Mitchell Avenue Corridor Study (Download PDF) - City of St. Bernard

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP 

School of Planning 

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 

Mitchell & Vine District

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP 


College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 

Mitchell & Vine District

St. Bernard 

North Avondale 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Al Kanters 

Scott Merusi 

Peter Mallow 

Walter Moeller 

Charlene Morse 

Dr. Michael Romanos 

Jennifer Walke 

Margaret Wuerstle 

Amy Yosmali 

Tim Yosmali 

PARTICIPANTS 

Kiran Avadhanula 

Brian Backscheider 

Kimberly Bullerdick 

Jennifer Hackman 

Greg Meckstroth 

Nicol Thompson 

Sarah Wilson 

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University of Cincinnati



CONTENT 

| Chapter 1 | Introduction 10 

subsection 1: Introduction 10 

subsection 2: Methodology 11 

subsection 3: Regional Context 11 

subsection 4: Stakeholders 12 

subsection 5: Additional Development Efforts 13 

| Chapter 2 | Proposed Business District 15 

subsection 1: Traffic Pattern Analysis 15 

subsection 2: Physical Characteristic Inventory 16 

| Chapter 3 | Market Area Description and Analysis 19 

subsection 1: Neighborhood Business District 19 

subsection 2: Primary Market Area 20 

subsection 3: Demand Factors 24 

subsection 4: Supply Factors 34 

| Chapter 4 | Recommendations for the Mitchell & Vine 

District 42 

subsection 1: Introduction 42 

subsection 2: Developing a Marketing Niche 43 


University of Cincinnati 

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CONTENT Cont. 

subsection 3: Phases 48 

Conclusion 52 

References 55 

| Appendix A | Examples of Neighborhood Business 

District 56 

| Appendix B | Green Building 73 

| Appendix C | Crime Prevention Through Environmental 

Design 79 

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TABLES & FIGURES 

Figure 1: Location, Regional Attraction Centers and Traffic Flows 14 

Figure 2: ODOT Certified 2010 Traffic Counts 18 

Figure 3: Land Use Map 21 

Figure 4: Zoning Map 22 

Figure 5: PMA of the Mitchell & Vine District 23 

Figure 6: Map Showing Census Tracts within the 1 mile PMA 26 



Figure 9: Spenders and Savers as a Percentage of Total Population from 

1965 to 2025 30 

Figure 10: Commercial Locations within PMA of Mitchell & Vine District 38 

Figure 11: If Retailers Could Select Their Neighbors 41 

Figure 12: Mitchell & Vine Current Conditions 49 

Figure 13: Phase One of the Mitchell & Vine Business District 50 

Figure 14: Phase Two of the Mitchell & Vine Business District 51 

Figure 15: Phase Three of the Mitchell & Vine Business District 53 

Figure 16. 3500 Michigan Avenue-New Mixed Use Development with 



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TABLES & FIGURES cont. 

Street Fronted Shops 56 

Figure 17: Hyde Park on a Sunday 57 

Figure 18: Hyde Park Parking Behind Commercial Retail Buildings 57 

Figure 19: O’Bryonville 58 

Figure 20: Traditional Neighborhood Elements in O’Bryonville 58 

Figure 21: Modern Architecture in O’Bryonville 59 

Figure 22: Shared Parking Behind District 59 

Figure 23: Auto-Oriented Development 60 

Figure 24: Blue Ash Streetscaping 60 

Figure 25: Buffers in Blue Ash 60 

Figure 26: DeSales Plaza 61 

Figure 27: Parking in DeSales 61 

Figure 28: DeSales Plaza 62 

Figure 29: Use of Brick Throughout Mt. Lookout 62 

Figure 30: Mixed Use in Mt. Lookout 63 

Figure 31: Modern Architecture in Mt. Lookout 63 

Figure 32: Commercial Tourist Zoning 64 

Figure 33: Building Placement 64 

Figure 34: MainStrasse Overlay Zone 65 

Figure 35: Layout of Biltmore Village 66 

Figure 36: Land Use Sub Areas 67 

Figure 37: Street Tree Design in Biltmore Village 68 

Figure 38: University District 69 

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Figure 39: 15’ Sidewalks 70 

Figure 40: Street Lighting 70 

Figure 41: Plaza 71 

Figure 42: Landscaped Buffers 71 

Figure 43: The Chicago City Hall Building with a Green Roof 75 

Figure 44: Below grade parking with green space incorporated as a 

park on the top 76 

Table 1: Land Use Distribution in IMA 24 

Table 2: Census Tracts under each mile radius 25 

Table 3: Demographic Characteristics of the PMA 31 

Table 4: Expenditure Patterns by Age Group 31 

Table 5: Expenditure Patterns by Sex 32 

Table 6: Expenditure Patterns by Racial Composition 33 

Table 7: Expenditure Patterns by Household Income 34 

Table 8: Expenditure Patterns by Educational Attainment 35 

Table 9: Sales per Square Foot of Retail 35 

Table 10a: Potential Purchasing Power and Retail Demand by Category 36 

Table 10b: Potential Purchasing Power and Retail Demand by Category Cont. 37 

Table 11: Resident Consumer Patterns and Preferences 37 

Table 12: Selection of Potentially Competitive Spaces within One Mile of 

Mitchell & Vine District 39 

Table 13: Retail Mix for Mitchell & Vine District by Level of Education 44 



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Chapter 1: Introduction 

The City of St. Bernard sits at a crossroads. The City has been 

well served by long time employers, including Procter & Gamble, 

Cognis Corporation, Cincinnati Specialties and Cincinnati Vulcan. 

These industries contribute to the tax base such that services in 

St. Bernard are excellent and city taxes are low. The City is quaint, 

walkable and and safe. However, in recent years the community has 

struggled to attract new residents. St. Bernard has experienced a 

declining population trend where both elderly and young families 

have been moving away (City of St. Bernard Economic Development 

Study 2007). A SWOT analysis conducted last year by St. Bernard 

noted that there was no social or business center with a common 

plaza or square, no visibility for St. Bernard’s businesses and no 

planning for the future. 

The St. Bernard Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) 

was revitalized in October of 2007 in order to begin implementing 

strategic economic development initiatives. As one of its first efforts, 

the St. Bernard CIC commissioned an economic development 

study from the University of Cincinnati’s Community Planning 

Department, under the direction of Dr. Michael Romanos. Its 

purpose was to identify the neighborhood’s best opportunities 

for strategic development, based on an analysis of neighborhood 

conditions. These included location, transportation network, 

physical conditions, open space, social capital, housing, services and 

neighborhood walkability (St. Bernard Economic Development 

Study 2007). Understanding and analyzing these factors are critical 

steps to developing a factual basis on which to make strategic 

economic development decisions (McLean and Voytek 1992, 3). 

The 2007 Study strongly recommended that St. Bernard take 

advantage of its ideal location, proximity to institutions and its 

strong transportation systems (St. Bernard Economic Study 2007). 

The 2007 went on to characterize the current neighborhood 

business corridor as rapidly declining. Since then, the CIC has 

actively appropriated redevelopment opportunity sites as well as 

selected an infill development site which it intends to develop for 

senior housing (Merusi 2008). A feasibility study identified senior 

housing built according to leading environmental efficiency design 

standards as the prime opportunity for residential development. 

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In conjunction with this initiative, focus has been placed on 

enhancing the commercial viability of the neighborhood. The CIC 

has tasked itself with determining best location to take advantage 



of the neighborhood opportunities is to develop its gateways 

and locate development near them. The 2007 Study identified 

the southern portion of St. Bernard’s business corridor, from 

Orchard to Washington along Vine Street, as the most potential 

for redevelopment. However, activity that has occurred after 

the release of the Study has identified a section south of that 

segment as having the most potential for redevelopment. This is 

the area marked by the intersection of Mitchell Avenue and Vine 

Street. Traffic counts indicate that this intersection is the most 

traveled area in the vicinity. It is well positioned to capture visitors 

to the regional points of attraction mentioned above and daily 

commuters to area employers. As well, this location is able to 

serve the neighborhood of North Avondale. This is very important. 

Discussions that St. Bernard has held with leaders in North 

Avondale point to the need for a neighborhood business district 

that could serve it better than its currently designated business 

district (NANA Interview 2008). Finally, this district could serve 

the Clifton neighborhood, also in the City of Cincinnati. Based on 

this information, the CIC selected this area to pursue as a target 

location for a prospective business district. 

The purpose of this study then was to determine the feasibility 

of redeveloping an area located along the Mitchell Avenue and 

Vine Street corridors, using the intersection of the two streets 

as its focal point. This proposed business district will primarily 

serve St. Bernard and North Avondale but will have the added 

benefit of capturing daytime visitors to the region. It also has the 

strongest potential for attracting customers to existing St. Bernard 

businesses along the Vine Street corridor. We will hereafter refer to 

the proposed business district as the “Mitchell & Vine District.” 

Methodology 

The study team began our work by walking and evaluating the 

physical conditions of the Mitchell & Vine District to get a sense 

for the strengths and weaknesses of the area itself. The conditions 

we looked at included building appearance, presence of garbage, 

occupancy, whether the building was used commercially or 

residentially, sidewalk conditions and availability of parking. 

These conditions were ranked from “good” to “deteriorated 

beyond repair.” During our evaluation, we noted where loitering 

occurred. 

Next we invited several persons involved in community 

development from St. Bernard, the city of Cincinnati and North 

Avondale to speak to our team about their visions and knowledge 

of the area. We also scheduled meetings with the Marketing Analyst 

who prepared St. Bernard’s study on senior housing in order to 

understand linkages between planned residential development 

and the Mitchell & Vine Distrct; and finally we met with an area 

developer to get an outside perspective of the area’s opportunities 

and challenges. 

Meanwhile, we performed an extensive literature review of similar, 

successful business districts in Cincinnati and around the country. 

We analyzed similarities of situation, aspects that we would seek 

to implement and aspects we would avoid. These case studies are 

included in the Appendices of this report. Also included in the 

Appendices are sections on Green Building and Crime Prevention 





Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Green Building is 

recommended because of its cost savings and benefits to the 

environment. This is consistent with the findings of the senior 

housing study, which recommend that new projects be built to 

conserve energy and reduce environmental impacts. We believe 

that cost savings, if passed on, will appeal to certain segments of 

consumers that St. Bernard can attract. We also note that Green 

Building signals sophistication and progress, which will appeal to 

highly educated consumers in the primary market area, so we 

recommend its use in the Mitchell & Vine District for this reason 

as well. In our research we found that residents have a marked 

concern about safety in the new district. The recommendation to 

Follow CPTED guidelines as the Mitchell & Vine District is built 

is aimed at helping to reduce real and perceived crime. Beyond 

these items, we also looked at the specific regulatory, zoning, 

institutional and policy environment in which the Mitchell & Vine 

District exists, and sought out best practices that might be used in 

the implementation stage. 

Our next step was to conduct a market analysis. As prescribed 

by Dunne & Lusch (2005), we looked at the population and/or 

household base to estimate the growth potential that would justify 

the proposed NBD. We researched consumer lifestyles, income 

potential, age, education status, occupation mix and race. We also 

have looked at the population of the nearby special markets in 

terms of daytime workers, students, and tourists, because of the 

proximity of zoo. 

Resident and business owner surveys provided by the St. Bernard 

Community Improvement Corporation were included in our 

research as well. These pointed out specific opportunities and 

challenges for utilization of a new district. 

All of this primary and secondary research informed our design 

and business mix ideas, which we each expressed in individually 

produced site plans of the proposed Mitchell & Vine Business 

District. Individual ideas were reviewed and discussed by the team. 

Finally, select ideas were integrated into one master plan. 

The master plan in our Recommendations section is displayed 

in three phases. These illustrate in sequential order, the most 

immediately feasible plan, the intermediate plan and the final 

implementation. Each phase assumes implementation once success 

has been achieved at the phase prior to it. Depending on land 

acquisition rates, we assume that each phases will take from 1-10 

years to complete. Each phase provides a vision of the Mitchell & 

Vine District as a place where new residential, commercial, and 

open space exists together. It also provides a pedestrian friendly 

environment for anticipated increase in foot traffic. This will be 

accomplished by supporting physical connectivity and visual 

continuity throughout the area. 

Regional Context 

The Mitchell & Vine District is surrounded by the City of St. 

Bernard and the City of Cincinnati neighborhoods of Clifton, 

North Avondale and Elmwood Place. There is excellent access to 

uptown Cincinnati, downtown Cincinnati, the east and west sides 

of Cincinnati, and to Indiana (St. Bernard Economic Study 2007). 

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The geographical extent of the proposed Mitchell & Vine District 

is defined by the Vine and Mitchell Avenue corridors bounded by 

the I-75 ramp along Mitchell Avenue to the west, Parkwood Place 

Lane off of Vine Street to the south, Roger Bacon High School 

Stadium on Mitchell Avenue to the east and Bertus Avenue off of 

Vine street to the north. 

The Mitchell & Vine District is served primarily by Vine Street, 

which runs north and south and connects St. Bernard to and 

uptown and downtown Cincinnati, and Mitchell Avenue, which 

travels from east to west through the area and connects St. 

Bernard to Interstate 75. As such, it is positioned as the northwest 

gateway to Xavier University, the Cincinnati VA Medical Center 

and the Cincinnati Zoo, all important institutions. The Cincinnati 

Zoo, in fact, is the #1 attraction in Cincinnati and one of the top 

five zoos in the nation according to a Zagat Survey (Cincinnati 

Zoo 2004). Vine Street runs south through the Mitchell & Vine 

District to the second largest employment base in Cincinnati, 

Uptown, located within 3 miles. Uptown employers include the 

University of Cincinnati, Childrens Hospital Medical Center and 

University Hospital (Romanos et al 2006). Mitchell Avenue and 

Vine Street, both major connectivity roads in Cincinnati, intersect 

at the focal point of this proposed business district. See Figure 1 

for a map showing the area. 

The Mitchell & Vine District will draw from the three neighborhoods 

that surround it: 


St. Bernard is an appealing community located within the surrounding 

City of Cincinnati, OH and just west of the neighborhood of 

North Avondale. Adding to its attractiveness, unlike many cities 

of today, children have the option of walking to school in a safe 

environment and the entire City itself is walkable and quaint. 

However, “St. Bernard is characterized by a declining population 

trend, with a clear predominance of the white population. This 

will likely have a negative impact on the community if this trend 

continues, as both the elderly and young families are moving out” 

(Romanos, 2007). And residents lack places that enhance the spirit 

of community, as for example a civic center (St. Bernard Economic 

Development Study 2007). 

The housing choices in St. Bernard vary, with a newly constructed 

development but mostly older homes that are affordable for 

several ranges of households. Key factors that make St. Bernard 

a great location to be are the actively involved citizens and the 

institutions and services provided. Both public and parochial 

schools are located in the area and St. Bernard offers an Aquatics 

Center, Fitness Center, Dial-a-Ride, and several green spaces for 

outdoor recreation or leisure. 

The neighborhood of North Avondale is located to the east of 

the city of St. Bernard within the large City of Cincinnati. One 

key component that makes the neighborhood successful is the 

existence of the North Avondale Neighborhood Association 

(NANA). The organization meets monthly to discuss issues and 

activities happening in and around North Avondale to maintain an 

involved sense of community in the neighborhood. North Avondale 

houses a variety of people, including “symphony musicians, 

politicians, artists, doctors, and lawyers” (Cincinnati Home, 2008). 

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The housing stock is mostly turn-of-the-century homes with 

large lawns surrounded by trees. This neighborhood also boasts a 

community center and parks with many nearby attractions mostly 

to the north, east, and south. 

Clifton 

The neighborhood of Clifton, located in the north central part 

of the City of Cincinnati is home to the many students attending 

the University of Cincinnati and its urban campus educating over 

36,000 students (University of Cincinnati, About UC). Several 

buses pass through this area, transporting students, travelers, and 

workers, as the University of Cincinnati is the largest employer in 

the region. Sizeable older homes, as well as many historic homes, 

exist here. The main shopping district in this neighborhood is the 

Ludlow Avenue Shopping and Dining District. Clifton is home 

to Burnet Woods Park, providing leisure activities for residents 

and students. Additional attractions in this area are the Clifton 

Cultural Arts Center, established in 2004 and the Clifton Branch 

of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. 

Stakeholders 

For any development or revitalization project to be successful, it is 

pertinent to identify the key stakeholders in the project right from 

the start. In this report, the stakeholders have been broken down 

into two categories: cities and organizations. 

Cities 

There are two overarching stakeholders involved in this potential 

redevelopment project, the cities of Cincinnati and St. Bernard. 

The City of Cincinnati is currently the largest stakeholder in this 

project; three out of the four corners at the intersection of Mitchell 

Avenue and Vine Street are in Cincinnati’s jurisdiction. St. Bernard 

currently owns the northeast corner of the intersection. Both 

cities have a vested interest in this corridor; the neighborhood of 

North Avondale and the City of St. Bernard view Mitchell Avenue 

as a gateway into their communities. 

Contributing to the primary stakeholders’ interest is Interstate 

75. With the large amounts of traffic that travel through the 

intersection south on Vine Street to Uptown, Xavier and the Zoo, 

a significant market is generated, one that should be capitalized 

on daily. Likewise, Procter & Gamble has a research facility in St. 

Bernard that employs hundreds of workers; however, they are a 

highly underutilized resource in the market. 

With an interest in the intersection, both cities could potentially 

provide resources to make the neighborhood business district a 

reality. The City of Cincinnati has financial programs set up for 

their neighborhood associations that could be utilized for the 

development of the neighborhood business district. 

Another city that could potentially be a stakeholder in this 

development is Elmwood Place. Located just over one mile from 

the Mitchell Avenue and Vine Street intersection, Elmwood Place 

currently has a shared school district with the City of St. Bernard. 

With numerous Elmwood Place residents in St. Bernard on a daily 

basis, whether its to conduct business or pick their children up 

from school, they are a potential stakeholder by providing the 



population necessary to support the business district. 

Organizations 

There are four main associations that can contribute to the 

success of the new neighborhood business district. They are the 

North Avondale Neighborhood Association, the North Avondale 

Business Association, the St. Bernard Community Improvement 

Corporation, and the Vine Street Business Association. As 

mentioned above, North Avondale views the Mitchell Avenue 

corridor as a gateway into their community; however, the current 

condition does not reflect positively on the community. The 

North Avondale Neighborhood Association (NANA) recognizes 

the need to develop this corridor. Through them, attention to the 

area of focus as well as funds could be solicited from the City of 

Cincinnati. NANA can also help foster a sense of community by 

promoting the use of the new neighborhood business district. 

The two business associations are crucial stakeholders in the 

target area. The North Avondale Business Association (NABA), 

and the Vine Street Business Association (VSBA) are two 

organizations that can help promote or solicit new businesses for 

the proposed business district. North Avondale’s current business 

district is along Reading Road; however, NABA feels that their 

business district would be better suited along Mitchell Avenue 

since it is a primary entrance into the neighborhood. Likewise, 

the VSBA recognizes the necessity of drawing attention to their 

business district along Vine Street. A successful business district 

at the intersection of Mitchell Avenue and Vine Street, coupled 

with an attractive gateway, should lure customers further into 

St. Bernard. Both business associations acknowledge the need to 

develop a business district and foresee the potential benefits to 

their respective communities. 



950-space parking garage for use by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 

Medical Center and additional mixed-use retail and office space. 

Rather than view this development as potential competition for 

the Vine/Mitchell business district, we believe the development 

will enhance the districts marketability by the potential to serve 

additional drive thru traffic supported by the new location of the 

Cincinnati Herald. We anticipate that the mixed-use retail planned 

for this project will primarily serve the daytime users of the Burnet 

Avenue Corridor. 

Another project close by is being implemented by Xavier 

University, the City of Cincinnati and the City of Norwood. “Xavier 

Square” will be a 20 acre residential/retail/office site. The Planned 

Development site will include student housing, affinity housing, 

stores, restaurants, commercial office space, a boutique hotel, a 

fitness center, student health center and university bookstore 

(Business Courier 2007). Again, the planned developments 

at Xavier Square are intended to target the Xavier student 

population, which is not a target of the proposed St. Bernard and 

North Avondale business district. 

