Soapbox

Ground was broken on Friday for Xavier University's $115 million Hoff Academic Quadrangle project, which the school bills as "the most sweeping project in the university's 177 years". The centerpieces of the project, located in the area around Dana and Ledgewood avenues, are the new Williams College of Business and the Learning Commons.

The four-story, 88,000-square-foot business college will house both undergraduate and graduate business education programs and will be home to the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Cintas Institute for Business Ethics, and the Center for Investment Research.

In addition to classrooms and offices, the building will include project work rooms, suites for executives in residence, and a multi-media trading room.

"The new Hoff Academic Quad, including the new Business School building, will allow us to continue to attract superb students," says Ali Malekzadeh, dean of the Williams College of Business.  "Today's students would like to see a business school building with a trading room, with an ethics center, and with facilities for entrepreneurships student to manage innovative businesses.  The new building will help do all of that."

The five-story, 84,000-square-foot Learning Commons will be open 24/7 and will house the Information Resource Center, the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Center for Student Excellence, Honors Seminar, the Center for Community Engaged Learning, and the Pedagogical Institute for Jesuit Education.

Offices, classrooms, informal meeting spaces and specialized learning spaces will share space with a 200-seat auditorium.

The McDonald Library, Hailstones Hall, Schott Hall and Alter Hall will also be modernized, and a new, modern Central Utility Plant will be constructed.

Designed by architects Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott of Boston and to be built by Messer Construction, the Hoff Academic Quad will be constructed to LEED Silver certification standards.

The first phase will be completed in the summer of 2010.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Ali Malekzadeh, Dean of the Williams College of Business, Xavier University
Renderings provided by Xavier University

Residents and community members recently got an inside look at Jordan Park, a $10 million, 26-unit condominium development on Miami Avenue in Mariemont.

Twenty-one of the 26 condo units, with an average price of $650,000, have sold in just ten months with residents beginning their move in at the end of October.

"One of the reasons why it's so popular is its location," says Rick Greiwe of project developer Greiwe Development Group.  "That and the great architectural quality of the project.  We've built a legacy building in that village that will look great for generations."

Featuring unique floor plans, wood floors and high ceilings, the Cole + Russell Architects-designed development offers contemporary amenities – all while staying true to Mariemont's historical character.

"As promised, we delivered to Mariemont a building that fits right in with John Nolan’s original (1921) master plan," Greiwe says.

Jordan Park replaces a row of seven nondescript 4-flat apartments with a Tudor-styled structure complete with half-timbering and pitched roofs.

"Those apartments were built back in the 1940s, and they were pretty worn out," he says.  "There's a pretty big stock of apartments in the village.  We're able to offer a new housing type that's not available in Mariemont."

Mariemont's strong village center is the reason Greiwe chose to build Jordan Park, and he's currently working with the village in the hopes of developing condos with a broader price range and wider appeal.

"I try to build community with my residential developments," he says.  "It's paramount to the kind of development that I do.  There was already a strong community in place, which is why this area was so high on my list."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Rick Greiwe, Greiwe Development Group
Photography by Scott Beseler

Northside will show off what's possible in Cincinnati urban housing from noon to 5 PM this Sunday during the 12th annual Northside House Tour.

The tour of 10 houses and 2 churches - including the St. Boniface Church rectory - will cover much of the neighborhood, from Bruce Avenue to Georgia Avenue to Langland Street.

Visitors can expect a bit of the old and the new and, because some of the properties are not entirely "ready", it only enhances the idea of buying and renovating a home.

"It's so diverse," says Louise Watts, chair of the House Tour Committee of the Northside Community Council (NCC).  "We've got old houses, new houses, in-between houses, and houses for every income.  A lot of the houses have been restored.  There are houses you can get for a pittance if you're willing to put in a little elbow grease."

Proceeds from the tour will benefit the NCC and will be used to fund all kinds of neighborhood initiatives.

"From past tours, we have been able to purchase property for a childrens' park and banners for the business district," she says.  "These funds have also served as seed money for new committees."

Watts says that they expect an attendance of between 500 and 600 people, and she thinks that Northside neophytes will like what they see.

Sponsors such as Ali's Boutique and Avant Garage, Melt Eclectic Deli, Shoetopia and Sidewinder Coffee and Tea have invited tour goers to make a day of it by visiting the neighborhood’s fantastic business district.

