Hamiltonian Magazine - Plan Hamilton Edition 2022

PLAN HAMILTON UPDATE 2022

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FROM THE EDITORS

I

N 2012, a group of community leaders urged the City to combine all of the important projects, programs, and initiatives into a single annual document that can be shared around Hamilton. For most of the past decade, that publication was known as the Initiative Update and was released annually by the City to showcase recent and upcoming developments in small business, industry, utilities, and neighborhoods.

In 2019, Hamilton City Council adopted a new comprehensive plan: Plan Hamilton. This plan is not simply the plan of the City government. Rather, it was the result of a year of public input to determine what the City should grow into over the next 15-20 years.

Plan Hamilton is a living document that is constantly evolving with the input of residents and stakeholders in collaboration with the City. As we know from 17 Strong … WE is greater than ME. This issue, a partnership with The Hamiltonian, aims to tell the story of progress on Plan Hamilton. Once a year, WE as a community, can look at this document and ask ourselves if we are making progress on the plans we have made. Better yet, we can ask ourselves how WE will improve upon it.

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Plan Hamilton

Publisher One Pride Publishing, LLP 131 North 3rd Street, Hamilton, Ohio 45011 Photographer Bailey Osborne Graphic Design Eric Marquard Writers Dirk Allen, Dan Clemens, Richard O Jones, Laura Marie, Reid Maus, Megan E. Smith, Maggie Viox

Park Life.......................................... 6 The Rossville Flats........................... 9 In Focus......................................... 10 The Arts in Hamilton......................13 West Side Commercial Development................................. 15 Sip and Stroll in Hamilton's CED and DORA Areas..................... 16 Route 4 Redevelopment............... 19

Neighborly Connections............... 20 Business Magnet...........................22 Right the Blight.............................24 Lindenwald Development.............27 Spooky Nook Sports......................28 Addressing Traffic Challenges Head On......................32 The Inaugural Klink Award ...........35

Utility Capital Projects...................37 Eventful.........................................38 Follow the Yellow Line................. 40 Beckett Paper Mill Slated for Redevelopment.......................43 Plan Hamilton in Action............... 44 Industrial Development................47 Hamilton River Plan..................... 48

Plan Hamilton

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Park Life THE HAMILTON PARKS CONSERVANCY IS FOCUSED ON COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO HELP ENERGIZE AND DRAW VISITORS TO ITS PROGRAMS

The Hamilton Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit that manages and maintains the parks in Hamilton. Director Steve Timmer has been with the organization since its creation in 2015 when it took over the management of the parks from the City.

In the intervening years, the Conservancy has retained a close collaboration with the City of Hamilton

6 Plan Hamilton

and other local entities, helping to promote efforts and events that bring visitors and vibrancy to the City.

“We help any group that calls us,” says Timmer. “We’ve worked with Operation Pumpkin, and we’ve helped with the Butler County Visitor’s Bureau’s Nightglow race and sculpture installations with the City of Sculpture. We try to work with groups across the board.”

He mentioned that within individual neighborhoods, the Parks Conservancy

is a constant presence, maintaining and improving neighborhood playgrounds, splash pads, and natural areas. They also work with the City’s Resident Services Department as part of the concert series clean-up crew.

“We pull in crews after the concerts at RiversEdge,” he says. “By the next day at 10 a.m., it’s all looking great!”

The engaged neighbors throughout the 17 Strong neighborhoods have found ways to bring engaged citizens into the parks.

For instance, Robin Szary, a local art teacher began Art in the Park years ago, and over the years, it’s grown into a city-wide phenomenon.

“Art teachers from Hamilton City Schools volunteer their time to set up arts and crafts at different parks around the City,” says Timmer. “This past summer, they’d have five or six events at a time, and they were very well attended. The parks are in every neighborhood, which has worked out to be something very easy to do.”

When multiple 17 Strong neighborhood advocates put together movie nights in their neighborhood parks, City employees, 17 Strong board members, and the Parks Conservancy saw another opportunity to help

neighbors grow more connected and engaged. They created a streamlined process to request to borrow a communally-owned movie screen and to get assistance from the Parks Conservancy team.

The Neighborhood Department and 17 Strong both help interested citizens to choose a film, get the appropriate license to show it, and organize any other aspects of the event, such as refreshments. While 2021 was the first full season of these events, they intend to make them even bigger and better next year.

Programming in the parks becomes even more powerful when local neighbors are inviting their friends and family members to participate, which

is part of what makes the connections between the Parks Conservancy and 17 Strong even more valuable.

Timmer’s focus on collaboration has created other future plans. Miami Woods is managed, for instance, through a joint cooperative agreement with Butler County MetroParks, and they hope to eventually be able to create educational programming for kids and bring in naturalists to speak at the park.

Through all their efforts runs a common thread: a goal of making each park the right environment for the children, families, and friends who live, work, and play in those neighborhoods. Collaborations are a big part of that effort. ❑

Plan Hamilton

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Be a part of Some ing Ext dinary!

BadinHS.org

8

Badin High School and our predecessors Notre Dame and Hamilton Catholic High Schools have been proud to be a part of the Hamilton community since 1886.

The Rossville Flats

With work set to begin, the complex on Main Street is expected to open in 2023  Expected to be completed in early 2023, the Rossville Flats mixed-use development represents one of the first new construction projects along historic Main Street in decades. This is the second project for CMC Properties, after their success with The Marcum, and it will add 76 market-rate apartments to the Rossville neighborhood.

The addition of more residential units within the urban core continues to add vibrancy to our community and support the growth of recreational, shopping, and dining options. ❑

Plan Hamilton 9

IN FOCUS

Downtown Hamilton has proven itself to be a successful small business environment

S

tarting up may be the first part of building a business, but support from the community is the strongest foundation.

Since the mid-20th century, industry in Hamilton has evolved to reflect the changing needs of its community, as well as trends in the region. Downtown Hamilton, whose industrial landscape was once defined by paper production and machinery, is home today to a growing network of thriving small businesses, including LemonGrenade and Municipal Brew Works.

10 Plan Hamilton

MUNICIPAL BREW WORKS

M

unicipal Brew Works has thrived in Hamilton for more than five years by following three key principles: make great beer, establish strong community roots, and educate people about great beer.

When you step inside the Municipal Brew Works taproom in the former City of Hamilton Municipal Building at 20 High Street, it becomes evident that all three principles must act in harmony for Municipal Brew Works to succeed.

Municipal Brew Works is owned and managed by a team of five individuals:

Sean Willingham, Mark Jackson, Aaron Holtz, Dave Frey, and Jim Goodman.

Jim, the CEO, Founder, Assistant Brewer, and Cicerone (“A Cicerone is to beer what a sommelier is to wine”), had lived in Hamilton for only a year when he began home-brewing beer in 1996. He immediately fell in love with the process and became affectionately known as “the biggest beer nerd” his friends and family know.

Today, Municipal Brew Works operates as a 15-barrel brewhouse that has produced 30 different styles of beer and counting. Since its inception,

Municipal Brew Works has won twenty-three (23) State, National, and International medals in twelve (12) beer styles for the beer it has brewed in Hamilton. Approachable Blonde, an American blonde ale, and the brewery’s flagship beer, has medaled in silver and gold.

