By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

OVER-THE-RHINE - A pizzeria run by Roman Catholic nuns as a charity project might have a new home this fall in the heart of Over-the-Rhine.

The Dominican Sisters of Hope and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who operate the Venice Pizza restaurant, are raising $500,000 to refurbish a storefront at 1301 Vine St.

The nuns were evicted in December from a West McMicken Street storefront in University Heights because they hadn't paid the rent for three months. They started the eatery there in 1990.

Sister Monica McGloin, a Dominican Sister of Hope and president of Power Inspires Progress, said a group of interior design and architecture students from the University of Cincinnati have volunteered to create conceptual drawings for the new restaurant.

She said those students along with others from Miami University would volunteer to help with construction of offices, bathrooms and service areas.

"UC has been really helpful," McGloin said. "This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn and assist in a low-income community."

In return, the nuns have offered the students $1,000 worth of free pizza.

"That's better than money to college kids," said Frank Russell, director of UC's Community Design Center.

Lauren Kelsch, 21, a UC interior design and architecture student and Over-the-Rhine resident, said she was inspired to act after reading a news article about the nuns' plight: "I'm happy to be doing something for my community as well as the nuns and their Venice Pizza project."

Venice Pizza is part of Power Inspires Progress, a program that provides part-time jobs for hard-to-employ people. The pizza parlor employed about 12 workers who were paid from minimum wage up to $7 an hour.

A local attorney is negotiating a lease agreement on the new site.

E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com