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Business Development News Opinion Transportation

Cincinnati’s Wasson Railroad Corridor Should Not Be Converted Into Recreational Trail

In the post-industrial United States cities all across America have been left with an abundance of rail right-of-way that once served industrial properties. Cities have since struggled to find a use for these rail corridors.

In many cases the rail right-of-way either gets built over, or makes room for some other use – most typically a park or trail of some sort. The most famous, and perhaps most unique, example of this is New York City’s Highline which converted an abandoned freight rail corridor into an elevated park. In most cities, however, much simpler trails are developed in order to cater to bicyclists and pedestrians.

These are great projects, but in the cases where rail right-of-way is needed in order to introduce rail transit, they should not be done. The acquisition of right-of-way can be one of the most difficult hurdles to clear when developing rail transit, so if you have a prime corridor intact, you should do everything in your power to preserve it for future rail transit.


Map of the proposed Wasson Way Project.

The reason this is particularly important in Cincinnati right now is because on March 6, advocates of what is being called Wasson Way Project will present their ideas for converting the Wasson Corridor into a bike/ped trail to City Council’s Strategic Growth Committee.

The idea is not a bad one on face value, but should it proceed it would eliminate one of the most valuable rail corridors in the city. A corridor that could connect neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Oakley, Evanston, Norwood, Mt. Lookout, Fairfax and Mariemont with light rail and eventually connect those neighborhoods to the region’s two largest employment centers – uptown and downtown – without much additional track or right-of-way acquisition.

“I know of no example in the United States where a former railway that has been converted to a bike/hike trail has ever been returned to passenger rail service,” explained Cincinnati transit advocate John Schneider (aka “Mr. Transit”). “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Rail corridors that run through areas of limited potential transit ridership like the Oasis Line should be redeveloped into trails. It just makes sense. There is less automobile traffic and the riverfront trail provides a scenic ride for bicyclists and connects its users to a string of riverfront parks.

The Wasson Line, however, is ripe for light rail service with its densely populated neighborhood, vibrant business districts and key attractions along the line. The Oasis Line should become a bike/ped trail, but the Wasson Line should not.

Unfortunately the exact opposite is progressing for both of these lines in Cincinnati. Hamilton County officials continue to explore funding options to turn the Oasis Line into a commuter rail corridor, and a citizen-led group is strongly advocating for the conversion of the Wasson Line into a bike/ped trail.

While UrbanCincy supports conversion of some rail right-of-ways into other uses, we believe it needs to be done in a thoughtful manner that considers the future transit needs of the region. The Wasson Line is too valuable to convert into a bike/ped trail and should be preserved for an urban light rail line.

The upcoming committee meeting is scheduled to take place at 12pm on Tuesday, March 6 at City Hall (map). We would like to urge you to come out and support the future of regional light rail in the Cincinnati region, and request that the Wasson Corridor not be converted into a recreational trail.

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News Politics Transportation

Residents Take Stand Against Proposed Highway Through Cincinnati’s Eastern Neighborhoods

In December 2010, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) published its 2011-2015 Major New Construction Project List. The list included funding to resume study of the highway component of the controversial Eastern Corridor Project. Dormant since 2006, the sudden reappearance of the highway project alarmed area residents, more than 100 of whom gathered at the Madisonville Recreation Center on August 3 for a meeting of Cincinnati City Council’s Livable Communities Committee.

On display were ODOT’s two circa 2006 Tier 1 alternatives, one of which called for the complete replacement of Red Bank Road with a fully grade separated interstate-style highway. This drawing, seen for the first time by most in attendance, emboldened suspicions that the Eastern Corridor Project is in fact a veiled attempt to extend Interstate 74 across Hamilton County.

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“We urge ODOT to unbundle the Eastern Corridor projects and concentrate on providing transportation alternatives in this community, not another highway,” exclaimed one resident at the recent City Council committee meeting. “Reallocating resources to utilize the Wasson Line will produce more cost-effective transportation alternatives for thousands including Madisonville citizens.”

