Quite seemless integration into the existing neighborhood.

great contextual fit. 

I drove by this last week and it seems to be moving along pretty well. At least some concrete walls are poured, I'm assuming that it hasn't been hindered by the economy.

The construction site has already been tagged.

I was talking about the Red Cross building. Sorry if I confused you.

Yeah, it's progressing pretty fast. Did you note the residential shed/garage that was already on the verge of collapse on the southern fringe of the property? They left it up (as of last week) when they excavated all around it... quite amusing.

The construction site has already been tagged.

 

I saw that...almost three weeks ago now.  Whoever it was got to those foundation walls the day the took the formwork down.

Does anyone find it odd that the first Keystone building has that green lighting on the HVAC enclosure on the roof? I know its a "Green" (puke) LEED certified building, but come on, it looks tacky.

yeah ive noticed that too.  i first noticed it right around christmas so i thought it was something seasonal.  obviously not the case.  the same green light shows up in the pilon sign on dana so somehow they are trying to work it into the branding of the development.  looks like garbage is all know.

I had a chuckle when they dressed up the "Keystone Parke" sign by Interstate 71 -- the cheap, wooden sign that advertises the development, with lights and some shrubs for Arbor Day.

i appreciate the effort.  they could have just thrown a trailer out there and called it a day.

i appreciate the effort. they could have just thrown a trailer out there and called it a day.

 

Ow! Harsh....but a very accurate assessment.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120212/BIZ/302070181/Neyer-adding-hotel-Evanston?odyssey=mod

 

Plans are under way for a 120-room hotel at Keystone Parke in Evanston, adding to a list of several hotel deals under way in the region.

 

The $12 million, five-story hotel would kick off the second phase of Evanston-based Neyer Properties’ Keystone Parke office complex, which overlooks Interstate 71 and is home to Strayer University, Neyer’s offices and the new headquarters for the Cincinnati chapter of the American Red Cross, among other tenants.

 

Neyer says the hotel, which would include a restaurant and bar, is just the type of amenity needed at Keystone. The firm is working to attract top tier office tenants to complete its plans to add at least two more office buildings with more than 320,000 square feet of space, and up to 11,000 square feet of retail space off of Dana Avenue, according to City of Cincinnati documents obtained by The Enquirer.

 

Neyer declined to comment on the project.

Yes, obviously this is more good news!  However, as reported in The Enquirer, will the city (alias, city council) delay this much needed project over the TIF funding concern?

Yes, obviously this is more good news!  However, as reported in The Enquirer, will the city (alias, city council) delay this much needed project over the TIF funding concern?

 

It's incredibly important not to over leverage TIF money. You have to keep in mind that it's not free money, and in fact, you're leveraging future valuations for that upfront infusion of cash. If the city feels like the addition of a hotel won't allow the development to meet its projected TIF revenue streams then it makes sense to try to fund it in another way. Much of the existing money from that TIF has probably already been earmarked for the rest of the development. There may not be any more money left in that TIF district.

I just found out the other day that TIF districts have a deadline.  They exist for 25 years and then they are gone. The majority of Cincinnati TIF districts were created in 2002, and then I think about 4-5 were created in 2005.

Great news, I would love to see this complex get further along!  I hope it is the tall one, 60,000 s.f. is a sizable pre-lease.

 

Major medical firm coming to Keystone

Sep. 16, 2013 5:52 PM 

Written by Cindi Andrews

 

A specialized medical tenant is seeking to join Keystone Parke in Evanston. The unidentified company has signed a letter of intent to lease 60,000 square feet, which would be in a new, stand-alone building, according to developer Dan Neyer, president of Neyer Properties.

 

Cincinnati City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee recommended supporting Neyer’s request for a $4.8 million state loan for a 250-space garage and other infrastructure improvements. The measure will go to council for approval next week.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130917/BIZ/309170027/Major-medical-firm-coming-Keystone

Acute rehab hospital slated for Evanston development

Mar. 4, 2014

Written by Bowdeya Tweh

 

 

An acute rehabilitation hospital is expected to be part of the second phase of Neyer Properties’ Keystone Parke development in Evanston.

 

An unnamed national health care company has signed a letter of intent to lease 60,000 square feet at the devopment along Interstate 71 and Dana Avenue, according to documents interim City Manager Scott Stiles submitted to City Council.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20140304/BIZ/303040058/Acute-rehab-hospital-slated-Evanston-development

 

TriHealth to open new hospital

Barrett J. Brunsman Staff reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

TriHealth, which operates four hospitals in Greater Cincinnati, announced today that it plans to open a fifth one in a $17 million building to be constructed adjacent to Interstate 71 in the Evanston neighborhood by late next year.

