I agree, with the sewer extensions nearly all new development has crept toward I-74.  I have also heard more than one west sider voice their opposition to extending bus service on Harrison Ave. to serve this area.

 

I'd be all for that, especially if they added a Metro Plus line.  I have my doubts, though, that a route on Harrison would get enough ridership to make it worthwhile.  The buses on Glenway always look empty as it is.  Maybe just a Metro Plus line would be the best option.  I could see a lot of people using it for Reds games, etc.

EXCLUSIVE: Towne Properties to build condos in downtown Cincinnati

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/10/07/exclusive-towne-properties-to-build-condos-in.html?ana=e_cinci_bn_breakingnews&u=mUiDx+v+JYzw6%2FArlfhLHT1hdQf&t=1444251591

Well I certainly hope that Ndukwe's company performed some sort of work on that building.  Otherwise, we have to be suspicious that some sort of collusion is going on between Cranley, Towne, and Ndukwe.  How else does a building's value double in six months?

^ No permits have been issued for 21 W. Court since March of this year, when J.S. Gold & Coin still owned it.

I'm not a fan of the "pull through" parking they are proposing for the first floor.

The property listing advertised: "Abundant parking nearby"

 

Also, with Baldwin and Pendery alleys, they have access from the rear of the building. No need to mess with new curb cuts (and lose on-street parking) in front of the building on Court St.

 

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17432122/21-23-W-Court-Street-Cincinnati-OH/

Happy to see court street get more actviated, but pull through parking, really?

Well I certainly hope that Ndukwe's company performed some sort of work on that building.  Otherwise, we have to be suspicious that some sort of collusion is going on between Cranley, Towne, and Ndukwe.  How else does a building's value double in six months?

 

The transaction raises some red flags but I don't see how Cranley is involved in this one.

Yeah I don't know about the "pull through" parking.  Would rather see the first floor office or retail to help with street activation.  Hope it doesn't set a precedent or preclude the development of the adjacent surface lot if an entrance is on the side.

EXCLUSIVE: Cincinnati health system plans huge medical office building

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/10/12/exclusive-cincinnati-health-system-plans-huge.html

Jim Tarbell was on WVXU discussing the buildings on 4th street where TJ Maxx most recently was and the ones immediately east of that...  he has been doing some research on the buildings and somehow assisting the current owner with the sale or redevelopment of them.

 

He noted they had a buyer lined up who wanted to bring a movie theater with a restaurant and bar component to it as well, but somehow the AMC Theater at newport on the levee blocked them from being able to implement that.....

 

If AMC can block another theater from ever entering downtown because they have that immediate area as there 'territory' that would really be unfortunate. (Granted i have no idea how the movie theater system works...but that is how it sounded in the interview).

AMC has a location at the Levee, Cinemark has the new Oakley location, Showcase Cinemas has been downsizing in Cincinnati, and Regal is the only other theater chain I can think of in the region.

 

If we can get a movie theater downtown in a space that makes sense, I support that. But overall I don't think it's a high priority. After all, people can go sit in a dark theater anywhere; it doesn't really add to the downtown experience a way that retail, restaurants, and other things can. I suppose if a theater could be built at a future phase of The Banks, it would make a nice day trip for families. They could come down to visit the park, see a movie, and have dinner while only having to park once in the massive underground garage.

Alamo Drafthouse would be cool.

Has anyone heard of any project going on in Columbia Tusculum on the NW Corner of Columbia Parkway and Hoge Street, reaching all the way up to Handman Ave?  Reason I ask is that a repair shop was just demolished and it looks like the corner building, some sort of green store is closed now.  Behind all of this along Hoge Street when I walked by I noticed it looked as though they are backfilling in that little valley there and they have taken down all the trees.  There is also a new, large PVC pipe petruding out of the ground where the repair shop once was.  To me it almost looks like the large site is being readied for a large development of some sort, looking like it is on par to be as large as the recently completed Delta Flats if not larger.