When Jim completed his initial walk-through of the municipal building in March 2014, he knew the location was special.

“The true history of this building is amazing,” Jim exclaimed. “People come in with stories. Some of the firemen, some used to come to the building to pay their utility bills.”

Municipal Brew Works is located in what was the Station #2 Fire Department. The office is in the fireman’s bunkhouse and the former kitchen is the brewery’s laboratory.

The brewery’s freezer was formerly a detective’s office and the mill room used to be the City vault.

The renovated building today hearkens and pays homage to generations of Hamilton’s civil servants. Municipal Brew Works maintains a strong connection to Hamilton’s first responders by displaying historical news stories, framed photos, firefighting gear, and more in their taproom. Each year, Municipal Brew Works taps and sells “Woltermelon Blonde,” an ale that honors the memory of fallen firefighter Patrick Wolterman and helps raise funds for Companions on a Journey Grief Support in West Chester.

Weekly events in the taproom include Singo (bingo set to music instead of numbers), Euchre tournaments, trivia night, and live music performances. Every summer for the last four years, Municipal Brew

Works has hosted the annual Ales for Tails fundraiser, an event for the Animal Friends Humane Society to showcase adoptable shelter animals, provide discounted microchipping, and judge pet talent contests.

It’s evident the communal atmosphere at Municipal Brew Works sets them apart from their competitors, but the rules of engagement changed for all bars and restaurants in 2020. At the height of the pandemic, DORA and customer loyalty were crucial for Municipal Brew Works to stay in business when most bars and restaurants had no choice but to pause operations.

“Even though distribution went to zero, we were able to keep everyone on payroll,” Jim explained.

Although the taproom was closed off to customers, Municipal Brew Works could still manufacture and remain open for carryout orders. But most of the carryout customers didn’t travel too far.

“Marriott’s parking lot looked like a tailgate,” Jim mused. “DORA was a job-saver.”

One of Jim’s favorite memories from the last year was hosting the 2021 Little League Baseball World Series Championship watch party in August. Although the game did not result in a win for the Hamilton West Side Little League team, the watch party was the most joyous crowd Jim had ever seen at the taproom.

“There are great young people in Hamilton,” Jim said, referring to the Hamilton West Little League team.

“And when the City gets behind something, it’s a very cool thing.”

Jim looks forward to serving more customers, and more libations when Municipal Brew Works’ second taproom opens in Spooky Nook Champion Mill. With a brand-new taproom and production facility, the Municipal Brew Works will be afforded “endless inspiration” for creating specialty flavors and names to coincide with events going on at the sports complex.

The opening of Spooky Nook Champion Mill will bring increased tourism traffic to Hamilton, which Jim thinks is exciting for all local businesses, and is a great time for

Plan Hamilton

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young entrepreneurs to follow their own passions.

“This is a great place to do it.

Become a member of the community and people will back you all day.”

LEMONGRENADE

L

emonGrenade Creative has created design work you likely see all the time around Hamilton without even knowing it.

From branded logos to restaurant menus, and beer labels to cover artwork for this very publication, Thommy Long and studio staff at LemonGrenade have helped to change the aesthetic of the community for more than seven years.

Before launching LemonGrenade in 2014, Thommy served as art director for a design firm in Cincinnati while also instructing students at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the same art school where he graduated years prior with a degree in Communication Art. Working for a design firm for more than ten years helped Thommy realize that he wanted to go out on his own. Today, Thommy is owner, president, and creative director of LemonGrenade, but he also sees himself as a head coach for the design studio staff.

“I come up with the plays, the big pictures,” Thommy explained. “And they run with it.”

The LemonGrenade lineup is very close-knit now, but he sees the team growing over the next few years.

12 Plan Hamilton

“I see us growing, adding more services like video production and sales. There’s a need for sales and office support.”

As for the geographic location of LemonGrenade, choosing Hamilton was a no-brainer. LemonGrenade has always been headquartered within the Robinson-Schwenn Building on High Street.

“There’s nothing like the vibe in Hamilton. Big things are happening here. Everyone [in the community] wants everyone to succeed.”

Since its launch seven years ago, LemonGrenade has experienced continuous growth in work volume and experience. But Thommy contends their successes are largely attributed to purposeful staffing and a community-based network.

“I’ve been told you should hire people better than you are,” Thommy said. “I love working with a great team.”

Thommy believes being involved in the community has endeared

LemonGrenade to Hamilton residents and businesses. When the pandemic began to pose extreme challenges for neighboring businesses in 2020, Thommy saw an opportunity for LemonGrenade to help. He developed the Free Lemonade program, with the design team donating hundreds of hours and free marketing services to 80 companies.

“We just wanted to keep moving, keep designing,” Thommy said.

LemonGrenade’s efforts to ensure success for the community did not go unnoticed. As a result of the positive impact Free Lemonade had on the community, Thommy was honored as the 2020 Small Business Person of the Year.

This honor is likely one of the reasons why LemonGrenade doesn’t have to advertise to get the attention of prospective clients. Thommy confirms that nearly all LemonGrenade clients have been word-of-mouth referrals. “This year, hands-down has been the busiest and best year,” Thommy said.

While many of LemonGrenade’s clients can’t be publicized or disclosed for legal purposes, there is one that Thommy is happy to talk about.

“We were very aggressive in getting the Spooky Nook account,” Thommy exclaimed. Since landing the Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill account two years ago, the LemonGrenade team has been gearing up for the grand opening. ❑

The Arts

in Hamilton The City of Sculpture extends its artistic reach throughout downtown and beyond

H

amilton has a number of arts organizations that bring life, culture, and entertainment to the community. Designated

by Governor Taft as “The City of Sculpture” in the year 2000, Hamilton is home to an exceptional collection of more than 55 public sculptures. Another 80+ additional pieces can be found at the nearby Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts offers countless arts education classes, breathtaking performances, and stunning galleries. StreetSpark, a public art program run through the Fitton Center, has created more than 18 murals in our downtown districts, neighborhoods, and parks. ❑

Plan Hamilton

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West Side Commercial Development ■ Restaurant, retail, and recreational amenities are expanding rapidly on Hamilton’s west side. Chipotle, Raising Cane’s, Panda Express, and Flying Ace Carwash are among the most recent developments along Main Street. A local gym, Legacy Martial Arts, has purchased land on NW Washington

with the intention to build a larger facility, and Domino’s recently moved to a new building that will increase their kitchen capacity. Interest from restaurants and service providers continues to grow, and many more such developments are anticipated in coming years. ❑

Plan Hamilton

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SIP AND STROLL IN "CED" AND "DORA" AREAS Outdoor refreshment areas are bringing vibrant new businesses to town

D

owntown Hamilton has flourished during a time when restaurants and bars have had an unprecedented number of challenges.

One of the ways that the City has helped to attract new businesses and sustain existing ones has been through the Community Entertainment Districts (CEDs) and the Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA).

REINVESTMENT ATTRACTS FURTHER BUSINESSES Community Entertainment Districts are a state designation that is associated with a certain amount of

investment in a revitalization area of a City and also are tied to population.

