April 5, 20241 yr That intersection with Victory Parkway and McMillan could support significant density and be so much nicer... but instead you have two drive-thrus, a gas station, and a surface parking lot. I'd saying I'm curious to see what the design is for the new Chipotle, but I'm expecting it'll just be another drive thru.
April 5, 20241 yr The west side of Victory Parkway got form based codes before Cranley became mayor. This is in a CC-M zoning district (the small red square) where the Chipotle seems to be going in, and out of the form based code zone. A real shame that we aren't getting a 4+ story building with a Chipotle on the first floor. McMillan should be built up.
June 18, 2024Jun 18 Historic buildings were torn down for these "affordable" paper mache apartments on Gilbert: Slapping a mural on a crap building is like how the zoo greenwashed their neighborhood demolitions with the solar panels: Edited June 18, 2024Jun 18 by Lazarus
June 23, 2024Jun 23 On 8/4/2023 at 9:26 AM, ColDayMan said: ArtWorks' renovation of Walnut Hills building for new home unveils history Colleen Houston can see the future from her office. The CEO and artistic director of ArtWorks isn’t psychic – or at least doesn’t claim to be. She only needs to look out the front of the organization’s temporary headquarters to watch the renovation of its new home across the street at 2429 Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills. Work began last year on the building, constructed in 1909 for the Bolce Paint Co. ArtWorks bought it in 2021 from Woody Melson, who operated Race Refrigeration from the premises after his father, Woodrow Melson Sr., bought it more than 50 years ago. The $9 million renovation is scheduled to finish late next year or early 2025, housing the nonprofit responsible for bringing hundreds of murals and other public art to Greater Cincinnati. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/08/04/artworks-walnut-hills-historical-building-renovati.html ArtWorks provided an update for the ground breaking of their "ArtPark" on their website and social media. It is a parking lot that is also intended to act as a type of third space for the community to gather. Given the severe lack of tree canopy, I imagine it'll just be a nice looking parking lot.
June 28, 2024Jun 28 Walnut Hills-based ArtWorks breaks ground on creative park featuring Charles Gaines mural An organization that brings large-scale murals to buildings throughout the Tri-State has broken ground on a creative communal space next to its Walnut Hills home. ArtWorks, which employs young artists from around the region for public projects, is installing what it calls an “ArtPark” on its campus at Gilbert Avenue and Curtis Street. The centerpiece of the space is a new mural in collaboration with Charles Gaines, an acclaimed contemporary artist known for his monumental works, and the New York-based nonprofit Creative Time. "Partnering with Charles Gaines to create a community-driven mural is a dream come true," Colleen Houston, CEO and artistic director of ArtWorks, said in a news release. "The mural showcases Charles’ talent as well as his connection and reverence for our community. He is such an important artist and a generous teacher, committed to inspiring the next generation. It is a great honor to create this work of art for all to enjoy and it is our hope it inspires all who visit and view it." More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/06/27/artworks-artpark-charles-gaines-mural-walnut-hills.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 28, 2024Jun 28 On 6/22/2024 at 9:03 PM, Dev said: Given the severe lack of tree canopy, I imagine it'll just be a nice looking parking lot. So, so, so true. Especially with the hot afternoon/evening sun, they really need to add some large shade trees along the Gilbert side of the park. To make it even more sad/ironic, the mural is inspired by trees: Quote Work on the mural, titled “Numbers and Trees: Cincinnati Cottonwoods,” began this month under the collaboration of four teaching artists and 21 youth apprentices. A part of Gaines’ tree series, the mural depicts several cottonwood trees, indigenous to the region. Each tree will be crafted by artists using Gaines' numbered grid technique.
June 28, 2024Jun 28 Yeah I thought that was weird too. Like it's just opening them for obvious criticism. Hopefully the rendering is not reflective of the final landscaping plan, for example the street trees could come when Gilbert gets rebuilt.
