Category: Development

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Business Development News

Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity opens ReStore in Bond Hill

Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity celebrated the opening of its much needed and anticipated ReStore over the weekend, an addition that will provide social, environmental and economic benefits to the community. The home improvement discount store will offer Cincinnati households a way to save money on home products, while also helping Cincinnati Habitat build affordable homes for deserving families throughout the city.

Customers visiting the ReStore can expect to find discounts on a variety of appliances, cabinets, flooring, doors, hardware, lumber, tools, windows and more. All materials sold at the ReStore are donated by local retailers, contractors and individuals within the community.

“The opening of the ReStore represents a new chapter for Cincinnati Habitat’s future,” said Paul Knue, Vice President of Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity’s Board of Directors. “The income the ReStore provides will help us change the lives of more families than ever before by creating a sustainable revenue source for our housing ministry. In addition, the ReStore provides us all with the opportunity to be better stewards of the environment, by recycling and keeping materials out of our landfills.”

The donated goods are sold to the public at a fraction of the retail price, while the donors are eligible to receive tax deductions for their contributions. The ReStore is located at 4910 Para Drive in Bond Hill (map) as part of a 35,000 square-foot building that also includes warehouse space, training space and office space for Cincinnati Habitat. The ReStore will be open from 9am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday.

“If you support the ReStore, you support Habitat’s efforts to eliminate sub-standard housing in our neighborhoods, preserving our environment and helping families, help themselves” said Marissa Woodly, Development Director for Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity.

For more information become a fan on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @CincyHabitat.

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Development News Politics Transportation

OKI approves $4M for Cincinnati Streetcar project

The good news for the Cincinnati Streetcar keeps rolling the day after Cincinnati City Council approved $64 million in bonds to build the modern streetcar system. The Executive Committee for the OKI Regional Council of Governments announced earlier today that $4 million will be distributed to the Cincinnati Streetcar project through the Federal government’s Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) program.

“The thing about the Cincinnati Streetcar is that it is more than a transportation project; it’s an economic development project which will open up development opportunities with a fixed transportation project,” described OKI Deputy Executive Director Bob Koehler.

The announcement means that there has now been $86.5 million in funding announced for the Cincinnati Streetcar which is projected to cost $128 million to build six miles of track connecting Cincinnati’s riverfront with its downtown, historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and Uptown communities surrounding the University of Cincinnati.

“The Cincinnati Streetcar will help circulate residents, employees and visitors in Cincinnati’s urban core,” said Brad Thomas, Founder, CincyStreetcar.com. “The streetcar will also connect over half the jobs in the city with nearly 1 in 5 residents, and attractions that are visited by 12 million people each year.”

The urban circulator project received the highest ranking of the 14 total projects to receive funding through the CMAQ funds which will benefit roadways, transit and freight projects throughout the region. OKI’s Executive Committee also allocated more than $60 million from the federal Surface Transportation Program (STP).

The CMAQ projects were subjected to a rating system that was able to fund almost all of the requests made by OKI. The $4 million for the Cincinnati Streetcar will officially be authorized next spring, but were approved today to give project teams a jump start on the 2012-2015 Transportation Improvement Plan developed and overseen by OKI.

“The projects approved today are critical to continuing our efforts to provide our citizens with a variety of commuting options that will save them time and money while alleviating stress that comes from traveling on congested roadways,” OKI Executive Director Mark Plicinski explained. “OKI continues to move multi-modal projects forward which benefit our commuting population, environment and economy.”

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Business Development News

2nd wall collapse of Cincinnati’s oldest brewery forces demolition

Despite the efforts and desire of building owner Duane Donohoo to save the structure, Cincinnati’s oldest brewery was brought to the ground this past Sunday under an emergency demolition order from the City. Following the original wall collapse two weekends ago, the building at the northeast corner of Stonewall and McMicken (map), nicknamed “Brewers Blvd”, appeared destined to be rebuilt and saved from the wrecking ball, however high winds Friday triggered a second, larger collapse of the western wall leaving it as a dangerous liability.

With the one wall crumbling, and suggestions that the buildings facade may soon follow suit, Donohoo declined to fight the demolition out of concern for the safety of those in the vicinity of the building. Thus the oldest of seven structures that comprise the Clyffside Brewing complex in the northern section of Over the Rhine’s Brewery District has been lost.

