CINCINNATI -- Neighbors love when Eddie Swain decorates his Evanston yard for Christmas.
It turns out, realtors love his property too. Swain said he and his wife have received a lot of offers in the mail to sell their home.
"I'm talking about offers for the property and the houses, and I'm like, 'Whoa,'" Swain said.
Developers have already seen Evanston as a place where they can build homes and find buyers. Five new homes are set to be done next month. And local developer Traditions Building Group has shown interest in the neighborhood.
Some residents are concerned about new homes driving up their property values and their taxes.
"I don't mind things changing," Swain said. "But don't let it change so much to where the people have to go."
Evanston Community Council President Anzora Adkins said she wants to develop a plan that sustains the community.
"We need to talk with council and the city to really get a clear understanding how major developments wqill impact the tax," Adkins said.
Douglas Hinger, the president of Traditions Building Group, sent WCPO the following statement:
"The Traditions Group has been building communities throughout Greater Cincinnati for over 40 years, starting with rehabbing old homes in Clifton in the 1970’s. Our commitment to the communities in which we work is to build high quality homes and neighborhoods that will stand the test of time and contribute to the livability and economic vibrancy of the residents who live there. We have a long history of working with neighborhood leaders and neighboring residents in the early stages of our projects, working to ensure that our plans reflect their input and address their concerns.
"Our City Series projects are excellent examples of how we have built in some of Cincinnati’s most historic neighborhoods, doing so in a way that supports the efforts of neighborhood leaders and allows our project to help the area to become an even greater community. We always welcome opportunities to discuss building & developing in neighborhoods that share our vision, and where we can work together to create positive collaboration, and new opportunities. Our projects include Stetson Square in Corryville, Gold Street in O’bryonville, Cleinview Avenue and Sanctuary Court in East Walnut Hills and Fergus Street in Northside. These projects were successful because we had a shared vision of creating a more vibrant & sustainable community.
"We have long believed in our City as the heart of our region, and are excited about the growing opportunities for our City’s future. Our only goal is to work with neighborhoods where through positive collaboration we can share a vision and build exciting new housing opportunities."