June 28, 2024Jun 28 This old building was torn down this week: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1285652,-84.4889535,3a,75y,316.15h,102.76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s3TpO6LoTZTjfyryicV9IcA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D3TpO6LoTZTjfyryicV9IcA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D316.1455738241351%26pitch%3D-12.758940728883047%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu
June 28, 2024Jun 28 21 minutes ago, Lazarus said: This old building was torn down this week: 2631 Gilbert Avenue. This parcel was just merged with the parking lot next to it. Mailing address is Talbert House's office on Victory. New commercial permit issued April 17th states: Quote NEW CONSTRUCTION THREE STORY PLUS BASEMENT BUILDING, PROVIDING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING APARTMENTS FOR VETERANS WITH NEW 25 SPACE PARKING LOT, DROP OFF DRIVE DUMPSTER ENCLOSURE AND FENCED IN OUTDOOR PATIO WALKS, SIDE AND REAR YARDS. INCLUDES HVAC PROVIDE AND INSTALL NEW HVAC SYSTEMS
July 1, 2024Jul 1 Any talk of commercial retail on 1st floor of Woodburn Exchange? We could really use a bodega or small market in the area. I’m no commercial real estate expert but I’d think with the parking lot across the street and the walkability of Woodburn Avenue would be a great appeal to potential small businesses. also side note if anyone was curious the former Rowan & Emery is going to be a wine and paint spot!
July 2, 2024Jul 2 Updating my own question, walking by and saw that Madabolic is going in as one of the units. Apparently it’s a gym which seems odd considering the apartment already has one. But at least something is going in there! Hopefully will spur some more development, as there is 15,000 sq feet of commercial space available. https://madabolic.com/the-workout/ Edited July 2, 2024Jul 2 by cblhaus
July 3, 2024Jul 3 ^plus there is a gym in the old building across the street. Plus, the old Walnut Hills YMCA is now.....apartments.
July 3, 2024Jul 3 2 hours ago, Lazarus said: ^plus there is a gym in the old building across the street. Plus, the old Walnut Hills YMCA is now.....apartments. At least it’s not a vape store lol
July 5, 2024Jul 5 On 7/3/2024 at 11:03 AM, cblhaus said: At least it’s not a vape store lol When we were about 22 my old roommate made friends with a pseudo-homeless guy who was about 60 who randomly challenged him to a racquetball showdown at the Walnut Hills YMCA. I came over with them and brought my camera to document the match (there was a window where you could see into the courts). After the pseudo-homeless guy beat my roommate 21-4 or something ridiculous like that he challenged me. He beat me like 21-2. It was a total stomping. I walked out of the court after that humiliation to get my things and...my camera had been stolen because my old roommate was too dumb to keep a close eye on my stuff.
July 5, 2024Jul 5 6 hours ago, Lazarus said: When we were about 22 my old roommate made friends with a pseudo-homeless guy who was about 60 who randomly challenged him to a racquetball showdown at the Walnut Hills YMCA. i guess you are talking about Williams YMCA. when I was 28 i played there often. I was challenged(?) to a one-on-one bb game. we played until he beat me by one shot. I was exhausted. I said well I'm 28, thinking I was old, and he said he was 28 too and had played for Cleveland State. glad I could warm him up.
July 6, 2024Jul 6 6 hours ago, RJohnson said: i guess you are talking about Williams YMCA. when I was 28 i played there often. I was challenged(?) to a one-on-one bb game. we played until he beat me by one shot. I was exhausted. I said well I'm 28, thinking I was old, and he said he was 28 too and had played for Cleveland State. glad I could warm him up. The pseudo-homeless guy also played a dirty trick on us the time he saw us hit a tennis ball up on our roof. He said that if we gave him $5 he'd be back in 5 minutes with a ladder. We said sure, not expecting to see him again, but he was back with a ladder within 5 minutes. I dumbly went up on the roof just to see the view and the guy snatched the ladder away and demanded another $5 to let us down.
July 15, 2024Jul 15 On 6/22/2024 at 9:03 PM, Dev said: ArtWorks provided an update for the ground breaking of their "ArtPark" on their website and social media. It is a parking lot that is also intended to act as a type of third space for the community to gather. Given the severe lack of tree canopy, I imagine it'll just be a nice looking parking lot. I have been informed that there is going to be more trees planted as part of this project, they just didn't make into the rendering.
