Second DeSales phase seeking City approval

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/09/second-desales-phase-seeking-city.html

 

***3 images with article link***

 

After his notwithstanding ordinance application was rejected by the City, Keith Glaser of Excalibur Development/DeSales Properties, LLC is now seeking a rezoning for the second phase of DeSales Plaza in East Walnut Hills.

 

Next Tuesday, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee changing the zoning of the site from CC-M Commercial Community-Mixed District and RMX Residential Mixed District to PD Planned Development District (PD-56) to allow for a multi-family project of up to 85 apartments on 2.45 acres along Woodburn Avenue, Chapel Street, and Lincoln Avenue.

 

The properties to be rezoned include the vacant and cleared sites at:

• 2901, 2911, 2913, 2921, 2925, 2927 and 2933 Woodburn Avenue
  
• 1524, 1528, 1530, 1532 and 1536 Chapel Street
  
• 1529 Lincoln Avenue
  

 

Designed by Cole + Russell Architects, the apartments would be built in three three-story buildings, with 80 percent being one-bedroom units and the remainder two-bedroom units.

 

Two buildings would be oriented toward Woodburn Avenue (12,600 square feet and 7,340 square feet), and the other along Chapel Street (7,340 square feet), with setbacks of 7 to 10 feet from the rights-of-way.

 

A pedestrian entrance would be located at the corner of Woodburn Avenue and Chapel Street, and a gated surface parking lot for 96 vehicles, including dedicated fuel-efficient spaces, would be available from Chapel Street and Lincoln Avenue.

 

All units would contain either enclosed patios or balconies, and the façade would be a mix of masonry and painted cement fiber board siding.

 

The project will be submitted for LEED certification.

 

According to the concept plan, groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for this fall with completion in the fall of 2009.

 

The project has received a vote of support from the East Walnut Hills Assembly, and there has been no vocal neighborhood opposition.

 

"The Planned Development District zoning designation will not negatively impact the existing character of the area," director of the Department of City Planning Charles C. Graves III says in a communication to the Economic Development Committee. "Instead it will allow for new investment in the East Walnut Hills neighborhood through the construction of a high-quality, multi-family residential development with buildings oriented to Woodburn Avenue and Chapel Street."

 

The City Planning Commission approved of the rezoning on September 5.

 

In May, Glaser, hoping to shorten the zoning change process, applied for a notwithstanding ordinance that would have given him a variance to build a surface parking lot in an RMX district, and ground-floor residential with no transparency and a lot-line setback in a CC-M district.

 

City staff recommended that Glaser consolidate his parcels, rezone them all to RM-1.2 Residential Multi-Family District, and then subdivide the lot for what was then a four-building, 75-unit proposal.

Hopefully there will be some more movement soon on the abandoned KMart property.  I found an agenda online from the August Hamilton County Rural Zoning Commission meeting:

 

DATE OF NEXT MEETING: September 18, 2008

9. SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARINGS:

A. CASE: Columbia 2008-02; Ridgewater Redevelopment PUD

REQUEST: Approval of a Planned Unit Development in an existing “F SPI-SC” Light

Industrial – Special Public Interest District

PURPOSE: To redevelop the vacant K-Mart building into an office building, with major

revisions to the structure and allow for the future development of three

outlots on the site, with associated parking areas and use of two existing

signalized access drives onto Ridge Road

APPLICANT: Ridge-K LLC, Vandercar Holdings Inc. (applicant & owner)

LOCATION: Columbia Township: 5500 Ridge Avenue, on the east side of Ridge

Avenue, north of Highland Avenue (Book 520, Page 270, Parcels 17)

TRACT SIZE: Approximately 10.13 acres

 

http://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/hcrpc/meetings/2008/RZC/08-08/Agenda.pdf

That's good news. Progress is happening with the new National City open and the Aldi slowly getting built. The business district in PRidge took a hit with the loss of National City, though. Some real thought should go into John Nolan Ford property.

They should use part of the Nolan property to build an access road from Highland to the Burlington Coat Factory, its associated strip mall and the Golden Corral then block access from Ridge to ease congestion.

That would be a great idea.  I'm amazed more accidents don't happen at that entrance to Burlington Coat Factory, where the folks already on Ridge are constantly trying to get in the right lane, in front of the traffic coming off of I-71. 