"The area's very stable, and we're seeing a lot of young people now with kids," she says.  "And the people here have a lot of positive energy.  It's really kind of cool if you're a bit zany here."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source:  Louise Watts, chair, Northside Community Council House Tour Committee
Illustration provided by Alan Hopfensperger

Northside will show off what's possible in Cincinnati urban housing from noon to 5 PM this Sunday during the 12th annual Northside House Tour.

The tour of 10 houses and 2 churches - including the St. Boniface Church rectory - will cover much of the neighborhood, from Bruce Avenue to Georgia Avenue to Langland Street.

Visitors can expect a bit of the old and the new and, because some of the properties are not entirely "ready", it only enhances the idea of buying and renovating a home.

"It's so diverse," says Louise Watts, chair of the House Tour Committee of the Northside Community Council (NCC).  "We've got old houses, new houses, in-between houses, and houses for every income.  A lot of the houses have been restored.  There are houses you can get for a pittance if you're willing to put in a little elbow grease."

Proceeds from the tour will benefit the NCC and will be used to fund all kinds of neighborhood initiatives.

"From past tours, we have been able to purchase property for a childrens' park and banners for the business district," she says.  "These funds have also served as seed money for new committees."

Watts says that they expect an attendance of between 500 and 600 people, and she thinks that Northside neophytes will like what they see.

Sponsors such as Ali's Boutique and Avant Garage, Melt Eclectic Deli, Shoetopia and Sidewinder Coffee and Tea have invited tour goers to make a day of it by visiting the neighborhood’s fantastic business district.

"The area's very stable, and we're seeing a lot of young people now with kids," she says.  "And the people here have a lot of positive energy.  It's really kind of cool if you're a bit zany here."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source:  Louise Watts, chair, Northside Community Council House Tour Committee
Illustration provided by Alan Hopfensperger

The Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors (CABR) is working with the City of Cincinnati as part of the city's Neighborhood Enhancement Program in Evanston to boost homeownership in and around the neighborhood.

The Urban Home Buyers Extravaganza will be held at Keystone Parke on Saturday, October 4, from 4 PM to 7 PM.

Members of the real estate and lending communities will be on hand to offer tips on finding a new home and to answer questions about obtaining loans and other types of financing.

Annette Chmiel, director of education for CABR, says having these answers is key when buying a home.

"The Board of Realtors is helping the community draw attention to the amenities and housing stock as well as the opportunities for the public to purchase homes including the home buying process," Chmiel says.

Chmiel says that there are many reasons why one should consider buying a home in and around Evanston, and she believes that more people would be interested in its housing stock and community involvement if only they were exposed to it.

"Evanston is right off I-71 and has instant access to downtown, Kenwood and Rookwood," she says.  "Housing prices are affordable and it is an urban and diverse neighborhood.  Xavier University is investing in Evanston as well as other businesses such as Neyer Properties and the Red Cross.  They are working closely with the community."

The Evanston Community Council and the Home Ownership Center of Greater Cincinnati are the other event partners.

Representatives of the community councils of CUF, Avondale, Mount Auburn, and East Walnut Hills will also be on hand.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Annette Chmiel, director of education, CABR
Photography by Scott Beseler

A project to transform the Newport branch of the Salvation Army has been voted the Best Project in the United Way of Greater Cincinnati's "Extreme Agency Makeover".

The competition was sponsored by United Way Emerging Leaders' Society (ELS) as part of Community Care Week, which encourages companies and groups to perform volunteer projects at agencies around the region.

Projects were required to be completed over a 10-week period and had to address education, one of United Way's focuses for the building blocks of good life.

Each team received $500 in seed money and was expected to obtain other donations and resources to complete its projects.

The Newport Salvation Army has afterschool programs for kids, but had nowhere for them to play.

To help out, ELS volunteers built an elaborate playground, complete with extensive landscaping.

"We were surprised with how well the project turned out," says Aric Hassel, team co-chair and vice president of commercial lending for Integra Bank.  "We knew it was a great opportunity and were so pleased with the results."

Volunteers made improvements to two other youth centers as part of the competition.

Finishing second was the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati for their work to design, decorate and stock South Avondale School's incentive store, and a third group of volunteers worked on a project for the St. Joseph Orphanage.

