For the Record 09.11.13

CINCINNATIWHAT WE LOVE & HATE ABOUT THE CITY PG 2 THE EVOLUTION OF OVER-THE-RHINE PG 4 DATA ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS PG 8

ISSUE NO. 17 • SEPT. 11 - 17, 2013 • CINCINNATI ISSUE

THE CINCINNATI ISSUE / WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11, 2013 / PAGE 2

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD IN CINCINNATI?

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WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE THIS CITY FACES?

WOULD YOU STAY IN CINCINNATI AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE?

That’s tough. I’m a little partial to Ludlow (actual Clifton) and Northside because I’m there a lot. But, I love going to OTR and Downtown as well.

We’re broke. But we’re spending money on things like a street car that won’t connect anything.

I love this place and I can see myself staying here or coming back under the right circumstances, but I’d like to see Chicago, New York, London, Glasgow, Dublin, etc.

I’ve randomly spent a lot of time in Northside in the past few months. I’m in love with Django. Literally, I like Northside just for that place.

Crime? I love Cincinnati. I can defi nitely see myself staying here, but I want to explore other cities, too.

You can always fi nd something fun to do in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, but I’ve had a lot of good times in Carthage.

There isn’t just one issue. In fact, there are so many I don’t know where to start.

I would like to move around at fi rst but I’m pretty sure I will end up dying in the city I was born in.

I feel obligated to say Mt. Washington because I’m from there. But I’m really in love with Over-the-Rhine during the week when it’s not nuts.

The city is so divided by neighborhoods. Until people living in di� erent neighborhoods fall in love with the city as a whole, nothing will change.

Honestly, probably not. There’s a lot of awesome things happening in design here but I’d like to move somewhere with a legit Italian grocery.

As long as Over-the-Rhine puts its foot down on keeping those preppy Mt. Adams kids out of the area, it will stay diverse, chill and, most importantly, fun.

The city needs to do more to address its pension system’s unfunded liability.

Oh, absolutely. I grew up with the assumption that there was nothing to do in Cincinnati, but the past few years proved me so, so wrong. I’m happy to be wrong in this case.

Delhi — it’s where I grew up. Plus, it’s a 15-minute drive from just about anywhere around here.

Money? I don’t think we need a street car either.

I would, yes. I love living here. But I’ve had a taste of travel in the past few years and I’d like to see more of the world, so I’ll take my chances wherever I can.

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Gravelrama in Cleeves is one of the best weekends you can have with your shirt o� .

No comment.

Casablance Vintage in Northside. Vintage fur and fabulous hats—it’s my favorite.

I don’t think there will be any surprises.

Shake It Records in Northside. I wouldn’t call it a hidden gem necessarily, but it’s never that crowded and it’s a great place to hang out and discover music.

If you watch the fi rst fi ve minutes of The Newsroom, you’ll understand why I can’t answer this question out of principle.

A nature/exercise trail at Embsho� Woods in Delhi.

Nope.

The Ohio Bookstore downtown is fantastic. Literally six fl oors of awesome ... if you like to read. If you don’t ... I don’t like you. Read stu� , learn things.

I’m not big on politics. I try to avoid them, to be honest. But I think this city needs a candidate with a true business sense.

It’s not a hidden treasure, but I think college students should take advantage of the art museums we have here.

The News Record news section will cover it all. Expect to see our Politics Issue on stands before you hit the polls.

WHAT’S A HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE CITY YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF?

ANY THOUGHTS ON THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS?

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On two different occasions Cincinnati comic book fans get to sport their capes and spandex RYAN MILLER CONTRIBUTOR

Citizens of Cincinnati: be liberated in the

plethora of comic books.Cincinnati is home to two separate comic

book conventions in 2013. Cincy Comic Con took place Saturday and Sunday at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. But considering the Cincinnati Comic Expo takes place Sept. 13 to 15 at the Duke Energy Convention Center, one might ask, why two?

Rise up and celebrate the opportunity to buy comics, meet celebrities, find amazing collectibles and for those daring enough, dress in tight, colorful spandex on two weekends in the month of September. What else could a fan of the comic genre want? For those not familiar with the comic book world, this is an excellent opportunity to web sling in and find out.

