal of DeSales Flats, aside from its central location, is its green amenities. In fact, its the first green LEED certified apartment community.

 

"Almost every project we do now is working towards LEED certification," said Shannon Duffy, housing design group director for CR Architecture + Design who served as the project's design team and brought a host of green building experience to the table.

 

"We're very proud at Towne to have created Cincinnati's first green LEED certified apartment community," said Brian Bortz of the Towne Development Group.  "DeSales Flats is the equal of any apartment property developed in the region in recent times.  It's also ideally located close to UC, Xavier, area hospitals, downtown, and great shopping in both O'Bryonville and Hyde Park."

 

The newly completed project features both 1 and 2-bedroom apartments that include parking for hybrid cars, covered bicycle parking, high efficiency HVAC, large windows, a fitness center on-site, and a clubroom.

 

"The newly completed project features both 1 and 2-bedroom apartments that include parking for hybrid cars, covered bicycle parking, high efficiency HVAC, large windows, a fitness center on-site, and a clubroom."

 

That should be amended. I know that they are toting its "green" aspects, but to exclude non-hybrid vehicles? I know they are not truly doing that, but that is how it comes off.

 

That said, I watched this go up from its initial clearing to its completion! Biked by this a lot during the warmer months.

Well considering electric hybrid vehicles need special hook ups it seems worth to mention...just like covered bicycle parking.

Hybrid vehicles are gasoline-electric, which are not plug-ins. You're looking at conventional Toyota Prius' and Ford Fusion Hybrids. AFAIK, and from their site and your article, there are no electrical hook-ups. IEEE just certified the standard for the upcoming vehicles, but the closest we will come to those is the Chevrolet Volt for 2010, but it will only be distributed in California for the first two years.

You receive LEED points for reserved parking for hybrids and electric vehicles, which is probably what they meant.

Aye. That's still ridiculous and it's nothing more than a marketing gimmick to receive the watered-down LEED status. A non-hybrid Scion xB is far more fuel efficient than a hybrid Toyota Prius, when considering how much space you have available within the xB versus the Prius, and considering the cost difference. "Hybrids" are nothing more than a marketing gimmick that feature ROI's that are sometimes laughable. Remember the Chevy Silverado Hybrid? 100+ year payback. Toyota Prius? 8-15 year payback.