http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2014/11/05/avondale-getting-new-townhomes/18545305/

 

Eight new townhomes being built on vacant land in Avondale. 

 

While I definitely think investment in housing in Avondale is needed, I wonder if rehabbing the current housing stock (a la Northside) would be a better use of funds than new development. Though I definitely understand the appeal of "new" when considering purchasing a home.

Could new Avondale townhomes lead to a restaurant row some day?

 

 

The Cincinnati neighborhood of Avondale broke ground on eight new, market-rate townhomes on Thursday, a modest number compared to the scale of redevelopment in other spots in the city but a step Ozie Davis views as a big one.

 

Davis, the gregarious Avondale community leader who is executive director of the Avondale Comprehensive Development Corporation, was so happy that he urged the three dozen or so community members and civic leaders to look up the song "A Brand New Day" from the musical "The Wiz" on YouTube.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/11/06/could-new-avondale-townhomes-lead-to-a-restaurant.html

As it looks like that area's been cleared away for a while, it would be nice to see it become something of a minor business district again...

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2014/11/05/avondale-getting-new-townhomes/18545305/

 

Eight new townhomes being built on vacant land in Avondale. 

 

While I definitely think investment in housing in Avondale is needed, I wonder if rehabbing the current housing stock (a la Northside) would be a better use of funds than new development. Though I definitely understand the appeal of "new" when considering purchasing a home.

 

All the powerful players in Cincy are hyperfocused on Uptown, that's been obvious for a long time...

As it looks like that area's been cleared away for a while, it would be nice to see it become something of a minor business district again...

 

You know what would help that and serve these new townhomes well...

 

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/70250228/The%20Uptown%20Four%2011012014.pdf

 

If Avondale is ever going to get back on its feet (literally and figuratively), it needs to develop a clear strategy for building a walkable neighborhood business district. Of course, residential is important, but Avondale already has some great housing stock. What it lacks though is a clear focal point for retail, restaurants, and cafes within walking distance.

 

If the City is serious about Avondale, then it should take a good hard look at the huge parcel they own at 3527 Reading. The intersection of Forest and Reading makes sense as the logical center of Avondale, but the horrific road geometry and setbacks make it one of the most inhospitable and unattractive intersections in the city.

Today, the Planning Commission recommended a long-term lease of 5 city-owned parcels at the corner of Reading and Lee Place for the development of 72 apartments, on top of retail (with a 20,000 sq foot grocer).

 

The proposal is on pages 24-26: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/about-city-planning-buildings/city-planning-commission/feb-6-2015-packet/

 

TCB (The Community Builders) is planning a 72-unite apartment community with retail on the first floor, which will include an approximately 20,00 square foot grocery store. ... The City intends to lease the property to TCB for $1.00 a year for 60 years with the option to purchase. In return, TCB will make permanent improvements to the site and bring a grocery store back to Avondale. TCB is submitting for a Low Income Housing Tax Credit through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. As part of the application that is due on February 20th, they need to show site control of the property at that time.

 

This looks great. I love the idea of 72 apartments and a grocery store being built on vacant land along Reading, with all the parking to the side and rear. I just hope it's good design with high quality materials. Reading Road has plenty examples of multi-family buildings <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@39.145348,-84.490362,3a,74.9y,96.91h,97.13t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1syZobwfggZegwk3usYIx06A!2e0">with good materials</a> and others show <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@39.147954,-84.488802,3a,75y,331.32h,88.95t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbbnxSk1DJviOZU-mHLi3nw!2e0">what not to do</a>.

 

 

Nice article from UrbanCincy on the push forward for the Avondale Town Center: http://www.urbancincy.com/2015/04/40m-avondale-town-center-redevelopment-could-change-fate-of-citys-7th-biggest-neighborhood/

The centrally located Avondale Town Center site is composed of a large wooded lot, which is referred to as Avondale Town Center North and would be the first to be developed, and the 47,000-square-foot strip mall and an accompanying surface parking. In total, the redevelopment of the site would create three new structures, ideally built out to the street in a pedestrian friendly manner, and include a total of 118 residential units and 80,000 square feet of retail.

I believe that that large shopping center is on the site of many traditional storefront buildings that were destroyed in the 1968 riot.  Obviously it would be a great site for a subway station should the city ever wise up and build everything the Metro Moves plan between DT and Xavier underground. 

Townhome expansion planned for Avondale

 

 

A $2.4 million townhome development already underway in Avondale could be expanded, the Enquirer reports.