Ramada to get new nameplate, $4M renovation

Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter

 

The Queensgate Ramada is set to become a Quality Inn & Suites.  A Washington investor will spend up to $7 million to buy and renovate the Ramada Cincinnati hotel in Queensgate, converting its 234 rooms into a Quality Inn & Suites.

 

Among the improvements planned are a new restaurant, the conversion of up to three floors into suites and the installation of a glass roof to enclose the hotel pool.  “It’s a vintage hotel,” said General Manager Ray Murray, who worked for the hotel’s prior owner and was retained by the buyer, Ronnie Jawal. “Quite a few people have made money from this hotel and we still think it has a lot of life in it.”

 

Hamilton County records show Jawal’s investment company, AAIG of Cincinnati, paid $2.8 million for the property.  The seller was an investment subsidiary of Neyer Holdings Corp.  The merchant-banking enterprise founded by former Hamilton County Commissioner Tom Neyer Jr. paid $1.8 million for the 12-story hotel in 2006.  Nine years earlier, the property was bought by an Atlanta hotel chain for $5.6 million.

 

MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/06/story12.html

Sale of Kenwood housing might launch new project

Agent says residences are ‘development opportunity’

 

Nat Comisar, the restaurateur-cum-real estate agent, is marketing a cluster of multi-unit residences in Sycamore Township for whom location is not just a selling point, but also is Happiness.  But could location, even on streets named Happiness Way and Festive Court, sell for upward of $500,000 in this market?  That’s the challenge as Comisar, with Sibcy Cline, tries to sell eight such properties.  They are part of a 23-building development along Kenwood Road that Comisar has told officials can attract more than $12 million combined.

 

But for now, the former co-owner and operator of the Maisonette is marketing just the eight properties for three different sellers.  He concedes it is a tough market in which to line up financing, but the subdivision – whose other roads include Frolic Drive and Merrymaker Lane – is a rare find.  The properties Comisar represents, four on Kenwood, one on Happiness and three on Festive, sit across the street from Kenwood Towne Centre, the most successful mall in the region.

 

MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/13/story16.html

 

From the #1 source for Columbia Township development news; the Kansas City Business Journal on 09/26:

 

"...his next move is to scour the market for discounted properties to redevelop. He’ll begin construction early in 2009 on the vacant Kmart property on Ridge Avenue in Columbia Township and spend $20 million converting it to an office complex with retail outlots. This could play into Neyer’s favor because of the large number of vacant buildings in Cincinnati, as long as prices are right, said John Rosenberg, a real estate professor at the University of Cincinnati."

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/othercities/cincinnati/stories/2008/09/29/story9.html?b=1222660800%5E1706966&brthrs=1

That sounds good. It is also fits with the orientation of the Nat City. They really need to tear down the old car repair building.

From the #1 source for Columbia Township development news; the Kansas City Business Journal on 09/26:

 

"...his next move is to scour the market for discounted properties to redevelop. He’ll begin construction early in 2009 on the vacant Kmart property on Ridge Avenue in Columbia Township and spend $20 million converting it to an office complex with retail outlots. This could play into Neyer’s favor because of the large number of vacant buildings in Cincinnati, as long as prices are right, said John Rosenberg, a real estate professor at the University of Cincinnati."

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/othercities/cincinnati/stories/2008/09/29/story9.html?b=1222660800%5E1706966&brthrs=1

 

LOL, I know John. Funny to see him quoted in the Kansas City media.

Harrison Terminal developers submit application for remediation funds

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/10/harrison-terminal-developers-submit.html

 

The developers of the Lofts at Harrison Terminal have submitted their application for Clean Ohio Fund dollars to perform a Phase II environmental site assessment on the property at 1220 Harrison Avenue in Queensgate.

 

E&T Real Estate Holdings needs the funding to proceed on conversion of the 60,000-square-foot building into 18 market-rate apartments with ground-floor commercial space.

 

Although they plan to finance the construction through a conventional loan, the site assessment will help them to prepare cost estimates and a site remediation plan.

 

In 2007, a limited Phase II environmental assessment of soil samples from the property showed semi-volatile organic compound (SVOC) levels that exceeded Ohio Voluntary Action Program direct contact soil standards for residential use.

