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Butler County: Development and News


Guest grasscat

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This is a good idea for West Chester, but this seems a little silly.  I think every high-schooler, college student, and twenty or thirty-something know if they are looking for hip, the suburbs are not going to be the place to find it.  All I can think of is Ben Folds.

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A good majority of the DAAP students, near graduation, are planning on moving to West Chester after they graduate.  They look at IKEA, the clock tower, and the Liberty Interchange and say, "damn...I want to move there."

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This is great!  maybe it'll change the traffic patterns and I might actually be able to get out of this mess in a reasonable time at the end of the work day!

 

Partying in WestChester.  The thought never crossed my mind.

 

I'd rather go to Hamilton!

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  • 2 months later...

Just ignore those people from West Chester talking about "Cincy slowly dying." They obviously have no idea about anything going on downtown, and they're the type of people we don't want living downtown anyway.  Let them stick it out in West Chester once gas is $6.50/gallon.

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^Sometimes I just can't resist.  When I comment on the Enquirer's site it seems like I'm the only person on there with any substantive argument or factual evidence behind my position.  That gets quite frustrating...but in the less chaotic articles those comments can sometimes quiet the ridiculousness and kind of set the record straight.  That's why I go through the pain/agony of dealing with those idiots.

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It is tempting...yes, but it's something I must resist.

 

Then again, the following comment "I can't recall the last time I saw a smiling child downtown," is really really hard to resist.  I mean, come on now.

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It is tempting...yes, but it's something I must resist.

 

Then again, the following comment "I can't recall the last time I saw a smiling child downtown," is really really hard to resist. I mean, come on now.

 

Wow, people actually say this?  I see smiling children all the time!

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From the Journal-News:

 

Skaters cause $7,000 damage to square

Planters, steps and metal benches are scuffed up from skateboards.

By Matt Cunningham

 

WEST CHESTER TWP. — One or more unidentified skateboarders have caused an estimated $7,000 in damage to West Chester Twp.'s newest park.

 

A West Chester Twp. parks employee reported July 1 that there were scuff marks from skateboarders "grinding" — sliding their boards along the edges of the planters and steps at The Square @ Union Centre. Two metal benches also sustained similar damage.

 

"Right now we're trying to find the best way to clean or remove (the marks)," township information officer Barbara Wilson said.

 

The 2-acre, $1.9 million urban park is located on Centre Pointe Drive in the township's central business district off of Union Centre Boulevard. Construction of the park began in August 2007, and the completed park held its first event in late June.

 

The township is designing signs for the park, including "no skateboarding" signs, said Wilson. In the meantime, temporary signs have been posted to deter skateboarders from the steps, curbs and benches.

 

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5127 or [email protected].

 

http://www.journal-news.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/07/20/hjn072108skaters.html

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  • 4 weeks later...

South Point is the Civic Centre Drive Extension. Civic Centre is to be extended to Allen / Windisch. This project is to be located directly south of Streets of West Chester.

 

The GE site is the old Queen City Sports Site. Its boundaries are roughly as follows:

 

I-75 on the West

UCB on the South

Cincinnati-Dayon Rd on the East

West Chester Cemetery on the North

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  • 9 months later...

Plans for VOA Park slowed

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090519/NEWS01/905200357/1055/NEWS/Plans+for+VOA+Park+slowed

 

The downward economy and a slumping housing market could delay a 10-year, $20 million plan to improve the Voice of America Park.

 

Real estate transfer fee collections are expected to come in at about $300,000 this year - about half of what Butler County MetroParks anticipated.

 

That means grading work on the 20-plus athletic fields at the park could be put off for at least another year.

 

...

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  • 4 years later...

Figured it would be better to post about Bass Pro here than in the Forest Fair thread because Bass Pro is moving here, and likely site plans will be coming out soon...

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/12/11/bass-pro-buys-land-for-new-west.html

 

 

Looking at the map, I'm fairly certain the site is triangular-shaped, bounded by a tree line, I-75 and Allen Rd. If this is the case, there is just a small edge of the property that meets the surface road with restaurants paralleling I-75 NB directly south of the Union Centre interchange. So connectivity with the microscopically small Streets of West Chester looks to be unlikely, although continuation of that development out towards the Bass Pro site with the inclusion of some more stores, offices, and some apartments would make logical sense...

