Dohoney advises against using Linden Park money for land banking

Money intended for College Hill's Linden Park project should not be used for a neighborhood land banking strategy, according to a report to Cincinnati city council by city manager Milton Dohoney Jr.

The report results from a motion, passed by council in November, to channel $1.5 million intended for the development of Linden Park to the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC) to acquire and demolish buildings in the mid-core business district.

The 1.05 acres, between 5943 and 6033 Hamilton Avenue, would then be available for residential redevelopment when the economy recovers, making the business district more mixed-use and sustainable.

But transferring the funds would contradict the City's precedent of land banking property only if a developer has a specific proposal for the site or if brownfield remediation is necessary, according to Dohoney.

"Typical examples are acquiring environmentally contaminated property and remediating it to put the City on a level playing field with the suburbs or assembling blighted property, such as the Queen City Barrel site," he says.

The Linden Park Commons project was meant to be the centerpiece of the 2004 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) plan for College Hill, one of four in the City that includes a $2.1 million investment in Northside's Factory Square project and $2 million for the redevelopment of Madisonville's Madison and Whetsel area.

In College Hill, the City spent $780,000 on acquiring and demolishing the Shuller's Wigwam site, provided CHCURC with a $80,000 pre-development grant, and spent more than $3,900 to maintain the lot.

The City also acquired the Eastern Star Nursing Home for $850,000, and, because of asbestos abatement, demolition is estimated to cost between $200,000 and $250,000. Maintenance costs have been just over $2,800.

In addition, the City appropriated an additional $1.8 million because Al Neyer, Inc. was willing to sign a development agreement.

Neyer backed out of the project last August due to poor condominium pre-sales and the inability to secure retail tenants.

"Had it not been for the actions of this developer and their willingness to undertake the associated risk, the Administration would not have recommended the appropriation of this funding," Dohoney says. "Providing College Hill with an additional $1.5 million for further land bank property is not only inequitable when compared with other land banking projects, but may deprive other communities of development subsidy funding that may be needed during 2009 for projects already in the pipeline."

Dohoney specifies those projects as Factory Square, Madison and Whetsel, the Spring Grove Village market study, Clyffside Lofts, and Brewery Heights infill housing.

Of the additional $1.8 million budgeted for Linden Park, nearly one-third already has been channeled to other projects.

Dohoney recommends that the City should focus on redevelopment of the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road, where it already controls 6.4 acres.

"These 6.4 acres are of sufficient size to spark additional redevelopment in the business district once the economy recovers," he says. "If these funds are redirected to the mid-district in College Hill the property that was to be the Linden Park project will remain an eyesore."

Previous reading on BC:
Linden Park money will aid other College Hill projects (12/2/08)
Neyer backs out of Linden Park (8/29/08)
Linden Park reception to kick off sales center opening (3/6/08)
City to sell land, provide loan for Linden Park (2/1/08)
New rendering, townhome developer for Linden Park (9/24/07)

Neyer backs out of Linden Park

Citing poor pre-sales, Al Neyer, Inc. (Neyer) has backed out of the Linden Park mixed-use project in College Hill, a project they have been involved with since 2005.

Unable to secure financing commitments as required by their sale contract with the City of Cincinnati, they decided not to renew their option for the property on the northeast corner of Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road, the former site of Shuller's Wigwam.

"The Linden Park developer, Al Neyer, Inc., was unable to secure the required number of condominium presales and commercial preleases to break ground within an anticipated timeframe," says Mike Cappel, president of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC). "Unprecedented downturns in the housing market contributed to slow sales."

Pre-sales of the 19 units began began March 6, with 9 pre-sales needed for the project to break ground - none of which had sales pending according to a search of the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati.

The $9 million, three-story building also would have included 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

In a letter to director of the City's Department of Community Development Michael Cervay dated August 20, James Neyer, vice president of real estate development for Neyer, says that they chose not to renew their option not only because of the poor sales of condominiums, but also because no retail space had been leased, and that the sales team from Midland Retail had been unable to secure any letters of intent from prospective tenants.

