CINCINNATI — Over the next three months, people living in West Price Hill hope they can breathe new life into their neighborhood, making it safer and more beautiful in the process.
“This area is not all bad, we just need to make it look pretty so people can come by and help the businesses around here,” said resident Bobbie Brown.
She’s lived in West Price Hill for six years and said she loves her neighborhood but understands some streets are more appealing than others.
“There’s like one block that’s totally bad, and the next block is okay," Brown said. “So you just gotta pick and choose your area where to hang out and stuff.”
Neighbors and community leaders met in the Glenway Avenue business district Wednesday in the hope of changing that reality and that perception.
As part of a neighborhood enhancement program over the next 90 days, residents will help clean up parks and gardens and brainstorm ways to slow down traffic on Glenway.
In addition to the safety and beautification, the main focus of the project will be on revitalizing a block of buildings on the corner of Glenway and Iliff avenues.
The organization Price Hill Will owns the buildings and has some tentative plans drawn up for what a rehab could look like.
“Along with our development partners, we want to adaptively reuse all these buildings, create one larger structure that will be about 8,000 square feet in total and have it be a family-friendly restaurant and craft brewery to serve the neighborhood,” said Price Hill Will executive director Rachel Hastings.
Local company Verge Brewing is already on board to open around the end of 2021.
Verge co-founder Pete Bender said his brewery is excited to be a part of the neighborhood and the new project.
“Getting an opportunity to be part of this neighborhood and really help with the revitalization project is exciting to us,” Bender said. “Getting into a place where there’s not a lot of opportunities to get good craft beer and serve the community.”
For Brown, it’s a win as well, even though she might not sample the new craft brew.
“I don’t drink myself or anything, but it would be nice to take the kids out and be able to walk to something that’s nice,” Brown said.
A WCPO 9 employee is a minority-owner of Verge Brewing Company. She did not contribute to this story.
