Over-the-Rhine Project Brings Together Rival Schools

University of Cincinnati design students have long studied in and worked to improve life in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.  Indeed, for several years now, UC students have held hands-on studio courses throughout the week at The Emery Center in Over-the-Rhine.

Similarly, Miami University architecture students have long traveled south from Oxford, Ohio, to engage in design projects to aid Over-the-Rhine.

Now, students from both schools are coming together, joining forces for the betterment of the community.  In one project, students are working to refurbish an Over-the-Rhine storefront into a non-profit pizza parlor.  Local nuns plan to use the pizza parlor/catering enterprise to provide job training for hard-to-place workers.

In another project, two UC students and five Miami students are working – along with faculty from both universities and consultants – to brainstorm housing redevelopment ideas for the troubled zone just north of Washington Park.  The park itself, bordered by West 14th, West 12th, Race and Elm streets is currently a green space and the home of Washington Park Elementary School.

“The school is moving to the corner of Walnut and 15th streets,” according to Frank Russell, director of UC’s Community Design Center, who will help oversee the current student work.  “Then, the park itself will remain as green space.  The move has been approved by the Cincinnati Public Schools.”

The housing project the students are taking on will be much more complicated, he added, simply because of vacant parcels in the area.  In addition, existing structures are owned by a patchwork of individuals and institutions, including landlords, the city and non-profit organizations.  “One of those organizations is ReSTOC, a non-profit development organization.  ReSTOC is actually serving as the students’ client.  We’re providing them with examples of what could happen in the area bordered by Vine and Elm and bisected by 15th Street.  There are lots of empty lots, and about half the housing stock is vacant.  I’d say we’re just staring out on a road that, in about ten years, might bring actual development,” explained Russell.

Among the initial ideas that the UC and MU students have come up with are both multi-family and single-family homes in the area, street parking with a local parking garage that is half underground, and mixing retail and other services and amenities in with housing.  In addition, they want to create more pedestrian-friendly areas along the south side of Liberty Street and a neighborhood center/plaza at 15th and Race streets.

“We want to foster this particular neighborhood within the larger Over-the-Rhine neighborhood,” said Robert R. Bell, Jr., MU instructor in architecture.  “We’re looking at what businesses and services are needed to support that.  How can we attract more residents since density here is so low as compared to historic levels?  For one thing, offstreet parking for residents is a big problem.  That led to the idea for the low-rise, half-underground garage,” he continued.

The students are aware they’ve taken on a big project.  UC master of planning student Gerbert Poppenk stated, “We’re tackling serious issues, not only housing, but the problems of segregation and the history of slow decline in the neighborhood over the last 100 years.”

The students and faculty working on this project will present their ideas to community resident, city officials and ReSTOC in mid-December.  From there, other UC students will continue honing plans and ideas into the future.  

In addition to Russell and Bell, Thomas Dutton, MU professor of architecture and director of its Center for Community Engagement, is also helping to lead this project.  In addition to Poppenk, other students involved in the project are Sinem Metin, UC master of planning student; and Miami students Brian Breedlove, Justin Beadle, Rassem Parker, Ellissa Van Houte and Brad Kaiser.