Verona condos now in pre-sales

Photo from the Greater Cincinnati MLS

Several condominium units in the Verona Historic Residents in Walnut Hills have recently hit the market.

The Verona at Eden Park, at 2356 Park Avenue (BIRD'S EYE), is the next phase of the Gates of Eden Park development by Ed Horgan and Al Merritt.

Two two-bedroom, 1,500-square-foot units are currently listed for $189,900.

The building will eventually feature 50 one- and two-bedroom condominiums on the first three floors and 16 lofts on the fourth floor, all arranged around a common courtyard.

The Verona was originally built in 1906 as country apartments for wealthy Cincinnatians who lived Downtown.

Developed by the Emery family and designed by Joseph Steinkamp, the building features marble stairwells and 12-foot ceilings.

The Gates of Eden Park includes eight Walnut Hills properties and is being marketed through Comey & Shepherd.

Wrecking Cincinnati, 2/19/08

2352 Boone St, Walnut Hills
Multi-family

DOB: 1929
Died: February 2008
Cause of death: Leaning parapet walls, in danger of collapsing onto the sidewalk. The interior had major damage to walls, floors, ceilings and the electrical system. It was condemned in October 2006. In mid-2007, the owner attempted to bring the building up to VBML compliance. Apparently, he changed his mind later in the year and eventually had the structure razed.

Wrecking Cincinnati, 1/28/08

2418 Iowa Ave, Walnut Hills
Multi-family

DOB: 1911
Died: January 2008
Cause of death: Razed by the Union Institute and University for parking. The City had been hounding them about defective windows, plaster and drywall, plumbing and electrical since November 2005. The last tenant was evicted late last year.

Wrecking Cincinnati, 1/14/08

2401 Symmes St, Walnut Hills
Two-family

DOB: 1890
Died: December 2007
Cause of death: A cracked foundation, missing/stolen siding, missing windows and doors and failing gutters and downspouts. Also, a fire occurred here in early 2006 and the City condemned the house in September of that year. It was declared a public nuisance in May 2007. A criminal case against the owner has been filed and has been continued to February 22.

Assorted new Cincinnati photos

Here is a random assortment of photos that I had left over from trips taken between November 14 and December 24, 2007.

These 27 photos have been added to the following galleries:

* Northside +7 (69 photos)
* Covington Downtown +3 (27 photos)
* Corryville +2 (41 photos)
* Mansion Hill +2 (27 photos)
* Mount Auburn +2 (38 photos)
* Westwood +2 (33 photos)
* Botany Hills +1 (7 photos)
* Cincinnati Skyline +1 (50 photos)
* Clifton +1 (48 photos)
* Downtown +1 (115 photos)
* Eden Park +1 (21 photos)
* Lewisburg +1 (4 photos)
* Mount Adams +1 (90 photos)
* Peaselburg +1 (10 photos)
* Walnut Hills +1 (39 photos)

Please click on each image to enlarge to 800 x 600. Each photo will open in a new browser window.

Galleries for all of the neighborhoods can be found in the drop-down menu at the top of the right-hand column.

Downtown


Mount Auburn


Mount Adams


Covington Downtown


Botany Hills


Peaselburg


Lewisburg


Mansion Hill


Walnut Hills


Eden Park


Corryville


Northside



Westwood


Clifton


Cincinnati Skyline

Photo update: Volterra Condominiums, 9/18/07

Phase one of the Volterra Condominiums appears to be very near completion.

The project is being built by First Fisher Properties along the 2200 blocks of Kemper (pictured) and St. James avenues in Walnut Hills.

A total of 11 attached condos will be built in four phases.

Click on each image to enlarge to 640 x 480.





Last update on BC:
Walnut Hills: Volterra Condominiums (3/16/07)

Affordable housing projects win federal tax credits

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) has awarded Walnut Hills Redevelopment and Tender Mercies, Inc. federal tax credits for the development of affordable housing.

The federal tax credits, distributed via the OHFA, are enacted every year for ten years. The housing credit can be deducted from the owner's federal taxable income.

Walnut Hills Redevelopment won $870,000 in tax credits for the rehabilitation of the Walnut Hills Apartments at 849 Beecher Street. The rehab of the 197 units will cost $3.8 million.

Tender Mercies, Inc. was awarded $308,000 in tax credits for their Harkavy Hall project at 24 W Twelfth Street. Details on that project are unavailable.

Two other local applicants, Over-the-Rhine Community Housing and Model Property Development, did not receive any funds in this round.

