Lincoln Hts. has ambitious plans

[buildingcincinnati]

I used to work in Lockland, and I've been through Lincoln Heights many times.  It struggles.  This sounds like an ambitious plan, but I wish them luck...

Village devises development plan
By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer


Paul Phillips Jr. sits with three of his daughters, (from left) Jocelyn, 17; Amber, 13; and Tanisha, 18, at their home in Lincoln Heights. Phillips, 41, has been a resident of the village his whole life.
The Cincinnati Enquirer/ERNEST COLEMAN
 
Some of the pieces of property don't look too promising right now.

One is a grassy lot littered with discarded bottles, paper cups and other trash. Another is a tract with a sprawling, boarded-up brick building that had been a community center. Another is a large chunk of an industrial park that was a graveyard for hundreds of junk cars.


E-mail skemme@enquirer.com

[ColDayMan]

Ah, the blackest city in the Midwest (stastically).  So so sad story .  I'm glad they are atleast thinking of redeveloping Lincoln Heights.

[buildingcincinnati]

Yeah, what you said.

They are surrounded by Lockland, which still struggles but has done a few things as far as small businesses go.  Woodlawn has developed quite a few new things and is on the upswing.  And Wyoming...well, they won't get there quite so quickly (who will), but there's no reason the people of Lincoln Hts. can't redevelop.

I've been getting a ton of sh!tty e-mails from this kid from Elmwood Place (due to my take being posted on the city web site), but what the hell are they doing.  Buying aluminum siding for everyone and paying Rumpke to dump garbage on their streets?

I find the struggling areas infinitely more interesting than the areas that have little or no problems.  And I am very pro-effort.  I'm anti-"We have a sense of community, but we don't give a sh!t about absentee landlords or people who don't keep up their property".

[/rant]

[WhoDey]

I've been getting a ton of sh!tty e-mails from this kid from Elmwood Place (due to my take being posted on the city web site), but what the hell are they doing.  Buying aluminum siding for everyone and paying Rumpke to dump garbage on their streets?

Hahahaha lmao....

[buildingcincinnati]

Well, it's been ten months and I haven't heard a damn thing about anything.  Lincoln Hts. doesn't have a website and Hamilton Co. doesn't have anything about Lincoln Hts., either.

Anyone want to visit there with me? 

[dfly]

For my previous job, I had to go to the Lincoln Heights city building a few times.  Everyone I came in contact with there was unbelievably nice and seemed to be dedicated, unfortunately it just seems like they just don't have the means.  The city building itself is pretty clear evidence of that.  I certainly wish them luck and hope some of their plans become reality.

Also, while we are talking about Lincoln Heights, maybe someone can give me a little background about a couple stories I've heard about the city.  First, I've heard that Evendale more or less "stole" GE away from Lincoln Heights.  Is there any truth to that?  Also, I hear that Lockland built a fence between the two cities for racial reasons.  What's up with that?  Is it still there?

[buildingcincinnati]

Here's the Lincoln Hts./GE/Evendale saga:

Industrial growth in the Mill Creek valley led to the formation of Lockland.  An influx of black workers into Lockland led to the creation of new housing for blacks on the periphery of Lockland, of which "Lincoln Hts." was the name of one of the subdivisions.

Lincoln Hts. remained relatively unimproved, with unpaved streets, no water or sewers, etc., but continued to attract black residents whose suburban options were very limited.  The citizens sought incorporation and began referring to the entire area as Lincoln Hts.

With the large amounts of open land and the coming of WWII, the upper Mill Creek valley became the site of many defense plants (the largest of which was Wright Aircraft).  Wright has a large workforce and built a lot of nearby housing, including public housing in Lincoln Hts.

After the war, Wright became GE.  All of the neighboring villages wanted to annex the property to increase their tax base.  Recently incorporated Lincoln Hts. (1946) was one of them.  White interests weren't so keen on the idea, so an entirely new community called "Evendale" was created for this sole purpose and incorporated in 1950.  It was fought in the courts, who ruled in favor of Evendale.

This ruling pretty much sealed Lincoln Hts. residents' doom as far as being able to annex any industrial property to add to their tax base.

As for the "fence", I've never heard anything about that and I've never seen any evidence of one.

[edale]

I think Lincoln Hieghts is starting to turn around.  They're in the Princeton school district which is a plus, they are building some new homes for more middle waged people, they just got out of a financial emergency with the state, and a new low income health care facility was recently completed.  As for there being a fence between Lockland and Lincoln Hgts., it does not exist.  It could have in the past but there is not currently one up.  Lockland has a decent black population itself so it would make no sense to have a fence up for racial purposes.

[buildingcincinnati]

UPDATE:

Some single family homes are being built/are for sale on Taylor Ct., Thomas Ct., Dixie Ave., Dixie Ct. and Chicago Ave.  These are all in the $125K-$200K range and are pretty suburban in style.

These are much needed in a community that is plagued by depressed home values.

[unusualfire]

 I guess you can add this guy too.


Reported by: Lance Barry
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
Photographed by: Jason Garrison
11/2/2005 11:08:12 PM

Hundreds of occupants of a Lincoln Heights housing complex were told Wednesday that their utilities are going might be shut off.

That's because Valley View Housing Corporation is hundreds of thousands of dollars behind in payments -- and it has the property manager there facing accusations of financial wrongdoing.

