Misplaced Pages

#784215

56-459: Over-the-Rhine , often abbreviated as OTR , is a residential neighborhood located in the urban basin of Cincinnati, Ohio . Over-the-Rhine is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States. Originally settled by Ohio Rhinelanders ( German : Ohio Rheinländer ), the neighborhood became home to significant African-American and Appalachian populations during

112-499: A chokehold from a police officer, and Jeffrey Irons died the next day in a scuffle with police. One of the officers was acquitted , while the other case ended in a mistrial and the officer was not re-tried. This string of deaths led to claims by the community that the police were acting discriminatorily. Three weeks before the protests and growing unrest, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and

168-401: A citywide curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for all but work travelers. He also declared a state of emergency and brought in 125 Ohio Highway Patrol troopers to assist with policing. In all, 800 people were arrested for violating curfew conditions. This curfew did not extend to the city's suburbs, prompting some criticism from Cincinnati residents of uneven enforcement of the curfew. April 14

224-485: A corner in a dark alley and surprised Roach, who shot him in the chest at close range. Roach said he believed Thomas was reaching for a gun in his waistband, but investigation later determined Thomas was trying to pull up his " baggy pants ." Roach also said that he was not aware that charges against Thomas were non-violent, and that Thomas ignored an order to stop. Thomas was rushed to a hospital, but died of his wounds. The shooting of Thomas sparked widespread outrage in

280-414: A crowd of 20, injuring four, including two children. Police contended they were acting under orders to disperse a large crowd blocking the intersection, while witnesses claimed the police did not provide warning and singled out black members of the group. The total damage sustained from the period of protest and unrest amounted to $ 3.6 million. In all, the city said 120 businesses experienced damage due to

336-491: A group of local organizations filed a civil lawsuit against the police department and city, alleging 30 years of racial profiling . A number of other civil suits were initiated against the department, including one African-American man who alleged he was handcuffed and beaten during a traffic stop. Bomani Tyehimba filed a lawsuit in 1999 against the city of Cincinnati. He claimed that during a routine traffic stop, police illegally ordered him out of his car, handcuffed him and held

392-451: A gun to his head. A local independent newspaper, CityBeat , published research that an "analysis of 141,000 traffic citations written by Cincinnati Police in a 22-month period found black drivers twice as likely as whites to be cited for driving without a license, twice as likely to be cited for not wearing a seat belt and four times as likely to be cited for driving without proof of insurance." The NAACP argued that such statistics were

448-497: A lack of development in the area for several decades. Some 1,667 of 3,594 housing units, or more than one third, in the neighborhood were vacant. About 96 percent of the occupied houses were renter-occupied. The neighborhood had a concentration of African Americans, who otherwise made up 40 percent overall of the 331,000 residents of the city. At the time of the protests and growing unrest, the median income in Over-the-Rhine

504-531: A predominantly white, wealthy and exclusive section of the neighborhood. North of Liberty Street sat the heart of Cincinnati's beer brewing industry. Christian Moerlein established his first brewing company in Over-the-Rhine in 1853. Eventually the Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. became the city's largest brewery and expanded into the national market. At its height the brewery occupied three entire city blocks. Prohibition brought an end to

560-637: A recreational center, a senior citizens center, a Montessori school and daycare center, and a meeting and event space. Funding for the $ 2.5 million project came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development . In 2011 the Over-the-Rhine Foundation, which works to prevent historic building loss in OTR, won third place in the National Trust for Historic Preservation 's nationwide "This Place Matters" community challenge. In 2006

616-401: A rise in violent crime in the downtown area. In 2001 and 2002, violent crime and property crime rates rose in the city, with property crime rates peaking in 2003 before declining through 2010. The city has a crime rate higher than the national average but similar to other major cities. Initiatives were subsequently begun by community groups to reduce violence. Sixty-three participants of

SECTION 10

#1732783499785

672-471: Is considered part of Over-the-Rhine. The acerbic portrayal of Americans of that period in her book Domestic Manners of the Americans is based in part on her interactions with the rough-hewn residents of the area. Until 1849, today's Liberty Street, then called Northern Row, was the corporation line forming Cincinnati's northern boundary. The area north of Northern Row was not subject to municipal law and