Citizen feedback generally welcomed improvements to Red Bank Road, especially a boulevard or parkway that might compare favorably to the more attractive roads in the area. Many also suggested development of better public transportation, especially implementation of light rail transit on the abandoned Wasson Road railroad.

Read UrbanCincy‘s exclusive in-depth analysis of the Wasson Line and Oasis Line.

Opposition to construction of an expressway in place of Red Bank Road was unanimous at the meeting, and citizen comments were followed by stern questioning of ODOT officials by City Council members Roxanne Qualls, Laure Quinlivan and Chris Bortz.

ODOT assured the committee that the Tier 1 alternatives on display would be reworked and that it will work closely with Madisonville Community Council and other neighborhood groups to ensure a favorable outcome. ODOT officials also remarked that the City of Cincinnati and other jurisdictions through which the Eastern Corridor Project will pass will have to approve ordinances to allow its eventual construction.

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Business Development News Opinion

Oakley gets development fit for the suburbs with new Millworks plan

The abandoned Millworks site in Oakley has inspired urban enthusiasts for almost a decade. The thoughts of injecting new life into an former industrial space in the heart of some of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods was truly something to get excited about.

The vision first laid out in the early part of the new millenium included hundreds of residential units, a movie theater, hotel, offices and what was to become the second location Jungle Jim’s. The best part about all of it is that the Millworks redevelopment would have done so while also maintaining the gritty industrial past of the site. As details finally emerge today of a new Millworks redevelopment, the reality is looking much different.

Today the plan calls for a $120 million development (less than half of the originally proposed $300 million plan in 2005) that will include 350,000 square feet of retail, 250,000 square feet of offices, 300 apartments and a 55,000 square-foot movie theater. While much of the development’s original components are still there, the plan has taken a decidedly suburban turn not unlike what happened at the Center of Cincinnati just around the corner.


Proposed Millworks redevelopment in 2005 [LEFT] compared to current Oakley Station site plan [RIGHT].

Gone is the idea of preserving the site’s industrial aesthetic. Gone is the idea of creating a unique urban infill project. Gone is Jungle Jim’s. And most importantly, gone is the true long-lasting investment in Oakley.

With the signing of Cinemark NextGen, the development seems to now be more real than ever. Work has already begun on removing asbestos from buildings on the 74-acre site so that demolition can follow for more than one million square feet of former industrial buildings that used to house Cincinnati Milacron, Ceco Environmental, Factory Power Company and Unova Industrial Automation. Worse yet, the city of Cincinnati is working to get project developers $3 million in Clean Ohio Revitalization funds and an additional $9.9 million in tax increment financing to pay for infrastructure work surrounding the project.

The controversial Center of Cincinnati development turned on a dime from an exciting urban infill project meant to inject new office, retail and residential space into the area just north of the Millworks site, into a cookie-cutter suburban big-box development.

At the time Vandercar, the same developers behind the Millworks redevelopment, said that market forces would no longer allow them to do such a project and charged Mayor Luken’s administration to rid the city of its Planning Department that had made an issue of the development’s dramatic, last-minute change. Vandercar won that battle and then city manager Valerie Lemmie decided to move forward and infamously shutter Cincinnati’s Planning Department.

The victory was only short-lived for Vandercar, however. The developer was part of a team that was promptly eliminated from contention to build The Banks, and Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney have since restored Cincinnati’s planning dignity. So while much has changed, it appears as though the outcome may be the same for Oakley.

Oakley is the geographic population center for the 2.1 million person Cincinnati region, and is located along I-71, near the Norwood Lateral, and potential future light rail corridors. Each metropolitan region tends to have several dense commercial centers. Cincinnati currently has Downtown, Uptown and Kenwood, and the greater Oakely area should be the fourth.

