Just to be clear, 18 Mulberry is in no way about to be torn down. The GARAGE at 18 Mulberry is 2 walls with a collapsed roof & 2 missing walls. That is what the nuisance order is on.

 

Thanks for the clarification...the Facebook posting indicated the house itself was at risk. But given its state of neglect and long period of vacancy, the house itself remains at risk. The objective of local preservation advocates should be to get the house out of the ownership of a long-distance absentee individual and into the hands of someone who will commit to restore and live in it.

 

We clarified that the hearing concerned the garage building on the facebook page too, after attending the public hearing. No one commented on it, however.

 

1704 Madison Road, built in 1900. Owned by Firehouse Associates (same as building to the left in the old firehouse). Sold on Feb. 3, 2012 for $180,000 to Firehouse Associates from Tanner Michael T & Lynn J. It has a 30 year TIF abatement starting in 2003.

 

There is a lot of activity at this site. Does anyone know what the plans are for the old firehouse? Looks like the inside is being gutted.

If you want to see first hand how to reverse the demolition trend, then you need to come to the Knox Hill "Preservation Opportunity" Home tour on May 19th 12-4 , when some under restoration homes in the 1800 block of Knox will be on display as well as two guided architectural walking tours of the area at 12:30 and 2.

 

What we are doing with our "Save-not-Raze" program can be duplicated throughout the city. We actively fight demolitions by the city,  and we are acquiring endangered houses and stabilizing them. We are now getting to the point where the city is actually seeing the results we are getting and are backing off on demolitions. Because they know we CAN get results.  More importantly it is being done on a "grass roots level", no federal state or local dollars. No 3CDC, just a few neighbors getting together to buy abandoned houses, stabilizing them and getting them into good hands. An active crime watch and routine cleanups also helps. We are actively marketing our historic housing stock to a national preservation oriented audience and many of our new owners are coming from out of state to our area, because of the great architecture. It has not been an overnight process but its working.

 

My point is, Preservation doesn't "magically happen", it takes work, and it takes some vision too. Given how cheap most historic architecture is in this city it's amazing what sweat equity and some volunteerism can do. We figured out a while back that if you are waiting for the city to do something, that won't happen. The city is far too "addicted" to that federal CDBG demo money and their "administrative cut" to pay salaries to voluntarily stop demoing stuff.

 

We cant save it all but we can save our llittle piece of our neighborhood and preservation works on a house by house, block by block basis.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like the photo orienation data didnt transfer on the last two pfotos. I have no idea why it didnt.

Looks good. You should get a group & email the city about increasing its stabilization fund.

May 24, 2012: Huntington Place demo progressing southward. Historic Mt Auburn getting a bit less historic to make way for a parking lot, as I understand it.

 

 

http://overtherhine.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/the-gradual-detroitification-of-cincinnati/

 

A lot like Dresden, with 2 notable buildings remaining like islands in the rubble. The WPA published a book with a walking tour of Mount Auburn on page 355. Interesting to see all the historic properties noted in that tour, c 1940, that have been pulled down by Christ Hospital.

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=g9vJrsMSnEQC&q==auburn#v=onepage&q=tour%2018&f=false

Yeah I took some photos up there 2 weeks ago when everything was fenced off.  There was still a pretty nasty crowd hanging out up there despite that single building being the only one still occupied.  With all of their cover leveled, I doubt we will see the drug & prostitution drive-thru survive. 

Because drugs and prostitution are basically "cash and carry" businesses... demolition only means the purveyors of the trade will relocate and set up shop again nearby. Demolition impacts (historic) buildings, not so much unsavory people who can and do move around frequently. Religious institutions and hospitals are among the most egregious destroyers of historic homes and buildings under their ownership. Christ Hospital is certainly not unique in tearing down historic homes. Children's Hospital has eradicated many historic homes in its periodic expansions with those great old brick Victorians across the street on Erkenbrecher highly threatened by any new expansion.  Changes in technologies and health care policy may render mega-size hospitals obsolete in the future but there's no bringing back what was lost in their frequent expansions. No one would shed a tear for demolishing a former hospital in the future since they were never built to last a century or more like the old houses were. And once grand houses they were...

I'm well aware that the people just move elsewhere.  But this whole situation could be mitigated by better public transportation, which would reduce the amount of land needed for parking.  Christ Hospital has long wanted service from a subway or streetcar line because its hilltop site is so complicated. 

City leadership still doesn't understand the key to preservation is to preserve right-of-way.  The amateurish approach of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in regard to municipal planning causes more demos than anything.  If the City didn't have block after block, street after street, sitting to rot for a decade or more without a more effective way of motivating absentee landlords, no one would think to knock anything down.