 

Here is the general area on Google Maps:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cincinnati,+OH/@39.1171028,-84.4386577,193m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x884051b1de3821f9:0x69fb7e8be4c09317!6m1!1e1

There have been many proposals for this site, including one that I worked on a few years ago. The issue is there is a large easement through the middle of the property that disrupts anything very big or contiguous across the site. If i remember correctly it was a gas main maybe?

There's a 10-foot diameter sewer that runs under the site, which drains the Crawfish Creek watershed now occupied by Delta Avenue and the upper part of Linwood Avenue to Hyde Park Square.  It also cuts diagonally through Columbia Square, but the buildings were arranged to not be over top of it, just the parking lots.  This ugly structure by Riverview Academy is for that sewer, which I assume is a lift station to send the day-to-day sewage to the treatment plant next to Lunken Airport.  https://goo.gl/maps/MHLP8jgzf7r

County looks to sell Times-Star building, other offices

Dan Horn, [email protected] 8:21 p.m. EDT October 2, 2014

 

 

The old Cincinnati Times-Star Building might soon be going through another transformation, this time from government offices to condos and apartments.

 

The historic building at 800 Broadway in downtown Cincinnati is the best-known and most marketable piece of real estate that Hamilton County officials say they could sell as part of a broad plan to consolidate their departments and employees.

 

Details of the plan are still under wraps, but county officials told The Enquirer several buildings could be sold and hundreds of workers could be moved to new digs in the next several years. Their goal is to use proceeds from the sale of their buildings to help pay for new offices, most likely at the old Mercy Hospital site in Mt. Airy.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/02/county-looks-sell-times-star-building-offices/16585739/

 

Unfortunately, it looks like the Times-Star Building (800 Broadway) and Alms & Doepke Building (Job & Family Services) will remain county-owned for the foreseeable future.

 

Greg Hartmann told the Business Courier:

 

CW: What about the other county facilities?

 

GH: They’re all challenged. We have old buildings that need maintenance dollars. The dollars don’t exist in the budget, but we’ll make do.

 

CW: So the plan is to stick with what you have for now, make the fixes you can afford and grind it out?

 

GH: Yeah. Shiny new buildings are not something government ought to be spending money on.

 

CW: I ask because the real estate community was kind of excited at the thought of getting its hands on some of these county facilities downtown.

 

GH: I just couldn’t figure out a way to make a swap that made any sense. I spent a lot of time looking at it, I’ll tell you. Our 800 Broadway building is a building that’s got a tremendous amount of interest in the private real estate community. I looked far and wide, including at some developers out of Chicago, to try to swap out of that facility into another one. The numbers didn’t work or we would have gotten more serious about it.

EXCLUSIVE: Growing construction company moving headquarters to downtown Cincinnati

 

“There’s an energy that is unlike what the city has ever seen,” Oswald told me. In addition, Oswald has several upcoming opportunities in Cincinnati’s urban neighborhoods in 2016 and 2017, though Oswald said it was too early provide additional details.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2015/10/exclusive-growing-construction-company-moving.html

Seems to be a fair bit of work being done on the ground floors of the Schwartz building on Main St. the small shotgun space on the left is going to be a photography studio. The other two (middle and 9th st end) are boarded up, but sometimes the door is open and and you can see that partition walls are going up. Main st between 6th and Court has tons of potential.

Seems to be a fair bit of work being done on the ground floors of the Schwartz building on Main St. the small shotgun space on the left is going to be a photography studio. The other two (middle and 9th st end) are boarded up, but sometimes the door is open and and you can see that partition walls are going up. Main st between 6th and Court has tons of potential.

 

We heard 5/3 is going in on the corner

So I was looking at the 2770 Observatory building today that's under construction. They've begun window installation...before they've even built a roof. The whole process has been one handled...oddly. On two occasions I watched a forklift drop trusses which were then clearly damaged and "fixed" by a guy with a mallet. For such expensive units I'm not too confident in how they'll turn out.