728-455: Is widely credited with revitalizing OTR. The organization began as a full-service real estate developer, but has since branched out and produces more than 1,000 events per year at the four civic spaces it manages: Fountain Square, Washington Park, Ziegler Park and Memorial Hall. In July 2003, 3CDC was formed by former mayor of Cincinnati Charlie Luken and other corporate community members. This

784-697: The Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan area are considered by local residents to be neighborhoods or suburbs of Cincinnati, but do not fall within the actual city limits, Hamilton county boundaries, or even within Ohio state borders. Cincinnati riots of 2001 The period of unrest was sparked after 19-year-old Timothy Thomas, an unarmed African American man, was shot and killed by Cincinnati Police Department Patrolman Stephen Roach during an attempt to arrest him for non-violent misdemeanors, most of which were traffic citations. Tensions were already high in

840-494: The National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the status of Over-the-Rhine as "Endangered." Since 1930, about half of Over-the-Rhine's historic buildings have been destroyed. More will follow unless deteriorating buildings are repaired. Between 2001 and 2006, the city approved more than 50 "emergency demolitions," which were caused by absentee landlords ' allowing their buildings to become so critically dilapidated that

896-420: The United States, and claimed that its potential for tourism "literally could rival similar prosperous and heavily visited areas." Most of Over-the-Rhine's ornate brick buildings were built by German immigrants from 1865 to the 1880s. The architecture of Over-the-Rhine reflects the diverse styles of the late nineteenth century— simple vernacular , muted Greek Revival , Italianate and Queen Anne . Most of

952-627: The United States, has several districts. The Northern Liberties and the Brewery District are north of Liberty Street. South of Liberty are the Gateway Quarter and Pendleton . In recent years, developers have renamed this portion of Over-the-Rhine as " The Gateway Quarter ". This area has been the focal point of gentrification, which has displaced African Americans and low-income residents. More than 1,000 African Americans left this area between 2000 and 2010, and by 2012 it had become

1008-487: The abandoned buildings, the city renovated nearby Washington Park , and businesses and residents have moved into what were abandoned spaces. Local chefs and artisan brewers in particular embraced the area, and in 2018 Food & Wine Magazine called it "one of the country's most promising food scenes." In 2001 there were an estimated 500 vacant buildings in Over-the-Rhine with 2,500 residential units. Of those residential units 278 were condemned as uninhabitable. Also in 2001

1064-808: The ages of 20 and 24 being white. A partial list of Over-the-Rhine’s distinctive annual events includes: Most of Over-the-Rhine's landmarks are related to the arts and are clustered in one area near Downtown. List of Cincinnati neighborhoods Cincinnati consists of fifty-two neighborhoods . Many of these neighborhoods were once villages that have been annexed by the City of Cincinnati. The most important of them retain their former names, such as Walnut Hills and Mount Auburn. Neighborhoods are numbered and categorized by Cincinnati Police districts. Many neighborhoods have smaller communities and/or historic districts primarily within their boundaries, and those are denoted with bullet points. Many communities within

1120-578: The area exclusively as "Over the Rhine." He noted, "Germans and Americans alike love to call the district 'Over the Rhine.' " Eventually, the canal was drained and capped by Central Parkway; the resulting tunnel was to be used for the now-defunct Cincinnati Subway project. Built in the nineteenth century during a period of extensive German immigration, first settled by Pennsylvania Dutch and bolstered by Rhinelanders and other Germans, Over-the-Rhine began to change demographically as residents moved to

1176-573: The buildings in Over-the-Rhine are one of these styles, but other motifs include the Art Deco American Building on Central Parkway; the Germania Building at Twelfth and Walnut streets, ironically one of the few examples of German ornamentation in the neighborhood; Music Hall, a mixture of styles best described as Venetian Gothic ; a handful of buildings with Gothic architecture ; and the new SCPA on Central Parkway,

