New life for Cincinnati's old Friar’s Club site

A gated apartment community for college students will replace the Friar’s Club, an 80-year-old Clifton Heights fixture whose demolition is scheduled to begin May 1.

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2010/05/03/story4.html

 

Google Maps of site: http://bit.ly/aj0tF6

 

some further history on the site of this project:

 

Friars Club leaves Clifton building due to high costs, space constraints

They've occupied the 60,000-square-foot building for more than 76 years and now the Friars Club has decided to move by June 30, according to Mike Besl, executive director for the club.

http://www.newsrecord.org/2.7228/friars-club-leaves-clifton-building-due-to-high-costs-space-constraints-1.767132

Wow, I had no idea what the Friar's club was for and it sucks that they are tearing it down!

I am glad for the development but this is also somewhat sad.  I played my first baseball for Friars, which had some decent teams way back when.

This sucks.  I understand that the Friar's club would be difficult to develop into anything else, but what a great looking building. 

this development SUCKS at first glance.  Tearing down the Friars Club for a GATED community in the middle of the city?  This is moving backwards people. 

Seriously...the more I think about this the more livid I am becoming.  Ridiculous.  How can the City let this happen?  Where is the University in all of this?  How did this come out of nowhere?  I need a site plan of some sorts but this sounds absolutely horrendous. 

The University? The University wants more happy paying students... Imagine how thrilled parents will be that their little angels are safe and sound from the mean streets of uptown (except from each other of course)

The University? The University wants more happy paying students... Imagine how thrilled parents will be that their little angels are safe and sound from the mean streets of uptown (except from each other of course)

 

what other developments that theyve been involved with has a 'gated community' resulted ?  Exclusive communities, maybe, but not gated. 

Well this is right in my neck of the woods. I live on Hollister street and have a view of that building from the back of my house. I never really knew what it was (not exactly up to speed on my Cincinnati building history) so this is certainly going to be an interesting development. I'm indifferent to it being redevoped just as long as it doesn't result in freshman ending up in my backyard...

I agree with Atlas, gated communities no matter how you twist it, are suicide for proper urban development. Maybe not so much on the investment end, but the sociological impact side.

 

There have been numerous studies done on the long-term impact of gated communities and they usually all end up with man turning his back on his not-so fortunate brothers.

 

 

I agree it sucks, I just don't see much outrage coming from the university

Argh.  This sucks.  I practically grew up at Friar's.  I havent stepped foot in the building in about 15 years, but I have a lot of great memories there. 

With all due respect, the Friars Club building wasn’t contributing much to the urban atmosphere either.  It was very standoffish and uninviting, I knew what it was but most people didn’t, including a lot of friends who live on the same street.  The program the Friars offer would probably be best served in a different place, and the immediate community would probably be best served by something else on that site.  That said, the building itself seems decent, but it’s placement perched up on a hill above street level and the way the design of it approaches the street on all sides makes it almost as standoffish than a gated community, in my mind.  It’s a shame no one considered dealing with it via some excavation and façade treatments, though.  That would be a fun but challenging project.  I’ll also offer my biggest criticism of LEED here too.. how this project will be able to get LEED certification despite the fact that they’re wasting an entire functional building.  So long as they buy their gyp board and lighting fixtures from the right companies and pay their dues to the USGBC, they’ll be “sustainable.”

 

Also, where’s it say this will be a gated community? I see that the parking will be gated (which makes sense considering the crazy parking conditions in uptown), but don’t have access to the full article.  I’m interested to see some plans eventually.

 

When the article opens with the line "A gated apartment community..." it raises some red flags

Aren't most apartment complexes gated in some way or another? Whether through a lobby or a gate around a courtyard, all of the apartment buildings I've lived in have been gated in some way or another.  I'l add that I think the Friars bilding didn't add much life to this section of Clifton Hts, and seemed rather forboding.  Hopefully we can see some renderings to see if this project will be an upgrade or not.

When the article opens with the line "A gated apartment community..." it raises some red flags

 

Yeah, but it goes on to say a gated parking lot.  Knowing Uptown Properties, it’s going to be like most of the other stuff around UC, nothing too different from what they normally build.

Almost all of the new development in Uptown and Corryville has gated parking lots. I wish they could design in some sense of the Germanic vibe of that area which Old St. George's and the Friars Club were classic examples.

Aren't most apartment complexes gated in some way or another? Whether through a lobby or a gate around a courtyard, all of the apartment buildings I've lived in have been gated in some way or another.  I'l add that I think the Friars bilding didn't add much life to this section of Clifton Hts, and seemed rather forboding.  Hopefully we can see some renderings to see if this project will be an upgrade or not.

Agreed. I had to look up the friars club building on google earth after I read in last month's CUF newsletter that it is slated to be torn down..and I have walked by it every day for two years. At least the area will be used, although it will be at the cost of a historic building. I imagine it will look something like Stetson Square across from UH. I think they did a nice job on that development, though it is a little too "uppity" for my tastes.

Noticed on the Facebook this morning: Bryon Martin:  "If you are near Clifton Heights this morning with an hour to kill, give me a shout. Going into salvage some stuff from the Friar's Club."

Noticed on the Facebook this morning: Bryon Martin: "If you are near Clifton Heights this morning with an hour to kill, give me a shout. Going into salvage some stuff from the Friar's Club."

 

They had a killer Dig Dug machine in the arcade.  Can that be salvaged?