Seems to be a fair bit of work being done on the ground floors of the Schwartz building on Main St. the small shotgun space on the left is going to be a photography studio. The other two (middle and 9th st end) are boarded up, but sometimes the door is open and and you can see that partition walls are going up. Main st between 6th and Court has tons of potential.

 

We heard 5/3 is going in on the corner

 

interesting choice... they already have a location a block north on Court and Main. are they getting out of that one?

Seems to be a fair bit of work being done on the ground floors of the Schwartz building on Main St. the small shotgun space on the left is going to be a photography studio. The other two (middle and 9th st end) are boarded up, but sometimes the door is open and and you can see that partition walls are going up. Main st between 6th and Court has tons of potential.

 

We heard 5/3 is going in on the corner

 

interesting choice... they already have a location a block north on Court and Main. are they getting out of that one?

 

That's the rumor

Who’s buying property next to Kroger’s headquarters?

 

Bobby Maly, principal and chief operating officer of Model Group, confirmed that Model Realty is now the property manager for all 10 properties. He said the buildings currently are a mix of residential and retail space that is predominantly occupied, but wouldn't comment on any future plans for the properties.

I'm not positive but it looks like work has started on the Newberry building apartments on W 6th. I saw a guy on the roof this morning and heard some hammering and sawing coming from the upper floors.

 

Anyone know for sure?

I'm not positive but it looks like work has started on the Newberry building apartments on W 6th. I saw a guy on the roof this morning and heard some hammering and sawing coming from the upper floors.

 

Anyone know for sure?

 

Walked past today and there were plenty of workers going in and out of the building... and there is a website listed on the ads on the front windows ( http://newberryloftscincy.com/ )

​Lofts, restaurant coming to vacant building near Little Miami Bike Trail

Dec 16, 2015, 2:54pm EST Updated Dec 16, 2015, 4:31pm EST

Chris Wetterich

Staff reporter and columnist

Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Bloomfield/Schon and Associates plan to build a $25 million mixed-use development on 14 acres along the Little Miami River bike trail in Hamilton Township that will have a restaurant, office space and 128 lofts at a former weapons manufacturer.

 

The project received $2.4 million in state historic tax credits that will help fund it, according to the Ohio Department of Development.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/12/16/lofts-restaurant-coming-to-vacant-building-near.html

^Well I thought that project was underway already.  I biked past it on the trail in July and the trail was fenced off from the plant and there was definitely dirt being moved and buildings being gutted. 

^The current work is environmental remediation, not the redevelopment.

Superfund isn't it?  Monstrous amounts of lead contamination in the soil. 

I have updated my previous list of residential projects underway in the urban core.

 

Recently Completed

Seven at Broadway - 110 apts.

Broadway Square Phase 1 {5/12/15} - 39 apts.

Schwartz Building - 20 apts.

 

Under Construction (742 units)

Radius at The Banks {6/12/15} - 291 apts.

AT580 {7/7/15} - 179 apts.

Alumni Lofts (old SCPA) {6/5/15} - 142 apts.

Eighth & Sycamore {6/22/15} - 130 units

 

Future (880+ units)

309 Vine (Village Green) {12/9/15} - 294 apts. (est. summer 2017)

Fourth & Race {12/15/14} - 200 units

Traction Company/Tri-State Building {7/10/15} - 104 apts.

Findlay Market Farm site (Liberty and Elm) {1/16/15} - 69-130 apts.

630 Main (old Hartford Insurance Company building) {5/23/15} - 64 apts.

Merchants Bldg (34 W. Sixth St.) {6/30/15} - 62 apts.

15th & Race (3CDC) {5/29/15} - 61 units (mix of townhomes/condos/apts.)

Broadway Square Phase 2 {12/17/15} - 37 apts. (const. begins Jan 2016)

Market Square (Model Group) {1/28/15} - 35 units

Garfield Suites apartment conversion {9/21/15} - appx. 190 apts.

 

Unknown (329 units)

Fountain Place (above Macy's) {8/13/13} - 225 apts.

Grammer's Place {5/13/15} - 100 apts. and 4 townhomes

Western & Southern residential tower near Lytle Park - ??