Walking into the main room, attendees were greeted and handed a bag. Inside was a free comic book and promotional material from some of the vendors participating. A map is included, which proves to be very helpful because each aisle of the packed event features opportunities to browse and purchase comics, toys, collectibles and art.

Appropriately named, Artist Alley held all of

the featured comic book artist and creators set up and ready for autographs and handshakes.

Chris Burnham, a comic book artist known for his work on the “Batman Incorporated” comic book series, signed autographs for fans and answered questions. When asked about

being in Cincinnati, Burnham referenced a visit to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal fondly calling it, “the train station museum thing.” He also gave his opinion on one of the city’s pride and joys, Skyline Chili.

“I thought it was delicious,” he said. In addition to talking with celebrity artists

about culinary preferences, Cincy Comic Con offered a wide array of events. Workshop classes were offered ranging from subjects like how to self-publish to sketch duels, in which two popular artists were given a certain character and time limit and had to produce their own rendition.

There are so many things to look at that shoppers might find themselves walking around for hours just trying to find that one special item.

Luke Geddes, a graduate student in the English Department at the University of Cincinnati, is no stranger to the world of comics or comic book conventions.

“I’ve been interested in the comics medium for a long time and even taught a comics literature class last semester,” Geddes said.

Geddes went on to describe his reasons for attending.

“I’m usually on the lookout for non-superhero humor and romance comics from the 1940s through the 1960s, stuff like ‘Betty and Veronica,’ ‘Little Lulu’ and ‘Nancy and Sluggo,” Geddes said.

Geddes said he still managed to locate a few, “decent finds.”

It’s hard to formulate an argument for not having two conventions devoted to comic books in Cincinnati. It’s a win-win for everyone and Cincy Comic Con did not disappoint.

Now the wait for the Cincinnati Comic Expo begins. Only time will tell if the city will be home to two separate events in the future.

THE CINCINNATI ISSUE/ WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11, 2013 / PAGE 3

Superheroes congregate in Cincinnati BALLET

CONCERTS

THE KAPLANSept. 12 - 22 Aronoff Center

SWAN LAKEOct. 25 - 27 Aronoff Center

THE NUTCRACKERDec. 20 - 29 Aronoff Center

KING ARTHUR’S CAMELOTFeb. 13 - 16 Aronoff Center

SYMPHONY IN C & BOLEROMarch 28 - 29 Aronoff Center

YELLOWCARDSept. 12 Bogart’s

BRAND NEWSept. 13 Bogart’s

CITIZEN COPESept. 14 Bogart’s

SIGUR RÓS Sept. 16 PNC Pavillion

WEEZERSept. 20 Horseshoe Casino RYAN MILLER CONTRIBUTOR

Collectors and fans were presented with an overwhelming amount of merchandise at Cincy Comic Con.

RYAN MILLER CONTRIBUTORChaotic-neutral Deadpool is a familiar face at all Comic Conventions.

“For those not familiar with the

comic book world, this is an excellent

opportunity to web sling in and find out.”


BEN GOLDSCHMIDT NEWS EDITOR

All that the light touches is not Clifton, and it certainly isn’t your kingdom.

Anyone who went to a Cincinnati high school likely remembers the times they snuck out or lied to mom and dad to “go party in Clifton,” and proceeded to brag to friends because they were within a five-mile radius of the University of Cincinnati. Unfortunately, the “Clifton” label graduated with a majority of UC students, followed them here and, apparently, pays tuition.

Here’s what nobody seems to get: UC borders three neighborhoods.

First is Corryville. As soon as you pass Jefferson Avenue on the East side of it turns into Corryville. I’m sorry, but drinking at Daniel’s Pub isn’t drinking in Clifton.

Next is Clifton Heights. This is the area to the southwest of campus where a lot of what-would-be-called run down houses stand and serve as party pads.

By now this point is surely beginning to seem menial, and the fact that we’ve chosen to make it must make us anal elitists.

