WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:07.400 Bill Cunningham, the great American. 2 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:07.759 Welcome. 3 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:10.359 This floor is Wednesday afternoon. The triscaate. The sun is out, 4 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:12.800 a little bit chilly, not too bad. Red's baseball to 5 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.480 then I kicks off about five forty. First, bitch about 6 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:17.920 six forty. The Reds are impregnable. They can't be beaten. 7 00:00:18.199 --> 00:00:20.480 They open up about two and six. Since then they 8 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:23.280 have been seven and two with the best record in baseball. 9 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.920 Do you believe that? And also, tomorrow's a business special. 10 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:29.239 It won't be with you on Thursday. Back out it 11 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:32.479 again on Friday, but once again. One of the foundations 12 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:34.520 of the development of the city of Cincinnati for the 13 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:36.960 past twenty years has been a group called three C 14 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:41.399 d C, which stands for Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation 15 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:45.759 IE three CDC dot org. You may recall about twenty 16 00:00:45.799 --> 00:00:48.679 years ago the powers that be in the city went 17 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:51.479 to Pittsburgh, the home of the Steelers and the Pirates, 18 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:54.200 to pick a young guy named Steve Leeper who had 19 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:57.399 some idea about what to do with city development, and 20 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:00.280 he was hired to come to Cincinnati. After many of 21 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:02.439 the riots that we had, and you might recall that 22 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:04.959 I related to time Charlie Luken and I took a 23 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.359 walk up Vine Street and we were stepping over human bodies. 24 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:12.040 There was a movie theaters that were caving in. It 25 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:15.920 looked like Bangladesh And all of a sudden, after twenty 26 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.280 years flies by when you have them fund. Steve Leaper 27 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:21.359 has been here since April of twenty zero. Forces been 28 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.879 here twenty years celebrating I guess his twentieth year in Cincinnati. 29 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:27.879 And Steve Leeper, welcome again to the Bill Cunningham Show. 30 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.120 And Steve, first of all, can you describe to the 31 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:33.400 people the kind of city you found in April of twenty. 32 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:39.760 Four Bill, thanks for having me well. I think it 33 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:43.359 was a city that saw a need to make some 34 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:47.480 improvements and invest their capital. And I saw a city 35 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:52.000 coming together because thanks to Mayor Charlie Lucan and ag Laughley, 36 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:55.079 they got together and said we see a need for change, 37 00:01:55.159 --> 00:02:00.200 and we intend to take the steps to do so. Think, 38 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:05.239 in particular, the over Line neighborhood was one where the 39 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:09.639 disinvestment was pretty blatant, as you described. I think the 40 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:15.719 settle this investment downtown due to the uncertainty of where 41 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:19.039 Overline was going to go. I think that was his 42 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:23.439 concern to the corporate leadership and that in the elected 43 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:24.639 officials as there. 44 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:27.719 The run was because we were going to become Toledo, 45 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.039 and God blessed Toledo. I went to law school there, 46 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:32.240 but there was no reasons had to happen. So the 47 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:35.599 powers that be, the corporate leadership, the fifth third Banks 48 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:38.520 to John Barrett's, the Procter and Gambles, and at that 49 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:41.000 point Macy's and others said we can't have this because 50 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:43.919 this is terrible. And so you were hired to do 51 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.319 what twenty years ago? What was your mission? What was 52 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:47.199 your mission statement? 53 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:52.439 Well, you know they had already through the Cincinnati Business Committee, 54 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:56.159 had done some a lot of work. They had hired 55 00:02:56.319 --> 00:03:03.000 HRNA consulting firm out of New York City who came 56 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:06.159 in and assessed the situation and said, you need to 57 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:09.879 focus on three areas. Obviously, you need to begin the 58 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:13.080 redevelopment of over the Rhine, but first and foremost you 59 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:16.000 ought to try to start with your strength and redo 60 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:20.080 Fountain Square. And then they also said, you know, you 61 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:24.080 need to get the banks moving up and out of 62 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:27.879 the ground. And probably I don't I can't remember, but 63 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:30.120 it was about six months into it. Maybe a year 64 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:35.599 quite a year where the county decided to take the 65 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:40.800 banks on its own, which you know, could have been 66 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:43.919 communicated a little better. But you know, when you look 67 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:46.800 back in history, that was as far as we were concerned, 68 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.960 that's the best thing could have happened, because it was 69 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:53.960 