Given the new landbank will provide millions for demo, it will take lawsuits to stop it. It could be by one, challenging the lack of section 106 review as these are technically federal pass through monies or two by a taxpayer lawsuit challenging the reduction of the property tax base by these activities placing an undue burden on other taxpayers.

 

Either way the only way things get changed in this city will be by a federal lawsuit, because this city council is essentially clueless.

So with the old lady dead now, is The Gamble House safe from demolition?

So with the old lady dead now, is The Gamble House safe from demolition?

 

Hardly...ownership and site management passed long ago to the Greenacres Foundation and they are on record as wanting the Gamble House demolished. Were it not for the on-going legal tug-of-war we would now be talking about the Gamble House in the past tense. It's fate is far from decided at this point and the Foundation has access to enough funds to fight this battle in court for years and probably will.  The passing of a family member with the closest connection to this property has no direct impact on its fate. We can only hope that at some point common sense will come into play and a reasonable compromise can be achieved without dragging this through the court for years. Only time will tell.

Well it's believed by some that Louise Nippert herself ordered the demolition and perhaps the management of the foundation was stalling until she died.  I'm worried though that the directive is written in such a way that the foundation forfeits money or there's some other penalty if the demolition is not carried out. 

Well it's believed by some that Louise Nippert herself ordered the demolition and perhaps the management of the foundation was stalling until she died.  I'm worried though that the directive is written in such a way that the foundation forfeits money or there's some other penalty if the demolition is not carried out. 

 

It's my understanding that she did not like the (her husband's) old family home and cared not if it were demolished but hard to pin down whether that is negative hearsay or a proven fact. In any case, the Foundation applied for and received a demolition permit and that is the basis of the on-going legal dispute. I've never heard of any penalty against the foundation for not carrying out the demolition or it would have surely been presented by them in court. They spent something like 3 million dollars restoring an Indian Hill historic home but nothing on the Gamble House. Some members (younger?) of the Gamble family apparently do wish to see it preserved and restored while arguably having the company founder's home to tour would be an excellent public relations/corporate image gesture for P & G, but the legal process has to be played out first however long it takes.

Not sure if this was posted elsewhere, but Mallory is prominently featured in the article.....

 

In Shrinking Cities, Preserving Existing Buildings Can Stem The Loss

Roberta Brandes Gratz / Jul 20 2012

For Release Friday, July 20, 2012

Citiwire.net

 

The concept of historic preservation has finally penetrated the national conversation over so-called “shrinking cities.” Sort of.

 

At last month’s Reclaiming Vacant Properties” conference in New Orleans, sponsored by the Center for Community Progress, a few stellar examples of conserving abandoned but quality structures were presented. But the real trumpeting of the strategy of preservation instead of demolition came from an unexpected voice.

 

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory told the opening plenary panel: “I’m not a big tear-down fan.” He prefers working with community-based groups that renovate empty properties and put people back in homes, he said. “When you keep clearing land, it makes it difficult to get new investment and kill the chance to repopulate.”

 

http://citiwire.net/columns/in-shrinking-cities-preserving-existing-buildings-can-stem-the-loss/#more-3552

 

 

Either the honorable Mayor has an evil twin or there is a total disconnect between what he claims to advocate and what he allows to happen under his mayorship. Demolitions of old structures, both homes and buildings, have been brutal over the past 2 years. That in itself is regrettable but at this time there is actually a program put forth by the Ohio Atty. General called "Moving Ohio Forward". The goal set by this program is the demolition of at least 100,000 structures state-wide by the end of 2013. (equal to the number of houses total in one of the "3 Big C's" such as Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati) Cincinnati's "allotment" from this program required the City to match state and federal funds to come up with enough money to demolish 1,000 structures by the end of 2013. To do so, the City quietly raised property taxes to come up with the additional revenue needed for this project. A half million less than the matching amount was not required to be raised by the city under the program. In the Price Hill neighborhood alone, a target was set of demolishing 100 homes with the other 900 in other neighborhoods to be reached by the end of 2013.

 

My question is: and I don't know how else to word it, where in the hell was Mayor Mallory when these demolition quotas were being made? Oh wait...I seem to recall it is being done partially under the auspices of the Port Authority, and some kind of County "land bank" with a stated goal of putting together parcels of land for redevelopment. Who put the Port Authority in the demolition and redevelopment business? Anyone ever heard of the great Urban Renewal programs of the 1950's and 60's? The concept back then was to eradicate urban "blight" via wholesale demolions of entire neighborhoods (usually augmented with an unspoken minority demographic control component) and thus free up near downtown land for new development. In most cases, the demolitions happened but the redevelopment didn't or was far less in scale than envisioned. A good example would be the Kenyon-Barr neighborhood which was replaced by the Queensgate industrial-warehouse complex. This "new" state backed program is nothing more than a second try at Urban Renewal. For some reason, our society refuses to accept that anything old can be made to be as good as something new.

