Norwood, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Norwood is the second most populous city in Hamilton County
, Ohio
, United States. The city is an enclave of the larger city of Cincinnati
. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census. Originally settled as an early suburb of Cincinnati in the wooded countryside north of the city, the area is characterized by older homes and tree-lined streets. Norwood is currently undergoing economic and social changes due to recent retail and business development.
and Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway were built through the area, leading to increasing settlement in the countryside.
In 1873, a local dry goods merchant named L. C. Hopkins subdivided 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of his own land near the intersection of Hopkins Avenue and Montgomery Road. Shortly thereafter, other subdivisions were planned. The area quickly developed into one of Cincinnati's original suburbs. It was at Hopkins’ suggestion that the name of Norwood was substituted for that of Sharpsburg.
Much of the remaining land from which the city originated were farms of the Mills, Smith, Langdon, Williams, Durrell and Drake families. The village was incorporated into a city on May 10, 1888, under the name Norwood.
Norwood is located at 39°9′36"N 84°27′18"W (39.160060, −84.455074).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of it land.
The southern, eastern, and western areas of the city lie mostly on flat terrain, while the northern half of the city is characterized by a steeper elevation. The highest point in Norwood is at the Norwood Indian Mound burial site in Tower Park at 656 ft (199.9 m) above sea level. That site is one of the highest land elevations in southwest Ohio. It is believed the burial mound was built at that site due to the high elevation.
Near the burial mound are two large water towers, built in the 19th century, which Norwood uses to store water and regulate water pressure throughout its City. The towers were curious points of interest in the early 20th century. Because they were built with spiral staircases (long since removed), people rode horses or took carriage rides to the towers in order to climb the stairs and view growing Cincinnati to the south and countryside to the north. Norwood is credited with coming to the aid of Cincinnati residents during the Ohio River flood of 1937
. Cincinnati's drinking water was largely contaminated so their residents depended on Norwood for fresh water, which Norwood had stored safely in the towers, above flood waters.
of 2000, there were 21,675 people, 9,270 households, and 5,154 families residing in the city. The population density
was 6,956.5 people per square mile (2,682.3/km²). There were 10,044 housing units at an average density of 3,223.6 per square mile (1,243.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.25% White, 2.35% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races
, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.
There were 9,270 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples
living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,223, and the median income for a family was $39,951. Males had a median income of $31,530 versus $25,852 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,108. About 8.6% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
As the city is ideally situated between several major railways, state roads and interstate highways, it has traditionally been an attractive location for businesses and corporations in the area. In the 1940s and 1950s, the relatively small community held the distinction of producing more goods per capita
than any other city in the world.
Prominent Norwood industries included: United States Printing & Lithographing Company, Mead Container Corporation, American Laundry Machine Company, Globe Wernicke
, Bulloch Electric Company, Allis-Chalmers
, Siemens
, J.H. Day Corporation, Zumbiel Box, dozens of tool and die makers and other industrial concerns. Corporations founded and still located in Norwood include The United States Playing Card Company
and United Dairy Farmers
.
However, between 1923 and 1987 the General Motors
and Fisher Body
automobile assembly plants were far and away the city's major employer in terms of production, payroll and employees. For decades Norwood's fortunes rose (and later fell) with these businesses.
Located across Norwood's main thoroughfare from Norwood City Hall, the Norwood Assembly
plant built Chevrolet
and Pontiac
automobiles and provided Norwood with approximately 35% of its tax base from payroll taxes. The Norwood Plant produced 90% of the Chevrolet Camaro
and Pontiac Firebird
"muscle cars" of the 1980s. The prevalence of railroads through the area is a main reason the plant flourished. The railways were able to provide a steady flow of parts into the plant and an equally steady flow of assembled automobiles out of the plant. The plant used the enlarged McCoullough Yard, originally built for the McCoullough Seed Company in the 1920s.
The closing of the assembly plant nearly dealt a death blow to Norwood’s economy. As the main factory building sat vacant (for nearly 10 years), the city faced economic catastrophe and possible bankruptcy if replacement income was not found.
Due to the plant's unique location between Interstate 75, Interstate 71, the Norwood Lateral, U.S. Route 22 and Ohio State Route 561, the city approached GM about tearing down the old plant so Norwood could develop it. Initially GM refused, but after settling an unresolved tax dispute (GM potentially owed the city of Norwood millions of dollars in back taxes) GM agreed to demolish the remaining buildings and to donate ownership of the land to the City of Norwood.
