Mt. Airy Commons
Home Mt. Airy Commons

Mt. Airy Commons

Have You Seen Mt. Airy Commons?

By: Tom Wurzelbacher

When I speak to someone from outside our neighborhood with a familiarity of Mt. Airy, it’s usually due to them driving through on Colerain Ave. or North Bend Rd. on their way to some other destination. If asked about our business district, the typical response is something like “That’s the neighborhood at the top of the hill with the big castle” followed by adjectives such as “drab”, “dilapidated” or “uninteresting”. If asked if they have seen the mural and gardens at Mt. Airy Commons, very few say they even notice it as they drive by. For anyone who has seen it, the negative perceptions of our community are eased and you may hear words such as “gorgeous”, “vibrant” or even “wow!”. We at Mt. Airy Cure are seeking to build upon this positive progress in many ways including improving both the visibility and functionality of the Commons.
Mt. Airy Commons lies in the heart of the business district at 5536 Colerain Ave between Little Brother Friends of the Elderly and Authentic Cutz. In addition to the area that is a public parking lot with an adjacent garden and a mural on the Little Brothers building, there is also a large undeveloped area directly behind it that is ripe for expansion. The garden has a meandering gravel path leading to this area.
The Commons started in 2015 when the City of Cincinnati approved redevelopment of the property following the demolition of the old Klosterman Dry Cleaners building. A 23-space parking lot and lighting were added using funds obtained through community fundraising and governmental grants. Big steps were taken thereafter when LaSalle High School Art teacher Michael Knueven and some of his students generously took the lead in creating a fabulous mural that depicts Mt. Airy as a lovely, tree-filled community. Eagle Scout Ethan Miller made it his service project to plant trees, shrubs, and flowers alongside the mural to further advance the beautification of the area. Expansion of the garden has taken place since and continued maintenance has occurred led by a dedicated group of Ohio Master Gardeners and the Mt. Airy CURE beautification committee.
While these tremendous efforts by so many have been successful in creating a wonderful space that can serve as an inspiration for positive community development, the fulfillment of making this a true commons has not yet been achieved. A commons is considered to be “a piece of land that belongs to everyone in a community that serves as a place for public gatherings.” Nearby spaces such as Patrick’s Park in College Hill and the Westwood Town Hall area include such features as lawns, picnic tables, attractive fencing, playgrounds, and bandstands that we could seek to include in future plans. They frequently hold events such as concerts, food fairs, and art shows. There is room to make it even better!
Mt. Airy Cure would love to hear ideas from residents about possible improvements to Mt. Airy Commons. We will continue to seek grants to enhance this property and would love for members of the community to pitch in either financially or through volunteer efforts. Look for email updates and future newsletter articles inviting you to participate. You can email at [email protected] or directly to myself at [email protected].
 
 

New Upgrades to Mt. Airy Commons Thanks to Big Grant Award!

By: Tom Wurzelbacher

The wonderful city organization known as Keep Cincinnati Beautiful(KCB) has a grant program called Safe and Clean that “is designed to support and encourage community based efforts to improve safety and increased livability through neighborhood level problem solving approaches and projects.” Upon reviewing the grant guidelines, Mt. Airy CURE decided this would be a perfect opportunity to seek funds to make improvements to the community space at 5536 Colerain Ave known affectionately as Mt. Airy Commons. I took it upon myself to write the grant seeking input from multiple sources. It was decided that the grant application would have four elements. Clearing the undeveloped space behind the Commons parking lot of unwanted invasive plants, procuring picnic tables to install in the plaza area along Colerain Ave., adding security lighting to discourage car break-ins in the parking lot as well as to highlight the vibrant mural on the Little Brothers building and improving the meandering pathway that runs through the beautiful mural garden area. As it turns out, we were enthusiastically approved by KCB for our full asking amount of $21,000! We quickly got to work hiring contractors and ordering new treasures to add to the only true public friendly space within the Mt. Airy business district.
The impact of winning this grant award has already had a major impact on our neighborhood. The biggest change to this point is that the clearing of the rear of the property of invasive vegetation has allowed CURE to very quickly transform this space into a community garden. Six raised garden beds, a pumpkin patch and a pollinator garden have been established and volunteer days have been coordinated to make this happen. We also have many exciting future plans in the works including setting up a high tunnel to extend our growing season, establishing a fruit orchard and building a nature trail. The addition of the picnic tables, security lighting and rebuilt pathway has also resulted in increased pedestrian traffic through the Commons. Our board and community garden volunteers have been engaging with community members and are getting unanimously positive
feedback. We tell them that we are just getting started with this transformation. This is also resulting in an increased ability to have community events in the business district and have scheduled our first
annual Fall Festival on October 26, 2024.

The initial construction of this space starting in 2015 had the goal of greater community engagement and pride and hence it was called Mt. Airy Commons. We at Mt. Airy CURE feel strongly that the improvements made through this grant will be a giant step in making this a reality. Thank You Keep Cincinnati Beautiful! We invite all to come enjoy this beautiful space with us and watch as we continue to make improvements.

Comments are closed.

Close Search Window
↑