 

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There hasn't been, except I would assume this development counts as progress at the site.

 

Either way, I can definitely see a restart here. And if you listen closely, you can probably even start to hear rumblings of retailers leaving Tri-County right now, as much as I hate to say it...

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There hasn't been, except I would assume this development counts as progress at the site.

 

Either way, I can definitely see a restart here. And if you listen closely, you can probably even start to hear rumblings of retailers leaving Tri-County right now, as much as I hate to say it...

 

You made me to go and consult the article and a map to get my bearings straight. I agree this is not going to be a major factor on the Streets of West Chester, which in my mind was never a major development to begin with. I thought it interesting the realty company sold the property to Bass Pro for about what they bought it for 6 years ago. Not exactly the way to make a profit.

 

But this should up more development along Allen Rd out to Cincinnati Dayton. I personally have enjoyed the developments along Union Centre Boulevard and we frequent them as much as anywhere else.

 

The often renamed Forest Fair Village is likely reeling from this. Can't see how they can remain afloat. And you are right, you can just about hear the footsteps of the mechants leaving Tri-County. With the announcement of Dillard's moving to the new Liberty Square Center in Liberty Township, can Macy's be far behind?

 

 

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I agree with kjbrill.  Between Liberty Square, Bridgewater, and Union Centre, the handwriting seems to be on the wall for Tri-County.  I'm really interested to see what the Liberty development ends up looking like.  It's going to be, what, 10 minutes (at most) away from Union Centre and Bridgewater?  And ten minutes south of the outlet malls? 

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Butler Co. is just starting to feel its oats. They have many of the newest residential developments in the entire area, and some great schools. They are a very desirable place to live and raise a family. Notice I put the emphasis on family.

 

That is what the northern suburbs have going for them - raising families. Those who want to not bear children and desire an urban existence can gravitate to the City. But I strongly believe this is the minority. The attraction to raising a family is still the strongest reason for married couples to exist in this country. Witrhout this family life orientation, we are in big trouble.

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Butler Co. is just starting to feel its oats. They have many of the newest residential developments in the entire area, and some great schools. They are a very desirable place to live and raise a family. Notice I put the emphasis on family.

 

That is what the northern suburbs have going for them - raising families. Those who want to not bear children and desire an urban existence can gravitate to the City. But I strongly believe this is the minority. The attraction to raising a family is still the strongest reason for married couples to exist in this country. Without this family life orientation, we are in big trouble.

 

Wow, you're starting to bring up some big cultural issues that I think are beyond the scope of this thread.

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Butler Co. is just starting to feel its oats. They have many of the newest residential developments in the entire area, and some great schools. They are a very desirable place to live and raise a family. Notice I put the emphasis on family.

 

That is what the northern suburbs have going for them - raising families. Those who want to not bear children and desire an urban existence can gravitate to the City. But I strongly believe this is the minority. The attraction to raising a family is still the strongest reason for married couples to exist in this country. Without this family life orientation, we are in big trouble.

 

Wow, you're starting to bring up some big cultural issues that I think are beyond the scope of this thread.

 

They may be signficant cultural issues, but ones I believe need to be discussed. If not here then where? Since West Chester and Liberty townships are right in the thick of it, I don't see anything wrong with discussing it here. Tell me two other places in the entire Cincy Metro which are more involved in this subject. Oh yes, I can name one - Mason.

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Suburban Sprawl News and Discussion is where those sorts of conversations take place. It's in the City Discussion section which is one of the 'general opinion" areas of the site, though obviously opinion seeps into the Transportation section as well. 

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In case you haven't noticed, West Chester and Liberty townships combined are equal to about 25% of the residential population of Cincinnati. And if you add in Mason you have over 30% of the population of Cincinnati. I would hardly call this just sprawl. I would call it a formidable economic force in Cincinnati.

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In case you haven't noticed, West Chester and Liberty townships combined are equal to about 25% of the residential population of Cincinnati. And if you add in Mason you have over 30% of the population of Cincinnati. I would hardly call this just sprawl. I would call it a formidable economic force in Cincinnati.

 

West Chester: 35 square miles

Liberty Township: 28 square miles

Mason: 19 square miles

 

Total: 82 square miles

 

Cincinnati: 79 square miles

 

So an area larger than the city of Cincinnati contains a third of its population.  That, sir, is the definition of sprawl.

