WXIX sez Clifton IGA reopening "on hold".

Dunno if that's the right phrase, but....

They expect to be able to announce an opening date in February.

http://www.fox19.com/story/16591918/reopening-date-for-clifton-iga-store-still-unknown

I hear the Golden Lions space is now a Hookah Bar (great...)

 

and WTF is going on with the IGA? very, very disappointing. so much lip service about the neighborhood, upgrades, community, etc etc but no results....

I hope it's a gay hookah bar.

I hear the Golden Lions space is now a Hookah Bar (great...)

 

and WTF is going on with the IGA? very, very disappointing. so much lip service about the neighborhood, upgrades, community, etc etc but no results....

Bummer, I was hoping to see a better use for that space then a hookah bar.  I am guessing they are going to leave the bricked up windows. Did you notice that the revolving retail across from CVS is now a tobacco/head shop?  Wonder if they are connected in any way. 

 

It doesn't look like IGA has been touched in months.  Somebody sprayed graffiti near the top of the store above the doorway.

There is a run of graffiti on top of most of the building along Ludlow including Ambar and ACE Hardware.  Only noticed it about a week ago so not sure if it has been there awhile or not.

 

 

Ludlow seems so tired and stuck in another time, even with the streetscape upgrades.  I hope this new Hookah bar improves the facade and features floor to ground windows - something more inviting, make it feel a bit more modern.  The area also needs an influx of serious density. 

Ludlow seems so tired and stuck in another time, even with the streetscape upgrades.  I hope this new Hookah bar improves the facade and features floor to ground windows - something more inviting, make it feel a bit more modern.  The area also needs an influx of serious density. 

 

There was a proposal a few years back for a large (six-seven story I think) residential proposal on the merchants lot that met with a considerable amount of community resistance.

There is a construction trailer in the lot behind Keller's, but I'm not sure if anything is happening. 

Ludlow seems so tired and stuck in another time, even with the streetscape upgrades.  I hope this new Hookah bar improves the facade and features floor to ground windows - something more inviting, make it feel a bit more modern.  The area also needs an influx of serious density. 

 

Totally agree.  Ludlow could be SO much better, but right now it just seems stale and stuck.

Ludlow seems so tired and stuck in another time, even with the streetscape upgrades.  I hope this new Hookah bar improves the facade and features floor to ground windows - something more inviting, make it feel a bit more modern.  The area also needs an influx of serious density. 

 

There was a proposal a few years back for a large (six-seven story I think) residential proposal on the merchants lot that met with a considerable amount of community resistance.

 

I remember that.  Clearly there needs to be a voice to fight off the NIMBY's and make them realize the benefits of density.  It's unfortunate - that lot is still vacant correct?

wow... I've never heard anyone complain about the Clifton Business district...

The main aesthetic improvements would be replacing the CVS and that bank at Whitfield with midrise apartments and storefront businesses.  Higher buildings would work on Clifton Ave. where the UDF and Marathon stations are now.  Otherwise, I don't think the strip should be tampered with.

Why not?  Has it nearly reached it's potential?  IMO, it is a rather sleepy district that could use a lot of life injection.  In an ideal world, the old IGA would be completely replaced with a mixed-use, 5 story building that takes up the entire block and gets rid of the surface lot to the south.  Ambar and Habanero/Amol are one story - 'who gives a crap' structures with a surface lot in the middle.  I'd love to see those torn down, replaced with a great 4-5 story mixed-use.  It would also be nice if the Roanoke apartments could be reworked to interact better with the street.  The suburban banks towards the west end of Ludlow could all also go. 

 

There is a lot that COULD be done.  To simply say..."it shouldn't be tampered with" is foolish.  The district is far from ideal or perfect.  Improving it should be the goal, not keeping the status quo. 

It was a mistake to tear down the old dry cleaner and put a plaza in its place. It should have been replaced with a mixed-use building.

Ludlow seems so tired and stuck in another time, even with the streetscape upgrades.  I hope this new Hookah bar improves the facade and features floor to ground windows - something more inviting, make it feel a bit more modern.  The area also needs an influx of serious density. 

The dream of the '90s is alive on Ludlow.

The plaza gets a surprising amount of use. 

 

Other improvements could be a building in the lot by J. Gumbo.  Also, a lot could be done if the Skyline and Dewey's lots were replaced by an underground garage, enabling something to be built on top.  I think a commercial space facing Clifton north of Skyline would be quite viable given its visibility from cued southbound traffic. 

It was a mistake to tear down the old dry cleaner and put a plaza in its place. It should have been replaced with a mixed-use building.