 

A smaller rear building, one of two others located on the property, is currently leased by a company that recycles semi-tractors, semi-trailers, delivery trucks, and vans.

 

E&T is terminating the lease and the property will be vacant by January, giving better access for environmental testing.

 

So far, E&T has installed a new roof, replaced windows, constructed fire stairs, and performed Phase I environmental assessments on the five-story building.

 

Built in 1885 as a warehouse, the Harrison Terminal Building has been used for furniture manufacturing, bakery supply, trailer sales and rental, advertising, music recording, and several transportation companies. Harrison Terminal sold the building in 1990.

 

Plans for the surrounding area, including the West End Comprehensive Plan, envision a "Loft District" that would turn vacant industrial properties into residential apartments mixed with commercial studio, office, and limited retail and commercial spaces.

 

Key selling points for the property include views of the skyline from the top floors and a short commute time to Downtown.

 

One of the development partners has stated that he'll live in one of the completed units.

I hope this loft district takes hold in this area.    The Crosley building is another one with so much potential.

:cry: Article has more photos.

 

Fire damages Loveland Stage Co.

By Alex Shebar, Cincinnati Enquirer, October 21, 2008

 

LOVELAND - Fire that swept through the Loveland Stage Company theater Monday night may have destroyed the landmark building.  The fire at the building, located at 111 S. Second St., began about 7:30 p.m.  Firefighters wrapped up their work at the scene about 3:30 a.m. today, a dispatcher said.  They are expected to return once daylight comes to continue investigating the cause of the blaze.

 

A Loveland firefighter suffered minor injuries when debris fell from the roof and hit him in the shoulder about 8 p.m., according to emergency communication reports.  He was taken to Bethesda North Hospital and is expected to recover, a dispatcher said.

 

 

Developer finding success with Walnut Hills renewal

 

Ed Horgan knows that a combination of location, price and charm is what sells condos, even in the most desperate of markets. Since opening a model unit in May, he’s averaged a sale a week at the historic Verona building in Walnut Hills and has just three of 42 units left in its neighbor on Park Avenue, the Cooper.

 

Since 2004, Horgan and partner Al Merritt have sold 137 redeveloped units in the urban neighborhood nestled between downtown Cincinnati, Mount Adams, Clifton and Hyde Park. It’s an area once plagued by poverty and high crime rates, as well as home ownership levels below 30 percent, said Kathy Atkinson, a board member of the Walnut Hills Area Council.

 

But Horgan is committed to restoring the community’s architectural gems into market-rate housing affordable to young professionals.  The Verona was built in 1900 by the Emery family as country apartments for wealthy Cincinnatians.  Its top level, which Horgan is converting to 18 loft-style apartments, housed servants quarters.

 

MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/27/story13.html

 

Another office complex??  As if we don't have enough brand new vacant office space along I-71. 

Boo Hoo, I am so sad this suburban sprawling monstrosity is going to be delayed :-D

 

$500 million Liberty project shelved

By Amber Ellis • [email protected] • October 30, 2008

 

Plans for a massive retail development in Liberty Township have been stalled – at least temporarily – as developers stepped away from the project, citing tough economic times and a floundering retail market. “The reasons are strictly economic. Given the national credit crisis, it is not prudent to pursue a large mixed-use project at this time, no matter how great the land and the community,” said Ralph Ireland, chief development officer for Steiner + Associates, in a statement.

 

If built out according to plan, Liberty Town Square would have covered 110 acres at Hamilton-Mason Road near Interstate 75. The buildings were to encompass up to 2.4 million square feet, including a 2,400-seat cinema, 426 luxury apartments, and numerous other retailers, restaurants and offices. There were even plans for a hotel and conference center – a big change for a township that has neither. In all, the development could have cost more than $500 million.

 

Local officials lauded the concept, saying it rivaled The Banks project in downtown Cincinnati and had the potential to become a regional magnet that connects the interstate corridor between Cincinnati and Dayton.

 

MORE: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081030/BIZ01/310300026/1076/NEWS

Anything other than a dollar store or check cashing place beats an abandoned K Mart. 

 

I just saw on the Neyer website that the project is called Ridge Pointe and they have renderings for both retail & office space as part of the project. 