SECTION 20

#1732783499785

1232-424: The city declared them a danger to the public. Reinvestment could have saved them. Due to the situation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared Over-the-Rhine one of Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places in 2006. Over-the-Rhine was included in the 2008 book, Frommer's 500 Places to See Before They Disappear , which noted the district's "shocking state of neglect". According to WCPO in 2001, some of

1288-481: The city following a series of other incidents involving police brutality and racial profiling , including thirteen deaths. Protests erupted into four nights of unrest, with instances of recorded property destruction in Cincinnati, objects thrown at police officers by demonstrators, and vandalism and looting of businesses before a city-imposed curfew eventually ended the unrest. It was ultimately determined that

1344-408: The city government to take on renewing and updating this area. The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) is a private, non-profit real-estate development and finance organization focused on revitalizing Cincinnati's urban core with the city government and local corporations. Its work is focused on the central business district and in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. The organization

1400-413: The city, especially in Over-the-Rhine. On April 9, a group of 200 protesters brandishing signs, including Thomas' mother, Angela Leisure, gathered outside Cincinnati City Hall while the city council was in session, to demand public explanation for Thomas' shooting. The protesters also demanded to know the results of the police investigation of the shooting, but were told the department was not ready and

1456-557: The city, including Bill Cosby , Whoopi Goldberg , and Smokey Robinson cancelled their performances there. After a year, the community boycott was estimated to have caused a $ 10 million negative economic impact on the city. Significant gentrification of the Over the Rhine community began just before and continued after the period of civil unrest, as developers found property values low enough to allow acquisition and redevelopment. A number of tech companies and nightlife spots have opened in

1512-414: The civil unrest. It cost the city another $ 1.5 million to $ 2 million for emergency responders and equipment damage. The four days of protest and unrest are considered the largest urban disturbance in the United States since the 1992 Los Angeles period of unrest . There has been extensive discussion within the local community about the effects of suburbanization and urban decay in the city, as well as

1568-583: The company in the 1920s. In 2010 the revived Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. began brewing beer in the Brewery District once again. This area of the neighborhood has been relatively untouched by recent "gentrification efforts" and may resemble 1990s OTR better than other areas. In the late 1820s, English writer Fanny Trollope , mother of Anthony Trollope , lived in the Mohawk area, which today

1624-476: The course of the day. The city called in deputies from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office to help when looting and vandalism broke out in other poorer neighborhoods in Cincinnati, including Walnut Hills and Avondale , where vandals broke windows and set small fires. Several gunshots were fired during the night, and there were a number of injuries reported in the incidents. Participants in

1680-434: The crowd began throwing bottles and garbage at police, who retreated both times. Parts of the crowd headed back downtown, where they began to overturn garbage cans, vendor carts, and newspaper boxes. The crowd began smashing windows of businesses and looting stores. Police moved in on horseback or with linked arms and dispersed the crowd with bean bags, tear gas and rubber bullets. They made sixty-six arrests of protesters over

1736-413: The highest rates of abandoned and vacant homes in the country. They classified it then as the sixth hardest area in the nation to get an accurate population count. In recent years there has been a burst of restoration and development slowly moving northward year by year from Central Parkway, with a focus on attracting local small businesses rather than national chains. Developers have restored and renovated

Over-the-Rhine - Misplaced Pages Continue

1792-535: The mid-20th century. It is home to several of Cincinnati's most famous landmarks, including Music Hall and Findlay Market. The neighborhood's name comes from Rhinelanders who settled the area in the mid-19th century. Many walked to work across bridges over the Miami and Erie Canal , which separated the area from downtown Cincinnati. The canal was nicknamed "the Rhine" in reference to the river Rhine in Germany , and

1848-499: The most notable example of Modern architecture in the neighborhood. Noted Indianapolis architect Evans Woollen III and his architectural firm of Woollen, Molzan and Partners helped redevelop the historic neighborhood in the 1970s and 1980s. Woollen designed the Over-the-Rhine Pilot Center (1972–84), a group of four modern , mixed-use buildings within a two-block area. The Pilot Center buildings included

1904-513: The neighborhood and the Cincinnati Police Department . Between 1995 and April 2001, fifteen black males suspected of crimes had been killed by Cincinnati police during confrontation or while in custody, including four since November 2000, while no white suspects were killed in that period. In particular, two recent deaths had sparked tensions: Roger Owensby, Jr. died November 7, 2000, allegedly of asphyxiation from