"While we recognize the lack of acceptance of both the for-sale housing and retail as market driven, we do not feel that this type of product can be successful even in the future and encourage the community to consider alternate uses for the site," he says.

But at the March opening of the sales center, James Neyer said that "we believe we will hit our condominium pre-sales goal this year and begin construction as soon as we can".

So what changed in five months, especially considering that the housing slump began well before this year? And what happens now?

"Efforts are already underway and interesting options are being explored," Cappel says. "CHCURC is optimistic about new possibilities which may result in a development project even more beneficial to the College Hill community."

James Neyer says that his company would be happy to assist College Hill with knowledge and resources as they look at new redevelopment strategies for the corner.

"We continue our enthusiasm for the College Hill neighborhood and its dedicated community volunteers," he says.

Image credit: Al Neyer, Inc.

Previous reading on BC:
Linden Park reception to kick off sales center opening (3/6/08)
City to sell land, provide loan for Linden Park (2/1/08)
New rendering, townhome developer for Linden Park (9/24/07)
Community support of Linden Park decisive (9/6/07)
Linden Park meeting tonight (9/4/07)

Linden Park money will aid other College Hill projects

Cincinnati City Council has adopted a motion to channel funding originally targeted for the College Hill's Linden Park project into other neighborhood development projects.

At the request of the neighborhood, the $1.5 million in funding will be designated for the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC) to acquire and demolish property in its mid-core business district to allow for redevelopment when the economy recovers.

CHCURC has already identified an alternative redevelopment project for the site.

"College Hill's identified alternative would accelerate blight removal, harness resources for demolition of deteriorating and condemned properties, incorporate the strategic use of City-already-owned properties, take advantage of the availability of strategically-located properties, eliminate a significant police 'hot spot', create a public green space, and create a site for a premier Form-Based Codes model for mixed-use, mixed-income housing and retail," said a statement accompanying the motion.

After nearly three years of planning the $9 million mixed-use project, developer Al Neyer, Inc. backed out of the Linden Park project in August due to poor condominium pre-sales and an inability to secure retail tenants.

Previous reading on BC:
Neyer backs out of Linden Park (8/29/08)
Linden Park reception to kick off sales center opening (3/6/08)
City to sell land, provide loan for Linden Park (2/1/08)
New rendering, townhome developer for Linden Park (9/24/07)
Community support of Linden Park decisive (9/6/07)

Linden Park reception to kick off sales center opening

Rendering courtesy of Al Neyer, Inc.

Sales for the Linden Park development kick off this evening with an opening reception for the sales center at Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road (BIRD'S EYE) in College Hill.

About 100 realtors will join City and community leaders to get a first glimpse of the 19 planned condominium units in the three-story, mixed-use building.

Of the 19 units, six will be one-bedroom flats, ten will be two-bedroom flats, and three will be two-bedroom, two-story lofts. Sizes range from 925 to 1,599 square feet.

Twelve of the units will be priced under $250,000, and all are subject to a ten-year tax abatement.

The $8.7 million development will also include nearly 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, possibly housing a restaurant.

Construction is expected to begin once nine of the units are pre-sold, and James Neyer, vice president of real estate development for Al Neyer, Inc., believes that will happen quickly.

"With the City solidly behind this project and the community so committed to see it happen, we believe we will hit our condominium pre-sales goal this year and begin construction as soon as we can," he said.

Sibcy Cline Realtors and Group Realtors have been named as the lead agents on the project.

The sales center will be open by appointment and during the regular hours of:

* Wednesday: 11:30 AM-2 PM
* Friday: 4 PM-6 PM
* Saturday and Sunday: 1 PM-4 PM

Previous reading on BC:
City to sell land, provide loan for Linden Park (2/1/08)
New rendering, townhome developer for Linden Park (9/24/07)
Community support of Linden Park decisive (9/6/07)
Linden Park meeting tonight (9/4/07)
Linden Park project to break ground in 2008 (7/24/07)

City to sell land, provide loan for Linden Park

Preliminary site plan from Al Neyer, Inc.

Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously to approve two ordinances that will allow the Linden Park project to move forward.

The ordinances allow the City to sell to Neyer College Hill LLC (Al Neyer, Inc.) the former Shuller's Wigwam property at Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road (BIRD'S EYE) in College Hill and will provide the developers with a $1.8 million forgivable loan to finance a funding gap.

The College Hill Urban Redevelopment Corporation selected Al Neyer to build a three-story, mixed-use building for the site with 19 condominium units (with an average price of $234,000), 14,294 square feet of street-level retail and surface parking.

The site will also include building pads for 22 additional three-story townhome units priced between $206,000 and $310,000, which is a future phase to be developed by M/I Homes.

The forgivable loan will come from City capital funds. The remainder of the funding for the $8.7 million project comes from the Cincinnati Development Fund and from owner equity.

The 2.3-acre Shuller's Wigwam property, which has been valued at $600,000, will be sold to Al Neyer for $1. The City believes that an increase in its housing stock and the required creation of 25 new jobs will more than offset this loss.

As a condition of the property sales agreement, Al Neyer must furnish the Department of Community Development with a concept development plan for the site within 120 days.

Buildout of the site should be completed by the end of 2010.

The developer had also been waiting for the City gap financing to be approved before opening a sales office on the site, which should now occur in February.

Future phases, which include properties on the northwest and southwest corners of the intersection, are still in the planning stages.


Preliminary elevations from Al Neyer, Inc.

Previous reading on BC:
New rendering, townhome developer for Linden Park (9/24/07)
Community support of Linden Park decisive (9/6/07)
Linden Park meeting tonight (9/4/07)
Linden Park project to break ground in 2008 (7/24/07)
College Hill: Linden Park Commons update (4/24/07)

City administration seeking other funding for College Hill land bank

With the $1.5 million originally budgeted for College Hill's Linden Park project now going to other projects, Cincinnati is looking into other funding methods to begin land banking in the middle of the neighborhood's business district.

In January, a report to City Council from city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. advised against using the funding for a plan by the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation to acquire and demolish buildings, then to hold the land for residential redevelopment until the economy improves.

The City of Cincinnati is already controls 6.4 acres at Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road, has invested between $2 million and $3 million in developing Linden Park, Dohoney said.

He added that, without a specified plan for the parcels between 5943 and 6033 Hamilton Avenue, using the remaining appropriations for land banking purposes "would set a bad precedent".

Instead, some of this money is being used for projects such as Factory Square in Northside, Madison and Whetsel redevelopment, the Spring Grove Village market study, Clyffside Lofts, and Brewery District infill housing.

Council failed to approve Dohoney's report, leaving in play a November 2008 adopted council motion to channel the $1.5 million from the abandoned project to the land banking plan.

Previous reading on BC:
Dohoney advises against using Linden Park money for land banking (1/14/09)
Linden Park money will aid other College Hill projects (12/2/08)
Neyer backs out of Linden Park (8/29/08)
Linden Park reception to kick off sales center opening (3/6/08)
City to sell land, provide loan for Linden Park (2/1/08)

College Hill residents reject senior housing

The residents of College Hill rejected a proposal for low-income senior housing near a prominent corner by a vote of 88-65 last night.

The College Hill Forum convened the special meeting at the College Hill Recreation Center to gauge public opinion on a proposal by Episcopal Retirement Homes (ERH) to build Cary Court, a $5.5 million, 40-unit independent living facility at 1630 North Bend Road. 

Read more »

Cincinnati creates $1.5M account for College Hill land bank

Cincinnati City Council has established a $1.5 million capital improvement program project account to help College Hill land bank properties in its mid-core business district.

The money will help fund a plan College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC) to demolish several buildings between 5943 and 6033 Hamilton Avenue, then hold the land until the economy improves for residential development.

