Colerain Avenue 1970 (Fairfield, Washington, Blue Ash: homes, live, price)

[kjbrill]

As the traffic volume on Colerain increased the City drug their heels in improving their section to handle the volume. The township was even worse. The relatively recent road reconstruction has made a huge difference, but it is still no picnic to drive one.

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by goyguy

I liked Ross better when its focal point was the Venice Pavilion in its big pink building. 'tain't the same since the building was painted charcoal gray and converted to an "antiques mall."
What is the deal with Ross/Venice anyway? I know it's Ross Township around there, but nobody can seem to agree on what the town anchored by Route 128 and Colerain Pike should be known as.

Funny, until I was 2 years old, we lived in the white house behind the pavilion. I don't remember a thing but my parents would tell stories about the drunken brawls late at night at the pavilion. I kind of like the charcoal gray building - for me it cleans up the place and makes it seem almost respectable.

I'm trying to think of the area you are referring to with 128/Colrain - would that be across the River by the P&G lab? I always called it Old Colrain or Dunlap - there was or still is a sign that says Dunlap, but I haven't been that way for awhile.

[goyguy]

When there was lots of government funding available to build roads, there were all sorts of plans to extend streets, add expressways, etc which ended up never seeing the light of day. One scheme was to construct a Colerain Expressway which would've originated at the 74/75 junction in a "spaghetti" interchange and run parallel to Colerain Ave from there. That plan was squashed pretty quickly, more likely due to what would've resulted as the destruction of Mt Airy Forest than anything else. (Having I-74 bisect the southern reaches of the park was bad enough.) The proposed expressway only appeared as a broken pink line on maps for about a year.
Colerain Pike ends at Ohio 128 directly opposite the "antique mall" nee Venice Pavilion. Once upon a time, that was a key intersection since US 27 followed Colerain out of Dunlap and then took a short "jog" along East Miami River Rd past the now-former P & G labs before crossing the river. (I wonder whether the old iron bridge is still there, or if a new concrete one replaced it.) The former Bypass 50 - see other threads - also ran along Colerain from West Kemper Rd in Dunlap to where 128 crosses, whence it turned south to join US 50 in/near Cleves.

[skippercollector]

This is the story I heard regarding the Colerain Expressway:
The then-current Colerain Avenue would have been rebuilt into an actual expressway, with the on and off ramps. There would have been service roads running alongside with driveways leading to the store parking lots. But the building of Northgate Mall caused those plans to be scrapped.
I have no idea if this is true, or if it was just an urban myth.
However, there are freeways with service roads running alongside them for the outlet malls of South Carolina.

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by goyguy

Colerain Pike ends at Ohio 128 directly opposite the "antique mall" nee Venice Pavilion. Once upon a time, that was a key intersection since US 27 followed Colerain out of Dunlap and then took a short "jog" along East Miami River Rd past the now-former P & G labs before crossing the river. (I wonder whether the old iron bridge is still there, or if a new concrete one replaced it.) The former Bypass 50 - see other threads - also ran along Colerain from West Kemper Rd in Dunlap to where 128 crosses, whence it turned south to join US 50 in/near Cleves.

I never traveled much past the P&G lab on that side of the river but going out of Ross toward Cleves I believe there is a sign that marks that area as Fernald where it becomes Crosby Township. As far as the iron bridges - there were two that I know of. The one outside of Ross was replaced shortly after I moved back from California which was somewhere around 1985-87. The other was in Miamitown and while it was being replaced in 1989 a temporary bridge was constructed and during a heavy rain, the temporary bridge collapsed. A car and pickup truck fell into the water but the pickup truck and occupant were never found.

[sandasene]

"Originally to have connected I-74 at the Colerain Ave./Beekman St. interchange with I-275 between the Colerain Ave. and Hamilton Ave. interchanges. Local interchanges were to have been located at North Bend Rd., Galbraith Rd., and Compton Rd. Cross County Highway was originally planned to connect I-75, I-71, and I-275 on the east side, and so would not have intersected the Colerain Expressway. As built, the Cross County Highway segment between Colerain Ave. and Hamilton Ave. intersects where the Colerain Expressway would have run.

The project was renamed the "Colerain Connector" when the plan was significantly downsized, now only to connect I-74 with Kirby Ave. at North Bend Rd., just 1/4 mile east of Colerain Ave. in Mt. Airy. Right-of-way was acquired by the city and state, and the North Bend Rd. interchange was partially constructed and several city blocks were demolished for the I-74 interchange. The project met fierce opposition by the residents of Northside, who have succeeded in derailing every attempt to revive the project by traffic planners. As recently as 1999, ODOT has proposed a route connecting the partially built I-74 interchange with Hamilton Ave. at the base of the hill, as well as Colerain Ave. north of the West Fork Rd. intersection. Meanwhile, the "temporary" I-74 Colerain Ave. entrance and exit ramps are still in use, and the state and city retain ownership of the right-of-way. "
Never-built Cincinnati Expressways

[sandasene]

For those who are interested in Colerain Towship history, this is a good book. All pictures. Being a life long resident, it was a nice look back.

Amazon.com: Colerain Township (Images of America) (9780738584331): Frank Scholle, Don Linz: Books

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by sandasene

For those who are interested in Colerain Towship history, this is a good book. All pictures. Being a life long resident, it was a nice look back.

I love those books! I just picked up the one on Hyde Park and the Cincinnati Subway. The problem is that I buy more than I can read so there is a backlog. This one is going on my list.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by deg1114

I love those books! I just picked up the one on Hyde Park and the Cincinnati Subway. The problem is that I buy more than I can read so there is a backlog. This one is going on my list.

Ooo! I rarely go into a bookstore anymore, but the other day I was looking at the one about Mt. Healthy, where I attended several years of grade school. Delightful.

[northwoodsman]

Originally Posted by skippercollector

I don't remember 1970, but I remember when Northgate Mall opened in 1972--I was 11. We went to the grand opening.
The three details I recall most clearly were:
1. Sitting in traffic on Colerain waiting to get into the mall. I suspect Colerain Township hadn't expected such a large turnout.
2. The huge crowd inside the mall waiting for the giveaways. Someone threw out Winnie-the-Pooh toys to the children. Another person gave away "Winnie-the-Pooh for President" posters. The reason I know this is because my sister got them and the poster hung in her bedroom for years.
3. Going upstairs to Pogue's (or was it Mabley & Carew?) and walking over to its balcony restaurant and looking down at the mall below.

it was pouges then ls ayres i live two blocks away i watched them build the mall from my living room window i was 6 when they were building it

use to be mt healthy air port