May 18, 20187 yr If it's the top floor then they could have done foam on the roof deck above for insulation. That's a good point overall though. These old floors also tend to rain down dirt and grit when someone walks above. That said, the floors in this unit run parallel to the joists above, which is unusual. That may mean they put down sleepers on the floors to help isolate them and add a layer of insulation.
May 18, 20187 yr Anyone else find this image a little unsettling? https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/17/peek-inside-the-newest-luxury-condos-in-downtown.html#g/434950/11 In addition to the lack of railing, I'm also unsettled by the lack of sound barrier in the ceiling. Noise travels easily through floor joists, so it concerns me that they left those exposed. I worry that folks will be be able to hear their upstairs neighbors walking around. In all of the photos in the slideshow, the joists appear exposed. So, unless the photos are only from the top floor (in which case the lack of insulation will turn the condos into saunas), the noise will be an issue. They could have put a layer of gypcrete over the existing floor to help deaden sound, as it appears the floor finishes are all new.
May 18, 20187 yr ^ In addition to these good points, I'll add that only having this ceiling look different - i.e. drywall over the joists - says very little about sound deadening. Batt insulation in the joist cavities also does very little. The sound carries from the heel strike through the subfloor and joists, and a standard ceiling just becomes a speaker for it below. Any sound deadening job that's effective can't be identified from appearance alone. It takes some measure that breaks the sound waves from traveling, so probably something like a gypcrete coating could be much more effective anyway. I remember just after I moved into an OTR condo rehab, the unit above me was rented. The sound of heels striking the wood floor was amazing. It was like they were walking in my living room. And this unit had "standard" drywall and batt insulation with new hardwood floors above. Best solution is for everyone to take off their shoes.
May 18, 20187 yr Developer seeking tax credits for conversion of historical Provident building Pearl Cos., which purchased the Provident Bank Building at 642 Vine St., is requesting Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits. The Provident Building at 642 Vine St. will be converted into 160 market-rate apartments. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/18/developer-seeking-tax-credits-for-conversion-of.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 25, 20187 yr https://www.depaulcristorey.org/page.cfm?p=782 I haven't seen this anywhere else but DePaul Cristo Rey is redoing their entire campus and getting a large addition onto the existing church. The link above has a video and some plans showing the addition. It should have a really nice presence from Central Parkway, and to a lesser extent I-75. Certainly a huge improvement over the existing building and the modular/trailers that are being used now.
May 29, 20187 yr Four development teams submit wildly different proposals for Anderson property Four Greater Cincinnati development teams submitted wildly different proposals for a more than 5.5-acre site in Anderson Township. Anderson Township sent out a request for proposals in January to redevelop the Anderson Center Station Park and Ride, located at 7832 Five Mile Road. Four development teams responded with plans for the property ranging from a 25,000-square-foot medical office building to combining the property with another 2.2-acre site for a development that would include 120 independent living units and 165 apartments. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/29/four-development-teams-submit-wildly-different.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 30, 20187 yr $20 million luxury condo project tops out in Mariemont Greiwe Development Group along with partners North American Properties and Sibcy Cline have completed framing on a $20 million luxury condominium project in Mariemont. To celebrate the milestone, the development team held a topping out ceremony for Hampstead Park on May 29. The traditional ceremony includes lifting an evergreen tree to the top of the completed frame. The act honors nature’s materials and the team that constructed the building. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/30/20-million-luxury-condo-project-tops-out-in.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 1, 20187 yr Get a sneak peek at the latest downtown Cincinnati apartments Another downtown Cincinnati office building is being converted to apartments. Rookwood Properties is well underway on the conversion of the former Hamilton County Board of Elections building at 824 Broadway St. into Crane Factory Flats. The project is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2018, with pre-leasing and hard hat tours starting in July. The conversion to apartments is expected to be an investment of $10 million. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/31/get-a-sneak-peek-at-the-latest-downtown-cincinnati.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 13, 20187 yr The latest Planning Commission packet has some details about the Milhaus proposal, which the Commission is recommending. Looks like Milhaus would tear down the existing 2-story structure: https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/about-city-planning/city-planning-commission/jun-15-2018/ Whoever just snagged 830 Lincoln Ave. for $7,500 just got a steal. There is no reason why the city should be giving away land like that if someone doesn't have immediate plans to build.
June 14, 20187 yr ^yeah. The city should have put out an RFP to see if any developers had better ideas than just leaving it as a fenced in lawn. That area should be a top priority for infill and increasing density.