 

Cancelled

Peak Property Group development on 7th {10/14/14} - 75 apartments were planned; cancelled because financing developer "couldn’t make the numbers work" even after winning historic preservation tax credits

Ingalls Buildings {4/29/15} - last plan was for 40-50 condos but it's back on the market

 

Rumored/Fantasy

Saks replacement {11/14/13} - ??

Carew Tower conversion to apts. or condos - ??

What project is this? Pic was taken from Gilbert. It's on the corner of 7th and Broadway.

 

That's the new Holiday Inn.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2016/01/01/big-developments-2016/77952638/

 

According to this there are 800 parking spots being built at Newport in the Levee, 925 parking spots at Fourth and Race, and then there are 500 at Eighth and Sycamore and 690 coming online with the Banks phase 3.

 

You'd hope that all this parking would discourage demand for the surface lots so they get developed. But I have my doubts since lots are easy to enter and exit and they are evenly distributed around town.

 

Cincinnati may not be catching the population numbers from the Millenial back to the city movement but by golly there will be a place to park.

^Only two surface parking lots have been completely developed in the last 10 years, the 5th & Race Dunhumby lot, which was city-owned, and the 4th & Central lot, which might have been privately-owned. 

Our city planners should visit Pittsburgh.

I guess now we know why they backed out of the other deal!

 

Developer to convert one of downtown Cincinnati’s largest office buildings to hotel

Jan 8, 2016, 12:00pm EST

Tom Demeropolis

Senior Staff Reporter

Cincinnati Business Courier

 

An out-of-town developer purchased a downtown Cincinnati office complex with plans to convert some of the space into an upscale hotel.

 

NewcrestImage LLC, a Lewisville, Texas-based company, purchased the Fourth & Walnut Centre buildings at auction for $9.3 million. The three-building complex, located on the southeast corner of East Fourth and Walnut streets, includes a 19-floor tower, a four-floor office building and a six-floor office building. Fourth & Walnut Centre also includes two restaurants, a business center and a 38-space on-site parking structure.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/01/08/developer-to-convert-one-of-downtown-cincinnati-s.html

$50M development planned for Silverton

 

 

The village of Silverton has entered into a memorandum of understanding with a joint venture between Miller-Valentine Group and Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate Inc. to redevelop a 10.6-acre site along Montgomery Road, just southwest of the Kenwood Towne Centre.

 

The vision: A nearly $50 million redevelopment project that will include luxury apartments, office space, street-level retail and restaurants, and potentially jump start redevelopment in the community. The project would be the largest development in Silverton’s history.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/01/28/50m-development-planned-for-silverton.html

This must be the now vacant land where the old Silverton School used to be.

Not sure where to put this, but Uptown Rents wants to expand their parking lot at <a href="http://www.uptownrents.com/properties/ravenswood-3387-3417-erie/">Ravenswood</a> (on Erie Ave) in East Hyde Park by taking out <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1412506,-84.4213712,3a,90y,175.77h,79.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8SzlhK_OqBvb__fppw81_w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656">one of the tennis courts at the adjacent park</a>. It's not clear to my if Uptown is buying the land, and if so, at what price. If they get the land for free, I'll be extremely upset. That's very valuable land in a desirable area with both residential and commercial.

 

The south side of Erie is mostly un-metered... so I imagine some Ravenswood residents park on the street for free. Seems like that ought to be the next step in alleviating some of the parking challenges in that area.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/hyde-park/2016/01/28/developer-proposes-parking-solution-east-hyde-park/79471078/

A lot of residents park on the street regardless because they charge extra for the garages/carports in back.  It seems there's not enough for all residents anyway, but would adding this lot really change much unless it was free for residents? 

 

I agree they should pay market price for the land regardless.  In that area it's $1 million/acre.  Three parking spaces available to the public when the park is open isn't a fair trade by itself. 