Finally, the Cincinnati Zoo just broken ground on a new entrance 

and parking facility, which is located on Vine Street. The relocated 

entrance underlines the strategic placement of St. Bernard as a 

gateway to the Zoo. 

The final stakeholder is the St. Bernard Community Improvement 

Corporation (CIC). The CIC is committed to the redevelopment 

of St. Bernard and is willing to do what it can to make that happen. 

As a not-for-profit organization, the CIC has more flexibility in 

the development of properties than that of the city of St. Bernard; 

this enables them to pursue and follow through more avenues of 

opportunity. The CIC has already begun work on redeveloping 

Vine Street and has identified the Mitchell Avenue and Vine Street 

intersection as a critical entrance to the city of St. Bernard. 

All of the organizations discussed above see the importance of 

this potential business district to their communities. With the 

support and dedication of these organizations, the argument for 

the business district becomes greater. Working in concert with 

each other is the first step in developing the district. 

Additional Development 

Efforts 

As a testament to the marketability of the targeted area, other 

developments have been occurring in proximity to the proposed 

neighborhood business development. Two miles from the proposed 

business district, a significant redevelopment project has broken 

ground along Burnet Avenue. It will include more than 60 units of 

new housing, a 4,000-square foot home for the Cincinnati Herald, a 



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Figure 1: Location, Regional Attraction Centers and Traffic Flows 

Figure 1: Location, Regional Attraction Centers and Traffic Flows 

Surce: Author 

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Chapter 2: Proposed Business 

District 

Traffic Pattern Analysis 

Driving Environment 

The speed limit on the major roads in the Mitchell & Vine District 

is 35 mph. North of Mitchell, Vine Street the speed limit drops 

to 25 mph, which is also the speed limit of the minor roads in 

the area. Mitchell Avenue and Vine Street are both 4 lanes wide 

with a 2-way center left turn lane on the western arm of Mitchell 

Avenue. While parking is permitted along most of the major roads, 

it is not permitted during the peak afternoon hours, 3-6 pm. The 

curve of Mitchell Avenue somewhat limits the sight distance of the 

intersection from both the eastbound and westbound approaches, 

but is not a significant contributor to intersection problems. 

Significant Traffic Movements 

As illustrated in Figure 2, AM traffic is dominated by vehicles 

traveling east from I-75 to south on Vine Street towards the 

Uptown area, with 1020 vehicles performing this motion during 

the AM peak. A large number of vehicles, 520, also continue east 

on Mitchell Avenue through the Vine-Mitchell intersection. Traffic 

heading towards I-75 is also significant during the AM peak with 

590 vehicles turning left from Vine heading west on Mitchell and 

470 vehicles traveling west through intersection toward the 

interstate. 

Also shown in Figure 2 are the PM traffic peaks. Generally, there is 

a reverse of AM traffic. The dominant movement is the 950 vehicles 

traveling from north on Vine Street to west on Mitchell Avenue. 

Also showing a reverse of the AM conditions, the westbound 

through movement along Mitchell Avenue carries 560 vehicles and 

510 vehicles travel from eastbound Mitchell to southbound Vine. 

Of note in the PM movement are the 430 vehicles traveling north 

through the Mitchell-Vine intersection on Vine which is double 

the reverse movement during AM peak travel (Source: ODOT 

Certified Traffic, 2007). 



Public Transportation 

The Mitchell & Vine District is served by Metro, the Cincinnati 

regional bus service. The bus stops are widely used by two routes, 

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47 and 78, which serve the intersection. 

Transportation Problems 

The most obvious problem with traffic in the Mitchell & Vine 

District is the lack of left hand turn capacity from northbound Vine 

onto westbound Mitchell. Traffic on Vine Street can back up close 

to a mile during the PM peak. Also, no shoulder exists on most of 

the roadways, causing significant traffic delays during accidents and 

creating dangerous conditions for bikers and pedestrians. While 

roads in the area do have sidewalks, there is little to no buffer 

between the sidewalks and the street, a dangerous and uninviting 

situation. Due to the lack of buffer, utility poles are placed in the 

sidewalk, further limiting the sidewalk’s usefulness. 

The geometry of the current intersection prevents left turns from 

southbound Vine to eastbound Mitchell. If permitted, this route 

would accommodate travelers in the area wishing to visit Xavier 

University and use I-71. It is likely that a new street connecting Vine 

and Mitchell would need to be created or the current intersection 

reconfigured if this problem is to be properly addressed. 

Busses and bus stops in the area also cause problems. Bus stops 

near intersections cause the blockage of one lane when busses are 

loading and unloading. This is particularly true at the Mitchell-Vine 

intersection which has high use bus stops. These bus stops do not 

have proper capacity and patrons often spill over into adjacent 

sidewalks and parking lots, creating an uninviting atmosphere and 

limiting the use of the sidewalks and parking lots. 

I-75 Reconstruction 

Currently, plans are underway to reconstruct I-75 through 

Cincinnati. The Mitchell Avenue interchange is part of the Mill 

Creek Expressway study which stretches from the Paddock Road 

interchange to the Western Hills viaduct interchange. The study is 

being implemented for the Ohio Department of Transportation 

(ODOT) by TranSystems Corporation. 

TranSystems recommends modifying the current standard diamond 

interchange to a tight urban diamond interchange. This will bring 

the on and off ramps closer to the I-75 mainline and provide 

more storage space for cars exiting the highway. The changes 

will have little direct effect on Mitchell Avenue traffic and other 

transportation improvements are not planned for the immediate 

area, either by ODOT or the City of Cincinnati. While the new 

interchange should have little impact on the intersection, other 

parts of the I-75 rebuild could increase traffic in the intersection. 

It is possible that the Towne Street exit will be closed; this could 

lead to higher levels of traffic through the intersection. 

Physical Characteristics 

Inventory 

Mitchell & Vine District 

From the I-75 interchange moving eastbound, Mitchell Avenue 

intersects Vine Street is and continues east into North Avondale. 

This intersection will be the heart of the Mitchell & Vine District. 

It contains properties that include various land uses such as: 

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commercial, commercial/garage, single-family, two-family, multifamily, 

and retail/apartment. 

There are 164 lots in the Mitchell Ave./Vine St. intersection and 

our study area. Ten properties or 6% are unoccupied by buildings. 

These areas are small parcels and either contain parking or are 

part of the property next to it. The buildings located on the 

remaining 154 occupied lots vary in their condition. 27% are in 

good condition, 42% are in fair condition, 19% are in deteriorated 

condition, and 5% are dilapidated beyond repair. Many of the 

houses along Mitchell Avenue need extensive repairs on roofs, 

siding and have extensive trash on the backs of the property. Many 

of the along Vine St., heading into St. Bernard, are made of quality 

construction and made of brick. 

In evaluating the property conditions, we found that 35% were 

mowed and had some improvements made to the property, 38% 

were mowed but had little improvement made on the property, 

21% were unmowed and weedy, and 5% partially overgrown, and 

none of the properties were completely overgrown. Several of 

these properties are rentals and have not been maintained by the 

landlord. 

Housing Conditions in St. Bernard and the 

City of Cincinnati 

In both St. Bernard and The City of Cincinnati, there is a mixture 

of housing types which allows a variety of income groups to live 

in the area (St. Bernard Planning Committee 1998, 98-100). Data 

from the U.S. Census Bureau (2007) show that most houses within 

a 1 mile area (which includes census tracts 258, 65, 68 and 70) are 

55.1% renter-occupied and 44.9% owner-occupied. This is a higher 

percentage of renters to owners than in Hamilton County, where 

59% of homes are owner occupied and 40.2% are rentals. 

The median age of the housing stock in St. Bernard and the City of 

Cincinnati is 1943. Very few houses have been built after 1980 (5% 

of the total number). Renovations and improvements are needed 

for a significant number of the buildings to increase their value 

and, thus, make the neighborhood more attractive for people and 

businesses. 

Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau (2007) show that the 

values of owner-occupied homes in St. Bernard are not very high. 

Median household values in St. Bernard start at $91,500 and go 

up to $161,500, and the median average household value is $114, 

950. Rents are also quite low in the combined census area. 17.9% 

of the rents are lower than $299, 61.3% are between $300 and 

$599, 15% are between $600 and $799, 3.6% are between $800 

and $999, while only 2% are higher than $1,000 per month. For 

3.4% of the housing units rented, no cash rents are required. Nine 

percent of housing units are vacant. 

The majority of the housing stock in the Mitchell & Vine District 

is older and its value is moderate for the area. Renovations and 

improvements are needed for a significant number of the buildings 

to increase their value and, thus, make the neighborhood more 

attractive for people and businesses. The services available to the 

neighborhood’s residents lack places that enhance the spirit of 

community, as for example a civic center. These areas need to be 



considered as priorities in the revitalization proposals considered 

(St. Bernard Economic Development Study 2007, School of 

Planning). 



As the plan to transform the Mitchell/Vine intersection into a 

neighborhood business district is executed, it will be important 

to make changes in physical nature of the area such as parking 

orientation, walkability, providing more green space, and proving 

more amenities. With large scale improvement projects planned 

for Xavier University to the east and the Cincinnati Zoo to the 

South, the time is right to develop this area into a commercial retail 

district. The Mitchell/Vine intersection is well traveled by outsiders 

and could also serve the local community. Nevertheless, to gain a 

more complete understanding of the needs of the neighborhood, 

this area will be examined within the context of overall market 

as a location for businesses; a market analysis of this area and the 

surrounding neighborhoods is discussed in Chapter 3. 



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Figure 2: ODOT Certified 2010 Traffic Counts 

Source: Ohio Department of Transportation 2007 

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Chapter 3: Market Area 

Description and Analysis 

Figure 3 outlines the boundary of the Mitchell & Vine District 

and presents its current land uses. The boundaries have been 

established based on discussions with the City of St Bernard, the 

North Avondale Business Association and Vine Street Business 

Association. Figure 4 gives a broad outline of the zoning. A market 

analysis was performed to establish the district’s market area 

and feasibility. The gap between what the analysis shows is the 

potential and the current mix of retail illustrates the potential for 

the district. 

Neighborhood Business 

District 

The population served by a Neighborhood Business District 

(NBD) is driven by day-to-day convenience shopping activities 

for the populace of the immediate neighborhoods rather than 

specialty attractions like entertainment, big-box retails and anchor 

stores. Hence, the focus of this study is on the kind of goods and 

service typically found in NBDs. These include eating and drinking, 

entertainment, apparel, shoe and clothing accessories, furniture 

and home furnishings and accessories, electronics, and books. The 

International Council for Shopping Centers (ICSC) states that 

roughly half of centers are anchored by a supermarket and about 

a third have a drugstore as the anchor. A neighborhood center is 

usually a straight-line strip with no enclosed walkway or mall area 

and parking in the front or back. The NBD has anywhere between 

30,000 – 150,000 square feet of built up space spread over 3-15 

acres of land (ICSC 2006). Nevertheless, there are variances in 

the size of NBDs in various studies. A Community Center offers 

a wider variety of goods than an NBD, and its size varies from 

100,000 – 350,000 square feet. Since this study focuses on serving 

two major neighborhoods (St Bernard and North Avondale) our 

analysis and recommendations merge the characteristics of both 

a Neighborhood Business District and a Community Center, 

although we refer to the Mitchell & Vine District as an NBD 

throughout this chapter. 



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Primary Market Area 

A primary market area (PMA) is the geographic area from which 

70 percent or more customers of a shopping center or area are 

drawn. The market area for any NBD is a function of its size, tenant 

make-up, accessibility, and the scale and tenancies of competing 

market areas. Therefore, market areas are dynamic. They tend to 

change as a function of the type and supply of competing shopping 

locations. As well, the time people are willing to spend traveling to 

a shopping or business location is a function of both the size of 

the shopping areas and the relative uniqueness of the tenancies 

and environments at alternative destinations. Accessibility to the 

shopping area and the ease of getting in, about, and out of it also 

influence the market area. Uniqueness, attraction, and accessibility 

are not measured in the abstract, but are always relative to the 

specific competition in the region. 

For this study the PMA is defined as the 3 mile radius from the 

intersection at Mitchell Avenue and Vine Street. This radius is 

derived from the ICSC literature (ICSC 2006, p 4). Businesses 

falling within the PMA will play a significant role in the success or 

failure of the Mitchell & Vine District. The neighborhoods falling 

under the PMA are: St Bernard, North Avondale, Avondale, Clifton, 

Winton Place, Winton Hills, Elmwood Place, Carthage, Bond Hill, 

Norwood, Paddock Hill, Evanston, Corryville, Walnut Hills, CUF, 

Camp Washington and Northside. 

The one mile radius from the intersection of Vine and Mitchell 

Avenue is of great importance to the study and is deemed the 

Immediate Market Area (IMA). An IMA is significant because it falls 

within the walking distance of the neighborhood populace and 

hence the land uses have been studied in detail. Figure 5 illustrates 

the delineations of the PMA and IMA outlines the detailed land 

uses of the IMA and Table 1 gives the description of the land uses 

within the IMA. 

As evident from Table 1, the IMA is predominantly a residential 

neighborhood with 68.7% of the land under residential land use. 

Commercial and office buildings occupy 3.1% of the land and 

educational and institutional areas combined occupy about the 

same. Industries occupy nearly 4% of land and public services 

and utilities occupy 7.2%. There is little land under recreational 

uses (0.55%) but there is good amount of vacant land in the IMA 

(11.7%). This gives scope for development. 

Selection of Census Tracts for PMA 

Analysis 

The shapes of trading areas are affected by geography, highways, 

rivers, housing developments, and not by hypothetical circles 

researchers create. Hence, the task of defining the PMA for the 

Mitchell & Vine District was relatively difficult to achieve. Data that 

matched the exact extent of the 3 mile radius from Mitchell and 

Vine with similar units of measurement across key variables were 

not available. Hence this study used data primarily obtained from 

the census. Census tracts were used to obtain household data and 

zip codes were used to obtain commercial/business data. Trends 

of the Midwestern region as reported by the Census were used 

to approximate spending patterns. 

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Because of the multiplicity of jurisdictions and lack of uniform 

data collection procedures this study has several limitations. For 

instance census tracts and zip codes do not overlap exactly. As well, 

census tracts don’t fit exactly within the 3-mile circle drawn from 

the Mitchell and Vine intersection. This has, at times, led to overrepresentation 

or under-representation of variables used for the 

analysis. Caution has been exercised to analyze the data available 

consistently. There are, however, trade area overlaps, which can 

not be addressed by this study. 

Figures 6, 7 and 8 outline the one, two and three mile radii from 

the intersection and show the respective census tracts that are 

included. It is nearly impossible to secure accurate data for the 

IMA, since the census tracts in it comprise 10.3 sq. miles instead of 

the 3.14 square miles that an IMA covers. Table 2 illustrates census 

tracts under each mile radius. 

Since the census tracts under the three mile radius cover more 

than the required area (39.3 sq. miles instead of 28.3) some of the 

tracts that have little or no area under the three mile radius and/ 

or just peripherally touch the radius have been removed from the 

calculations. The tract numbers that have been excluded are: 14, 

15, 16, 17, 18, 50, 59, 62.01, 82.01, 84, 85.01, 86.01, 222 and 253. 

Hence the census tract numbers covered under the PMA are: 

19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 

40, 41, 42, 61, 62.02, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75,77, 

78, 79, 80, 81, 85.02, 252, 254.01, 254.02, 255, 256, 257 and 258. 

The total area under these tracts is 29.2 sq. miles which is very 

indicative of the required area of 28.3 sq. miles. All the calculations 

are based on these census tract numbers and henceforth 

designated as the PMA tracts. 

Demographics of the PMA Census Tracts 

The study is based on the data availability from the census and 

the consistency. There were certain variables of the demographics 

available for the latest year (2007 estimates) and certain were not. 

Hence to have uniformity Census 2000 data is taken as the base 

for the calculations. 

The population of PMA according to the 2000 census is 143,086 

with a population density of 4,899.80 people per square mile. Table 

3 gives an outline of the demographic characteristics of the PMA 

and compares it with the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. 

Excluding the population of St Bernard and portion of Norwood, 

almost a third of Cincinnati’s population is covered by the PMA. 

Although the sex ratio is the same in all the three jurisdictions the 

median age significantly differs. 

The racial composition of the PMA is also significantly different 

from the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The educational 

attainment, remains almost the same in all the three regions as 

far as less than college education goes. An interesting observation 

in this context is that the population with a bachelors degree or 

higher (including masters, professional degrees and PhDs) in the 

PMA(29.2%) is at least 2.5 percentage points higher than that of 

the City and over 7 percentage points higher than the County. 

The median household income of the PMA (26,315) is far below 





Figure 3: Land Use Map 

Source: CAGIS 2008 



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Figure 4: Zoning Map 


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Figure 5: PMA of the Mithcell & Vine Dsitrict 




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l 24 l 

Table 1: Land Use Distribution in the IMA 

Land Use 

Number of 

Parcels Percent 

Commercial 185 2.90% 

Office 15 0.23% 

Mixed Use 17 0.24% 

Single Family 3232 51.06% 

Two Family 711 11.25% 

Multi Family 380 6.00% 

Congregate 

Housing 8 0.13% 

Education 52 0.82% 

Institutional 142 2.20% 

Light Industrial 113 1.78% 

Heavy Industrial 141 2.21% 

Public Recreation 35 0.55% 

Public Services 404 6.38% 

Public Utilities 57 0.83% 

Vacant 741 11.71% 

Unknown 16 0.23% 

Not Applicable 92 1.48% 

Total 6341 100.00% 


that of Cincinnati ($29,243) and Hamilton County ($40, 964). The 

population below $25,000 (49.8%) is significantly higher than that 

of Cincinnati (43.1%) and Hamilton County (30.2%). Incomes in the 

range of $25,000 - $50,000 are approximately the same (roughly 

28-29 percentage points). In the two other income categories 

$50,000 - $100,000 and $100,000 and above the PMA (16.8% & 

5.5%) is again significantly lower than that of the City (20.1% & 

7.5%) and the County (28.4% & 12.8%) respectively. It is hence 

of no surprise that the PMA has the higher poverty incidence 

(26.8%) as compared to Cincinnati (21.9%) and Hamilton County 

(11.8%). 

Demand Factors 

Estimated Retail Demand 

Retail demand is a product of a complex cultural geography 

determined by the demographics of the region, their consumption 

and work patterns. It is also contingent upon the leisure behavior 

of the populace. Demand potential can be calculated if we know 

the population and buyer behavior characteristics. It would 

comprise of household income, age profile of the household 

(HH), HH composition and population density. The team analyzed 

demographic and income data to estimate the potential retail 

demand in terms of expenditure potential and the square footage 

the identified demand could support, given assumptions about 

required average sales per square foot of commercial space 

(Dunne & Lusch 2005). 

Retail demand was calculated from two sources: market area 

residents and workers. Potential retail demand from residents 

depends on the amount of disposable income within the market 

area. This data was obtained from consumer expenditure surveys 

conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which identifies the 

proportion of income spent on retail goods and services. The 

latest data available is from 2006 (BLS 2008). 

Given the fact that there are a number of free standing retail 

stores and retail pockets close to the Mitchell & Vine District, the 

district will not capture all of the demand generated by the PMA. 

It is important to carefully analyze the kinds of businesses that 

should be located in the proposed Mitchell & Vine District. 

Demand for a business district in an area is generally fixed by 

population characteristics. However, inability of existing retailers 

to satisfy consumer demand may lead to high levels of sales 

leakage from the area, as consumers travel to stores outside of 

it to meet their demands. It is evident by looking at the supply 

and demand factors that most of the residents of St Bernard and 

North Avondale gravitate to other business districts in the vicinity. 

If successful, the proposed Mitchell & Vine District will capture 

much of this leakage as well as demand from residents who live 

outside the PMA. This will also occur if the employment base 

increases and a retail agglomeration becomes established. 

The proposal for the Mitchell & Vine District is based on 

conservative estimates of the current retail demands and the 

average HH incomes of residents within the PMA. This potential 

demand has been translated into the retail space requirements 

likely to meet it within our site proposals. 