They allow additional liquor licenses for the City compared to areas without these districts, which makes bringing a new restaurant to Hamilton a more attractive business opportunity.

“Those bars and restaurants are anchors that bring foot traffic for the whole area,” explains Mallory Greenham, small business development specialist for the City of Hamilton.

“Restaurants need the liquor license to offset cost per plate, and they really help the profitability of the restaurant.”

As a result, getting enough liquor licenses for the burgeoning restaurant and bar properties in downtown along High Street and Main Street has been more possible. The revitalization investments in the Spooky Nook complex helped to qualify Hamilton for these designations.

DORA SUCCESSES In a separate move, the City has established and recently expanded the DORA zone. This area allows individuals to purchase an alcoholic beverage in a special DORA cup from a DORA participating business and carry it while walking around outdoors.

As a result, visitors to the City continue to enjoy the parks, the shopping, and local music after they finish eating a meal or attending an event because they are encouraged to take a drink “to go.” The costs of the cups provide additional trash collection services to keep the DORA district well maintained and allow for some marketing and management of the DORA program.

Efforts like the Hamilton Craft and Cocktail Quest, which offers discounts and a scavenger hunt through DORA establishments, bring tourism even

16 Plan Hamilton

during times when specifically taking the DORA cups outside are less likely, such as cold days.

While the program was popular before COVID-19, it became even more valuable when many downtown restaurants and bars couldn’t have customers in their dining rooms.

“During COVID, when people couldn’t be inside, we provided free cups, so that people could still support downtown businesses while walking around Marcum Park or elsewhere,” says Greenham. “Multiple businesses said that the DORA saved jobs last year.”

In 2020, 55,000 DORA cups were distributed, and in the first seven months of 2021, 45,000 were distributed. The original seven DORA serving businesses have grown to 22, with 11 more pending and likely to open in the next year. Many other businesses are designated as open to DORA cups being brought inside, allowing people to continue sipping while they shop.

More choices downtown keeps more visitors enjoying the City and spending money in other kinds of businesses, such as gift shops or service providing companies.

Expanding the DORA in specific areas allows businesses who were drawn to Hamilton by the thriving DORA to participate even though their properties were initially outside the boundaries. These businesses include a future tavern and a microbrewery.

Promoting a vibrant and thriving downtown radiates economic impact around Hamilton’s many other business clusters and residential areas. Making downtown Hamilton a destination for entertainment and dining has been a successful initiative that will only grow as more visitors begin to spend time in Hamilton with the opening of Spooky Nook’s facilities. ❑

The DORA zones in downtown Hamilton.

Plan Hamilton 17

UNITED WE STAND TOGETHER WE ACT JOIN THE MOVEMENT

STAND AGAINST RACISM CHALLENGE A Virtual Community of Growth The Stand Against Racism Challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. Participants log on to the challenge app on their phone or visit the challenge website and are presented with challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience and more.

Participation in an activity like this helps us to discover how racial injustice and social injustice impact our community.

This is an opportunity to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

Each week we will be hosting community conversations about the challenge and reflecting on opportunities for change within our community. The challenge starts April 4th, 2022. Use our QR code to learn more & register today!

RACIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM YWCA Hamilton's approach to racial justice goes beyond changing hearts and minds.

We strive to transform communities, systems, and public policy. The Racial Justice Program fights for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. We do this work by leading and advocating for change within the health and education sectors and activating the community to social action and civic engagement.

History Founded in 1900 by Dr. Julia Goodman, YWCA Hamilton works to empower women and their families to achieve safety, opportunity, and independence.

YWCA Hamilton stands for an inclusive community, in which each person is valued, and where racial justice, gender equality and human dignity are promoted and sustained through bold and effective programming.

Route 4 Redevelopment Revitalizing properties on one of Hamilton's most visible corridors

 Route 4 is one of the most visible corridors in Hamilton.

The City of Hamilton has been working with individual property owners to clean up their properties, and in some cases, complete significant upgrades.

One major development underway on Route 4 is the YWCA’s new multi-million dollar facility that will help them serve more families in need.

 In 2020, the City gained ownership over the former Miami and Erie Canal land from the State of Ohio. The City hopes to complete transportation and aesthetic improvements along the Route 4 corridor over the next 15 years utilizing this land.

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NEIGHBORLY CONNECTIONS THE CITY OF HAMILTON AND ITS NEIGHBORHOODS REAP THE BENEFITS OF ENGAGED AND INFORMED RESIDENTS

20 Plan Hamilton

17 Strong, a citizen-led initiative coordinated by the Department of Neighborhoods, has grown substantially since officially formed in 2016 after more than four years of discussion of how to promote neighborhood engagement in Hamilton.

The City of Hamilton has seen a lot of strength grow out of neighborhood engagement, and as a result, 17 Strong has grown up as a way to gather people who are similarly interested in being engaged and informed about how to make their neighborhoods strong.

“The broader effort could be simply defined by the fundamental belief that safer, cleaner and stronger neighborhoods can only come from more engaged and informed residents who are proud of where they live,” says Brandon Saurber, director of neighborhoods for the City of Hamilton.

Brooke Wells, the neighborhoods coordinator at the City of Hamilton, has noticed that the City can be far more responsive and get information out to citizens easier when they have a strong network in all of the neighborhoods. There’s a role for everyone, even if it’s just through the person across the fence from you.

“There are all different kinds of engagement, from people who volunteer to people who get into a leadership role,” says Wells. “Any contacts we make through the microgrants build our network, but at its heart, 17 Strong is neighbors helping neighbors, so you don’t have to get involved with us. Getting to know your next-door neighbors builds on our sense of community and pride in where you live.”

17 Strong works to empower neighborhood change-makers in many ways, including through awarding microgrants. The first ones came out of City funding that specifically asked citizens to develop projects to

engage their neighbors inside and across neighborhoods, whether it be to get to know each other, beautify their common spaces, or grow more connected to each other and the resources the City has to offer.

Now, there are multiple microgrant programs, from awards for community events and projects to grants that pay for external home repairs to beautify multiple homes in a localized area.

Other 17 Strong efforts have included creating a mobile trailer full of clean-up equipment that citizens can reserve for neighborhood cleanup days, and neighborhood education efforts about everything from how to use the City’s service request app, MyHamilton (311), effectively to how to start a neighborhood association.

What all of the grants have in common is that they are informed by neighborhood champions, people who choose to volunteer and step into leadership roles in their areas of the City. For example, the neighborhood of Lindenwald has a community

Comprehensive Property Inventory

 In 2021, the City of Hamilton completed a Comprehensive Property Inventory. Seasonal staff, teamed with consultants from the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, evaluated every property in the city based on their current condition. With neighborhoods as a strategic priority, this data will allow the City to better understand the unique challenges within our neighborhoods so that we can make informed, strategic decisions on future programs to improve our housing stock.

organization, PROTOCOL, which holds meetings led by neighbors who learn about initiatives in the City and ways to address their own neighborhood concerns. When their group comes up with a project they’d like to complete to engage more neighbors in their area, they can apply for a grant from 17 Strong.