 

http://www.neyer1.com/building_table.php#central

Also...  Right along 71, just south of the Summit athletic complex, someone has just cleared a large plot of land and moved the classic "semi trailer billboard" on site with a big rendering of a faceless office building attached.  Anybody know what that is? 

There have been various development plans for awhile in that spot.

"Ridge Point" looks like a pretty standard office/strip mall, but it will certainly be an improvement. That immediate area is pretty nasty right now - an unholy combination of ugly suburban streetscape and blight. That Walmart has got to be one of the most depressing I've seen, which is really saying something.

It used to be greener (20 years ago . . . damn I'm getting old). Ballfields at the Home Emporium. A field where Bigg's is and that entire side of the plaza. A creek and VFW Hall where Home Depot and Walmart are.

Harper's Point Krogers

Anyone heard what is going in the old furniture store across from the Harper's Point Krogers (behind Chili's and Buffalo Wild Wings)?

An employee at the Kroger's told me months ago they will undergo a major renovation, but not sure if that involved moving across the street.

Not specifically The Yards, but nearby...

 

Church gone, but area finally ruled historic

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/11/10/story12.html

 

Neighborhood activists in Sedamsville have succeeded in their five-year quest to add a four-block stretch of River Road to the National Register of Historic Places. Ironically, the Oct. 10 victory came nine days after a demolition crew tore down the district’s best-known landmark: St Martin’s German Evangelical Church.

 

“It’s a damn shame,” said Margo Warminski, preservation director for the Cincinnati Preservation Association, which helped the neighborhood complete its application for historic designation.

 

The Sedamsville River Road Historic District covers properties between 2449 and 2734 River Road, 309 to 317 Mount Hope and 604 Mount Echo, according to an Oct. 17 posting on the National Park Service Web site. The designation makes property owners eligible for historic preservation tax credits and prohibits the use of federal funds in demolishing buildings in the district.

 

 

"Brown is said to be planning a $50 million condominium project called Harbor Lights"

 

wow sounds definite

Yeah.... new condos in a recession, especially one where the housing market has collapsed.... NOT going to happen.

Especially in Sedamsville. That place is a sh!thole. I lived there. No amenities what so ever and it's quite a drive to downtown. The only selling point is the river.

I remember our foundation was so messed up that when the cat played with a ball, it would always gravitate towards the center of the house really quickly. I woke up one morning and an old tree that was d@mn near split when we moved in had finally knocked over and came through the windows, busting glass and knocking stuff over inside. Sedamsville is a terrible, terrible cursed place and at the time, the woman running the community council stole all of the united way funds and convinced everyone else on community council to go along with her plan which is why Our Lady of Perpetual Help is in..well.. need of perpetual help, along with the rest of the neighborhood. Terrible place. I wouldn't wish Sedamsville on my worst enemy.

Tell us how you REALLY feel! lol j/k

Oh and it sucks too.

GREEN, ENERGY EFFICIENT NEW CONSTRUCTION WITH TAX ABATEMENT IN OAKLEY NEIGHBORHOOD OF CINCINNATI

 

http://www.phoenixbuildingsolutions.com/aboutus/2008/11/green-energy-efficient-new-construction.asp

 

 

 

Springdale readies itself for future development

 

A new strategic analysis by the city of Springdale suggests ways to incentivize development in its tired retail district.

 

City Council commissioned the $200,000 study by Covington planning consultant Kinzelman Kline & Gossman in March to prioritize areas of its Tri-County corridor for redevelopment. The study also suggests future land uses, provides guidelines for design and branding and offers ways to finance projects. More than 80 developers, brokers, retailers, city and county officials recently heard the study’s recommendations.

 

Recommendations include establishing a 300-acre tax increment financing district, a business improvement district and enterprise zone tax abatements. KKG also suggests the city form a consortium of property owners, tenants and public officials, develop a set of design and development guidelines and update zoning regulations.

 

MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/11/17/story12.html

 

Maisonette building acquired by 3CDC

Business Courier of Cincinnati, November 21, 2008

 

Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. is purchasing the former Maisonette restaurant building on Sixth Street and has been talking to local investors about redeveloping the property, development sources tell the Business Courier.