Instead of championing “pro-growth” policies at all costs, Cincinnati’s leaders should act with long-term interests in mind and get the best end product for its people. Unfortunately, the status quo appears to be more in line with appeasing developers, like Vandercar, that go after low-hanging fruit, rather than demanding that investments in Cincinnati get the best return.

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Business News

Brush Factory reflects on success, prepares for future

To say the past year has been an exciting one for the Brush Factory would be an understatement. Founders Hayes Shanesy and Rosie Kovacs reopened the doors to a historic building in the West End’s Brighton district which now serves as their working studio.

The headquarters in Brighton opened in 2009, and in talking with Rosie Kovacs and Hayes Shanesy it is clear that they have a passion for maintaining the historic building, and perfecting the tradition of handmade goods such as the clothes they sell in their store in Oakley. The store opened last fall and they also have a web presence with their online store. People are also starting to pay attention as the Brush Factory earned the award for Best Tailor Made pants in the region from Cincinnati Magazine.

“The collection of Brush Factory goods are designed, prototyped, engineered and produced in house,” Kovacs stated. “This level of control yields limited quantities, but also creates a collection of objects durable enough to last a lifetime.” In addition to the clothing that Kovacs is responsible for along with recent DAAP graduate Chelsea Cutrell, Hayes Shanesy and his father work upstairs in the Brighton studio designing and building furniture.

The folks at The Brush Factory also want to share their experiences with the world, so they offer classes to help people learn to sew or perfect their practice depending on current skill level. The first class, Vorkus I (deriving from the Bauhaus studies in Germany), is a series of three sessions and features basic sewing skills, getting to know your machine, and pants alterations among other things. Vorkus II is a more advanced series which gets into the design phase based off images that participants bring along. Both require participants to bring their own machine and scissors. 

“The classes offer a unique and meaningful way for people to be introduced to The Brush Factory” said Shanesy. “We also believe that that the more interest people have in making things themselves the more they will appreciate the things around them.  Once you know how something is made whether it be a dress or table you begin to appreciate the object in a new light.”

Without a doubt, one of the best parts about doing work for UrbanCincy is finding businesses and people in Cincinnati that I might have otherwise not known about. One such case is the work being done by the folks at The Brush Factory. Part design, part manufacturing, part retail, and part school this is one of the more intriguing businesses I have come across in my time.

Brush Factory video produced by Rachel Schwarz.

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Business Development News

Home ReStart partnering with Neyer Properties to renovate, sell historic Cincinnati homes

Since the inception of Neyer Properties in 1995, the company has developed hundreds of projects totaling over $1 billion in both construction and development in the Cincinnati region.  While the company has typically focused on commercial development, they have begun investing in a new real-estate company called Home Restart. The relatively new endeavor specializes in buying distressed homes, making renovations, and re-selling the properties.

Over the past year, the company has purchased, renovated, and prepared seven houses for re-sale. In that time, they have intentionally focused their efforts in more desirable urban neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Oakley, Edgewood and Fort Thomas.  According to the company’s leadership, this was done to help make the projects successful in an otherwise difficult market.

“The housing market has taken a hit throughout the Greater Cincinnati area, but neighborhoods such as Hyde Park and Fort Thomas always have a relatively active market,” explained Anne Pond, Vice President of ReStart. “By focusing on these areas, we can decrease the number of days that our houses sit on the market.”

According to Pond, the large stock of historic homes in these neighborhoods is another key selling point, as they have a charm that cannot be replicated in new construction.

“Over the years, many older homes have fallen into disrepair and have been converted into two-family homes,” Pond continued. “We work very hard to maintain the charm and character of historic homes, while bringing them up-to-date for modern living.”

Pond says that ReStart typically purchases homes from anywhere between $50,000 and $200,000.  After the initial purchase, ReStart then renovates and sells the properties for prices ranging between $130,000 and $350,000. Following this work, ReStart then turns to Neyer Properties for its expertise in purchase approval, renovations, and finance management.

Of the seven homes purchased and renovated through the program thus far, five have been sold and another is currently under contract.