1960-665: The neighborhood as having "a scale and grace reminiscent of Greenwich Village in New York ." Its architectural significance has also been compared to the French Quarter in New Orleans and the historic districts of Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina . When Arthur Frommer , founder of the Frommer's travel guides , visited Over-the-Rhine he described it as the most promising urban area for revitalization in

2016-416: The neighborhood. By 2007, several new community events had been organized. Several large Cincinnati companies, including Fifth Third Bank , Procter & Gamble and Kroger , announced support for reforms in the city, such as investment in schools and minority-hiring programs. Police behavior and protocols were investigated, and changes were made to improve training and interaction with the community. On

2072-467: The newly settled area north of the canal as "Over the Rhine". In German, the district was called über den Rhein . An early reference to the canal as "the Rhine" appears in the 1853 book White, Red, Black , in which traveler Ferenc Pulszky wrote, "The Germans live all together across the Miami Canal, which is, therefore, here jocosely called the 'Rhine.' " In 1875 writer Daniel J. Kenny referred to

2128-405: The owner-occupancy rate was between 3 and 4 percent compared to the citywide rate of 39 percent. According to the "Drilldown", a comprehensive analysis of the city's actual population and demographics conducted in 2007, OTR's current population was just 4,970. At the 2000 census , the racial makeup of Over-the-Rhine was 19.4% White , 76.9% African American , and less than 4% of other races. 0.6% of

2184-433: The period of unrest caused $ 3.6 million in damage to businesses and another $ 1.5 to $ 2 million to the city. A subsequent community boycott of downtown businesses had an estimated adverse impact of $ 10 million on the area. Incidents of violent crime rose in the downtown area for several years thereafter. The city worked with the community and police to improve training and policies to prevent incidents like that in which Thomas

2240-696: The period of unrest dispersed in the early morning hours. Many of the damaged downtown businesses resumed normal operations the next day. But, at nightfall on April 11, another interval of unrest broke out downtown as nothing had yet been done in retribution for the killing of Timothy Thomas, and more businesses were damaged and looted. Sporadic incidents continued the next evening, and a police crackdown resulted in another 82 arrests. By April 12, many downtown businesses did not open, and workers for many others refused to go downtown. A third night of unrest continued that evening, causing further damage. The morning of April 13, Cincinnati Mayor Charles J. Luken announced

2296-437: The population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. The neighborhood's residents comprise roughly 1.2% of the population of the City of Cincinnati. Recent gentrification has changed the demographic makeup of the area as residents moving in tend to have a higher income and are more likely to be white. By 2018 the website statisticalatlas.com was estimating OTR's population to be 34% white and 54% black, with 56% of those between

Over-the-Rhine - Misplaced Pages Continue

2352-460: The protest involved with property destruction and/or violence were indicted on felony charges. Roach was tried for negligent homicide in September 2001. Cincinnati police attempted to waive the trial in favor of a bench ruling. Roach, who left the force to join a suburban police department, was later acquitted of the charges. Several isolated incidents of civil unrest occurred after his verdict

2408-443: The redevelopment of Over-the-Rhine, a historic neighborhood. The incidents again strained the relationship between the police and residents of the city's minority communities. In 2002, the city signed an agreement for initiatives to improve police service to minority communities, revise use-of-force guidelines and form a committee for community policing initiatives. CPD officers began an unofficial work slowdown, which coincided with

2464-410: The result of police targeting " driving while black ," rather than actual differences in the rate of offenses committed by different groups. In little more than two months preceding this incident, Timothy Thomas had received numerous traffic citations: he "was pulled over 11 times by six different white officers and four black officers. They cited Thomas for 21 violations, almost all of them for exactly

2520-455: The same things – not wearing a seat belt or driving without a license." In the early morning hours of April 7, 2001, Cincinnati police in Over-the-Rhine attempted to arrest the 19-year-old, who was wanted on 14 nonviolent misdemeanor counts, of which 12 were traffic citations . Thomas was pursued for 10 minutes by nine officers, who were later joined by Patrolman Stephen Roach. The pursuit culminated at 2:20 a.m. when Thomas rounded