 

Hamilton County’s Auditor has no record of transfer involving the property at 114 and 116 E. Sixth Street, owned by the Comisar family since 1986. Michael J. Comisar could not be reached for comment and 3CDC declined to comment on the sale. But sources indicate 3CDC is exploring a mixed-use redevelopment of the site, near the Aronoff Center for the Performing Arts.

 

The building has been vacant since the storied five-star restaurant closed in 2005. The downtown development group, 3CDC, has been trying to bring new night clubs and restaurants to the streets surrounding Fountain Square, where it invested $45 million in a 2008 renovation.

That is awesome news for a prime location.  That building(s) is much bigger than people realize, there is a ton of potential for that site.

^YUP!  Good news indeed!

I'm assuming that this is including La Normandy building. Does anyone know if the floors above La Normandy are vacant. Those would make great condos

 

 

Zoning change could give VA more space

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/11/zoning-change-could-give-va-more-space.html

 

On December 2, Cincinnati City Council's Economic Development Committee will consider a zoning change that would allow the construction of a 54,000-square-foot medical office building in Corryville.

 

Developer Dan Schimberg, founder of Uptown Rental Properties, has requested the change in zoning of the currently vacant 1-acre property at 238 Donahue Street from RM-1.2 Residential Multi-Family to IR Institutional-Residential District.

 

When completed, the building would be leased to the VA Cincinnati Medical Center, which is in need of additional space.

 

The City Planning Commission recommended approval of the zoning change on November 7, and the plan has the support of the Corryville Community Council.

Firm redesigns office as own marketing tool

Intertech adds striking detail to reuse of space

 

Zsolt Vamosi didn’t let a racquetball court, running track or swimming pool get in the way of his vision for Intertech Design’s new office space.  As president of the architecture firm, Vamosi saw promise in the vacant Bally’s fitness building on Montgomery Road, a box-like structure Montgomery residents referred to as "the white elephant."  “There was a lot I could do from an architectural perspective to show clients our creative side,” said Vamosi, whose 30-person firm primarily does work for high-volume chain restaurants and retailers.  “I’m viewing this as a marketing tool.”

 

But the 23,000-square-foot building’s conversion, costing roughly $2.7 million, was certainly not easy.  Built in the 1970s, the electrical and mechanical systems were as old as the building itself, and corrosion had occurred from years of chlorine use.  Original plans and architectural drawings were non-existent, so Vamosi and contractor Russ Reinhart, owner of Tipp City-based HC3 Construction, had to recreate them.  Not to mention that the building had few windows and strange interior spaces such as the pool, sauna and courts.

 

Creative Challenge

• Intertech Design spent $2.7 million to retrofit a former Bally's into office space.
  
• Colliers Turley Martin Tucker broker Peter Snow sold the building to Intertech, which will use the second floor and mezzanine. He will lease the first-level space.
  
• Intertech hopes to hire another 15 employees within five years.

 

MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/01/focus2.html

 

Neyer Properties to dedicate new Class A offices in Kenwood

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/kenwoodxing1202.aspx

 

A ribbon-cutting has been scheduled for Wednesday at 10 AM for Kenwood Crossings II, a new Class A medical office building just west of Kenwood and Galbraith roads in Sycamore Township.

 

Speakers will include Dan Neyer, president of project developer Neyer Properties, and Tom Weidman, president of the Sycamore Township board of trustees.

 

Developed for $5.5 million, the 31,600-square-foot building is already 67 percent leased.

 

Tenants can buy or lease the office condominiums in sizes as small as 1,500 square feet, making them attractive for small business owners.

 

Building on Dan Neyer's June pledge to go green in all future Class A office projects, development project manager and LEED AP Jeff Chamot says that Kenwood Crossings II incorporates many of the same sustainable design features as other Neyer Properties projects, such as Keystone Parke and Red Bank Crossing II.

 

Some of these features include a reflective roof, low water-usage plumbing, high-efficiency glazed windows, and all-fluorescent lighting.

 

Energy usage in the building is estimated to be reduced by 25 percent.

 

Kenwood Crossings I was completed in 2005 and is 100 percent leased to medical office tenants.

 

Neyer Properties plans to break ground on Kenwood Crossings III, a $7 million project consisting of 40,000 square feet of Class A medical office space, in mid-2009.

