GAIA OASIS by the GAIA Foundation, Inc.
We propose to develop a block of five buildings, under the name of GAIA OASIS, including City of Cincinnati-owned 24 W. Elder Street and the building at 1800-1802 Race Street, and privately owned 1804-06 Race Street buildings. The building on 26 W. Elder Street is also included in this GAIA OASIS because we need only a roof on that building in order to make the landscaping of the courtyard complete.
We wish to develop the three buildings belonging to the City of Cincinnati, together with the inner courtyard, as a cohesive unit and use it to practice the principles of sustainable development (utilizing energy-efficient appliances, insulation, buried water tank/pump, passive and active solar collectors and wind energy). We will call this complex GAIA OASIS, and name the courtyard Alden Place in memory of our deceased friend Alden Christenson. We will promote maximal community involvement by training local people to work on the buildings. Part of their payment will be in earned equity toward the purchase of a renovated apartment. In subsequent projects we plan to develop green businesses and thus provide continuous employment for the population living in OTR and adjacent areas.
We will demonstrate a practical application of sustainability concepts in GAIA OASIS. We believe this vision will be shown both efficient and economically viable by its success. We could then use this "flagship" project to show the viability of a broader vision of renewal and sustainability and to start renovating more of Over-The-Rhine. Then we could potentially expand to include the Cincinnati "Heart", an area including Over-The-Rhine and several other adjacent and distinct neighborhoods forming the inner city of Cincinnati. This proposal is the beginning of Phase I of our Sustainable Environmental And Revival of Cincinnati Heart (SEARCH).
This includes renovation of houses using maximal energy efficiency in design and in light fixtures and appliances in addition to passive and active solar collectors and potentially the use of wind energy. A long-range plan includes community gardens for growing food and local work for area residents, such as non-polluting production facilities and other sustainability promoting businesses.
When the concepts of energy efficiency are applied, dwellings are insulated and the heating and electric bills are minimal because we use the most energy efficient fixtures available on the market (and our vision includes having these fixtures able to be purchased and/or produced in the neighborhood). Part of the generated electricity comes from a solar collector or panel on the roof, and the other part from a small non-polluting electricity generator that works on 66% efficiency (double that of conventional power generation).
We would preferentially employ the people living in the area in order to promote walking and biking to work and thus helping to alleviate the need for car use, which will result in drastic decreases in CO2 emissions from transportation. Our ideas differ from the unsuccessful trials in the past by its integrated systemic approach and in our seeking the cooperation of all the current residents and organizations active in this area.
We are listening to all the actors and shareholders in the communities where we want to implement our Sustainable Environment and Advanced Rebirth of Cincinnati Heart* (S.E.A.R.C.H.), and are finding optimal solutions that will satisfy all the people who will live with the applications of our plan and vision. We believe that only when an approach is used where stakeholders that are living in the community are included in the renewal project can a positive change be lasting and sustainable.
We can refurbish the buildings and neighborhoods with new technologies, new ideas and additional people, without displacing the residents. We can help facilitate these residents to be integrated into a larger, highly functional community, which could become a model for other cities to follow.
IMPLEMENTATION
Phase I. Our architects, Dunn and Titus, have already renovated numerous dwelling units in the Over-the-Rhine and adjacent areas and they specialize in green (sustainable) architecture. We would renovate the buildings on the northeast corner of Race and W. Elder Streets according to the principles of sustainable development and make them into multi-purpose dwellings. The storefronts of those houses, adjacent to Findlay Market would be opened as stores and restaurants. In this group of buildings (GAIA OASIS), we plan a café in one of the street-level facades of one of these buildings and would call it the GAIA Café. We will train and employ the people in the area who are currently either unemployed or marginally employed, using several job-training programs already in existence and that have a proven track record in placing their clients.
Phase II. After successful completion of Phase I (GAIA OASIS), and the renting out of the stores and apartments in an innovative exchange system, or selling condominiums, we would like to expand our renovation to other abandoned buildings and also industrial buildings in order to bring more jobs and a better quality of life into the area.
Phase III. Continue developing and transforming the area and negotiate with producers of modern energy technologies to use our Showplace (Over-the-Rhine and vicinity) to demonstrate the effectiveness of their technologies and thus set a trend for inner cities in other urban areas. This would be combined with other efforts such as public transportation development and empowerment zones. We do not want to compete with or replace the existing organizations but rather promote maximal cooperation of all interested parties.
Rather than gentrifying the area by moving residents out of the area into public housing projects or elsewhere, we want to provide them the opportunity to become homeowners. This would also enable the residents to become gainfully employed without forcing them to commute long distances to work. Additionally, since many currently abandoned buildings present a development potential to people that want to live in this area, we will have an influx of people and businesses which will stimulate the economy of the City of Cincinnati and the entire Tri-State Region.
ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS SUPPORTING OUR PROJECT:
1. Findlay Market merchants are excited about the possibility of our soon opening the Gaia Heavenly Foods Restaurant, a small healthy foods and drinks cafe that would help increase the traffic at the Findlay Market since the shoppers will have a good place to eat sitting down. Also, since the restaurant will purchase its food from those merchants, their sales are anticipated to increase.