In 1990, the first phase of development took place with the construction of the Central Parke complex on the former GM Assembly site. A new roadway, Wall Street, was built and the Grande Central Station outdoor mall was opened with a discount movie theater along with a mix of restaurants, retail, and light industry businesses. Behind the mall along the newly extended Wesley Avenue, a green space and lake were added in addition to several businesses including a technical college and medical billing firm.
In 1993, phase two took place as the city added a 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) mixed-use light industrial and office building at the northeast corner of Montgomery and Sherman Avenues. Commonly referred to as the Matrixx/Convergys building, the facility opened with two retail financial institutions, a marketing firm, a satellite television customer-service center, a medical consulting/MRI/diagnostic laboratory and telephone company firm as initial tenants. The new office building was conveniently able to utilize the still standing GM Assembly Plant parking garage located on Elm Avenue. Bennett Avenue, a two-block city street, was eliminated with the new construction. Greenspace was added along Montgomery Road.
on Edmondson Road. A high-rise office tower with an insurance company, medical clinic, and culinary was constructed on the northern edge of the property. Wildly successful, it was followed in 1997 by an adjoining open-air shopping mall, Rookwood Commons, on Edwards Road. The open-air shopping mall contained an eclectic mix of restaurants, clothing stores, and gift stores, previously not found in Hamilton County. Much of the success of local businesses is due to the central location in Cincinnati, and close proximity to interstates 71 and 75, using Ohio State Route 562, locally known as the Norwood Lateral.
A second development, the $125 million Rookwood Exchange
, was planned on the southern edge of this area directly across the street from the Rookwood Pavilion. However, the area where Rookwood Exchange was to be built was already occupied by a small 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) neighborhood. The city, declaring the neighborhood of about 70 homes and businesses as "blighted”, attempted to use eminent domain
to obtain the land from the property owners.
Three remaining owners in the neighborhood fought Norwood’s use of eminent domain and refused to sell their property. The dispute eventually made national headlines when it was brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in Norwood, Ohio v. Horney
. In 2006, the court ruled unanimously for the homeowners and city developers were forced to return ownership of the three properties to the homeowners. The future plans for the site are new restaurants, shopping, cinema, and condominium living. The project was to start spring 2010 and to be completed in 2012 but has been pushed back and new dates have not been released.
Norwood continued to develop commercial properties by capitalizing on developing other parcels of land which had been idle for years. In 2006, the city broke ground for the Linden Pointe project at the former American Laundry Machine Company, which closed in the 1990s and Globe Wernicke, which closed in the 1970s, both located near Montgomery Road and the Norwood Lateral. The city had been eying the property for development for several years. However, due to the nature of manufacturing at Globe Wernicke, contaminants were present in the ground which prevented new construction. Norwood was eventually able to utilize federal and state cleanup funds to eliminate those hazards.
By fall 2007, the former American Laundry building had been renovated with the building's original historic facade
preserved. The building was re-habbed with "Greening
" features and re-opened with a cable-television service center and telephone company.
A multi-story office complex was also constructed at the adjoining Globe Wernicke end of the property. As of November, 2007, an architectural firm was the first announced tenant.
In order to cater to the new development, the street scape surrounding Linden Pointe was altered for aesthetic and traffic purposes. Several historic buildings on the narrow block at the intersection of Montgomery Road and Carthage Avenue were razed
to "open up" the office park's visibility from Interstate 71. Montgomery Road and Norwood Avenues were widened, and two city blocks of Carthage Avenue and an adjoining on-ramp to State Route 562 were permanently closed. A boulevard entrance was added alongside Linden Point along the former West Norwood Avenue. (This street had previously been closed to traffic in the 1970s for urban renewal).
plant located on Forest and Park Avenues. The plant, which assembles and tests large electric motors used in industrial and factory automation, completed a two-year $30 million expansion. The project included: $22 million for new machinery, equipment and technology; $7 million to expand and renovate existing buildings; and $1M in additional needs. The project ensured retention of 337 skilled workforce jobs.