June 14, 20187 yr The Cincy radio proposal would be a terrible use of this land. Hopefully they can find somewhere else downtown for them but no way should they go in this spot over apartments. how about the old wlwt building. Keep the historic building. Add a modern annex over existing parking.
June 14, 20187 yr ^yeah. The city should have put out an RFP to see if any developers had better ideas than just leaving it as a fenced in lawn. That area should be a top priority for infill and increasing density. It's a 200x100 property. So room for up to TEN single-family attached row houses. But they'll probably tear down the historic multifamily that they are currently renting. Moreover, the owner of the adjacent multifamily is an LLC from New York who just bought it in 2015. Moreover, the owner of the vacant land on the other side of that multifamily paid $145,000 for a 90x200 plot. So back in 2013 "Five Korners LLC" paid $150,000 for a 90x200 plot (814 & 816 Lincoln) but "NVS Properties" is getting a corner parcel nearly identical in size for $7,500. Cranley, Cranley, Cranley.
June 14, 20186 yr ^yeah. The city should have put out an RFP to see if any developers had better ideas than just leaving it as a fenced in lawn. That area should be a top priority for infill and increasing density. It's a 200x100 property. So room for up to TEN single-family attached row houses. But they'll probably tear down the historic multifamily that they are currently renting. Moreover, the owner of the adjacent multifamily is an LLC from New York who just bought it in 2015. Moreover, the owner of the vacant land on the other side of that multifamily paid $145,000 for a 90x200 plot. So back in 2013 "Five Korners LLC" paid $150,000 for a 90x200 plot (814 & 816 Lincoln) but "NVS Properties" is getting a corner parcel nearly identical in size for $7,500. Cranley, Cranley, Cranley. Yeah, that type of stuff just ticks me off. Wonder if we can get CityBeat on it to investigate or something. Seriously, I've been feeling a bit depressed about the state of the city recently. I know Cranley wants development, but he is really setting the city back with his refusal to do some of the things that will actually progress our city like the Liberty Street Road Diet, simple streetcar fixes, finishing the Central Parkway Bike Lane, and things like trying to give out land for free. Also, I am pretty ticked about the massive amount of TIF subsidies given to the new stadium. We could have so much done and get so many projects kick started, like the buildings on 4th Street and Walnut and 5th that would be transformative downtown, using that TIF money. When Mallory was in, it seemed like a new project was announced weekly, now it is just a crawl... Luckily, Mallory got the private development moving pretty good in OTR with the Streetcar finished up. I can't imagine where we would be without the streetcar...
June 14, 20186 yr ^yeah. The city should have put out an RFP to see if any developers had better ideas than just leaving it as a fenced in lawn. That area should be a top priority for infill and increasing density. It's a 200x100 property. So room for up to TEN single-family attached row houses. But they'll probably tear down the historic multifamily that they are currently renting. Moreover, the owner of the adjacent multifamily is an LLC from New York who just bought it in 2015. Moreover, the owner of the vacant land on the other side of that multifamily paid $145,000 for a 90x200 plot. So back in 2013 "Five Korners LLC" paid $150,000 for a 90x200 plot (814 & 816 Lincoln) but "NVS Properties" is getting a corner parcel nearly identical in size for $7,500. Cranley, Cranley, Cranley. Yeah, that type of stuff just ticks me off. Wonder if we can get CityBeat on it to investigate or something. Seriously, I've been feeling a bit depressed about the state of the city recently. I know Cranley wants development, but he is really setting the city back with his refusal to do some of the things that will actually progress our city like the Liberty Street Road Diet, simple streetcar fixes, finishing the Central Parkway Bike Lane, and things like trying to give out land for free. Also, I am pretty ticked about the massive amount of TIF subsidies given to the new stadium. We could have so much done and get so many projects kick started, like the buildings on 4th Street and Walnut and 5th that would be transformative downtown, using that TIF money. When Mallory was in, it seemed like a new project was announced weekly, now it is just a crawl... Luckily, Mallory got the private development moving pretty good in OTR with the Streetcar finished up. I can't imagine where we would be without the streetcar... I still think the West End stadium project was the best option. You add, 25,000 (upwards to 30,000 when expanded) to the West End, an area that has seen 0 development, even during the Mark Mallory days. The project will also contain mixed use development around the stadium in the form of retail/dining/perhaps apartments (as stated by Jeff Berding)... Also, as FCC recently announced, the stadium will host various events and concerts and wont sit vacant when there aren't matches being played. I think this will be a nice addition at the end of it all.