It’s not, and it doesn’t. The fact is, an abhorrent number of us students treat Corryville and Clifton Heights like a dump and don’t even have the common courtesy to learn their names. We throw glass bottles on the street, flick cigarette butts on the

sidewalks and drunkenly prance about as if it’s our turn to run these streets because “we’re in college, bro.”

I’ve heard the phrase, “Whatever, it’s Clifton,” far too many times to think this is a nothing problem. The distinction is important, because the real Clifton doesn’t get this kind of treatment. Walk down Ludlow Avenue and look around. Does it look like a tornado of 19 to 22 year olds just got done having a bender? No, it doesn’t.

The word “Clifton” evolved into its own meaning; a neighborhood we’re allowed to trash because we pay tuition. The truth is, that definition is not Clifton. It shouldn’t define Clifton Heights or Corryville either.

Over-the-Rhine renovation leaves some outArea gets facelift, could force some residents to move out ALEXIS O’BRIEN CHIEF REPORTER

As one of Cincinnati’s eldest districts, Over-the-Rhine is known for its history and eclecticism. It’s celebrated for its Italianate architecture, oldest-in-Ohio farmers market, diverse cuisines and many entertainment options.

It’s known for its soul, and its ever-changing nature.

“The population of OTR has changed dramatically over the past 50 years and will continue to change,” said Christopher Auffrey, University of Cincinnati School of Planning director.

“In the next 10 to 20 years, I envision OTR will continue to redevelop as an eclectic mix of young singles and empty-nesters.”

Auffrey said in the 1960s, OTR was a poor, white, Appalachian neighborhood. The neighborhood experienced white flight in the 1970s, and the population became predominantly black.

In the past ten years, the neighborhood has become whiter and wealthier, Auffrey said.

This change is partially due to the recent revitalization efforts of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp — a private development corporation founded by Cincinnati business leaders in 2003.

“It’s a collaboration of a number of really fine Cincinnati companies doing what they do best,” said 3CDC founder John Barrett. “We formed to take advantage of downtown development opportunities.”

Since 2004, the group has invested about $315 million in Over-the-Rhine, including $53 million in taxpayer dollars.

The remaining funds came from loans, state and federal historic tax credits and private sources.

So far, 195 of the district’s residential units have been renovated and Washington Park

received a $48 million facelift. An underground parking garage, performance stage, water feature, children’s playground and dog park were added to the eight-acre green space.

Currently, 3CDC is building Mercer Commons, a $63 million project encompassing 19 buildings and 26 vacant lots on Walnut Street.

Upon the project’s completion, the buildings will contain 96 market-rate apartments, 30 affordable apartments and 28 condominiums, as well as commercial and parking spaces.

3CDC is also renovating 18 buildings on Race, Elm and Republic streets that will yield 74 condominiums, 14 apartments and 8,100 square feet of commercial space.

“[We] are bringing it back from the dead,” Barrett said. “All of the beautiful Italianate architecture was old but needed attention.”

Peter Hames, an Over-the-Rhine councilmember, said physical building improvements are beautifying the district’s overall streetscape, among many other things.

“OTR’s demographics are changing and income levels are beginning to go up,” Hames said. “There are more job opportunities and more restaurants here than there were five years ago.”

While Over-the-Rhine’s community council credits 3CDC for its dramatic impact on the district, the council disagrees with 3CDC’s approach to the projects.

“3CDC doesn’t take their plans to us as a rule, which is too bad,” Hames said. “Their mission is to revitalize OTR, but how they do that is a different question.”

3CDC takes its renovation proposals to the city’s historic conservation board — a city manager-appointed panel of at least one historic preservationist, one historian, two architects, one attorney, one realtor and one economist.

“It’d be better if [3CDC] genuinely came to the community and said ‘here’s an idea, let’s work on this together’ instead of saying ‘here’s our idea, what do you think?’” Hames said. “There’s an important distinction between working collaboratively and just getting

someone’s reaction to a proposal.”The Over-the-Rhine community council

focuses on maintaining the district’s historic nature while also acting as the voice of the residents.

