Rothenberg planning 'gaining momentum'

Efforts to create a community learning center at the Rothenberg School are moving along according to Over-the-Rhine resident Mary Anne Berry, a member of the school planning team.

"We are gaining momentum," she says.  "There's much more community interest.  At Rothenberg, the community is represented at the table more than any of the other schools that have gone through the process," she says.

Four design options are currently on the table for placement of a gymnasium, playground, green space, and expanded parking.

"It's challenging to work through eveybody's input," she says.  "But we're fortunate to have our architects from GBBN and Robin Brandon, the project coordinator from CPS."

The school planning team's design committee will be choosing one of the four options on July 1, and the chosen design will be presented to the Cincinnati Public Schools board in September.

The school is scheduled to open to 550 students in the fall of 2011.

"We're going to do everything we can to keep the architects on schedule," she says.  "We don't want everyone to have to move in over a weekend.  We want to provide a summer of planning for the teachers."

Berry says that they're committed to making sure the project is done right.

"The potential is huge," she says.  "There's no reason it couldn't be an excellent, model school."

Berry says that a successful Rothenberg could help draw more families to Over-the-Rhine.

"We need families down here," she says.  "True communities include families."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Mary Anne Berry, Rothenberg school planning team
Rendering courtesy of Rothenberg school planning team