 

Ground is to be broken this year for TriHealth Rehabilitation Hospital, which will provide inpatient care for people with acute medical issues such as spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, stroke, amputation, neurological disorders and musculoskeletal and orthopedic conditions.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/03/24/trihealth-to-open-new-hospital.html

This project seems to have gotten awfully quiet.  I always check to see if anything is starting to happen on the site when I drive by on 71, but so far there has been no activity.  I hope this project isn't dead, because I really think it could be a way to spark some more redevelopment in Evanston between 71 and XU.

This project is still moving forward. There has been a change to the plans, both the size of the floorplate (increasing) and the location of the buildings (shifting north). City Council is taking up this ordinance to change TIF boundaries in order to continue moving the project forward:

 

BACKGROUND AND PROJECT OVERVIEW

City Council passed a series of ordinances earlier in 2014 to facilitate the next phase of Neyer Properties’ Keystone Parke development in Evanston. This project phase, Keystone II, consists of a 70,000 square foot medical facility which is a joint venture between Select Medical and TriHealth. The City is nearing its closing on a hybrid bond/loan financing package from the Ohio State Infrastructure Bank (“SIB Loan”) for the purpose of funding public parking and roadway improvements in connection to the medical development.

 

ORDINANCE

One of the ordinances passed earlier in 2014, Ordinance No. 0032-2014, created a Project TIF at the Keystone II site. The Project TIF allows for service payments, in lieu of real estate taxes, to be made in order to make debt service on the SIB Loan. Due to some recent changes in the planned layout of the master development site, such as adjustments to building locations and floorplate sizes, the Keystone II parcel has increased in size and has shifted a short distance to the west. Thus, Exhibit A to Ordinance No. 0032-2014 now reflects a TIF boundary that is no longer consistent with the actual parcel boundary, which necessitates corrections to the TIF boundary.

 

The attached Emergency Ordinance amends Ordinance No. 0032-2014 to correct the TIF boundary to be consistent with the updated Keystone II parcel boundary. This amendment does not represent any material change to the deal.

 

The reason for the emergency is the immediate need to correct the TIF boundary so that the City may close on the SIB Loan as soon as possible so that the project may begin construction in Fall 2014.

 

Ordinance: http://city-egov.cincinnati-oh.gov/Webtop/ws/council/public/child/Blob/40985.pdf?rpp=-10&m=2&w=doc_no%3D%27201401228%27

 

Map: http://city-egov.cincinnati-oh.gov/Webtop/ws/council/public/child/Blob/40986.pdf?rpp=-10&m=3&w=doc_no%3D%27201401228%27

Very good, thanks for the information!

And the deal for the new TriHealth hospital has finally closed. Construction should start soon with the hospital opening in 2016.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/11/06/trihealth-closes-on-deal-to-open-new-hospital.html?ana=twt

$18M hotel planned near Xavier University

Jun 16, 2015, 10:23am EDT 

Tom Demeropolis 

Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Neyer Properties Inc., the developer of Keystone Parke in Evanston, is working to add a 130-room hotel to the project about a mile from Xavier University’s campus.

 

Keystone Hotel Partners LLC and Neyer Properties asked for a major amendment to the 7.5-acre planned development, Keystone Parke. The amendment would switch out a planned office building for a six-story hotel.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/06/16/18m-hotel-planned-near-xavier-university.html

Brand for hotel near Xavier University revealed

 

 

The developers of a 140-room hotel planned near Xavier University revealed the brand that will operate at Keystone Parke.

 

The $18 million hotel will be a Hilton Garden Inn, an upscale, mid-priced hotel from Hilton Worldwide.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/11/09/brand-for-hotel-near-xavier-university-revealed.html

$13.5M apartment project planned in Evanston

 

 

One of Cincinnati’s largest and most successful development companies plans to build a $13.5 million apartment project in Evanston.

 

Towne Properties is working on a 92-unit market-rate apartment project next to its DeSales Flats in East Walnut Hills. The new project, which is being referred to as DeSales Flats phase 2, will be located at the northwest corner of Lincoln and Woodburn avenues.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/06/01/exclusive-13-5-million-apartment-project-planned.html

Guess the original faux-historic proposal is out for that site. Can't say I'm disappointed about that, but this is rather.............brown.

