Exactly. And there is definitely a learning curve which is why I try not to get too upset when projects go up that aren't that great. Because it seems like every city goes through this learning curve period before coming into its own and building truly good things again. We're still in the early stages of our urban movement so time still needs to pass before we learn as a region how to build properly again. It'll happen, we just have to be patient and continue the commentary on what is bad and wrong with what we are doing so people learn.

 

Well, the good thing about these CR Architecture-esque projects is that they're not built to last. Maybe in 30 years when all of this wood-framed low-quality construction needs to be replaced, we'll have our act together and will be able to put up some meaningful architecture. That almost hurts to say as someone who cares about the environment and hates to see buildings end up in landfills...but it's true.

Not to go too far off topic, but I think this what you are describing is part of a larger cultural trend taking place in the U.S. right now. Since roughly WWII, we have been moving in the direction of more homogenized, bland, mass-produced, convenient, "efficient" stuff in almost every aspect of American culture. Much of what has been happening over the past ~5 years in Cincinnati (and maybe ~15 years in the big cities) that would be dismissed as "hipster" or "yuppie" by a lot of people is actually about Americans rediscovering that things can actually be, well, good. And in a lot of cases, we have to completely re-learn it all from scratch. We completely forgot what good architecture looks like (and how to build it). We will have to relearn it.

 

Even in the larger cities where urban culture / new architecture is better as a whole there are still junk projects, take for instance this one in my neighborhood, looks like something out of the 1970s, though at the very least its more substantial looking than much of the junk by the  University in Cincinnati:

 

https://ssl.cdn-redfin.com/photo/68/bigphoto/832/08635832_0.jpg

 

The learning curve is pretty darn steep which is so strange, I don't understand it.

Remember also that the crap buildings tend to go away over time while the good ones stay.  So today we mostly see just the well-built buildings remaining, as the jerry-built shacks have all fallen down, burned down, or otherwise been replaced. 

 

Historically wood buildings weren't meant to be long-lasting, not just because of durability but because all the painting and other maintenance is so time consuming and difficult.  They're the 19th and early 20th century equivalent of cheap consumer goods from China.  Yes they're nice and shiny when new, especially with so many pre-assembled parts and off-the-shelf components.  All the gingerbread mouldings and cornices and windows and tin ceilings and such came out of factories and catalogs.  Cheap to buy, easy to assemble, and pretty good looking.  As time goes on however, those profiles and parts and pieces aren't made anymore so they have to be custom made to replace, and equivalent replacements just don't exist.  So just like it's cheaper to throw out the broken washing machine and buy a new one, because fixing it would require hours of expensive service tech labor and retail parts compared to the hyper efficient assembly line labor and volume-purchased parts for a new one, wood buildings were expected to be disassembled or demolished because maintaining them was just too much work. 

 

It takes kind of an odd set of circumstances to preserve all these wood buildings that we have, imposed in no small part due to zoning restrictions which forbid densification.  Historically, either a neighborhood of wood (first generation) buildings would grow up and mature into brick and stone structures, or it would decline and go away (think abandoned mining towns and western ghost towns).  Where these buildings stick around is in an environment of stasis, which is what zoning promotes.  The problem is that these buildings don't function well under stasis because they're so difficult to maintain. 

 

Also, the wood construction represents a shifting of cost and quality from the building for people to the building for cars.  If so much parking, especially structured parking, wasn't required, then more resources could be allocated to the building itself.  Maybe, hopefully, as time goes on the buildings will get upgraded or rebuilt in a more substantial manner as time goes on, especially if the parking doesn't deteriorate at the same rate. 

Not to go too far off topic, but

Exactly. And there is definitely a learning curve which is why I try not to get too upset when projects go up that aren't that great. Because it seems like every city goes through this learning curve period before coming into its own and building truly good things again. We're still in the early stages of our urban movement so time still needs to pass before we learn as a region how to build properly again. It'll happen, we just have to be patient and continue the commentary on what is bad and wrong with what we are doing so people learn.