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Guest jmecklenborg

Why do we always compare cities by residential population, not number of jobs?  Cincinnati dominates in this respect, that's why it has the tax base to staff the region's largest police force, build special projects, etc.

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In case you haven't noticed, West Chester and Liberty townships combined are equal to about 25% of the residential population of Cincinnati. And if you add in Mason you have over 30% of the population of Cincinnati. I would hardly call this just sprawl. I would call it a formidable economic force in Cincinnati.

 

West Chester: 35 square miles

Liberty Township: 28 square miles

Mason: 19 square miles

 

Total: 82 square miles

 

Cincinnati: 79 square miles

 

So an area larger than the city of Cincinnati contains a third of its population.  That, sir, is the definition of sprawl.

 

To you it may be the definition of sprawl. To me it is the definition of a great place to live. I just don't care to be crammed into a 18th century tenament district with walkups and shared bathrooms just because somebody declares it historical.

 

The fact is that population will have a lot to say as to the future of Cincinnati. Just take a look at the average family income. As they say, money speaks.

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  • 6 months later...

Streets of West Chester plans $30 million expansion

 

The Streets of West Chester retail development is gearing up for a second phase.

 

LPC Retail, the new owner of the West Chester Township shopping center, is starting pre-development leasing and marketing for a 200,000-square-foot expansion scheduled to open in spring 2016. The expansion will more than double the size of the existing development at the Streets of West Chester and follow the 2015 opening of a new 150,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops just south of the development. A project this size would typically cost about $30 million.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/07/09/exclusive-streets-of-west-chester-plans-30-million.html

"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

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Guest jmecklenborg

Construction has resumed on the townhome part of the Streets of Westchester fronting Allen Rd.  For several years only one or two buildings totaling about 20 units were finished.  But this year they've built about fifty more units. 

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  • 1 month later...

Thought you all might get a kick out of this:

 

Apartments at Union Centre

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2014/08/are-apartments-wrong-for-downtown-west-chester.html?page=all

 

Rendering:

iloftatthesquareandersonbirkla*600xx542-362-91-0.jpg

iloftatthesquareandersonbirklamap*600xx10800-7200-0-0.jpg

 

Truly an amazing story IMO. The one attempt being made to put in a quasi-quality residential development at Union Centre is being vehemently opposed by the developer of most of Union Centre, Schumacher Dugan. What's most amusing are his reasons, which are basically a jumble of blatantly wrong opinions as has been proven by many urban and regional planners. They include (direct quoting btw):

 

- "Where are children going to play?" - why would there be children there?

 

- “You can bet the good cars go in the parking garage and the clunkers will be outside along the streets”, because of the 1.5 parking spaces per unit. How many cars are these people really going to need?

 

- "West Chester Township has invested $3.5 million on amenities, such as the park, Centre Pointe Drive and Towne Centre Drive, to create the heart of the West Chester Business District, to attract corporate headquarters and quality businesses, and jobs to West Chester – not to incentivize potentially adverse residential apartment development. What happens when our young people decide that they do not want to live any longer in 800 sq. ft.?” - I don't know, maybe move to Hyde Park. Or Hamilton.

 

- “It’s the wrong product at a huge price to the township”, in reference to the TIF financing - this I can at least understand, but where again does it say he is a stakeholder in the community? If he just developed the properties and no longer owns them or any land there, then Mr. Schumacher needs to back off.

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iLoft at the Square is an awful name... Wow. Two things I hate in naming: adding an "i" before a word (the kids will LOVE IT!) and using ye olde English (Olde Towne Centre).

 

Looks like a good product that would fill up very quickly in West Chester, and encourage people living there to later buy a house in West Chester. If they ultimately push this development away they are foolish.

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Looks like a good product that would fill up very quickly in West Chester, and encourage people living there to later buy a house in West Chester. If they ultimately push this development away they are foolish.

 

Agreed. And I'm wondering how Schumacher benefits if the deal falls through.

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Looks like a good product that would fill up very quickly in West Chester, and encourage people living there to later buy a house in West Chester. If they ultimately push this development away they are foolish.

 

Agreed. And I'm wondering how Schumacher benefits if the deal falls through.

 

Doesn't Schumacher own much of the available land around Union Centre? He'd like prefer the development to happen west of I-75.

http://www.schumacher-dugan.com/sale.php

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