just too much for you know, a fledgling organization and 70 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:56.400 where you know, we're three guys in a truck trying 71 00:03:56.439 --> 00:03:59.319 to get this thing done, and I think it would 72 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:02.919 have taken ours office. Really what was the most important, 73 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:09.039 which was you know, shoring up downtown through reinvestments, starting 74 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:13.680 with Fountain Square and then beginning this sort of difficult 75 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:18.959 task of turning over the Rhine from a blighted neighborhood 76 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:20.439 to a thriving one. 77 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:23.199 Unbelievable. Of course, my family goes deep into the roots 78 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:26.639 of Washington Park. You might recall Old Conny William Cunningham 79 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:31.319 was a mortician, he was a resurrectionist, and my family 80 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:34.839 goes deep into Washington Park, which was a burial ground 81 00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:38.600 for those who had the diseases from nineteen nineteen but 82 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:41.360 also from the Civil War era. So you looked at 83 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.879 Fountain Square that needed serious help, you looked at Washington 84 00:04:44.920 --> 00:04:48.160 Park that was a place where police cars are rolled 85 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:51.199 over the bodies of dead homeless women. That wasn't good. 86 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:53.319 And then the banks was kind of a county deal 87 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:56.120 that developed by itself. These things don't happen by themselves. 88 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:59.279 How much total money twenty years. I read an article 89 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:01.920 about you from twenty sixteen that had a billion dollars, 90 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:04.720 and I'm gonna ask about what's going on now, especially 91 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:09.040 now that pay Corps appears to be they've been bought out. 92 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:10.560 What's going to happen with that? We're not sure, But 93 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:13.199 give us the overview of twenty years, how many billions 94 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.000 of dollars, how many apartments, how many condos, how many 95 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:20.600 parking spaces? Because if Steve Leeper three CDC corporate leadership 96 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:22.360 and government partnerships, give. 97 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:25.879 Us the overview, Steve, it's not because of me. It's 98 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:29.560 because of the corporate community in their commitment and staying 99 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:31.839 with us for twenty years. I mean, this is I'm 100 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:35.360 seeing this in other cities where they are facing a 101 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:38.519 lot of the same challenges we were, even you know, 102 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:42.399 twenty years ago, and they don't have the corporate strength, 103 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:46.040 nor the commitment and the public leadership to form a 104 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.800 partnership between the public and private sector. So really this 105 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:55.360 is this is really the corporate community and staying together 106 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:58.519 and the city because this city has been such a 107 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:02.959 great partner. But we've now crossed our two billions dollar 108 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:07.399 that we've invested and or oversaw the management of. And 109 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:11.399 it's a series of buildings. Of course, the civic spaces 110 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:17.399 you talked about, you know, Fountain Square, Washington Park, Siglar Park, 111 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:22.040 Memorial Hall, redoing Music Hall, which was an effort that 112 00:06:22.120 --> 00:06:24.399 we took on on behalf of the city, and the 113 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:30.040 Musical Revitization Corporation. We've done you know, three comprehensive residential 114 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:33.000 and service facilities for the homeless, which was the former 115 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.519 two of the buildings of the former Dropping Center, and 116 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:39.120 then one is the City Gospel Mission. And we've been 117 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:42.959 you know, we've have hundreds of thousands of square feet 118 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:47.079 of commercial space, and we've been focusing mostly on street 119 00:06:47.160 --> 00:06:50.079 level and controlling the street level. And so what you 120 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:52.800 see in over the Rhine is, you know, all those 121 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:57.079 establishments up and down Seine Street are because we felt 122 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:03.480 so strongly that street level and getting the right businesses 123 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:06.399 at that street level is so important in the development 124 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:09.879 of the neighborhood, and you now see that downtown around 125 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:13.319 the old Macy's, the Foundry building and the new one 126 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.879 be Sacks, and what we did at the old Masonet site. 127 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:20.040 I mean, these are things that were very intentional and 128 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:25.120 thought through. And fortunately we have the entrepreneurial partners, the 129 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:30.879 restaurant tours, the entertainment facilities, the retailers. Those are the 130 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:35.439 real heroes here because they've We're so unique that we 131 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:38.160 don't have a lot of chain restaurants and so it's 132 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:42.120 very few and now downtown one that I can think 133 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:46.120 of is mccormicky Smith. But other than that, everything and 134 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:51.319 everything and over line is genuine local Cincinnati ones that 135 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.800 we should be proud of, and that is not the 136 00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:56.120 case in most cities. 