The OHFA awarded more than $18.75 million in tax credits to 34 developers.

There were 90 total applicants.

To read about the losing applicants:
BC: Model Property Development seeking federal funds for fourteen-building rehab (7/3/07)
BC: North Rhine project could lead to 54 affordable units (6/12/07)

City authorizes TIF agreements for Humana HQ

Cincinnati City Council has approved an ordinance authorizing a service agreement and a development agreement with Corporex for the Baldwin 300 project on Eden Park Drive.

Terms of the agreements require Corporex to pay equivalent exempted property taxes directly to the City to pay down debt on bonds that the City will issue. This will help finance an 1,100-space, four-story parking garage. $19.95 million of the $21.34 million garage costs will come from these Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.

Corporex had asked the City to establish the TIF district to get financing in place so they could start construction as soon as possible.

To expedite the process, the City removed the 4.4-acre parcel from Walnut Hills TIF District 6 and effected the new district immediately through emergency ordinances.

In addition to the parking garage, the $86 million Baldwin 300 project includes a $45 million, 250,000 square foot office building which will allow Humana of Ohio to consolidate its 900 local employees and to add up to 300 new jobs.

Also included will be a 123-room hotel on the south side of the Baldwin Center. No hotel chain has been named, but it is expected to serve primarily corporate guests.

The project is expected to be complete in 2010.

WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW
GOOGLE AERIAL MAP

Walnut Hills Preservation seeks tax credits for senior housing

Walnut Hills Redevelopment (WHR) has applied for federal tax credits to rehabilitate the Walnut Hills Apartments.

The federal tax credits, which are distributed in Ohio through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), are awarded each year for 10 years. The housing credit can be deducted from the owner's (in this case OTRCH) federal taxable income.

WHR plans to use the funds to rehab 197 low-income units at the complex at 849 Beecher Street.

The total project cost is $3.8 million.

On June 6, City Council passed a resolution supporting the application.

The OHFA is scheduled to announce the accepted applicants on August 1.

WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW (looking south)
GOOGLE AERIAL MAP

Citi Trends coming to Peebles Corner

A Citi Trends store will be going into the retail space at 911-915 East McMillan Street.

Those familiar with the area may remember this as the Family Dollar and the Payless Shoes(later Flingz restaurant) spaces.

Citi Trends offers discounted apparel for men, women and kids.

The publicly-traded company, with over 160 stores nationwide, is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia.

This store will be their ninth in Ohio and their second in Greater Cincinnati. Their other local store is in the Hilltop Plaza, just north of Mount Healthy.

Citi Trends website
WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW
GOOGLE AERIAL MAP

Walnut Hills: The Overlook at Eden Park

Up to three floors as of March 10.

This project, by Joshua One, is at 2145 Luray. There will be 24 luxury condos, 2 of which are penthouse units.

Urban Ohio: The Overlook at Eden Park
(NOTE: This is the first post about this project on this blog. For prior photos, news stories and comments, please visit the link above.)

Walnut Hills gallery added

A photo gallery of Walnut Hills has been added at the bottom of this page.

There are currently 32 photos in this gallery.

Walnut Hills: Volterra Condominiums

This is a First Fisher Properties project consisting of 11 condo units.

It's being built between Kemper Lane and St James Ave, about halfway between Nassau and Windsor.

Urban Ohio: Volterra Condominiums
(NOTE: This is the first post on this blog regarding this particular project. Clicking the link above will provide you with the backstory for this project.)

Walnut Hills: 2101 Florence Ave

The new Cornerstone Broker Insurance Services Agency offices at 2101 Florence Ave have been completed.

Urban Ohio: Last update (1/15/07)
(NOTE: This is the first post on this blog regarding this construction project. Clicking the link above will lead you to prior photos as well as the entire archive of construction updates.)

City of Cincinnati: GET TO WORK!!!

This is one of my favorite stretches of street in the city, the 800 block of Lincoln Ave in Walnut Hills.

These red brick houses were built in the 1880s and 1890s.

Some are in decent shape and appear to have tenants, while many are vacant.The vacant ones are the ones owned by the City of Cincinnati -- specifically, 842, 844 and 846 Lincoln.

While it appears that there is work going on, I've never seen anyone on site and I haven't noticed any progress at all. The sad thing is that the City is in violation of its own VBML code. 842 Lincoln even has open windows with jagged, broken glass.

These could be neat little houses if someone, besides the City, took the time to fix them up.