132 YEARS IN PRINT VOL. CXXXI ISSUE LII
THE NEWS RECORD MONDAY | MAY 14 | 2012
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University Hospital, police settle terms SAM MORREN | SENIOR REPORTER
PHIL DIDION | SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
PROTECT AND SERVE University Hospital and the University of Cincinnati Police Division have agreed on a $2.1 million contract to continue patrols at the medical facility.
The University of Cincinnati Police Division (UCPD) has reached an agreement with University Hospital to keep providing service to the medical facility. The new contract — valued at $2.1 million — between University Hospital and UCPD will secure the jobs of 20 police officers. University Hospital’s $2 million annual contract with university police provides security for the Corryville hospital. The university is still budgeting for the next fiscal year, which includes budgeting for Public Safety. UC Public Safety faced budget cuts if the contract was not renewed by July 1. Instead, the university and UC Health, which operates University and West Chester hospitals as well as the Drake Center, extended the contract for one year while they negotiate a new long-term deal. Michael Cureton, UCPD chief of police, said the worst-case scenario would have been a layoff of 20
police officers and three lieutenants, but with the new contract, the officers will be spared, Cureton said. “Compared to other universities, the University of Cincinnati is a safe campus,” Cureton said. “We are making changes to our campus security to meet the needs of our patients and visitors at University Hospital more effectively and efficiently,” according to a University Hospital press release. “Beginning July 1, the UC Health Public Safety Department will provide campus security to University Hospital, as is currently the case with Drake Center, the UC Health Business Center and West Chester Hospital. This new arrangement will allow us to enhance our security operations further.” UC’s budget should be finalized and ready for the UC Board of Trustees in time for their June 26 meeting. If approved by trustees, the budget for fiscal year 2012-13 would need to be approved by Ohio Gov. John Kasich before it could be implemented
PHOTOS BY ALEX SCHROFF | TNR CONTRIBUTOR
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT M&A Real Estate Partners, who recently purchased Sterling McMillan for $19.8 million from previous owner Sterling University Housing, said they plan on raising rates for student housing. FILE ART | THE NEWS RECORD
DIAMOND CRUMPTON-SCOTT | STAFF REPORTER
STORE GOING STALE Steve Goessling is waiting for financial support before reopening former Keller’s IGA under a new name.
Grocer’s opening delayed
LANCE LAMBERT | SENIOR REPORTER
Clifton residents looking for a place to buy fresh produce might have to look elsewhere after financing difficulties have set back the opening of Goessling’s. Steve Goessling — the owner of three independent grocery stores in the Greater Cincinnati area — purchased Keller’s IGA on Ludlow Avenue in May 2011, after the store closed four months prior due to delinquent taxes. Several months have passed since the expected January opeing date, leaving Goessling wondering if the store will even open. Spending more than $350,000 of his own money, Goessling is preparing himself to make a decision on whether or not to continue the project. “Well in today’s financial world, banks are very conservative and very uncertain of the evaluation process,” Goessling said. “I had the building appraised before I bought it and had it reappraised afterward on an as-improve basis. I did it in the interest of the bank, the assessment of the value should have given the bank comfort.” Goessling’s decision to continue the project could come as early as next week after he hears from three banks on whether they plan to help finance the project. “At this stage, do [banks] have faith in America, while we bailed them out? All the banks continue to say they’re sitting on cash and ready to loan out the cash,” Goessling said. “That is not evident to what I’ve experienced or what construction companies and architects I’ve talked to. It doesn’t matter who you talk to
NOT SO STERLING
Fate of 106 tenants uncertain at newly named housing complex Campus Park BEN GOLDSCHMIDT | SENIOR REPORTER For a total of more than $19.8 million, M&A Real Estate bought Sterling McMillan student housing May 1 — the third owner in the past three years according to Hamilton County property records — and is now called Campus Park. The student-housing complex, located at
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STAY OR GO Officials at M&A Real Estate Partners haven’t decided whether or not they will allow 106 University of Cincinnati students living in former Sterling McMillan to remain as tenants.
