What are you gonna do about it?
National org asks historic neighborhood what it can do to help
Citizens concerned about the direction of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood met for the first time since the historic neighborhood was named one of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Communities” in the United States.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation held the meeting on Monday, July 24, at Memorial Hall so that the national organization and the neighborhood might sort through ideas using feedback it had received over the past few months,
Led by Midwestern Director Royce Yeater, the meeting divided the more than 60 participants into five groups. The goal of the exercise was to share in a more refined conversation after convening separately.
“A mixed income neighborhood that doesn’t create forced displacement,” Yeater stated was the ultimate intent.
He continued to point out that a strategy known by Housing and Urban Development as a “weak market” strategy can turn around vacant properties, develop new properties and revitalize historic resources. The strategy stresses a simultaneus effort from a corporation, "coffee-shop" type small businesses, and strange or "funky" businesses whose quirks play into the character of a community, which are essential to the success of an ailing neighborhood like OTR.
Asked to give some success stories, Yeater pointed to the Martin Luther King neighborhood in Atlanta, GA, and Manchester Heights in Pittsburgh, PA, as two of the many that had turned around.
The groups split to focus on “economic development,” “historic and new development,” “planning school,” “gentrification and unemployment” and “financing and tourism.”
Many at the mini-conference felt a strong need for an office of planning to come out of City Hall and work closely with the city, an idea vice mayor Jim Tarbell urged the attendees to echo the need for a more independent committee than the last one in e-mails, calls and letters to city hall. The last department of planning was discontinued in 2003 by former Mayor Luken because of city budget related cutbacks.
Councilman Tarbell, the only councilmember in attendence said that the office was being recommended in the new budget.--MDA
Citizens concerned about the direction of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood met for the first time since the historic neighborhood was named one of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Communities” in the United States.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation held the meeting on Monday, July 24, at Memorial Hall so that the national organization and the neighborhood might sort through ideas using feedback it had received over the past few months,
Led by Midwestern Director Royce Yeater, the meeting divided the more than 60 participants into five groups. The goal of the exercise was to share in a more refined conversation after convening separately.
“A mixed income neighborhood that doesn’t create forced displacement,” Yeater stated was the ultimate intent.
He continued to point out that a strategy known by Housing and Urban Development as a “weak market” strategy can turn around vacant properties, develop new properties and revitalize historic resources. The strategy stresses a simultaneus effort from a corporation, "coffee-shop" type small businesses, and strange or "funky" businesses whose quirks play into the character of a community, which are essential to the success of an ailing neighborhood like OTR.
Asked to give some success stories, Yeater pointed to the Martin Luther King neighborhood in Atlanta, GA, and Manchester Heights in Pittsburgh, PA, as two of the many that had turned around.
The groups split to focus on “economic development,” “historic and new development,” “planning school,” “gentrification and unemployment” and “financing and tourism.”
Many at the mini-conference felt a strong need for an office of planning to come out of City Hall and work closely with the city, an idea vice mayor Jim Tarbell urged the attendees to echo the need for a more independent committee than the last one in e-mails, calls and letters to city hall. The last department of planning was discontinued in 2003 by former Mayor Luken because of city budget related cutbacks.
Councilman Tarbell, the only councilmember in attendence said that the office was being recommended in the new budget.--MDA
posted by Queen City Forum Mag @ 3:07 PM
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