This area has so much more potential than a lot of people realize to become a seriously large neighborhood with a huge impact on the city. Taking notes from the Vancouverism sect of urban planning and utilizing both human scaled bases with towers above with really creative public spaces occupying the areas underneath all the overpasses could create a super unique area to the Midwest.

 

 

Edit: And to edale's point, just have to be creative with weird spaces.

 

See: Vancouver House.

http://architizer.com/projects/beach-and-howe-st/

 

Utilize that weirdness of overpasses to your architectural advantage.

 

 

Well it'd certainly help if we had Vancouver style population growth and the infusion of Chinese money that's been fueling development there for 10+ years... Cincy can't even get one-off residential high-rises completed on prime riverfront property (Skyhouse). To think that we'd be able to build a high rise residential district in the gulch of parking lots surrounded by freeways and on-ramps is...impractical.

The reason I mentioned Vancouverism is specifically because its goal is specifically to not crowd an area with purely with highrises like Manhattanism does. You have well thought out bases that are pedestrian in design/scale/graining/etc. and towers dispersed strategically.

 

Of course it wouldn't be able to be built out all at once and would be a very long-term project. But highrise living is increasingly becoming in style and it's not super difficult to imagine in 10-20 years we can have 6 or so towers in this area in the 10-25 story range with low-rises filling in everywhere else to create a new residential district. If demand keeps up like it has it's a possibility, albeit one that would require very intentional, intelligent planning on the city's part.

I was at Bellevue  Park today and couldn't help but noticed how the New West End looks so suburban and out of place with the downtown landscape. Especially when compared to the surrounding neighborhood of OTR.

 

Over/Under chance of using that land for urban renewal? I feel like that space could go to much better use in our urban core, and with OTR redeveloping we could transplant the residents back to OTR/Pendelton/Mohawk/Brighton/Mt Auburn

Are you talking about City West? Those are for sale units, no chance in hell of them going anywhere. That ship sailed long ago. I'd just like them to finish it at some point...

That stuff was built 2000-2005 and replaced a small forest of low-rise public housing.  Only a few of the original 1930s-era buildings remain near the corner of Linn and Liberty.  They're aging better than the stuff from the 1960s between Linn and I-75 or the new stuff from the early 2000s.

 

There are still a few acres of vacant land there and I'm not sure what the plans are for it.  Of course, one of CPS's new schools is hogging a bunch of land near that big empty field, with a bunch of ugly, unlandscaped, and useless grass surrounding it.  The new CPS schools are all just 10 years old but look like junk because the whole bond issue was a joke.   

Are you talking about City West? Those are for sale units, no chance in hell of them going anywhere. That ship sailed long ago. I'd just like them to finish it at some point...

 

Yeah, and bummer.

 

I'm just curious when those existing lots get developed, where exactly does this city have room to expand it's skyline? I just feel like that area of the west end is prime ground for future big developments. Again, this is long in the future (i'm talking 30-40 years worth when I'll be 50'ish years old myself), but I just don't see where Cincy has room to expand when those existing lots get developed on.

I don't think we're anywhere near needing to worry about room to grow our skyline, but let's say we do get to that point. The areas around Eggleston, as mentioned above, have tons of potential. The riverfront in both directions from The Banks has potential. All of Queensgate could wind up redeveloping to great improvement to the city, etc. No need to worry.

As for rail going through this area and then connecting to the riverfront transit center, I feel like that would be fairly analogous to Cleveland's troubled Waterfront Line, which skirts around the CBD in scarcely developed land (though there is considerable development occurring at the FEB project) and loops around to serve the waterfront.  Only problem is, since the line doesn't hit many of the main downtown nodes and is challenging to get to, it suffers from low ridership.  If we get the tunnel built, I think we'd receive much more benefit by having the line go straight through OTR and the CBD rather than skirt around the edges.

The streetcar already acts as an urban circulator, so I'm just thinking that true light rail connected through a tunnel needs to be more of a speed based commuter line, and it's not like the riverfront transit center is on the 'outskirts' and that would be the main load/unload point I'm proposing. Stop once in OTR, once in Bucktown to spur development, and finally in the transit center. The transit center is directly underneath the streetcar, which could be used to circulate people around the basin from there. Otherwise the transit center is only one block from GE, Great American, Atrium buildings, Scripps Center and many other large offices in the CBD.

 

Perhaps this needs to be in the "Beyond the streetcar" thread, sorry I don't know how to move quotes across threads.

It won't be light rail in the transit tunnel.  It will be commuter rail and/or intercity rail, and commuter rail most likely can't happen without the investments from intercity rail. 