$50 million project going into Silverton, great news for that village? I think they're a village now

This recent renovation on Klotter has been hit by the city for code violations:

https://www.sibcycline.com/Listing/CIN/1471022/220-Klotter-Ave-Clifton-OH-45219

 

There was a guy renovating this house by himself throughout 2015.  I'm not sure what they got it for, but it's currently listed for $330k, which is at least $100k more than anything on the north side of the street has ever sold for (some on the south side have sold for $700k).  I looked at the listed violations and there were quite a number of them, most of them electrical, so they might have to rip out some of the renovations.  I don't know if they didn't get permits or what went on.  But it's sort of amazing to see people make big mistakes like this. 

 

 

That's why you get permits and don't skimp on essentials like electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, etc. It'll always come back to bite you in some way.

 

My neighbor's house (West side of Republic between 14th and 15th. Grey one with new 2 car garage on the side) was getting its roof repaired when I got home yesterday. That building was gut renovated after I moved into my place. So less than 2 years ago. And I always wondered how long the roof would take to fail. It was visibly poorly done. Flashing missing in places, gaps in the rubber roof, etc. It was atrociously done. I'm surprised nobody caught it in a final inspection.

$50 million project going into Silverton, great news for that village? I think they're a village now

 

The project is proposed for the site of the old Silverton Paideia Academy, which was torn down in 2012 or 2013. Attached is an old satellite image of the site (before the school was torn down).

This recent renovation on Klotter has been hit by the city for code violations:

https://www.sibcycline.com/Listing/CIN/1471022/220-Klotter-Ave-Clifton-OH-45219

 

There was a guy renovating this house by himself throughout 2015.  I'm not sure what they got it for, but it's currently listed for $330k, which is at least $100k more than anything on the north side of the street has ever sold for (some on the south side have sold for $700k).  I looked at the listed violations and there were quite a number of them, most of them electrical, so they might have to rip out some of the renovations.  I don't know if they didn't get permits or what went on.  But it's sort of amazing to see people make big mistakes like this. 

 

 

 

It looks like they were notified of the failed inspections a month ago, and didn't make the fixes within 30 days. If the guy did the wiring himself, there might be plenty of mistakes, or he did something like put up the drywall before he had the inspections done, in which case he'll have to remove all of it. It could also be that he used a crappy electrician who is refusing to come out and fix his mistakes. That's why most subcontractors don't get paid in full until inspections are passed. Though in general, failing an electrical inspection when the renovation is done is odd. Usually the electrical is passed, or at least partially completed, well in advance of the final building inspection.  It also looks like it was a two family before - if he went from two meters down to one it could have gotten messy.

Yeah, and they left the multiple meters on the side of the house along the entrance walk.  If they had had the house completely rewired, they likely could have moved the one meter they needed to the other side of the house.  It makes for a very unattractive approach.  I don't sense that the guys on that project really had a sense of where to spend the money when flipping a property, and I have no idea how they expect to get $330k for that thing.  I wouldn't surprised if it ends up selling for less than $250k.     

 

It seems to me that it's almost never possible to avoid a total gut job when turning a building that was low income or college housing for many years into a high-end property.  I've now seen it a few times where some hack attempts to rehab every aspect of a house and there are problems that overshadow whatever good work they might have done in some area.  You might be good at tile or good at wood floors but you're probably not also good at stone patios or refinishing wood windows.  People think they can do it all but they can't. 

it amazes me sometimes seeing what people do when renovating houses... it also amazes me when people buy them...

getting confused here

 

all usernames start with j

 

get avatars folks

 

edit: made it a haiku

Don't tell us what to do!

 

I haven't seen anything here in awhile regarding 2770 Observatory in Hyde park by Greiwe. It's currently in the cladding stage and interior framing appears to either be completed or nearly completed. It's taking a LONG time. It has been under construction since before I finished grad school two years ago. I'm not sure why it's taking so long. They've sold 2/3 of the units already so it's not like they're concerned about moving them off the market.

 

The building is somewhat massive. It's closer to Observatory than the previous building was and is taller and then extends onto multiple streets at full height. It's pretty massive. I'll have to take photos and do an update.