CHCURC president Mike Cappel says that the community development corporation has not entered into any contracts, but is hoping to fulfill recommendations of the 2000 College Hill Strategic Urban Design Plan that call for mixed uses, infill housing, and greenspace.

"Our hope is that the redevelopment money will be used to purchase properties, and then create a larger parcel of prop for redevelopment," he says. "We hope to do this in a sustsinable, green, LEED-certified manner."

The funding, which will be drawn from six Department of Community Development accounts, is the result of a November 19, 2008 council motion asking for the remaining $1.5 million from the accounts of the failed Linden Park project to be reallocated to other neighborhood projects.

But a January 2009 report from city manager Milton Dohoney Jr. said that the money was no longer available, having been allocated to other projects.

In the report, Dohoney called using appropriated funds for land banking "a bad precedent" and said that the City is already too heavily invested in the neighborhood, having taken control of 6.4 acres of property near the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road and having paid between $2 million and $3 million on Linden Park's pre-development.

Council failed to approve his report.

Previous reading on BC:
City administration seeking other funding for College Hill land bank (3/18/09)
Dohoney advises against using Linden Park money for land banking (1/14/09)
Linden Park money will aid other College Hill projects (12/2/08)
Neyer backs out of Linden Park (8/29/08)
Linden Park reception to kick off sales center opening (3/6/08)

New rendering, townhome developer for Linden Park

Newly released rendering of mixed-use building

A new rendering and the naming of the townhome developer for Linden Park Commons were revealed at Tuesday night's meeting of the College Hill Forum.

The mixed-use portion of the project will include a three-story building with 19 condos and 13,000 square feet of street-level retail.

M/I Homes was named as the developer of 24-30 adjacent townhomes, which will complement the mixed-use building in appearance. Design on these is ongoing.

Project developer Al Neyer, Inc. plans to establish a sales office within a month after City Council approves $1.8 million in project gap funding.

Construction would begin when 50 percent of the mixed-use space is sold. The townhomes would be built based on customer demand.

Further reading on BC:
Community support of Linden Park decisive (9/6/07)
Linden Park meeting tonight (9/4/07)
Linden Park project to break ground in 2008 (7/24/07)
College Hill: Linden Park Commons update (4/24/07)

Community support of Linden Park decisive

In front of a standing-room-only crowd, the College Hill community voted 224-1 in support of the Linden Park concept plan.

The concept plan will now begin its movement through the City Planning Commission and City Council. The College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and developer Al Neyer, Inc. are seeking $1.8 million in project gap funding from the City.

The project at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road will include a three-story mixed-use building on the former site of Shuller's Wigwam. Included within the building will be 13,000 square feet of retail space and 19 market-rate condominiums with an attached parking garage.

A second phase will include 24-30 detached single-family homes to be built to the east of the mixed-use building.

More specific design details will be established if the City approves the concept plan and the budgeting of funds.

An updated site plan was not available at the time of this post. It will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

Further reading on BC:
Linden Park meeting tonight (9/4/07)
Linden Park project to break ground in 2008 (7/24/07)
College Hill: Linden Park Commons update (4/24/07)

Linden Park meeting tonight

Artist's concept

A community meeting will be held tonight to present the conceptual design of Linden Park Commons.

A review of schematic design by neighborhood residents is considered crucial in getting the plans approved by City Council.

The $8 million project, which is to be built at Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road, also has a funding gap of $1.8 million and is seeking City funding.

Due to the current housing market, the scaled-down project now includes a three-story mixed-use building on the former site of Shuller's Wigwam. Included within the building will be 13,000 square feet of retail space and 19 market-rate condominiums with an attached parking garage.

A second phase will include 24-28 detached single-family homes to the east.

Dropped from the project is the vacant Kroger store on the northwest corner of the intersection. That property is still privately held and the College Hill Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHURC) is working to acquire it.

Bloomfield, Schon & Partners has agreed to develop the Masonic Eastern Star site to the west of Kroger. Those plans should be available early next year.