“One of my concerns is that 3CDC is acting like, in some cases, they are the community council, or that they are the city, which I think is overstepping their bounds,” Hames said.

The council wants a more consistent form of citizen engagement between community organizations, the city and other institutions that move into the area.

“When you privatize [city planning], you lose that sense of democracy,” said Josh Spring, the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition director. “The citizens have lost voice in the planning of their own city.”

Spring is one of the community members who want to ensure a new type of neighborhood doesn’t come at the expense of low-income residents.

“A process that creates a vibrant, hip OTR

neighborhood at the expense of some of Cincinnati’s most struggling neighborhoods is not progress,” Auffrey of UC’s school of planning said. “Hopefully there will still be room and opportunities for low-income individuals and families.”

Some claim 3CDC purchased occupied buildings on Vine and Race streets, causing residents who couldn’t afford increased rent prices to move elsewhere.

“We don’t know for sure what happens to everybody,” Spring said. “Much of this happens behind closed doors, even though public dollars are involved.”

Auffrey said it’s important that crime and homeless are not displaced and sent to another Cincinnati neighborhood, but Barrett said people had already left Over-the-Rhine before they started the renovations.

“What we’ve done is enhanced the area,” Barrett said. “We’ve brought some economic vitality back to it, but it’s still very much a mixed-income area by large measures.”

KATIE GRIFFITH MANAGING EDITORNew water features at recently renovated Washington Park. The $48 million renovations to the eight-acre park, completed in 2012, include an underground parking garage, performance stage, water features and a dog park.

OPINION: No one knows where Clifton is, no one knows what Clifton is; it’s not yours


Members of Latinos en Acción socialize over music, dance, authentic foodBECKY BUTTS ONLINE EDITOR

Spicy smells of Latin cuisine and rhythmic dance tunes filled the Hamilton County Fairgrounds at the 20th annual Cincinnati Hispanic Festival Saturday and Sunday.

The Hispanic Cultural Society of Cincinnati, a nonprofit organization, organizes the two–day festival. Volunteers make up the

management and staff and all proceeds go toward the Catholic-Hispanic community. Many organizations, restaurants, and vendors including the University of Cincinnati supported the event.

Because volunteer turn–out was so successful this year, Latinos en Acción (LEA), a student organization that intended to help out during the event, found itself unneeded. Instead, the group enjoyed the activities, music and food the festival had to offer.

“It was a really great experience,” said Nadia Merchant, LEA co-president. Merchant was pleased to have a social outing with new members.

One of Merchant’s favorite aspects of the

festival was the father–daughter talent show performed Saturday. She described watching a father and his young daughter sing a traditional Latino song on stage.

“It’s great to see the youth getting into the culture,” Merchant said.

LEA co-president Tamika Jones attended the festival for the first time. She has been a member of the group for three years, but this is her first year in office. Jones enjoyed having the opportunity to network with other Cincinnati Latino organizations at the fairgrounds.

LEA is the largest Latino student organization on campus. It is a community service group that reaches out to Latino students and those interested in the culture. “We are here to support

each other and to help each other succeed,” Merchant said.

Ethnic Programs and Services will collaborate with LEA to host a salsa–dancing workshop in TUC’s great hall from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 26.

“We don’t just want to be known for tacos on Tuesdays, we want to be more than that,” Jones said.

LEA members hope to educate the UC community about Latino culture while also serving as guides to Latin students adjusting to college life. Merchant and Jones want LEA to be seen as more than just a student organization focused on culture.

“We are not just a student organization. We are familia,” Merchant said.

Second Sunday on Main showcases local vendors, artists, eateries SARAH MULLINS STAFF REPORTER

Hundreds of people crowd Main Street in historic Over–the–Rhine to eat, dance and shop during Second Sunday on Main, a diverse neighborhood festival now in its eighth year. Local vendors line the streets, and artists and musicians provide assorted entertainment throughout the afternoon.

The festival draws out new crowds every year. Sunday’s event was no different, introducing guests to some of the many unique features Cincinnati has to offer.