137 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:58.720 Why is in I guess I could ask why is 138 00:07:58.759 --> 00:08:01.399 this not duplicated enough cities? And it's because you don't 139 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:05.319 have the corporate community that Cincinnati has along with the 140 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:07.959 ability of government to get things done. And Steve Laper, 141 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:10.439 you're kind of in the middle. You have a foot 142 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:13.720 in both kingdoms, the public and the private. Looking ahead 143 00:08:13.720 --> 00:08:16.600 to the Duke Energy Center into the big hotel, what's 144 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:19.040 the status of that of that as we speak this 145 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:20.319 this Wednesday afternoon. 146 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:27.560 Yeah, So the the new renovate, the newly renovated convention 147 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:33.440 Center is on track. It's on budget. We will complete 148 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:35.919 that by the end of the year and the first 149 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:39.480 show will be in their first part of January will 150 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:42.480 be Redcest So we're excited to work with the Reds 151 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:46.480 on that. It will have a public plaza next to it. 152 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.759 So what used to be the former Millennium site, we're 153 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:56.639 closing Elm Street permanently north of between dist and six, 154 00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:00.879 so that will uh be one law large plaza. We're 155 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:05.639 actually moving bringing a new skating rink to downtown and 156 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:08.039 we're putting what was the skating rink that was on 157 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:11.960 Fountain Square We're moving to the Elm Street plaza because 158 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:13.759 we had used to have to jerry rig that thing 159 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:17.039 into the into Mountain Square and I think this is 160 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:19.519 going to be no more. And then we're going to 161 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:26.080 do a really great winner holiday Christmas like installation is 162 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:28.360 Fountain Square that will be attractive to leave the tree 163 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:31.679 there and just have that what is that two block 164 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:36.399 stroll that you're going to have with with Salazars and 165 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:40.240 the new Flight club that's moving in the Salazan Flight Club. 166 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:43.799 We're moving into the old tracks. We've got Meta's, we've 167 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:48.240 got we've got vintage, we've got you know, the new 168 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:51.639 Mary Gold, We've got the five Iron Golf, all of 169 00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:55.960 that along that strip on Fistreet leading to the Davidson 170 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.399 and of course Ruby's. Then you get to the Square 171 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:01.120 and then you go through the past messageway near at 172 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:05.200 Soto and Boca and Nigbies, and so we think we 173 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:08.440 got a lot to offer both the folks within Cincinnati, 174 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:11.919 but certainly folks outside of Cincinnati. So the hotel is 175 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.039 well on its way. That skating rink will be up 176 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:18.759 in November of this year, and then the Convention Center hotel. 177 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:23.840 Excuse me, we've been tightened through the the high interest 178 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:27.399 rates and construction costs and all those kinds of things, 179 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:30.120 but we're putting our head down. Our goal is to 180 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:35.559 bring a financing package to the city and county by 181 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:40.960 June thirtieth of this year. And we've already started some construction, 182 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:44.399 some environmental work on the site which is right next 183 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:47.720 right across the street from the Convention Center, and then 184 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.600 we're going to start We bought that old garage that 185 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:53.200 sits across from the Convention Center has that ramp that 186 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:56.960 goes up and right, Oh, we're going to start. Well, no, 187 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:00.559 that's the post we were at Fourth and The Pope's 188 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:03.240 Garage used to be at Fourth and Race. This one 189 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:07.720 it's called a Wex garage. It's sort of nondescript. It's ugly, 190 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:09.879 but we're going to do a major renovation of it, 191 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:14.360 and that starts in about a month. So things are 192 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:18.360 moving along. Sacks is moving along as well. Pay Court 193 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:21.919 is moving in. They're keeping the name. They are moving in. 194 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:25.279 They're under construction and there we've finished the base building. 195 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:28.159 They're doing their tenant improvements and build out and they 196 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:32.639 should be in this fall. And then of course the 197 00:11:32.679 --> 00:11:37.600 two restaurants are under construction as well, so that that building, 198 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:41.200 which was a little bit of a dysfunctional sort of building, 199 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:44.639 is going to turn into a pretty spectacular building that 200 00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:45.960 will complement the foundry. 