Cincinnati moves to recognize Incline District

Cincinnati City Council has adopted a motion formally recognizing the Incline District in East Price Hill.

The motion, from Councilmember Laketa Cole, recognizes the boundaries of the Incline District as the eastern and southern boundaries of East Price Hill, Warsaw Avenue and Elberon Avenue.

Properties along the northern side of Warsaw and the western side of Elberon are also included.

Approval of the motion means that the sub-neighborhood will be recognized on all City maps and planning documents.

The boundaries were approved by the East Price Hill Improvement Association (EPHIA) on December 17.

The push for the establishment of the district comes as City Lights Development has announced Incline Square, a $50 million mixed-use development near the Queens Tower that will feature condominiums, restaurants, offices, a medical office building and a revamped park and promenade.

EPHIA believes the new designation will help them better market the district to developers by focusing attention on a much smaller area.

"Price Hill is too large and too diverse to accurately describe to outsiders all that is within," EPHIA president Michael Wigle wrote in the EPHIA motion.

Wigle believes that the establishment of the Incline District will instantly give people "a sense of nostaligia" - and hope.

"The excitement around the name 'Incline District' stems from the unique aspect of this historical neighborhood," Wigle wrote. "Marked by incredible architecture, beautiful parks, natural borders, and of course, proximity to the historic Incline and the panoramic views of the Ohio River and downtown, the Incline District is an important designation because it helps to create a sense of place within the broader neighborhood of Price Hill."

In an ironic twist, City Lights Development recently razed what is believed to be the Rees Price mansion at 767 Mount Hope Avenue.

The neighborhood is named after Price, and it was his funding that built the incline.

Previous reading on BC:
East Price Hill: City Lights is not dead (4/10/07)