PAVELISH on FIGHTING THE CITY FOR CHANGE

Since 1975 I have been involved as both an investor and a home rehabber. I would purchase condemmed homes from individuals who were giving up on living in the City or from other investors who tried to make a rehab work but with no cooperation from the City. Most of my purchases would come a step ahead of demolition. The house I live in today was a comdemmed house that I purchased from Entowne Properties, a successful small developer, who gave up on this project after months and months of difficulties and hurdles with the city. There are times that I had to actually take legal action against the City as they attempted to keep me from developing. Can you imagine that, the City complains about vacant homes and at the same time prevented me from rehabbing (and others). By the way, City Hall is the one of the biggest owners, if not the biggest owner of blighted homes (ask your Council about this). I've battled the City for over a generation on housing and the bringing back of our declining traditional neighborhoods. I've offered ideas to the City on neighborhood development with only limited success. Our "leaders" seem not to care about tradition. Our "leaders" seem to not care that Cincinnati is famous for great neighborhood housing. Our "leaders seem to forget about our traditional neighborhoods. Our "leaders" seem to want to demolish.( Federal funds are used here). Our City has a large stock of vacant, beautiful homes, that investors and rehabbers NOW stay away from because of situations like the story I'm about to tell.

Two years ago I spotted two small houses for sale on Zier Place in Clifton Hgts. Zier Place is a small street that has only three houses and a few empty lots that used to have houses on them years ago. Both houses were owned by the same individual so it was a package deal. The two houses have been vacant for many, many years and needed a lot of work. And boy what a city view...One house had a severe foundation problem created when the road (Zier Pl) collapsed and was leaning against the house. This was not good. I spoke with the building department about status of the houses and that I might purchase them. I was told to just keep the houses safe and secure (locked up). I then called the highway department and met with them on Zier Place. We discussed the collapsed road and they mentioned that the situation was bad and they would correct the problem . That same day a crew of City workers came over, took measurements and took photos and assured me that the problem would be taken care of. I, then feeling good about the situation, PURCHASED the two homes . These soon to be rehabbed homes would be a college graduation gift to two daughters . BOY WHAT A DAD...

Time went by and the City did nothing to the road. I called the supervisors about the delays and again I was assured of road repairs. In the meantime I painted both houses, put in windows (and even blinds), build a new porch on one house and a total new roof on the other. I even planted flowers. The houses were cute and looked livable (for the first time since 1992). Then I get a call from highway people with the message that there are NO FUNDS. and Pavelish would have to do road repair himself. I had no funds for that ( or a bulldozer or a dumptruck)

Shortly after that phone call, my cute houses are declared( by the building department) a PUBLIC NUISANCE (time to tear down) BECAUSE I let a stated amount of time go by and the houses were still vacant. I realized that now I have serious problems... I contacted an attorney.

I attempted ( with no luck) to contact EVERY COUNCILMEMBER about my situation and because Councilmembers have day jobs, NO ONE WAS HOME. I couldn't even get a email response. The next day I was ordered to housing court for" not complying" with the building department orders and later fined $500. I demolished the two houses in December . My daughters are now the "proud" owners of two VACANT lots that can no longer be built on...


This story and stories like this have happened to many, many people involved in old housing. Most of our housing people have left the City. I have chosen to retire. Cincinnati is critically short of investment capital and now you know why. And Cincinnati is lacking in affordable housing. Many of our neighborhoods are dying and you now know why. In defense of the building department there are bad owners. Owners who do not cooperate. And there are owners that are responsible for blight. I hate blight. Blight hurts MY city and affects my family. AND AS LONG AS OUR INVESTORS STAY AWAY, OUR CITY WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF THE POOREST and our traditional neighborhoods will continue to underachieve.





Steve Pavelish for FULL TIME City Council

http://www.pavelish.com/