201 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:47.840 You got to be glad you got out of Pittsburgh 202 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:49.759 in of this for twenty years. But Steven, we thought 203 00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:52.919 about getting to the to the Middle East with your talents. 204 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:55.360 You got the Gaza, you got Hesbala, you got Hamas, 205 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:58.960 got the IDF. You have difficulties with the hostages. Have 206 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:01.200 you thought about broaden your ability to get to the 207 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:03.200 Middle East and solve those problems? 208 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:06.240 Yeah, and you talk about an international incident and if 209 00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:07.559 I went over there, it would. 210 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:13.240 Not You do this, You do that. And suddenly, let 211 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:16.120 me share with you an email that I received yesterday 212 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:18.440 when I announced you were going to come on, and 213 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.720 you know what you've done for the city. You ought 214 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:22.480 to get the gold medal, You ought to be retired, 215 00:12:22.519 --> 00:12:25.080 whatever it is, three C d C, Steve Leeper. But 216 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:28.000 this email says three C d C has overseen the 217 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:32.679 transformation of OTR by evicting and displacing families lived there 218 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:36.480 for generations from underserved working class neighborhood into a playground 219 00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:38.799 for the rich and famous. And so no matter what 220 00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:41.799 you do, I guess this person thinks you should have 221 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:45.039 kept it the way it was was look like Bangladesh, And. 222 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:48.320 So that is it was funny you should say that 223 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:52.440 because we were I was in Saint Louis yesterday talking 224 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.000 to corporate leaders. Asked to volunteer to come down and 225 00:12:55.039 --> 00:12:57.440 talk to the corporate leaders there. We were scoring over 226 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:03.120 photos of of of the before of early on and 227 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:05.279 they said, well, did you get pushed back and do 228 00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:08.639 people thinking. I said, the best way to describe this 229 00:13:08.679 --> 00:13:12.039 is is that does anybody think these photos and what 230 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:15.840 that neighborhood look like was acceptable? Is this something as 231 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:18.200 a community we should be proud of? Or is this 232 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:21.639 is something we should change? That neighborhood is a diverse 233 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:25.399 of a neighborhood, though I've seen restaurants there. You walk 234 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:28.159 the people all walks of life. There are people living 235 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:31.559 in affordable housing living right next to conomins. That Washington 236 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:35.000 Park is the most diverse park in the city. That 237 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:38.519 Ziggler Park. We did six hundred swim lessons for kids 238 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.240 last year. We ran a summer camp for kids at free, 239 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:45.240 free of charge. We have a swim team over there 240 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:48.399 that we do. I mean to hear that sort of 241 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:54.639 tired narrative is frustrating for me because of all the 242 00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:58.559 hard work that my colleagues do, our partners do, our 243 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:02.440 corporate community gives, our city gives the change of a 244 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:06.960 community to make it better. Yeah. Certainly, by the way, 245 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:09.200 could we've done things differently over the last time. 246 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:09.480 Sure? 247 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.000 Sure. The things we stepped on absolutely absolutely, And we 248 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:17.240 are not beyond people challenging us and even criticizing us. 249 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:19.879 Look I got thick skin. I don't really you know, 250 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:23.600 I don't take things personally. On the other hand, it 251 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.519 needs to be backed up by facts. 252 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:29.679 Well, you know, you remind me of the comments of 253 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:33.000 when Teddy Roosevelt about the critics. You always see how 254 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:36.720 the do or deeds have done something wrong? Have you 255 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.879 give mess We have about two minutes remaining. Give me 256 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:43.159 the next five to ten years. I assume Steve Lieper, 257 00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:44.799 you're going to be there for a while. Don't go 258 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:47.879 back to Pittsburgh. It's terrible. In the next five to 259 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:50.360 ten years. What do you see happening in the city corps, 260 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:54.120 OTR and Washington Park the banks. Give me the plan 261 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:55.440 for the next five years. 262 00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:58.000 Well, I think the main thing that we're focused on, 263 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:00.559 Bill and this is this is we have a great 264 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:04.080 partnership with the city, the city manager show along the mayor, 265 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:09.360 astab and the city council members. But we are moving 266 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:12.879 aggressively north of Liberty. So if you go up Vine 267 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:16.559 Street as you do, I mean you go from one 268 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:19.960 sort of stage of life to another, and it is 269 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:22.200 a challenge and it looks like we're start all over again. 