2. Jobs+, a non-profit training and employment agency for the people who live in the area, and who have difficulties finding and retaining jobs, is very interested in finding jobs for their graduates of the program. We intend to give priority in employment to local people and thus improve their chances for stable employment, both during the reconstruction phase of the project and later when we introduce other employment opportunities (various stores and some light manufacturing). We are also seeking support from all the existing daily labor pool centers and hope to get their full cooperation.
3. The University of Cincinnati is interested in having their co-op students work with us and gain unique learning experience. Those could include architectural, engineering and construction students as well as social studies and psychology majors since the range of problems in the heart of Cincinnati far exceeds the reach of any one discipline and developing an interdisciplinary approach to their solution may provide excellent clinical practice for our future professionals. Students will be encouraged to live in these areas (not far from UC, Xavier, NKU and Cincinnati State) by getting comfortable living spaces for low rent, which in some cases may be bartered for their work with us.
So we could introduce some intellectual, cultural, racial and religious diversity into the area and perhaps provide role models for at-risk youth. We believe that when more functional people move into the area, it will cause a chain reaction of moves into those neighborhoods by other highly-educated professionals who are tired of commuting long distances from homes in the suburbs.
4. Police and the Courts could help us design a program whereby the non-violent offenders can serve their sentences by attending our program, working for us and taking training classes. In such a way they could gradually learn working skills and have a place to go after their sentence is served. We believe that this approach would contribute greatly to an improvement in community relations. We believe that getting young offenders into a structured working environment would be preferable to jailing them for small offenses and would help prevent their developing into hardened criminals.
While there are currently nine units in the 1800-02 Race Street building, we plan to develop the space into four to six condominiums. We could house Gaia Heavenly Foods Restaurant on the ground floor. We have been delayed in getting access to the interior of the building at 1804-06 Race Street so we do not have floor plans for that building. This site could likely be developed into six condominiums (but it depends on the amount of space there).
We can install passive and active solar panels out of sight on the roofs of these buildings and we feel that this would not impinge on the requirements of the Over-The-Rhine Historic Guidelines. We have wind-generator technology that we would like to use on the roofs but if they cannot be hidden then we would opt to not utilize that technology here.
For 26 W. Elder we envision further mixed-use activities such as dwellings and a storefront or food outlet at the street level. For all three of these buildings, we can install below-ground water tanks for efficient water heating and cooling depending on the season. We would also like to have additional seating for Gaia Heavenly Foods Restaurant on the roof of the one-story City of Cincinnati tool storage building in between 1800-02 Race Street and 26 W. Elder Street.
The Over-The-Rhine Comprehensive Plan promotes the redevelopment of existing buildings in clusters in the numerous internal, inner block, courtyard spaces noted in the Findlay Market area. When these areas are improved with landscaping, play areas and other residential amenities they will help create the building blocks of community identity. We feel this courtyard and roof dining area would complement the planned plaza across the street at the southeast corner of Race and W. Elder Streets (where the Drop-Inn Center now stands).
Conformation with the OTR Comprehensive Plan
We feel that our plans coincide well with the Over-The-Rhine Comprehensive Plan's recommendations and also directly address challenges facing the neighborhoods. For instance, our vision agrees with the key issues of lack of economic investment/ disinvestment, the potential for displacement of low-income residents, and the loss of population and economic activity.
The plan's recommendations are designed to rebuild the housing and economic infrastructure of the neighborhood in a way that will create an economically and racially diverse community that can be sustained over the long term. We agree with a key housing recommendation to establish a mixed-income housing model that provides for balanced housing opportunities.
We would work with neighborhood stakeholders to address this key community issue of displacement. We agree with the plan to not have current low-income residents priced out of the market. The objective of the process is a mixed-income community that does not displace existing residents but actually improves their quality of life and safety.
The overarching goal of the plan is to improve the lives of current residents of Over-The-Rhine. We would like to be a part of improvements made in the quality, quantity, and affordability of local housing, the safety and cleanliness of the neighborhood and the availability of economic opportunities. Creating a truly sustainable mixed-income neighborhood that serves as a model for years to come is our goal. We hope to increase homeownership in OTR for people of all income levels (because a mixed income community is economically beneficial). Our plan follows the housing goals and objectives to encourage and welcome new investment at all levels of the housing market and ensure the long-term sustainability of enough affordable housing to house current residents. Our guiding principle agrees that this model is based on the belief that an equitable community that welcomes new residents can be achieved without displacement of current residents and that every effort should be made to assist people in moving from one income level to another. Increasing homeownership opportunities as a means for stabilizing the community for all income groups is strongly desired.
We believe that our plan and vision address the overarching issues of the Over-The-Rhine Neighborhood. A need for quality housing options for all income levels. How to introduce higher income residents to the neighborhood without displacing or diminishing the quality of life for current residents has been a subject of numerous academic and non-academic debates. A need to stimulate business development and create job opportunities for residents is present in all political discussions. How to encourage both old and new residents to respect each other and form one diverse community is a complex question which our S.E.A.R.C.H. project addresses.