The meeting will be held at 7 PM at the College Hill Recreation Center, 5545 Belmont Avenue.

The meeting is being sponsored by the CHURC and College Hill Forum. Staff from Neyer as well as members of the Linden Park Committee will be available to answer questions.

Further reading on BC:
Linden Park project to break ground in 2008 (7/24/07)
College Hill: Linden Park Commons update (4/24/07)

College Hill: Affordable development not 'highest and best use'

College Hill neighborhood leaders are asking the City to help them stop a 50-unit affordable housing development that would take up more than one-third of developable land at its most prominent intersection.

In a Nov. 28 letter to City officials, College Hill Forum President Phyllis Slusher, College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation President Mike Cappel, and College Hill Business Association President Juanita Canfield have asked the City to use its influence to deny a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) application from Akron-based Alpha Phi Alpha Homes (APA) to acquire and build on a 3.5-acre City-owned site at 1630 North Bend Road, commonly known as the Eastern Star property.

Read more »

Linden Park project to break ground in 2008

Sketch from the MLS of Greater Cincinnati

College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation president Bob Ludwig reports that the Linden Park Commons project will break ground in 2008.

The two-phase project at Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road will start with the northeast block, the former home of Shuller's Wigwam.

Pre-sales of condominiums for that phase began last October. Ludwig has said that groundbreaking would occur once 40 percent of the units were pre-sold or pre-leased.

Linden Park Commons will be a mixed-use development featuring retail, office space, 28 condos/townhomes and single-family homes.

The development also includes the site of a vacant Kroger and the Masonic Eastern Star Home.

The $25 million project is being developed by Neyer.

Building Cincinnati: College Hill: Linden Park Commons update (4/24/07)

College Hill: Linden Park Commons update

Here are a few tidbits via the College Hill Forum:

Sales for Phase One, which covers the former Shuller's Wigwam property, have begun.

The sale of land agreement for the former Kroger property is in the works and should come through within the next few months.

On the southwest corner of the intersection, land is now under CHCURC control which will become the site of a metal gateway sculpture. This should be installed by the end of the year.

A similar sculpture will go on the south side of the business district at Hamilton and Llanfair avenues. This sculpture will be installed after the City completes its new fire station on the site.

Linden Park Commons will be a mixed-use development featuring retail, office and 28 condos/townhomes. The $25 million development is being done by Neyer.

WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW (looking north)
Urban Ohio: Linden Park Commons

(NOTE: This is the first post regarding this project on the blog. The Urban Ohio link above will take you to the Urban Ohio discussion forums for background on this project. The link will open a new browser window.)

Controversial College Hill project withdrawn

A proposal for a controversial College Hill development has been withdrawn from City consideration due to a lack of site control, according to a memo from Department of Community Development (DCD) Director Michael Cervay.

Akron-based Alpha Phi Alpha Homes (APA) had submitted a Notice of Funding Availability application to DCD in early December, proposing to build a 50-unit affordable housing project on 3.5 acres at 1630 North Bend Road, commonly known as the Eastern Star property.

Read more »

Schoenberger says B&I understaffed, questions changes

Calling code enforcement statistics "the third most important key along with police and development to increasing homeownership", College Hill Forum Quality of Life Committee Chair Phyllis Schoenberger has several questions for City Council regarding the dismantling of the Department of Buildings and Inspections (B&I).

In an effort to stop the demise of B&I, she has submitted a letter to City Council asking them to review the last six years of data for the number of inspectors they have employed, the abandoned and vacant trends by neighborhood, the number of unenforced housing orders by neighborhood, and the number of cases per inspector.

By posing those questions, Schoenberger contends that it it impossible to effectively deal with housing issues when one inspector has a caseload of 600 properties, and wonders how dividing up the already ineffective department will help.

In fact, she has little hope that it will help, having worked with the Department of Community Development on the Linden Park project - where she doesn't see better efficiency, communications or timely enforcement.