Ohio Supreme Court weighs in on former King Records building demolition

 

 

The former King Records building cannot be torn down unless it first goes through the city of Cincinnati’s demolition permit process, the Ohio Supreme Court has decided.

 

Dynamic Industries owns the Evanston building and asked the courts to order the city to issue it a permit to tear down the building, which has been landmarked by the city. It said the city has unconstitutionally taken its property via the landmark designation.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/11/10/ohio-supreme-court-weighs-in-on-former-king.html

The Hilton Garden Inn at the Keystone Park site has finally started construction. I know this is a relatively small project, but I think it's fairly exciting because it will finally complete Keystone Park, except perhaps an out-lot that's available on Dana Ave. I think the hotel will be popular given its location near XU, Uptown, and Hyde Park, and it provides a decent number of service jobs that can be filled by Evanston and Norwood residents. All and all, a positive development for Evanston.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/19/city-may-seize-king-records-building/96765394/

 

Looks like Cranley is spearheading an effort to seize the King Records building via eminent domain. It's nice since it's definitely an historic site, but it's not like this building contributes much to the urban fabric of the city. I wish Cranely and council were this passionate about saving a building like the Dennison that really contributes to the "Cincinnati" feel of the city. The more of those we remove the more we look like a generic midwestern city. But I guess I'll take what I can get from this mayor.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/19/city-may-seize-king-records-building/96765394/

 

Looks like Cranley is spearheading an effort to seize the King Records building via eminent domain. It's nice since it's definitely an historic site, but it's not like this building contributes much to the urban fabric of the city. I wish Cranely and council were this passionate about saving a building like the Dennison that really contributes to the "Cincinnati" feel of the city. The more of those we remove the more we look like a generic midwestern city. But I guess I'll take what I can get from this mayor.

 

This building has the potential to be a tourism generator as both a stand alone, and as part of a multi-site visit.

This is pretty much a token gesture by Cranley. It's a project that he can point to and say that it's proof he supports historic preservation, local history and culture, and "the neighborhoods." But during his first term, he hasn't really made any effort to push for the historic preservation of buildings that are significantly more important both individually and as part of our urban fabric. It has also bought him support from some in the local music community like Bootsy Collins.

King Records is a pretty important piece of 20th century history in Cincinnati. It's definitely worthy of protection and turning into a museum.

^ Absolutely. But it's telling that Cranley is willing to pull out all the stops to save King Records but doesn't even make any statements in support of other historic buildings that are in danger of being demolished, or ones that were actually demolished during his first term.

^Just because an institution is important historically doesn't mean that the building that housed it is also historically important. I haven't been inside King Records so I don't know how much (if any) of the interior has been preserved, but from the outside it's pretty unimpressive.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1443249,-84.4766174,3a,75y,26.22h,75.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqLRqUl91sMyuHkJaphoAYQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

 

^ Absolutely. But it's telling that Cranley is willing to pull out all the stops to save King Records but doesn't even make any statements in support of other historic buildings that are in danger of being demolished, or ones that were actually demolished during his first term.

 

If it gets Napoleon re-elected he will help grease the wheels to save the building...

^Just because an institution is important historically doesn't mean that the building that housed it is also historically important. I haven't been inside King Records so I don't know how much (if any) of the interior has been preserved, but from the outside it's pretty unimpressive.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1443249,-84.4766174,3a,75y,26.22h,75.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqLRqUl91sMyuHkJaphoAYQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

 

 

Actually, read up about what the National Park Service has to say about this. They provide policy and direction for the preservation movement. It is indeed the institution and what occurred in that structure that makes it historic. Not just its style, construction or appearance.

 

Here you go- from wikipedia

"generally meets several criteria before being listed by an official body as "historic." Generally the building is at least a certain age, depending on the rules for the individual list. A second factor is that the building be in recognizably the same form as when it became historic. Third is a requirement that either an event of historical importance happened at the site, or that a person of historical significance was associated with the site, or that the building itself is important for its architecture or interior."

 

They really need to do everything they can to save this structure. A ton of roots of what became pop music started here. I know a lot about Bootsy Collins and he started there with James Brown, went to Parliament Funkadelic with George Clinton and everyone in there, and they were a huge influence on Prince's early music.

 

Of course Prince kind of strayed away a little bit from the heavier funk he started out with in 79 up to Purple Rain which still has a lot of funk, but Prince has some of his main roots in funk and even inducted Parliament Funkadelic into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

"We can "funk" until the dawn..."