 

Well, the good thing about these CR Architecture-esque projects is that they're not built to last. Maybe in 30 years when all of this wood-framed low-quality construction needs to be replaced, we'll have our act together and will be able to put up some meaningful architecture. That almost hurts to say as someone who cares about the environment and hates to see buildings end up in landfills...but it's true.

 

What's happening uptown is a housing bubble.  All this madness can be put to an end if the city were to zone out multi-family properties larger than four units.  We wouldn't see historic homes torn down for suburban-style apartment buildings because building apartments would become illegal. 

 

All of this new construction is discouraging property owners from reinvesting in existing buildings.  Instead people are letting their properties deteriorate in areas where they believe developers will buy them out. 

 

The second-last house was just demolished on Wm H Taft.  Only one house remains. 

Some shots from Short Vine in late November:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, it's still a bit of a mess with all the old telephone poles, cobrahead lighting, and suspended stop signs. The red concrete crosswalks are a nice touch.

If they'd just bury the stupid utilities, Short Vine could look amazing. A shame they skirted on doing that.

I think the chages made to short vine make the area look worse.  I can't explainn it...it just looks half done.  Somehow it's just suburban homogenized nothingness to me.  Its hideous.  I'd rather have the more run down, but authentic feel, of the 1980's.

The concrete sidewalk pads were not finished around the telephone poles as smoothly as the sidewalk itself, like the concrete they poured around the old poles is just a placeholder or something.  It definitely doesn't appear that this concrete is permanent around the old poles.  It's kind of hard to explain, I'll try to get over there to take a picture this week.  Maybe they'll be torn out at a later date?  I know the Consortium was looking for funding to streetscape the rest of Short Vine. 

The concrete sidewalk pads were not finished around the telephone poles as smoothly as the sidewalk itself, like the concrete they poured around the old poles is just a placeholder or something.  It definitely doesn't appear that this concrete is permanent around the old poles.  It's kind of hard to explain, I'll try to get over there to take a picture this week.  Maybe they'll be torn out at a later date?  I know the Consortium was looking for funding to streetscape the rest of Short Vine. 

 

The city has been very good as using this technique in recent years. They did the same thing in Pendleton. Earlier this summer, they buried the utilities on 12th Street in Pendleton and just patched those squares of sidewalk that had previously been roughed-in.

 

 

The reason the concrete isn't poured around the utility poles is that they DID bury all the lines, and the utility poles will be coming down.  The issue is, utilities TAKE FOREVER to switch the service and take the poles down.  The lines on 13th street were buried two years ago, and they still haven't come down.

 

so in a year or so(hopefully) we will see a clear, clean Short Vine.

I thought they were going to make the street level with the sidewalk? Did that plan get scrapped?

I thought they were going to make the street level with the sidewalk? Did that plan get scrapped?

 

The sidewalk slopes down to the street. However it rises up at intersections as you can see from my photos. Kinda hard to explain, you should check it out in person if you get the chance.

 

...utilities TAKE FOREVER to switch the service and take the poles down.  The lines on 13th street were buried two years ago, and they still haven't come down.

 

Sometimes they never finish.  There's still 3 or 4 poles on Woodburn Avenue that have had their tops lopped off but still have one secondary distribution feed to a few buildings.  http://goo.gl/maps/Ttqgd

I assume Deaconess Hospital is going to eventually sell to UC. It would work out for UC who already owns Stratford Heights down the street. Anyone know what the long term plan is for Deaconess? They already downsized a lot of their operations over the years and I think UC Health already rents offices in there.

It's entirely psych, and I think the primary mental/psychiatric facility in the region.

Council OKs tax breaks for major Uptown apartment project

Feb 19, 2015, 3:05pm EST Updated: Feb 19, 2015, 3:07pm EST

Chris Wetterich Staff reporter and columnist- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

The Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved a property tax break on Thursday for a 108-unit apartment project set to be built in Corryville.

 

Under the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design tax credit, Uptown Rentals will save nearly $8 million in property taxes on improvements it makes to eight properties at William Howard Taft Road and Eden Avenue.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/02/19/council-oks-tax-breaks-for-major-uptown-apartment.html

Some of these tax incentives are getting to be a bit much, in my opinion, especially for a conglomerate like Uptown Rentals. Many smaller, independent landlords will get dinged with thousands in additional taxes for fixing up old bathrooms and kitchens, while Uptown gets to save $8,000,000 by tearing down historic buildings and putting up cheap EIFS clad superblocks.