When the two-story brick building was constructed in 1846, the facility brewed only a modest 275 barrels of beer in its first year of operation under its original moniker of George Klotter & Company. Since those days, expansions and ownership changes have seen the buildings produce ales and lagers under the banners of Sohn, Mohawk, the aforementioned Clyffside, and most recently as Red Top Brewing Company, before closing its doors on September 27, 1957, leaving over 150 Cincinnatians jobless

Regardless of this significant historical loss of the city’s history, Donohoo confirms the the redevelopment plan, which includes condos with terraced, city-view decks and indoor parking, will move forward in the remaining brewery buildings. When it is all said and done, Donohoo plans to put between $3-$3.5 million in the property, and still hopes for it to be an anchor of a revitalized Brewery District.

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Development News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati commits $64M to build modern streetcar system

City Council’s Budget & Finance Committee voted yesterday 6-2 to approve $64 million in bonds that will fund Cincinnati’s modern streetcar system.  The move comes on the heels of a $2.6 million bond approval and now sends a clear message to the Federal government that Cincinnati is committed to this project financially.

The local commitment covers about half of the total $128 million streetcar system that will run from Cincinnati’s riverfront, through Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, and up the hill into the Uptown neighborhoods.  The Cincinnati Streetcar was also recently recommended for $15 million in State funds.

The Finance & Budget Committee meeting held yesterday attracted fewer people and public comments, but the breakdown was much the same.  Of the 10 people to speak, only one person, COAST’s lawyer, spoke against the project.  The other public comments were made by residents all over the city, business owners and students.  Over the course of the past two meetings that brings the public comment tally to 38 in favor, 4 opposed.

The City of Cincinnati will now wait to hear back from the Feds next month about another $25 million for the transportation project.  The Federal funding is considered to be critical for the project, but has been out-of-reach due to the lack of a local financial commitment to the project.  Streetcar supporters say that with this approval Cincinnati stands a much greater chance at receiving Federal funds that passed over Cincinnati during the first round of TIGER grants.

Roxanne Qualls, Laure Quinlinvan, Chris Bortz, Jeff Berding, Cecil Thomas and Laketa Cole voted in favor of approving the bonds for the Cincinnati Streetcar while Chris Monzel and Charlie Winburn voted in opposition.  Leslie Ghiz was absent.  The full City Council, which is made up of the same body, will vote on the measure this Wednesday, May 12 and is expected to pass with a 6-3 majority after Ghiz casts her opposition vote.

You can stay up-to-date on the Cincinnati Streetcar project by reading its blog, or by following the City’s official webpage where you can also make contributions online to help make the project become reality.  Follow @CincyStreetcar on Twitter for even more information.

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Development News

Collapsed wall of Cincinnati’s oldest brewery to be rebuilt

Despite initial reports of the impending demolition of the structure, the western wall at the northeast corner of Stonewall and McMicken, nicknamed “Brewers Blvd” will be rebuilt and saved from the wrecking ball. The building in question is the oldest of seven structures that comprise the Clyffside Brewing complex in the northern section of Over the Rhine’s Brewery District.

In true micro-brewery fashion the two-story brick building, constructed in 1846, brewed only a modest 275 barrels of beer in its first year of operation under its original moniker of George Klotter & Company. Since those days, expansions and ownership changes have seen the buildings produce ales and lagers under the banners of Sohn, Mohawk, the aforementioned Clyffside, and most recently as Red Top Brewing Company, before closing its doors on September 27, 1957, leaving over 150 Cincinnatians jobless.

All is not lost however for Cincinnati’s oldest brewing structure. Owner Duane Donohoo confirms the wall will be rebuilt and the redevelopment plan, which includes condos with terraced, city-view decks and indoor parking, will move forward. When it is all said and done, Donohoo plans to put between $3-$3.5 million in the historic property, and hopes for it to be an anchor of a revitalized Brewery District.

“The whole reason I came to the Brewery District in the first place was to make a difference,” exclaimed Donohoo. “It’s such a gorgeous area and I want to do whatever I can to preserve the history and restore the buildings.”

The Clyffside Brewery redevelopment was first announced in April, 2008 to much fanfare. The building is not only in the historic Brewery District, but it is also at the northern end of the proposed Cincinnati Streetcar line. Once complete, the redeveloped Clyffside Brewery building will house 19 condos ranging from low-100’s to the mid-200’s.

Image of the historic brewery structure circa 1933 provided.