 

Hickory Place Townhomes developers Northpointe Group, Wichman Gunther Architects and John Huber Homes plan to add eight more housing units at the site near Burnet and Northern avenues.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2015/11/townhome-expansion-planned-for-avondale.html

16 properties snapped up near MLK interchange

 

 

A limited liability company purchased more than a dozen properties near the under construction Interstate 71 interchange at Martin Luther King Drive, according to Hamilton County property records.

 

MLK Investors I LLC, a company that has the same address listed as real estate development firm Neyer Properties Inc., acquired 16 properties from Uptown Partners LLC and Beecher Investments LLC, two affiliates controlled by Shree Kulkarni, for a total of $1.3 million. Kulkarni, CEO of Kulkarni Properties, spent nearly $636,000 acquiring the properties on the west side of I-71, which are on Union Street, Reading Road, Savoy Place, Bowman Terrace, Whittier Street, Borrman Avenue and Hickman Avenue, according to property records.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/11/13/16-properties-snapped-up-near-mlk-interchange.html

huh...well thats nifty

This whole thing smells so sour, because if a highway interchange was such a catalyst for growth, why hasn't this sort of development been popping up all around Taft/McMillan, or Hopple, or Mitchell?  The Keystone developments on Dana have been a very slow burn, with not much to show anyway.  Do they think Smith/Edwards is all because of the highway and not a combination of other factors?  And is that really something to be pushing for?  I love how in this rendering MLK is shown at such an angle that you don't notice it's been widened to 9 or 10 lanes (it's already 7, and you can bet ODOT isn't going to settle for mere 10 foot lanes either). 

Kulkarni was the recent appointment to the historic conservation board.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/08/10/historic-conservation-board-appointee-had-years.html

This whole thing smells so sour, because if a highway interchange was such a catalyst for growth, why hasn't this sort of development been popping up all around Taft/McMillan, or Hopple, or Mitchell?  The Keystone developments on Dana have been a very slow burn, with not much to show anyway.  Do they think Smith/Edwards is all because of the highway and not a combination of other factors?  And is that really something to be pushing for?  I love how in this rendering MLK is shown at such an angle that you don't notice it's been widened to 9 or 10 lanes (it's already 7, and you can bet ODOT isn't going to settle for mere 10 foot lanes either).

 

I rode the 43 up Reading to North Avondale yesterday evening, and couldn't believe how depressing the stretch of Reading along Corryville is. It's a blasted wasteland. I couldn't help but wonder at the meager amount of taxes all that land generates for the city. You are totally correct in comparing these renderings to other high way interchanges. Where is the development at Reading and Liberty?

It's going to boom because it's the first direct freeway connection to the regions second largest employment center, largest medical center, and largest university. I think it's pretty imminent.

Yeah I think this is a way bigger deal than most people realize.  This interchange lets everyone near the hospitals get downtown much, much faster.  Also, everyone on 471 N and from I-75/71 in NKY that currently gets off at the Liberty St. ramp or at Eden Park Dr. to instead get off at MLK. 

I think a key idea is the Uptown Consortium is proactively managing development around the interchange with a very specific image in mind (tech, biosciences.) Much like 3cdc had the resources of downtown corporations to draw upon, the Uptown Consortium has access to the resources of the big institutions to actually make their plans a reality from what I understand.

 

Under the Mt. Auburn Tunnel light rail scenario, aren't we planning on tracks on MLK from Jefferson over to I-71?  I could envision two stops along MLK, one for the Hospitals and one for this new "tech corridor" at MLK/Reading. I wonder if that's even on the radar for anyone with an official job title however.

Yeah I think this is a way bigger deal than most people realize.  This interchange lets everyone near the hospitals get downtown much, much faster.  Also, everyone on 471 N and from I-75/71 in NKY that currently gets off at the Liberty St. ramp or at Eden Park Dr. to instead get off at MLK.

 

I understand that the new interchange will really shift how people access Uptown, which in terms of Liberty could have the positive effect of allowing for traffic calming measures. At the same time, I agree with jmicha that the additional lanes on Reading and MLK will not create a "sticky" environment for pedestrians or dense building styles. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we're all kidding ourselves that that corridor will ever be anything but surface parking, crappy 7-11s, and a few large garages--if we continue with the current mindset of cars cars cars.

Avondale will finally get its grocery store

Construction will begin in the second quarter of 2016 on a long-awaited grocery, health clinic and laundromat in Avondale that will complement the development of affordable housing nearby.

 

The Community Builders, a Boston-based real estate developer, signed a letter of intent Wednesday with Missouri-based chain Save-A-Lot to build a 15,000-square-foot anchor store at the corner of Reading Road and Forest Avenue.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/business/2016/01/13/avondale-finally-get-its-grocery-store/78521550/

Here's a photo, looking south along Reading. You can see two similarly sized buildings with commercial on the first floor and apartments above. I'm definitely anxious to get more detail on this project. The quality of materials in the rendering look really shabby, but I like that it's mixed use with apartments above commercial.