 

There were considerable environmental remediation problems associated with that site.

 

Ludlow seems so tired and stuck in another time, even with the streetscape upgrades.  I hope this new Hookah bar improves the facade and features floor to ground windows - something more inviting, make it feel a bit more modern.  The area also needs an influx of serious density. 

The dream of the '90s is alive on Ludlow.

 

Well done. 

It was a mistake to tear down the old dry cleaner and put a plaza in its place. It should have been replaced with a mixed-use building.

 

There were considerable environmental remediation problems associated with that site.

 

^ Indeed, old dry cleaners can border on Superfund sites sometimes.

Former Clifton IGA reopening delayed

Business Courier

Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 7:34am EDT

 

The reopening of the former Keller's IGA in Clifton has been stalled, Fox 19 reported.

 

New owner Steve Goessling is now blaming his lenders for the delay. He has been promising for months to announce a construction timeline, but the project has been delayed by asbestos, permitting and structural issues.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2012/03/former-clifton-iga-reopening-delayed.html

We don't need to stack mid rises in every neighborhood node in town. There is nothing wrong with Ludlow, in my opinion its working as intended for the neighborhood it serves, minus the grocery being finished. The fact that it used to be one of the only urban havens in Cincinnati in the 90's says more about how far the other urban hot spots have come -and still need to go- than it does about the "decline of Ludlow."

>Indeed, old dry cleaners can border on Superfund sites sometimes.

 

The new Addriatico's was on the site of Shirley's laundromat/dry cleaner.  The work necessary on that site single-handedly kept that row of homes (including Mr. Tuxedo) from being demo'd and replaced by fast food or strip mall decades ago.     

"decline of Ludlow."

She's a diamond in the fringes of the rough.

^^^My fiancee and I still live in Clifton. However, we moved farther away from the Ludlow Business District, after waiting over a year for the grocery story to reopen. No longer was it so invaluable for us to live right down the street. When the grocery store closed, we became closer to (good) restaurants that would burn holes in our pockets, rather than a three minute walk from amenities. In fact, she moved from Seattle to be with me. During her visit, Keller's was open. When she moved here two months later, it was closed. Quite a blow.

Some news about Kellers:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/mobile/cincinnati/morning_call/2012/03/former-clifton-iga-reopening-delayed.html

From the Goessling PhaseBuch page

"We will be having our meeting tomorrow at 2:00, with the SBA and the Economic Development Department for the City of Cincinnati. This is pivotal to our ability to announce the status of the Clifton project. All the Indicators point to success!"

tomorrow is 7/18

From the CTM, 7/26/12:

"Yesterday, July 25, we met with representatives of 5/3 Bank, the City of Cincinnati Economic Development and the SBA.  We were encouraged by the commitment of 5/3 and the City to our project. The SBA will take our project to their Board meeting in about two weeks.

I want you to know that we are moving forward and are fully  committed to Clifton, the Clifton Business District and all the surrounding neighborhoods. Once we have a closing date, we will announce the construction schedule. We anticipate that the construction will take approximately 3 months."

Is this man deluded ... or brilliant?

In a multimillion-dollar gamble, Goessling trying to revive failed Clifton grocery

The Reading owner of three regional IGA stores is days away from finalizing a $4.1 million plan to revitalize and reopen the grocery store in Clifton that former owners left in debt and disrepair in January 2011.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120917/BIZ/309170145

^ Many people (myself included) were undoubtedly elated to discover this article on the front page of today's Enquirer.  After all these  months of walking past the old store, staring through the plate glass, and witnessing 0% progress, most of us simply gave up  hope.  Now we can dream again.

It sounds like a solid plan, why does the Enquirer think it is delusional, or brilliant even?  The store seems to do alright if it has been in that location since 1939.  Did the full story of how the previous owners got in trouble ever see the light of day?  That is what the Enquirer should investigate. 

^-Not only that but these guys are non union and agree or disagree will be less encumbered by the rules and wages they are forced to pay making the expenses less and maybe hopefully allowing them to profit and pay taxes, which I recall was the reason the old place shut down, they were delinquent on taxes and couldn't pay them back.  Though a small part of me wonders if Kaisch had anything to do with it, again a good investigative journalist piece would be nice but we can't expect it from the yellow journalism that's popular these days.

 

Its not a crazy idea, only crazy to the heavily suburban focused Cincinnati.  One of the first comments on the article btw suggested that he should build something downtown, which IMO wouldn't be a bad idea particularly if Kroger keeps being blind to changes in grocery store formats in urban places...

 

 

As with all other urban grocery related things in this city, I'll believe it when I see it. This project has been stalled several times. I hope it's for real this time.