June 14, 20186 yr Also, I am pretty ticked about the massive amount of TIF subsidies given to the new stadium. We could have so much done and get so many projects kick started, like the buildings on 4th Street and Walnut and 5th that would be transformative downtown, using that TIF money. Plus, I don't remember all the specific details, but Cranley pulled some sort of shenanigan where the city "refinanced" several TIF bonds and converted them to normal city bonds. Before that happened, I did not even know that sort of thing was possible. I thought once a project was financed with TIF money, the revenue from the TIF district had to be used to pay off the bonds that were issued for the original investment. But apparently all you have to do is refinance the bonds and say "that's no longer a TIF project" and then you free up the capacity of the TIF district. So in the hands of a pay-to-play politician, it's a never-ending slush fund.
June 14, 20186 yr Plus, I don't remember all the specific details, but Cranley pulled some sort of shenanigan where the city "refinanced" several TIF bonds and converted them to normal city bonds. Before that happened, I did not even know that sort of thing was possible. I thought once a project was financed with TIF money, the revenue from the TIF district had to be used to pay off the bonds that were issued for the original investment. But apparently all you have to do is refinance the bonds and say "that's no longer a TIF project" and then you free up the capacity of the TIF district. So in the hands of a pay-to-play politician, it's a never-ending slush fund. Cranley was a core figure in the establishment of Cincinnati's TIF districts back around 2002-03. Plus, he worked as an attorney in a practice that specialized in municipal bonds. Cranley's entire political strategy since he was 25 years old has been getting huge campaign contributions from developers who he hands public property and subsidies at a deeply discounted price. I remember reading a "how to get rich in real estate" book about 10 years ago, and page 1 said join a country club and negotiate on how to pay almost zero tax and get public land and subsidies for dirt cheap.
June 14, 20186 yr ^yeah. The city should have put out an RFP to see if any developers had better ideas than just leaving it as a fenced in lawn. That area should be a top priority for infill and increasing density. According to the Planning Commission packet, the city did issue an RFP in December 2017.
June 14, 20186 yr ^yeah. The city should have put out an RFP to see if any developers had better ideas than just leaving it as a fenced in lawn. That area should be a top priority for infill and increasing density. According to the Planning Commission packet, the city did issue an RFP in December 2017. Yikes - you're right that it was put out to bid, but how on earth was this the winning bid? It doesn't meet any of the goals stated in the RFP, so the City should have just waited until a better offer came in: http://choosecincy.com/Cincinnati/media/Cincinnati/EconDev/RFPs/830-Lincoln-RFP.pdf
June 14, 20186 yr I don't know how this process works. If anyone can share any information I'll do a blog write-up or put something on UrbanCincy. I am aware that you are able to petition the Hamilton County Land Bank if you are an owner-occupant adjacent to a vacant lot owned by the land bank. But this was city-owned land next to an investment property.
June 14, 20186 yr I don't know how this process works. If anyone can share any information I'll do a blog write-up or put something on UrbanCincy. I am aware that you are able to petition the Hamilton County Land Bank if you are an owner-occupant adjacent to a vacant lot owned by the land bank. But this was city-owned land next to an investment property. If you just want to learn more about the general RFP process, you might be able to get somebody from the City to explain it. The RFP for 830 Lincoln outlined a lot of the process, so I'm not sure what else you might want to learn, other than # of applicants (which I assume the City won't want to divulge).
June 14, 20186 yr Well how is the RFP process publicized? Does the city typically send letters to nearby property owners?
June 14, 20186 yr Well how is the RFP process publicized? Does the city typically send letters to nearby property owners? Not sure if/how they publicize to neighbors... but the City definitely tries to get the word out to developers/architects/etc: http://choosecincy.com/Economic-Development/Opportunities/Request-for-Proposals.aspx
June 14, 20186 yr If I had known about this I would have happily paid...$8,000 for this. Hell, $18,000 is still a steal for a huge flat lot anywhere in the city.
June 18, 20186 yr Since Shillito's West and 9th and Plum are poised to become real projects I have created threads for them: Shillito's West 9th and Plum “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
June 20, 20186 yr Moved the discussion about Hamilton County's sales tax increase to the Hamilton County Politics thread.
June 20, 20186 yr Pete Witte interviewed Steve Leeper on the latest episode of his podcast Live from Table 1, and towards the end Leeper gets quite animated talking about the idea of selling the north building of the downtown library and using the proceeds to improve the south building and "activate" it at street level later in the evening and at night. He seemed frustrated that the deal probably won't happen due to political opposition. Overall, it's an interesting interview.