With some serious unpaid bills there -- a 70,000 water bill that's late and a $90,000 bill with Cinergy that's late -- 9News went to the complex to find some "answers" -- and went face-to-face with the man surrounded by so many questions.

When 9News posed the question to property manager Charles Willis, asking if money had been misappropriated, Willis responded, "No, not at all."

When 9News asked, "Nothing wrong?," Willis said, "Nothing at all. I've done nothing wrong."

But outside Willis' office, dozens of residents in the Valley Homes housing complex disagree. So strongly that Lincoln Heights police were called in.

"Where is the money going?," asked Valley Homes resident Eva Brewster as she spoke into a megaphone, "in his pocket from what I hear!"

The accusations revolve around $150,000 in unpaid utility bills that have surfaced since Charles Willis took over as property manager at Valley Homes.

So much in fact, that residents are now receiving discontinuation notices from Cinergy effective immediately.

Willis vows that not only is there is a logical explanation, but also that no tenant will be left in the dark.

"I'm not planning on having that happening," said Willis. "I think we'll have enough funds."

Willis says the cash-strapped property came into financial trouble after several of the units were condemned and no longer brought in money.

He doesn't refute the fact that some are in sad shape.

They include Ricky Finnerson, Sr.'s home, with major ceiling and plumbing issues.

Finnerson says Willis can't complain about the condition of homes taking money away from the the group -- because willis does nothing about them.

"They keep telling me they are going to get it out there," said Finnerson. "They never do. I go in there and put in work orders, they never do."

9News has learned it may be too late to prevent an outage at the 350 units.

The utility bills date back months, with a $70,000 water bill and $90,000 outstanding to Cinergy.

As a way to raise money quickly tenants were told of a rent increase -- today.

"Twenty-five dollars rent increase," one resident told 9News, "so my rent has gone up from $405 to $430."

Also of concern, Willis' mother.

As the chair of the board, she is the most powerful member of the part-owned, part-rented property

That relationship has also eroded the faith of those who live there in Willis.

When 9News asked Willis if he saw this as a conflict of interest, he replied simply, "I don't."

Also in question, the sale of a piece of land adjacent to their property.

They made $91,000 in profit through its sale.

Willis says cash has also been spent in an effort to get the utility bills under control.

So, if that is indeed where that money went -- those unpaid bills in the past year actually totaled one-quarter of a million dollars.

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 12/26/06 Enquirer:


Big plans growing bigger
Complex rescued, wants more
BY JANE PRENDERGAST | JPRENDERGAST@ENQUIRER.COM

LINCOLN HEIGHTS - Residents of Valley Homes who had to fight to keep their heat and lights on a year ago are working now on something unimaginable then - a plan to redevelop the long-troubled place with new housing.

A task force of residents envisions 40 to 150 units of housing for older people, some rental townhouses mostly for families and 40 townhouses to be available for sale.


http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061226/NEWS01/612260377/1077/COL02

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 12/31/06 Enquirer:


Plans for Valley Homes to be aired
THE ENQUIRER

LINCOLN HEIGHTS - The new board members of Valley Homes, with the complex's development task force, will unveil their plans and hopes for the 350-unit neighborhood at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Medosch Avenue office.

A year ago, residents were begging then-Cinergy not to cut off their heat and lights, after learning that the previous property manager had not paid the utilities. Since, a court ordered the property into receivership. And while there's still about $350,000 owed in back utilities, residents are pleased with regular trash pickup and improved maintenance.

The place was built in the 1940s. Jackie Hawkins, a resident of the complex since 1978, wants all residents to be part of what she hopes will turn Valley Homes into a combination of rentals for seniors, rentals for families and some owner-occupied homes.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061231/NEWS01/612310391/1056/COL02

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 1/3/07 Enquirer:


Lincoln Heights complex seeks proposals for rebuilding
BY JANE PRENDERGAST | JPRENDERGAST@ENQUIRER.COM

LINCOLN HEIGHTS - Continuing with their new motto, "The train is rolling," the residents' board of Valley Homes voted Tuesday night to ask developers for proposals detailing how they would replace the World War II-era complex with new housing.

In spite of some questions about whether enough residents knew the meeting was happening, the board went ahead with a plan to send out the requests for proposals. They asked for the developers' plans by March 15.


http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/NEWS01/701030345/1056/COL02

[buildingcincinnati]

From the 6/17/07 Enquirer:


PHOTO: The Valley Homes complex, which dates to World War II, is still facing long delays on its redevelopment. The complex has been resident-owned since 1954 and is currently under court-ordered receivership. A task force is reviewing two proposals for the long-delayed redevelopment.  The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman

Uncertainty surrounds Valley Homes' redevelopment project
BY CLIFF RADEL | CRADEL@ENQUIRER.COM

They're burning the midnight oil poring over documents at Valley Homes.

A task force of residents is reviewing two multimillion-dollar proposals dealing with the aging housing complex's long-delayed redevelopment.

Fourteen developers inquired about submitting proposals in May. They were told to submit plans for rebuilding the debt-plagued World War II-era complex that is in court-ordered receivership.


http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070617/NEWS01/706170371/

[UncleRando]

$512,250 grant will help turn brownfield green again
http://www.soapboxmedia.com/innovationnews/brown0610.aspx