Demand Matrices 

It is also possible to develop demand matrices for a business 

district by type of good according to select demographic 

factors. The reason for this is that there are significant spending 

differences amongst age groups, amongst races and between sexes. 

In additional to these, educational attainment provides a basis for 

earning as well as taste. Finally, disposable income determines the 

amount of money available to be spent on certain types of goods 

within the local economy. Therefore a demographic factor for 

the primary market area can be selected and spending patterns 

plus disposable income can be applied to determine demand for 

goods according to that factor. We selected spending patterns and 

the potential purchasing power (PPP) from the 2006 Bureau of 

Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. From this survey, 

we also studied the breakdown of spending patterns in the PMA 

according the five categories mentioned before: age, sex, income 

race and educational attainment. Using an assumption from Dunne 

& Lusch, we estimated that 30% of the total purchasing power 

in the PMA could be attributed to the immediate market area 

(IMA), and therefore available to the Mitchell & Vine District. The 

following matrices, then, estimate the potential for types of goods 

that could be offered in the Mitchell & Vine District when holding 

for a specific demographic factor. 

The idea is not to use each matrix, but to decide which amongst 

them provides the best opportunities for the Mitchell & Vine 





Table 2: Census Tracts under each mile radius 

Radius Area to be Covered 

under each mile 

1 mile 3.1 sq. miles 



Census Tract 

numbers covered 

by each mile 

Actual Area 

under mile 

65, 68, 69, 70, 71, 

73, 80 and 258 10.3 sq. miles 

28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 

34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 

63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 

68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 

73, 74, 75, 78, 80, 

81, 255, 256, 257 

and 258 21.3 sq. miles 

14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 

19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 

25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 

30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 

36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 

41, 42, 50, 59, 61, 

62.01, 62.02, 63, 

64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 

69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 

74, 75,77, 78, 79, 

80, 81, 82.01, 84, 

85.01, 85.02, 

86.01, 222, 252, 

253, 254.01, 

254.02, 255, 256, 

257 and 258 39.3 sq. miles 

Census tract numbers in bold are the new additions with the additional mile 


District. Some factors predict demand of over a million square 

feet of retail, and some suggest 300,000 – 500,000 square feet 

of retail demand. Regardless of the matrix selected as a guide, 

supply factors will determine the extent of the retail and the mix. 

The idea is to come up with a gross leasable area (in square feet) 

that can be used for rental space in the proposed Mitchell & Vine 

District. 

We explored each demographic factor by analyzing the typical 

products served by local or neighborhood business districts 

according to the American Newspaper Association and the 

International Council for Shopping Centers (ICSC). These 

include amount spent by the residents on: food at home (grocery 

expenses), food away from home (demand for restaurants and fast 

food), alcoholic beverages, housekeeping supplies, small appliances 

and miscellaneous housewares, and miscellaneous household 

equipment (which includes some hardware stores), gasoline and 

motor oil, vehicle maintenance and service, personal care products 

and services, and tobacco. 



One national trend in spending patterns are important to keep in 

mind. Figure 9 shows the spending patters of Savers (age groups 

between 45 and 64 years) and Spenders (ages 20-44 years). The 

graph hints at a cautionary phase between 2008 and 2015 where 

spending is curtailed and savings increase. The recession signs of 

early 2008 coupled with the sub-prime market crises may indicate 

a match to these extrapolations. 

Demand for the Mitchell & Vine District 

Age 

Table 4 shows the percentage of income spent on types of goods 

according to age group within the PMA of the Mitchell & Vine 

District. 

Using Age as the primary factor for demand of goods yields a 

retail demand estimate of $1,173,513,033 for the primary market 

area. But the presence of other commercial establishments in the 

PMA leads us to assume that only 30% of this potential purchasing 

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Figure 6. Map Showing Census Tracts within the 1 Mile PMA 

Source: CAGIS 2008. 

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Figure 7. Map Showing Census Tracts within the 2 Mile PMA 






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Figure 8. Map Showing the Census Tracts within the 3 Mile PMA 

Figure 8. Map Showing the Census Tracts within the 3 Mile P 


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Table 3: Demographic Characteristics of the PMA 

MA 

Variable 

Primary 

Market 

Area City of Cincinnati Hamilton County 

Total population 

(#) 143,086 331,285 845,303 

Number of HHs 

(#) 61,373 148,095 346,790 

Average HH size 

(#) 2.33 2.24 2.44 

Males (#) 47.5 47.2 47.7 

Females (#) 52.5 52.8 52.3 

The median age of 

the population 

(Years) 

31.4 (29.3 

for Males 

and 33.3 for 

Females) 32.1 

35.5 (33.7 for Males 

and 37.1 for 

Females) 

Race 

Whites (%) 44.8 53 72.4 

African Americans 

(%) 50.1 42.9 23.3 

Other races (%) 5.1 4.1 4.3 

Education (25+) % 

Less than High 

School 17.3 23.2 27.8 

High school 

graduate (includes 

equivalency) 27.8 25.8 27 

Some college 25.8 24.3 23.5 

Bachelor's degree 18.5 16.4 12.4 

Graduate or 

professional degree 10.7 10.3 9.4 

Median HH income $26,315 $29,243 $40,964 

Less than $10,000 21.5 18 10.6 

$10,000 to $14,999 9.7 8.6 6.3 

$15,000 to $24,999 18.6 16.5 13.3 

$25,000 to $34,999 14 14.3 12.8 

$35,000 to $49,999 14 15 15.8 

$50,000 to $74,999 11.8 13.8 18.7 

$75,000 to $99,999 5 6.3 9.7 

$100,000 to 

$149,999 3.2 4.3 7.4 

$150,000 to 

$199,999 0.9 1.4 2.4 

$200,000 or more 1.4 1.8 3 

Below poverty 

level (1999 year, 

%) 26.8 21.9 11.8 

Source: US Census Bureau 2000 



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Figure 9. Spenders and Savers as a Percentage of Total Population from 1965 to 2025 

Source: Based on data from US Bureau of the Census, Population Paper Listings PPL 41, Current Population Reports P25-1130, US Census of Population (1970) 

volume 1, Part B, Census of Population (1980) volume 1, part B. 

power falls within the immediate market area (Dunne & Lusch 

2005). Therefore, demand of goods based on Age is approximately 

$ 350 million for the Mitchell & Vine District. 

Sex 

Males spend around 16.4% of their income on the select goods 

in Table 5 below, whereas females spend 17.8% of their income 

on the same. This difference is explained by the fact that women 

tend to spend more money on groceries, housekeeping supplies 

and personal care products than men. Even though females in 

the PMA earn less than males, $26,120 compared to $31,350, 

they contribute a higher percentage of income to household 

purchases. 

Multiplying male and female incomes by their respective expenditure 

rates produces a retail demand estimate of $699,781,989. Again, 

assuming that 30% of this potential purchasing power can be 

attributed to the immediate market area translates into a demand 

of approximately $210 million when basing demand on Sex. 

Race 

Whites in the PMA spend 17.8% of their income on the select 

goods in Table 6 below and African Americans spend 16.6% of their 

income on the same goods. Other races (predominantly Asian and 

Hispanics) spend around 16% of their incomes on these goods. 

African Americans are in the lowest earning category ($20,502 per 

year) followed by Other Races ($26,748), and Whites ($33,037). 

view of the purchasing power within a primary market area. 

Median income categories for these calculations have been taken 

from the Midwestern regions aggregates. While there might be 

slight variation of the actual ranges in the PMA, the figures are 

otherwise fairly representative. 

Multiplying the median of each income category by the respective 

expenditure percentages for each item produces a retail demand 

estimate of $396,640,399. The IMA makes up approximately $119 

million of this. 

Educational Attainment 

Education plays a very important role in determining spending 

patterns. Differences amongst categories mostly occurs in 

entertainment and lifestyle product choices, some of which are 

not supplied by typical NBDs. Therefore Table 8 below shows a 

similar trend as the household income matrix at the aggregate level. 

As incomes rise along with levels of education, the percentage of 

income spent on these selected goods as a whole drops while the 

overall amount increases. 

Multiplying the median income of each category by the total 

potential expenditures produces retail demand estimate of 

$836,929,901 for the PMA and approximately $ 251 million for 

the IMA. 

Multiplying the total household incomes of Whites, African 

Americans and Other Races by their respective expenditure 

percentages produces a retail demand estimate of $652,488,412. 

The expected demand for the Mitchell & Vine District is about 

$196 million. 

Income 

Looking at household income in Table 7 produces yet another 

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Table 4: Expenditure Patterns By Age Groups (2006) 

143,086 

Age/Variable Less 

than 25 

25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 and 

over 

years 

% share in the 36.4 15 14 11 6.9 11.6 

PMA 

Income before $29,057 $57,208 $75,613 $77,043 $64,425 $37,982 

taxes 

Food at Home 6.9 6.7 7.2 7 6.9 7.6 

Food Away from 

Home 

Alcoholic 

beverages 

Housekeeping 

supplies 

0.7 0.61 0.56 0.57 0.51 0.47 

1.7 1.4 0.9 1.1 0.9 0.7 

1 1.1 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.6 

Small appliances 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 

Misc household 

items 

1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.7 1.3 

Gas 0.58 0.49 0.46 0.47 0.45 0.39 

Auto Maintenance 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.4 

Drugs and 

medical supplies 

0.5 0.6 0.8 1.2 1.8 3 

Other 0.7 0.8 1 0.9 1.3 0.7 

entertainment 

supplies 

Personal care 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 

Tobacco 1 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.7 0.5 

Selected Goods 

Total 

Estimated Total 

Potential 

Expenditure on 

retail and services 

(in Million) 

17.28 16.4 16.82 17.74 18.76 19.26 

$261.50 $201 $255 $215 $119 $121 

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey 2006; U.S. Census 

Bureau 



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Table 5: Expenditure Patterns By Sex (2006) 

143,086 

Sex/Variable Male Female 

% share in the PMA 47.5 52.5 

Income before taxes $31,356 $26,120 

Food at Home 5.4 6.6 

Food Away from Home 0.62 0.43 

Alcoholic beverages 1.8 0.9 

Housekeeping supplies 0.8 1.5 

Small appliances and Misc 

house ware 0.2 0.3 

Misc household items 1.5 1.5 

Gas 0.5 0.4 

Auto Maintenance 1.7 1.3 

Drugs and medical supplies 1.1 2.1 

Other entertainment supplies 1.1 0.4 

Personal care 0.6 1.8 

Tobacco 1.1 0.6 

Selected Goods Total 16.42 17.83 

Estimated Total Potential 

Expenditure on retail and 

services (in Million) 

$350 $350 

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer 

Expenditure Survey 2006; U.S. Census Bureau 

Estimated Expenditure Potential by Retail 

Category 

As is evident from the demand matrices, all demographic factors 

point to potential for the Mitchell & Vine District. As illustrated by 

Tables 9 and 10a and b below, demand indicates that an additional 

500,000 to 1,000,000 square feet of typical neighborhood 

business district retail can be supported. Supply factors will help 

determine the exact extent of retail in the NBD. We will explore 

supply factors in the next chapter, however, it will be up to specific 

retailers to determine 

Based on the analysis and the detailed investigation into the 

spending patterns of the five broad categories and the strengths 

and opportunities of the surrounding neighborhoods, we have 

concluded that the Educational Attainment category is best suited 

to the recommendations. Hence, the calculations, retail mix, 

categories and the niche market identification will all be based on 

the Educational Attainment categories of the PMA. 

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Table 6: Expenditure Patterns By Racial Composition (2006) 

143,086 

Race/Variable White African Other Races 

American 

% share in the PMA 44.8 50.1 5.1 

Income before taxes 33,037 20,502 26,748 

Food at Home 6.9 8.1 7.8 

Food Away from Home 0.56 0.5 0.59 

Alcoholic beverages 1.1 0.6 0.7 

Housekeeping supplies 1.3 1.4 1.1 

Small appliances 0.2 0.1 0.2 

Misc household items 1.5 0.9 1.1 

Gas 0.46 0.5 0.46 

Auto Maintenance 1.4 1.3 1.3 

Drugs and medical supplies 1.4 0.9 0.8 

Other entertainment supplies 1.1 0.3 0.3 

Personal care 1.2 1.5 1.3 

Tobacco 0.7 0.5 0.3 

Selected Goods Total 17.82 16.6 15.95 

$377 $243 $31 

Estimated Total Potential Expenditure 

on retail and services (in Million) 

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey 2006; U.S. Census Bureau 



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Income/Variable 

Table 7: Expenditure Patterns By Household Income (2006) 

61,360 

Less $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 

than to to to to to 

10,000 $14,999 $19,999 $29,999 $39,999 $49,999 

$50,000 

to 

$69,999 

$70,000 

and 

above 

% share in the PMA 21.5 9.7 9.4 16.9 11.8 8.5 11.7 10.5 

Median Income 

before taxes $4,223 $12,551 $17,462 $24,905 $34,685 $44,620 $59,253 $125,688 

Food at Home 10.0 10.5 10.1 9 7.7 7.7 7.2 5.8 

Food Away from 

Home 0.59 0.46 0.47 0.53 0.56 0.57 0.58 0.55 

Alcoholic 

beverages 1.1 1 0.9 0.9 1.1 1.1 1 1 

Housekeeping 

supplies 1.9 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 

Small appliances 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 

Misc household 

items 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.5 

Gas 0.47 0.48 0.52 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.52 0.4 

Auto Maintenance 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.3 

Drugs and medical 

supplies 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.0 

Other entertainment 

supplies 0.5 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.8 0.8 1.2 

Personal care 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 

Tobacco 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.4 


Total 

Estimated Total 

Potential 

Expenditure on 

retail and services 

(in Million) 

21.16 21.54 21.79 19.77 18.8 18.91 18.1 15.75 

$12 $16 $22 $51 $47 $44 $77 $127.5 


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Table 8: Expenditure Patterns By Educational Attainment (2006) 

83,838 

Age/Variable 

Less 

than 

High 

School 

High school 

graduate 

(includes 

equivalency) 

Some 

college 

Bachelor's 

degree 

Graduate 

or 

professional 

degree 

% share in the PMA 17.3 27.8 25.8 18.5 10.7 

Income before taxes 31,362 44,780 52,005 78,401 102,707 

Food at Home 9.9 8.3 7.4 5.9 5.4 

Food Away from Home 0.53 0.55 0.58 0.57 0.51 

Alcoholic beverages 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.1 

Housekeeping supplies 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.3 

Small appliances 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 

Misc household items 1 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.5 

Gas 0.55 0.54 0.5 0.39 0.33 

Auto Maintenance 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3 

Drugs and medical supplies 1.7 1.5 1.2 1.1 1.1 

Other entertainment supplies 0.6 1 1 0.9 1.1 

Personal care 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.1 

Tobacco 1.4 1.1 0.8 0.3 0.2 

Selected Goods Total 20.68 19.29 18.38 16.06 15.14 

Estimated Total Potential 

Expenditure on retail and 

services (in Million) 

$94 $201 $207 $195 $139 


Table 9: Sales per Square Foot of Retail 

Kind of Retail Sales per Square Foot (in $) 

Grocery 347.1 

Food Service 257.3 

Liquor 254.1 

Other Retail 159.18 

Home Furnishings 159.66 

Hardware 143.3 

Gas Stations 136.31 

Automotive Service 186 

Drugs 404.8 

Home 

Appliances/Music 174.66 

Personal Services 239 

Tobacco 197 

Selected Goods Total 221.5 

Sources: Newspaper Association of America, International Council 

for Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute 



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Table 10a: Potential Purchasing Power and Retail Demand by Category 

Items Sales per 

Square Foot 

($) 

PPP 

by Age 

in 

Millions 

Demand 

By Age 

in ’000 Sq. Ft 

PPP by Sex 

in Millions 

Demand 

by Sex 


PPP 

by Race 

in Millions 


Grocery 347.1 141.7 408 73.4 211 84.1 242 

Food Service 257.3 11.9 46 6.5 25 6.1 24 

Liquor 254.1 24 94 16.8 66 10 39 

Other Retail 159.18 25.1 158 13.9 88 15 95 

Home Furnishings 159.66 4.4 27 3 19 1.8 11 

Hardware 143.3 28.2 197 18.4 128 14.1 99 

Gas Stations 136.31 9.8 72 5.5 41 5.4 39 

Automotive Service 186 28.2 152 18.5 100 15.3 83 

Drugs 404.8 21.6 53 19.4 48 13.3 33 

Home Appliances/Music 174.66 17.7 101 9.4 54 8.4 48 

Personal Services 239 24.5 101 14.4 60 15 63 

Tobacco 197 15 76 10.5 54 6.8 34 

Selected Goods Total 221.5 352 1500 210 900 195.3 800 


Demand 

by Race 

l 36 l 





Table 10b: Potential Purchasing Power and Retail Demand by Category 

Items 

PPP 

by Income 

in Millions 

Demand 

by Income 


PPP 

by 

Education 

in Millions 

Demand 

by Education 


Grocery 48.5 140 101 291 

Food Service 3.6 14 7.9 30 

Liquor 6.7 26 14.5 57 

Other Retail 8.6 54 18.9 119 

Home Furnishings 1.3 8 3.2 20 

Hardware 9 63 20.1 141 

Gas Stations 3.1 23 6.4 47 

Automotive Service 9.6 51 20.4 110 

Drugs 9.4 23 18.1 45 

Home Appliances/Music 5.5 31 13.6 78 

Personal Services 8.2 34 17 71 

Tobacco 5.1 26 9.7 49 

Selected Goods Total 118.6 500 251 1000 




l 37 l



Residential Survey 

136 people responded to the City of St. Bernard’s online survey 

of perceptions about the proposed business district at Vine and 

Mitchell. The majority of respondents were from North Avondale. 

About 15% of them were from St. Bernard and another 9% was 

from outside the area. Female respondents outnumbered men 

almost 3 to 1. 

Ages were broken down as follows: 

25-: 3 

26-34: 5 

35-44: 18 

45-54: 38 

55-64: 45 

65+: 26 

Willingness to Shop in New District 

106 respondents said they would shop in the new business district, 

whereas 44 said they would not (17 respondents answered both 

affirmatively and negatively and 6 respondents did not answer). 

Table 11 shows responses to some of the survey questions. 

Overall, 55% of all respondents travel through the proposed 

business district daily, and only 7% reported travel through the 

Vine/Mitchell intersection on a monthly basis. The percentage of 

daily travelers was higher for respondents from St. Bernard and 

outside of the area (66% travel Vine/Mitchell daily). 

Most Visited Stores in St. Bernard: 

76 IGA 

74 Chili Restaurant 

43 Bargain Store (Family Dollar/Dollar General) 

35 La Rosa’s 

33 Post Office (almost all responses from North Avondale) 

33 Wendy’s 

15 Library (almost all responses from North Avondale) 

15 Walgreens 

14 Shcerpie’s 

14 Subway 

11 UDF (no longer in existence) 

11 Shoe Repair 

8 Dry Cleaner (all responses from North Avondale) 

7 Hair/Barber 

7 Meiner’s 

Most Visits in Immediate Market Area: 

50 Kroger 

35 Walgreen’s 

34 IGA (split between Clifton and St. Bernard IGA) 

23 Esquire Theatre 

22 Rookwood Commons 

19 Chili restaurant 

19 Post Office 

16 Graeter’s 

12 LaRosa’s 

12 Library 

11 Ambar 

10 Dollar Store 

9 Dewey’s Pizza 

6 Hardware Store 

5 Scherpie’s 

4 Full Spectrum Health Center 

Preferred Neighborhoods 

When asked which business district the proposed area should 

most resemble, 36 people mentioned Clifton, 27 favored Hyde Park, 

14 referenced Oakley and 11 said Mt. Lookout. Other favorites 

included Northside, O’Bryonville, Mariemont and Asheville, North 

Carolina. 

In making these choices, most of the respondents from St. Bernard 

linked their preferred business districts to the need for all aspects 

of a safe and clean environment: lighting, traffic, landscaping, 

pedestrian access and especially maintenance of these were 

mentioned several times. Some went further to mention variety 

of stores, but when specific brands were offered there was a 

split regarding type. Some highlighted value/convenience retailers 

like Payless and Walgreen’s or basic restaurant chains such as 

Applebee’s or Fridays while others mentioned the locally owned, 

specialty clothing, accessories and grocery stores. 

