Major collapse on W. Court near Elm tonight, taking out two attached buildings: https://goo.gl/maps/cmqeH

That definitely sucks. That's a good looking row of buildings. I really hope the remaining three that are the same aren't endangered because of this in some manner. That are is already so baron it would be a shame to lose any more buildings, especially in such a ridiculous manner.

The Mt. Auburn Methodist Church was demolished today as well.

 

Fred Berger had just bought 128 W Court this past summer. The building was civil war era and had never been renovated.  I would guess that the rain last night had something to do with the collapse.

 

From my understanding, the Mt Auburn church was actually a very old structure underneath that had been renovated into a victorian.

And then tacked on with additions in the mid 20th century :( I can't remember - what will go in the church's place?

And then tacked on with additions in the mid 20th century :( I can't remember - what will go in the church's place?

 

Not sure, it came as a total surprise to me.

I can't beleive the guy who wrote this is the person who pretty much decides what gets demolished in Cincinnati:

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/01/05/demolitions-help-price-hill-home-values/21288775/

 

So myopic its absolute nonsense.  Has he ever traveled anywhere?

It depends on the individual properties. Massive demolitions of vacant buildings is usually bad for a neighborhood, but selective demolition in a neighborhood for the worst offenders can help the neighborhood by making that street more attractive to potential buyers.

 

I don't see Price Hill getting a large influx of funding or new residents who have the money to rehab long-abandoned homes, so demolition may be the best option for some of the worst offenders.

I did a project that dealt with vacant lots in Price Hill. We went around to various sites and talked to locals and neighbors. Almost all of them said the same thing. Their streets have improved since the demolition of that one house on the street that was overgrown, falling apart, etc. Massive demolition is bad, but in a situation where you have a stagnant street with one or two problem properties, demolition, and I can't believe I'm saying this, makes way more sense than waiting around for rehab since it's probably not coming anytime soon.

 

Widespread, urban-renewal style demolitions are never good. But strategic demolitions to remove the worst offenders can really help declining streets.

It depends on the individual properties. Massive demolitions of vacant buildings is usually bad for a neighborhood, but selective demolition in a neighborhood for the worst offenders can help the neighborhood by making that street more attractive to potential buyers.

 

I don't see Price Hill getting a large influx of funding or new residents who have the money to rehab long-abandoned homes, so demolition may be the best option for some of the worst offenders.

 

There should be more stabilization though.  I feel its only a matter of time until the closer in areas of Price Hill will be restored.  There is an untapped asset value here.  Its a good long term investment.

^I agree that there are beautiful homes and streets in Price Hill with homes that SHOULD be rehabbed, but unless someone is willing to do the work, it isn't going to happen. I would love every building to be preserved and keep the integrity of the neighborhood, but we shouldn't have blind faith that it will happen soon. We need to be realistic and let some buildings go, even if it hurts to see them gone.

They are taking the path of least resistance.  City officials should be a lot more creative in selling this asset - too many people from outside the city that can afford to do rehabs should be incentivized to go there.  Ok a few buildings will be lost, but really this is overall terrible policy for Cincinnati given its current trajectory.

It depends on the individual properties. Massive demolitions of vacant buildings is usually bad for a neighborhood, but selective demolition in a neighborhood for the worst offenders can help the neighborhood by making that street more attractive to potential buyers.

 

I don't see Price Hill getting a large influx of funding or new residents who have the money to rehab long-abandoned homes, so demolition may be the best option for some of the worst offenders.

 

The problem is that selective demolition turns a potentially restorable property into an undevelopable lot ( in the next 10-20 years) that becomes a dump site, giving community leaders a whole new set of problems because the city doesn't maintain that lot and wont for 5-6 years until they take it for the demo lien. It then will be sold in a few years for 5.00 at the  annual property sale and some investor from our of state buys it who will never do anything with it. Cincinnati is following the Detroit urban renewal model and we all know that did to Detroit.

 

The facts are it cost 12-15K to demo a house. The city usually has some orders which can be remedied via legal claim and award of property in court. What should happen is the city seeks an award, places the property with landbank and the landbank gives it to group like PHW who then secures it and stabilizes the outside only with say 4000 of the 12 K demo money. A stabilized house adds value to the neighborhood.

 

The biggest problem the city has is it scares away legitimate people trying to come in and fix up  property by laying all the prior owners offenses on them and treating them the same way. What I call the 'slumlord assumption" that anyone buying in these neighborhood actually would want to restore an old house, the inspector views as worthless..

