Tours de Cleveland and Philadelphia

Last week, Greater Ohio traveled to Cleveland and Philadelphia both to learn from local experts and to share knowledge. On Monday, Lavea and I took a road trip up to Cleveland. Our first stop was to University Circle, Inc. where we met with UCI President Chris Ronayne. We learned about the great work UCI is doing as part of a unique “anchor district.” In other words, University Circle is a district with a multitude of anchor institutions contributing to its strength. We’re interested in learning more about other anchor districts and how they can support legacy cities and their communities!

Next, Lavea gave a presentation to the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section about the Clean Ohio Fund and the future of the brownfield revitalization program. Click here to view the presentation.

Finally, we went on a tour of Slavic Village and met with some of the partners of Slavic Village Recovery LLC, including representatives from Forest City Enterprises Inc., Safeguard Properties, and Slavic Village Development Corporation. The public-private partnership intends to renovate up to 300 homes within the next three years, which will have a transformative effect on the neighborhood. When asked what he thought of the new developments in the community, a local resident said he thought that it is great for the neighborhood. Another resident even offered to help mow the lawns of the newly renovated homes. Greater Ohio is keenly interested in learning about Slavic Village Recovery’s strategy for helping to stabilize the neighborhood over time.

Lavea traveled to Philadelphia on October 11th to participate on a panel at the University of Pennsylvania’s Legacy and Innovation conference. The interdisciplinary conference was sponsored by the Provost at Penn and hosted in partnership with PennDesign, Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL), Penn Institute for Urban Research, PennMedicine, PennLaw, Wharton, PennEngineering, and Next City.

The stated purpose of the conference was to:

“[…] bring together regional and national thought leaders in economic development, urban policy and planning, design, and innovation to discuss a future for the Philadelphia region, with the intention that these lessons learned, new ideas, and identified new frontiers can be applied to other metropolitan areas across the country and the world.”

Lavea participated on a panel titled, “Legacy Cities, Legacy Assets.” Lavea was the co-author of the recently published report “Regenerating America’s Legacy Cities” and was able to add value to the discussion on legacy cities’ assets and how they can influence regional economic performance. The panel was moderated by Diana Lind of Next City , and included John Grady of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Patrick Kerkstra of the blog City Junto, and Ted Dahlburg of the Delware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

Coincidentally, Emilie Evans recently wrote an article about the “Regenerating America’s Legacy Cities” report for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, called "Regenerating America’s Legacy Cities: A Review from Detroit." Check it out!

EPA Releases New Toolkit for Greener Residential Demolition

EPA Region 5—serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin—just released a new toolkit for cities, counties and land banks undertaking large-scale residential demolitions. The report, “On the Road to Reuse: Residential Demolition Bid Specification Development Tool,” includes valuable information on:

• Environmental issues associated with residential demolitions, from pre-planning to demolition to site rehabilitation (e.g., hazardous materials abatement, fill material selection and placement, material recycling or deconstruction).
• Specific practices that can be incorporated into the demolition contracting process to achieve better environmental outcomes.
• Existing regulations and best management practices concerning residential demolitions.
• Bid specification language that instructs contractors on the technical requirements of greener demolition projects.

The purpose of this toolkit is to assist cities, counties, land banks and other entities with the inclusion of greener practices in the demolition bid specification used during the contracting process. The use of environmentally beneficial demolition will result in better site conditions and will better prepare vacant lots for future reuse.

For more details on reclaiming vacant properties, make sure to check out our upcoming conference:

"Revitalizing Ohio's Vacant Properties: Tools & Policies to Transform Communities"

October 22-23, 2013 The Westin Columbus 310 S. High Street Columbus, Ohio, 43215

Congratulations Cleveland Neighborhood Progress

Congratulations to three essential organizations leading Cleveland's neighborhood revitalization! We wish Neighborhood Progress, Inc, Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition and Live Cleveland the best as the newly formed Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. More information about the merger can be found in this press release and video.

Will Mortgage Companies Get the Right to Redeem in the Tax Foreclosure Process?

By Jacob Wolf, GOPC intern The Ohio Supreme Court will hear the appeal of a case that could have a major impact on efforts to redevelop foreclosed properties in the state. Under Ohio law, a property owner whose property is in danger of foreclosure due to unpaid taxes may pay off those taxes and keep the property without it going up for auction at a sheriff’s sale. This is called the right of redemption. The issue in this case—with the unwieldy name of In the Matter of the Foreclosure of Liens for Delinquent Taxes v. Parcels of Land Encumbered with Delinquent Tax Liens et al.—is whether a mortgage company has the same right of redemption as a property owner.

Coshocton County started tax foreclosure proceedings on the property in question in April of 2011. Six months later, the property was sold at a sheriff’s sale.  Two weeks after the sale, the company that held the mortgage on the property—Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance—filed motions to vacate the sheriff’s sale and to redeem the property by paying the delinquent tax bill. The trial court accepted Vanderbilt’s redemption and voided the sale, but the county appealed. The 5^th District Court of Appeals sided with the county, overturning Vanderbilt’s redemption.

In its appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, Vanderbilt argues that it was protecting its mortgage interest in the property. However, the appellate court found that Vanderbilt could have protected its interests in one of two ways:

1. by advancing the tax money to the homeowners and allowing them to exercise their right of redemption before the sheriff’s sale, or
2. by bidding on the property at the sheriff’s sale.

The land sold for more than $15,000 at the auction. Conversely, the homeowners owed only $825.84 in taxes; and Vanderbilt paid a total of $6,000 to the county in their attempt to redeem the property. It appears as though the Court of Appeals thought Vanderbilt was attempting to take ownership of the property without bidding at the sheriff’s sale.