The orphanage project was eliminated from the competition due to a missed deadline, but all was not lost.

"The Salvation Army team announced at the reveal that they would be donating their $500 prize to help the third team finish their project for St. Joseph’s Orphanage," says Treva Brinkley, senior associate of ELS.  "Amazing!"

ELS is a young professionals organization for people ages 21 to 40 who are committed to voluntarism and leadership development.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Sources: Treva Brinkley, senior associate, United Way Emerging Leaders' Society; Cheryl Besl, senior account manager, Strata-G Communications
Photography by Scott Beseler
Group photo provided by Strata-G

More than a dozen local bloggers were given an insider’s tour of 3CDC’s recent projects in the Gateway Quarter in Over-the-Rhine.

Facilitated by the Gateway Quarter Information Center and Randy Simes of the website UrbanCincy, developers from Urban Sites Properties, the Model Group, B2B Equities/Northpointe Group and Over-the-Rhine Community Housing/Eber Development led the walking tour of projects that are in various stages of construction.

During the tour, bloggers got a close-up look at:

• Trideca Lofts at Vine and 13th streets
• Good Fellows Hall Lofts on Main Street
• Trinity Flats at Vine and 14th streets
• City Home on Pleasant Street
• 1417-1421 Main Street
• Mottainai at 13th and Republic streets

Holly Redmond of the Gateway Quarter says that they like to host bloggers because bloggers are well-known and can present more of an unbiased opinion than sales agents can.

"We have situations where we tell people about the neighborhood, but they may not want to take our advice," she says.  "So we send them to the blog sites to get other opinions."

She believes it's the tight-knit local blogging community that helps foster this trust. 

"With the blogs, everybody gets to know one another, and people tend to believe what they read on them," she says.

The developers get something out of the tours as well.

"They get extremely excited for the tours," Redmond says.  "Even after the first one, they were very, very excited.  We got contracts signed that day.  They're willing to do just about anything to get the word out about their projects."

After the conclusion of the tour, several of bloggers visited the businesses along Vine Street and saw new storefronts for Mahatma, Switch, and Incredible Creations.

The Trideca Lofts and the Good Fellows Hall Lofts will be open this Saturday during the 10th annual Downtown Tour of Living.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Holly Redmond, Gateway Quarter
Photo by Kevin LeMaster

Ground has been broken for the $1.5 million renovation and expansion of the Hartwell Recreation Center.

The building, designed with a modern flare, is meant to help liven up the southwest corner of Vine Street and Galbraith Road.

A new entrance will be created on the current site of the basketball courts, providing room for 65 parking spaces.

Inside, a new front desk and Cincinnati Recreation Commission offices will be part of a new, open and airy lobby.

Other parts of the renovation and expansion include:

• A new kitchen
• Two multi-purpose rooms
• An exercise room
• A new ceramics and kiln room
• Windows that will overlook the parking area

The existing playground and pool will stay in their current locations, but the basketball courts will be moved to the tennis court area, where only one tennis court will remain.

The baseball fields are under construction and will receive new restroom facilities, backstops and benches.

Completion is scheduled for May 2009.

The recreation center is just one of several projects in the area.

Cincinnati Public Schools plans to begin a renovation of Hartwell Elementary School later this fall, and the MVP Mid-City Baseball/Softball Indoor Academy Facility has been proposed for the former Hartwell Armory building.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Dawn Longworth, president, Hartwell Improvement Association

Rendering provided by the Hartwell Improvement Association.

Photograph by Scott Beseler

Chuck Lohre, president of Lohre & Associates, has received LEED AP status from the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED APs (Accredited Professionals) must demonstrate a thorough understanding of green building practices.

As a Cincinnati-based marketing and communications consultancy, Lohre’s firm serves engineers, architects and the building and materials trades.

Lohre studied for the LEED AP examination earlier this year for the benefit of his clients.

"Even though building products are not eligible for LEED certification, there's a tremendous opportunity for manufacturers to get their green message across to architects and developers," he says.  "Manufacturers can provide the necessary information about the recycled content, location of manufacture, VOC content and other details builders are looking for when specifying products for their green projects."

His certification means that he can also consult with architects and firms needing knowledge on achieving LEED status for their projects.

