Price Hill Will attempting to rally neighborhood around historic St. Lawrence Corner

Following the opening of the new Kroger in the St. Lawrence Corner business district the Price Hill Will organization has put forth an increased effort in the business district which is also one of the organization’s target areas. Late last year Price Hill Will launched a facade improvement program meant to clean up the appearance of the district.  This coming fall the City of Cincinnati will invest in additional streetscape improvements meant to match those done nearby at the new Kroger grocery store which has been expanded and upgraded. Price Hill Will’s director of community organizing, Diana Vakharia, says that even more progress is on the way as new businesses should be opening soon with one as early as late August or early September.  Vakharia also notes that a new business association is “taking root due to the renewed interest in the area.” “St. Lawrence Corner is a walkable district with tremendous potential for small business owners,” says Vakharia who highlights the fact that the small store footprints and lower price points offer attractive spaces for local and first-time business owners. The St. Lawrence Corner business district is a key area for Price Hill Will as it offers the opportunity to build off of the interest in the new Kroger and the new streetscaping projects.  The district is also near Price Hill Will’s Buy, Improve, Sell Program area that rehabilitates existing single-family homes and then sells them to owner occupants with a requirement of living there for three years. Price Hill Will has also collected some data through the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) which identified that small dine-in restaurants are severely lacking, thus driving nearby residents to go to other neighborhoods. “We need to make it a place where people feel comfortable walking and strolling about,” says Vakharia who says that there is also a great interest in developing some sort of a public space for the district. One early potential is the creation of a common area behind several of the businesses where a pathway could connect the patio spaces and create the space for a movie night of some sorts. Another goal is to continue to reach out to the Spanish-speaking businesses in the area.  A Guatemalan grocery store opened up within the district about a year and a half ago in addition to the several other businesses in the area. Price Hill Will says that they are working on a marketing plan and hope to really ramp up their recruitment efforts of new businesses to help fill the handful of vacant storefronts that currently exist.  Vakharia is upbeat about the future as she believes it is a great area and that Price Hill Will can really make a big impact there. Writer: Randy A. Simes Photography by Scott Beseler