Norwood is also currently in the midst of two additional projects located in the Montgomery Road central business corridor. Surrey Square Mall went through a major major expansion with addition of a 76000 square feet (7,060.6 m²) Kroger
anchor store, a large cafeteria-sized McDonald's
restaurant and several mid-size businesses. The old Sherwin-Williams paint store at the intersection of Montgomery and Smith Roads was torn down in 2007 and the new medical center of Norwood was completed in 2008.
The original Norwood High School
was built in 1912 on Sherman Avenue. That building now houses Norwood Middle School. In 1988, the high school gym and offices were used to film several scenes for the Tom Selleck movie "An Innocent Man" (1989). A newer high school was built as a state-of-the-art facility in 1972, and houses a planetarium, television studio for both Norwood City Schools and City of Norwood civic broadcasts, greenhouse and swimming pool. Drake Planetarium, named after astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake
, is linked to NASA
.
The mascot of the Norwood City Schools are the Indians.
Norwood High School won the 1936 state title for baseball.
Norwood is also home to the Catholic Immaculate Conception Academy grade school and high school.
The Norwood Recreation Commission operates and supervises four playgrounds and three swimming pools during the summer months. Permits for ball diamonds, tennis courts and picnic areas are also issued through the Recreation office. The Recreation Commission conducts leagues for 30 softball teams for men and women in addition to assisting and cooperating with the Norwood Knothole Association and Norwood Soccer Association in providing facilities for all their teams. In the past the Norwood Recreation Commission has moved into the schools with its Fall, Winter, and Spring programs.
Swimming pools:
Parks:
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States. The city is an enclave of the larger city of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census. Originally settled as an early suburb of Cincinnati in the wooded countryside north of the city, the area is characterized by older homes and tree-lined streets. Norwood is currently undergoing economic and social changes due to recent retail and business development.
History
The area now known as Norwood was settled in the early 19th century as a coach stop along the Montgomery Road turnpike near the present day intersection of Smith Road. The village was originally named Sharpsburg after an early settler named John Sharpe. It was informally referred to as "Northwood" due to its location north of Cincinnati and being heavily wooded countryside. Much of the area was horse farms or fruit and vegetable orchards. The Marietta and Cincinnati RailroadMarietta and Cincinnati Railroad
The Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad is a defunct railroad of southern Ohio that was later absorbed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ....
and Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway were built through the area, leading to increasing settlement in the countryside.
Much of the remaining land from which the city originated were farms of the Mills, Smith, Langdon, Williams, Durrell and Drake families. The village was incorporated into a city on May 10, 1888, under the name Norwood.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of it land.
The southern, eastern, and western areas of the city lie mostly on flat terrain, while the northern half of the city is characterized by a steeper elevation. The highest point in Norwood is at the Norwood Indian Mound burial site in Tower Park at 656 ft (199.9 m) above sea level. That site is one of the highest land elevations in southwest Ohio. It is believed the burial mound was built at that site due to the high elevation.
Near the burial mound are two large water towers, built in the 19th century, which Norwood uses to store water and regulate water pressure throughout its City. The towers were curious points of interest in the early 20th century. Because they were built with spiral staircases (long since removed), people rode horses or took carriage rides to the towers in order to climb the stairs and view growing Cincinnati to the south and countryside to the north. Norwood is credited with coming to the aid of Cincinnati residents during the Ohio River flood of 1937
Ohio River flood of 1937
The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, one million persons were left homeless, with 385 dead and property losses reaching $500 million...
. Cincinnati's drinking water was largely contaminated so their residents depended on Norwood for fresh water, which Norwood had stored safely in the towers, above flood waters.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 21,675 people, 9,270 households, and 5,154 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,956.5 people per square mile (2,682.3/km²). There were 10,044 housing units at an average density of 3,223.6 per square mile (1,243.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.25% White, 2.35% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.
There were 9,270 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,223, and the median income for a family was $39,951. Males had a median income of $31,530 versus $25,852 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,108. About 8.6% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The elected members of Norwood City government are: the mayor, president of council, auditor, treasurer, law director, clerk of council, four ward-specific city council members and three at-large city council members. Norwood City School Board members are also elected. The City of Norwood has its own police, fire, and public works departments. The current mayor of Norwood is Tom Williams.Early industry
Norwood has enjoyed a strong tradition of industry and manufacturing dating back to the historic Norwood Brick plant of the late 19th century, which provided clay brick for the construction of many of Cincinnati's historic buildings.As the city is ideally situated between several major railways, state roads and interstate highways, it has traditionally been an attractive location for businesses and corporations in the area. In the 1940s and 1950s, the relatively small community held the distinction of producing more goods per capita
Per capita
Per capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person...
than any other city in the world.