Neighborhood champion Aaron Simpson is a pastor in the Jefferson neighborhood who was born there himself. Simpson’s attendance at a 17 Strong event led to him getting more involved with Jefferson’s own neighborhood organization, the Jefferson Alliance, and helping to participate in getting more programming in the new park that recently opened in Jefferson.

The park itself grew out of 17 Strong’s connective power when it was realized that Jefferson was the only neighborhood without a park. A generous land donation from Frank and Joanne Pfirman and a strong commitment from the Parks Conservancy made this new park possible.

“We came to the soccer idea because Jefferson Park is a flat, fieldlike surface, conducive for soccer,” says Simpson. “The diversity of culture in Jefferson is also one of its strengths, and soccer is a unifying thing worldwide, so you see it in the clinic we created and who came out. It was a really great team effort between churches, Serve City, and 17 Strong.

We want to make it an annual event.”

While Simpson already had the passion to make his neighborhood a great place to live, getting access to funds for the Jefferson Cup soccer clinic in the park gave them access to both money and connections to make programming possible and effective.

17 Strong involvement also connects him to relevant City employees when Jefferson residents have a concern.

To get to know the currently available 17 Strong programs, visit 17stronghamilton.org ❑ Plan Hamilton

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Business Magnet

S

ince 2012, Hamilton has celebrated the opening of over 100 new small businesses to our community. Boutique shops, breweries, local burger joints, and more have helped increase Hamilton’s vibrancy and quality of life. Even throughout the coronavirus

BIGGBY COFFEE

pandemic, we have witnessed our business community continue to exhibit immense creativity and resilience. In the last two years alone, we have snipped 30+ grand opening ribbons.

Revitalization efforts may have started in the urban core but have since spread throughout the entire community. You see locally owned

businesses popping up in Dayton Lane, Lindenwald, the West Side, and beyond.

We are looking forward to the continued growth of our business community. The newly formed Hamilton Merchants Association, open to all small businesses in Hamilton, is sure to assist in the continued expansion. ❑

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22 Plan Hamilton

NEW SMALL BUSINESSES IN 2021

1. Andiamo Artisan Bakery: German Village 2. Angelic Crystal Treasures: Central Business District 3. Barger’s Bargains: Lindenwald 4. Biggby Coffee: East High Street 5. Billy Yanks: Main Street 6. Chick’nCone: Central Business District 7. Hamilton’s Urban Backyard: Main Street 8. Headlines Sportswear: German Village 9. Healthy Hideout: West Side 10. Lion & Ram Studios: German Village

CHICK'NCONE

11. Luke's Custom Cakes: Central Business District 12. Lush Beauty Bar: Main Street 13. Mahon Strength & Fitness: West Side 14. Modish Beauty: Lindenwald 15. Morgan Renae Bridal: Main Street 16. Party Dreams: Main Street 17. Vision Source: East High Street 18. We Love it Too: Main Street

COMING SOON

5. Immortal Vibes: Main Street 6. Pour House: Central Business District 7. Richard's Mexican Cafe: Main Street 8. Sidecar Bar & Spirits: B Street Corridor 9. Stone Tavern: Dayton Lane 10. Sweet T's Desserts: German Village 11. The 513 Bar: Main Street 12. Tiki Bar: B Street Corridor/ Pyramid Hill

1. Agave & Rye: Main Street 2. AMP House Brewing: Maple Ave Corridor 3. Frost Factory: Main Street 4. High Main Laserworks: Main Street

LUKE'S CUSTOM CAKES

HAMILTON'S URBAN BACKYARD MORGAN RENAE BRIDAL

Plan Hamilton

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RIGHT THE

24 Plan Hamilton

BLIGHT

A CITYWIDE SENSE OF PRIDE HAVE REVITALIZED THE IMAGE OF HAMILTON. THOUGH MAJOR STRIDES HAS BEEN MADE, THERE ARE STILL MILES TO GO.

amilton is a very different City than it was 10 years ago. Someone who drives through the City today will be greeted with a different sight than what they would have seen in 2012. Economic Development, art, and a citywide sense of pride have revitalized the image of Hamilton. Though major strides have been made, there are still miles to go.

The City recently did a survey to understand just how prominent of a problem blight was to citizens. In the survey over 95 percent cited blight as a problem in our town, with 75 percent of respondents saying that blight is impacting property values. Nearly 40 percent of homeowners have said that blight is a big enough issue in their neighborhood that they’ve considered moving. This survey saw a response from the City to take a new strategy towards eliminating blight.

“It’s interesting, a lot of people have different views of what blight is,” said Aaron Hufford, chief of staff for the City. “It depends on what block you live on or what neighborhood you live in.

We spent some time a couple of years ago thinking through all the issues of blight and what it means to people.”

Blight comes in many forms but some of the most prominent ways are unkempt yards, abandoned structures, failing streets, illicit/illegal activities, and much more. So the City looked internally at what it can do to better the City’s fight against blight.

Of the biggest changes was the simple switch of code compliance to Plan Hamilton

25

Vacant Property Legislation

 Chronic and long-term vacant properties have a negative impact on neighborhoods. They often have maintenance issues and occasionally attract vagrancy, illicit activities, and structure fires. These issues reduce the values and also the quality of life for those who own property and/or live nearby.

The City of Hamilton is actively working to minimize the number of vacant properties by working with owners to reactivate them.

This starts with a requirement to register the properties, giving the City reliable contact information for the owner in order to take steps toward improving Hamilton neighborhoods.

Butler County Land Bank

 The Butler County Land Reutilization Corporation (Land Bank) is an important tool the City of Hamilton utilizes to help fight blight and improve our neighborhoods. Through the Butler County Land Bank, the City has gained access to funding to demolish and reclaim vacant and abandoned residential properties in targeted areas. As a result of these efforts, the City’s costs associated with safety calls and structure fires at vacant residential properties has decreased. In late 2021, the State announced an additional grant program that the Land Bank expects to utilize for additional blight removal and revitalization efforts.  The empty residential lots that remain after demolition are potentially available to an adjacent property owner as an extension of their yard through the City’s Side Lot Program. The City has also partnered with non-profits to reactivate some of these vacant lots.

For more information please visit: www.hamilton-oh.gov/landbank

26 Plan Hamilton

fall under the umbrella of the Resident Services Department rather than the Health Department. One big reason for that switch was the Health Department’s focus on the COVID pandemic.

“It sounds really small but it’s been a significant change,” said Hufford.

“Our quick strike team goes out and picks up trash and things that people don’t want to touch. This quick strike team goes out and takes care of all code compliance in our neighborhoods as well.”

As for the neighborhoods themselves, they’ve benefited greatly from the Department of Neighborhoods.

“They’ve been fantastic in terms of eliminating blight in our neighborhoods,” said Hufford. “They’re engaging with each distinct area, getting the pulse and addressing the issues that face the residents.”

Among the responsibilities of the Department of Neighborhoods is quality control, to make sure that the issues are responded to in a timely manner.

The City Manager’s Office recently committed itself to undertaking a citywide property inventory.

“This was a big initiative for us,” said Hufford. “We partnered with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

We walked every single street in

Hamilton and snapped a photo of every parcel and graded it on an ‘A’ to ‘F’.”