 

Also people, please quit using the term Bucktown.  Nobody has called it that for 100 years.  It's like bringing back "Frenchman's Corner" or "Little Bethlehem".  What a joke. 

LOVING THE BUCKTOWN AND LITTLE BETHLEHEM REFERENCES!!!!!

Also people, please quit using the term Bucktown.  Nobody has called it that for 100 years.  It's like bringing back "Frenchman's Corner" or "Little Bethlehem".  What a joke.

 

If that area starts redeveloping someday and develops an identity, why not call it Bucktown? Why not use the history of the area to name it instead of plucking some name out of the air or naming it after the developer?

Also people, please quit using the term Bucktown.  Nobody has called it that for 100 years.  It's like bringing back "Frenchman's Corner" or "Little Bethlehem".  What a joke.

 

If that area starts redeveloping someday and develops an identity, why not call it Bucktown? Why not use the history of the area to name it instead of plucking some name out of the air or naming it after the developer?

 

After searching through my gmail account, the phrase "Bucktown" has been used 18 times since 2010

 

(edit: Addyston has come up 18 times as well and Sedamsville 32)

I think we should add an "e" at the end, "Bucktowne." That will emphasize the historic nature of the name.

Why does it need a name?  Oh yeah -- branding.  We're like the capital of branding, because some branding wiz said so. 

After searching through my gmail account, the phrase "Bucktown" has been used 18 times since 2010

 

(edit: Addyston has come up 18 times as well and Sedamsville 32)

 

Time to start a Losantiville Triangle thread.  So much to sort out and discuss. 

 

I'm pulling for B²@theTriangle.

Why does it need a name?  Oh yeah -- branding.  We're like the capital of branding, because some branding wiz said so.

 

Or it's just easier to refer to an area of town by a name? I guess you would prefer all of our neighborhoods just be named Ward 12 or something?

Unfortunately the name the Gulch is already taken, because that does describe the area pretty well. How about the crater, the cleft, the chasm, the cavity, the schism? Eggelston Pointe @ the Gully? And the only reason I used the Bucktown name is because it's easier than saying "the sea of surface lots between Downtown and Mt. Adams next to the highway overpasses". It makes it feel more like a place, because currently it isn't.

 

Please discuss Bucktown and any plans for its development in a new thread. This thread is about the Eighth & Sycamore project.

^way to keep the thread on track Ink :roll:. If you're going to stifle light-hearted conversation, at least be fair about it. Look at the first post on this page--how is that any different than the conversation others were having? Why let that stay when you 'cleaned up' the thread?

 

Yes, the conversation was comical, but it was speaking to a real issue about urban branding, neighborhood definition, and the relative no-mans-land that is the Eggleston area.  But sure, delete people's posts and shut down harmless, positive conversation in the name of keeping things 'on topic'.

^I kept the posts that occurred before I asked the conversation to move to a new thread. That was my compromise to allow the conversation to be picked up somewhere else. I was not making any type of unfair value judgement on which posts to keep or delete based on their content. If you have further complaints for me, I'd encourage you to send me a PM, as to--again--get back on topic to Eighth & Sycamore.

So this project isn't expected to be completed (as in residents moving in) until next January apparently (2018).  Ugh! Hurry up!!!

I'm interested to see in what type of retailers they bring in, considering that the retail spaces will probably be ready long before the apartments. I'm worried that the retail may struggle until the new residents move in upstairs.

Here’s how Al Neyer put a 13,000-pound pool on a downtown apartment tower: VIDEO

Nov 3, 2016, 11:57am EDT

Tom Demeropolis

Senior Staff Reporter

Cincinnati Business Courier

 

The apartments at North American Properties and NorthPointe Group’s Eighth and Sycamore project will have a pool for its residents. But how do you put a pool on the sixth-floor of a downtown Cincinnati parking garage and apartment tower?

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/11/03/here-s-how-al-neyer-put-a-13-000-pound-pool-on-a.html

It had been a while since I was on this side of downtown, the glass is going in and looks good. I am still waiting to see the final color of the facade because in many renders it looks pretty pink before I judge it, but so far so good in my opinion.

Is that bad boy topped out?

Looks like that's the top story being built then they'll have the parapet that will hide the mechanical stuff above.

Dec 30 2016:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New cladding

Color changes in light

what would be interesting is a before and after of this block. Once construction is finished on the tower, a shot of what the block looked like on all sides and compare it to a photo of what it looked like before.

what would be interesting is a before and after of this block. Once construction is finished on the tower, a shot of what the block looked like on all sides and compare it to a photo of what it looked like before.