And Schoenberger fears that building Linden Park may not have the desired community development result because the Hamilton Avenue business district remains plagued by property owners who ignore B&I orders because they know they won't be enforced.

In her opinion, this is due to the City's piecemeal approach.

"By choosing three neighborhoods per year, how long will it take to get the neighborhoods to get out of this spiraling abyss that Council and Administration has allowed to happen?", Schoenberger said. "How many of the properties being demolished under the Neighborhood Enhancement Program have been on B&I's unenforced housing orders for the past 10-20 years?"

Amendments to the Cincinnati Municipal Code dismantling B&I were passed by City Council on December 19.

Schoenberger's letter is dated December 7.

Councilmember Chris Monzel has proposed a motion to respond to Schoenberger's questions, but a timetable for a report has not been established.

Previous reading on BC:
Council approves changes for DCDP (12/24/07)
City approves money for new planning director (9/18/07)
$36,000 made available for planning director's salary (9/11/07)

College Hill redevelopment corp seeking short-term funding

Michael Cappel, the new president of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC), says that short-term financing is necessary to keep the mostly volunteer group's paid director, Marty Weldishofer.

Cappel says that, because funding for the paid position has been exhausted and additional funds aren't available to CHCURC at this time, a goal of $25,000 has been set to continue to fund Weldishofer's salary.

Weldishofer has been CHCURC's paid director since 2004, and has worked full-time for the neighborhood since 2006.

Cappel says that the director's position was created to supplement the work of the volunteers with daily, dedicated attention.

In support of the director, Cappel points to the following completed and pending projects on Weldishofer's watch:

* Linden Park East, a $12 million mixed-use development that should break ground this year at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and North Bend Road
* $1.6 million in streetscape improvements
* $600,000 in building façade improvements
* A $179,000 gateway project for the north and south entrances of Hamilton Avenue
* $30,000 for welcome and wayfinding signage

So far, Weldishofer's salary has been paid through donations, fundraisers, and grants from the City of Cincinnati.

CHCURC is planning fundraisers for later this year - a major fundraiser will be held at Laurel Court on June 27, and the College Hill 5K Rhythm Race will be held September 20.

Previous reading on BC:
College Hill: Linden Park Commons update (4/4/07)

Outside of Covington, Kenton largely unwalkable

For the last two Mondays, I have been publishing Walk Score results for the purposes of determining which local communities are the most pedestrian friendly.

Further explanation is available in my two previous posts, which featured Cincinnati's neighborhoods and Hamilton County's suburbs.

This week, I tackle Kenton County.

Three discoveries jump out:

* Many Northern Kentucky communities are amorphous blobs with no center at all, or multiple smaller centers. This trend grows the farther out you go.
* The "mall" influence allows Crestview Hills to appear somewhat walkable, which it is not.
* The east side of Covington (Austinburg, East Side and Helentown) is vastly under-retailed.

As a refresher, here is what the numbers mean:

* 90-100: Can live fairly easily without a car
* 70-90: It's possible to get by without a car
* 50-70: Some businesses within walking distance, some require the use of a bike, public transportation or a car
* 25-50: Few destinations are within walking range, most require the use of a bike, public transportation or a car
* 0-25: Forget about walking

Areas marked with an "*" are Covington neighborhoods.

(NEXT WEEK: Campbell County)

Car-free living
Mutter Gottes/Old Town* (6th and Washington): 94
Ohio Riverside* (Garrard and 2nd): 94
Covington DT* (4th and Scott): 92
Covington Arts District (Pike and Banklick): 91

Borrow a car every now and then
Licking Riverside* (Garrard and 6th): 88
MainStrasse* (6th and Main): 83
Seminary Square* (11th and Scott): 83
East Side* (12th and Greenup): 78