This allowed the City to pinpoint problem areas with several properties in the D and F range. That report just finished in the fall, and the intention is that data is going to help the City make strides in fighting blight amongst our City’s more dissipated properties. Already the City has seen improvements through compliance which has made the efforts worthwhile.

“We are often addressing things on a complaint basis, this audit gave us a more proactive approach,” he said.

Through the audit, the interdepartmental team found 500 properties graded D and F. The goal of the City is to remove or improve all of those in the next three years.

“This is a pretty bold and ambitious endeavor,” said Hufford. “But we’re making great progress already this year, and I think in the next three years it’s going to look totally different.”

Other strategies have been deployed by the Police Department and the Fire Department regarding chronic nuisance complaints and vacant properties. All of which are apart a grander effort to cut down on blight in our City of Hamilton. ❑

Lindenwald Development 

The City of Hamilton recently entered into a development agreement to redevelop the ShulerBenninghofen Mill on the corner of Pleasant and Williams Avenues. This $20 million investment will be catalytic to the Lindenwald business district, bringing 100+ new apartment units and vibrant retail space to a long-blighted historic property. With significant developer interest in the City-owned properties along Pleasant Ave., and other investments in surrounding areas, Lindenwald is primed for revitalization. ❑

Shuler-Benninghofen Mill circa early 1900s

Plan Hamilton 27

Spooky Nook Sports [ Champion Mill ] F

or more than three years, Hamilton residents have been watching, with bated breath, the massive construction occurring on North B Street along the Great Miami River. What was formerly the vacant site of the old Champion Paper mill became the groundbreaking site of Spooky Nook Champion Mill in 2018. When construction finishes, Spooky Nook Champion Mill will be the largest sports complex in North America and the third-largest in the world, at 1+ million square feet.

Before 2018, the first and only Spooky Nook Sports complex was in Manheim, Pennsylvania near Lancaster. The "Spooky Nook" name is a reference to Spooky Nook Road, the road on which the Pennsylvania location was built. For the new Hamilton location, “Champion Mill" was added to the name not only to act as a differentiator but also to honor the past and traditions of the region.

Highlights from the Spooky Nook Champion Mill timeline: • November 2016: Hamilton, Ohio is named the frontrunner by the

28 Plan Hamilton

Spooky Nook Sports developer and majority owner, Sam Beiler, for the new Spooky Nook Sports location, second after Pennsylvania.

• October 25, 2018: Crews break ground and begin construction for Spooky Nook Sports complex in Hamilton, two weeks after the Hamilton City Council approves and signs a development agreement with Spooky Nook, investing more than $26 million for loans, construction, utility, and road improvements.

• January 2019: Hamilton City Council closes parts of Rhea and Warwick avenues near North B Street. Road sections are replaced and referred to as Champion Boulevard.

• Mid-March 2019: Hamilton government officials, business owners, and non-profit leaders visit the 700,000-square-foot Pennsylvania Spooky Nook location.

• March 2020: $171 million in financing is secured for Spooky Nook Champion Mill, in spite of challenges posed by the COVID pandemic and declaration of a national emergency.

• June 2020: A large stretch of North B Street closes for about 600 days to allow construction crews to work on the Spooky Nook Sports Champion

Mill indoor sports complex and convention center.

• December 2020: Announcement of a partnership between Spooky Nook Sports and Kai Sotto, internationally known Filipino professional basketball player, to establish the "Kaiju Academy,” a basketball academy to be housed within the Hamilton location for mentoring and training young athletes.

• March 27, 2021: Strong winds cause damage to the building designated for the Spooky Nook Champion Mill indoor turf field. All structural steel beams collapse, but no one is injured.

• September 2021: Sam Beiler announces that Spooky Nook Champion Mill is booked every weekend from April to August 2022.

• J anuary 2022: Sam Beiler announces Mill 1, the indoor sports complex part of Spooky Nook Champion Mill, will not open in late March 2022 as anticipated, and Spooky Nook Sports is unable to provide an estimate of when it will happen. Mill 2, the part of the facility known as Champion Mill Conference Center, remains on schedule with an end-of-March targeted completion date.

MOVING THE GOALPOSTS

In Pennsylvania, hotels and retailers struggled to keep up with the increased tourism traffic after the first Spooky Nook location opened in 2013. During the time that Spooky Nook Champion Mill has been under construction in Hamilton, myriad local businesses have been strategizing and planning for

expanding their operations.

Dan Bates, president, and CEO of the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce understood early on the shift that Hamilton business would have to make. When he first visited the original Spooky Nook location during his first week on the job approximately six years ago, Dan and the Chamber were given

a first glance of what a Spooky Nook in Hamilton might look like.

“I knew this was going change the game of opportunity and growth for the City of Hamilton,” Dan said. “I could envision the change on small businesses here in our City and could see the opportunity for success.”

Combatting local negativity, doubt and rumors have been the biggest challenges for Spooky Nook developers and the Chamber. During the initial years of development for Spooky Nook Champion Mill, Dan and the Chamber conducted thorough research and development to forecast the potential success for Hamilton.

“We spent a great deal of time meeting with businesses in Pennsylvania that were impacted

by Spooky Nook just outside of Lancaster,” Dan said. “We spent the next four years [in Hamilton] trying to get existing businesses to understand they had to revisit their business models and strategies to be ready to benefit from the shift.”

Dan understood Spooky Nook Champion Mill would not only help to lift up businesses in Hamilton but those in neighboring communities as well.

“It wasn’t going to be just a win for Plan Hamilton

29

Hamilton, but Hamilton would be a nucleus for a regional impact, that all arterial roads to Hamilton would have new potential for development and growth. We’re in the crossroads of the Midwest, with easy access to millions of people in multiple cities within a 3 to 5-hour drive. Due to the cost of living difference, the expendable income in this area is as good, if not even better, than the successful location in Pennsylvania.”

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY IMPACT

The mission of Spooky Nook has been to not only provide convenient access to out-of-town visitors but to local residents as well. The 1,000,000-square-foot sports, entertainment, and event complex are projected to create 100 full-time jobs with benefits, with one-third of them having an average annual pay of more than $56,000. There will also be 365 part-time positions, and possibly another 150 full-and part-time jobs created by restaurants, shops, and other businesses that will lease space within the complex.

The Warehouse Hotel at Champion Mill, the on-site lodging option for guests located in the Champion Mill Conference Center, boasts 233 hotel rooms, 58 of which have a view of the Great Miami River.

The Forklift & Palate Restaurant will have a team of executive chefs and dedicated restaurant staff who specialize in American bistro cuisine, tasty adult beverages, and scrumptious desserts. The food court within Mill 1's athletic complex will be home to various food and beverage

30 Plan Hamilton

stations, providing guests with a quick snack, tasty smoothie, protein shake, and more.

Spooky Nook Champion Mill guests can also visit a few Hamilton local favorites on-site during downtime or between events: • Municipal Brew Works, announced as the first tenant in April 2021, will be opening a taproom and smallbatch brewing facility with just over 5,000 square feet. The location will have ample seating for over 100 people with a great view of the brewing area, the Great Miami River, and access to a riverside patio.