 

The Auditor's site has pretty good historic aerial images, including angled images that give you a sense of the block. Click the "Select Date" dropdown in the top right corner:

http://wedge3.hcauditor.org/view/re/0790004018200/2016/aerial_imagery_full

Those two facade photos look like different buildings, I might have to walk the long way home to check this out in person.

Oh no...I''m sensing...84.51° of Dunnhumby Part II.

Oh no...I''m sensing...84.51° of Dunnhumby Part II.

 

Uh, wow.  I actually like it.

 

http://www.senhauserarchitects.com/

 

They have betrayed us!!! 

I like it. I'm really tired of seeing residential towers clad entirely in blue glass or in faux brick or stone. It's nice to see an interesting metal paneling being used. I think it's going to turn out really sharp when it's done.

Oh no...I''m sensing...84.51° of Dunnhumby Part II.

 

Uh, wow.  I actually like it.

 

http://www.senhauserarchitects.com/

 

They have betrayed us!!! 

 

THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL!!!

Lol.  The ultimate betrayal was the banks  :evil:

This is what it looks like to me:  https://goo.gl/maps/qdSzApFku3L2

This is what it looks like to me:  https://goo.gl/maps/qdSzApFku3L2

 

^A hideous re-cladding.  The original had gravely concrete and looked better. 

I like it. I'm really tired of seeing residential towers clad entirely in blue glass or in faux brick or stone. It's nice to see an interesting metal paneling being used. I think it's going to turn out really sharp when it's done.

 

I would agree with you if we were in Chicago where they have many buildings like that already. But Cincinnati, does really have one that is clad entirely in the "blue glass" look, we have some that are close. I think it would be nice to have at least one to add some color to the skyline.

I need to visit it up close and in person, but I am pretty certain what you are seeing is just an intermediate cladding. They will put aluminum lathe on top of this and then hang the actual cladding from the lathe.

^Isn't it just the same cladding as Seven at Broadway in a different color?

This building has surprised me with its height.  In light of its location, it really stands out (in a good way).  It's been a far more impressive addition to the east side of the CBD than I thought it would be just based on the description. 

I like it. I'm really tired of seeing residential towers clad entirely in blue glass or in faux brick or stone. It's nice to see an interesting metal paneling being used. I think it's going to turn out really sharp when it's done.

 

I would agree with you if we were in Chicago where they have many buildings like that already. But Cincinnati, does really have one that is clad entirely in the "blue glass" look, we have some that are close. I think it would be nice to have at least one to add some color to the skyline.

 

Though true, I'm just happy Cincy's trend so far in mid / high rise residential buildings and proposals have essentially all been more interesting than just "blue glass curtain wall." It sets a good precedent. It also helps that Senhauser is behind most of them since they know what they're doing when it comes to materiality.

 

I wouldn't mind a couple blue glass towers for diversity's sake, but it seems when a city starts with blue glass residential towers that that's all they wind up getting from then on. I'm looking at you Denver, Dallas, Austin, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Atlanta, Houston, SF, etc. etc. etc.

^I was in Dallas recently and their uptown is booming with blue glass towers, same with Nashville.  We would have had one if Skyhouse came (Was it more like a blue-green there?).  Anyways, glad to have them working on this, and hopefully they get moving soon on the Kroger site.

 

Funny, I was looking at the auditor's aireal photos, and looking through downtown, there isn't a ton of surface parking, but dang that area around the 8th and Sycamore is bad with the Dennison block and the block south of that.  Then the other real bad part is the area south of Alumni Lofts... I would love to fill in at least the block south of Dennison (Since Joseph isn't going to do squat on their lot anyways), and those two big blocks south of Alumni Lofts in the next 3 years... Would make everything so much better and cohesive, IMO that's what will make the East End of Downtown really feel a lot more complete.

There are really 4 key areas in my mind in terms of surface parking / dated structured parking that need to change in the coming years to create a more cohesive, complete Downtown.

 

1) Joseph lots and the lot south of that.

 

2) Walnut / Central Parkway / Court Street lots.

 

3) lots south of Alumni Lofts

 

4) Plethora of crappy dated garages around the Convention Center leading north into a sea of parking by the bend in Central Parkway.

 

Fill in these four areas with development of the same scale as 8th and Sycamore (smaller on the Alumni Lofts lots) and you suddenly have a denser skyline, significantly more complete streets, thousands of new residents, and a more consistent density of activity throughout the CBD and southern OTR/Pendleton.

Don't forget the lots on Pete Rose Way. Thats some primo property down there.

Question for the architects: how are large residential towers adjusting to everyone having huge Amazon boxes being delivered every week now? Is anyone designing in special package locker areas in the lobby?