By Dan Klepal
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Web site of the University Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corp. shows the Stratford Heights Community as looking like this. | ZOOM |

The artist's renderings of the proposed Stratford Heights neighborhood near the University of Cincinnati campus show tree-lined paths, lush green fields and Swiss-style buildings that will house students and their organizations.

Volleyball and basketball courts dot the 10-acre landscape, along with a parking garage and a multipurpose center that will house a cafeteria, computer lab and recreation area for the 700 residents.

It looks like a nightmare to many nearby residents, who see homes being torn down for dorm rooms and envision students who live in the buildings but park in their neighborhood because they can't afford to keep their cars in the garage.

William Diss has been working with others in the neighborhood to keep the University of Cincinnati from tearing down houses on Stratford Avenue to put in a student housing complex. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

Developers say the proposed $45 million project will blend seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood. Residents say it will be an island that ensures the residents won't care about their neighbors.

The two sides have been butting heads over the proposed development for nearly a year. About a dozen residents turned out for a public hearing on the issue at the city of Cincinnati's Planning Department on Thursday. The last hearing on the matter will be held Nov. 22.The city is to make a final decision in early December on whether to approve the development.

If approved, construction managers will break ground in spring. It would be ready for students by fall 2004.

"They'll be tearing down beautiful old buildings and putting up dorms," said Linda Ziegler, a 30-year resident of the neighborhood. "If the city believes our neighborhood should be trashed for UC, just tell us that and I'll move out to the suburbs."

Although a private development, the university is clearly behind it - lending the nonprofit University Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corp. $4.4 million so it could buy the land for the development.

In addition, Dale McGirr, UC's vice president for finance, is one of five members on the development corporation's board.

Brad Austing, general manager of the land division for Towne Development Group, said the project would create a distinct community for student organizations, allow self-governance of those organizations and enhance the connection between the university and the community. There would be 15 buildings that contain 696 beds.

Mr. Austing said the grounds would be private property and residents of the surrounding neighborhood would "not be encouraged" to use the multipurpose center, basketball courts or other facilities.

"The multipurpose center clearly is there to serve residents of this community, and we're looking at card access as a possibility for controlling that," said project architect Paul Wuennenberg. Controlling use of the volleyball and basketball courts, he said, would "be more difficult."

That concerns Craig Lloyd, who has owned property in the neighborhood for 18 years. Mr. Lloyd said the courts would be a magnet for kids.

"You're building a 10-acre development in our back yards," Mr. Lloyd said. "It's a concentrated youth compound, and we will continually have party and litter problems. You will quadruple the number of frat parties in the area."

E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com