Here’s where the tribute starts. There are people who hear about these things and shudder and steel their resolve to stay in the ‘Burbs… hardly knowing their neighbors, or the serial killer next door. There are the people who are completely oblivious and like it that way, there are people who know of it and are taking action to have the big stuff reported. It’s the latter who are making OTR the best place to be.  When there are guns and drugs, it’s our tenants who have steeled their resolve to LOVE OTR, LOVE where they live, LOVE their lifestyle and have dug their heels in and are making the difference.  They have called the Police, they have attended the meetings at the OTR Chamber of Commerce, they have met Sgt. Steven Saunders, our neighborhood liaison officer and are actively making our neighborhood a great place.

The people who have been the ones to stand and be counted are the people who tend to be our tenants. They are active people – getting involved, making the most of where they are and what they are doing, and they are the transformative action. There is a lot to be said for the developers who have saved buildings from ruin, who have spent the money – the gobs and gobs of money to rejuvenate the address in ways no tenant would ever consider or appreciate; but it’s the people who are living there day in and day out, calling the neighborhood home who make the connections and change the perception.

Here’s to Spring. Here’s to the tenants. Here’s to another year of more people moving in and taking action.

Overall, HERE’S to a better OTR.

Tell them what you think of the streetcar.

Thanks

Check out pictures below!

The coffee bar:

Dry Foods Area:

Expresso machine:

Check-out desk:

When construction was completed at The Belmain a year ago last month, it was clear this particular development’s intention was not to stand as just another gut renovation project along Over-the-Rhine’s Main Street corridor.  The true beauty of the neighborhood lies in what has developed over the decades; the true beauty of The Belmain lies in how design can adapt history to cater to today’s lifestyles.  What’s more, such an adaptation can simultaneously optimize certain environmental strategies recognized by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) such that it is awarded a LEED Silver rating.

And while recognition is certainly exciting for The Belmain’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, even more exciting is how the project will continue to perform years beyond its completion.  The juxtaposition of technology and time typically comes with a certain gray area of inefficiency.  However, when it is juxtapositions such as these that are being celebrated, the challenges are instead the opportunities.

To be clear, the focus of The Belmain’s design intentions are based upon its integration both environmentally and socially.  With OTR widely varying in race, income, age, and profession, the design scheme of The Belmain is intended to create an environment which caters to this social diversity.  With units starting as low as $107,000, The Belmain provides an affordable living option in a central, urban location.  And rather than focusing purely on the condos private space, The Belmain offers an exterior patio on the building’s east side to be used as a place whereby owners and tenants can engage in a social interaction.  Architecture is essentially attempting to create the opportunity for a community to be formed within the building itself amongst its users.  Likewise, The Belmain also uses the newly opened Park+Vine retail store to create a social dialogue with the Main Street foot traffic.  The commercial space on the building’s first floor, with its elevation nearly entirely clad with glass panels, offers the ability to provide a linkage between public and semi-public.

Upon completion in October 2009, the strategies taken towards creating efficient HVAC and water systems are beginning to show the level of sustainability achieved at The Belmain as well.  Beyond simply using high-efficiency water fixtures and fittings, The Belmain’s plumbing system has been designed to decrease the amount of piping, thus significantly decreasing the heat loss typically incurred through hot water transfer from the source to the output.  The pipes and tank have also been installed with an insulation wrapping, roughly providing a 25% decrease in heat loss from a typical water heating system.

Each unit has also been equipped with a heating and cooling monitor that has custom temperature settings for different periods of the day.  During work hours, for example, the temperature in the unit can be set at a lower temperature in order to conserve energy that is essentially not being utilized by the condominium owner.

The result of countless hours of research and design, The Belmain stands as a true benchmark for Cincinnati’s future in sustainable development.  While capturing and restoring the rich history of Over-the-Rhine’s Italianate architecture, The Belmain’s interior has been retrofit to accommodate to various lifestyles of its inhabitants.  The result is architecture that not only has an engaging dialogue with its neighbors, but shares in a successful dialogue with its users, modern technologies, and the environment as well.

