ARTS & CULTURE
A rendering of the inside of Volkshaus, an upcoming community center P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY A C T I O N TA N K
The Volkshaus Takes Shape for a Projected 2023 Launch Organizers behind the center in Over-the-Rhine hope to create a new era of active community engagement BY K AT R I N A E R E S M A N
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he building at 123 E. McMicken Ave. sits at the north end of Over-the-Rhine, gutted and ready for big change. The charming structure is easy to miss if you’re
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just cruising by. But not long from now, this humble, historic space — once an 1850s butcher shop — will enter a new chapter as The Volkshaus, a community center for events,
JANUARY 12, 2022 - JANUARY 25, 2022
coworking and learning. The space will also become the headquarters for Action Tank, a local nonprofit that centers on civic engagement. Action Tank and OTR A.D.O.P.T. are at the helm of the renovation, with both nonprofits committed to preserving Cincinnati’s history while supporting its long-term residents. OTR A.D.O.P.T. has been doing historic preservation work since 2010 and finds caring, thoughtful occupants for vacant buildings. Just as Action Tank began looking for a space, 123 E. McMicken Ave. became available from OTR A.D.O.P.T. through request for
proposal. It was the perfect fit, and the perfect timing for both nonprofits. Action Tank Executive Director Ioanna Paraskevopoulos says that even though “trust in government is at an all-time low,” people are still investing time and energy in community engagement. Volkshaus will be a powerful resource for organizing and educating, she says. “We feel like we want to take advantage of that momentum while people are still willing to actually talk and engage in local government issues,” Paraskevopoulos says. The Volkshaus renovation is being supported, in part, by highly
