Cincinnati City Manager Valerie Lemmie told members of the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce Tuesday that her vision for the city's poorest neighborhood is pretty much in line with their vision.

Lemmie

        But she also said her vision of Over-the-Rhine was not “gentrification” — in which poor people are displaced by wealthier residents — but “adding to the mix.”

        Ms. Lemmie's speech to the business owners, developers and city officials precedes the long-awaited release of the city's Over-the-Rhine master plan, which is expected to be released this week after four years in the making.

        Few of the ideas she shared Tuesday were revolutionary. Indeed, she focused on basic city services:

        • Policing.

        • Street cleaning.

        • Social services.

        And she promised a more responsive city government to provide them.

        “At the end of the day, what really matters is building personal relationships, where city officials know you, and you know city officials,” she said. “You live here, you work here, you're invested here and you know a lot more about what should be done here than I do.”

        She said the city has invested $15 million in Over-the-Rhine since 1996. “The bad news is, that's not enough.”

        She proposed that the city borrow against its future allocation of federal community development block grants — about $16.7 million a year — to create a housing trust fund.

        The city's efforts to find another full-service grocery store for the neighborhood have been difficult, she said, but officials are focusing on smaller niches, such as an upscale gourmet or health-food store.

        She urged people who live and work in Over-the-Rhine to support the police department, “which over the last 18 months has been beleaguered at best,” she said.

        “If you see officers, invite them inside. It's hot. Offer them a glass of water. Work with them to make your business safer,” she said.

        “And not just police officers, but code inspectors and refuse workers.”

Police, Feds go after gun criminals
Indiana quake rattles nerves, little else
Teams look for a place to call home
Trip shows convention's importance to officials
Add to the mix to revitalize OTR, city manager says
Auditor irked by flag
Black Achievers recognized
Chabot urges late-abortion ban
City considers community monitors
Obituary: Paul Keels, ran award-winning auto dealership
Plans for parking lot supported
Tristate A.M. Report
BRONSON: Welcome mat
HOWARD: Some Good News
KORTE: City Hall
SAMPLES GUTIERREZ: Loud and clear
SMITH AMOS: Groundbreaking
Case of missing baseball money sent to grand jury
District aims to smooth transition
Little Miami schools face cuts
Loveland development opposed
Primary win came at a price
Teen guilty in girl's rape
Taft proposes disclosure
Fayette County unloads old school buses on eBay
Ky.'s latest finance fix could falter
Lt. Gov. explores race
NewCath downplays letter
Priests could be dismissed
Sand tiger shark dies
State wobbles in purchase of land
Villa Hills celebrates 40 years