Prominent Norwood industries included: United States Printing & Lithographing Company, Mead Container Corporation, American Laundry Machine Company, Globe Wernicke
Globe Wernicke
-History:The Globe-Wernicke Company was formed as a result of the Cincinnati based Globe Files Company purchasing the Minneapolis based Wernicke Company in 1899. The company is best known for their high end bookcases, Desks, and other office furniture...
, Bulloch Electric Company, Allis-Chalmers
Allis-Chalmers
The Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of West Allis, Wisconsin, is an American company known for its past as a manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright Persian Orange farm tractors...
, Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, J.H. Day Corporation, Zumbiel Box, dozens of tool and die makers and other industrial concerns. Corporations founded and still located in Norwood include The United States Playing Card Company
United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company, started in 1867, produces and distributes many brands of playing cards, including Bicycle, Bee, Hoyle, Kem, and others, plus novelty and custom cards, and other playing card accessories such as poker chips. The company was once based in Cincinnati, Ohio, but...
and United Dairy Farmers
United Dairy Farmers
United Dairy Farmers is a chain of shops offering ice cream and other dairy products started by Carl Lindner, Sr. and Carl Lindner, Jr. in 1938. The first United Dairy Farmers store, at 3955 Main Avenue in Norwood, Ohio, opened on May 8, 1940...
.
However, between 1923 and 1987 the General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
and Fisher Body
Fisher Body
Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company...
automobile assembly plants were far and away the city's major employer in terms of production, payroll and employees. For decades Norwood's fortunes rose (and later fell) with these businesses.
Located across Norwood's main thoroughfare from Norwood City Hall, the Norwood Assembly
Norwood Assembly
Located in Norwood, Ohio, the Norwood Assembly Plant built General Motors cars between the years of 1923 and 1987. When it first opened the plant employed 600 workers and was capable of producing 200 cars per day. At its peak in the early 1970s it employed nearly 9,000.The first car rolled off...
plant built Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
and Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
automobiles and provided Norwood with approximately 35% of its tax base from payroll taxes. The Norwood Plant produced 90% of the Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...
and Pontiac Firebird
Pontiac Firebird
The Pontiac Firebird was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as the automaker's platform-sharing model, the Chevrolet Camaro...
"muscle cars" of the 1980s. The prevalence of railroads through the area is a main reason the plant flourished. The railways were able to provide a steady flow of parts into the plant and an equally steady flow of assembled automobiles out of the plant. The plant used the enlarged McCoullough Yard, originally built for the McCoullough Seed Company in the 1920s.
Closing of General Motors
Citing its obsolescence, expense, and high worker absentee rate, GM announced the closing of the Norwood plant and ten other GM facilities on November 6, 1986. The Norwood facility produced its last vehicle August 26, 1987 – a Chevrolet Camaro. At the time of its closing the plant employed approximately 4200 workers. That date came to be known in Norwood as "Black Wednesday".The closing of the assembly plant nearly dealt a death blow to Norwood’s economy. As the main factory building sat vacant (for nearly 10 years), the city faced economic catastrophe and possible bankruptcy if replacement income was not found.
Due to the plant's unique location between Interstate 75, Interstate 71, the Norwood Lateral, U.S. Route 22 and Ohio State Route 561, the city approached GM about tearing down the old plant so Norwood could develop it. Initially GM refused, but after settling an unresolved tax dispute (GM potentially owed the city of Norwood millions of dollars in back taxes) GM agreed to demolish the remaining buildings and to donate ownership of the land to the City of Norwood.
Central Parke revitalization
The re-birth of the former GM Assembly Plant site became the first of several large development projects.In 1990, the first phase of development took place with the construction of the Central Parke complex on the former GM Assembly site. A new roadway, Wall Street, was built and the Grande Central Station outdoor mall was opened with a discount movie theater along with a mix of restaurants, retail, and light industry businesses. Behind the mall along the newly extended Wesley Avenue, a green space and lake were added in addition to several businesses including a technical college and medical billing firm.
