This Sunday, Grace Church begins to explore the possibility of beginning a new life in College Hill. You are invited to encourage this historic church's continuing presence “on the point” (where Hamilton meets Belmont) by showing your support next Sunday, Feb. 19 at the 10:30 am worship service.

The congregation’s invitation to the community is to renew friendships--no strings attached--accepting and rejoicing in each person's own religious commitment as they seek ways of coping with change and finding opportunities.

Bishop Kenneth Price of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio will preside. After the 10:30 am service, the church's members will meet to reorganize and elect Wardens and Vestry for a renewed ministry in College Hill.

Please bring a friend to the service on the 19th.

The Rev. Raymond Betts

At this week’s College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation Annual Meeting, President Carol Lyon announced that a Sale of Land Agreement between the city and Al Neyer Inc. was signed Friday, February 3. This historic event now makes real the plans for the development of Linden Park Commons at the corner of Hamilton and North Bend.

The agreement states that the City of Cincinnati will buy the Shuller and the Eastern Star Properties and transfer them to Al Neyer, Inc. Neyer has agreed to buy the Broeman property, the site of the old Kroger store. Neyer also commits to develop all the properties in accordance with the community plans that have been approved by the city.

New preliminary design renderings of the condominiums and retail spaces are to be done by April 1. Then pre-sales begin. Neyer is looking to have 30 to 40% of the condominiums and retail spaces sold or leased before construction begins.

“Isn’t it kinda fun to know that people in Hyde Park pay three times what you paid for a house like yours?” --Forum President Elizabeth Sherwood in her remarks at the CHCURC Annual Meeting this week.

You can take an almost-addictive cruise through the world of you and your neighbor’s estimated home values at an under-development web site called zillow.com. Check out your address in 45224 and then cruise on over to 45208 (Hyde Park) and see what your equity would get you there.

If you really get into this, you can see pictures and floor plans of any home in Hamilton County at the County Auditor's site.

You’ve probably heard talk about changes being made to the Community Policing program. You can get the straight scoop at the upcoming College Hill Forum meeting Tuesday, February 28, starting at 7:00 pm at the Recreation Center.

College Hill’s Fundamental Academy wants to become a New Community Learning Center and is asking the community to help with the planning and design. The objective is that the Fundamental Academy will be more than just a renovated school building, it will become a center of neighborhood activity as a true Community Learning Center.

The Community Building Institute at Xavier University will help the school involve parents, teachers, and interested community members in creating a common vision, setting priorities, identifying partners, and helping design the newly renovated Fundamental Academy as a Community Learning Center.

There are lots of ways to participate in this exciting process! To learn more, contact any one of us:

• Barbara Gordon, CHFA Principal at gordonb@cps- k12.org or 513-363-1690
• Marianne Puntenney, College Hill Forum Education VP, at mp515@msn.com or 513-541-7009
• Helen Habbert, Facilitator, at HBH@QRC- Associates.com or 731-5951

Spring Registration for College Hill SAY Soccer is currently underway. College Hill SAY Soccer President Angela Thompson tells us, “Not only are we looking to expand our organization with talented kids ages 3 to 16, we are also looking for dedicated, committed, adult volunteers who enjoy working with youth, and willing to create a fun, growth experience for them.”

Registration ends February 20. Call her soon at (513) 931-2757 to get a registration form.

You may have heard that St. Clare School will be closing. That’s not quite true; plans are being developed to combine St. Clare School with other nearby schools.

We got a message last week, wondering what those people were doing digging things up again on the Avenue.

College Hill Director of Development Marty Weldishofer says not to worry, “The sidewalk work on Cedar Avenue next to PNC is part of the Streetscape. They are ripping up old heaved up pavers and installing a new concrete sidewalk. The other two locations in front of Hodapp's and again on the east side of Hamilton Avenue are having pavers installed to match the rest of the Streetscape.”

There’s a great Enquirer article about the African dance and drumming class at College Hill’s Contemporary Dance Theatre.

“A corporate mentoring program involving 38 students at Aiken High School kicked off Feb. 1 among General Electric and the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and the high school. The program brings students and mentors together once a month at GE facilities. Students are matched with a GE volunteer and remain in the program until graduation,” reported the Enquirer in a recent article.