 

Case in  point:

 

http://victorianantiquitiesanddesign.blogspot.com/2014/08/city-drives-out-homeownerrestorer-in.html

 

And I can bet the new owner is in the same boat. The management at city hall is beholding and friends with demo contractors. the inspectors have no incentive to work with property owners, only to tag things so the city gets more federal monies for demo. This is not about improving neighborhoods its about a city an agency addicted to federal money to keep its bloated staff going.

 

We need to lobby the city council that CDBG funds (Community DEVELOPMENT Block Grant funds) are primarily used for stabilization not DEMOLITION.

 

This is why Newport and Covington are turning around people are moving across the river to restore to not deal with this city.

118 W Sixth St has been demolished... according to CAGIS, the permit was issued in September and demolition was completed in December: http://cagis.hamilton-co.org/opal/apd.aspx?entcode=cinc&ezstdadrtag=118|W|6TH|ST|GJ1482831069|||CINC|CINC|014500020299001186|014500020299|014500020299|CINCINNATI&APD=2014P05906

 

The property is owned by WWWT LLC which is owned by Martin Wade. Does anybody know a) why the building was demolished and b) what the plans are for the site? The original building was constructed in 1900. I think the last tenant to occupy the building was Langano Ethiopian Restaurant.

 

Google Streetview: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.102109,-84.515648,3a,89.8y,356.12h,99.98t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1scU85vOHNL0RalG0t1wMkMQ!2e0

 

 

 

 

That apartment with the Walgreen's was built in 2003.  Curious as to why that owner didn't sell back then.  However with private homes going up on city lots like this that opportunity exists here. 

^That's kind of what I imagined when it was torn down. There wasn't much of a sensible reason for demolition other than replacement in my mind. A single family home that's 3-4 stories, 4000+ square feet, etc. that close to Fountain Square would be worth well into the 7 figure range. I wonder if we'll be seeing a townhome going up in that spot sometime soon.

How bad was the facade altered? I wonder if it was a case of the building just not being cost effective to rehab, if its only the third floor detailing that was worth saving?

It appeared that basically everything except the window detailing on the third floor was removed. The building was hardly a shining example of any form of architecture. The cornice didn't appear to be in very good shape either.

FYI: 118 W 6th before demo:

Discussion related to Mt Auburn was moved to its own thread: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,29894.0.html

Fencing up around Clifton Natural Foods building. 

The Fish/Chicken/Gyro building just outside Findlay Market was coming down this morning.

I thought the city didn't approve the permit for its demolition? Not that I care since it's a hideous little structure that's insulting to the market and its surroundings.

 

They wanted a development plan for the site before approving demolition. Maybe that was given to them and that's why it was allowed to proceed. Makes me wonder if something new will be going up on this site.

I thought the city didn't approve the permit for its demolition? Not that I care since it's a hideous little structure that's insulting to the market and its surroundings.

 

They wanted a development plan for the site before approving demolition. Maybe that was given to them and that's why it was allowed to proceed. Makes me wonder if something new will be going up on this site.

 

Yeah, it was definitely rejected just last week so I was surprised to see it already coming down first thing this morning. They seem to be in a rush to get it down - I hope it's not just for parking, which even on a busy day there's plenty of along Central Parkway, though this weekend half the cars were parked in the bike lane and the other half were parked correctly.

The Conway Clutch building at the corner of Colerain and Marshall is completely leveled now.

This is one that doesn't surprise me. That building was in rough shape. Hopefully that site can be put to productive use somehow.

I don't know the history of the building, but it's sad to see how the building was left to waste away since 2011. And to add insult to injury, they tore down the mature trees on that block as well.

Fencing up around Clifton Natural Foods building. 

 

Houses on Lyon St. coming down today. 

There is a gofundme to get gap financing in place for Nazca properties prevent a building from falling down in OTR on Lang St - http://www.gofundme.com/orqu5w

 

The enquirer reported on it and didn't bother to link the gofundme: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/03/16/lang-street-building-faces-demolition/24864273/

^-I haven't seen much movement on this crowdfunding campaign in the last day or so, if you value Cincinnati's history please donate.

According to the Enquirer, <a href="http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/03/16/lang-street-building-faces-demolition/24864273/">a funding plan is in place</a>:

 

Under the plan, the city covers a third of the salvage cost; razing it would have cost twice as much. The Hamilton County Land Bank is going to handle the stabilization work, which is estimated at $134,600. The plan is to divide the cost between the Land Bank, the city and the community/potential developer. Under this plan, the city contribution will be between $50,000 to $65,000, which will come from the city's Historic Stabilization of Structures Program, Rosemeyer said.

 

Former Clifton Natural Foods building is coming down. (Is there a thread for this project?)

 

There's a conversation on Facebook about how Pomodori's recently closed and will be torn down as well. In the short term it will be used as a construction staging area / parking lot.