In 1993, phase two took place as the city added a 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) mixed-use light industrial and office building at the northeast corner of Montgomery and Sherman Avenues. Commonly referred to as the Matrixx/Convergys building, the facility opened with two retail financial institutions, a marketing firm, a satellite television customer-service center, a medical consulting/MRI/diagnostic laboratory and telephone company firm as initial tenants. The new office building was conveniently able to utilize the still standing GM Assembly Plant parking garage located on Elm Avenue. Bennett Avenue, a two-block city street, was eliminated with the new construction. Greenspace was added along Montgomery Road.
Rookwood Pavilion
By 1995, successful development of those former GM properties spurred interest by other developers to choose Norwood for further commercial enterprises. The Rookwood Pavilion outdoor shopping plaza was constructed at the former site of the Leblond Machine Tool CompanyMakino
Makino is a global machine tool manufacturer.-History:Makino was established in 1937 by Tsunezo Makino in Japan, developing Japan's first numerically controlled milling machine in 1958 and Japan's first machining center in 1966....
on Edmondson Road. A high-rise office tower with an insurance company, medical clinic, and culinary was constructed on the northern edge of the property. Wildly successful, it was followed in 1997 by an adjoining open-air shopping mall, Rookwood Commons, on Edwards Road. The open-air shopping mall contained an eclectic mix of restaurants, clothing stores, and gift stores, previously not found in Hamilton County. Much of the success of local businesses is due to the central location in Cincinnati, and close proximity to interstates 71 and 75, using Ohio State Route 562, locally known as the Norwood Lateral.
Eminent Domain
In 1999, further development was planned for the area located near Interstate 71, between Edwards, Edmondson Road. Cornerstone of Norwood was built at the intersection of Edmondson Road and Williams Avenue. That complex contained a neurological/spinal clinic, adult fitness center and office buildings.A second development, the $125 million Rookwood Exchange
Norwood, Ohio v. Horney
Norwood, Ohio v. Horney 110 Ohio St.3d 353 was a case brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in 2006. The case came upon the heels of Kelo v. City of New London, in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that commercial development justified the use of eminent domain...
, was planned on the southern edge of this area directly across the street from the Rookwood Pavilion. However, the area where Rookwood Exchange was to be built was already occupied by a small 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) neighborhood. The city, declaring the neighborhood of about 70 homes and businesses as "blighted”, attempted to use eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to obtain the land from the property owners.
Three remaining owners in the neighborhood fought Norwood’s use of eminent domain and refused to sell their property. The dispute eventually made national headlines when it was brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in Norwood, Ohio v. Horney
Norwood, Ohio v. Horney
Norwood, Ohio v. Horney 110 Ohio St.3d 353 was a case brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in 2006. The case came upon the heels of Kelo v. City of New London, in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that commercial development justified the use of eminent domain...
. In 2006, the court ruled unanimously for the homeowners and city developers were forced to return ownership of the three properties to the homeowners. The future plans for the site are new restaurants, shopping, cinema, and condominium living. The project was to start spring 2010 and to be completed in 2012 but has been pushed back and new dates have not been released.
Linden Pointe
By fall 2007, the former American Laundry building had been renovated with the building's original historic facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
preserved. The building was re-habbed with "Greening
Greening
Greening is the process of transforming artifacts such as a space, a lifestyle or a brand image into a more environmentally friendly version...
" features and re-opened with a cable-television service center and telephone company.
A multi-story office complex was also constructed at the adjoining Globe Wernicke end of the property. As of November, 2007, an architectural firm was the first announced tenant.
In order to cater to the new development, the street scape surrounding Linden Pointe was altered for aesthetic and traffic purposes. Several historic buildings on the narrow block at the intersection of Montgomery Road and Carthage Avenue were razed
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
to "open up" the office park's visibility from Interstate 71. Montgomery Road and Norwood Avenues were widened, and two city blocks of Carthage Avenue and an adjoining on-ramp to State Route 562 were permanently closed. A boulevard entrance was added alongside Linden Point along the former West Norwood Avenue. (This street had previously been closed to traffic in the 1970s for urban renewal).