June 20, 20186 yr ^Great news on that, that was one of my big ones I really wanted!!! Also, interested Jwulsin on that podcast you mentioned, that would be so good for downtown if we could do that. In all seriousness, I think I personally know 3 people that got mugged next to the library. Not certain if that type of stuff has slowed down in the last 3 years or if it is still a problem area. It kind of sounds to me like it still is. And to me, that's a big barrier to connected downtown better to OTR.
June 20, 20186 yr ^Great news on that, that was one of my big ones I really wanted!!! Also, interested Jwulsin on that podcast you mentioned, that would be so good for downtown if we could do that. In all seriousness, I think I personally know 3 people that got mugged next to the library. Not certain if that type of stuff has slowed down in the last 3 years or if it is still a problem area. It kind of sounds to me like it still is. And to me, that's a big barrier to connected downtown better to OTR. Yeah - I think Leeper agrees with you and feels the library is a key piece to activating Vine St from Fountain Square up to OTR. Personally, I feel it should be a higher priority to get the Terrace Plaza renovated, finish the Garfield Suites renovation (what happened to this job?), and fill in the large surface lots along Vine at 7th.
June 20, 20186 yr ^Yeah, I don't disagree with you necessarily. I think probably what Leeper is thinking is more or less the 3CDC strategy in OTR originally and still now: Get the problem areas fixed first, then let the free market help out a bit on the other ones.
June 20, 20186 yr The stretch of Vine between 7th and 9th (and really all the way up to Court) is really dead. The library is mostly people just loitering and/or smoking weed, which is actually preferable to the Garfield Suites side of the street. The only real businesses are Jean Robert's and the Garfield Mini Mart, which are both in a terrible one story building and surrounded by an entire city block of surface parking. If 3CDC is going to start focusing more attention on Court street, the block of Vine between 7th and 8th should become much higher priority to better connect Court Street to Fountain Square.
June 20, 20186 yr The stretch of Vine between 7th and 9th (and really all the way up to Court) is really dead. The library is mostly people just loitering and/or smoking weed, which is actually preferable to the Garfield Suites side of the street. The only real businesses are Jean Robert's and the Garfield Mini Mart, which are both in a terrible one story building and surrounded by an entire city block of surface parking. If 3CDC is going to start focusing more attention on Court street, the block of Vine between 7th and 8th should become much higher priority to better connect Court Street to Fountain Square. I wish Jean Robert's would put a rooftop patio/bar on top. There's a car ramp on the Court St side of the building that makes me think they used to park cars on the roof.
June 20, 20186 yr fun fact: load requirements for elevated parking are less than half of what is required for a restaurant.
June 20, 20186 yr I wish Jean Robert's would put a rooftop patio/bar on top. There's a car ramp on the Court St side of the building that makes me think they used to park cars on the roof. Yeah they were still parking cars up there in the 90s. I walked up there and took photos once or twice.
June 20, 20186 yr Yeah it's weird, you think cars are heavy and they put all their weight on only a few inches of square feet per tire, but they really aren't as dense as restaurant equipment and people seated all over the room in furniture.
June 21, 20186 yr Not sure if this deserves its own thread, but the building at 22-24 W Seventh St is going to be renovated into 14 apartments and 2 commercial spaces, after receiving tax credits in the latest round: https://www.wcpo.com/news/transportation-development/development/cincinnati-s-traction-building-hamilton-s-champion-paper-mill-win-big-in-historic-tax-credits 22-24 W. Seventh St., Cincinnati Total Project Cost: $1,790,000 Total Tax Credit: $245,000 An eight-story building in downtown Cincinnati's Race Street Historic District, this building is an early example of the transition from smaller-scale commercial buildings to modern skyscrapers. After years of vacancy, the c. 1898 building will be rehabilitated into 14 two-bedroom apartments and two commercial spaces.