Council OKs tax breaks for major Uptown apartment project

Feb 19, 2015, 3:05pm EST Updated: Feb 19, 2015, 3:07pm EST

Chris Wetterich Staff reporter and columnist- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

The Cincinnati City Council unanimously approved a property tax break on Thursday for a 108-unit apartment project set to be built in Corryville.

 

Under the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design tax credit, Uptown Rentals will save nearly $8 million in property taxes on improvements it makes to eight properties at William Howard Taft Road and Eden Avenue.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/02/19/council-oks-tax-breaks-for-major-uptown-apartment.html

 

They should be forced to spend some of that $8mil on historic preservation endevors in this city.  We keep paying people to destroy our history.

University Plaza sign next to WH Taft was torn down last week.  Fencing has moved around the old Blockbuster site and heavy equipment is in the parking lot. 

Has Kroger announced timing for when the University Plaza store will close and how long it'll be closed during renovation?

Has Kroger announced timing for when the University Plaza store will close and how long it'll be closed during renovation?

 

I don't think so.  Meanwhile construction activity has picked up in the lot.  Maybe they are simply fixing up the lot with new light poles.  They have what looks like a pile driver parked in the lot. 

 

There was a demo permit pulled at the end of January for "DEMO EXITING COMMERCIAL BLDG (KROGER/WALGREENS/RETAIL CTR)" (sic) and a permit for a new building, as well. I've worked on similar projects, and I'd say Kroger will probably have to be closed for 9 months to a year, unless they somehow revised the plan in such a way that they can build the new building without demolishing the old one.

 

Here's a link to all the permits (I'm not positive this will work, if not just go to Cagis EZTrak and search for 1 W. Corry).

 

Personally, this will be a sad project for me. That Kroger is basically the only place I've bought groceries for the last 10 years, aside from a handful of co-ops and that brief moment I could afford rent in OTR.

That Kroger does have a good bit of nostalgia attached to it but we shouldn't kid ourselves.  It's a piece of crap.  It's not welcoming on any side and is surrounded by stores that nobody really cares about other than that Walgreens.  It'll be nice to see it go.  Such an eyesore for that entire intersection.

Just a reminder that there's a thread dedicated to the University Village/Plaza project: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2563.0.html

Gilbane Development Company Begins Construction on New Housing for University of Cincinnati Students

http://www.azobuild.com/news.aspx?newsID=19827

Gilbane Development Company is excited to bring our trademarked "Next Level of Student Housing®" program to Cincinnati

I laughed out loud when I saw that registered trademark.

 

Here are some of the other "Next Level of Student Housing®" projects done by Gilbane: http://www.gilbaneco.com/development/work/#student-housing

 

The rendering in the press release is super disappointing. Looks totally crummy. I seriously hope they get push back from the community. I hope its not too late to upgrade the materials and design of this project.

 

It's funny (and sad) how urban architectural design has basically polarized into two main trends.  First there's the cheap shlocky stuff like the rendering above, The Banks, Columbia Square, Oakley Station, etc. which look like several already uninspired buildings smashed into each other.  Then you have the "trendy" modernist boxes with randomly placed vertical windows creating sort of a shattered skin effect, like Dunnhumby and Mercer Commons.  Both types are so "me-too" that they're already completely dated. 

4/12/15:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is this garbage getting torn down any time soon?

Notice that Corryville is suddenly not dangerous anymore.  It has grown quiet and pleasant. 

And way too sterile.  Too much old was torn down  :x

And way too sterile.  Too much old was torn down  :x

 

You absolutely can't make up that The Sub Galley -- one of the sleaziest establishments to be found anywhere in the United States -- was replaced by some place called...Dive Bar.  I still can't get over the fact that somebody actually named a new, mild-mannered bar "Dive Bar", especially when it replaced a place where crack was smoked in full view. 

