Fergus Street Homeownership Project

     Phase One of this Project called for construction of two HOME House homes chosen from designs featured at the Contemporary Art Center's (CAC) May 2006 exhibit. These are intended to be "green" sustainable houses based on S. Flavio Espinoza's "Suburban Loft" design. Construction of a third "green" house designed by local architect Alice Emmons will complete Phase One. Additional Phases include purchase and rehabilitation and/or demolition for infill housing of 20 additional properties in the targeted area.

     Bounded by Pullan Avenue on the north, Knowlton Street on the south, Mad Anthony Street on the east and Langland Street on the west, the Fergus Street Homeownership Project (the "Project") is designed to increase homeownership in a depressed and densely populated area in Northside that has been subjected to increased rates of foreclosures, vacancies and crime. CNCURC identified redevelopment of the corners of Chase Avenue at Fergus and Mad Anthony streets most critical to the success of the Project.

Phase One

     CNCURC's board members worked with the City of Cincinnati and property owners to implement Phase One of the Fergus Street Homeownership Project. City of Cincinnati Community Development Block Grant Funds allocated for Phase One have served as the start up dollars used to purchase five blighted properties located on Chase Avenue at the corners of Fergus and Mad Anthony:

• 1438 Chase Avenue

• 1428 Chase

• 4200/4202 Fergus Street

• 4204 Fergus Street

• 4205 Mad Anthony - includes two buildings

     CNCURC has also used the Block Grant funds to relocate two business tenants who operated at the corner store, formerly known as McPerry Foods, Inc., conduct a Blight Survey of the Project area, hire a Project Manager, demolish the three buildings located at Fergus and Chase and for other administrative costs. Demolition was started on May 18 and completed on May 25, 2006. Read The Enquirer article about the demolition.

1438 Chase Avenue and 4200/4202, 4204 Fergus Street

     As part of their collaborative agreement, CNCURC and the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) teamed together to convert Mr. Espinoza’s design into a workable model suitable for construction to fit the Chase Avenue and Fergus Street site. CAC allocated funds to pay his fees while CNCURC hired local architect Alice Emmons to work with S. Flavio Espinoza to develop the prototypes for the first two houses.

     With the generous support of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, an anonymous donor and 2007 gap funding from the City of Cincinnati CNCURC secured a construction loan through North Side Bank and Trust Company and hired Reece/Campbell as the Construction Contractor for the HOME House homes in August, 2007.

     Additional support, in the form of materials and supplies from well-known contributors such as Beck Paint, Hardware & Decorating Center, Habegger Supply Company, Ohio Tile & Marble Company, The Painter Development Group, Pella, and others allows CNCURC to offer a better product for a substantial savings to the buyers.

Near completion, the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the two single-family units is scheduled for December 13, 2007 at 10am. The two HOME House homes will be the first completed HOME Houses built in numerous cities throughout the U.S.

Listed on the MLS with Huff Realtors the HOME House homes are listed for $189,900 each. As newly constructed LEED certified houses, buyers are eligible for a 15-year tax abatement offered by the City of Cincinnati. For additional information about purchase please contact Sales Consultants Dennis Conroy at 513-314-3965 or by email at DConroy@Huff.com or his son, Michael Conroy, at 513-374-8336. or by email at MConroy@Huff.com.

4205 Mad Anthony Street

Using 2007 Neighborhood Hazard Abatement Funds budgeted to the Department of Buildings and Inspections, The City demolished the two structures at this site in May 2007.

CNCURC plans to build a third “green” house designed by Alice Emmons on this site following completion of the first two under construction at the Chase Avenue and Fergus Street corner.

For additional information about the sustainable features of the HOME House homes please contact Michael Berry at 513-830-6461 or 513-910-2202 or by email at mberry@northside.net.