We believe that our vision and plan agree with Housing Goal 1: Increase the use of abandoned, underutilized, and substandard buildings in Over-The-Rhine. Our vision agrees with the Objective of Economic Development Goal 1: Make Over-The-Rhine a model for diverse and inclusive business development, to focus marketing of retail space around Findlay Market for local, specialty and international food products and services. Similarly, we can help to establish a better link between the Over-The-Rhine workforce and the job training and employment opportunities in the neighborhood and throughout the region.
As the Over-The-Rhine Comprehensive Plan states: "with its many economic assets, this historic 19th century neighborhood has positioned itself very well to take advantage of 21st century opportunities." If the Mayor and City Council are truly committed to the implementation of this plan, projects that are consistent with the recommendations -- like GAIA OASIS and its broader vision -- should be given a chance to succeed. A start in the Over-The-Rhine community focal point of the Findlay Market mixed-use zone would benefit both Over-The-Rhine and the city. We believe it really can work with cooperation and a shared vision and understanding of the increasing need for sustainable technologies and practices as we move forward in the 21st century.
While we do not have concrete details at present as to the financing of this proposal, we understand that the City of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Development Fund, Hamilton County, the State of Ohio, and other private grant-making and financial institutions are all potential partners. We understand that they all have existing programs that may provide assistance and that they have all also indicated a willingness to entertain new requests for proposals to assist in the development of OTR.
We plan to seek the assistance of these groups, as well as that of the Urban Living Loan Pool (a private fund through the Cincinnati Development Fund that is one of the few organizations that will consider pre-development loans). We have spoken with Robin McNulty, the Chief Operating Officer for the Cincinnati Housing Development Fund, and we could move forward with that process. And we also understand that currently the City of Cincinnati has a number of competitive financing programs to assist housing development.
We have some possible sources of private funds and we also have some preliminary indication that persons such as Frederic Holzberger, Emma Lazarus, and James Schwab (of the Bank of America Foundation), could be interested in providing some funding for this worthy project. We will continue to seek sources of funding.
We are currently seeking cooperation, investigating funding sources through, and offering support to: ReSTOC, Drop-Inn Center, Over-The-Rhine, Inc., Over-The-Rhine Housing Network, Over-The-Rhine Foundation, Over-The-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, Franciscans and Mercy Franciscan Home Development, Inc., Preserving Affordable Housing (PAH), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Urban Sites, Community Builders, City of Cincinnati Neighborhood Services, Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors, the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, the Housing Round, and the Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United (CNBDU).
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The City of Cincinnati on the
Over-the-Rhine Historic District:
"Roughly bounded by Reading Road, Dorsey, Sycamore, Liberty, and Vine Streets, Central Parkway, and McMicken Avenue (Over-the-Rhine)
Significance: The Over-the-Rhine Historic District encompasses 362.5 acres of the original German community. The majority of structures are two-, three-, and four-story brick or stone edifices erected in the last half of the 19th century for residential and commercial uses. Vernacular, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne styles predominate. The area was once one of the largest German-American neighborhoods in the United States."
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INTERACTIVE MAP OF OVER-THE-RHINE FROM IRHINE.COM
Cincinnati Enquirer's Interactive Historical Over-the-Rhine Map - May 2006
Cincinnati Enquirer's Photo Gallery: Over-the-Rhine
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Some Historic Buildings in or adjacent to Over-The-Rhine:
Elm Street at Fourteenth Street
Architect: Samuel Hannaford
Built: 1876
Style: High Victorian Gothic
Addition: 1925
Architect: Kruckemeyer & Strong
Remodeling: 1975
Architect: Alan Schat
Photo Credits L-R: AIA Cincinnati, Irhine.com & Cincinnati Preservation Association
Central Parkway at Main Street
Architect: unknown
Built: 1888
Style: French Second Empire
Addition: 1912
Architect: Daniel Burnham
Style: Chicago School
Central Parkway at Walnut
Architect: Samuel Hannaford & Sons
Built: 1909
Style: Collegiate Tudor
Central Parkway at Elm Street
Architect: unknown
Built: 1918
Central Parkway at Walnut Street
Architect: Joseph & Benjamin Steinkamp
Built: 1927
Style: Art Deco
150 E. Central Parkway
Architect: Harry Hake & Partners
Built: 1960
Style: Contemporary
Central Parkway at Sycamore Street
Architect: Champlin & Haupt
Glaser & Myers Gruzen Associates
Built: 1985
Style: Brutalism
Central Parkway at Elm Street
Architect: Centerbrook
Built: 1985
Style: International
<Church &
Mercer Street> 
Photos Cincinnati Preservation Association via NTHP Website
Kaufmann Building, 1721-1725 Vine Street - Photo Cincinnati Preservation Association Website
Some of the 22 buildings along Mercer, Vine, Walnut and East Fourteenth Streets which may be demolished to provide space for new schools - Photos Cincinnati Preservation Association Website
Some Public Art in OTR
Statue of Col. R.L. McCook in Washington Park
Veterans Memorial Sanctuary, Hamilton County Memorial Hall, Elm Street
Some Architectural Style Guides Online
Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology
Major American Architectural Styles - Western Illinois University
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