Lohre’s certification comes at a time of increased awareness of green design and construction methods.

Of Ohio’s 36 LEED-certified buildings, 12 are located in the greater Cincinnati area with another 30 already in the works.

In 2007, a Cincinnati ordinance created significant financial incentive through 15-year tax abatements for commercial and residential developers to build to LEED standards.

And recently, the state of Ohio has mandated that schools must be LEED-certified to receive funding from the Ohio School Facilities Commission.

More than 43,000 people have received the LEED AP credential since the program was launched in 2001.

Lohre & Associates, celebrating its 70th anniversary, is the only marketing communications firm in the region whose principal has achieved LEED AP status.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Chuck Lohre, president, Lohre & Associates
Photo by Art Dickinson, provided by Chuck Lohre

A new Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) study looking at the future use of the City's subway tunnels was presented to the OKI Intermodal Coodinating Committee on September 9.

The Cincinnati Subway Conversion Study, conducted by URS Corporation, looks at three possible options for the segment of tunnels between the Western Hills Viaduct and the underground stations at Race Street, Liberty Street, and Brighton: maintaining the tunnels, filling them, or improving them for light rail transit.

A 2006 inspection showed that the overall condition of the tunnels is fair to good, but ten locations show signs of advanced deterioration, mostly caused by water leakage at construction joints.

The Race Street and Liberty Street stations were found to be in generally good condition, and the Brighton station was in fair condition with deterioration to the roof slab and beams.

The study also finds that, with a few modifications, light rail transit in the tunnels is feasible.

Estimated to cost $115 million, $85 million would be dedicated to hard construction costs, $15 million to soft costs, and $15 million for water main and communications line relocation.

New platforms and headhouses would be required for all three stations, as well as new construction for ticketing and other related transit functions.

The study recommends:

• Maintaining the tunnels ($3 million) and developing a funding strategy any long-term decision
• Planning for the relocation of the water main and communication lines
• Continuing documentation for a potential local funding match
• Studying future light rail transit impacts to the CBD street grid and the feasibility of extending the tunnel system along the I-71 corridor and down Walnut Street, past the Riverfront Transit Center, and into Covington
• Studying the possibility of running light rail along Central Parkway

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Cincinnati Subway Conversion Study, OKI

Cincinnati City Councilmember Roxanne Qualls wants to ensure that neighborhoods' main thoroughfares serve the needs of residents and business districts first.

At the September 10 meeting of City Council, Qualls introduced a motion supporting traffic calming measures on Beechmont Avenue in Mt. Washington.

The motion, based on a request from the Mt. Washington Community Council (MWCC), asks the city to create plans and a budget for the segment of Beechmont between Elstun Road and Burney Lane that would reduce traffic speeds and create a pedestrian-friendly environment.

In 2004, the Ohio Department of Transportation widened Beechmont Avenue to eliminate an alternating "zipper" traffic lane and to improve the intersection of Beechmont and Corbly Avenue.

"The 2004 widening has drastically affected those whose primary residences are on and off of Beechmont Avenue," says Robert Hayes, who serves on the MWCC board of directors.  "During rush hour, traffic on Beechmont Hill rarely travels below 50 miles per hour, despite posted speed limits of 35 mph and 25 mph.  This is unacceptable for a residential street."

The traffic calming measures are meant to turn Beechmont into a multi-modal transportation option, while still serving as an important east side artery.

"Moving vehicular traffic and pedestrian designed streets are not mutually exclusive," says Weston Munzel, also on the MWCC board.  "Other main traffic routes in the area successfully traverse mixed use districts and achieve this type of balance - Mariemont, Oakley, Mt. Lookout, and Columbia Tusculum.  This is not a new idea."

At the same meeting, city council approved the rezoning of several properties adjacent to the road.

"The re-zonings that are occurring now, in conjunction with the proposed street improvements, are working to return Beechmont Avenue to a more pedestrian-friendly business district, as is seen in many of our fellow east side neighborhoods," Hayes says.

A report on the motion is due before council on October 8.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Sources: Robert Hayes and Weston Munzel, board of directors, MWCC
Photograph by Scott Beseler    (liscense plate edited)

Xavier University has selected Chartwells as its new dining services partner and plans a renovation of the James Hoff Dining Center.