 

The OTR (Over-the-Rhine) near downtown neighborhood is arguably one of Cincinnati's success stories with millions in investment and rehabilitation work on the district's 19th century buildings. Yet just over a decade ago when ugly riots were still fresh in the collective memory, the "solution" to OTR's problems many felt was wholesale district demolition followed by hopefully new development. Thankfully, the 3CDC appeared with an alternative solution of rehabilitation and restoration rather than razing everything. In hindsight, that was a courageous decision that is now paying off profitably. If Mayor Mallory truly believes in the successful OTR approach then he and his council should go on record opposing demolitions on the order of 1,000 at a time. One thing is certain, once these structures are razed, there's no bringing them back, mere lip service towards historic preservation does not appease anyone and makes the Mayor look deceitful and insincere. A community cannot demolish itself back to prosperity no more than amputating injured limbs will restore a person back to perfect health. When the dollar amounts spent on the rehabilitation of Cincinnati's 19th century homes and buildings equal the dollar amounts spent on demolitions, I'll take the Mayor's words to heart. But right now, they ring hollow and without substance.

The OTR turnaround can't be repeated across the city because only one historic district is right next to downtown and between it and UC.  The problems with demolitions on the west side is the fault of the white population who has abandoned areas en masse in the last 10 years.  This was enabled for 2 reasons: the often-recognized Section 8 vouchers, but also the expansion of the sewer system which paradoxically has people leaving the old parts of Green Twp for the previously unbuildable parts. 

J/M, I partially agree with your conclusions especially the part about Sec. 8 vouchers and the concentration of poverty in certaining neighborhoods often having abundant old housing stock. But I also think your points are an oversimplification of a complex set of urban problems. The trend of bringing higher income and better educated individuals into places like the OTR is just now reaching critical mass. The on-going Riverfront transformation is sure to add even more gravity to the back-to-the-cities movement in Cincinnati. But the problems of the past, especially bringing the large impoverished population up and forward with the rest of the City is challenging. I could see the West End, at least what's left of it, becoming on-par with the OTR in a decade or so. Even South Fairmount could employ the concept of historic preservation to augment the EPA mandated MSD Lick-Run stream daylighting project. But the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) does not seem to want to be bothered by sparing any neighborhood homes or buildings impacted by the project; just clear cut and start all new seems to be the plan. (with the unproven assumption that developers will swoop in with a low density-high value suburban type layout along the beautiful contoured banks of a former sewer drain.) The concept of conserving older neglected but well built housing and commercial building stock is no longer cutting edge-many communities are doing it routinely with great success including the well known Main Street programs. It is one of the right approaches for our leaner times as preservation and rehabilitation costs less than building new, wastes fewer resources, and maintains the neighborhood visual familiarity which helps defines old neighborhoods. Nothing new can ever replace that. Cincinnati's Northside is well on its way towards a revitalized neighborhood and has a bigger "Hip" factor going for it than other neighborhoods. While a revived Northside would be different than the OTR it would have just as much appeal to newcomers. I envision Cincinnati entering a long period of steady growth and applaud Mayor Mallory for his words in support of historic preservation; however, to be credible, he must translate his talk now into ACTION. San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, Charleston, and Savannah, have all discovered that their old neighborhoods and historic homes contribute greatly to their community appeal-the same can be duplicated in Cincinnati and certainly in more neighborhoods than just the OTR District, IMO. I see the OTR as having been a "test case" for historic preservation employed to help turn a marginal area around-in my opinion, the OTR has passed that test with flying colors.  With that in mind: Why not try it in other areas, Mr. Mayor? Spend as much money on rehabiltation and preservation of worthy structures as the City spends on demolitions.

While I don't have a bone to pick with Mayor Mallory, I think it would be advantageous to him politically to champion historic preservation more prominently - like Joe Riley, the mayor of Charleston, SC.

So I saw this evening that the old Highland/East End Community Heritage School (near the LeBlond Rec Center) is being demolished.  How'd this happen? 

 

http://goo.gl/maps/rsnnZ

That's a damn shame.

Drove by while it was happening, shocked me.

Nice old building, but it's been empty for the better part of a decade.  I feel like I've seen a couple different for sale/lease signs on it as it's passed through different hands, but no one came up with the money and interest to rehab it, I guess. 