270 00:15:23.080 --> 00:15:27.200 So we closed on the financing a new Crossroads Health 271 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:31.279 center which is presently at the corner of Liberty and Vine, 272 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:34.080 and we are moving it and rebuilding one at the 273 00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:38.200 old at the City Rec Center that's near a family market, 274 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:40.720 and we are going to close at the end of 275 00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:45.279 this month on a fifty million dollars new community center 276 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:48.879 that's going to be not only a recreational facility, but 277 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:52.039 an educational and a health facility that is going to 278 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:54.440 be serving children in that neighborhood and take some of 279 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:56.320 the things that we do in Zigler Park and moving 280 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:00.639 indoors during the non summer months, and we're going to 281 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:07.200 program with the CRC and a daycare provider. We're going 282 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:10.279 to have eight thousand square for daycare there. So these 283 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.320 are the things that we think are serving the community. 284 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:15.399 I think maybe that guy didn't know who wrote that email, 285 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:21.039 didn't know we were getting involved in that care. Yeah, 286 00:16:21.080 --> 00:16:26.279 but this is again corporate leadership in this town, raising 287 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:29.360 over ten million dollars in grant money from philanthropic to 288 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:32.879 the Cincinnati stepping up with almost twenty four million dollars. 289 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:36.559 So this again is a public private partnership. It's going 290 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.679 to transform that It's right at that corner of Micken 291 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:42.320 and Vine, and it's going to PLoP there and it's 292 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:45.759 gonna I genuinely believe it's going to have major change. 293 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:48.960 And then say two of that will be then housing, 294 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:53.879 all from vying up affordable, affordable home ownership, market rate 295 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:57.200 housing and what I think will be a great blended community. 296 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:00.679 Well, it's beautiful. Keep going, don't stop. There are always 297 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:03.480 going to be out there. I lived through the good days, 298 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:05.240 the bad days. This is the best that's ever been 299 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:08.079 that part of town. And before are you aware of 300 00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:10.359 my family's deep roots in Washington Park? 301 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:12.279 I did not know that. 302 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:14.920 I want you to google. I want you to google 303 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:20.880 William Cunningham resurrectionist, and you talk about my family's roots 304 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.240 or in Washington Park. This guy was unbelievable. He's my 305 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:27.920 great great great grandfather and he was headquartered in Washington 306 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:30.680 Park in the eighteen seventies. You're gonna love this story. 307 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:34.200 Tell Rudim Miller, tell Joe to William Cunningham, a resurrectionist. 308 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:37.799 This guy is unbelievable and my roots deep. 309 00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:41.400 Your listener should know that what you're saying is true. 310 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:44.519 I mean that was a popper's grave. Yeah. And when 311 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:49.319 we redid fund Washington Park, we had about eighty one 312 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:54.279 hundred and ninety sets of remains that we reinterned at 313 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:55.200 Spring Growth. 314 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:57.880 Well, the thing I had to do, Steve, he was 315 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:02.039 he was a resurrectionist, a body snatcher, and he did 316 00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:05.079 it for profit, and so he cooperated with the police. 317 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.640 But just look up William Cunningham Washington Parking. The Inquired 318 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:10.519 did a big story on him one hundred and forty 319 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:13.359 years ago. But we got to run Steve Leeper. I'll see, 320 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:16.160 I'll see on the sidewalk somewhere in Vine Street at 321 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:18.839 some point. But please keep doing what you're doing. And 322 00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:23.960 once again three CDC dot org and Steve Leaper, the CEO, 323 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:26.160 thanks for coming on the Bill Cunningham Show, the great 324 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:29.279 great great grandson of the resurrectionist William Cunningham. 325 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:31.160 Bill, thanks for having me check. 326 00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:34.759 Check it out. All right, let's continue with more Steve Leeper, 327 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:37.400 And if you have time today, just google William Cunningham, 328 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:40.119 resurrectionist or body snatcher and you'll see in my family's 329 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.599 history deep into the soil of Washington Park on news 330 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:49.279 Radio seven hundred WLW I Billie Cunningham, the Grant American. 331 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:52.759 After one o'clock today will be Sheriff Chermaine McGuffey to 332 00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:56.440 address the concern she has that you're right to vote 333 00:18:56.440 --> 00:19:00.960 for county officeholders is being eroded by the Republicans and Columbus. 