And way too sterile.  Too much old was torn down  :x

 

You absolutely can't make up that The Sub Galley -- one of the sleaziest establishments to be found anywhere in the United States -- was replaced by some place called...Dive Bar.  I still can't get over the fact that somebody actually named a new, mild-mannered bar "Dive Bar", especially when it replaced a place where crack was smoked in full view. 

 

So Meta.

 

Is this garbage getting torn down any time soon?

 

Exact thing I was wondering. I got giddy when I saw most of the places had vacated in that photo. That's the biggest remaining scourge on that street.

What was demoed for that in looks like 1987? It's got that remodeled Road House Double Deuce/late '80s mall look to it with the metal structures. Anybody remember what was there before?

That development is called "The Colonnade". It was built in 1989 and sold to a shell company of Uptown Rental Properties in 2013 for $1.5 million.

 

I don't know what was there before 1989. I'm not having much luck finding photos or articles about The Colonnade development.

Did some research on the shopping center. Looks like Uptown Rental Properties bought up the property in 2013 for $1.5m through their Gaslight Ventures LLC. Dan Schimberg's signature is on the conveyance fee forms. Which is good news to me. I don't see them buying up that property unless they intend to demo and build housing/mixed development on the land.

There was a Kroger there in the 70's.

They've stated their longterm intention is to demolish and build something larger scale at that site with a residential component. Until that point hey said they'd do generic "sprucing" to make it at least look a little nicer.

What was demoed for that in looks like 1987? It's got that remodeled Road House Double Deuce/late '80s mall look to it with the metal structures. Anybody remember what was there before?

 

The shopping center's main tenant for about 15 years was Kinko's, and it was a beehive of activity 24 hours a day.  The Kinko's took up almost the entire plaza.  There was also a Star Bank ATM in the middle.  Around midnight there would be UC students working on something alongside bands of feuding factions (for example goth vs. hardcore) printing off telephone pole posters. 

 

They've stated their longterm intention is to demolish and build something larger scale at that site with a residential component. Until that point hey said they'd do generic "sprucing" to make it at least look a little nicer.

 

I must have missed this story a year and a half ago:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/10/21/new-restaurant-bar-project-planned.html?page=all

What was demoed for that in looks like 1987? It's got that remodeled Road House Double Deuce/late '80s mall look to it with the metal structures. Anybody remember what was there before?

 

The shopping center's main tenant for about 15 years was Kinko's, and it was a beehive of activity 24 hours a day.  The Kinko's took up almost the entire plaza.  There was also a Star Bank ATM in the middle.  Around midnight there would be UC students working on something alongside bands of feuding factions (for example goth vs. hardcore) printing off telephone pole posters. 

 

 

Oh I remember the Kinko's and the ATM (it kept my card twice) but I meant to ask what building was there before this one.

If it is the same building that Kinko's was in, then before that there was one of those small Krogers on the site.

They've stated their longterm intention is to demolish and build something larger scale at that site with a residential component. Until that point hey said they'd do generic "sprucing" to make it at least look a little nicer.

 

I must have missed this story a year and a half ago:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/10/21/new-restaurant-bar-project-planned.html?page=all

 

I wonder why Uptown is dragging their feet with this?  They made some improvements to the attached parking garage and with VP3 opening this fall and another development getting started on Taft, seems like the area would be ripe for new bars/restaurants.  Especially when you consider Kroghetto's redevelopment getting underway.

They've stated their longterm intention is to demolish and build something larger scale at that site with a residential component. Until that point hey said they'd do generic "sprucing" to make it at least look a little nicer.

 

I must have missed this story a year and a half ago:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/10/21/new-restaurant-bar-project-planned.html?page=all

 

I wonder why Uptown is dragging their feet with this?  They made some improvements to the attached parking garage and with VP3 opening this fall and another development getting started on Taft, seems like the area would be ripe for new bars/restaurants.  Especially when you consider Kroghetto's redevelopment getting underway.

 

The only thing I can think is that they're waiting to wrap on VP3 before starting on that plot.

 

They've actually already begun working on VP4, a name, which makes no sense, btw.  VP3 was Vine Public Private Partnership. 

VP4... who knows....

They should call it V@P3R

It means Vine Public Private PartnershiP

They should call it V@P3R

 

How about "#VEEP"