July 15, 2024Jul 15 3 hours ago, Dev said: I have been informed that there is going to be more trees planted as part of this project, they just didn't make into the rendering. Wonderful news! Thanking for looking into it!
July 17, 2024Jul 17 24/7 security is now in place at JD Vance's house on WM H Taft. I have not seen fewer than two police/state highway/ATF cars there since Saturday. They typically block the driveway and point outward, with their headlights on all night long.
July 19, 2024Jul 19 We sold the railroad to fill potholes. I guess we'll have to sell the Tyler Davidson Fountain to do landscaping in Walnut Hills:
July 19, 2024Jul 19 Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Walnut Hills reopens after $2.5M renovation A Cincinnati historical site has completed a major renovation project, enhancing its ability to educate the public about Black history. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House, located at 2950 Gilbert Ave. in Walnut Hills, reopened on July 19 following a multiyear, $2.5 million renovation focused on restoration, preservation and expanded educational opportunities. The house, constructed in 1832, holds a significant place in American history primarily due to its association with Harriet Beecher Stowe, the abolitionist author. It served as the residence of Stowe’s father, then president of the Lane Seminary, and Stowe herself lived here intermittently. It was during her time in Cincinnati that she wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” her groundbreaking anti-slavery novel. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/07/19/harriet-beecher-stowe-house-reopens.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 29, 2024Jul 29 Highlights from this week... First, a truck attempted to climb the Collins Ave. hill: Second, military helicopters flying over JD Vance's house:
August 19, 2024Aug 19 https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/08/19/walnut-hills-apartment-park-avenue-campus-managmnt.html woah, I thought for sure these plans were dead. Massive project for walnut hills. I live about a couple blocks away and I’m very interested to see how this will fare across from the Marathon. s**t gets super sketchy there as well as the Top Up gas station.
August 19, 2024Aug 19 Just now, cblhaus said: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/08/19/walnut-hills-apartment-park-avenue-campus-managmnt.html woah, I thought for sure these plans were dead. Massive project for walnut hills. I live about a couple blocks away and I’m very interested to see how this will fare across from the Marathon. s**t gets super sketchy there as well as the Top Up gas station. Yea the developers have been trying to sell this site for awhile. Guess they finally realized no one would take it off their hands and have bit the bullet on building it.
August 19, 2024Aug 19 Developers Campus Management and Gibraltar Development restart Walnut Hills apartment project delayed by Covid-19 A pair of local developers are pressing forward on an apartment project in Walnut Hills following a years-long pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Campus Management and Gibraltar Development have resumed pre-development work on Park Avenue Square. The multiphase project is expected to begin with a 205-unit mid-rise multifamily building – four stories of housing over a podium – on 1.43 acres at the northeast corner of Park Avenue and East McMillan Street. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/08/19/walnut-hills-apartment-park-avenue-campus-managmnt.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
August 19, 2024Aug 19 Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills are just a couple blocks short of their walkable business districts merging. Streetcar connecting uptown when?
August 20, 2024Aug 20 17 hours ago, Chas Wiederhold said: Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills are just a couple blocks short of their walkable business districts merging. Streetcar connecting uptown when? Not soon enough! Interesting to think Uptown and Downtown won't be connected until Uptown has its own Streetcar loop.
August 20, 2024Aug 20 The new buildings that went up to either side of the Paramount building remind me of this old Far Side cartoon: Big-looking but in reality quite small apartment buildings shoved up against the street, with a sea of parking behind them. Look at any section of NYC on Google Earth and. you will see apartment buildings that almost always extend to the rear lot line or even to the next street.
August 21, 2024Aug 21 22 hours ago, Lazarus said: Big-looking but in reality quite small apartment buildings shoved up against the street, with a sea of parking behind them. The Connected Communities changes to the zoning code were great and reduced parking overall, but the requirement for placing accessory surface parking in the rear lot could make this more common in the short term. It beats the alternative of having a sea of parking along the roadway but there is still too much surface parking in general for these developments. Just because the requirements went down doesn't mean the local developers are going to change their go to 1.5 spots per unit or whatever metric they've been using for decades.
