KeyMark – Ruth Hellen

CH KeyMark LLC, in partnership between College Hill CURC and 8K Development, closed on $9.5 million in financing in 2021 to transform and reactivate the eastern side of Hamilton Avenue’s middle district in College Hill. 

Purchased in 2017, the properties were fast-tracked in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to add critically needed affordable housing units and density to the heart of the business district and also support the existing businesses during these trying times.

KeyMark Development encompasses four buildings along Hamilton Avenue: 5906 (“Ruth Hellen”), 5910 (“The Knight Building”), 5920 (“The Furniture Store -now Sleepy Bee Cafe”), and 6060 Hamilton Avenue (“The Mergard Lanes”), as well as the redevelopment of East Lot. The project will transform those spaces to include 26 affordable housing units at The Mergard Lanes and The Ruth Hellen, including  11 wheelchair-accessible units and one built with ADA capabilities as well as creating nearly 70 free – public parking spaces.

Ruth Hellen is expected to mark the completion of KeyMark Phase Three in fall 2023: built in 1900, this building is named after the original owner’s two daughters, Ruth and Hellen. The Ruth Hellen has been a College Hill landmark since the early 1900s. The renovation included removing the facade that was added in the 1930s  to restore the building to its original state and completely renovating the interior.

The Ruth Hellen will bring 12 affordable housing units to College Hill.