For North Avondale respondents, the main quality of their most 

desirable business district was variety. Several respondents 

illustrated a strong dislike toward chain restaurants and a 

preference for independent and specialty shops such as yoga, 

Whole Foods. At the same time, many respondents did not want 

an “uppity” ambience (Hyde Park was mentioned as the epitome 

of uppity). Coffee shop/bakeries were mentioned a few times and 

some type of restaurant in the preferred district was mentioned 

many times. 

These respondents clearly mentioned convenience and parking 

as attraction factors. Concern over viability of such a district 

was discussed, because of traffic. Many respondents felt that the 

neighborhood feel they desire is not possible at the proposed 

location because of the noise, air pollution and danger that heavy 

traffic brings. 

Respondents from outside of both neighborhoods discussed 

cleanliness and specialized storefronts. Most referenced Hyde 

Park as their preferred neighborhood. 

l 38 l 



Table 11: Resident Consumer Patterns and Preferences 

North St. 

Category 

Avondale Bernard Other Total 

Daily Visit 51% 66% 66% 55% 

Chili 

Restaurant 

(18) 

Chili 

Restaurant 

Top St. Bernard Visited IGA (57) 

(8) IGA (76) 

Kroger 

Top Area Store Visited Kroger IGA Kroger (50) 

Preferred Business Restaurant Restaurant Restaurant Restaurant 

Top Time of Day 

2nd Time of Day 

Top Concern 

Weekend 

Afternoon 

Weekday 

Afternoon 

Autounfriendly 

Source: St. Bernard and North Avondale Survey, 2008 

Weekend 

Afternoon 

Weekday 

Evening 

Safety – 

Criminal 

element 

Weekday 

Morning 

Weekday 

Afternoon 

Traffic 

congestion 

Weekend 

Afternoon 

Weekday 

Afternoon 

Overall 

safety 



Business Survey 

Twenty proprietors responded to a business survey conducted by 

the St. Bernard CIC in the Spring of 2008. A majority of respondents 

were sole proprietors of businesses in St. Bernard who had been 

in the City for an average of 24 years Notable exceptions were 

three businesses who started less than four years ago and four 

establishments whose beginnings went back for more than 40 

years. Respondents were asked about their business growth, plans 

for expansion, employees, customers, perceptions of the business 

district where they are located, perceptions about how certain 

factors help or hurt their businesses and their opinions about 

what types of businesses would best fit in the proposed business 

district. 

As to the nature of their customers, most responded that the 

significant portion of customers come from St. Bernard. However, 

a few trends were noticeable. Baxter Burial Vault, Chili Time and 

Dairy Queen reported that significant numbers of visitors came 

from within Cincinnati but outside of the immediate market area. 

The Dairy Queen and Chili Time also see significantly higher 

African American percentages and a variety of age groups than 

other businesses in St. Bernard. Meanwhile, two businesses 

responded that 100% of their clientele were white (the hair salon 

and the auto repair shop) and all of the banking and insurance 

respondents noted that 70% of their clientele was white. Although 

the number of respondents is too small to offer quantitative 

reliability, further surveys could be used to substantiate what 

appears to be a need for minority-owned businesses specializing 

in personal and financial services. 

Business owners were split on what they felt the biggest challenges 

for the business district would be. Of those who responded to the 

open ended question, about half noted issues with the cleanliness 

and attractiveness and the other half took issue with vacancies. 

Crime and/or the perception of safety were mentioned by two 

owners. These corresponded closely to the challenges mentioned 

in their own locations. However, when asked from drop down 

menus about the impact of certain characteristics on the business 

district; the item that drew the most concern was safety. 

However, safety did not appear to conversely help business. 

Instead, when asked what helps their businesses, owners were apt 

to choose accessibility and over other factors including businesses 

nearby, parking, safety, attractiveness, upkeep of area and variety 

or quality of goods and services in the district. Attractiveness and 

upkeep were the second highest scoring factors. 



l 39 l



SUPPLY FACTORS 

Current retail analysis 

Retail supply factors are determined by the availability of square feet 

per store and employee, store growth and quality of competition 

(Dunne & Lusch 2005). 

There are a number of free standing retails located in small pockets 

throughout the neighborhoods of St Bernard, Clifton and North 

Avondale, shown in Figure 10. To the south of the Mitchell and 

Vine intersection are deli shops, a convenience store, a grocery 

store and liquor stores. A Kroger is located less than .7 miles 

west of this intersection along with a McDonald’s, a Family Dollar 

store, a couple of car dealers and couple of other businesses. To 

the east of the intersection there are no major pockets of retail 

until one reaches Reading road. To the north of the intersection at 

the intersection of Bertus and Vine are some free standing retail 

including a wireless store and a, Dairy Queen. And within a five 

minute drive is Clifton’s sizable neighborhood business district 

along Ludlow Avenue. Table 12 lists the retail space available in the 

IMA. It includes key businesses in the one mile aerial distance. 

Saturation theory examines how the demand for goods and 

services of a potential trading area is being served by current retail 

establishments in comparison with other potential markets (Dunne 

& Lusch 2005). Retail store saturation is a condition where there 

are just enough store facilities for a given type of store to efficiently 

and satisfactorily serve the population while yielding a fair profit 

to the owners. Under-stored is a condition in a community where 

the number of stores in relation to households is relatively low so 

that engaging in retailing is an attractive economic endeavor and 

over-stored is a condition in a community where the number of 

stores in relation to households is so large that engaging in retailing 

is usually unprofitable or marginally profitable (Dunne & Lusch 

2005). Based on these definitions an Index of Retail Saturation 

(IRS) is calculated as IRS = (H X RE)/RF, where 

H is the number of households in the area; 

RE is the annual retail expenditures for a particular line of trade 

per household in the area; 

and RF is the square footage of retail facilities of a particular line 

of trade in the area (including square footage of the proposed 

store). 

The higher the Index of Retail Saturation, the lower the level 

of competition and higher the viability of the particular store/ 

business. If the dollars per sq foot (IRS) needed to stay in business 

is less than what stores make in the area, there is likely to be room 

for the business, and vice versa. 

Factors of Business District Success 

Free standing retails are single tenant retail stores or a small 

cluster of retails located on the main corridors of a city. These 

can be as small as 2000 square feet or as large as 100,000 square 

l 40 l 

feet. There are several advantages of free standing retails: a lack of 

direct competition, lower rents, and little or no need to invest in 

parking. These stores also have freedom in operations and hours 

and greater ability to modify facilities to suit individual needs. 

Nevertheless, there are several disadvantages: there is a lack of 

drawing power from complementary stores and it is hard to 

attract customers for the initial visit. This normally leads to higher 

promotional/advertising costs and overall higher operating costs. 

These stores are difficult to site and many zoning laws restrict/ 

discourage such retail sites (Dunne & Lusch 2005). 

Business districts counter free standing retail. The advantages of 

business districts are: they take advantage of consumer traffic 

and in turn generate consumer traffic; common resources such 

as parking can be shared and if successful, a business district will 

often deliver a lower crime rate and a clean, neat environment 

with strong urban design elements all of which serve to further 

attract consumers. If there is access to highways and availability of 

shared parking this also enhances the attraction of populace to 

the district. But these districts are not without their disadvantages. 

They can hold inflexible store hours, demand higher rents and 

thereby restrict the types of merchandise the retailer may sell 

profitably. There might be a tipping fee and/or membership 

requirements in the center’s merchant organization. There is a 

possibility of too much competition and dominance over smaller 

stores by anchor tenants which may offer wider variety at lower 

prices. There are four configurations of business districts in the US. 

By order of size and geographic extent of the market the attract, 

they are neighborhood, community, regional and superregional 

centers/districts(Dunne & Lusch 2005). Because of its location, as 

well supply and demand factors, the Mitchell & Vine District can 

successfully contain aspects of both neighborhood and community 

business districts. 

Traffic flow and accessibility to stores both have significant impacts 

to the success of a business district. Therefore, the number and 

types of vehicles passing a location, congestion, accessibility of 

major highway arteries and quality of access streets are all factors 

to business district feasibility. “Traffic” also includes pedestrians. 

Hence the number and type of pedestrians passing a location, 

availability of mass or public transportation, street congestion 

and the presence of physical barriers that affect businesses need 

to be considered. As previously mentioned, the high numbers of 

vehicles passing through the Mitchell and Vine intersection, and 

the presence of major arterials suggest that the Mitchell & Vine 

District could be very successful; however, pedestrian accessibility 

requires improvement and traffic congestion will likely continue 

to be a challenge. We offer suggestions in our site plan to address 

some of these issues through physical design. 

Another component to business district success is understanding 

retail competition. It is critical to analyze the number, types and 

locations of direct competitors as well as their relative strengths. 

The Mitchell & Vine District could then respond through marketing 

or joint promotion in order to compete effectively (Dunne & 

Lusch 2005). Refer to Table XX to review the amount of space 

that is already dedicated to typical neighborhood business district 

retail. 





Figure10: Commerical Locations within PMA of Mitchell & Vine District 




l 41 l



Table 12: Selection of Potentially Competitive Spaces within One Mile of Mitchell & Vine 

District 

Map 

Key/ 

Distance 

to Site 

Type 

Name/ 

Location 

Total Size 

of Retail 

(# Sq. Ft) 

Condition 

of 

Occupancy 

Remarks 

Within 

1-mile 

Radius 

Source: Author 

Grocery 

Food Service 

Liquor 

Other Retail 

Kroger, IGA. 

and other 

grocery stores 

Chili Time, 

Subway, 

McDonalds etc 

33,500 Good IGA is not doing 

well 

4,000 Good Mostly fast food 

Local liquor 

stores 

2,000 Moderate Located .6 miles 

away 

Mom and pop 20,000 Moderate Includes small 

stores 

corner stores 

and thrift stores 

8 in total 5,000 Good Mostly in other 

NBDs 

Home 

Furnishings 

Hardware 3 in total 2,000 Good 

Gas Stations 6 in total 12,000 Good to 

moderate 

Automotive 

Service 

Drugs 

Home 

Appliances/Music 

Personal Services 

Tobacco 

Exist due to 

highway exits 

Because of the 

presence of car 

dealers 

15,000 Good Walgreens 

16 in total 28,000 Moderate 

to bad 

Also included 

in grocery 

stores 

Blockbuster, 

wireless stores 

etc 

Nails, salons, 

boutiques etc 

Included in 

grocery 

2,000 Good to 

moderate 

Minimal 

6,000 Moderate Sparsely 

distributed 

0000 Good None 

Note: Conditions are as follows: 

Good – adequate building space, parking availability, visibility and appearance and thriving business 

Moderate -- just building space, parking on street/or little off street, moderate visibility and appearance and 

adequate business 

Bad – run down buildings, little or no parking, little or no visible business etc. 

 

l 42 l 



Figure11: If Retailers Could Select Their Neighbors 

Retailer 

Fast food restaurant 

Healthy food store 

Recycled merchandise 

Home improvement store 

Hardware store 

Zale’s Jewelry 

Record Giant 

Payless Shoes 

Long’s Drug Store 

Cato Fashion 

Bennetton 

Nursery and Crafts 

 

Source: Dunn & Lusche 2005 

Next to 

Gas service station 

Fitness Center, Medical center 

Supercenter 

Supercenter 

Wholesale club, Supermarket 

Sears, JC Penny, Mervyn’s 

Wal-Mart; Kmart 

Supercenters, KinderCare 

TJMaxx, Kmart 

Kmart, Wal-Mart 

Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s 

Toys R Us, Circuit City 



Store compatibility exists when two similar retail businesses 

locate next to or nearby each other and realize a sales volume 

greater than they would have achieved if they were located apart 

from each other (Dunne & Lusch 2005). Store compatibility can 

be used to determine the best placement byretail type. Figure 11 

shows the compatibility of select stores. 

Many physical and qualitative characteristics of a business district 

impact its attractiveness and marketability, and should therefore 

be considered in the design stages of development. These include: 

the number of parking spaces available, distance of parking areas 

from businesses, ease of access for delivery, visibility from street, 

history, compatibility of neighboring stores, size and shape of lots, 

condition of existing buildings, ease of entrance and exit for traffic, 

ease of access for handicapped customers, restrictions on sign 

usage, building safety code restrictions and zoning (Dunne & Lusch 

2005). 

There are also cost factors that have not been examined as part of 

this study but deserve attention at a later stage. These are: terms 

of lease/rental agreements, basic rent payments, length of lease, 

local taxes, operations and maintenance cost, restrictive clauses 

in lease, membership in local merchants association required and 

voluntary regulations by local merchants (Dunne & Lusch 2005). 



l 43 l



Chapter 1 

Chapter 4: Recommendations 

for the Mitchell & Vine District 

Introduction 

It is evident from the above analysis that there are gaps between 

the demand and supply of retail in the IMA when comparing 

Tables 9 to 10 a and 10b and hence there is a good potential for 

the Mitchell & Vine District. As well, the Mitchell & Vine District 

would not only cater to the needs of the neighborhoods but also 

curtail the leakages in the current market. It would help bring in 

a sense of place, reduce crime and increase property values. The 

businesses will be benefitted from the influx of clientele and the 

local governments with tax revenues. 

This proposal is a win-win solution for the cities of St Bernard and 

Cincinnati. Nevertheless a number of issues pertaining to zoning, 

land uses, revenue sharing and other legal matters have to be 

resolved before anything can materialize. In order to set the stage 

for the redevelopment of the Mitchell & Vine District, several 

policy, regulatory and institutional changes need to occur. First, 

attention should be directed at code enforcement by all current 

jurisdictions that have authority over the extent of the district 

today. Code enforcement will ensure that properties are clean and 

safe, two aspects that are critical to ensure before investments can 

be expected to take place in the district. The city of Cincinnati has 

a program that, if not directly utilized, should be implemented in 

spirit by both jurisdictions. It is the Neighborhood Enhancement 

Program. In addition, we recommend another strategy to ensure 

that investment can be made into the district, changing the official 

boundaries of North Avondale’s Neighborhood Business District, 

as recognized by the city of Cincinnati. 

l 44 l 

To enhance the character of the business district, several design 

guidelines can be implemented as a matter of policy to enable 

a redesign of the pedestrian network for enhanced safety and 

connectivity. This includes using landscaping materials to buffer and 

soften the streetscape, as well as to enhance the walkability from 

residential areas to the business district; designing the streetscape 

and buildings to be friendlier to pedestrians and designing 

new buildings to match to a human scale. To ensure mixed use 

development we recommend that the entire Mitchell & Vine 

District be zoned as a Planned Development in the appropriate 

jurisdictions, which include the city of Cincinnati and the city of 

St. Bernard. Another implementation strategy we recommend is 



Chapter 1 

use of a Joint Economic Development District (JEDD). A JEDD 

allows economic development without changing the borders of 

municipalities. 

In this section, we list our recommendations for the retail demand, 

market niche, land use strategies, policy recommendations and 

design guidelines for the Mitchell & Vine District. We propose 

a site plan that can be successfully realized in three phases. The 

purpose of a phased approach is to reduce risk. As well, the St. 

Bernard CIC is a motivated actor in the development of the 

Mitchell & Vine District. The phased approach takes advantage of 

the area that is within the St. Bernard jurisdiction and which the St. 

Bernard CIC has already begun to gain site control. This indicates 

that successful redevelopment of the northeast corner of the 

proposed district is already in progress. Once successful, it will 

set the stage for continued redevelopment for the surrounding 

corners of the Mitchell & Vine District. 

Retail Demand 

Retail mix will be defined by the desires of the St. Bernard and 

North Avondale communities as well as the developers and 

investors these communities can attract for the project. The 

table below is based on taking an approach that aims to satisfy 

consumers based on an educational attainment segmentation of the 

consumer base as an example of the type of demand the research 

indicates for specific types of retail. Along with this quantitative 

recommendation, qualitative research indicates that food service 

retail is especially underserved in the primary market area. We 

note that sit down restaurants within a mile of the University 

of Cincinnati are lacking, especially those that include convenient 

parking. 

Developing a Marketing Niche 

Defining a distinct characteristic or trait can be an important step 

in creating a business district. A district niche, as described by 

the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), is a specialized 

market segment, defined either by the product/services it offers 

or its customer base (2007, 25). Defining a niche is one of the 

more difficult tasks when developing a business district. There are 

numerous questions that must be answered when determining 

the business mix of the district. The questions range in topics from 

what customer base the district will target to what kind of district 

it should be known as (Local Initiative Support Corporation 2007, 

25). LISC identifies a variety of product and consumer market 

niches that could be developed: entertainment district, restaurant 

row, clothing and apparel, college students, young professionals 

and retirees (2007, 68). Before determining what the niche of the 

proposed business district should be, it is necessary to discuss the 

characteristics of St. Bernard and North Avondale. 

The two participating entities in this potential neighborhood 

business district have very distinct personalities. St. Bernard is a 

city rich with history and heritage. Established by the Germans in 

the l800s, St. Bernard evolved into a prosperous Catholic town 

when businesses such as Procter & Gamble and St. Bernard 

Soap built in the city. Despite population decline over the years, 

St. Bernard has maintained its economic stability. It is one of the 

more financial stable communities in the area. The city is able 





to provide its residents with high quality services such as police 

and fire and this attention given to its residents makes the city a 

desirable place to live. 

The feel of the neighborhoods also contributes to its personality. 

The grid-iron design of the streets and the medium density 

housing stocks provide a close-knit atmosphere throughout the 

city. The size of the city also contributes to this environment. Just 

over one square mile, St. Bernard is a walkable community. It has 

numerous services that it can capitalize on, such as two grocery 

stores, a prominent Catholic high school, many restaurants and 

three banking institutions along Vine Street, the main corridor 

in the city. The ability to walk from place to place enhances the 

appeal of St. Bernard. 

The walkability of St. Bernard is one of its greatest assets. Scott 

Merusi of Merusi Partners, Inc. conducted market studies on 

senior housing and housing on the Phillips Avenue canal bed 

and found that St. Bernard’s walkability should taken advantage 

of. Merusi also found that St. Bernard is transforming into an 

older community. This population change should be captured. The 

number of services and amenities located within walking distance 

of the possible senior housing community is attractive. St. Bernard’s 

Dial-a-Ride program adds to the marketability of the city. 

There are certain characteristics of St. Bernard that could inform 

the niche of the Mitchell & Vine District. Much like the city mascot, 

the St. Bernard dog, residents prides themselves on loyalty and 

commitment. Many residents who responded to the resident 

survey said they prefer to support local businesses within St. 

Bernard. This was also evidenced by the fact that when asked 

what retailers they visited, responses from residents of St. Bernard 

favored retailers in St. Bernard. A number of the local businesses 

have been in city for decades and continue to operate because of 

this support. A primary example is the Dairy Queen located on 

southeast corner of Bertus and Vine Street. The Dairy Queen has 

been in service in the same location for over thirty years; it has 

been a staple in the St. Bernard community. It is the commitment 

and loyalty of its residents that could develop into a potential 

niche for the Mitchell & Vine District. 

Like St. Bernard, North Avondale lacks a niche but has numerous 

qualities that the Mitchell & Vine district could take on as a niche. 

One such quality is appreciation of more highly specialized products 

with a nod to locally-owned or produced retail and services. As 

an upper-income, highly educated community, North Avondale 

residents appreciate the character of their neighborhood. Many 

North Avondale residents who responded to the resident survey 

used words like “character,” “variety” and “mix” most often when 

asked what they preferred in a business district, as opposed to St. 

Bernard residents who mentioned “clean” and “safe” more than 

any other qualities. North Avondale residents embrace the diverse 

makeup of their community by supporting the specialty stores that 

are reflective of these differences. This is evident as most North 

Avondale residents responded that although they have their own 

business district, they prefer to shop in Hyde Park, Clifton and 

Rookwood Commons because of the distinct specialty stores. 