August 21, 2024Aug 21 ^My point was really that while the street wall along McMillan might be filling in, the number of new residents isn't really that high. And because there is so much parking, most of those residents will have cars, and so will often drive out of the neighborhood for simple errands. This is the problem with all of the much bigger apartment complexes near UC and with the drive-to urbanism infill that has appeared in Over-the-Rhine. The new Woodburn Exchange complex appears to have mostly filled up (over 100 new residents on that block), but there is no appreciable increase in street activity and it has yet to attract a street-level tenant in its commercial spaces.
August 21, 2024Aug 21 I was with you for the Walnut Hills related gripes and I hope developers and the city continue to not just reduce the required amount of parking but to limit the amount of parking allowed to be placed adjacent to transit corridors. However, bringing OTR into the drive-to urbanism is a bridge too far considering that no new developments can even have surface parking, many have no parking at all and it's one of the few neighborhoods in the whole region that you can live pretty comfortably without a car.
August 21, 2024Aug 21 4 hours ago, Lazarus said: ^My point was really that while the street wall along McMillan might be filling in, the number of new residents isn't really that high. And because there is so much parking, most of those residents will have cars, and so will often drive out of the neighborhood for simple errands. This is the problem with all of the much bigger apartment complexes near UC and with the drive-to urbanism infill that has appeared in Over-the-Rhine. The new Woodburn Exchange complex appears to have mostly filled up (over 100 new residents on that block), but there is no appreciable increase in street activity and it has yet to attract a street-level tenant in its commercial spaces. They’ve got 1 tenant! Lol Madbolic gym
August 22, 2024Aug 22 Alexandra Apartments in Walnut Hills sold to National Church Residences for $6.5M By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Aug 22, 2024 The long, complicated saga of a Walnut Hills affordable housing project is finally over following the building’s sale in early August, which has paved the way for $32.7 million in renovation work to commence. Existing tenants, who once faced the prospect of displacement en masse, will now see their units upgraded and their building transformed. Columbus-based National Church Residences, one of the nation’s largest affordable senior housing developers, purchased the 83-unit Alexandra Apartments for $6.53 million from the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation Aug. 7, the same day it closed on construction financing. MORE
August 28, 2024Aug 28 Model Group unveils fully leased apartments at former Kroger site in Walnut Hills By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Aug 28, 2024 A Walnut Hills affordable housing development is fully leased the same month it made its debut. Over-the-Rhine-based Model Group cut the ribbon Aug. 9 on Peebles Apartments, part of the developer’s Paramount Square campus on the site of the former Kroger store that closed ignominiously in 2017. Peebles Apartments offers 42 units – 14 one-bedroom units, 21 two-bedroom units and seven three-bedroom units. MORE
August 28, 2024Aug 28 1 hour ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: Model Group unveils fully leased apartments at former Kroger site in Walnut Hills By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Aug 28, 2024 A Walnut Hills affordable housing development is fully leased the same month it made its debut. Over-the-Rhine-based Model Group cut the ribbon Aug. 9 on Peebles Apartments, part of the developer’s Paramount Square campus on the site of the former Kroger store that closed ignominiously in 2017. Peebles Apartments offers 42 units – 14 one-bedroom units, 21 two-bedroom units and seven three-bedroom units. MORE Does it mention when the final building will start construction?
September 3, 2024Sep 3 A Public Staff Conference has been scheduled for a proposed PD for a mid-scale extended stay hotel in Walnut Hills at Beecher and Stanton, adjacent to MLK.