334 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:05.720 But then later on two o'clock today, we scheduled Speaker 335 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:08.240 of the House, Matt Hoffman to be here. And as 336 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:11.079 far as getting rid of all these elections for county offices, 337 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:14.680 that as I understand it, there wasn't hearings held, and 338 00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:17.799 someone started into a bill that passed the House, and 339 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:19.920 that would mean that the county corner in this case, 340 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:22.920 doctor Samarco, would serve out her term. Then when it 341 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:26.759 was over, the county commissioners would appoint a corner or 342 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:30.839 a medical examiner of their choosing instead of someone selected 343 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:33.759 by you. And of course I've heard this for years 344 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:37.480 that the idea is reforming county government and streamline government, 345 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:39.759 all of which I'm in favor of. I think streamlining 346 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:43.000 is good and reformation generally is good. If something's wrong, 347 00:19:43.079 --> 00:19:45.799 make it better, absolutely, But then it takes away the 348 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:47.720 right of the people to vote for those who will, 349 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:50.119 in a sense, govern them in many important aspects of 350 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:53.160 your life. Now, the old system was, it was patronage. 351 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:56.480 These five or six county offices existed so that the 352 00:19:56.519 --> 00:20:00.000 patronage system could fully be implemented. So if you were 353 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:03.680 war chairman, you could get a job in county government. 354 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:06.079 Now they're not so desirable because it doesn't pay a 355 00:20:06.119 --> 00:20:09.119 lot of money. And secondly, there's many counties are either 356 00:20:09.160 --> 00:20:11.400 all Republican or all Democrat. It is rare to have 357 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:14.400 a county in Ohio or Kentucky or Indiana that goes 358 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:18.680 back and forth. And eighty counties in Ohio are completely 359 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:22.720 Republican and about eight counties there's eighty eight counties. Eight 360 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:26.000 counties are completely Democrat. It's hard to get elected in 361 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:30.200 this county if you're a Republican countywide, and it's very 362 00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:32.440 hard to be elected as a Democrat in Warren County. 363 00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:35.359 Would you agree? So there's been a split politically. So 364 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:39.079 now's the time that conservative Republicans, who I generally support 365 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:41.839 in Columbus want to strike and get rid of county 366 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:44.400 offices in the sense the duties would be done by 367 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:48.559 someone other than an elected person. So Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey 368 00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:50.920 will be here after one o'clock to address that, and 369 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:53.880 at two o'clock we've scheduled Speaker of the House Matt Huffman, 370 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:57.400 who's some say the most powerful man in Ohio politics, 371 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:00.160 even bigger than Governor Mike DeWine, who is with you 372 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:03.160 and I yesterday, because he's the one that has a 373 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:06.799 veto proof house, and he was President of the Senate 374 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:08.799 for a few years before that, so he knows where 375 00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:11.680 the bodies are buried, all over Allen County and all 376 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:13.640 over Lima. That's where he's from when he went to 377 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:16.799 school that you see, got a law degree from here. 378 00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:20.240 And now he's the powerful Speaker of the House who 379 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:22.400 puts in the bill whatever he wants and generally gets 380 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:24.680 it passed, and if the governor doesn't like it, he's 381 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:27.319 got a veto proof majority to override the governor's veto 382 00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:30.599 line on in veto, et cetera. So we'll see what happens. 383 00:21:30.599 --> 00:21:32.680 But this thing is going to be resolved in the 384 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:35.960 next few weeks because by June the thirtieth there must 385 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:40.240 be a two year budget put forward. And what are 386 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.839 we now in the middle of April, so it's about 387 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:47.039 ten weeks away and away we go. Secondly, the news 388 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:52.720 media has worked itself into a soft pretzel, complaining about 389 00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:58.519 the behavior accorded to Abrego Garcia, who's not a US citizen. 390 00:21:58.519 --> 00:22:00.759 I've heard some media accounts that is the US citizen. 391 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.240 No, he's not. 392 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:05.440 He's a citizen of Al Salvador. He's from Al Salvador, 393 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:08.920 and he was smuggled into this country illegally when he 394 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:12.440 was eleven years old. I'm sorry, when he was sixteen 395 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.319 years old in the year twenty eleven, so he was born. 396 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:19.720 That means he would have been born in Whateen nineteen 397 00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:22.480 ninety four, nineteen ninety five, something like that. So the 398 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:26.319 guy's about thirty years old presently, came into the country illegally, 399 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:31.240 and as far as we can determine, Abrego Garcia has 400 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:34.880 been in the country roughly for fourteen years illegally, every 401 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:37.599