“[Second Sunday] brings new faces to the street and into the shops and restaurants,” said Alisha Budkie, UC alumna and business owner in Over–the–Rhine. “It’s an eclectic neighborhood festival, every month we have new visitors that have never been to Main Street or OTR before.”

Budkie’s one word describes Second Sunday perfectly: eclectic.

Two rows of vendors occupied the blocked–off street and offered everything from vintage jewelry to handcrafted furniture.

Food was also in abundance and many of the restaurants were in the form of a food truck. Sweet Peace Bakery, an all–vegan company, offered baked goods and its popular Betterfinger, the Butterfinger’s vegan counterpart. The Red Sesame BBQ food truck

was also set up at the festival serving up its popular Korean BBQ burritos, tacos and salads.

And if the thought of food being made in a truck was unique, also set up at the festival was a clothing store in a truck.

Truckshop’s bright yellow and pink moveable shop gave shoppers the unique experience of stepping into a vehicle to browse, try on and find an outfit.

Retail shops that are permanent to the Main Street scene became instant hot spots as well. Substance Boutique, a women’s clothing store, was filled with shoppers checking out a selection of handbags, jewelry and fall scarves.

The flood of festival patrons walked out of Substance and filtered right into Streetpops, a gourmet Popsicle shop. It was a hit with kids

and adults alike, who could be seen trotting around the festival licking away at their frozen treats.

Iris Book Café is another spot that attracted music connoisseurs and bookworms. The café serves soups, sandwiches and salads while the retail shop next door houses a collection of books, records and other vintage media items. Customers rummaged through cardboard boxes of old records and classic magazines as if time didn’t exist.

If you’re planning an afternoon stroll around downtown, Second Sunday on Main is the perfect spot to make a pit stop and fuel up with a quick brew or a generous scoop of Dojo Gelato.

Second Sunday on Main will have its last event of the season noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 13.

Cincinnati Latinos embrace heritage, culture in city

Neighborhood festival highlights Queen City qualities

“ We are here to support each other

and to help each other succeed.”

NADIA MERCHANT, LEA CO-PRESIDENT

BECKY BUTTS ONLINE EDITOR PROVIDED


Cincinnati’s short time as an NBA town is often lost in its sports lureJOSHUA MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

Did you know that the Sacramento Kings of the NBA — previously known as the Kansas City Kings and likely to soon be known as the re-incarnation of the Seattle Supersonics — were once the not-so-crown-jewel of the Queen City, the Cincinnati Royals?

Nearly a century after the formation of the Cincinnati Redlegs, the world’s oldest professional baseball team, and one decade before the birth of the Bengals, Cincinnati was the second home to an NBA franchise now on the verge of its fifth relocation.

The story of how the team came to be and its abrupt departure is one that’s often forgotten amid the confusing — at times all to frustrating — haze of Reds fandom, Bengals hatred and high school football infused glory tales that have come to define the sporting history of this city.

For 15 years (1957-1972) the Cincinnati Royals were the main tenant of The Cincinnati Gardens, which, despite its current dilapidation, was one of the leading indoor sporting arenas in the U.S.

In that span, seven future Hall of Famers suited up for the Royals, which made seven playoff appearances in the team’s short-lived existence.

If not for the Boston Celtics being in the midst of what is unarguably the greatest dynasty in the history of American professional sports, winning 11 NBA championships in the 14-year span between 1957-1969, it’s possible that three royal blue championship banners would hang alone among the aging rafters of the Gardens today. Perhaps the Royals wouldn’t have left had that been the case, but again, we’ll never know.

Prior to the 1957 season, the owners of the Rochester Royals — brothers Les and Jack Harrison — decided to relocate the team. Despite winning the NBA championship in 1951, the

small market of Rochetser, N.Y., coupled with competition from the over-saturation of sports franchises in the state of New York and pressure from NBA officials made it financially unfeasible to keep the franchise in Rochester.

At that time, the Reds was Cincinnati’s only professional sports team and UC was two years away from embarking on its string of five consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances.

With a roster chock full of local talent, including former UC star and Hall of Famer Jack Twyman and Xavier’s Dave Piontek, the Harrison brothers sought to capitalize on the popularity of its homegrown roster and a lack of basketball teams in the Midwest. With the Royals team name playing well with Cincinnati’s Queen City mantra, the move seemed a perfect match.

