Why the Midwest is gonna boom again. (Columbus, Cleveland: sales, house)

[nickolaseposter]

I think going to a high speed rail system in Ohio is really gonna help expand our economy. If you go the website, which someone find it for me bc I dont remember what is, sorry. But, if you go to it, the midwest has the most rail line. If you want to travel anywhere siginifigant you'll eventually pass through the midwest in their plan.

[restorationconsultant]

The biggest problem Cincinnati has right now is city government has a "Blight=Bulldozer" mentality. The city keeps demolishing potential historic homes in Urban neighborhoods. The last "nuisance hearing" had 21 prtoperties on it with an assessed value of 1.2 Million dollars. If all those properties are demoed the vacant lots will have an average assesesed value of 2000 per lot (some less) and the average tax bill on those properties is about 50.00 bucks a year. The vacant lots become dumping grounds and the problem gest worse. The shrinking taxbase lead to more levy requests and eventually higher taxes for everyone. There are 91 pages of properties on the city keep vacant/condemn list!

Cincinnati is following the "Detroit Model' of urban renewal with disasterous results, every other major city and urban planner has abandoned the "Detroit Model" because it DOESN'T WORK!.

The city has asked for 1.1 MILLION DOLLARS for CDBG (Community Development Block Grant funding) for DEMOLITION next year! and only 243,000 for actual capital repairs (rehab/restoration). It cost 12-15K per property to bulldoze it and it winds up in a landfill.

The city routinely loses out to companies looking to relocate Corporate headquarters to cities like Indianapolis and Louisville, because Cincinnati does hot have the kind of close restored urban neighborhoods that young professionals want.

Not to mention the potential Billions of Dollars in historic tourism and jobs that cities like Charleston SC, Savannah GA or New Orleans generate from their historic neighborhoods,while we bulldoze our history. Savannah created 15,000 jobs annually in the heritage and hospitality tourism areas by restoring their historic neighborhoods. In the meantime 1 in 7 are on foodstamps in Hamilton Country.

Unless this council and mayor and city manager stop bulldozing houses that can be restored we won't have a tax base or any reason for businesses to locate here.

[Sunnydee]

Originally Posted by restorationconsultant

The biggest problem Cincinnati has right now is city government has a "Blight=Bulldozer" mentality. The city keeps demolishing potential historic homes in Urban neighborhoods. The last "nuisance hearing" had 21 prtoperties on it with an assessed value of 1.2 Million dollars. If all those properties are demoed the vacant lots will have an average assesesed value of 2000 per lot (some less) and the average tax bill on those properties is about 50.00 bucks a year. The vacant lots become dumping grounds and the problem gest worse. The shrinking taxbase lead to more levy requests and eventually higher taxes for everyone. There are 91 pages of properties on the city keep vacant/condemn list!

Cincinnati is following the "Detroit Model' of urban renewal with disasterous results, every other major city and urban planner has abandoned the "Detroit Model" because it DOESN'T WORK!.

The city has asked for 1.1 MILLION DOLLARS for CDBG (Community Development Block Grant funding) for DEMOLITION next year! and only 243,000 for actual capital repairs (rehab/restoration). It cost 12-15K per property to bulldoze it and it winds up in a landfill.

The city routinely loses out to companies looking to relocate Corporate headquarters to cities like Indianapolis and Louisville, because Cincinnati does hot have the kind of close restored urban neighborhoods that young professionals want.

Not to mention the potential Billions of Dollars in historic tourism and jobs that cities like Charleston SC, Savannah GA or New Orleans generate from their historic neighborhoods,while we bulldoze our history. Savannah created 15,000 jobs annually in the heritage and hospitality tourism areas by restoring their historic neighborhoods. In the meantime 1 in 7 are on foodstamps in Hamilton Country.

Unless this council and mayor and city manager stop bulldozing houses that can be restored we won't have a tax base or any reason for businesses to locate here.

I agree with you. If things continue as they are we will be like Detroit.

[austiNati]

Originally Posted by ndrobles

What part of cinci do you live in?

Glendale

[austiNati]

Originally Posted by Sunnydee

I agree with you. If things continue as they are we will be like Detroit.

Never, Never, Never, Ever, Ever, Ever will Cincy be like Detroit. As a matter of fact, Detroit is and will forever be one of a kind. Cleveland's ****ed up and they're still ****ting on Detroit.