• Petals & Wicks, announced as the second tenant in June 2021, will provide Spooky Nook Champion Mill guests with everything they need to

Unique designed rock climbing gym and Clip and Climb for beginners

 Guests can take advantage of these following amenities: • An 80,000-square-foot fitness center with exercise equipment • An arcade/game room, Adventure Zone, and rock-climbing area • An indoor 200-meter track • 14 indoor maple hardwood courts, with large mezzanines for spectators • 14 other indoor basketball/volleyball courts, covered with a multi-sport surface, can be covered and used to host conventions and trade shows • Nine indoor batting cages • One indoor full-sized turf soccer field • One indoor baseball infield • One full-sized outdoor turf field

create their own custom scent blend in any of the offered candle or bath and body product options.

• Orthopedic Associates of SW Ohio, announced as the third tenant in August 2021, will be located near the large main lobby and staffed by medical professionals who will be the first to aid athletes injured at the sports facility. Occupying 22,000 square feet of space, they will be able to X-ray athletes and guests on-site and can also refer patients for imaging such as MRIs at its other facilities.

Spooky Nook Champion Mill also has four sports team rooms, about 1,000 square feet each, that can host tournament headquarters or birthday parties. For larger parties or more formal events, the two-storytall Hamilton Ballroom can hold 600 guests, the Riverside Ballroom can hold 400, and the Butler Ballroom can fit 275 and will have beautiful river views. Waterfront Hall can hold 130-150.

Several parking lots will surround the complex, including east of the Great Miami River, with surplus parking at the City’s McDulin Parking Garage. Shuttles will transport people from downtown to German Village, Main Street, and Spooky Nook Champion Mill.

With 8,000 to 10,000 people projected to visit Spooky Nook Champion Mill per day for tournaments and events, residents and businesses can look forward to seeing the positive impact of Hamilton’s expanding regional footprint for many years to come. ❑

Addressing

Traffic Challenges Head-On

Short and long-term solutions for congestion in Hamilton's core

t

here’s no getting around it: one of the growing pains of a vibrant City is that traffic bottlenecks arise. The City of Hamilton, however, is looking to the future and preparing to enhance existing facilities through the City that will help ease traffic issues.

In the short term, the new centralbased smart signal traffic system is designed to be more responsive to actual traffic conditions, enabling a smoother flow through the bottlenecks of High Street and Main Street in downtown Hamilton. The system, valued at over five million dollars, is approximately 80% funded by state and federal grants, helping to defray costs at the local level.

“This is a big technology improvement to our signals,” says Scott Hoover, traffic operations manager at the City of Hamilton. “The older technology had seven servers that connected 97 different intersections. Now, the central-based system will have them all communicate with a central office and we’ll have video of each intersection to make corrections to timing.”

Hoover is excited about many aspects of how this system will help; notifications will be easier to receive and therefore response times to signal

32 Plan Hamilton

outages, for instance, could be cut in half. While manual changes can be done at the office, a big change is that the system essentially ‘learns’ when traffic patterns and volumes change, allowing more traffic to move through the downtown corridor during the heaviest times because of adapted traffic signal timing.

This couldn’t come at a better time, since special events like Spooky Nook events can be programmed in, helping to even out traffic flow even when a lot of people are entering or leaving Hamilton. The system even has a feature that helps move emergency vehicles through the City faster with customized routes as necessary.

“Everything in this system is data-driven, and it’d be impossible to gather the amount of information this system can without it,” says Hoover. “It helps us collect data that will improve mobility, and we’re extremely pleased to be working on this project now.”

The arrival of more business activity in Hamilton, however, means that the engineering department also has been looking to longer-term solutions, in the form of an additional bridge crossing the Great Miami River and another across the CSX railroad.

This project has been termed North Hamilton Crossing.

As early as 2002 there have been

studies to look for better connections for S.R. 129, offering multiple options for crossing the county and the Great Miami River. In October of 2020, the City hired a consultant to help study the environmental obstacles, evaluate traffic and determine what it would take to construct these new bridges north of the High Street and Black Street bridge.

The City received a grant to extensively study the feasibility of the project. Assistant Director of Engineering Allen Messer mentioned that the study will generate multiple potential routes that acknowledge everything from sensitive environmental areas, residents who are impacted, and historic areas.

The goal is to determine the best location for the bridges, but also for the connecting streets that will bring traffic from S.R. 129 around downtown to said bridges.

After this step, the progress will be dependent on funding sources at the City, county, state, and federal level, since the budget for these bridges could be anything from $75 million to $175 million, all depending on what route the project ends up needing to take.

One of the major steps has been the request for citizen feedback to make sure that all factors are being considered carefully. Public input has been requested since August 30, 2021, via www.hamilton-oh.gov/nhx, and stakeholder meetings will continue to take place for the next few months, concluding in a public open house to share the findings.

“These big steps forward are the culmination of nearly a decade of efforts to address traffic flow as volume has increased,” said Rich Engle, the director of engineering at the City of Hamilton. “Projects like streamlining the High-Main Corridor, multiple improved intersections, and South Hamilton Crossing have all been part of an ongoing effort to improve transportation and increase safety for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.” ❑

The Active Transportation Plan

 In 2020, the City of Hamilton approved its first Active Transportation Plan, which identifies and prioritizes pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. The plan was shaped by community input and developed by Toole Design, a leading active transportation consulting firm. The Active Transportation Plan will assist Hamilton in efforts to obtain grant funding to add pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure throughout the community. The Beltline Trail and new sidewalks near Linden Elementary along Van Hook Avenue are two examples of priority projects from this plan that are already underway.

High/Main Intersection Improvements

 Since 2012, the City of Hamilton has been focused on improving the traffic flow throughout our primary Main and High Street corridors by systematically addressing problematic intersections spanning between Erie Boulevard (State Route 4) and Cereal and Haldimand Avenues Intersection. The improvements made along this corridor not only increased traffic flow but have also improved the motorists’ safety at these intersections. The total project costs for improvements to the High, MLK Jr, Main, Millville, Eaton, and Main, Cereal, Haldimand, and Western intersections are $10,607,500, with the majority ($7,840,000) of these projects funded by Ohio Department of Transportation Safety Grants. The full potential of these intersection improvements will be unlocked in 2022 as our new central based traffic signaling system comes online.

Plan Hamilton

33

THE INAUGURAL KLINK AWARD

I

Named for one of Hamilton's tireless neighborhood advocates, Kathleen Klink, the award was created to recognize exemplary leadership

n 2019, 17 Strong inaugurated the Klink Award for Neighborhood Leadership as a way to honor Kathleen Klink, a tireless neighborhood advocate in Hamilton, and to continue what she and others have started by promoting leadership and engaging one’s neighbors for safe, beautiful, connected neighborhoods.

As a former City councilperson and as a participant in many aspects of 17 Strong, Kathleen Klink embodies what it means to not only get involved and help Hamilton but also how to create blueprints to help others get involved. She has been a longtime public servant, and is seen as the quintessential “neighborhoods” councilperson, according to the 17 Strong website. She worked on Hamilton’s 2012 strategic plan and became an advocate and leader in the neighborhoods initiative, which has evolved into much of the work that 17 Strong does now.

