Clifton landmark Christy's / Lenhardt's closed, for sale (Columbus, Cincinnati: low income, rentals)

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

I agree Tom. The owner decided to retire and wants to sell the property, as is his right. Suddenly the preservationists attempt to get a historical designation to stop him. Glad to see City Council denied that as a violation of the owner's rights. It was definitely too little too late. I have some fond rememberances of visiting the establishment while a student at UC, but that was over 50 years ago. The last time I was there was over 25 years ago when my son was attending UC. But nostalgia only goes so far. When I read the building would require $2 million in repairs to keep standing that was enough for me. It is time for the wrecking ball.

And you are correct UC is its own economy as it well should be. Student housing is not intended to win design awards. By its very nature it needs to be quite spartan and affordable. And college students are not known for their diligence in caring for property, perhaps the opposite. So the construction needs to be of commercial retail quality to absorb the abuse.

To say these buildings should be worked around with the development I have only one remark - who is going to pay the bill to restore them?

Exactly.

[Chemistry_Guy]

I feel sorry for the current crop of UC students. The region south of campus on Calhoun and McMillan is incredibly sterile and boring compared to 10 years ago. Seriously, what 21 year old would trade Christy's, the Library, Inn the Wood, Big Red's, Acropolis Chili, and the other interesting and inexpensive places for the overpriced crapfest of mall chain stores and food court like restaurants.

At the same time, Short Vine isn't all that popular either. CUF is simply not a destination for entertainment anymore. Weekend nights there is a huge exodus of college students leaving campus and going to Mt. Adams, Mt. Lookout, Downtown, Hyde Park, Oakley, and NKy.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy

I feel sorry for the current crop of UC students. The region south of campus on Calhoun and McMillan is incredibly sterile and boring compared to 10 years ago. Seriously, what 21 year old would trade Christy's, the Library, Inn the Wood, Big Red's, Acropolis Chili, and the other interesting and inexpensive places for the overpriced crapfest of mall chain stores and food court like restaurants.

At the same time, Short Vine isn't all that popular either. CUF is simply not a destination for entertainment anymore. Weekend nights there is a huge exodus of college students leaving campus and going to Mt. Adams, Mt. Lookout, Downtown, Hyde Park, Oakley, and NKy.

U-Square at the Loop is crowded everytime I go by there, and that's nearly daily. My bet on Short Vine is that with new housing, and new businesses opening, it will slowly start to creep back. I agree that McMillan is no longer a night life destination, at least not in the sense of Main Street, Mt Adams, etc. But the bars that are there are certainly hopping with college kids. Uncle Woodys, Murphys, Macs. And now there are several more at U-Square.

Personally, I think college age kids will love the shopping mall feel of U-Square.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy

At the same time, Short Vine isn't all that popular either. CUF is simply not a destination for entertainment anymore. Weekend nights there is a huge exodus of college students leaving campus and going to Mt. Adams, Mt. Lookout, Downtown, Hyde Park, Oakley, and NKy.

If you think that is reality, then I believe the current student loan program is way overcompensated. If they can afford those destinations something is definitetly wrong with our financing of higher education.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

If you think that is reality, then I believe the current student loan program is way overcompensated. If they can afford those destinations something is definitetly wrong with our financing of higher education.

Many of them get credit cards from their parents. I know this from one of the bigger landlords in CUF.

[neilworms2]

Personally, I think college age kids will love the shopping mall feel of U-Square.

I personally was a College kid when I saw TUC go from having a locally run place Mr. Jims to being a shopping mall enviornment. I had heard before TUC was a hunting lodge like environment, I think I would have preferred it how it was earlier. I also got to see a good chunk of CUF leveled only to be replaced by a grassy field due to poor planning and financial issues. U Square is good now, but the development shouldn't have been done superblock style, it should have been resized to fit into the non fast food development that was there to begin with. Financing should have been more secure as to prevent the mess they had with the empty field laying fallow for years where there was once an active commercial district. It was disgusting all the way around.

I was really looking forward to living in Cincy at the end of High School, and part of the appeal to me was the character of the neighborhoods around the University - this is now much diminished and its tremendously sad . I had read stuff like this happened on mass in the 60s, and was wondering what were they thinking... I didn't think it was still going on.

[Chemistry_Guy]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

Personally, I think college age kids will love the shopping mall feel of U-Square.

Bleh. The whole U-square thing looks like it is being pitched to teens rather than adults. This probably makes sense since most undergraduates are under 21 and the ultimate goal is to make it appeal to them when they are 18 so that they enroll. Still, it is hard to see the edginess and character get washed out so quickly, especially for someone that used to live and socialize there for quite a few years.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy

Bleh. The whole U-square thing looks like it is being pitched to teens rather than adults. This probably makes sense since most undergraduates are under 21 and the ultimate goal is to make it appeal to them when they are 18 so that they enroll. Still, it is hard to see the edginess and character get washed out so quickly, especially for someone that used to live and socialize there for quite a few years.

I hear you, and totally understand. No doubt U-Square will be successful. I'm sure their Site Search Executive knew what to market for the area. Personally, I will probably never patronize any of the shops there, but they seem to be staying busy.

[ProkNo5]

U Square will be a huge success, no doubt in my mind. But sitting in Keystone the other night I couldn't help but feel like its a completely different neighborhood. I think a lot of the old "Clifton" has moved down to Northside, but yeah...it's a testament to how much a building can affect a neighborhood. For the first time last week I heard long time residents call the neighborhood Uptown instead of Clifton.

[restorationconsultant]

The CPA is terrible. I'm just going to put it right out there. They should have been the ones going around doing this kind of work ahead of time.

Agreed! CPA functions as "little old lady red hat society", made up of socialites and architects hoping get some crumbs. They could care less about preservation of anything other than Architect designed home by famous local dead people and mid century Modernist architecture. They restore a few 'trophy' houses from time to time but thats about it.

Look at the recent EPIC fails: A whole city block in Corryville, Glencoe, the Oakley train station, the Gamble House. CPA is pretty much a laughing stock nationally in the preservation community after the Gamble house was demoed.

CPA is afraid to take on the city for fear of 'ruffling feathers" or upsetting their donors. If it hadn't been for Knox Hill Neighborhood Association filing a federal complaint with HUD in 2009, the city would still be getting away with demo using CDBG funds without doing Federal Section 106 reviews. It forced the city to revisit everything on the demo list and fortunately it bought some time for some of those houses being saved by Preservationists (mostly out of staters who have moved here). The city will demo 600 houses this year and MOST of them would be stabilized or restored in any other city.

I can tell you that there is an active group of preservationists from all acrioss the city (fed up with CPA) who are actively working on putting together a new preservation organization in 2014, that will be: 1.) Preservation Focused, 2.) work with neighborhood groups city wide on getting property stabilized, and 3.) Not be afraid to take the city to court to stop senseless demolitions. and 4.) be pro-active and encourage preservation designation of neighborhoods the city seems intent on bulldozing

Cincinnati DESERVES a real preservation organization that understands that a small cottage is just as important as a grand mansion and both deserve to be saved.