Group Of People Who Don't Live In West End Plan Homeless Mall In West End

By Gerard Oh | Dealer staff writer

BRIGHTON - A group of churches, faith-based organizations, and a couple fake churches are planning to build a 5-acre homeless mall in the West End complete with counseling, medical, and a coffee shop. This way, the bums can ask each other for cash as they stand in line for coffee.

Interestingly enough, of the ten members of this group, dubbed CityLink, none are located in the West End. Located as near as OTR, and as far away as Springdale and Madisonville, these members graciously put forth energy to place the poor in a location they can all agree to avoid.

Spokesman for Vineyard Community Church in Springdale, Mark Frew, said, "It feels good to be able to serve a mocha to a homeless person, give em some job advice, and then get my ass back up the highway to Tri-County. I think all us members would agree."

The group plans to buy the existing building - a former slaughterhouse - with $12 million dollars in private donations.

In unrelated news, 3CDC, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation, who have been rapidly purchasing all the property around Washington Park as part of an OTR revitalization plan, made a $12 million disbursement to an anonymous charity this week.

http://www.cincinnatidealer.com/content/view/422/5/