Bradford Place model will let homebuyers explore

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/bradfordplace1202.aspx

 

Within the next week, Riverstone Development Group will open its model residence at Bradford Place in Madeira.

 

Located off of Euclid Avenue and within a short walk of the city’s business district, the project will consist of 26 Cape Cod-inspired luxury townhomes ranging from between 2,800 and 4,000 square feet.

 

Jonathan Nielsen, partner and director of sales and communications for the developer, says that having a model open will make it easier for them to sell units.

 

"Purchasing a new home is always a big decision," he says.  "We anticipate that many of our buyers will be moving to Bradford Place from larger, single-family residences.  As such, purchasing a townhome may be more than just a move – it will be a change in lifestyle.  We believe that there is no better way of showcasing these beautiful townhomes, and the maintenance-free lifestyle of Bradford Place, than by providing our clients with a fully-furnished and decorated model for them to explore."

 

Infrastructure work at the site is expected to wrap up within the next few weeks, and Nielsen says that sales will dictate the pace of construction.

 

"We've pre-sold three residences and our sales traffic is strong," he says.  "The current housing market is affecting every sector of the housing industry, but we're fortunate in that we're offering a limited supply of a highly-desired housing product.  And we've got a phenomenal location."

 

So far, feedback on the development has been nothing but positive.

 

"The City of Madeira has been wonderful to work with, and the project has been very well-received," Nielsen says.  "Our prospective buyers are consistently excited by the idea of luxury townhome living, in a quaint and convenient location."

Anyone....? Anytyhing?

Harper's Point Krogers

Anyone heard what is going in the old furniture store across from the Harper's Point Krogers (behind Chili's and Buffalo Wild Wings)?

An employee at the Kroger's told me months ago they will undergo a major renovation, but not sure if that involved moving across the street.

KZF returning to its roots

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/kzfdowntown1209.aspx

 

KZF Design Inc. has announced plans to renovate two connected structures at 700 Broadway for its new headquarters.

 

The $6 million project on the 36,000-square-foot space is pursuing LEED Silver certification, and is expected to be completed by summer 2009.

 

Architectural plans are still being developed, as are details on the sustainable features.

 

Tim Sharp, vice president of KZF Design, says that the move Downtown is a return to the firm's roots.

 

"We have a long history with the Downtown area, beginning with our company's first Downtown offices being located in the Ingalls Building on Fourth Street back in 1956," he says.  "Downtown Cincinnati is important to KZF, and when the opportunity arose to purchase and renovate 700 Broadway, KZF Design couldn't pass up the chance to continue our investment in Downtown Cincinnati."

 

As an architecture and design firm, the renovated building will show off KZF's abilities to potential clients.

 

"An added benefit is the opportunity for KZF Design to reuse an existing building and be able to showcase the beneficial aspects of a sustainable workplace to our clients and the Downtown community," Sharp says.

 

Continuing growth led to the need for a new building, which will give the firm 30 percent more space than they currently have at the Baldwin Building in Walnut Hills.

 

"KZF Design is very diversified with deep expertise in multiple markets, which makes it adept at growing and prospering regardless of changes in the economy," says president and CEO William H. Wilson III in a media release.  "We are involved in a number of joint ventures and consulting arrangements and have projects in many states.  All of this keeps our business growing."

Anyone....? Anytyhing?

Harper's Point Krogers

Anyone heard what is going in the old furniture store across from the Harper's Point Krogers (behind Chili's and Buffalo Wild Wings)?

An employee at the Kroger's told me months ago they will undergo a major renovation, but not sure if that involved moving across the street.

 

LA Fitness

Green Corner to be new Kennedy Heights 'third place'

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/greencorner1216.aspx

 

A nondescript former gas station at the corner of Montgomery Road and Tyne Avenue will soon become the Green Corner Studios and Marketplace, Kennedy Heights' newest "third place".

 

Over the next six months, Richard Cooke plans to develop the building and surrounding grounds into working studio space for three artists, a Saturday farmers' market, and a community garden.

 

Once seized by police due to criminal activity and then held by a California speculator, the property finally became available to Cooke ten weeks ago.

 

"I'm very pleased to have to support of the community," he says.

 

Cooke says that the reuse of the structure is an important aspect of sustainability, and all work on the renovation will be done with the work of local craftsmen.