2576-400: The site of the 2001 Cincinnati riots , became the city's most dangerous neighborhood by 2009. However, it has since seen intensive redevelopment efforts. Private development corporations and city officials have begun to address the problems that come with a neighborhood with low employment and high crime rates. A neo-liberal urban renewal strategy encourages private corporations rather than

2632-458: The station's front door, pulled the station flag from its mast and re-hung it upside down. Police dispersed the crowd with tear gas , bean bags and rubber bullets . Ten arrests were made during the incident. On the afternoon of April 10, the unrest resumed after a static protest on Fountain Square. Approximately 20 to 30 African-Americans moved through city streets towards Over the Rhine, soon followed by police officers. At two road intersections,

2688-441: The suburbs following World War II. The city and area had lost many of the industrial jobs that once supported its workers. By the end of the century, the area was noted for its poverty. Residents united and created many life-saving organizations. Following social unrest in 2001, the neighborhood has since been the focus of millions of dollars of redevelopment. Over-the-Rhine, one of the largest, most intact urban historic districts in

2744-424: The worst-kept properties at the time were owned by Over-the-Rhine's non-profits, which let the buildings sit vacant and deteriorating because of lack of funds or volunteers. With some buildings on the verge of collapse, investors and real-estate developers are trying to restore them before deterioration to the point of requiring demolition. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, part of Over-the-Rhine had one of

2800-431: Was $ 8,600 compared to $ 26,774 for the city overall. Author David Waddington attributed the poverty of the area to high unemployment resulting from a loss of manufacturing jobs in the city, as well as cuts in youth programs in the city. The neighborhood had a high rate of crimes, in particular drug-related offenses. The array of poverty-associated problems resulted in heightened tensions between African-American residents in

2856-520: Was a result of a recommendation by a City of Cincinnati Economic Development Task Force. Most funds are gathered through corporate contributions. In 2004, 3CDC accepted responsibility for overseeing Cincinnati New Markets Fund and Cincinnati Equity Fund. As of May 2018, those funds total over $ 250 million and have resulted in over $ 1.3 billion invested in downtown and Over-the-Rhine real estate projects. Over-the-Rhine has been praised for its collection of historic architecture. The New York Times described

SECTION 50

#1732783499785

2912-468: Was announced. An internal police investigation found Roach had lied in his incident report, had not followed department firearm procedures, and had not given Thomas sufficient time to respond to his order. Angered by police reaction, particularly the April 14 incident, several community groups organized a boycott of downtown businesses. Several prominent African-American entertainers scheduled to perform in

2968-434: Was called "The Northern Liberties". In 1955, the city decided to widen Liberty Street to connect with Reading Road as an east-west crosstown access point for the interstate highway system. Buildings on the south side of the street were demolished and the street was widened from two to five lanes. As of 2019, efforts are underway to narrow Liberty Street to bridge the gap between these halves of the neighborhood. Over-the-Rhine,

3024-595: Was killed. The initial incident and much of the subsequent unrest began on Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati. Much of the subsequent unrest took place in Over-the-Rhine , the neighborhood of the victim immediately north of Cincinnati's central business district . A 2000 demographic profile of the neighborhood showed a resident population of 7,368, of whom 5,974 were African American . The profile also showed significant poverty, unemployment, and

3080-495: Was still investigating. The council members stayed inside city hall for three hours and did not respond to the crowd's demands. Later that evening, several hundred residents gathered outside the Cincinnati Police District 1 headquarters in Over-the-Rhine and confronted a line of police officers on horseback and in police cruisers . For about an hour, the crowd threw stones and bottles at police, smashed

3136-400: Was the day of Timothy Thomas' funeral. Police kept a helicopter airborne and stationed police two blocks from the service. About 2,000 protesters began a peaceful march downtown following the service. A procession of 30 from the funeral marched to the intersection of Elm and Liberty streets. A group of seven law enforcement personnel arrived in patrol cruisers and fired bean bag ammunition into

#784215