[MonkeyButler7000]

It is important not to get too wrapped up in the idea that a city needs to attract young professionals. Cities like New York, San Francisco, and Boston are all yuppie havens, and they all continue to see their populations decline. Young people move in, but quickly move to the suburbs or other cities all together when they start families and move into their prime earning (and taxpaying) years.

The key to long-term prosperity is to offer value: affordable housing, quality schools, safety, and responsive services while maintaining reasonable levels of taxation and cost-of-living. This brings people in and keeps them there, providing stability for the area. That is why California, the Northeast, and Midwest continue to lose population to the South - they don't provide value to their populations. It's not rocket science.

[austiNati]

Originally Posted by MonkeyButler7000

It is important not to get too wrapped up in the idea that a city needs to attract young professionals. Cities like New York, San Francisco, and Boston are all yuppie havens, and they all continue to see their populations decline. Young people move in, but quickly move to the suburbs or other cities all together when they start families and move into their prime earning (and taxpaying) years.

The key to long-term prosperity is to offer value: affordable housing, quality schools, safety, and responsive services while maintaining reasonable levels of taxation and cost-of-living. That is why California, the Northeast, and Midwest continue to lose population to the South - they don't provide value to their populations. It's not rocket science.

Good point. But I still think we need to attract (and retain) a younger population. That doesn't mean : Gentrify everything, push people out of neighborhoods ect... I think instead we should rehabilitate family oriented neighborhoods, provide better schools (which is happening) AND provide hip urban environments. becuase right now, the older population of the city is over-whelming. As you said, the Southern cities provide value to their populations. But most are also evenly balanced between the young and the older demographics.

[austiNati]

Also, Cincy's cost of living in no where near San Fran, New York or Boston. That's a major factor in driving people out, not the yuppie population.

[progmac]

I lived in Cincinnati for quite a while and really like the city. I moved out West for work and have really taken to the mountains and the spirit of things out here. But I do expect I will move back.

Living out west, buying a house is out of the question because of the rampant speculation. The last house I lived in was on the market for $300,000. I paid $750 a month in rent. Housing out here is just a bad investment and will continue to be for a while. Some of my contemporaries, folks with advanced degrees, buy into the housing market and find themselves almost entirely unable to make their mortgage payments. Makes life really stressful and miserable.

Cincinnati has a plethora of housing in decent neighborhoods for not much money and the professional salaries are comparable to what they are out here. That is a HUGE plus. Being able to buy an old house in northside, for example, for and fixing it up and spending maybe $135k when all is said and done is an UNBELIEVABLE opportunity compared to what we have out here. Heck, if you wanted, there are tons of livable neighborhoods in Cincinnati with decent houses for $60k or $70k. That's awesome. Having a $450 mortgage sure would free up one's life...

Okay, and here is the big reason the midwest might boom again. W-A-T-E-R. The dirty little secret of the American West is that there isn't enough water to support its population. After a few drought years, is entirely likely that in many cities there simply won't be water in the taps.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by progmac

I lived in Cincinnati for quite a while and really like the city. I moved out West for work and have really taken to the mountains and the spirit of things out here. But I do expect I will move back.

Living out west, buying a house is out of the question because of the rampant speculation. The last house I lived in was on the market for $300,000. I paid $750 a month in rent. Housing out here is just a bad investment and will continue to be for a while. Some of my contemporaries, folks with advanced degrees, buy into the housing market and find themselves almost entirely unable to make their mortgage payments. Makes life really stressful and miserable.

Cincinnati has a plethora of housing in decent neighborhoods for not much money and the professional salaries are comparable to what they are out here. That is a HUGE plus. Being able to buy an old house in northside, for example, for and fixing it up and spending maybe $135k when all is said and done is an UNBELIEVABLE opportunity compared to what we have out here. Heck, if you wanted, there are tons of livable neighborhoods in Cincinnati with decent houses for $60k or $70k. That's awesome. Having a $450 mortgage sure would free up one's life...

Okay, and here is the big reason the midwest might boom again. W-A-T-E-R. The dirty little secret of the American West is that there isn't enough water to support its population. After a few drought years, is entirely likely that in many cities there simply won't be water in the taps.

Great post! A lot of the same things can be said about other cities in the Midwest like Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Louisville, etc.