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195 E. McMillan St., was purchased by Sterling University Housing — the student housing division of Dinerstein Cos. — in 2009 for more than $13.9 million. This is a $5.9 million more than their recent sale to the Ohio M&A Real Estate Partners branch. At the time of the sale, Sterling McMillan was 95 percent occupied. “We’re very excited about the change,” said Jessica Stephens, property manager at Campus Park. “It was a good sale. M&A is thrilled and thinks it’s a gem.” Campus Park does plan on raising prices from Sterling McMillan’s previous rates, but specific amounts have not yet been decided, Stephens said. Since M&A Real Estate Partners purchased Sterling, all employees have kept their jobs and are now working for Campus Park. “The whole phenomenon we have with UC and the ever-changing market is unique,” Stephens said. “The demand for housing will most likely incur an increase in price.” Stephens also said Campus Park is planning on updating and upgrading the property, but does not yet know the specifics. This fall, the university is expecting one of its largest incoming classes and an unusually high number of returning upperclass residents, according to University Housing. As a result, the university opened up residency to 106 students — including freshmen — at Sterling McMillan for the standard multiple occupancy rate of $3,015 per semester. These 106 spots make up 24 percent of the building’s capacity. “We are aware of the university’s plans with Sterling, but we haven’t yet made a decision on
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The University of Cincinnati has been named as the winner of a global grant for research in health and development. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Laura Woollett — a pathology professor at the UC College of Medicine — with a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant to study the connection of maternal cholesterol and fetal growth. Woollett’s research project will be titled “Improving Fetal Growth Rates in Developing Countries.” Woollett will be partnering with Andrew Prentice and Sophie Moore of the Medical Research Council Unit’s International Nutrition Group in The Gambia. “We are trying to determine whether or not cholesterol is actually a beneficial factor that helps a fetus to grow normally during gestation,”Woollett said. When fetuses grow slowly — a phenomenon called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) — they are at a higher risk for infection, disease and death. Currently, 90 percent of the world’s IUGR infants are born in developing countries like The Gambia. “We hypothesize that low cholesterol, due to poor nutrition, may be linked to low birth weight,” Woollett said. “If this finding turns out to be true, it may be possible to reduce the number of low birth weight infants by adding supplements with adequate nutrition and cholesterol.” Maternal cholesterol has often been overlooked as a limiting fetal growth factor, she said. “Cholesterol is often looked at as bad in high levels. [But] we know high cholesterol is linked to heart disease [and] to consider adding it to diets is outside the box thinking, which is what the Gates Foundation is looking for,” Woollett said. SEE GRANT | 5
COURTESY OF UC.EDU
LOOKING FOR CONNECTION UC researcher Laura Woollett, [center] received a $100,000 grant to study maternal cholesterol.
Parking rate hike covers maintenance costs
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UC granted money for fetus study
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COST TO COMMUTE UC Spokesman Greg Hand says the University of Cincinnati’s parking facilities are considered auxillaries, and that they have to fund themselves. A 4 percent parking rate increase will cover maintenance costs.
Parking rates for the 2012-13 academic year will rise 4 percent due to increasing maintenance costs. University of Cincinnati Parking Services has been able to maintain a stable fee for the past five years, but aging garages are requiring a hike in prices. “The parking department has been working hard to uphold service without raising costs, but, at a certain point, it catches up — materials get more expensive,” said Greg Hand, UC spokesman. Students and faculty have been paying anywhere from $450-$900 per year for decals. Prices will now range from $468-$936, depending on the garage. Hourly rates will also be adjusted; users
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will now pay by the hour instead of the half hour. The fee will be $3 per hour, with a flat rate of $10 between the third and 24th hour. “Parking is what’s known as an auxiliary,” Hand said. Much like residence halls, “they have to pay for themselves.” Garage upkeep expenses are not included in tuition. All universityaffiliated parking garages will be affected by this increase except for the Stratford Lot, according to a Parking Services press release. Parking Services makes amenities available for use by the UC community, including: The Motorists Assistance Program, Rideshare and Vanpool options, Safe Zone Parking, help finding a lost SEE PARKING | 5