In the Royals’ first season with Cincinnati adoring their jerseys, Twyman and Maurice Stokes, who finished second in the NBA in rebounding with an average of 18.1 boards per game, led the Royals to the playoffs.

After falling to the Detroit Pistons in the opening game of the playoffs, Stokes fell seriously ill on the flight back to Cincinnati. He would lapse into a coma for several weeks after being rushed to the hospital. Tests determined that Stokes suffered an encephalopathy, a devastating brain injury that affects motor control.

The injury left Stokes in a quadriplegic state and without the ability to speak. Twyman, who had been among Stokes’ closest friends served as his legal guardian until Stokes’ death in 1970.

The Royals struggled without Stokes’ dominant presence on the glass over the next two seasons, as two different head coaches, Boby Wanzer and Tom Marshall, led Cincinnati to a combined record of 38-109 and a pair of last place finishes.

Following the 1960 season, the Royals selected UC’s Oscar Robertson with their territorial pick in the 1960 NBA Draft. Robertson, considered by most the greatest college basketball player of all time, made an immediate impact for the Royals, winning the 1961 NBA Rookie of the Year award

and helping Cincinnati to a much improved 33-46 record.

Robertson’s second season began a string of six consecutive playoff appearances for the Royals. The 1961-62 season also etched Robertson’s name firmly into the NBA record books, as he averaged a triple-double for the season. He remains the only player in NBA history to do so in a full season of play.

The 1962-63 season saw the first of three

playoff battles between the Royals and the Boston Celtics. Behind the play of Robertson, the Royals advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since moving to Cincinnati. The Royals won two of the first three games in the series, only to see Boston win three of the series final four games.

The addition of Ohio State star Jerry Lucas propelled the Royals to the second best record in the NBA at the end of the 1963-64 season. Robertson was named league MVP and Lucas took home Rookie of the Year Honors. With the duo combining to average 49.1 points, 27.3 rebounds and 13.6 assists per game, the Royals easily cruised into the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight year. Unfortunately, they were still no match for Red Auerbach’s Celtics, who dispatched the Royals in just five games.

After a stunning playoff exit at the hands of the Detroit Pistons in 1965, the Celtics once again nixed the Royals’ final chance at an NBA title in 1966. The Royals took two of the first three games of the series from the Celtics for the second time in four years, but the Celtics rallied to preserve their seventh-straight NBA Title winning season.

Twyman retired at the end of the 1966 season, marking the beginning of the end for the Royals’ talented roster.

Despite the continued success of Robertson and Lucas, the Royals could not overcome continued defensive ineptitudes, as they were continually among the NBA’s worst defensive teams during the franchise’s final years in Cincinnati. There’s no better example than the 1967-68 season in which the Royals, under the leadership of former UC head coach Ed Jucker, scored more than 130 points 15 times, but still managed to finish the year with a losing record.

The 1965-66 season proved to be the final winning season for the Royals, who failed to break the .500 mark in their final six seasons.

Attendance began to slowly fall as the losing seasons continued and the newly formed Cincinnati Bengals began to pull more of Cincinnatian’s sporting dollars toward football.

The 1970 trade of Oscar Robertson to Millwaukee, which followed the 1969 trade of Lucas — both were fan favorites and future Hall of Famers — helped seal the Royals fate.

With average attendance dropping below 4,000 by 1972, the Royals had little choice but to leave.

In an article published by United Press International in March of 1972, Royals General manager Joe Axelson lashed out at the City of Cincinnati as a whole, blaming a lack of basketball interest for the team’s departure.

“In December of this year [71] we became convinced that we weren’t going to make it in Cincinnati,” Axelson said. “I’m afraid Cincinnati is not a great basketball city, in fact, not even a good one. Xavier and Cincinnati have had good basketball programs and they don’t even fill small buildings with students getting in free.”

Remembering the Queen City’s forgotten ‘Royal’ty

The Cincinnati Royals: 1957-72 WinsLosses

19 19

“I’m afraid Cincinnati is not a great basketball

city, in fact, not even a good one.”