The vision presented by Chartwells was based on extensive research conducted by a team of Chartwells managers that included conducting electronic handheld surveys on campus, studying traffic patterns and conducting a comprehensive campus mapping study, listening to what is important to the Xavier community and utilizing their exclusive Millennials research.

The university made the selection after a yearlong comprehensive study that included the input of students, faculty, and staff.

"We could not be happier with to create a partnership with Chartwells at Xavier University," says Tom Barlow, director of auxiliary services for the university.  "During the proposal process, the committee was extremely impressed with the professionalism, vision and creativity that Chartwells demonstrated.  Chartwells vision for the Xavier campus addressed all segments of the campus community and illustrated the opportunities as the Xavier campus continues to expand."

Chartwells will implement its signature Pulse on Dining brand in the dining center over the next 12 months.

Some features of the new "Hoff Marketplace" will include:

• An Outtakes Food to Go station
• A myPantry self-assisted station
• An open kitchen station
• A wood stone oven station

Chartwells also plans to introduce a new menu for Ryan’s Eatery & Pub as well as Ryan’s Xpress, offering take out options from the Gallagher Student Center.

To better meet student needs, Chartwells will open an Outtakes Quick Cuisine kiosk in the academic part of campus and an Outtakes Convenience Store on the residential side of campus over the next two years.

Chartwells, a division of Charlotte-based Compass Group, provides dining services for over 875 colleges, universities, public and private schools throughout the country.

They will manage all dining, catering, and concessions on the campus through 2013.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Debora Del Valle, director for public relations, Xavier University

Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) is celebrating one year of its commitment to green school construction, including the opening of Pleasant Ridge Montessori School, the first LEED certified public school in Ohio.

One year ago, the Cincinnati Board of Education passed a resolution calling for all future new construction and renovation to be designed to U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver standards and encouraging the development of community partnerships to support the effort.

"Our biggest partnership is with the community members who work with us to design our new buildings like the Pleasant Ridge School Planning Team that are increasingly more interested in incorporating sustainable design in our new buildings," says Michael Burson, director of facilities planning and construction for CPS.

With the completion of phase three of the $1 billion Facilities Master Plan under current planning, Cincinnati will have the largest concentration of green and healthy schools of any urban school district in the nation.

"Cincinnati Public Schools should not only take pride at the fact that 22 of our 50 buildings will be LEED Silver certified when we are completed, but CPS helped encourage the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission to go 'green' for all the remaining schools to be replaced in the State of Ohio after September 2007," Burson says.

Burson says that the new, greener, healthier buildings could even improve parents' view of CPS, making the district more attractive for current and prospective students.

"We have to be honest and say that CPS continuing to improve its academic performance as it has for the past few years will be the primary determinate to our success in the community," he says.  "We do believe, however, that parents appreciate that our new buildings provide safe, beautiful, functional, efficient, and innovative learning environments to support great teaching and learning."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Sources: Michael Burson, director of facilities planning & construction, Cincinnati Public Schools; Ginny Frazier, executive director, ALLY
Taft Information Technology High School renderings courtesy of Cincinnati Public Schools

Vision 2015 will host an public presentation to highlight the opportunities of the Licking River Greenway and Trails plan on Thursday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission at 2332 Royal Drive in Fort Mitchell.

According to Human Nature, Inc. principal and landscape architect Gary Wolnitzek, residents can expect to see a plan that is based on broad community input and includes both short-term, immediately achievable projects and long-term, more ambitious projects.

"It's a vision that sees the Licking River corridor as the north-south spine of a regional parks network," he says.  "It's a place of union, not a boundary - 'Where Northern Kentucky Comes Together'."

Vision 2015 teamed up with the firms of Woolpert and Human Nature in October of 2007 to design the greenway and trails plan as part of Vision 2015's larger goal of creating more exciting, active places to live through revamping education, creating jobs, revitalizing the urban core, and promoting an expansive park system.

"A network of trails is envisioned, linking cultural and natural assets up and down the corridor, on both sides of the river, from multi-purpose paths that serve as a regional connection to more rustic natural paths," Wolnitzek says.  "From a water trail with additional river access points to new and improved river crossings, and from cultural landmarks and neighborhoods to parks and green infrastructure."

