Walker Street resident says Cunningham would be bad developer choice

A resident of Walker Street wants the City to know that an interested developer of a City-owned lot would be a bad choice, should the City part with the land.

Developer Ken Cunningham has made inquiries into the surplus City lot at the top of Walker Street (BIRD'S EYE) as well as other privately-owned lots, which would be used as part of a larger redevelopment project.

The Walker Street resident says that he and other residents on the street have filed multiple complaints with the City over property Cunningham owns at 1873-1875 Walker Street, which they say has been in a state of disrepair for years.

"In fact, the back of one building has fallen off," the resident wrote in a letter to Councilmember Jeff Berding's office. "It is a safety concern of the people on Walker Street!"

According to City records, 1873 Walker Street has been ordered vacant since May 2006, and a March 2008 inspection recommended that the building be razed.

At one time, Cunningham and partner John Spencer had considered salvaging part of the structure for condominiums.

The resident says that they have taken the overgrown and trash-filled City-owned lot and turned it into a nice green space with flower gardens, and they would like to see it stay green - either by continuing to tend the lot themselves or having it deeded to the Cincinnati Park Board.

"We do not feel that a person who does not take care of his property should be considered a good choice for any development within the city," the resident wrote. "We feel that the people of Walker Street should have a say in what is done with this vacant city lot, since we have done a great job in making it something for the street, neighborhood, and the city to be proud of."

A report from City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. is due before City Council in early May.

Ken Cunningham is the principal in charge of Kenneth Cunningham Associates, Inc., a local landscape architecture firm based in Over-the-Rhine.