Tim Yosmali, President of the North Avondale Neighborhood 

Association, explained that many residents would support locally 

l 45 l



l 46 l 

Table 13: Retail Mix for Mitchell & Vine District by Level of Education 

Kind of Retail Demand (in ‘000 

square feet) 

By Education 

Category 

Supply (in ‘000 

square feet) 

Net Demand (in 

‘000 square feet) 

Grocery 291 33.5 306.5 

Food Service 30 4 26 

Liquor 57 2 55 

Other Retail 119 20 99 

Home Furnishings 20 5 15 

Hardware 141 2 139 

Gas Stations 47 12 35 

Automotive 

110 28 82 

Service 

Drugs 45 15 30 

Home 

78 2 76 

Appliances/Music 

Personal Services 71 6 65 

Tobacco 49 included in 

grocery 

included in 

grocery 


1,058 129.5 930.5 

Total 

Sources: Compiled from the Market Analysis, Surveys, Niche market analysis and informal 

discussions with the North Avondale Neighborhood Association, North Avondale Business 

Association, Vine Street Business Association and City of St Bernard 

 

owned, specialized stores. This was reflected in the responses 

of North Avondale residents. The majority of respondents said 

that they would patronize specialty stores along Mitchell Avenue, 

should the business district be developed. Part of this support was 

because of convenience. Many North Avondale residents travel 

through the Mitchell Avenue/Vine Street intersection on a daily 

basis, so a business district at this intersection would be easier to 

get to than those in Hyde Park or Norwood. 

Knowing the qualities of both communities, it is likely that a 

business district with a true neighborhood niche would be 

supported by both St. Bernard and North Avondale residents. 

As mentioned above, St. Bernard residents loyally support locally 

owned businesses whereas North Avondale residents prefer 

more specialized stores but like the idea of supporting locallyowned 

businesses. Because of obvious differences between the 

two communities regarding income levels, education and racial 

makeup, it is challenging to define a niche that speaks to both. 

However, there is need for convenient, quality products that speak 

to both communities. Simply being cognizant of the diversity of 

needs could produce a niche for Mitchell & Vine that reflects an 

openness to diversity that is absent in many area neighborhood 

business districts. For example, the business surveys qualitatively 

illustrated a lack of minority-owned businesses, especially those 

providing personal services. St. Bernard has a strong German 

heritage and also appreciates value-based goods and services. 

Meanwhile, highly educated North Avondale residents prefer 

specialized goods and places that offer diversity. As well, the 

city of St. Bernard expects to attract more active seniors to 

the neighborhood. A conglomeration of restaurants and stores 

that can meet these various needs would exemplify the shared 

niche between St. Bernard and North Avondale. Examples are an 

Applebee’s, iHop, eclectic art and cultural stores, a local hardware 

store. 

Regulatory Strategies 

Neighborhood Enhancement Program 

We recommend that the two communities of North Avondale 

and St. Bernard, along with the City of Cincinnati’s Development 

Opportunities Team for North Avondale, work together 

to implement a program similar to the city’s neighborhood 

enhancement program for the proposed district. The City 

of Cincinnati’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program brings 

together city staff, neighborhood partners and volunteers to focus 

and integrate services and redevelopment efforts. The efforts are 



focused on building code enforcement, beautification, clean up 

and cooling down crime “hot spots” (City of Cincinnati 2008). 

Currently, the City of Cincinnati has designated the neighborhoods 

that will receive its Neighborhood Enhancement Program for 

2008. As well, the City of St. Bernard has not engaged in focused 

code enforcement. We recommend that St. Bernard and North 

Avondale consider implementing this strategy jointly as a first step 

to redevelopment in order to build awareness and support for 

the new business district and to signify to both communities that 

redevelopment has begun taking place. 

Zoning Strategies 

North Avondale Business District Boundary 

A jumpstart of the revitalization process may require a change to 

the location of the North Avondale neighborhood business district 

as recognized by the City of Cincinnati. This would allow the use 

of NBD Improvement Program (NBDIP) funds for revitalization 

programs like streetscapes, façade improvements, building 

renovations, signage, lighting and other projects. NBDIP funds are 

provided by the City of Cincinnati for business districts, however 

they are restricted for use by the designated neighborhood 

business district of each community. Currently, North Avondale’s 

business district, as recognized by the City of Cincinnati, is located 

at Glenwood Avenue (south) to Asmann (north), Reading Road to 

Asmann. (Neighborhood Business District Improvement Program 

2008). 

Planned Development Zoning 

A Planned Development Overlay District is recommended for 

the proposed district. Planned Development (PD) allows an area 

of land to be developed in accordance with a unified plan. Many 

zoning districts require separation of uses, specific lot sizes and 

setbacks. But a Planned Development allows for a mix of uses, 

especially commercial and residential, which is recommended for 

the Mitchell & Vine Distrct. A PD describes how the elements of 

an entire site will fit together and fit into the surroundings. It 

allows buildings and lots to be spaced more flexibly and can be 

used to encourage clustering, preservation of natural features 

and common open space and community facilities. Without the 

PD overlay, many creative projects would require a number of 

variances, (City of Norwood 2002). 

The City of Cincinnati allows for Planned Development Districts 

in Chapter 1429 of the Municipal Code. The specific purposes of 

the PD Planned Development District are to: 

“(a) Establish a procedure for the development of land in order to 

allow for a more efficient and economic development of property 

than ordinarily permitted by conventional zoning and subdivision 

regulations. 

(b) Ensure orderly and thorough planning and review procedures 

that lead to quality design and development. 

(c) Encourage creativity in developments by allowing greater 

flexibility in access, light, open space and amenities. 

(d) Encourage common open space and provide for its 

maintenance. 

(e) Encourage the coordinated development of properties 

that might otherwise be developed individually, which may be a 

detriment to the surrounding neighborhoods and the developer.” 



(City of Cincinnati 2008) 



We recommend that a planned development district be created 

for the area demarcated by the following intersections I-75 and 

Mitchell Avenue, the entrance of the Vine Street Cemetery and 

Vine Street, Leonard and Mitchell Avenues, and Bertus and Vine 

Streets. To accomplish this, the city of Cincinnati will first establish 

a planned development overlay for the portion of the above 

area that falls within its boundaries. Then St. Bernard will need 

to establish matching PD zoning for the area that falls within St. 

Bernard. 

Similar planned development zoning was recently established 

between the City of Norwood and the City of Cincinnati for new 

developments planned at Xavier University (Peter Mallow 2008). 

Implementation 

Joint Economic Development Districts (JEDDs) 

An alternative tool for economic development is establishment 

of a Joint Economic Development District, also known as JEDD. 

Developed in the 1980s, the State of Ohio allowed the city of 

Akron to enter a contract agreement with surrounding townships 

in an effort to halt the city’s annexation efforts. Initially Akron saw 

annexation as a way to increase their economic base. Unfortunately, 

the neighboring townships began to feel threatened especially if 

parts of its tax base were taken away. The answer was a JEDD. 

A JEDD allows for economic development without changing the 

borders of municipalities (Ohio Department of Development n.d.). 

The city would stop annexation in return for collecting income 

taxes in the zoned business districts zones; Akron would provide 

water and sewer services to the zone at its expense; residents 

could tap into the water and sewer lines at an attractive financial 

price without having to annex to the city; the township would 

collect property taxes from the businesses in the new zone; the 

township would provide basic services to the zone, such as fire 

and police; and the agreement would be long-term so long as 

Akron could recoup its investments (Plusquellic 2002, 191-192). 

Although JEDDs were initially limited to Summit County, the Ohio 

State Legislature voted the tool into the Ohio Revised Code in 

1990. Since then, over 20 JEDDs have been established around 

the state. 

Initially, the process of developing a JEDD was quite time consuming 

and tedious. Since then, the process has been streamlined. It 

currently takes at least 165 days to establish the contract (Ohio 

Department of Development n.d.). The final approval of the JEDD 

comes from the voters in the participating municipalities and 

townships. Depending on when the contract is established, it is 

likely that within six months, municipalities and townships can be 

well on their well towards economic development; however, this 

is contingent on how cooperating the participating parties are 

throughout the process. 

As an economic development tool, JEDDs are successful. JEDDs 

provide the two participating parties an opportunity to share 

revenues without compromising their independence. When 

discussing the possibility of a JEDD at the intersection of Mitchell 

Avenue and Vine Street, it should be considered in conjunction 

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with an overlay zone or planned development. Any contingencies 

that would prevent a JEDD from taking place in the current 

location would be eliminated once an overlay zone or planned 

development is created. This enables both parties, the City of 

Cincinnati and the City of St. Bernard to take advantage of the 

new businesses in the shared zone. Although modifications will 

have to be made to allow the JEDD to take place, the financial 

benefits of establishing a JEDD outweigh not implementing one. 

Thus the City of Cincinnati and City of St. Bernard would benefit 

greatly by exploring the option of a JEDD. 

Design Guidelines 

Good urban design principles and guidelines promote reinvestment 

by ensuring individual improvements serve a collective purpose 

of enhancing an area’s character. Corridors without this type of 

guidance have resulted in poor, underperforming uses that create 

a mixture of development types. Because of this, a place cannot 

properly develop its own unique character and an underutilization 

of urban property can occur. Guidelines should be accompanied 

with a review process by the community. This way, the community 

can shape what proposals developers and property owners put 

forward. Quality design strengthens the competitiveness of the 

district. 

Site Characteristics 

Development in the Mitchell & Vine District should be seen as 

common ground. This can be achieved by incorporating a mix of 

uses as well as a mix of public and private space. The development 

should ensure quality design through use of quality materials and 

attention to detail. 

Streetscape/Pedestrian Environment 

Attention to the streetscape and pedestrian environment can 

create a distinctive public realm. This will be achieved through 

distinctive wayfinding signage and an artful streetscaping that 

conveys the personality and uniqueness of the district. Steps 

can be taken to transform the Mitchell & Vine District into 

a pedestrian friendly destination by attention to pedestrian 

circulation at crosswalks and creating buffers between sidewalks 

and streets. Wide sidewalks and large crosswalks (possibly with 

textured materials) to delineate space and make drivers aware of 

pedestrian activity in the area are recommended. Parking behind 

buildings is preferred, with landscaping to make parking areas 

more aesthetically pleasing. 

As mentioned before it is important to create an inviting pedestrian 

environment to encourage activity in the business district. 

Establishments should be able to be enjoyed both day and night and 

enhanced with public art and innovative street decorum. Buildings 

should be inviting by offering extensive visibility inside. The project 

should be strengthened by diverse economic opportunities. 

Opportunities include new jobs and entrepreneurial chances for 

residents, entertainment options to enhance the district, and infill 

housing and rehabilitation projects. The development should be 

of an appropriate density to encourage use. The neighborhood 

should be part of the community. Design of streetscape should 

encourage and include: 

• Open Spaces and Entrances 

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• Parking behind buildings with landscape buffering 

• Wide sidewalks and crosswalks that include use of textured 

materials to delineate them 

• 10’ wide walkway systems connecting parking lots to 

sidewalks fronting Mitchell and Vine. 

• 15’ wide sidewalks along Mitchell and Vine to allow for 

retail uses to spill onto the sidewalks and encourage 

walkability. 

• 15’ wide walkways along rear of buildings 

• Safety and security through CPTED design 

• Wayfinding 

• Pedestrian scale commercial lighting 

• Visible and interactive commercial buildings with street level 

windows 

• Clear delineation between commercial and residential areas 

• Landscaping that buffers streets from sidewalks and enhances 

the visual appeal of the district 

Entrances/Gateways 

Gateways create a visual focal point for the development. They 

provide an identifiable landmark or design element to differentiate 

this business district from others. Gateways should be inviting and 

encourage activity in the district. 

Human Activity 

As mentioned before it is important to create an inviting 

pedestrian environment to encourage activity in the business 

district. Establishments should be able to be enjoyed both day and 

night and enhanced with public art and innovative street decorum. 

Buildings should be inviting by offering extensive visibility inside. 

The project should be strengthened by diverse economic 

opportunities. These include new jobs and entrepreneurial chances 

for residents, entertainment options to enhance the district, and 

infill housing and rehabilitation projects. The development should 

be of an appropriate density to encourage use. 

Location of Parking in Commercial Areas 

Attention should be given to the location of parking in the district. 

Parking should be easy to find and use but with minimal visual 

impact on development. This can be achieved by locating parking 

behind buildings, locating parking in one area to encourage 

pedestrian activity and through the use of parking decks where 

appropriate to consolidate the area required for parking. 

Building Characteristics 

Buildings in the district should make the district comfortable 

and convenient. This includes appropriate parking spaces, 

functional vehicle and pedestrian circulation systems and regular 

maintenance of the structures. The buildings should relate to the 

surrounding neighborhoods through design, materials, massing, 

scale and other aesthetics. Height, Bulk, and Scale should be 

kept to a human scale to promote pedestrian friendly activities. 

Architectural elements and materials should include modern 

textures with traditional style and transparency to enhance the 

pedestrian experience. Most entrances should be located behind 

the buildings with facades and fronts facing the street. Landscaping 

can be used to create an inviting, consistent district. Proper use 

of landscaping can help buffer pedestrian and vehicular activities, 

create a continuous look and feel to the district, and connect the 

district to surrounding areas by create a consistent aesthetic. The 



landscaping can also enhance the district by creating an inviting 

an inviting and functional pedestrian environment. Finally, buildings 

should be designed to have continuity with adjacent sites. 

Green Design 

In conjunction with recommendations by Merusi Partners, Inc, new 

projects in the Mitchell & Vine District should be built according 

to environmentally advanced standards. Green landscaping and 

streetscape design should coordinate with building materials 

and building design to produce a built environment that has low 

environmental impact and provides reduced energy savings for 

owners. See Appendix for a listing of green design standards. 

Research Findings from Case Studies 

Our team reviewed neighborhood business districts in the 

Greater Cincinnati area as well as other parts of the country. 

Certain features were incorporated into the site plan in the 

recommendations. Other aspects were used as features to avoid 

in the physical design ideas. Complete case studies are in Appendix 

A. 

Hyde Park 

Hyde Park has a lively, successful business district that illustrates 

good use of public space. Sidewalks are wide and allow for retail 

uses along the streets to spill over with outdoor dining. Buildings 

are built to the street with zero setback. A plaza in the middle 

of Erie Avenue contains a park, fountain and public seating. This 

supports public use of the area and thus, the square is lively. A new 

modern construction on a corner just outside of the square blends 

with more traditional styles, however, although the residences are 

fully occupied, the first floor retail space remains unleased. 

O’Bryonville 

O’Bryonville takes advantage of high income residents in its 

immediate market area. It has been stable, successful commercial 

district. It makes good use of traffic calming techniques and mixes 

modern and traditional architecture. It has a niche of providing 

specialized arts-oriented retail but incorporates basic services 

within the district as well. 

Blue Ash 

The City of Blue Ash is a northern suburb of Cincinnati. Entrances 

to the city from Ronald Reagan Highway are auto-friendly but 

landscaped and streetscaped to accommodate pedestrians. This 

treatment could be appropriate on Mitchell Avenue, just off of 

the I-75 exchange as a transitional element to the neighborhood 

business district.. However, this treatment is used extensively 

throughout Blue Ash, and thus there is no unified center. This is an 

example of what to avoid in redevelopment of the district. 

Mt. Lookout 

The successful integration of Mount Lookout Square into the 

neighborhood can be applied to the potential business district 

along Mitchell Avenue. The plan for mixed use development along 

Mitchell Avenue as well as Vine Street can be disguised through a 

consistent design characteristic, just as it was in Mount Lookout. 

This is extremely important when traveling along Mitchell 

Avenue into North Avondale and up Vine Street into St. Bernard. 

The business district should transition into the neighborhoods 





with ease and this is done with a façade design reflective of the 

neighborhood. 

DeSales Plaza 

DeSales Plaza is a development on the cusp of success. Intervention 

is taking place to make it a viable commercial district. The DeSales 

Plaza incorporates parking to the rear of the development with 

entranceways from the parking area. 

Mainstrasse 

The Mainstrasse district in Covington, Kentucky, is a good example 

of overlay zoning. City officials of Covington decided to promote 

the small area with a rich German background as a tourist 

attraction. They adopted an historic preservation zoning overlay 

which led to revitalization. It allowed for permitted uses, special 

permitted uses, accessory uses and conditional uses. The zoning 

overlay was later altered to allow for mixed use development in 

the area to help promote a more pedestrian atmosphere. 

Asheville, North Carolina 

Asheville has made it a priority to regulate the design of the 

historic district of Biltmore Village as its rich heritage provides a 

distinct area to attract residents and tourists. Attributed to such 

an attraction are the design guidelines that the City has taken on 

to maintain a certain character for the area. Everything is regulated 

in this district, including color, signs, rehabilitation, landscaping, 

lighting, and maintenance or changes to the exterior. This creates 

a distinctive, rich heritage which attracts residents and tourists. 

The Ohio State University 

The University District in Columbus, Ohio, created an Urban 

Design Overlay District to protect area’s architectural integrity, 

unify uses and ease development. A parking authority was also 

used to manage area facilities. Critical traffic circulation measures 

and enhancements to the street’s public realm were implemented 

to support pedestrian use, including pedestrian-scale lighting, 

pedestrian crossings, street trees and other streetscape 

improvements. There is also extensive use of stop lights, 15’ 

wide sidewalks along main thoroughfares, outdoor café seating, 

pedestrian walkways, landscaped buffers, and on street parking in 

the University District. 

Figueroa Corridor 

After a long decline along the Figueroa Corridor, a route 

connecting downtown Los Angeles to a cluster of museums and 

arenas known as Exposition Park, private businesses and the many 

public entities formed a partnership to create a nonprofit business 

improvement district. In response to concerns over crime and 

cleanliness, a safety ambassador program and clean team were 

established. The Partnership also created a marketing team to 

create an identity for the area. 

After ten years of the Partnership, there has been sweeping 

successes in the area. The corridor was able to rebrand itself, shake 

its dilapidated image and reduce crime. To date, over $2 billion 

has been invested in the neighborhood. Community members 

describe the effects of clean streets that feel safer and encourage 

more pedestrian activities. Additionally, the marketing of the area 

has led to signage identifying the area, placards leading visitors on 

walking tours of significant landmarks and wayfinding signage to 

l 49 l



help visitors travel through the area. 

Phases 

It is practical to propose a phased approach to redevelopment of 

the Mitchell & Vine District. This allows success to build in size and 

scope. It also allows positive economic results to occur without 

requiring control of the entire Mitchell & Vine District site. By 

focusing on this corner first, improvements can be made even 

before regulatory and zoning recommendations are fully established, 

such as Planned Development zoning, moving the boundary of 

the North Avondale Business District, and/or establishing a Joint 

Economic Development District. These strategies should begin 

right away and move in concert with physical developments. 

There are certain actions we recommend be completed prior to 

major development. These include establishing design guidelines 

for the entire district. These should be developed cooperatively 

between the city of Cincinnati and St. Bernard as soon as possible, 

even though they will only be implemented in St. Bernard during 

Phase One. We also recommend code enforcement become a focus 

for the entire district right away. And we propose establishing a 

parking authority to manage the Mitchell & Vine District’s parking 

systems and to help fund parking areas as needed. 

Figure 12 is an image of Mitchell & Vine District land uses as they 

exist today. We would anticipate that each Phase of development 

could be completed within five years. 

Phase One 

Figure 13 illustrates Phase One. As was previously mentioned, the 

Northeast corner of the Mitchell & Vine intersection is already 

moving toward redevelopment, as the St. Bernard CIC has 

established significant site control in that corner . 

To improve auto and pedestrian traffic flows, we believe a 

connecting roadway needs to be established between Vine Street 

and Mitchell Avenue which would more easily allow automobiles 

to travel west on Mitchell. Our site plan for Phase One calls for 

creating a right of way to extend Wuest to Mitchell across from 

the Roger Bacon Stadium. Another approach might be to create 

a right of way from Wuest to Leonard Avenue. In addition to this 

right of way, Phase One incorporates an access street to parking 

area behind a two-story mixed use development flanking the 

northeast corner of Mitchell and Vine. This development might 

include first floor retail and second floor flex-space or living 

space. We envision entranceways and frontages to be aesthetically 

pleasing from both street side and parking areas, with emphasis 

on back entrances. 