 

"I'm originally from the south coast of Wales," he says.  "I grew up in an area where we had a strong preservation and heritage culture.  With that comes a mentality of recycling and using existing materials."

 

Formerly on the board of the Kennedy Heights Arts Center (KHAC), Cooke looked at the success of the KHAC and District A and found a way to complement the surrounding arts endeavors without competing.

 

"I have a real liking for sculpture, and I would love to install sculpture on the property," he says.  "The KHAC doesn't rent out to sculptors or metalworkers."

 

The courtyard will become a Saturday farmers' market, with space for 5-10 market stalls for local vendors to sell products like fruits, vegetables, honey and cheese.

 

The community educational garden will allow children and adults to learn horticultural techniques that they can then take home to beautify their own properties.

 

Cooke says that Green Corner will be funded through his own savings, donations from supporters, grants, and volunteer time.

 

"I feel a strong responsibility to our community and our environment," he says.  "I've tried to address that with this project.  The whole space is for the community, ultimately."

Wow, that's cool as hell!       

What a great project.  The Kennedy Heights Arts Center seems to be a model for what can come if communities embrace the arts. 

3CDC eyes new downtown development

By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn, Cincinnati Enquirer, December 17, 2008

 

DOWNTOWN – Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. is spreading its reach downtown with a proposal to redevelop a vacant building in the Backstage Entertainment District into an upscale bar and two new condos.

 

In June, the private nonprofit developer – which headed up Fountain Square’s redesign and is behind the multimillion-dollar Gateway Quarter in Over-the-Rhine – purchased the former Phoenix Café building across from the Aronoff Center on Walnut for $570,000.

 

The building is also located about a block away from the recently opened bar and restaurant - Bootsy’s, Produced by Jeff Ruby – of which 3CDC is an investor through its Cincinnati Equity Fund.

3CDC fills in portfolio, buys vacant downtown Cincinnati restaurants

 

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. is expanding its reach by purchasing the downtown buildings that once housed Maisonette, La Normandie and Barleycorn’s.  The Sixth Street properties, along with a warehouse behind them, are among the most prominent gaps in the city’s downtown redevelopment efforts.  They are across the street from the recently renovated 580 Building and new Oceanaire Seafood Room restaurant.  And they sit just a short walk from the revitalized Fountain Square and around the corner from the Backstage Entertainment District.

 

“What 3CDC is doing could be really exciting, but it’s very challenging,” said Neil Bortz, a partner with Towne Properties in Mount Adams and 3CDC board member.  “The idea of filling in some of these holes is just right.”

 

3CDC bought the property last month for just over $2.4 million, said Fred Seeger, of ReMax Results Plus Commercial Division.  He represented the Comisar family members who owned the Maisonette, La Normandie and warehouse.  Brent Gillman of Model Realty represented 3CDC in the transaction.

 

MORE: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/22/story8.html

 

great news. 3CDC is really turning downtown around, and we are lucky to have a group that is as driven as they are

Anyone know what is going on with the lot just north of P&G between 6th & 7th east of Broadway?  The lot is completely torn up.  Hopefully they are not taking down that old warehouse. 

Anyone know what is going on with the lot just north of P&G between 6th & 7th east of Broadway?  The lot is completely torn up.  Hopefully they are not taking down that old warehouse.

 

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/12/alley-sale-for-downtown-child-care.html

Officials have high hopes for Winton Road project

 

A $5.6 million road project is under way this year that aims to improve safety and revitalize the Winton Road business corridor.  The project, scheduled for completion in August or September, will reconstruct Winton Road from North Hill Lane just south of Galbraith Road to Reynard Avenue just north of the Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway.  This is the first major construction project on this road since the mid-1960s, said Ted Hubbard, chief deputy county engineer.

 

The road will also be widened at the Galbraith Road intersection to add a second left-turn lane from southbound Winton Road.  "It'll make that whole intersection work a lot more efficiently and help reduce accidents," said Hubbard.

 

This is the second phase of the project.  The first began in February 2007 and finished last year.  It cost $4 million and encompassed the section of Winton Road from Reynard Avenue to Fleming Road.  The project is being headed by the Hamilton County Engineer's Office and funded by federal, state, county engineer's office and township dollars.

 

MORE: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090103/NEWS01/901030362/1055/NEWS