Klink has been a big part of 17 Strong’s inception and evolution, making her an admirable namesake for the award. Both Klink and the wider Hamilton community, however, want to see further neighborhood leadership as the 17 Strong movement continues to grow.

CHIPS, the Citywide Hamilton Internship Program

 This program is a 12-week paid internship open to individuals of color ages 16-30 in the Hamilton area.

Participants have the opportunity to work with various local employers providing hands-on experience, the

Kathy Klink

“For many residents, their first question about getting involved is, "I want to, but where do I start?" 17 Strong wants to be the answer to that question,” explains Brandon Saurber, director of neighborhoods at the City of Hamilton. “This award shows the real, tangible impacts that our neighbors are having on our neighborhoods. If we are to succeed as a community, we have to build a bigger table and invite more residents to be a part of the conversations and activities that move us forward. The awardees are the best examples of this.”

chance to develop industry specific skills, and pathways to leadership success within the community. CHIPS has already been a life changing experience for multiple participants of the program. In the last few years, the CHIPS program has already seen 43 individuals complete the program with a number of success

While there is only one award recipient each year, the goal is to have dozens, if not hundreds and thousands, of engaged citizens promoting their neighborhood’s welfare in a variety of ways— there’s not just one blueprint for neighborhood success.

“Leadership comes in many forms.

Some lead traditionally, bringing people together behind a common goal. In this case, that would be to address aspirations or concerns for where they live. Others lead through their service and volunteerism,” says Saurber. “Those recognized with this award could fall into one or both of these descriptions. At the end of the day, we believe that safe and clean neighborhoods are ones with engaged and informed residents. Through their actions, these awardees are making our neighborhoods and our City stronger.”

The announcement of the 2022 Klink Award will be made at 17 Strong’s Celebration Breakfast on March 26th.

Nominations will be solicited later in 2022 for next year’s recipient, but in the meantime, it’s always the right time to find a way to get more involved in your local neighborhood or city-wide volunteering projects to help our City be safe, clean, and engaged. ❑

stories amongst them. The program now boasts 10+ community partners spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Thanks to strong community partnership, the program is moving forward expecting three rounds with up to 20 individuals on an annual basis. You can learn more about CHIPs at chipshamilton.com.

Plan Hamilton

35

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Utility Capital Projects ■ In 2021, the City of Hamilton continues with an emphasis on improving the reliability of the existing infrastructure by replacing deficient electric, natural gas, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water facilities at a total cost of $18,590,000.

In addition, there were street

and traffic facility improvements totaling $16,200,000. Of the total $34,790,000, grant funding received was $5,700,000.

In 2022, the City of Hamilton is budgeting $6,500,000 to replace deficient electric, natural gas, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water distribution utilities.

The City is also budgeting $8,200,000 for street and traffic facility improvements. In addition, there will be $4,000,000 budgeted for preliminary engineering for the North Hamilton Crossing project. Of the $18,700,000, grant funding totaling $4,200,000 has been received. ❑

Plan Hamilton

37

RIVERSEDGE ↓

DOWNTOWN EVENTS HAVE BECOME HAMILTON'S SIGNATURE

HAMILTON FLEA →

A

t the heart of any City is the downtown area, and Hamilton is no different.

Over the past decade, the City has emerged as one of the most happening places in southwest Ohio.

From the growing restaurant and nightlife scene to the shops popping up, downtown is thriving. Nothing shows the commodity that Hamilton has blossomed into quite like the downtown events.

From the yearly festivals that shut down the roads that intersect our downtown like Operation Pumpkin, to the weekly concerts at Riversedge in the summer, to shop hops like Alive After 5 and everything in between, the events that bring citizens downtown as a shared space has made an unquantifiable impact on our community. And these events run on the generosity of time from volunteers.

38 Plan Hamilton

RiversEdge, which of course sits at Marcum Park downtown, and their concert series celebrated their 10th anniversary this past summer. The concerts have been a beacon of pride and fun for the City since their inception and wouldn't be possible without the droves of volunteers that help with every show. From the drink vendors who keep the show a well-oiled machine, to the hands that set up and tear down before and after. With the help of the City of Hamilton, sponsors, and their volunteers, RiversEdge can bring free music to citizens.

Closing down High Street every October to bring the local area together, Operation Pumpkin has been a fantastic inclusion in Hamilton’s calendar. Also celebrating its 10th anniversary this past fall, the annual celebration was noticeably absent with its scaledown during the COVID

pandemic. In 2021 the giant pumpkins and droves of people once again flooded the streets, all thanks to the vision of the non-profit group that coordinates the festivals, led by founders Jason and Tammy Snyder.

While it’s easier to see the joy brought to our City by the larger events happening, you can find yourself missing some of the smaller events. Mallory Greenham, of the City manager’s office, first started working with the City as a small business developer.

“Since moving to the City manager’s office, I’ve become a liaison for the Merchants Association,” said Greenham. “So I work one-on-one with small businesses, which sometimes means I get to help coordinate events for them.”

Greenham recognizes the benefits these smaller events create for the small businesses on Main and High

Streets. They help generate economic development and overall bring citizens to these areas. Recently, the holiday slate of events such as the Ornament Crawl, Illuminate Hamilton, Sip n’ Shop, Shop Small Saturday, and the Hamilton Tree Lighting—just to name a few. They, just like the other larger non-profit events that happen in Hamilton, share the main purpose of making the City a better, more enjoyable place to live. The holiday events were just a small blip in the larger scale of events on Main and High—Music on Main and Alive After 5 being some more notable ones.

All well-run community events don’t function without the help of passionate volunteers who see the benefits they bring to the City. The non-profit groups that have brought these events to downtown Hamilton have once again brought life to the City. ❑

OPERATION PUMPKIN ↑ Plan Hamilton

39

FOLLOW THE YELLOW LINE I Old train tracks are finding new life as the Beltway in Hamilton n a time of the world where more and more conveniences in transportation are affecting the way we travel, several cities around the nation have seen the benefits of a recreational trail around their towns. Hamilton has already added onto their network of recreational trails and plans on adding more in the coming years.

The Hamilton Beltline Trail completed phase one in 2021. The trail, which is a bike trail proposed from the beltline train line that serviced the paper mills on the river in years passed, started and completed work

40 Plan Hamilton

on the first of several phases last year.

“We did phase one from Eaton Avenue to Cleveland Avenue. It's kind of in the middle of the overall beltline,” said Allen Messer, assistant director of engineering for the City. “We received a grant for $500,000 for ODNR, clean Ohio trails towards that, and another grant for $59,426 from ODNR NatureWorks. The net was off the overall roughly $760,000 project.

And so that phase is complete.”

Phase one was completed through the woods in between Cleveland and Eaton Avenue. It was the middle bracket of the beltline. The proposed

trail runs from Millville Avenue, looping around the west side to the river, running into Spooky Nook.

“The reason it's phased in waves is that when we started applying for grants, Spooky Nook wasn't fully developed,” said Messer. “We will be going out to bid soon for phase two, which will be from Cleveland Avenue down to North B Street.”

The second phase plans to be finished by mid-summer. From that point, the point of focus will be finishing the line from B Street along the river and through the new development with Spooky Nook.

review process for the TA grant than it is for the state capitals,” said Messer. “If we get the state capital grant those would both be under construction in 2023.”