June 22, 20186 yr A revival is underway on Fourth Street A partner with Loring Group said the vision for this corner of downtown is to return it to its former glory at the end of 19th century. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/06/21/a-revival-is-underway-on-fourth-street.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 23, 20186 yr Historic downtown building to become apartments, thanks in part to tax credits The renovation of a historic downtown Cincinnati office building into apartments is moving forward after receiving state tax credits. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/06/22/historic-downtown-building-to-become-apartments.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 25, 20186 yr Movie theater will return to downtown Cincinnati By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier Jun 25, 2018, 12:41pm EDT Downtown Cincinnati will soon have a movie theater once again, in the same spot where its last theater closed to make way for the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Cincinnati World Cinema is expected to move into the theater slot at 719 Race St. in the Garfield Tower Apartments within the next 90 days. https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/06/25/movie-theater-will-return-to-downtown-cincinnati.html
June 25, 20186 yr That's cool, I'm glad this group will be able to bring an old theater back to life. This reminds me, though, I had been meaning to post this article in one of the Cincinnati threads: Arena District Movie Theater Will be Converted to Office Use Anyone holding out hope that a movie theater would re-open in the Arena District can officially consider those hopes dashed. Nationwide Insurance announced today plans to convert the 31,000 square feet of space into a new “Innovation Center,” relocating workers from its “Refinery 191” innovation space next door. “The expansion of our innovation facilities reflects our commitment to developing new ways to help members protect what’s most important and plan for a secure future,” stated Terrance Williams, Nationwide’s chief marketing officer and president of emerging businesses. “By repurposing a space we already own, we will cost effectively meet our growing business needs. It’s a win-win for both Nationwide and the Arena District.” ^ The idea comes up from time to time that Downtown Cincinnati needs a multiplex cinema, and I think this goes to show that it's very hard for them to succeed in downtowns.
June 25, 20186 yr Isn’t that theater super run down? Isn’t that why the Shakespear co left in the first place?
June 25, 20186 yr Isn’t that theater super run down? Isn’t that why the Shakespear co left in the first place? I know CMC Properties has been working on renovating it for awhile and now it looks like the new tenant will be putting an additional $30,000 to $50,000 into it as well.
June 25, 20186 yr Isn’t that theater super run down? Isn’t that why the Shakespear co left in the first place? The space was originally designed as a movie theater, so it was never an ideal home for the Shakespeare Company. If you go to the new Shakespeare Company theater, you'll see how it has no resemblance to a movie theater.
June 25, 20186 yr Public Radio proposal seems to have won the city lot next to city hall...apperantly the milhaus proposal would have been low quality material and the developer doesn’t want to combine the 2 proposals together because they don’t want to pay the extra costs to build the structure with steel instead of wood. Also Cincy Public Radio stated they had no other site options in the cbd, and losing the site would risk them being able to stay downtown.
June 25, 20186 yr I think City Council picked the "easy" option here in order to get CPR out of the current home as quickly as possible to allow the current studios and the Town Center garage to be redeveloped. It wouldn't been nicer to see something higher density go next to City Hall, but I'm not crying about a parking lot in the urban core being redeveloped.
June 25, 20186 yr Also we published an editorial at UrbanCincy suggesting that CPR could move into the Public Library's north building. It seems like it would be a win-win for both parties.
June 25, 20186 yr I wonder what kind of infrastructure costs are needed for the radio station that could prohibit them from using the library. I know nothing about this type of stuff, but I can imagine renovating a building for such a specific high-tech use could be difficult. But on its surface it seems like a good idea.
June 26, 20186 yr I was walking north on Race toward 5th street to pick up dinner last night and I saw a woman and her daughter looking at the old blue skywalk monoliths. I said "that won't be much help, it's from the 90s". She was looking for shopping and thought maybe the Banks would be good. I directed her toward OTR for boutique shopping but she did not sound convinced. The city needs to get rid of these things and put in place a more up to date map (similar to the ones around OTR, but for the CBD, OTR, and the banks). With that she would have quickly seen that the only thing they can buy at the Banks is a Tervis cup.