If the Ohio Supreme Court rules in favor of Vanderbilt, it will allow banks and mortgage lenders to acquire foreclosed properties at deep discounts. Currently, these properties often wind up in city and county land banks, where they can be prepared for redevelopment. This court case, and its decision regarding property acquisition by private lenders, will influence the future of urban redevelopment and revitalization efforts in Ohio.

Weinland Park Study Featured in Dispatch

A recent Columbus Dispatch editorial, "Weinland Park effort will pay off," featured Greater Ohio's study of investments in the Weinland Park neighborhood:

"The community may have a clearer picture soon of what’s working. [...] The nonprofit Greater Ohio Policy Center has been evaluating the Weinland Park efforts undertaken since 2007.

Hard data on which programs and improvements really are improving quality of life will help guide all the efforts and spending yet to come.

It’s a smart way to avoid wasting time, effort and money.

And it’s another indication that the Columbus community is determined to win the battle for Weinland Park."

GOPC is currently undertaking analyses of investments in Columbus' Weinland Park and near South Side neighborhoods, and plans to release the findings by the end of the year. This research is being supported by The Columbus Foundation.

Around the World in Several Days: GOPC Travels to Philadelphia and Germany

This past week, GOPC traveled to conferences on both sides of the globe. Executive Director Lavea Brachman participated on panels at both the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference hosted by Center for Community Progress in Philadelphia and the Shrinking Cities in Europe conference held in Essen, Germany.

Brachman moderated a panel in Philadelphia titled “Aligning Financial Institutions and Community Development Goals: Building Strategic Coalitions to Move a State Level Vacant Property Revitalization Policy Agenda.” The panelists, including bankers and community development leaders from Ohio and Pennsylvania, discussed coalition-building strategies that they have used to leverage relationships between the private, non-profit and public sectors to generate a strategic statewide policy agenda that addresses the acquisition, demolition, foreclosure, redevelopment and prevention of vacant properties.

Shortly afterward, Brachman flew across the Atlantic to Germany, where she participated in the conference roundtable on “The global challenge of Shrinking Cities.” As a former Fellow of the German Marshall Fund and a delegate of the Cities in Transition initiative, Lavea contributed her knowledge of legacy cities in the U.S. while learning from other experts from around the world. The conference marks the conclusion of the 4 year European COST Action “Cities Regrowing Smaller” initiative.

GOPC’s involvement in these events has enriched our network of relationships as well as our working knowledge of how to address the challenges and promote the strengths of legacy cities.

Attorney General's Demolition Program Extended

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has announced that he will be extended the deadline for counties wishing to apply for demolition funds under the Moving Ohio Forward Program.  The program has been a rousing success so far, demolishing almost 5,000 blighted properties across the state. With the deadline now extended to May 31, 2014, communities will have an opportunity to apply for the full amount of funds allocated to them.  According to records posted by the Attorney General's office, almost $5 million in funds are currently unclaimed. 

The Greater Ohio Policy Center has been providing technical assistance to counties applying for and utilizing the Moving Ohio Forward funds.  For more information on GOPC's relationship with the Attorney General's office, please see our web page, which gives a background on our role in this program and includes resources that can help communities make strategic use of their demolition dollars.

For more information on the program extension, please visit the Ohio Attorney General's website.

Columbus Welcomes CoGo Bike Share

The city of Columbus is one of 15 bike share programs around the United States with the most recent opening being New York City.  This form of alternative transportation has become a hit in larger urban cities like Chicago and New York because of the generational shift of preferences for transportation.  The Millennial generation prefers alternatives to driving a car and bicycling offers both exercise and efficiency on roads that are becoming safer for multiple modes of transit at the same time.

Alta Bicycle Share headquartered in Portland, Oregon; will be running the bike share in Columbus with 30 stations and 300 bikes to start off.  Memberships for a year are $75 while daily membership is $6.  Greater Ohio supports increased transit options and commends the city for taking action into their own hands.

CoGo has a mobile app that offers maps, station information, and history of trips taken on your bike.  Tracking the bikes will bring information about potential expansion.

Visit http://cogobikeshare.com/ for more information!

Brachman Discusses How to Rebuild Legacy Cities

This morning at 10am, Executive Director Lavea Brachman will be featured on WOSU's All Sides with Ann Fisher show, discussing Detroit's potential for a comeback despite the city's bankrupt status.

You can listen to the show, "Low Times in Motown: Detroit Files for Bankruptcy," by tuning into WOSU (89.7 FM) or you can listen to the live stream online.

On Saturday, The Boston Globe published Brachman and Alan Mallach's article, "Gateway cities don’t need a silver bullet," about the report they wrote together - Regenerating America's Legacy Cities - for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

The report explores the challenges of regenerating America’s legacy cities—older industrial cities that have experienced sustained job and population loss over the past few decades. It identifies the powerful obstacles that stand in the way of fundamental change in the dynamics of these cities, and suggests directions by which cities can overcome those obstacles and embark on the path of regeneration.

Ohio CDC Association Recognizes GOPC's Work

The Ohio CDC Association recently highlighted GOPC's work in their newsletter:

"OCDCA, in partnership with the Greater Ohio Policy Center, Heritage Ohio, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing and Habitat for Humanity Ohio - recently saw the introduction of an innovative tax credit program to assist communities with physical and economic revitalization."

"The Neighborhood Infrastructure Assistance Program (NIAP) is intended to help leverage private dollars for community projects critical for the attractiveness and economic competitiveness of the state."

GOPC Co-Authors Policy Brief on Revitalizing Legacy Cities

"The Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) released a report titled Regenerating America's Legacy Cities. The report, co-written by GOPC's Lavea Brachman and published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, finds that enduring assets such as downtowns, parks, transit systems, and academic and cultural institutions are the key to revitalization for struggling industrial cities."