With the trail reaching to Main Street Bridge, it will essentially connect the west side of Hamilton with the Great Miami River Trail.

The GMRT is a connection of trails running alongside the River in hopes of connecting all the communities of the Great Miami River. Several of the larger cities on the river have already completed their sections of the proposed trail (Hamilton and Middletown of note, locally). Now with the gaps getting filled, there will be an opportunity to have an economic impact on the City of Hamilton.

“Completing the trail system could increase tourism for us,” said Liz Hayden, director of planning for the City. “The more people that use the

trail, the more likely they’ll stop in Hamilton either for the night or at least for lunch.”

It’s not an unfamiliar sight to see a group of bikers stop at one of the breweries along the river or the many places to eat.

Local communities have come together to help finish the trail, most notably in Lemon Township so that more cities connect.

Thirteen different communities and organizations have collectively raised money to complete the 1.6-mile gap in Lemon Township. Portions of the GMRT go as far north as Sidney and as far south as Cincinnati.

“This can connect our residents to other places,” said Hayden. “Our residents can get on the trail and bike up to Middletown or bike down to Cincinnati. That's a great amenity for our residents.” ❑

Construction for phase three will begin in 2023.

“Phase two will connect the current trail to the river,” said Messer. “Phase three will run along the river from Black Street Bridge to Main Street Bridge.”

Future phases haven’t been fully formulated but it is possible that the trail running from west Eaton to Millville could be constructed at the same time as phase three, it just depends on funding.

“It could be constructed simultaneously with phase three because the timing for the grants is different. It's a little more lengthy Plan Hamilton

41

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Beckett Paper Mill Slated for Redevelopment CONSTRUCTION OF LARGE APARTMENT PROJECT PLANNED FOR FORMER PAPER MILL SITE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN 2023

 The City Council recently entered into a development agreement to revitalize the former Beckett Paper Mill, a mill that was established in 1848. This catalytic $50+ million investment will bring more than 250 new apartment units to the historic property and will serve as a development anchor to the North End, Dayton Lane, and German Village neighborhoods. The developer, Historic Beckett Lofts LLC, will be pursuing historic tax credits in 2022 with hopes of starting construction in 2023.

Plan Hamilton 43

How a Neighborhoods Focus Is Driving the Implementation of City Planning Initiatives

PLAN HAMILTON

P

lan Hamilton, a comprehensive City planning document approved in 2019, is a living document, a vision for how Hamilton will continue to grow and change over the coming years.

This update is to share with you some of the concrete ways that the City of Hamilton and its many collaborators are moving forward with making Hamilton a great place to live, work, and play.

An updated publication is part of how the City of Hamilton continues

44 Plan Hamilton

the process of transparency and showcases how in-progress and completed projects align with the plans created with the community.

When a City goes into a comprehensive planning process, they seek public input at every turn; the most recent Plan Hamilton involved 18 months of public meetings, surveys, and focus groups to address the question of how the City would look in the coming 15 years.

“The Plan is a 30,000-foot-view, big-picture vision statement of our area and where we want to be in 15

years, but I also want us to use real examples that are very powerful,” says Liz Hayden, director of planning.

“There is still flexibility as we go.”

A major focus to emerge out of the Plan was an emphasis on neighborhoods; Hamilton has 17 distinct neighborhoods that work within themselves and with each other to support each other, promote safety, and stay engaged.

In 17 Strong, the neighborhoods movement in Hamilton has been a nexus of support, resources, and information as Plan Hamilton has been

“A BIG PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN HAMILTON HAS BEEN ROOTED IN RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT, IN PEOPLE HAVING A SEAT AT THE TABLE. 17 STRONG IS YOUR SEAT, YOUR WAY TO BE INVOLVED.”

IN ACTION put into motion.

“We can’t accomplish our goals of safe and clean neighborhoods without engaged neighborhoods, running the gamut between staying informed all the way up to volunteering and leading,” says Brandon Saurber, public information officer and director of neighborhoods with the City of Hamilton. “A big part of the development of Plan Hamilton has been rooted in resident engagement, in people having a seat at the table. 17 Strong is your seat, your way to be involved.”

The City of Hamilton’s planning process doesn’t stop when the plan is released, however; instead it becomes the blueprint that the City uses to bring about changes that residents want, from creating opportunities for entertainment and fun in the City to addressing practical issues like traffic congestion and public safety.

For instance, Miami University students have been partnering with the Planning Department at the City of Hamilton to do intensive work reaching out to individual neighborhoods and coming up with

individualized goals and plans for neighborhood areas including the Riverview neighborhood.

Comprehensive plans and smaller planning projects within the City help City governments make sure that they are addressing the core concerns of residents who live there, moving in step-by-step processes that use smaller milestones to achieve bigger efforts.

“When I look at what Plan Hamilton’s accomplishments are, I think about the fact that we have a Department of Neighborhoods now, and all the amazing things they are doing are what I think of, not just the completion of the neighborhood plan,” Hayden says. “Action is so much more important; the real work begins once the plan is established.”

While a general goal of the plan might involve safe, engaged, informed residents, it is accomplished in meaningful steps, from coordinating neighborhood clean-ups to making programming available in the City’s parks.

Read on to learn more about the recent initiatives at the City of Hamilton that have begun accomplishing the vision of the evolving Plan Hamilton, and how these projects will continue to move forward in the coming years. ❑ Plan Hamilton

45

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$35 million in capital investment

225 new jobs

$11.6 million in new payroll

Industrial Development 2021 was a big year for industrial development in Hamilton. Vinylmax and thyssenkrupp Bilstein of America announced expansion plans at their existing facilities that will include $35 million in capital investment, 225 new jobs, and $11.6 million in new payroll. Additionally,

construction at the Saica Pack facility nears completion and will be opening in Hamilton Enterprise Park in early 2022. Saica’s first North American facility was over $70 million in capital investment and will create 64 new jobs with a payroll of approximately $4.7 million. ❑

Plan Hamilton

47

Hamilton

In 2018, the City of Hamilton partnered with a wide variety of community organizations to formulate the Hamilton River Plan. During the six-month planning process, stakeholders worked

MAKE HAMILTON’S RIVERFRONT A A DESTINATION.

48 Plan Hamilton

ALLOW FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION AROUND THE RIVER ON BOTH SIDES.

INCREASE RIVER ACTIVITY. INCREASE RIVER CROSSING.

River Plan together to establish the Great Miami River as a community center that could be a catalyst for development. Through these efforts, the following goals were identified in the plan:

INCREASE ACCESS TO THE RIVER. ENTERTAINMENT AND MULTI-USE.

MAKE BETTER CONNECTIONS FROM INLAND TO THE RIVER.

INCREASE ACTIVITY ADJACENT TO THE RIVER, INCLUDING RECREATION, HOUSING.

Plan Hamilton

49

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Personal Banking | Business Banking | Loans & Credit | Retirement Planning | 513-785-3500 Telhio is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or goes to school in Franklin, Fairfield, Delaware, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, Union, Hamilton, Warren, Butler and Preble counties. Federally Insured by NCUA. NMLS #251831.

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HAM ltonian Established 1791

Established 1791

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