June 26, 20186 yr About the Public Radio building, a friend forwarded me a response they received that details their thought process of taking up the lot next to City Hall. I agree that having public radio there is much better than a parking lot, but it still seems a little disingenuous to hear their excuses about being part of a mixed-use development due to having "music, performance, public discussions and debates." There are tons of bars throughout the city that are directly above or adjacent to bars that play music until 2am. But seems like this is a done deal, and at least it seems they'll have a coffeeshop as part of the building...and yet another downtown plaza. I appreciate your sharing your concerns and opinions with me regarding Cincinnati Public Radio’s interest in the property next to City Hall. However, I suspect at least a portion of your objections may hav etc do with a lack of information, which is our fault. Let me attempt to elucidate. For one thing, unlike an apartment building, CPR has very specific technical and location requirements. We can’t just be “plopped down” anywhere. Among other things, direct, line-of-sight access to our NPR satellite and transmitting tower is critical. Unfortunately, there are not many locations in the Central Business District that offer this. We know. We’ve been looking for almost eight months now. Being immediately adjacent to City Hall also provides the City with convenient access to CPR’s facilities, and since we’re a critical player in the nationwide Emergency Alert System, City government can easily use our resources to provide crucial, immediate information in the case of natural or manmade disaster. Further, we require adequate, immediate access to parking — parking not just for our own staff, who come and go at all hours of the day and night, but for hundreds of guests who come into our facility each month. Security, day and night, is paramount. Not many places in the CBD offer that. In addition, while some have proposed that we could possibly be included in a “mixed use” facility, practical considerations make that option unrealistic. We are a 24/7 operation. We sponsor — and in a new facility designed for our purposes, will sponsor even more — evening and weekend events: music, performance, public discussions and debates. That makes us a less than ideal close neighbor for a residential enterprise. There are other apartment buildings in the Over-the-Rhine and West End. Some of them are quite new. Many, such as the newly renovated building on the corner of 12th and Central Parkway, have substantial vacancy numbers. In addition, there are a number of vacant lots and buildings that had once been or could easily be converted into residential use in our immediate vicinity. While these do not meet the aforementioned technical specifications we require, they could easily satisfy development as below market to market rate housing. As I mentioned earlier, we’ve been searching for a while. The need to relocate was not our choice, but where we will end up is — at least to a significant degree. We desire to remain in the City, but with the exception of the property at 9th and Plum, we have uncovered no other viable alternative. If this opportunity is lost, we may have no viable option but to begin seeking options outside of the City of Cincinnati. That would be a considerable loss not only to this organization, but for City residents as well.
June 26, 20186 yr About the Public Radio building, a friend forwarded me a response they received that details their thought process of taking up the lot next to City Hall. I agree that having public radio there is much better than a parking lot, but it still seems a little disingenuous to hear their excuses about being part of a mixed-use development due to having "music, performance, public discussions and debates." There are tons of bars throughout the city that are directly above or adjacent to bars that play music until 2am. But seems like this is a done deal, and at least it seems they'll have a coffeeshop as part of the building...and yet another downtown plaza. I appreciate your sharing your concerns and opinions with me regarding Cincinnati Public Radio’s interest in the property next to City Hall. However, I suspect at least a portion of your objections may hav etc do with a lack of information, which is our fault. Let me attempt to elucidate. For one thing, unlike an apartment building, CPR has very specific technical and location requirements. We can’t just be “plopped down” anywhere. Among other things, direct, line-of-sight access to our NPR satellite and transmitting tower is critical. Unfortunately, there are not many locations in the Central Business District that offer this. We know. We’ve been looking for almost eight months now. Being immediately adjacent to City Hall also provides the City with convenient access to CPR’s facilities, and since we’re a critical player in the nationwide Emergency Alert System, City government can easily use our resources to provide crucial, immediate information in the case of natural or manmade disaster. Further, we require adequate, immediate access to parking — parking not just for our own staff, who come and go at all hours of the day and night, but for hundreds of guests who come into our facility each month. Security, day and night, is paramount. Not many places in the CBD offer that. In addition, while some have proposed that we could possibly be included in a “mixed use” facility, practical considerations make that option unrealistic. We are a 24/7 operation. We sponsor — and in a new facility designed for our purposes, will sponsor even more — evening and weekend events: music, performance, public discussions and debates. That makes us a less than ideal close neighbor for a residential enterprise. There are other apartment buildings in the Over-the-Rhine and West End. Some of them are quite new. Many, such as the newly renovated building on the corner of 12th and Central Parkway, have substantial vacancy numbers. In addition, there are a number of vacant lots and buildings that had once been or could easily be converted into residential use in our immediate vicinity. While these do not meet the aforementioned technical specifications we require, they could easily satisfy development as below market to market rate housing. As I mentioned earlier, we’ve been searching for a while. The need to relocate was not our choice, but where we will end up is — at least to a significant degree. We desire to remain in the City, but with the exception of the property at 9th and Plum, we have uncovered no other viable alternative. If this opportunity is lost, we may have no viable option but to begin seeking options outside of the City of Cincinnati. That would be a considerable loss not only to this organization, but for City residents as well. It's mind-blowing, then, that other cities are able to house their public radio stations in mixed-use buildings. Also, what apartment building at 12th and Central Parkway? I'm pretty sure the building they are referring to was renovated for office use. And what does it's vacancy rate have to do with anything? It was, by their own account, just finished. Of course it hasn't been filled yet. I love NPR and I'm a huge supporter, but this is really disingenuous, crappy response.
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