He says that the greenway will help people relate to the Licking, an underappreciated local resource.

"The flood protection levees had cut off many streets and neighborhoods from the river," Wolnitzek says.  "This trail offers the opportunity to reconnect people to the river and bring visitors to the area for this unique experience."

Participants are encouraged to RSVP to Mark Raines at mraines@vision2015.org or (859) 291-2020.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Sources: Gary Wolnitzek and Christopher Manning, principals, Human Nature, Inc.
Rendering provided by Vision 2015
Photograph by Scott Beseler

Groundbreaking for the Miracle League field at Dunham Recreation Complex will take place this morning at 11 AM.

The field will become the permanent home of the Miracle League of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission's (CRC) Adapted Baseball Program.

The synthetic rubber surface is designed to be safer and more accessible to children with disabilities.

Designed by GBBN Architects, the field is scheduled for completion in April 2009.

Other improvements will include covered dugouts, an adjacent family pavilion with ADA-accessible restrooms, and access to the Otto Armleder Memorial Regional Aquatic Complex.

Operating under the belief that "every child deserves a chance to play baseball," there are currently 200 Miracle League organizations across the country serving more than 80,000 children.

Local partners in the Miracle League include the CRC, the Reds Community Fund, and the Rotary Club of Cincinnati.

The Reds Community Fund is continuing to raise funds for the project through the sale of commemorative bricks and pavers.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Miracle League of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Rendering courtesy of Miracle League of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and GBBN Architects.

The City of Cincinnati is seeking public input for a pilot parking plan for scooters, motorcycles and mopeds downtown.

Due to a number of requests from people living and working downtown, the city plans on creating five sets of reduced rate, 10-hour on-street parking spaces by the end of October.

The city also endorses the plan because two-wheeled vehicles are more fuel efficient, emit less carbon dioxide, do less damage to roads, and require less space to park.

Also, downtown parking garages cannot serve two-wheeled vehicles because gate sensors can't always detect them, limiting parking options for riders.

Each one-car on-street parking space can accommodate between 3 and 5 two-wheeled vehicles.

Go to www.cincinnati-oh.gov/twowheeler and take the online poll to tell the city which locations you prefer.

Questions or suggestions can be e-mailed to twowheeler@cincinnati-oh.gov.

Voting closes October 12, and the top five vote-getters will be announced on October 15.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: City of Cincinnati
Photography by Scott Beseler

Having awarded nearly $20,000 for eight projects in its first round, the Price Hill Will Building Blocks Micro-Grant Program is accepting applications for the next round of funding.

Representatives of the City of Cincinnati, the Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati, and the Local Initatives Support Corporation of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky will be making a Road Trip to Columbus this week to learn best practices from that city’s community development corporations.

Due to recent growth within the firm, Cole + Russell Architects will leave its Pete Rose Way facility for a new downtown corporate headquarters in The Center at 600 Vine.

Jack Rouse Associates, the Cincinnati-based and globally known design and production firm, has been featured on national television as one of the best companies of its kind in the world.

Demolition has started to make way for the Hoff Academic Quad on the Xavier University campus.

With a deadline of October 15, ArtWorks Cincinnati is seeking community applications for its spring and summer 2009 work program.

The Northern Kentucky region was named as one of four finalists for the Alliance for Regional Stewardship (ARS) Organizational Champion Award for the work of Vision 2015, a community-driven ten-year strategic plan for growth.

Can one build sustainably and save money on the soft costs associated with LEED certification?  Anyone involved in commercial real estate or associated industries is invited to find out on September 11 from 10:45 AM to 6:30 PM at Linden Pointe on the Lateral in Norwood.

The ideas and plans generated on a January afternoon will be shared during Over-the-Rhine Revisited: Designing Infill for Historic Districts, a presentation from 5:30 PM to 7 PM on September 4 at the Mercantile Library.

The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program and the Greater Ohio Policy Center will host the Summit on Restoring Prosperity to Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and local representatives are expected to attend.

The $135 million University of Cincinnati Center for Academic Research Excellence/Crawley Building will officially open on September 10 with a public ribbon-cutting from 1 PM to 3 PM.

While others lament the current state of the housing market, the local franchise of Keller Williams Advisors Realty is seeking 100 new sales agents to join its residential real estate team.