Phase One also addresses the opportunity for a development 

on the west side of Walgreen’s, where parcels are currently for 

sale. Due to strong morning traffic counts that head west on 

Mitchell from the interstate, a drive through coffeehouse may be 

a good fit, or another auto-oriented commercial use. We would 

encourage use of the Walgreen’s existing curb cut to minimize 

traffic congestion. 

Streetscape improvements will need to coordinate with new 

l 50 l 

developments at a minimum. These improvements should include 

landscaping, pedestrian scale lighting and pedestrian-friendly 

walkways with widths as specified in the design guidelines. Once 

the North Avondale business district boundary is moved, we 

recommend that North Avondale apply for NBDIP funds for 

streetscape improvements along the southwest side of the Mitchell 

and Vine intersection. The east side of Vine Street and the north 

side of Mitchell Avenue are within St. Bernard and improvements 

would fall under its jurisdiction until a JEDD could be formed. 

We also recommend relocation of the bus stop at the corner of 

Mitchell and Vine to a less busy area of district and renovation to 

make it friendlier to Metro users and less available for illegitimate 

uses. 

Phase Two 

Once Phase One is successful, risk of further development in 

the Mitchell & Vine District will be substantially reduced and 

investment will be easier to achieve. We would then propose 

Phase Two development. Phase Two development should be of an 

extent such that critical mass is accomplished which will ensure 

the longevity of the district and begin to enable a hierarchy of 

use. 

Phase Two will concentrate on the southeast corner of Mitchell 

and Vine (see Figure 14). This area has a high potential for 

development, as many of the current structures are for sale or 

owners are looking to sell. Further, the current physical conditions 

of these buildings discourage investment and concern residents 

of both St. Bernard and North Avondale, as they are viewed as 

contributing to the sense of crime and danger that pervade the 

area. 

Buildings targeted for Phase Two are not currently owned by a 

Community Improvement Corporation. Assemblage of such 

properties can be assisted through code enforcement, especially 

if the area is chosen to participate in the city of Cincinnati 

Neighborhood Enhancement Program. 

Phase Two further establishes the region as a community gateway 

that is a walkable, pedestrian-friendly place. On the southeast 

corner of Mitchell and Vine, the gradual development of a mixed 

use two story center will cater to street activity, have 0’ setbacks, 

and hide surface parking behind buildings. The second story can be 

used as flex space for first floor tenants, Roger Bacon High School 

art studios, or even apartments/condos. A parking lot access street 

to the far east of the development can double as an entrance to 

Roger Bacon Stadium. Alternatively, parking behind commercial/ 

office/mixed use buildings on southeast corner of Mitchell Avenue 

could include access from E. Mitchell and Vine Streets. 

• Pathways connecting the high school to the side streets 

As in Phase One, walkway systems and sidewalks would be built 

according to design standards and to encourage street level 

activity. These would be wide enough to enable retail uses to 

spill onto sidewalks, which also encourages pedestrian activity. 

As well, enhancement of the appearance the streetscape through 

landscaping and lighting is encouraged. 

In Phase Two, retail uses that illustrate the niche of the Mitchell 





Figure 12: Mitchell & Vine Current Conditions 




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Figure 13: Phase One of the Mitchell & Vine Business District 

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Figure 14: Phase Two of the Mitchell & Vine Business District 



l 53 l



& Vine District and incorporate locally-owned stores as much as 

possible will establish the character of the district. Development 

on both sides of East Mitchell attracts more pedestrian use from 

North Avondale. 

Phase Three 

As the market analysis has shown, additional development to 

Phase One and Phase Two is justifiable from the demand of the 

immediate market area, as well as demand created by fact that the 

Mitchell & Vine District are gateways to Xavier, UC, the Zoo and 

the VA Hospital. With the success of Phase One and Phase Two, 

the Mitchell & Vine District may fully capitalize on its location, 

and includes development that will add to daytime and evening 

demand. Phase Three extends development along West Mitchell 

Avenue and throughout the northwest corner of the Mitchell 

and Vine intersection. Again, property acquisition will depend on 

chosen regulatory, zoning and administrative strategies used. 

Residential and commercial development is incorporated along 

with commercial-mixed use. Adding to the appeal of this part of 

the Mitchell & Vine District will be an underground, 250 space 

parking garage, accessed from Kessler Avenue close to the corner 

of Kessler and Mitchell. If an underground garage is not feasible, 

an alternatives is to provide a surface public parking lot for the 

northwest corner development, possibly behind the Holiday Inn. 

In Phase Three, shown in Figure 15, development is significant 

enough to warrant a large gateway feature at the northwest corner 

of Mitchell and Vine. Although a building is shown at this corner, 

an alternative is to open this corner to pedestrian activity, inviting 

visitors to the park behind the structures. Both the development 

on the northwest and northeast corners invite consumers to 

access the structures from the backs of the buildings. Significant 

landscaping and buffers should be installed to differentiate between 

the parks and surrounding residential properties. 

The Northeast corner of the district, with its proximity to I-75, 

access to parking and location on the pathway from Uptown and 

Xavier to I-75, may offer the best opportunity for a chain-style 

restaurant, possibly with outdoor seating or some other type of 

retail anchor for the district. The design should incorporate both 

old and new architectural elements. 

Numerous infill residential projects throughout Kessler Avenue, 

Kessler Place, and Wuest Road increase density in the area, 

something necessary for NBD support. This includes a residential 

cul-de-sac at the intersection of Wuest and Kessler Avenue, which 

could hold 8-12 homes. To support access for residents, Kessler 

Avenue should be widened between Wuest and Kessler Place to 

allow two-way traffic. 

Although mixed use commercial buildings are shown from Mitchell 

Avenue to Wuest along Vine, the market will dictate whether there 

are other possibilities, such as dense multifamily housing or office 

uses. 

Along the Southwest corner of Mitchell and Vine a partnership 

with Vine Street Hill Cemetery will need to be created to allow 

for development on cemetery property that fronts Mitchell 

l 54 l 

Avenue. Potential Development includes a new office complex 

at intersection of Mitchell and I-75, allowing for high visibility 

along the Interstate. This complex will develop in line with market 

fluctuations and demands. Also, we envision development of autooriented 

commercial uses that have 0’ setbacks fronting Mitchell 

and contain parking behind the structures. These one story uses 

are ideal for such restaurants as an Olive Garden or Outback 

Steakhouse. Creation of access road across from intersection of 

Kessler Avenue and Mitchell will allow for access to rear parking 

behind office complex and auto-oriented commercial uses. 

Increased parking from the underground garage would allow the 

large surface lot along the northeast corner of Mitchell and Vine in 

Phase One to be replaced with a public park. Extension of Wuest 

Road to Mitchell Avenue could now be created. A new access road 

off Wuest would connect to off-street parking. 

One additional idea is a rotary that could be incorporated at 

the intersection of the Wuest and Vine where the extension is 

proposed. This idea was not included in the site plan, but might be 

feasible depending on traffic flow. 

With the introduction of Phase Three, pedestrian use would 

warrant new, perhaps decorative, crosswalks in the Mitchell & Vine 

District as well as wayfinding, trash receptacles, street furniture and 

artwork. Traffic calming measures might include curb extensions 

at intersection of Mitchell and Vine to allow for easier pedestrian 

crossing, and installation of a larger traffic median on southwest 

corner in front of Walgreen’s. 

To enhance connectivity along Vine Street, particular attention 

could be given to the part of Vine Street that fronts the St. John 

Cemetery. Improvements to the fence along with vegetative 

buffering could soften the pedestrian pathway from the center of 

St. Bernard along Vine Street to the Mitchell & Vine District. Trees 

lining Vine Street beginning at Roger Bacon High School up to 

Orchard could do the same. 

Conclusion 

Due primarily to its location, demographics of the primary market 

area and other developments in its proximity, the Mitchell & Vine 

District is a location that has great potential for a successful 

neighborhood business district that caters to residents in North 

Avondale, residents in St. Bernard and to consumers who live 

outside of this immediate area. As opposed to alternatives to this 

location in the City of St. Bernard, the intersection at Mitchell 

and Vine sees more traffic, is closer to regional attraction centers 

such as the Cincinnati Zoo, Xavier University, and the VA Hospital, 

and has the best access to major arterials and highways. This 

intersection is also conveniently located to a highly educated, 

discriminating consumer base. As such, opportunities to revitalize 

the area into an area that attracts visitors and residents alike to 

shop, play, eat and relax are compelling. 

Certain situational factors are compelling enough to recommend 

that the geographical extent of this revitalized district take into 

account land that is within the City of Cincinnati. Of the four 

corners that make up the intersection at Mitchell Avenue and Vine 

Street, three of them are within Cincinnati. However, the challenges 





Figure 15: Phase Three of the Mitchell & Vine Business District 



l 55 l



that face the area of the proposed Mitchell & Vine District don’t 

respect these boundaries. Vacancies, dilapidated buildings, building 

code violations, and loitering, all of which lends to an unsafe 

atmosphere. These conditions must be addressed before people 

will feel comfortable utilizing the district and large scale business 

investment can be expected. 

Fortunately, market supply and demand factors support public 

investments needed to prepare the Mitchell & Vine District 

for investment by business investments. A study of the primary 

market indicates that by almost any demographic factor, there is 

a mismatch between retail supply and retail demand. Our use of 

educational attainment to qualify retail space recommendations 

was chosen because of its uniqueness compared to the region 

as a whole. Yet, estimates provided by looking at age, race or 

income factors also support an expansion of retail space in the 

area. Primary research indicated that the Mitchell & Vine District 

offers accessibility and convenience as a strength that could be 

exploited, and that residents from the area could be expected to 

be supportive of locally-owned businesses. As well, walkability has 

been cited in previous reports as a particular strength. 

property owned by the St. Bernard CIC in the district indicates 

this area is ready for redevelopment sooner than the other 

three corners and b) a phased approach mitigates risk, success 

in the first phase will signal additional redevelopment according 

to market conditions. The plan makes use of good design aspects 

of neighborhood business district case studies and avoids less 

desirable aspects. Our hope and expectation is that completion 

of all three phases of the Mitchell & Vine District can occur within 

the next 15 years. 

However, issues of traffic and safety concerns are a particular 

weakness in the area. To address these issues, we recommend 

that the Mitchell & Vine District be designed in such a way as 

to minimize pedestrian contact with traffic and where contact is 

unavoidable, to increase pedestrian safety and comfort. Meanwhile, 

public and semi-public spaces such as building entrances, parking 

areas, parks and sidewalks can be designed to promote pedestrian 

activity through use of CPTED and design elements that increase 

attractiveness and ease of use. This is why, in our site plan, main 

entrances to pedestrians are away from the highly-traveled 

roadways, landscaping buffers are established between auto and 

pedestrian uses, buildings are set next to sidewalks, bus stations 

are moved and improved and pedestrian walkways are widened. 

Implementation of physical and usage changes in the Mitchell & 

Vine District will require regulatory, zoning and other strategies 

performed laterally by both St. Bernard and the City of Cincinnati. 

We recommend a neighborhood enhancement program similar 

to one the City of Cincinnati uses to beautify, increase safety and 

reduce crime in neighborhoods. This may have to be undertaken 

informally in order to be performed sooner rather than later. 

Zoning strategies include making a boundary change to the business 

district in North Avondale as recognized by the City of Cincinnati. 

This will enable resources to flow to the Mitchell & Vine District 

for streetscape and building renovations as well as non-physical 

programs needed to encourage development. Another zoning 

strategy recommendation is to create a planned development 

overlay district for the entire physical extent of the Mitchell & 

Vine District, showing how the elements of the entire site will fit 

together and fit into the surroundings. This overlay district will 

allow a mix of uses, more flexible building and lot placement and 

it can be used to encourage clustering, preservation of natural 

features and common open space and community facilities. Finally, 

a JEDD is recommended for the area to allow both municipalities 

to share resources and revenues. 

The site plan illustrates a phased approach to the completion of 

the Mitchell & Vine District. This structure is used because a) the 

l 56 l 



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Census Bureau, http://factfinder.census.gov. Accessed 21 February 

2007. 

Uchtman, Dennis. Interview by author. 19 May 2008. 

University of Cincinnati: About UC. Internet Web-site. Accessed 

on June 2, 2008. http://www.uc.edu/about/ 

Whalen, P. 2007. Request For Qualifications: Downtown Master 

Plan RFQ-OED #2: An Urban Planning, Design, and Economic 

Development Plan for the City of Asheville, North Carolina. 

Asheville Downtown Commission. 

Covington, City of. “Article III – Commercial and Industrial Zones.” 

Covington Zoning Code. 15 November 2006. http://www.nkapc. 

org/zoning_pdf/covington/covart03.pdf. Accessed 19 May 2008. 

---. “Historic Preservation Overlay Zones.” http://www.covingtonky. 

com/index.asp?page=historic_preservation. 7 May 2008. 

Historic Resources Commission, 1988. Biltmore Village Historic 

District Design Guidelines: Books 1, 2, and 3. Asheville, NC. 

Hyde Park Business Council. A History of Hyde Park. Internet. 

Available from http://www.hydeparkcincinnati.org/. Accessed 22 

May 2008. 

Hyde Park. Images. Available from http://www.pbase.com/ 

cincyimages/image/42012943 Accessed 1 June 2008. 

Johnson, Beth. Interview by author. 13 May 2008. 

Mallow, Peter. Interview conducted by St. Bernard CIC. 16 May 

2008. 



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Appendix A: Examples of 

Neighborhood Business 

Districts 

Hyde Park 

O’Bryanville 

Blue Ash 

DeSales 

Mainstrasse 

Mt. Lookout Square 

University Village 

Figueroa 

Asheville 

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Hyde Park 



Figure 16. 3500 Michigan Avenue-New Mixed Use Development 

• New construction blended with older traditional style 

• Mixed use development 

• Wide sidewalks 

• Use of public space 

• Outdoor dining 

When several prominent businessmen pooled their own money to 

create a new Cincinnati community more than 100 years ago, the 

plan was to attract a high class of people to what the developers 

hoped would become an exclusive area. They would cultivate 

exclusivity by closely monitoring prospective residents, selling 

only to those they deemed suitable. Houses would be large and 

elaborate, businesses would be small and scarce and the community 

would mimic its namesake, the fashionable Hyde Park area of New 

York. That was in 1892. Today, the Cincinnati neighborhood of 

Hyde Park still bears many of the qualities its founders fostered. 

It is an upscale area where stately, well-maintained homes with 

manicured lawns dot tree-lined streets. Prominent Cincinnatians 

- business and civic leaders, doctors, judges, the city manager, a 

county commissioner - continue to call Hyde Park home. Industry 

remains scarce, and retail outlets are, for the most part, limited 

to the exclusive shops that dominate Hyde Park Square (Hyde 

Park Neighborhood Council 2008). The square is a very inviting 

outdoor location for outdoor dining. Many upscale restaurants 

draw locals as well as those from the outside of the area. 

Combine those factors with Hyde Park’s low crime rate and its 

proximity to major arteries such as Interstate 71 and Columbia 

Parkway, and the east side neighborhood becomes an attractive 

location for single people and families, middle and upper class. 

Lining the streets around the square are banks, dry cleaners, salons, 

exclusive clothing shops and gourmet food stores. The area is in 

constant activity. People jog through the square, families walk the 

sidewalks with strollers and dozens of others come just to window 

shop. Another attractive aspect of Hyde Park is the stability of the 

neighborhood, where homeowners are almost guaranteed to turn 

a profit when they sell, real-estate agents say. In 1990, the median 

home value was $132,099, U.S. Census figures show. By 1994, the 

value was up to $156,675, and, in 1996, it was $164,927, according 

to data analyzed By Claritas, a demographic research company in 

Virginia (Hyde Park Neighborhood Council 2008). 

Source: Author 2008 

Figure 17: Hyde Park on a Sunday 

Source: www.cincyimages.com 2008 

Figure 18: Hyde Park Parking Behind Commercial Retail Buildings 

This neighborhood was chosen as a model because of its mixed use 

development, modern construction blended with traditional styles, 

and strong residential base. It has many people from several socioeconomic 

levels. The Mitchell Avenue and Vine Street intersection 

could benefit from what we have learned in Hyde Park. Some of 

the flaws of the Hyde Park is that there is not enough parking for 

those who drive to the area. It has slanted parking spaces in front 

of buildings as well as behind retail spaces. In our plans we tried 

to avoid this by locating parking in the back of commercial mixeduse 

buildings, but included a two- story parking structure so that 

parking is not an issue. 




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• Traffic calming techniques: curb extensions and crosswalks 

• Differing building heights 

• New buildings that matches established urban fabric 

• Mix of upscale retail and basic services 

• Area parking behind storefronts with access from parking 

lot 

O’Bryonville is an urban neighborhood located west of the 

Uptown Cincinnati area. It is connected to Uptown by way of 

Madison Road, which becomes Martin Luther King Road. The 

business district incorporates traffic calming techniques such as 

crosswalks, lights, streetscaping bumpouts (shown in Figure x 

below). O’Bryonville’s business district runs for three blocks along 

Madison Road and one block down Linwood Avenue toward Mt. 

Lookout. Both services such as drycleaning and highly specialized 

uses, such as a vintage poster store, are apparent in the district. 

Figures 20 and 21 illustrate the mix of new traditional looking 

elements that merge with existing structures to create the 

O’Bryonville character. The niche of the district is arts and culture, 

including wine shops, galleries, vintage poster stores and upscale 

gift shops. Mixed in with these are basic service storefronts such as 

Widmer’s drycleaning. Behind some of the storefronts are parking 

areas, including Figure 22, are shared parking. 

Figure 20: Traditional Neighborhood Elements in 



Figure 21: Modern Architecture in O’Bryonville 

Figure 19: O’Bryonville 


Figure 22: Shared Parking Behind District 



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City of Blue Ash (Alternative for West Mitchell) 

Figure 23: Auto-Oriented Development 



• Auto-oriented streetscaping 

• Strong use of buffers while maintaining pedestrian access 

The City of Blue Ash is a northern suburb of Cincinnati. Entrances 

to the city from Ronald Reagan Highway are auto-friendly but 

landscaped and streetscaped to accommodate pedestrians. This 

treatment could be appropriate on Mitchell Avenue, just off of 

the I-75 exchange as a transitional element to the neighborhood 

business district. Unfortunately, this streetscape treatment is used 

pervasively throughout Blue Ash, and sense of place is lost due to 

the lack of a more dense center. 

Figure 25: Buffers in Blue Ash 



Figure 24: Blue Ash Streetscaping 




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De Sales 

Figure 27: Parking in DeSales 

• Modern architecture in historic area 

• Shops with apartments above (15 k commercial, 45k 

residential) 

• Plaza/Focal point on corner 

• View through plaza on corner 

• Parking deck behind 

• Development expanding along corridor 

The DeSales Plaza development in East Walnut Hills shows many 

of the design elements being recommended for the Mitchell-Vine 

intersection. The plaza features modern architecture in an area 

that has been defined by historical architecture such as the St. 

Francis DeSales Church and the San Marcos Apartment Building. 

Despite the modern architecture the building fits the scale of its 

surrounding. It features ground floor retail/office with three floors 

of apartments above, totaling about 45,000 sq. ft. of living space. 

The development has been very successful; there is currently a 

waiting list for the apartments. One of the key features of the 

plaza is a recessed focal point on the corner of the buildings. This 

creates a plaza space allowing for outside seating. It also features 

a passage way to pass from the front of the building to the back 

at the corner, creating a visually interesting, functional space. 

Lastly there is a small parking deck behind the structure. The deck 

features a lower level of parking for residents and an upper level of 

parking for visitors using the natural slope of the land so that the 

upper parking level is at street level for pedestrians and the lower 

level is accessed at street level by automobiles. 