You should own a car, but you won't always need it
Crescent Springs (Crescent Springs City Building): 66
Latonia* (Decoursey and Winston): 66
Linden Grove* (15th and Holman): 65
Crestview Hills (Crestview Hills Town Center): 63
Lakeside Park (Dixie and Turkeyfoot): 63
Fort Mitchell (Dixie and Highland): 62
Lewisburg* (Pike and Western): 60
Thomas More College (Turkeyfoot and Thomas More Pkwy): 57

Buy a gas discount card
Erlanger (Erlanger City Building): 48
Kenton Hills* (Edgehill and Sunset): 46
Taylor Mill (Taylor Mill and I-275): 46
Botany Hills* (Highway and Parkway): 45
Austinburg* (19th and Maryland): 43
Elsmere (Elsmere City Building): 43
Peaselburg* (19th and Howell): 43
Helentown* (18th and Maryland): 42
Kenton Vale (3100 Madison): 42
Villa Hills (Buttermilk and Collins): 42
Fort Wright (Dixie and Kyles): 40
Wallace Woods* (Greenup and Wallace): 37
Levassor Park* (Madison and 26th): 35
Park Hills (Amsterdam and Park): 35
Monte Casino* (Benton and Janes): 31
Bromley (Pike and Main): 28

Help...I'm trapped!
Edgewood (Edgewood City Building): 25
Latonia Lakes (Cedar and Clubhouse): 23
Independence (Madison and Independence): 18
South Covington* (Madison and Hands Pike): 15
Ryland Heights (Decoursey and Stewart): 6

CityBeat: Mending the City's Bones

CityBeat's Steven Rosen has written a great story about developers Steven Bloomfield and Ken Schon.

Most of the article focuses on the American Can Factory Square project and how they are trying to piece together the financing.

Rosen also touches on Bloomfield and Schon's rehab of the former Ford factory at 660 Lincoln in Walnut Hills (a beautiful project), condos they plan to build at 2801 Observatory Avenue in Hyde Park, and their interest in building the townhome component of Linden Park Commons in College Hill.

Monday news roundup

A look back at development news from the past week

Local blogs

CityKin reports that the Historic Conservation Board will hold a hearing this afternoon regarding the Freestore Foodbank's plans to demolish several buildings in Over-the-Rhine.

The Parker Flats blog has some amazing photos of the building's interiors and mechanicals.

UrbanCincy breaks down the GO Cincinnati report.


Print media

Developers of the Banks have been given extra time - until February 29 - to secure the $74 million in financing needed for the project's first phase.

Construction is beginning this week on the parking garage for the first phase of the Uptown Consortium's $100 million Avondale redevelopment project.

Cincinnati City Council is being asked to consider $2.4 million in gap financing that could allow College Hill's Linden Park Commons project to break ground this fall.

Another extremely wasteful project has been proposed, with Bear Creek Capital announcing plans for a 250-acre, Easton-like development on a greenfield in Liberty Township.

Calling it "grossly oversized", Hyde Park Neighborhood Council voted 7-2 against a proposal for a four-story, mixed-use building at 2633 Erie Avenue.

The Oakley Community Council will present its final design plan for the new streetscape project on February 5.

The Anderson Center complex will be occupied within the next week, with the official opening day scheduled for March 15.

A public hearing will take place in Madeira January 28 to consider rezoning the south side of Euclid Avenue, between Miami and Laurel avenues, for attached townhomes or condominiums.

Schuermann Properties has proposed a 12-acre medical complex near the I-74 and North Bend Road interchange in Green Township.

Kentucky Senate President Pro Tem Katie Stine plans to introduce a bill in the General Assembly that would require all new state roads to be built with walking and bike paths.

The Marge & Charles J. Schott Foundation is granting Green Township $500,000 to restore the historic Diehl house (1835), where Mrs. Schott once lived.

The renovation of Mariemont's Resthaven Barn has begun, with plans to hold a regional art exhibition this May.

This April, a coffee shop may be coming to Fort Thomas' Midway district.

Phase 1A of the $3 million renovation of Highlands High School is wrapping up, with Phase 1B set to begin in February.