JOE AXELSON, FORMER CINCINNATI ROYALS GENERAL MANAGER (1973)


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Focus 52 spurs, spreads development across city1. NORTHSIDE

2. EAST PRICE HILL

5. COLUMBIA TUSCULUM

3. OVER-THE-RHINE

6. OAKLEY

4. WALNUT HILLS

7. MADISONVILLE

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2 3

4 5

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Focus 52 is a Cincinnati project aimed at targeting needed development and renovation projects in all 52 of the city’s neighborhoods. Its goal is to increase population in the neighborhoods within city limits, rid areas of blighted properties and replace them with newer, useful facilities. The program uses bond funds and a loan pool to funnel public money into private developments with a goal of achieving a 3-to-1 leverage of

private to public dollars. In other words, the goal is to get $3 of private investment for every $1 of public spending. The city outlined criteria detailing which projects around the city are eligible to receive taxpayer dollars. For example, the projects must create at least 50 jobs, increase property value and have a 3-to-1 private to public dollar ratio. Here are just a few of the key projects in the city.

WHAT IS FOCUS 52?Myron Johnson Lumberyard Redevelopment

Northside will see about 100 new apartments after a 2.4-acre site is developed into a housing and commercial complex. The developer, Milhaus Development, plans on rehabbing a historic former railroad depot building.

Total Investment: $10.9 millionEstimated completion date: Late 2014Parkside rehabIn one fell swoop, a three-unit condominium

building completed on Chase Avenue and Mad Anthony Street is set to remove blight and increase home ownership in Northside.

Total Investment: $212,000Completed: JuneMcKie Recreation CenterMcKie Recreation Center, a part of the

Cincinnati Recreation Commission, got a brand-new interior, new elevators and windows November 2012. The McKie Family Aquatic Center even got a new spray ground, new pool decks and a pool filtration system.

Total Investment: $2.4 million.

The ElberonThe Elberon, a renovated 37-unit senior

apartment building, was revived to its former glory as an East Price Hill landmark. Once blighted and vacant, The Elberon is now completely renovated and operational.

Total Investment: $7.4 millionCompleted: April 2012

Oakley StationWhile the Cinemark movie theater is

already open for business, the rest of Oakley Station is set to open by 2016. The rest of the project includes 250,000 square feet of retail space, 300,000 of office space and about 302 residential units. The development spans about 74 acres. Estimated Cost: $120 millionEstimated Completion: 2016

Delta FlatsA 76-unit apartment community is springing

up on the corner of Columbia Parkway and Delta Avenue in the Columbia Tusculum neighborhood. The units are aimed at one-and two-person young professional occupants. The development aimed at attracting young professionals who want to live near Columbia Square, downtown, Mount Lookout and Hyde Park.

Total Investment: $8.3 millionEstimated completion: Fall 2014.

East McMillan RedevelopmentCincinnati will shift its focus to Walnut Hills

and continue its efforts to redevelop historic structures rather than demolish them and rebuild. Walnut Hill’s business district — through East McMillan Street — will receive the brunt of the attention. The project spans from grand redevelopment to small façade improvement programs aimed at beautifying store and home fronts.

Total Investment: Not yet decidedEstimated Completion: Not yet determined

St. Paul VilliageA senior apartment center saw a huge

renovation in May, 2012, that included a new roof, upgraded security, new kitchens and heating and cooling systems. The center provides affordable housing for senior citizens.

Total Investment: $12.6 million Completed: May 2012

North Rhine HeightsTo preserve Over-the-Rhine’s historic

character, Cincinnati led the effort via Focus 52 to renovate affordable apartment housing North of Liberty Street. Consisting of 13 properties — a total of 65 units — is open for business with its history intact.

While many areas struggle to preserve a run-down building’s historic look and feel, Over-the-Rhine is seeing pockets of success due to public and private investment.

Before the apartments were even open, there was a waiting list to get in.

Total Investment: $14 millionCompleted: Summer 2012

Documents

For the Record 09.11.13