 

Yeah, a look at the auditor's site shows it was owned by the school board until 2006, when the school closed after a failed charter experiment.  It then passed to DCI with plans to turn it into condos.  (DCI is behind much of the condo development in that area, it seems.)  Then something called River Park Properties in Newark, OH took it over earlier this year, and applied in May for a permit to demolish.

 

It is a shame, but I guess a business case couldn't be made to fix it up in those six years.

Being that close to the river and within the flood plain would make it harder to get insurance for a project like that, but I still wonder if they have any plans for the site or just want to tear the building down and sit on the land.

 

I think empty lots look a lot worse than abandoned historic buildings, but maybe I'm in the minority.

I think empty lots look a lot worse than abandoned historic buildings, but maybe I'm in the minority.

 

I share that view.

 

It then passed to DCI with plans to turn it into condos.  (DCI is behind much of the condo development in that area, it seems.)  Then something called River Park Properties in Newark, OH took it over earlier this year, and applied in May for a permit to demolish.

 

Interesting to note DCI had it.

Maybe they will just expand the soccer fields.

Apply To Serve On The Historic Conservation Board Or Zoning Board Of Appeals

 

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/noncms/

I drove through Lockland on Monday and noticed they were demoing what is left of the Sterns Foster plant.

Part of it collapsed after a heavy rain.

Yeah, they started last week.  Are they going to demo the whole thing?

^It sure looks like they are.  I'll try and grab some pics if I'm up there again this week.  Wyoming Ave has been closed near the plant the last two Mondays that I have been to Lockland

I assume that's what I saw being demoed from 75-S the other day.

I've learned that this beautiful stone building is going to be demolished in Mt. Auburn.  Because of the location I'm pretty sure it has to do with a certain overflow lot.

 

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.118886,-84.511679&spn=0.001792,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.118886,-84.511679&panoid=sBM48j5nc1CHMpWyZ2PBew&cbp=12,52.47,,0,-10.61

 

I know Christ Hospital is going to redevelop, but seriously I have a bad feeling the redevelopment will be banal vinyl boxes.  The lot shouldn't have been passed, how did this happen?

Damn damn damn.  So few of these left in Cincy.  This is really getting to be criminal what we continue to let slip away.

 

...on the heels of the court ruling allowing the demolition of The Gamble Estate in Westwood.

 

The Queens crown continues to lose jewels.  Soon to be downgraded to princess status.

 

Do you know exactly when it is going to be demolished?  I would like to get a photo.  I would go so far as to take a day off work.  I am doing an ongoing photo series on hospitals tearing down their surroundings. 

^-Very soon, my source said its imminent.  You should try to get a picture as soon as possible.

I already have photos of it.  I want to get a photo of it when they start taking it down.  With that crane in the background it'll be dramatic.  Luckily I only live a half mile away so I can keep an eye on it.

WTF IS GOING ON!?!  They're demolishing THAT for and Overflow Lot!?! 

 

 

Earlier today:

 

 

 

There are people still living in the building, so it's probably not being demolished in the next few weeks. There are also a few apartment buildings to the north of this one (which are not nearly as beautiful or architecturally significant) that will probably be demolished as well, if this rumor is true.

 

^According to the Hamilton County Auditor, the property is owned by Mt. Auburn Housing Incorporated.

I drove by on Saturday and there are people still living in the building so it's not being torn down at least for a week or so. 

I've heard rumors that Christy's and Lenhardt's is going to be demolished. Bortz wants it gone for a parking lot. I didn't hear any timeline for this, but Christy's is closing (or closed, not sure) so it seems like a very real possibility. No article to link to, just rumors from other people. Anyone else know anything about this?

^Ugh, that's seriously one of the most disappointing things I've heard in a while. A parking lot? Because the sudden influx of parking at U Square isn't enough. I seriously hope there's some sort of fight for this to not happen if the rumors are indeed true. That whole side of McMillan already has too many parking lots as it is. We don't need any more.

^-Do they realize that building with Christy's/Lendhardts is a mansion that was built by Christian Moerlien himself?

^Hopefully in that case some historic preservationists fight this. It would seriously be a shame for that building to be gone forever. It needs some help for sure, but is such a cool building. The though of it being turned into a worthless disgusting parking lot makes me want to scream.

A FYI: http://goo.gl/maps/n49ec

 

Nice building, could use some proper rehab, but it would be a SHAME if it was demolished for a parking lot.

Can someone confirm if Christy's is even closing?  I haven't heard anything about that and their website is operational with no mention of an impending closure.