Current and future development
In 2007, Norwood's economic boom continued with the expansion of the SiemensSiemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
plant located on Forest and Park Avenues. The plant, which assembles and tests large electric motors used in industrial and factory automation, completed a two-year $30 million expansion. The project included: $22 million for new machinery, equipment and technology; $7 million to expand and renovate existing buildings; and $1M in additional needs. The project ensured retention of 337 skilled workforce jobs.
Norwood is also currently in the midst of two additional projects located in the Montgomery Road central business corridor. Surrey Square Mall went through a major major expansion with addition of a 76000 square feet (7,060.6 m²) Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
anchor store, a large cafeteria-sized McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant and several mid-size businesses. The old Sherwin-Williams paint store at the intersection of Montgomery and Smith Roads was torn down in 2007 and the new medical center of Norwood was completed in 2008.
Education
The Norwood City School District consists of three elementary schools: Norwood View, Sharpsburg, and Williams. The district's sole middle and high school are located adjacent to one another on Sherman Avenue. Norwood City School District also operates the Five Points Preschool.The original Norwood High School
Norwood High School (Ohio)
Norwood High School is a public high school in Norwood, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Norwood City School District. Norwood High School has a number of distinguished graduates including former Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Ralston, professional baseball player Carl Bouldin, professional...
was built in 1912 on Sherman Avenue. That building now houses Norwood Middle School. In 1988, the high school gym and offices were used to film several scenes for the Tom Selleck movie "An Innocent Man" (1989). A newer high school was built as a state-of-the-art facility in 1972, and houses a planetarium, television studio for both Norwood City Schools and City of Norwood civic broadcasts, greenhouse and swimming pool. Drake Planetarium, named after astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake
Frank Drake
Frank Donald Drake PhD is an American astronomer and astrophysicist. He is most notable as one of the pioneers in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, including the founding of SETI, mounting the first observational attempts at detecting extraterrestrial communications in 1961 in Project...
, is linked to NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
.
The mascot of the Norwood City Schools are the Indians.
Norwood High School won the 1936 state title for baseball.
Norwood is also home to the Catholic Immaculate Conception Academy grade school and high school.
Norwood Recreation Commission
The Norwood Recreation Commission was established in 1943, by ordinance of the City Council. The commission is unique in that it is a non-political joint effort between the city and Board of Education. The commission consists of five policy makers; two selected by the Board of Education and three appointed by the mayor.The Norwood Recreation Commission operates and supervises four playgrounds and three swimming pools during the summer months. Permits for ball diamonds, tennis courts and picnic areas are also issued through the Recreation office. The Recreation Commission conducts leagues for 30 softball teams for men and women in addition to assisting and cooperating with the Norwood Knothole Association and Norwood Soccer Association in providing facilities for all their teams. In the past the Norwood Recreation Commission has moved into the schools with its Fall, Winter, and Spring programs.
Swimming pools:
- Burwood Pool
- Victory Pool
- Norwood High School Pool
- Waterworks J.B. Wirth Pool
Parks:
- Burwood Park
- Dorl Park
- Fenwick Park
- Hunter Park
- Lindner Park Nature Preserve
- Marsh Park
- Millcrest Park
- Northwoods Park
- Tower Park
- Victory Park
- Waterworks Park
Notable residents
- Carl BouldinCarl BouldinCarl Edward Bouldin is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for four seasons. He pitched for the Washington Senators from 1961 to 1964, playing in 27 career games. He played college baseball and college basketball for the University of Cincinnati...
, professional baseball pitcher for the Washington SenatorsTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... - Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler, husband and wife members of Ohio rock band Over the Rhine, have recorded albums in their Norwood home "The Grey Ghost"
- George ChakirisGeorge ChakirisGeorge Chakiris is an American-Greek dancer, singer and actor.-Early life:Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio, to Steven and Zoe Chakiris, immigrants from Greece. Chakiris studied at the American School of Dance....
, actor "West Side StoryWest Side Story (film)West Side Story is a 1961 musical film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was adapted from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno,...
" - Mr. DibbsMr. Dibbs__notoc__Brad Forste, better known as Mr. Dibbs, is a DJ and hip hop producer. The founder of the turntablist collective 1200 Hobos, he has also appeared on numerous underground hip hop records as producer or DJ as well as releasing a number of solo works.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forste was...