Figure 26: DeSales Plaza 


Figure 28: DeSales Plaza 


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Mount Lookout Square 



Figure 29: Use of Brick Throughout Mt. Lookout 

• Use of trees in streetscape 

• Strong linkage of business district to residential housing 

• Incorporation of traditional and modern architecture 

Mount Lookout Square is at the intersection of Delta and Linwood, 

Mount Lookout Square successfully incorporates a neighborhood 

feel into its business district. Many of the buildings along the square 

reflect the character of the surrounding residential streets. As in 

most of Mount Lookout, the buildings along the square include brick 

into the design. The consistent use of brick throughout the square 

camouflages the fact that many of the buildings are mixed-use, as 

seen in the images below. This uniform design feature successfully 

integrates the business district into the community. Likewise, the 

use of landscaping along the street frontage aesthetically enhances 

the neighborhood feel to the business district. 

The successful integration of Mount Lookout Square into the 

neighborhood can be applied to the potential business district 

along Mitchell Avenue. The plan for mixed use development along 

Mitchell Avenue as well as Vine Street can be disguised through a 

consistent design characteristic, just as it was in Mount Lookout. 

This is extremely important when traveling along Mitchell 

Avenue into North Avondale and up Vine Street into St. Bernard. 

The business district should transition into the neighborhoods 

with ease and this is done with a façade design reflective of the 

neighborhood. 


Figure 30: Mixed Use in Mt. Lookout 


Figure 31: Modern Architecture in Mt. Lookout 




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MainStrasse Village, Covington, Kentucky 

Covington, Kentucky is the home to MainStrasse Village. Designated 

as a National Historic Register District in 1984, MainStrasse went 

through numerous changes to achieve that distinction. Prior to 

1979, the area now called MainStrasse was referred to as the 

Westside. In an attempt to revitalize the west side of Covington, 

city officials decided to promote the small area with a rich German 

background as a tourist attraction. It was then that MainStrasse 

came to be. However, the area along Main Street and 6th Street 

was not a designated business or entertainment district despite 

being zoned commercial 1 and 2. To legitimize the city’s efforts, a 

number of zoning changes took place. 

Figure 32: Commercial Tourist Zoning 

In 1984, Covington adopted a new zoning ordinance that catered 

to the MainStrasse area. Unlike the rest of the city’s zoning 

codes, the new tourist service commercial area, also entitled 

highway commercial 2 (HC-2) in the older zoning codes, allowed 

for permitted uses, special permitted uses, accessory uses and 

conditional uses (Uchtman 2008). The zoning for commercial 

tourist can be seen below. 

This new zoning allowed for mixed use development in the area 

to help promote a more pedestrian atmosphere. It also specified 

design regulations to complement the existing structure. 

In 2006, the zoning code was altered once again in the MainStrasse 

Source: “Article III – Commercial and Industrial Zones.” Covington Zoning Code. 2006. 

area; this time it was identify those uses which are characteristic 

of pedestrian or auto friendly. The city developed new suffixes to 

help delineate the various building placements and characteristics 

in the commercial districts (Uchtman 2008). With more focus on 

pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, the city adopted a “P,” “M,” and 

“A” suffixes to describe the exact placement of the buildings in 

relation to the road. The placement of buildings alters the overall 

atmosphere in that area. Below are the descriptions for the 

suffixes. 

Since MainStrasse is designated as a Historic National Register 

District, it is currently under a Historic Preservation Overlay 

zone, as indicated by the illustration below, to preserve its historic 

character (Johnson 2008). The coordination of the historic 

preservation guidelines as well as the newly updated zoning code 

helps maintain the character and pedestrian orientation of the 

neighborhood. MainStrasse is known for its architectural heritage 

as well as its walkability. The zoning ordinances currently in place 

ensure that the neighborhood atmosphere is retained in all future 

developments. 

The adoption of auto and pedestrian friendly zoning is an issue that 

can be applicable in this study. The proposed recommendations 

call for various sections to be either auto-oriented or pedestrian 

friendly. Covington’s zoning code specifies classifications geared 

towards these orientations; the pedestrian friendly atmosphere in 

MainStrasse is evidence of how these classifications, as well as the 

tourist commercial zoning, can be utilized to develop an inviting 

setting. The implementation of new zoning designations can ensure 

that the pedestrian friendly atmosphere is maintained throughout 

the entire Mitchell Avenue corridor. 

Figure 33: Building Placement 

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Source: “Article III – Commercial and Industrial Zones.” Covington Zoning Code. 2006. 



Figure 34: MainStrasse Overlay Zone 



Source: “Historic Preservation Overlay Districts.” City of Covington, 2008. 



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Ashville, North Carolina 

Asheville, North Carolina has recently been publicized in the 

planning realm for its initiatives to downtown revitalization and 

efforts to improve the overall sense of place of the community. It 

is close the well known, Blue Ridge Parkway, which offers travelers 

wonderful views to the natural terrain of the area, and Biltmore 

Estate, which boasts as America’s largest home. To highlight a few 

of the City’s accomplishments, since the year 2000, Asheville has 

been named “#8 Best Places to Live by the MSN/Sperlings Best 

Places, Top 25 Best Places to do Buiness by Forbes Magazine, 

#8 of the top 25 Arts Destinations by American Style, and Top 

8 Great Walking towns by Where to Retire Magazine” (Whalen, 

2007) Asheville has begun many projects which target areas for 

redevelopment, including the downtown area, Broadway Corridor, 

Biltmore Village, Charlotte Street, Hendersonville Road, Haywood 

Road, and the West End/Clingman area (Map A). The focus of 

this case study will revolve around the Biltmore Village area in 

connection to their design and features. 

Features 

“Biltmore Village shown in Figure 18, originated as a planned 

mixed-use community in the English village tradition” (Historic 

Resources Commission). The village is a mixture of small 

shops, businesses, and homes. The village was designed to be in 

conjunction with the Biltmore Estate and contained features such 

as a church, rectory, parish house, office and depot. The main 

focus of the village centered around the view of the church, and 

Figure 35: Layout of Biltmore Village 

to highlight this feature, a plaza was built across from the church 

and the streets were constructed in a fan-like fashion, as shown 

below. As time passed since the construction of the village in the 

late 1800s, emphasis has been put on maintaining the integrity of 

the cottages and public areas through restrictions on design and 

maintenance. 

Funding 

The funding listed below was created from a list of possible sources 

that were used to finance and maintain the village. It is not known 

exactly which funding options were successful and which were 

not, instead, the list is given as a guideline: 

• City of Asheville bond referendum – provides minucipal 

funds for the repaving of streets and typical replacement of 

sidewalks and curbs in Biltmore Village 

• Individual property owners 

• Taxes from the 1990 property tax valuation for properties in 

Biltmore Village 

• Sales tax from retail businesses in the Village 

• Property taxes in the Village for Buncombe County 

• Tax money from the Biltmore Estate – largest in the county 

• Possible State legislative funds 

• Donations from private individuals 

• Donations from organizations and foundations 

• Possible tax assessment of fifty cents per one hundred dollars 

from Biltmore Village property owners 

• Economic Development Incentives Policy 

• Industrial Development Grant 

Source: Biltmore Village Historic District Guidelines, Book 1, Chapter 5 

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• Business Development Grant 

Design Guidelines 

Asheville has made it a priority to regulate the design of the 

historic district of Biltmore Village as its rich heritage provides a 

distinct area to attract residents and tourists. Attributed to such 

an attraction are the design guidelines that the City has taken 

on to maintain a certain character for the area. “All exterior 

changes, including renovation and new construction, are subject to 

design review in the Biltmore Village Historic District” (Historic 

Resources Commission, 1988). Everything is regulated in this 

district, including color, signs, rehabilitation, landscaping, lighting, 

and maintenance or changes to the exterior. Examples of the 

guidelines Biltmore Village has in place are listed below: 

Biltmore Village contains 4 sub-areas: Sub-Area 1 – High Density 

Commercial, Sub-Area 2 – High Density Highway Cottage, Sub- 

Area 3 – Historic Downtown Commercial, Sub-Area 4 – High 

Density Cottage, Sub-Area 5 – Historic Cottage District, and Sub- 

Area 6 – Institutional/Multi Unit Residential. Each sub-area has 

specific design elements and restrictions. 

Figure 36: Land Use Sub Areas 



COMMERCIAL CORE AREA 

Set-Backs 

1. Maintain the alignment of building fronts at the sidewalk 

edge. 

a. An exception is where a cottage type building exists in the 

Core Area and has a front yard. 

Entrance Orientation 

2. Maintain entrance orientation facing the street and sidewalk. 

a. Side or rear entrances should appear subordinate to the main 

entrance. 

Street Trees 

3. Locate street trees in the historic planting line between the 

sidewalk and the street (this is important). 

Courts 

4. Locate courts and patios to side yards or in the rear where 

feasible. 

a. The are new elements in the Core and should appear 

subordinate to the historic context. 

Service Areas 

5. Screen service areas with fences or hedges. 

a. Consider clustering service areas for abutting properties to 

minimize the number or service area locations. 




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LIGHTING 

6. Use the historic fixture design for street lighting. 

a. Information about the sources of light fixtures is available 

from the H.R.C. 

b. This applies to private and public utility installations. 

STREET TREES 

7. Maintain the line of street trees in the planting strip between 

the road and sidewalk. 

a. Trees should be planted in the historic spacing patterns as 

much as possible. 

b. Refer to the Street Tree Planting Plan in Appendix B for the 

species designated in each block. 

THE PLAZA 

8. Minimize the visual impact of the parking area with textured 

paving. 

a. Use contrasting color and texture of paving to define parking 

stalls. 

b. Define the median with decorative paving 

9. Planting in the median is inappropriate in the Plaza. 

10. Maintain clear views to the Depot and the Church. 

PUBLIC SIGNS 

11. Use coordinated graphics throughout the Village. 

a. Use similar letter styles, color, and materials. 

b. Sign categories to be coordinated include: 

i. Information about services and businesses 

ii. Directions to major facilities 

iii. Regulation of traffic and parking 

COTTAGE AND MIXED USE AREAS 

Set-Backs 

12. Maintain the pattern and alignment of buildings established 

by the traditional set-backs from the street 

a. Most set-backs in the Cottage and Mixed Use Areas were 

10 feet (from the sidewalk). 

b. Additions and screened enclosures should be located behind 

the historic front yard area 

c. Guideline 1. Maintain the pattern and alignment of buildings 

established by the traditional set-backs from the street 

Entrance Orientation 

13. Maintain the traditional desighn vocabulary used for defining 

building entrances, which consists of: 

a. A porch, raised above grade, with steps. Many project out 

from the façade. 

b. Orientation to the street. Primary entrances face the street 

and are linked with a paved walk. 

Implementation strategies 

• phased development starting in 1995 

• public and private funding 

• originated as a village for Biltmore Estate and the City of 

Asheville has maintained the character through design 

guidelines 

Lessons/Important Aspects 

Figure 37: Street Tree Design in Biltmore Village 

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Because of the link between Biltmore Village and the Biltmore 

Estate, Asheville was able to build upon an asset that began as its 

center and turned the City into a destination local. In order to 

maintain the integrity of the destinations of the Village and the 

Estate, strict design guidelines were drawn up and adhered to. If 

this were not the case, Asheville’s success might not be what it is 

today. Their dedication to maintaining a vision and a sense of place 

allowed the Biltmore Village to stand on its own two feet so that 

any changes that might come about in the future are streamlined 

into an easy process that preserves the original character. 

Ohio State South Campus Gateway 

Figure 38: University District 



Application to the Mitchell-Vine Corridor: 

• Use of an overlay district to unify uses and ease 

development 

• Creation of a parking authority to manage area facilities 

• Implementation of critical traffic circulation measures and 

enhancements to the street’s public realm with pedestrianscale 

lighting, pedestrian crossings, street trees and other 

streetscape improvements. 

• Extensive use of stop lights, 15’ wide sidewalks along main 

thoroughfares, outdoor café seating, pedestrian walkways, 

landscaped buffers, and on street parking. 

• Business relocation plan for displaced company’s. 

• Establishment of Urban Design Overlay District to protect 

area’s architectural integrity. 

The Ohio State University, in conjunction with the city of 

Columbus, created Campus Partners for Community Urban 

Redevelopment in 1995 to lead the revitalization of the University 

District, a neighborhood surrounding the school. Campus Partners 

was incorporated as a non-profit organization to work with the 

city, community agencies, neighborhood leaders, and the university 

itself. Since then, Campus Partners has been involved in a number 

of initiatives to improve the University District, including the 

recently completed South Campus Gateway development. 

South Campus Gateway, located adjacent to The Ohio State 

University, has become a neighborhood within a neighborhood. 

With a mixture of restaurants, retail, offices, and apartments, this 

development serves the nation’s largest collegiate market while 

drawing in customer’s from the Columbus Metropolitan region 

as well. Sitting on 7.5 acres of land around three city blocks, 

the $150 million development contains 225,000 square feet of 

entertainment, retail, and restaurant space, 88,000 square feet of 

office space, 184 apartments, and a 1,200-space parking garage. 

In 1998, in affiliation with Goody, Clancy & Associates, Campus 

Partners published A Plan for High Street: Creating a 21st 

Century Main Street. In this document were the following 

recommendations: 

• Adoption by the City of Columbus of development and design 

guidelines and a commercial zoning overlay for High Street to 

protect and enhance its urban character. 

• Creation of a parking authority to manage the area’s parking 

as a system and to help with the funding of additional parking, 

as needed. 

• Formation of a business improvement district (known in Ohio 

as a special improvement district) to provide an enhanced 

level of essential maintenance, security, and marketing services 




for property owners and businesses along High Street. 

• Implementation of critical traffic circulation measures and 

enhancements to the street’s public realm with pedestrian-scale 

lighting, pedestrian crossings, street trees and other streetscape 

improvements. 

Based on these recommendations the Columbus City Council 

authorized the city administration to enter an economic 

development initiative with the Gateway Area Revitalization 

Initiative, a non-profit affiliate of Campus Partners. This agreement 

took Goody, Clancy & Associates recommendations and expanded 

upon them and included: 

• Specifics on property acquisition, relocation plans, public 

improvement financing, traffic measures, and neighborhood 

employment initiatives. 

• Ohio State University funded property acquisition by Campus 

Partners. 

• Business relocation plan for businesses displaced due to 

acquisitions. 

After a massive demolition of the area, Campus Partners worked 

out numerous financial deals which included: 

• The reception of $35 million in tax credit allocations under the 

New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program for construction 

of South Campus Gateway. This money allowed Campus 

Partners flexibility in their financial strategy and thus the 

development moved along at a steady pace without significant 

delay. 

• A deal with Columbus City Council to authorize funding for 

public improvements for the Gateway site and the surrounding 

neighborhood. The project included the installation and 

separation of storm and sanitary sewers, utility line burial, 

the replacement of a water main, and the widening of High 

Street. 

l 69 l



Currently, the development is extremely pedestrian friendly 

because of the following elements: 

• The establishment of an Urban Commercial Overlay (UCO) 

for the region. The UCO regulates development in specifically 

designated areas to encourage pedestrian-oriented design 

standards such as retail display windows, reduced building 

setbacks, rear parking requirements, etc. The UCO standards 

require full compliance for new construction such as South 

Campus Gateway. Examples of pedestrian-oriented design 

can be seen in Figure 39 and Figure 40. 

• Extensive use of stop lights, 15’ wide sidewalks along main 

thoroughfares, outdoor café seating, pedestrian walkways, 

landscaped buffers, and on street parking. Figures 41 and 43 

exemplify these traits. 

Figueroa Corridor, Los Angeles, CA 

• Partnerships 

Location: The Figueroa Corridor connects downtown Los Angeles 

to Exposition Park near the University of Southern California. 

It is bounded to the north by the 10 Freeway, to the south 

by Exposition Park, Flower Street to the east and Vermont 

Avenue to the west. 

Conditions Prior to Partnership: Prior to the creation of the 

partnership the Figueroa Corridor was in a state of disarray. 

Crime (and the perception of crime) and disorder led to 

significant declines for area stake holders, including local 

business, museums, USC and Orthopaedic Hospital. 

Figure 39: 15’ Sidewalks 


Figure 40: Street Lighting 


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Figure 41: Plaza 


Figure 42: Landscaped Buffers 




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Creation of the Partnership: As a response to the The Figueroa 

Corridor 

Partnership in Los Angeles provides an excellent example of the 

effect unified business owners can have on a declining business 

district. After a long decline along the Figueroa Corridor, a route 

connecting downtown Los Angeles to a cluster of museums 

and arenas known as Exposition Park, business owners created 

a partnership in 1998. The partnership included both private 

businesses and the many public entities in the area including the 

University of Southern California and Orthopaedic Hospital. 

The Partnership created a nonprofit business improvement district 

where members paid a fee to fund three specific target areas 

of concern in the corridor. The target area was crime, and the 

perception of crime, in the corridor. In response to this concern, 

a safety ambassador program was created. The second target area 

was cleaning and removing graffiti along the corridor. This led to 

a clean team which was paid to keep the corridor clean. Finally, 

the Partnership created a marketing team to create an identity 

for the area. 

After ten years of the Partnership, there has been sweeping 

successes in the area. After the corridor was able to rebrand 

itself, shake its dilapidated image and reduce crime, development 

exploded. To date, over $2 billion has been invested in the 

neighborhood. Community members describe the effects of clean 

streets that feel safer and encourage more pedestrian activities. 

The boundaries of the Corridor have increased due to the desires 

of other local business owners who wanted to be part of the 

success. Additionally, the marketing of the area has led to signage 

identifying the area, placards leading visitors on walking tours of 

significant landmarks and wayfinding signage to help visitors travel 

through the area. 

While the Mitchell Avenue Corridor lacks many of the cultural 

amenities of the Figueroa Corridor, the clear vision and unified 

goal of business in the partnership provide a solid structure and 

attainable goal for the area. Though $2 billion in investment is an 

unlikely goal, the Mitchell Avenue Corridor can take steps to make 

the area more attractive to developers. It is important first to 

recognize the power of partnership, next to establish clear target 

areas, and finally to implement strategies to mitigate these areas. 

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Appendix B: Green Building 

Green Building Literature Review 

High performance green buildings use whole-building to achieve 

energy, economic and environmental performance that is 

substantially better than the standard practice. A whole building, 

or integrated design approach considers site, energy, materials 

indoor air quality, natural resources, as well as their interrelation 

with one another. In this process a collaborative of architects, 

engineers, building or home owners, and specialists in indoor air 

quality, materials, and energy and water efficiency, utilize systems 

thinking to consider the building structure and systems holistically, 

examining how they best work together to save energy and 

reduce environmental impact. One example of systems thinking 

is to integrate a storm water management system to capture and 

reuse rainwater on surface and parking garages (Kibert 2005, 13). 

Sustainable construction techniques provide an ethical and 

practical response to issues of environmental impact and resource 

consumption. There are several factors included from the 

production of the products used in building, to the use of renewable 

resources for energy systems; recycling and reuse of energy and 

water, to integration solutions that minimize environmental impact 

and resource consumption (Kibert 2005, 8). 

“Studies show that an investment of just two percent of a 

construction budget in green building methods and materials can 

yield an estimated 20 percent savings in energy costs over the life 

of a structure. Resulting in substantial savings to building owners.” 

said Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) Executive Director 

Jan Grimes (Illinois Government News Network 2007). 

Buildings consume 65 percent of our nation’s total electricity, emit 

30 percent of our total greenhouse gases, and account for nearly 

60 percent of total non-industrial waste in the United States 

(Illinois Government News Network 2007). 

The green techniques integrated into the Mitchell Ave./Vine St. 

project regarding energy conservation are building orientation, 

geothermal heating and cooling system, solar panels, wrapping 

the building envelope, no-water landscaping, and allergen-reducing 

ventilation and interior finishes. 

Incredible cost savings and environmental benefits can been 

achieved through green building water conservation strategies, 

such as on-site storm water and grey water capture/use/resuse, 

technology retrofits (on toilets, faucets, etc.), and the incorporation 

of native plant species that require less or no irrigation. Studies of 

buildings applying for LEED certification indicate that most were 

able to reduce water use by at least 50% outdoors and by at least 

30% indoors (State Environmental Resource Center 2004). 

Daylighting design has a major impact on the form and orientation 

of buildings. First, the building and its openings — windows, 

skylights and roof monitors — must be oriented to allow light to 

enter interior spaces, without causing glare or visual discomfort. 