I imagine it will look something like Stetson Square across from UH. I think they did a nice job on that development, though it is a little too "uppity" for my tastes.

If it looks like Stetson Square, I will actually be pleasantly surprised. From the description, it sounds like the new development will be much worse than that.

It's unfortunate that it is comprised of 5 three-story buildings.  I think it would be nice to see some higher buildings go up, and from that location you'd think the view would be great in all directions from the top floors

Dig Dug was the shiz!

It's unfortunate that it is comprised of 5 three-story buildings. I think it would be nice to see some higher buildings go up, and from that location you'd think the view would be great in all directions from the top floors

Yes. Certain abandonment-photographing forumers got some shots from the top of the Friar's Club. It has great views of QCS, Christ Hospital, Hughes High School, etc.

I'll post photos tonight of this place inside and out.

Friars Club loses building, not ministry

By John Johnston, Cincinnati Enquirer, May 9, 2010

 

Workers last week began tearing down the old Friars Club building in Clifton Heights, which has been vacant for four years.

 

But the club, a 149-year-old Franciscan ministry that primarily uses sports to reach youths at risk of falling through society's cracks, still exists. It still employs Annie Timmons. And she's still building up, not tearing down.

 

All of her adult life, the 50-year-old Mount Airy resident has been building confidence and strength in young people, often in gymnasiums. She does it while imparting the values of the Franciscan Friars - respect, responsibility, leadership and good sportsmanship.

I'll post photos tonight of this place inside and out.

 

Please do! Looking forward to it.

 

Seems like this thing will be gone by the end of the week...

 

Historic murals painted by resident Lumen Martin Winter in 1944 at being destroyed

 

This is a crying shame.  Did the Friars' Club used to run a summer camp that was shut down and replaced by a subdivision a few years?

That mural is amazing. To me the real shame isn't that is being destroyed, that's just the cycle of life, it's that nobody does shit like that anymore. At least not with such beauty and nobility.

This is a traveshamockery.

If they were smart they would try to salvage it and install it as art to accompany the new development.

maaaayjah demo work here over the past few days. everything is down except for a small corner at Ohio and McMillian where the grade of the property requires extra bulldozing. Kinda creepy seeing the Ohio st. entrance still there with no building on top of it!

To destroy that....it's...it's just irreplaceable.  Unbelievable. The Gamble House, this, and so many landmarks in the area...a minority doesn't appreciate them, and there they fall.

When I lived in Cincinnati and saw the sign "Building Cincinnati's Future" I'd always think to myself, what future.  Partiuclarly when Cincy keeps doing garbage like this to its best asset, its historic achitecture.

 

I'd be fuming angry if I still was by the university.

They are currently levelling the site to bring it down to the level of Ohio Ave.  It's strange to be able to see Christ Hospital from the corner of Ohio and McMillan.

When I lived in Cincinnati and saw the sign "Building Cincinnati's Future" I'd always think to myself, what future. Partiuclarly when Cincy keeps doing garbage like this to its best asset, its historic achitecture.

 

I'd be fuming angry if I still was by the university.

 

I think you are being a little over dramatic.  It sucks losing the Friar's building, but you have to look at it from the owners/developers point of view.  That building was very old, needed many expensive upgrades, and could not be reasonably converted into another use.  What were they suppose to do with it?  Continue operating it at huge losses?  Put millions of dollars of upgrades into and try to compete with the UC Rec Center?  Abandon it and let it fall into disrepair?

 

It is easy for someone without any financial skin in the game to criticize.  At least they are putting the site to good use and immediately building new housing. 

 

Also, that mural was no great loss.  I thought it was ugly as hell.

 

 

^Agreed.  We need to preserve our old buildings where we can, but we also need to realize that we are a 21st century city too, and need to move on with projects that make the best use of the land.  Now, if the Friars building was being torn down to make way for a parking lot, I would agree with the outrage, but I think this development will at least add to the street life as a viable, functioning development, rather than an abandoned building with little to no hope for future use.

They are currently levelling the site to bring it down to the level of Ohio Ave. It's strange to be able to see Christ Hospital from the corner of Ohio and McMillan.

 

Weiiiiird

I think saving Old St. George's and the University Y are more important than this building was.

Neighborhoods are woven together by a common language. I don't think it's easy just to say that some buildings are more important than others, especially older institutional and religious structures that are one-of-a-kind, anywhere you go.

can someone please post a rendering of this project?

Wow, those murals are surprisingly good.  They look like Diego Rivera.

they should have saved the murals a la the Joan Miro & Saul Steinberg murals which were transferred from the Gourmet Room to the Cincinnati Art Museum in the 60s.

amazing amount of work has been done on the site and it has really changed the feel of the intersection there at Ohio and McM, for the better. I never realized what a hulk that Friar's Club building was...

^Just out of curiosity, how far along are they now? I live on Hollister when I'm in Cincinnati, but I've been on co-op for the last 6 weeks or so and right before I left progress was picking up with the foundation. I haven't heard anything about it since I left at the end of summer quarter.

^Just out of curiosity, how far along are they now? I live on Hollister when I'm in Cincinnati, but I've been on co-op for the last 6 weeks or so and right before I left progress was picking up with the foundation. I haven't heard anything about it since I left at the end of summer quarter.

 

They have actually begun framing the buildings....tons of carpenters on site every day it looks like.

 

I would love to see some renderings if anyone has any.....hint hint....

 

where do you co-op btw?