, DJ and hip hop producerHip hop productionHip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Though the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music, it's most commonly used to refer to the instrumental, non-lyrical aspects of hip hop. This means that hip hop producers are the instrumentalists involved in a work...
for AtmosphereAtmosphereAn atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
, El-P, and LenLen (band)Len is a Canadian alternative rock group from Toronto, Ontario. They are best known as a one-hit wonder for their song "Steal My Sunshine" in 1999. The band consists of siblings Marc Costanzo and Sharon Costanzo .-Studio albums:... - Marc Edwards, NFL fullback for the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Super Bowl XXXVISuper Bowl XXXVISuper Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
champion New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... - Tracy JonesTracy JonesTracy Donald Jones , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1986-1991. Jones was drafted by the New York Mets in the 4th round of the 1982 amateur draft, but did not sign...
, professional baseball player for five Major League teams. Currently a 700WLW radio personality. - Dorothy KamenshekDorothy KamenshekDorothy "Dottie" Kamenshek was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. She batted and threw left-handed....
. professional baseball player for the Rockford Peaches, member of the A.A.G.P.B.L., inspiration for character in the movie "A League Of Their Own" - Carl Lindner, Jr.Carl Lindner, Jr.Carl Henry Lindner, Jr. was a Cincinnati businessman and one of the world's richest people. According to the 2006 issue of Forbes Magazine's 400 list, Lindner was ranked 133 and was worth an estimated $2.3 billion...
, businessman listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the 400 richest people in America - John Uri LloydJohn Uri LloydJohn Uri Lloyd was an American pharmacist influential to the development of pharmacognosy, ethnobotany, economic botany, and herbalism.He also wrote novels set in northern Kentucky...
, pharmacist, scientist, and twice president of the American Pharmaceutical Association, one of the pioneers in the modern use of plant extracts in medicine - Tim LucasTim LucasTim Lucas is a film critic, biographer, novelist, screenwriter, blogger, and publisher/editor of the video review magazine Video Watchdog.-Biography and early career:...
, novelist and film critic (got his start as film critic and cartoonist for Norwood High School's newspaper The Mirror) - Jack MullaneyJack MullaneyJack Mullaney was an American actor, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mullaney acted in several television series and films throughout his career....
, actor (Little Big ManLittle Big ManLittle Big Man is a 1970 American Western film directed by Arthur Penn and based on the 1964 comic novel by Thomas Berger. It is a picaresque comedy about a Caucasian boy raised by the Cheyenne nation during the 19th century...
, It's About Time) - Dr. Norman Vincent PealeNorman Vincent PealeDr. Norman Vincent Peale was a minister and author and a progenitor of the theory of "positive thinking".-Early life and education:...
, Protestant preacher and author of The Power of Positive Thinking - Diane PfisterDiane PfisterDiane Pfister is an American artist and art lecturer whose work was first recognized in London, England, and other territories of the United Kingdom...
, artist and art lecturer - Brian PillmanBrian PillmanBrian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
, professional football player with the NFL Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and WWE professional wrestler - Joseph RalstonJoseph RalstonJoseph W. Ralston is currently the United States Special Envoy for Countering the Kurdistan Workers Party and holds senior positions in various defense related corporations. He was the former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.-Military career:Ralston has served in the military since 1965...
, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffVice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffThe Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the second highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces ranking just below the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff... - Janice RuleJanice Rule-Early life and career:Born in Norwood, Ohio, her career included stage, screen and television work. Rule studied ballet and began dancing in Chicago nightclubs in her teens. She soon attracted attention in Hollywood and made her film debut in 1951...
, film, stage, and television actress "3 Women" - Vera-EllenVera-EllenVera-Ellen was an American actress and dancer, principally celebrated for her filmed dance partnerships with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Donald O'Connor.-Early life:...
, actress "White ChristmasWhite ChristmasA white Christmas refers to the presence of snow on Christmas Day. This phenomenon is most common in the northern countries of the Northern Hemisphere...
" - Brian WernerBrian WernerBrian Werner, a native of Norwood, Ohio, is the founder of the Tiger Missing Link Foundation and the Tiger Creek Wildlife refuge, both located in Tyler, Texas. Werner was involved with the first open heart surgery performed on a tiger. Brian and his family were featured internationally on Animal...
, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Tiger Missing Link Foundation