As well, design for daylighting can constrain the depth of buildings, 

to allow natural light in most occupied spaces. This limitation can 





be greatly eased by the use of light distribution strategies, such 

as light shelves and ceiling slopes, that extend the depth of daylit 

space (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

Geothermal, or ground-source energy, takes advantage of the 

constant year-round underground temperature of about 55 

degrees Fahrenheit. Vertical pipe loops are buried about 300 feet 

underground and an antifreeze liquid is pumped through the pipes. 

In the summer, the liquid moves heat from the building into the 

ground. In the winter, it does the opposite. Heat pumps will 

be used in buildings in our project to maximize the heating and 

cooling transfer within the building. No estimates are available 

about the projected energy savings the project will experience 

with the geothermal system (Illinois Government News Network 

2007). 

Unlike solar control for cooling, using solar energy for service hot 

water (SHW) heating or electricity generation requires maximizing 

the exposure of collectors to the sun. This reduces the capital cost 

of these systems, which in the past has been relatively high. Those 

parts of the building that carry these systems should be shaped to 

collect solar energy efficiently (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

Photovoltaic electricity generation is currently expensive, but 

costs are dropping rapidly. “Building-integrated” photovoltaic 

(BIPV) systems, which incorporate collectors into the roof, 

walls and other building elements, are now entering the market, 

replacing conventional exterior finishes and reducing construction 

cost. Another trend is to use solar collectors as window shades 

— gaining two functions from the same elements. Ensuring that 

the building will be able to take advantage of free, renewable solar 

energy in the future, when capital costs will be lower, is a prudent 

strategy (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

Effective solar control is an essential part of window design. For 

commercial buildings with high internal electrical loads, such as 

offices or retail occupancies, reducing cooling loads and glare 

problems from windows, skylights and roof monitors is a very 

effective energy conservation strategy. For buildings and spaces 

with low internal electrical loads, passive solar heating by admitting 

sun when heat is required must be balanced with blocking midday 

summer sun. Solar control is best accomplished with highperformance 

glazing or exterior solar controls such as overhangs 

or awnings, rather than with internal blinds. The design issue is to 

control solar gain without compromising daylighting or exterior 

views (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

Many states have committed to pass legislation that requires any 

building, owned or operated in whole, or in part, by a state agency, 

be designed, constructed, renovated, and maintained in compliance 

with the LEED Green Building Rating System. 

To meet or exceed these regulations all construction and major 

renovation projects regardless of size will achieve the highest level 

of certification practicable within the project budget. 

a. A major renovation is defined as a project with a construction 

budget that equals 40% greater of the building’s current 

replacement cost. 

b. New buildings and major renovations < 10,000 square feet 

will meet the highest LEED standard practicable including 

those credits CDB requires as mandatory. Certification is not 

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required. 

c. New buildings and major renovations ≥ 10,000 square 

feet will achieve LEED “Silver” Certification at a minimum 

including those credits CDB requires as mandatory. USGBC 

certification is required (Illinois Government News Network 

2007). 

Green Building Guidelines 

1.Siting and Building Location 

Solar Heating in Winter 

Orientate buildings so direct sun can be gained through southfacing 

windows, clerestory windows and roof monitors is the 

most common method of passive solar heating. These should have 

access to direct sunlight between 10 am and 2 pm from November 

to March and should be equipped with control devices to avoid 

overheating at other times. 

Where site conditions permit: 

• Locate the building toward the north and east parts of the 

site for greatest wall and roof exposure. 

• Orient the building with the long side east-west for highest 

winter gains and lowest summer gains. Southeast or southwest 

orientation can capitalize on morning or afternoon solar gains 

respectively without major losses in performance. 

Carefully analyze the building program to identify spaces and 

activities that benefit from passive solar heating. Locate spaces 

that require heating where they have direct access to winter sun 

and spaces that require cooling to face north or east. 

Use a sunpath diagram and shading masks, or simulation to assess 

potential shading on roof areas and vertical southeast, south and 

southwest facing surfaces (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

Cautions 

• Constrained urban sites make it more difficult to optimally 

locate buildings, and require greater care in building envelope 

design. 

• Building form and orientation only establish the potential 

exposure to the sun. The area and location of windows must 

also be carefully planned. 

2. Waste Reduction and Management 

Minimize use of resources and negative environmental impacts 

through careful reduction and management of wastes generated 

during the construction process and building occupancy. 

Required Performance Criteria 

A. Construction waste: Minimize waste generated from 

construction, renovation and demolition of buildings through 

detailing and specifications. 

B. Construction waste: Divert at least 70% (by weight) construction, 

demolition, and land clearing debris from landfill disposal. 

C. Operations waste: Reduce and recycle at least 50% of the 

waste generated during building operation. Provide dedicated 

recycling areas, processing and holding space, and reverse 

distribution space in the building (The City of Santa Monica 

2007). 

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3.Use Recycled-Content Products 

Many new and established construction products made with 

reprocessed waste materials are now available. Products with 

recycled content are “industry ready”, generally of equal or better 

quality, and usually require no special handling. Some products, 

such as outdoor lumber made with waste plastics and composite 

panels made with mineral waste and plastic, are uniquely suited to 

some applications, and have new uses that are still being explored 

(The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

4. Landscape Water Efficiency 

Intent 

Limit, or eliminate demand for municipal potable water or 

harvested groundwater (well water) used for maintaining plants 

and lawn areas. 


A. Design and maintain landscape so that after a 2 year establishment 

period, the landscape uses 50% less municipal potable water or 

harvested ground water for irrigation than a base case landscape 

design. (Exception: annuals are exempt.) Any amount of siteharvested 

rainwater, storm water, or gray or waste water treated 

on site to tertiary standards may be used. The criteria may be met 

by any combination of: selection of native or low water use plants, 

use of alternatively sourced irrigation water as described, use of 

high efficiency irrigation systems, or other strategies (The City of 

Santa Monica 2007). 

4.1 Water Runoff Reduction 

The use of green roofs in a parking structure to reduce water runoff 

The Chicago City Hall uses green roof on top of a parking garage 

to create a park for city and area employees to enjoy. 

Intent: What would ordinarily be an impermeable paved surface, 

becomes usable, public green space. Adding a whole new dimension 

of livability, green roofs act as the ‘pocket parks’ outside the 

shopping or housing district. These smaller private spaces allow 

for more intimate outdoor experiences than can be afforded in 

the large public parks or the enclosed greenhouse, creating more 

open space for the neighborhood (See Figure 43). 

Green Roofs Benefit: Used in an underground parking garage 

to enhance buildings’ performance, green roofs aid water 

consumption, energy usage, and livability. The roof will be used 

in this area where high use makes them worthwhile and in areas 

where the sustainability benefits are worthwhile. 

Recommended Performance Criteria 

A. Non-roof site surfaces: 

Provide at any combination of the following characteristics for 

50% of the site hardscape: 

-Surface is light colored/high albedo (reflectance is .30 or 

greater.) 

-Surface composed of an open-grid pavement system (less than 

50% impervious) 

Or 

-Place a minimum of 50% of parking spaces underground or in a 

structured parking facility. 



Figure 43: The Chicago City Hall Building with a Green Roof 





B. Roof Surfaces: 

-Use ENERGY STAR Roof-compliant, high-reflectance AND high 

emissivity roofing (initial reflectance of at least 0.65 and threeyear-aged 

reflectance of at least 0.5 when tested in accordance 

with ASTM #903 and emissivity of at least 0.9 when tested in 

accordance with ASTM 408) for a minimum of 75% of the roof 

surface. 

OR 

-Install a “green” (vegetated) roof for at least 50% of the roof 

area. 

OR 

-The two options can be combined by the following formula: (high 

albedo roof Area/.75) + (green roof area/.5) is greater than or 

equal to total roof area. 

Runoff from parking areas and vehicle lanes in particular contain 

a wide variety of contaminants, including lead, asbestos, oil, grease 

and gasoline. Biological and mechanical methods of treating these 

contaminants, and reducing the amount of stormwater carrying 

them into local rivers and streams (The City of Santa Monica). 

Green roofs considerably slow the rate of storm water runoff, 

reducing the stress on the storm water treatment system 

implemented to help create green space. Instead of water 

accumulating during heavy downpours, green roofs retain water 

and slowly allow it to trickle through substrate material before 

reaching the detention basins. Additionally, the green roof and soil, 

in the case of the large towers, provide limited filtering before the 

water is released into the catchment system for use within the 

building (See Figure 44). 

Permeable Pavers 

Permeable pavers are used along pathways and in areas where 

parking densities are low. These pavers have small spaces between 



them to allow water to return back to the soil, rather than into 

storm water sewers this allows water to filtrate back into the 

ground. Runoff is returned to on-site storm water treatment 

and used irrigation. Less runoff and more ground absorption 

means fewer overflows of streams and rivers (The City of Santa 

Monica). 

5.Energy Use Reduction by at Least 10% 

Intent 

Ensure annual energy costs are reduced by at least 10%, the law will 

require a 5% reduction in energy use in State Buildings, in Ohio by 

2011. Energy use reduction also results in lower greenhouse gas 

and other emissions from fossil fuel energy production (Energy 

Resource 2007). 


Reduce design energy costs compared to the energy cost budget 

by at least 10% for regulated energy components. Comparative 

analysis is required for all buildings over 5,000 square feet that are 

heated. The required process is similar for all buildings but there is 

a different path to compliance for buildings less than 30,000 gross 

square feet (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

Recommended Performance Criteria 

A. Legislation governing this guideline requires a 5% conservation 

of energy relative to the Ohio State Energy Code( Energy 

Resource 2007). 

Renewable and Distributed Energy Evaluation 

Intent: Encourage the consideration and use of renewable energy 

sources and cleaner forms of hydrogen and hydrocarbon-based 

distributed generation systems to reduce atmospheric pollution. 

This can provide a stimulus to the State’s economy through 

investments in local jobs and materials while reducing the State’s 

expenditures on imported fuel and power. 

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Figure 44: Below grade parking with green space incorporated as 

a park on the top 

Source: Texas Medical Center 2005 


1. During the Schematic Design phase, analyze at least two 

scenarios that include the environmental and economic impacts 

of supplying a percentage of the building’s total energy use with 

on-site or off-site renewable or cleaner distributed generation 

systems. There is no required amount of renewable or distributed 

energy generation for buildings at this time. 

5.1 Photovoltaic Electricity Generation 

While the initial cost of photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation 

is currently high relative to purchased power, a small but growing 

number of building purchasers and tenants consider this a valuable 

feature – a visible commitment to renewable energy, and a 

marketing benefit. 

According to a study by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, 

a four-kilowatt net-metered system (requiring no batteries) 

installed on a customer site would save $50 per month, for 

less than $24,000 capital cost. Prices for customer-installed PV 

collectors and electrical systems are projected to drop by 9% per 

year (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

Customer-owned PV systems are rapidly becoming more 

economic for several reasons: 

• Growing mass production is being reflected in quickly falling 

costs. 

• PV collectors are increasingly integrated with building 

claddings, roofs and canopies, replacing traditional finishes and 

their costs. 

• New codes, regulations and rates allow small systems to 

connect to the utility grid, eliminating the cost of batteries. 

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• Federal and state tax benefits and financial incentives are 

increasing in value and availability. 

Photovoltaics require unshaded access to the solar resource to 

perform optimally. This can be resolved by using PV collectors 

as window shades, or by locating collectors on roofs or southfacing 

walls. If PV collectors are not installed initially, forethought 

in envelope and electrical design can greatly ease future PV 

installation, as costs drop (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

5.2 Efficient Equipment and Appliances 

Intent: Reduce energy use associated with plug loads and process 

loads in buildings. These energy savings are in addition to those 

attributed to the building itself. 


A. Select new equipment and appliances that meet ENERGY STAR 

criteria. 

5.3 Use of Geothermal Heating System 

Intent: Used to replace an electric furnace with a more efficient 

heating and cooling source. Geothermal, or ground-source, 

energy takes advantage of the constant year-round underground 

temperature of about 55 degrees Fahrenheit 70 percent of the 

energy used in a geothermal heat pump system is renewable energy 

from the ground. The earth’s constant temperature is what makes 

geothermal heat pumps one of the most efficient, comfortable, 

and quiet heating and cooling technologies available today. While 

they may be more costly to install initially than regular heat pumps, 

they can produce markedly lower energy bills - 30 percent to 40 

percent lower, according to estimates from the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, who now includes geothermal heat pumps in 



the types of products rated in the EnergyStar® program. Because 

they are mechanically simple and outside parts of the system are 

below ground and protected from the weather, maintenance costs 

are often lower as well (California Energy Commission 2006). 

6.1 Quality Lighting 

Intent: Electric lighting should be designed to supplement and 

support the use of daylight as the primary source of light for visual 

tasks. The integrated design of artificial and natural light must also 

maintain these lighting quality characteristics and effects: tolerable 

glare, natural color rendering, and attractive illumination of people 

for social exchanges (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 


A. The electric lighting design must be operable in multiple modes 

responsive to both daylight zones and differentiated uses 

within a given space such as separating controls for media 

projection areas from general task areas within a space. 

B. For general illumination in most space types, attain an average 

electrical illumination at the work plane of 35 to 50 footcandles. 

A minimum of 25 foot-candles is recommended at 

any point 3 ft or more from a wall. 

C. You may design closer to the minimum recommended values to 

reduce the connected load and conserve energy. 

D. Keep contrast ratios in the field of view within the space as 

seen from the task areas to no greater than 10:1 

Methods: 

F. At a minimum, conduct a point-by-point analysis of horizontal 

illumination levels at the work plane in each lighting mode for 

each space. 

G. Computer models should be used to analyze illumination levels 

on vertical planes when they have been defined as a task or 

work area (The City of Santa Monica 2007). 

6.2 Daylight 

Intent: Provide daylight for ambient illumination at levels and 

conditions known to produce physiological and psychological 

benefits. 


A. At least 75% of the floor area of continuously occupied spaces in 

the building shall have a minimum daylight factor of 1% when 

measured without furniture and at 2’6” above the floor. This 

may be demonstrated using the Daylight Factor Calculator 

provided in the guidelines, through daylight simulation, or 

physical daylight modeling. 

B. In every continuously occupied space with daylight, not more 

than 15% of the floor area shall exceed a uniformity ratio of 

10:1 when measured without furniture and at 2’6” above the 

floor. 

C. To be considered a good daylighting design, direct solar 

penetration must be controlled with fixed or operable shading 

devices and kept from falling on the work plane beyond 4 ft 

from the exterior walls during most operating hours. 

D. Automatic controls should be employed to turn off or dim the 

electric lights when daylighting is available. 

Note: For spaces with daylight the Window to Floor Area Ratio 

(WFAR) should not need to exceed 25% in order to meet 

daylighting criteria listed here. Note that exceeding this 

WFAR may introduce excess energy use and possibly glare 






Compliance Tools and Resources 

• For more advanced and refined analysis, using physical models 

is one very effective way to analyze daylighting performance 

of a building. Even the simplest foam core models will inform 

the design team about how the behavior of daylight changes 

as building parameters are varied.Such daylighting models can 

then be tested on site or under artificial sky conditions in a 

daylighting laboratory to determine daylight factors. 

• In addition, also for more advanced and refined analysis, 

computer analysis and simulation may be used to generate 

a daylighting solution. Some widely available programs are 

noted below. Usually, three-dimensional digital models are 

constructed using (CAD) computer-aided design software 

that is then imported into the lighting software (The City of 

Santa Monica 2007). 

Sources: 

The Affordable Housing Design Advisors. 2007. Gallery of High 

Quality Affordable Housing- Green Building. Online. Available 

from Internet, http://www.designadvisor.org/frameset. 

html,accessed 8 May 2008. 

Calarusse, Crystal and Christopher Kloss. 2006. Rooftops to Rivers: 

Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and Combined 

Sewer Overflows. Online. Available from the Internet, 

http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/rooftops/rooftops.pdf. 

Accessed 8 May 2008. 

California Energy Commission. 2006. Geothermal Heat 

Pumps. Online. Available from Internet, http://www. 

consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/ 

geothermal.html, Accessed 22 May 2008. 

The City of Cambridge, Department of Community Planning. Map 

of Trolley Square 2007. Online. Available from Internet, http:// 

www.cambridgema.gov/~CDD/cp/zng/trolley/index.html, 

Accessed 8 May 2008. 

The City of Santa Monica. 2007. Santa Monica Green Building 

Program-Construction Management. Online. Available from 

Internet. http://greenbuildings.santamonica.org/construction/ 

construction.html, Accessed 21 May 2008. 


Program-Design for Solar Heating. Online. Available from 

Internet. http://greenbuildings.santamonica.org/sitingandform/ 

sitingandformssf3.html, Accessed 21May 2008. 


Program-Landscape Introduction. Online. Available from 

Internet. http://greenbuildings.santamonica.org/landscape/ 

landscape.html, Accessed 21 May 2008. 


Program-Siting & Form. Online. Available from Internet. 

http://greenbuildings.santamonica.org/sitingandform/ 

sitingandformintro.html, Accessed 21 May 2008. 

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Program-Design for Solar Heating. Online. Available 

from Internet. http://greenbuildings.santa-monica.org/ 

sitingandform 

/sitingandformssf3.html, Accessed 21 May 2008. 

Energy Resource. 2007, May 3. Ohio Plans to Reduce Government 

Building Energy Use by 5 Percent. Online. Available from 

Internet. 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5CNK/is_2007_May_3/ 

ai_n25005087, Accessed 22 May 2008. 

Illinois Government News Network. 2007. Governor Blagojevich 

Announces Lincoln’s Tomb going Green Geothermal 

Heating and Cooling System to be Installed at Lincoln 

Tomb State Historic Site to Reduce Energy Usage, Increase 

Visitor Comfort. Online. Available from Internet, http:// 

www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease. 

cfm?SubjectID=4&RecNum=6463, Accessed 14 May 2008. 

Kibert, Charles. 2005. Sustainable Construction: Green Building 

Design and Delivery. Hoboken: Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill, LLP. 2005. Texas Medical Center 

Stormwater Management Guidelines: Comprehensive 

Site Design. Online. Available from http://www.texmedctr. 

tmc.edu/NR/rdonlyres/292FF18E-4D72-4B80-881F- 

6CD027251F52/0/StormwaterMasterPlan2005.pdf, Accessed 

8 May 2008. 

State Environmental Resource Center. 2004. Green Building: 

Talking Points. Online. Available from Internet, http://www. 

serconline.org/grBldg/talking.html, Accessed 21 May 2008. 

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Appendix C: Crime Prevention 

Through Environmental 

Design (CPTED) 



Crime prevention is highly sought after in every locality but there 

is no clear solution to the problem. A recent trend in the Planning 

world Is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Planning, or 

CPTED. CPTED is a design concept which is directed primarily at 

keeping intruders under observation. Much like creating ‘defensible 

space’, CPTED looks at ways to utilize design features to increase 

the visibility of a building or area. Through this, those frequenting 

the area can monitor happenings in and around buildings and 

report inappropriate behavior if necessary. 

Fleissner & Heinzelmann noted the different roles that people can 

play in crime prevention. Those roles that police, citizens, and the 

government could take are summarized below: 

• Police can use foot patrol and working with community 

groups to strengthen citizens’ sense of security 

and solve neighborhood problems that contribute to 

crime and fear of crime. 

• Residents can work together to improve 

neighborhood appearance and deter criminals. 

• Government can use building codes and inspection 

power to increase environmental security and 

discourage drug use and other criminal activities. 

• Control traffic flow to reduce the use of streets by 

criminals and enhance neighborhood cohesion and resident 

interaction. 

• Engage in clean-up programs. 

• Prepare educational materials for building owners and 

managers to deal with problem tenants and enhance the 

livability and security of rental units. 

References 

Fleissner, D. & Heinzelmann, F. 1996. Crime Prevention Through 

Environmental Design and Community Policing - Series: NIJ 

Research in Action. Internet website. http://www.ncjrs.org/ 

txtfiles/crimepre.txt. Accessed on 14 Mat 2008. 



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