Northside lumber yard redevelopment to be community process

Redevelopment of the Myron G. Johnson & Son Lumber Co. site at Hamilton Avenue and Blue Rock Street must involve community input, City Council says.

A June 6 motion, adopted unanimously, directs the City to present the contents of any request for proposals (RFP) process with the Northside Community Council, Cincinnati Northside Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, and the Northside Business Association before putting the project out for bid.

The motion also requires the preferred developer, when selected, to work with the neighborhood through a community design charrette.

A report on the motion is due before Council by August 1.

"The Northside community has labored for many years to preserve and enhance the unique qualities of neighborhoods as exemplified by its diverse, walkable, locally serving business district," a statement accompanying the motion said. "It has resisted efforts to shred its urban fabric through the introduction of big box chain stores. The redevelopment of the former Myron Johnson site at Blue Rock and Hamilton is an opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created by the American [Can] Building's success, and to reinforce the pedestrian oriented, mixed use of the Hamilton Avenue corridor in Northside's business district."

The former site of Myron G. Johnson & Son Lumber Co. was originally envisioned as a retail component of the Factory Square redevelopment project, but was later dropped due to market conditions.

The company vacated the site in 2005 for a larger space in Queensgate.

Previous reading on BC:
Northside's Factory Square set to begin (6/22/10)
Factory Square photo update, 4/4/09 (4/22/09)
ODOD: Forcing tax credit approvals would 'offend constitutional separation of powers' (5/16/08)
Ohio developers file writ with Supreme Court over tax credit program (4/11/08)
Inside American Can (3/25/08)