Read more about The Belmain in an article recently published in Green Building + Design’s November 2010 issue:

http://gbdmagazine.com/2010/10/november-2010/#more-921

Back in June owner of OTR’s favorite green general store, Dan Korman, announced that he intends to move Park + Vine from its original and current location at 1109 Vine Street two blocks east to the former Kaldi’s space, 1202-1204 Main Street, at the Belmain in Over-the-Rhine. Opening it’s doors back in 2007, Park + Vine provided OTR with not only eco- friendly goods but also put into the minds of local shopper the importance of sustainability. It seems only a natural next move that the store front for this amazing store also be eco-friendly by way of LEED certification.

The Belmain condominium project, developed by Urban Sites, achieved a LEED Certified Silver Rating for Homes Mid-rise pilot program through the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED certification is a nationally recognized benchmark for high-performance environmentally friendly buildings, and through this pilot program, Urban Sites and the Belmain are leading sustainability of future mid-rise (4-6 story) residential buildings.

Park + Vine is one of several successful developments near the intersection of 12th and Main Streets timed to capitalize on the significant redevelopment and extremely high occupancy rates in this section of Over-the-Rhine.

Our very own Greg Olson of Urban Sites is quoted as saying, “Park + Vine is a great addition to historic Main Street. It is exactly the type of retail business meant for the LEED Certified Silver Belmain Building. It will help us turn the corner and bring sustained economic vitality to one of Cincinnati’s finest commercial streets.”

For those who may be unaware, Park + Vine offers a broad mix of products that minimizes the use of natural resources, toxic materials and animal by-products. The store carries reusable bottles, bags and food carriers, non-toxic cleaning and paint supplies, natural baby and parenting supplies, and a growing selection of food and programing on how to live sustainably.

The addition that we at Urban Sites Property Management are super excited about along with everyone who hears is that Korman is planing a major focus of the new space to be on s a full vegan grocery store with bulk grains, local produce, bulk cleaning supplies, and a food bar with Fab Ferments Kombucha, fresh pressed juices and single-cup drip coffee and espresso from La Terza!  Also the new store will feature according to the press release , “a book wall, indoor and outdoor seating areas, bicycle parking, and a separate room for classes”. What’s not to be excited about?

Park + Vine is the next business to join the throng of new and established businesses along a  Main Street, including Another Part of the Forest, Atomic Number 10, Fitnext, forkheartknife, Iris Bookcafe, Jack Potts Tavern, Mixx Ultra Lounge, Mr. Pitiful’s, Neon’s Unplugged, Original Thought Required, Shadeau Breads, Urban Eden, You Do Yoga, as well as galleries and offices spaces such as Envoy Design. The grand opening is scheduled to coincide with the Midpoint Music Festival Sept. 23-25, 2010. Until then Park + Vine will continue to do business at its current Vine Street location until its grand opening on Main Street. “This is a beautiful and culturally alive area–full of people who see potential in every corner of the neighborhood and are doing something about it,” said Korman, also an Over-the-Rhine resident. “It’s an ideal place for budding entrepreneurs.”

In its first three years of business, Park + Vine has received awards from Cincinnati CityBeat, Cincinnati Magazine, Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition, Hamilton County Solid Waste Management, and Sierra Club Miami Group, and has been featured in national publications such as The New York Times and VegNews.”

If interested in more information contact, Dan Korman at Park + Vine (513) 721-7275 dan@parkandvine.com

You are among the first to know of this event and invited to attend a community meeting where a handful of artists will be gathering input for the design of the street art. Please join us for the design charette on August 10 from 5:30pm — 7:30pm at the Art Academy. Spread the word and bring your neighbors. The FAF will provide light refreshments and look forward to a fun evening!

For more information, visit www.fineartsfund.org/paintthestreet or email or call Tom at the Fine Arts Fund

contact: (tmclaughlin@fineartsfund.org or 513.632.0120).