I think the CUF Development thread is best. No need for a separate topic on this project alone.

Pomodori's the pizza joint up the street that always threatened you with towing? I always thought the food way okay, but the service was downright awful or rude.

Too bad- that corner and the new development could have had a lot more character if the natural foods building and the one next to it were incorporated into the new development.

I head that earlier this week the owner of Pomodori's filled up a trailer of crap from his restaurant, pulled out into McMillan, stuff started falling out, then the trailer itself detached from his pickup.  It took him like an hour to get the stuff all back on the trailer and the trailer attached to the tail hook. 

Anyone on here know who filmed the Stearns & Foster Smokestack demolition with the quadcopter toady? It was one of the spectators not someone from the companies involved. That thing was supprisingly rock steady hovering in the breeze and waiting for the thud. If i didnt have to go back to work I would have looked to track them down.

 

Boundaries of the Dayton Street Historic District being... expanded?

 

 

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/about-city-planning-buildings/city-planning-commission/apr-4-2015-packet/

In the packet it said: "the owners of the American Flag Company expressed an interest in being taken out of the district. The Bright Star Baptist Church owns several properties along Charlotte and Baymiller, and they wanted to be taken out of the district as well. ... but the HCB ultimately decided to not approve the boundary with the above changes."

 

Glad to see the HCB did NOT approve that request. The American Flag Company is located at 1817-1819 Freeman, which is a very cool building that was constructed in 1923. I'm glad that this is staying within the historic district: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.116969,-84.531393,3a,70.8y,239.42h,90.19t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRQIcg17xRO30xCPJke8mFw!2e0!6m1!1e1

 

The Bright Star Baptist Church owns 36 (!) parcels in the West End. I hope the City holds them accountable for maintaining properties and ensuring that any new development fits with the character of the neighborhood.

 

 

Anyone on here know who filmed the Stearns & Foster Smokestack demolition with the quadcopter toady? It was one of the spectators not someone from the companies involved. That thing was supprisingly rock steady hovering in the breeze and waiting for the thud. If i didnt have to go back to work I would have looked to track them down.

 

Has there been anything announced regarding what that land is going to be used for? Since 2006, they've torn down all of the buildings on both sides of Shepherd Ave. Here's an aerial picture from 2006:

The front facade is almost entirely gone on 1706 Lang. Very sad to see so much of the building lost due to neglect.

I believe some of the facade (and the fire escape) was selectively removed after most of it fell into the street. The building should be stabilized.

East End Cafe's roof has partially collapsed per @CincyFireEMS:

 

Crews on scene Eastern Ave report partial roof collapse at 4003 Eastern, building is vacant, no injuries reported, building dept. requested.

 

 

Well, yeah, demolition by neglect. The owners applied for a permit to tear it down.

East End Cafe's roof has partially collapsed per @CincyFireEMS:

 

Crews on scene Eastern Ave report partial roof collapse at 4003 Eastern, building is vacant, no injuries reported, building dept. requested.

 

 

That bar was still open until about four years ago.  I looked inside through the broken glass blocks earlier this year and the owners were making zero attempt to stabilize the structure. 

 

 

Neglect and fire...though I'm surprised burned buildings can be left without more supervision.

The owner of the Davis Furniture building on Main Street has a letter on Cincinnati.com today in which he attempts to justify his decision to tear down the building. There’s no mention of what they intend to do with the land afterwards, so my guess is on offering some free parking to their tenants. There’s no way they’d get a new building as large as Davis on that site for the $2.8 million they estimate the repairs to be, so apparently neither renovation or replacement is viable for them.

 

Their price is around $127 a square foot. I think that falls in line with the cost other similar properties throughout OTR are being renovated at. I don't think they'd be able to build new at that price, unless it was done on the cheap.

 

Construction will begin this week on the Cincinnati Streetcar stop located directly in front of the Davis Furniture building. If the building is demolished and replaced with a parking lot, they will only be able to have an entrance/exit onto 12th because the streetcar stop will prevent access from Main. Hopefully this will put an end to their demolition plans.

The front facade is almost entirely gone on 1706 Lang. Very sad to see so much of the building lost due to neglect.

 

Got wind that with a lot of gumption 1706 lang has had its facade fixed up.  Let the haters continue to hate - at least something "too far gone" finally is getting saved in this city (and it wasn't 3CDC):

 

East End Cafe's roof has partially collapsed per @CincyFireEMS:

 

Crews on scene Eastern Ave report partial roof collapse at 4003 Eastern, building is vacant, no injuries reported, building dept. requested.

 

I'm not 100% certain has it was dark and raining but it appears the East End Cafe has been demolished.

^ Yes it was, a couple weeks ago now I think.