 

https://youtu.be/uvlhSjObvjk

The fact that the building is plain is why it's important.  Real artistic creativity occurs in makeshift spaces. 

 

James Brown is arguably the single most important figure in postwar American popular music.  He was both the greatest frontman of all time and the sounds he created were the bridge to most of what has happened since.  Sometimes a lousy artist is influential or a great artist is a creative dead-end, but James Brown was #1 in both realms. 

One of many things Cincinnati needs to run with and tell people about not hide in a corner.

^Just because an institution is important historically doesn't mean that the building that housed it is also historically important. I haven't been inside King Records so I don't know how much (if any) of the interior has been preserved, but from the outside it's pretty unimpressive.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1443249,-84.4766174,3a,75y,26.22h,75.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqLRqUl91sMyuHkJaphoAYQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

My HVAC contractor owned that building 20 years ago, and I was inside a couple of times.  It was just a warehouse inside.  There is absolutely no remnants of the studio or record presses (if that is even where they pressed the records). In the 90s people started saying they wanted the building from him for a museum but no one ever made an offer with real money.  From all I read now, that is still the situation.  No one has made the owner a real offer with a realistic amount of money.  The site could be quite valuable, adjacent to the freeway and near XU etc.  If the city really wants to make this happen, they don't need eminent domain, they need to have $$$

Some institute at Xavier University was working on this project at one time and came to the same conclusion. It's a great project, could bring in some tourism, but no entity was willing to acquire the property. Some wanted Xavier to purchase the buildings and renovate it for a museum but that was unrealistic. It's not a core function of the university and the university had nothing to do with King Records.

CityBeat did a good story on James Brown's visit to the studio back in 2001.  They got him interested in funding the museum but then from the account he got upset that absolutely everything was gone from the building. 

 

The thing that's kind of crazy about it all is that the building was in the middle of a nondescript light industrial area when King was founded in the late 50s but ten years later there was a freeway right outside.  With developers throwing oddly-shaped buildings on any wedge of land with I-71 visibility there is more danger than ever that a developer will want this land.  The saving grace as been that the Montgomery Rd. interchange is only a partial interchange.  If it was a full diamond, the whole area might have been leveled decades ago. 

 

Here's a great story about how the Black Keys recorded their album Brothers at another historic recording studio that was later turned into a museum. None of the equipment that remained was usable so they brought in their own gear for recording. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was famous for these underground echo chambers which were unfortunately no longer there. The Capitol Records Building in Hollywood also has underground echo chambers that have been used on a lot of famous records, but they are worried that they won't be usable in the near future due to construction of underground parking garages for nearby buildings.

The Capitol Records Building in Hollywood also has underground echo chambers that have been used on a lot of famous records, but they are worried that they won't be usable in the near future due to construction of underground parking garages for nearby buildings.

 

My brother lives in a new apartment building on that block. 

 

The echo chambers were used on the 1950s recordings that still sound incredible like all of the Frank Sinatra stuff. 

 

King Records decision delayed

 

 

The decision over whether or not a piece of Cincinnati’s history will be demolished has been delayed, FOX19 reports.

 

The city’s Historic Conservation Board was scheduled to decide on the future of the King Records building on Monday, but both sides in the debate have agreed to put the hearing on hold until Aug. 27 in hopes of reaching their own agreement before then.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/03/06/king-records-decision-delayed.html

Towne Properties’ Evanston apartment project to expand

 

 

Towne Properties' plans to build a second phase of DeSales Flats in Evanston are getting even bigger.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/04/towne-properties-evanston-apartment-project-to.html

 

Here's what a rehabilitated King Records building could look like

 

 

The decrepit King Records complex in Cincinnati’s Evanston neighborhood would be turned into a combination of an exhibit hall, historic studio and performance venue under plans developed by the city, nonprofit King Studios, the Bootsy Collins Foundation and the Cincinnati Music Heritage Foundation.

 

Conceptual designs of the plan for 1532-1536 Brewster Place recently were submitted to the Cincinnati Planning Commission.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/26/heres-what-a-rehabilitated-king-records-building.html

See what Cincinnati neighborhood is on deck for Reds 'makeover'

 

A Cincinnati neighborhood has been selected as recipient of the 2017 Community Makeover.

 

Evanston will benefit from a collaboration of the Cincinnati Reds, Procter & Gamble Co., the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and Kroger Co. when more than 500 volunteers descend on the neighborhood July 20 for a day of service.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/07/05/see-what-cincinnati-neighborhood-is-on-deck-for.html