September 3, 2024Sep 3 35 minutes ago, Dev said: A Public Staff Conference has been scheduled for a proposed PD for a mid-scale extended stay hotel in Walnut Hills at Beecher and Stanton, adjacent to MLK. Better than an empty lot, I suppose... but it's pretty pitiful that the site plan doesn't even pretend to make any connection (pedestrian, auto, or otherwise) to MLK: https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/sites/planning/assets/2024 - PDs/Beecher-Stanton/Beecher-Stanton-PD-Site-Plan.pdf And it's a damning indictment of the MLK street design that the hotel planners clearly aren't even trying to encourage guests to walk from the hotel along MLK across the bridge the rest of the Uptown area. I get that the site's topography is tricky: there's roughly a 20' elevation change between Stanton and MLK. But good design could take advantage of that slope and create a site plan that connects to both MLK and the Stanton/Beecher sides. There are existing stairs up to MLK from Fredonia to the north side of MLK. But unless I'm missing something, there won't be any easy way to access the south side of MLK's sidewalk by foot from the hotel.
September 3, 2024Sep 3 Yeah I also had a Larry-David-looking-around-and-shrugging reaction to this. I would think this development would be planned out differently if MLK, and Madison, had bus lanes.
September 4, 2024Sep 4 10 hours ago, jwulsin said: There are existing stairs up to MLK from Fredonia to the north side of MLK. But unless I'm missing something, there won't be any easy way to access the south side of MLK's sidewalk by foot from the hotel. The ramps are pretty popular with pandhandlers plus many of the residents of Beecher St. are up-to-no-good so the hotel lot will no doubt be surrounded by a high metal fence.
September 4, 2024Sep 4 Also, amazingly, the house at the corner appears to be staying: This house was purchased in 2003 for $83,000:
September 11, 2024Sep 11 Cincinnati Innovation District developer proposes Walnut Hills hotel A developer with Cincinnati ties is planning a hotel in Walnut Hills near the Cincinnati Innovation District. The project is a five-story, extended-stay hotel with around 100 rooms and a surface lot with around 100 parking spaces. The project site is 1.95 acres of vacant land at the northeast corner of Stanton Avenue and Beecher Street. The site also borders Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the north. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/09/10/new-hotel-inno-district-walnut-hills-kulkarni.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 17, 2024Sep 17 Model Group debuts latest $30M Walnut Hills project: ‘This neighborhood is going to explode’ By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Sep 17, 2024 Over-the-Rhine-based Model Group has begun leasing the apartment units in its newest residential building atop the former Kroger store site in Walnut Hills. Construction of Paramount Launch, at 954 E. McMillan St., is largely complete. The building offers 56 units, comprising a mix of studios and one-bedrooms. Half the units will be restricted to those earning 80% of the area median income, or AMI. For a single person, as of 2024, Greater Cincinnati’s AMI is $58,700, or $67,100 for a family of two. MORE
September 18, 2024Sep 18 15 hours ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: Model Group debuts latest $30M Walnut Hills project: ‘This neighborhood is going to explode’ By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Sep 17, 2024 Over-the-Rhine-based Model Group has begun leasing the apartment units in its newest residential building atop the former Kroger store site in Walnut Hills. Construction of Paramount Launch, at 954 E. McMillan St., is largely complete. The building offers 56 units, comprising a mix of studios and one-bedrooms. Half the units will be restricted to those earning 80% of the area median income, or AMI. For a single person, as of 2024, Greater Cincinnati’s AMI is $58,700, or $67,100 for a family of two. MORE When will they re-install the sidewalk and curb along McMillan? There’s no access to much of the commercial space.
September 18, 2024Sep 18 12 hours ago, CincyIntheKnow said: That brick is unfortunate. yeah. looks like a chocolate pop tart with sprinkles.
October 9, 2024Oct 9 Pennrose debuts first phase of $27M Thatcher Flats project in Walnut Hills By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Updated Oct 9, 2024 6:49am EDT The first phase of a $27 million affordable housing project in Walnut Hills is complete. Thatcher Flats, straddling Lincoln Avenue on the east side of Gilbert Avenue, will consist of 86 units across three buildings when complete next fall. The first two buildings, representing the first phase, offer 50 apartments – a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Some are restricted to those making 30% of the area median income, or AMI, while other units are restricted to those making 60% AMI. In Greater Cincinnati, as of 2024, 30% AMI is $20,070 annual earnings for a one-person household, while 60% AMI is $40,140 annual earnings for the same. MORE
October 9, 2024Oct 9 That is a...hot mess. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
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