Architectural mass with appropriately colored brick, replaced with vinyl and Barney and Friends.

 

 

 

Intricate murals replaced with SW7637 Oyster White.

 

 

 

Reinforced concrete and steel replaced with wood framing.

 

 

Thanks Sherman.  I just went from annoyed to pissed off. 

What happened to stuff like this?

 

 

 

Why is everything starting to look like this?

 

 

 

Hell. remember when The Banks was going to look like this? And everyone was like "OH GOD NO! IT HAS NO CHARACTER!"

 

 

 

Then we got this.

 

 

 

In the first picture our GDP was 6 trillion dollars, and they build a gorgeous brick condo tower. In the bottom picture, our GDP was 15 trillion dollars, and we got an army barracks with chain link fence balconies on the most valuable land in Cincinnati.

The worst part is that they are charging $2250 a month for the four bedrooms apartments (the cheapest per person) plus $60 a person fixed utilities per person per month. For that much money you could get the nicest houses around UC and then some. It's ridiculously overpriced and frankly only a slight step above Sterling McMillan or UPA in quality based on the interior finishes I have seen through the windows. Such a shame really.

The Kasich approach has been alive in Cincinnati for some time.  Milk the property for every penny because that's what you care about, not the architectural integrity.  Rehabs require much more leeway in cost from the city than demos turned Liberty Township structures.  Cincinnati doesn't care about Cincinnati, it's just a fact.

Its very sad that Uptown is incapable of building better infill.  What makes it worse is that too often (Euclid being the most recient) they've torn down amazing old architecture to do it.

 

There are economically viable ways to build at least halfway decent infill, as I keep stating over and over again, it happens in Chicago, why can't it happen in Cincinnati too?

say what you will about the questionable design choices, but it is my understanding that there is a waiting list of 400+ students for this complex. Each unit is rented for next year, even at these very high premium prices. There is a HUGE demand for housing in in this area that is not functionally obsolete like much of the CUF-area rental property is.

say what you will about the questionable design choices, but it is my understanding that there is a waiting list of 400+ students for this complex. Each unit is rented for next year, even at these very high premium prices. There is a HUGE demand for housing in in this area that is not functionally obsolete like much of the CUF-area rental property is.

 

The fact that there is demand to live in this garbage proves that we need to invest in the arts in our schools.  This is like 3rd grade color matching.

There is a waiting list because a)the birthrate increased during the 1980s, with a peak around 1990 and b)people are spoiling their kids.  Period.

 

Also what will happen when college becomes so expensive that noone can afford it anymore...

 

These would make great section 8 housing  :evil:

They start going to UC instead of more expensive private schools.

 

If our goal is to save older neighborhoods and housing, then the last people living in it should be college students - who should live in disposable housing (w/ a 20 year or so plan to tear down and rebuild).

 

Mixing older housing and college students has caused many a death at colleges over the years.

Everyone knows the housing stock in Clifton Heights is hit or miss and that there's drug activity,  but unfortunately that has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

 

Wait really?  An entire conversation about what leads to developments like 65 West being built in CUF was just deleted.  The deletions on this forum seem to increase by the day.  In talking about 65 West, and how it's a horrible design by a company that disregards preservation, it is entirely accurate to discuss WHY we keep ending up with these developments. We were talking about housing- in the neighborhood 65 West is being built, and the reasons that 65 West, while poorly designed, will probably be full immediately. 

 

I feel like all of that is entirely applicable to a thread titled: 65 West Apartments.

Another 65 West is coming your way when the United Health Associates (or whatever it's called) at the corner of MLK and Clifton moves to the under-construction building next to Good Samaritan Hospital.  Last year four beautiful houses were demolished on Riddle Rd. next to this hideous 1960's-era office building. 

 

Also, the former Benchmark backpacking store (yes, I actually went there when it was open with my dad on numerous occasions) has just days to live, if that.  It was fenced off today and heavy equipment is on-site and hungry to kick ass. 

The loss of neither of those brings tears to my eyes - though won't they need some of the land that the doctor's building sits on for the redo of MLK altogether.

The loss of neither of those brings tears to my eyes - though won't they need some of the land that the doctor's building sits on for the redo of MLK altogether.

 

It looks like only one proposed scheme for MLK requires taking any land from the Group Health Associates building, and it's just to build a retaining wall.

 

From this PDF: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/transeng/downloads/transeng_pdf39476.pdf

 

 

This article from a few weeks ago was never posted I don't think, worth a read for sure.

 

Rental construction booming around UC

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110429/BIZ01/104300347/Rental-construction-booming-around-UC?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

The city has to continue to try to attract residents to within 3 miles of downtown and reinvigorate itself i.e. infill (history says poor aesthetics) until Cincinnati somewhat resembles a solvent, self-sustaining city and historic structures are either preserved by a larger voice than currently exists or taken off the market by investors.  It's exciting to watch the progression despite the fallout.

The best view of 65 West is not from up close, but rather from a safe distance away on Calhoun Street. The finishing for this development is pretty low quality, and while the one building sits right on McMillan Street and Ohio Avenue, the entire development has a very automobile-oriented design that should not be tolerated in an urban neighborhood such as this.

 

These photos were taken over Thanksgiving weekend.

 

1. As seen from Calhoun Street and Ohio Avenue.

 

2. Looking north along Ohio Avenue.

 

3. Corner building design at W. McMillan Street and Ohio Avenue.

 

4. Looking south down Ohio Avenue from the intersection at W. McMillan Street.

oh.  my.  god.  how awful.  that blue is the worst part.

What? Not the styrofoam? Vinyl siding? Mismatched color scheme?

These photos don't show how huge the complex is. 

What? Not the styrofoam? Vinyl siding? Mismatched color scheme?

 

haha.  you're right.  all equally tragically stunning. 

There's the same blue on part of Trinity Flats.  It's equally terrible.