This sounds really alarmist, I don't think it will hamper the deal any, just a few extra hoops.

 

Goessling says Clifton IGA deal in flux

6:00 PM, Sep. 27, 2012

Written by Laura Baverman

 

 

 

CLIFTON — The man who plans to open a grocery store in the old Clifton IGA says the City of Cincinnati failed to make good on a commitment to loan $550,000 to the $3.7 million renovation project.

 

Steve Goessling, who owns three regional IGA stores and bought the Ludlow Avenue building more than a year ago, is planning an 11 a.m. press conference Friday to rally Clifton residents and petition City Council to immediately approve the loan so construction can begin.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120927/BIZ/309270150/Clifton-IGA-deal-flux?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Maybe if Goessling's had a shadier past....

Comparing this to the Mahogany's deal is really frustrating. Is race a factor? Sex?

Maybe if Mrs Goessling asked for the loan....

^ We all know the Mahoghany's financing fiasco will never die because it's minority owned.  People making the comparison is more frustrating than this over-publicized hiccup.  When will Cincinnati start to spend time discussing important things, like how much a municipal light-rail network would cost if placed on the ballot for November 2013?

 

 

Maybe if Mrs Goessling asked for the loan....

 

hahaha

City: Loan deal for IGA close

Goessling meets with development officials

8:42 PM, Sep. 28, 2012

Written by Laura Baverman

 

CLIFTON — The city of Cincinnati says it’s still committed to helping developer Steve Goessling reopen a grocery store on Ludlow Avenue.

 

Goessling, the owner of three regional IGA stores, claimed Thursday that the city unexpectedly changed terms of a $550,000 loan it had offered in June, delaying the store’s planned $3.7 million renovation.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120928/BIZ/309280172&Ref=AR

anything on the short vine development? by staggerlees n domino's where the school was knocked down?? i know one development already failed there or was at least pushed back to whats going up now

i know its a resi building but thats ab it...

The first floor steel is up for the apartment complex on Short Vine with elevator/stairwell shafts approaching full height.  The other new building on Short Vine is now occupied (immediately next to Staggerlie's) and the complex on Euclid is finished and occupied. 

Short Vine is Corryville and this project is in another thread.

Does anyone have a detailed (like street by street) map of the neighborhood boundaries in/around Clifton?

Short Vine is Corryville and this project is in another thread.

Thank you. +9001

 

Does anyone have a detailed (like street by street) map of the neighborhood boundaries in/around Clifton?

I remember posting some boundaries in another thread. (Specifically those with relation to Clifton/Heights/CUF/Corryville.) Can't remember where I found them, or if they had streets, but you could kind of figure out the street boundaries regardless.

 

If anyone has the boundaries in a GIS format, I would love to have those...

Essentially, main campus and the area south and west of campus are CUF (Clifton Heights to the south, University Heights to the west, and Fairview to the southwest). The area East of campus is Corryville. East Campus is in Avondale. Burnet Woods and North is pretty much all Clifton.

This might help some.

 

via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CUF,_Cincinnati

 

I think when Jefferson becomes W Nixon, you exit Clifton. If not right there, then right around there. That's possibly the most confusing border crossing, especially since it is also where Avondale and Corryville connect.

Google Maps does a pretty good job of defining neighborhood boundaries. It doesn't really understand what The Heights is and it thinks you are referencing CUF (whose neighborhood boundaries are posted above).

 

Clifton:

 

Corryville:

Ok so I guess Clifton goes all the way to Vine on W. Nixon. That simplifies things, assuming it's right. Puts the whole block of Nixon/Bishop/MLK/Vine in Clifton. I'm pretty sure all of Burnet Woods is in Clifton, though, which puts that map into a little bit of doubt.

I'm so confused.  There's a sign at Bishop and Jefferson that says Welcome to Corryville, yet every map I see has the boundaries posted above.  Did that border change at some point?

^

Community councils are allowed to set their own boundaries, which may not match the official designation by the city.

Here is a map on Clifton's website showing the boundary: http://www.cliftoncommunity.org/Documents/cliftonmap.pdf

 

The only discrepancies I see are the NE corner of the neighborhood as well as the SE corner. These are Mitchell Avenue/Vine Street Hill Cemetery and Burnet Woods/Good Sam and Hebrew Union College. The map on Clifton's website is from 2008. Not sure if the neighborhood boundaries have slightly changed since then or if the Google boundaries are incorrect.

 

Google Maps:

 

Clifton's Website:

I think Google is wrong.

 

And I guess I was wrong, thinking Fries' is in Clifton.