 

I'm especially curious how this project will look from the Reading/Forest intersection.

It more than likely will be incredibly cheaply built. This is something that unfortunately isn't going to be avoidable for a building that will command such low rents.

 

This type of development though could spur other development since it introduces basic necessities into a neighborhood that has a history of basic services finding their way out of the neighborhood, not in.

When this opens, will it be Cincinnati's only example of a grocery store in a mixed use development with residential above? I can't think of any other examples.

I can't think of anything off the top of my head other than small specialty stores. But at this scale I believe this will be the first.

Yet another building in that cheap style that's now been going for 15 years. 

Yet another building in that cheap style that's now been going for 15 years.

 

Agree it sucks, but I'm fine with it in this case. It's not a desirable neighborhood right now, so we can't be too picky about how nice the architecture looks or else the developer will walk away. Over time we can get more picky IMO.

It looks way better than some of the other stuff built in the 90's along Reading...the suburban vinyl stuff with a fence-wrapped yard.

Here's the view looking north from the Forest/Reading intersection:

suddenly...LEAVES!

Is it scheduled to open this fall?

Another rendering set in Camaroland

It's better than the renderings that have Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Bentley's, etc. just cruising around en masse. Unless your project is in Monaco that isn't going to happen.

Ha, yeah that would be pretty insulting to a somewhat economically disadvantaged neighborhood such as Avondale.

They've begun construction on 8 more townhomes along Northern Ave, in addition to the 8 which were completed last year. Construction is by John Hueber Homes.

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2016/01/uptown-consortium-launches-housing-expansion.html

 

The townhouses face south, fronting Northern Ave which is a 4-lane road with no on-street parking. It would be really nice if they allowed for on-street parking in front of the town homes on the north side of the street, which would provide a bit of a buffer as well as make it easier for guests who are visiting. As it is currently, Northern is totally over built.

 

Here's a photo of how the townhouse look from Northern Ave:

 

Here's how they look from Hickory (looking southwest):

 

Here's the site prep for the next 8 townhomes:

Those really aren't bad at all! Except for the strip on the side where the siding switches from forest green to beige. It's like modern architects can't help themselves. Must. Include. Meaningless. Color/Material Chaaaaaanges

Uptown Consortium spends millions gobbling up property near MLK interchange

 

The Uptown Consortium, the nonprofit community development group for the Avondale, Clifton, Corryville, CUF and Mount Auburn neighborhoods, continues to amass property near the under-construction Interstate 71 interchange being built at Martin Luther King Drive.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/01/27/exclusive-uptown-consortium-spends-millions.html

17 lots in Avondale advertised as "East Clifton":

 

https://www.sibcycline.com/Listing/CIN/1440343/3613-Norwich-Ave-Avondale-OH-45220

AHh hahh aa hhahaha hah. hah. Ahem.

Half of Cincinnati is Clifton

The more interesting thing about that development is that it would require the extension of Baxter Ave and Walls St which are just "paper streets" (city owned ROW reserved for streets that have never been built). The topography is tricky due to the steep hillside. I wonder if the City would fund the extension of those streets. Or perhaps the City would just sell the ROW to the developer who would be responsible for building/maintaining a private drive. The listing states "Inc 2 sgl fam houses that can be demolished for access to this lg 3.9ac tract &/or utilized a 20ft dr to these parcels"... so access is on the mind of the seller.

 

You can see the curb cuts off of Ehrman Ave where Wall St would be built: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1511334,-84.5086018,3a,90y,89.88h,72.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbT5jD-8o8jaoUwXfz4nzig!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

 

Here is where Baxter Ave would be extended: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1503709,-84.5059375,3a,71.3y,337.09h,78.59t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suFravqBFbXTpkiLCE2b9hg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

 

 

Children's agrees to invest $11.5 million in Avondale

On the heels of a decade of investment in Avondale, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has signed an agreement to invest $11.5 million in the neighborhood over the next five years.

 

About $2 million a year will go to community development projects – defined as real estate and economic development – beginning with Children’s budget year July 1.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/05/11/childrens-agrees-invest-115-million-avondale/84233682/

I spent some time perusing the auditor's website to see who owns the houses directly north and east of Children's. I was somewhat surprised to see that a huge number (roughly ~50%) of the houses are owned by LLCs based at 8044 Montgomery Rd, Suite 522... which is the address of Shree Kulkarni's company.

 

 

I found an old thread on this site that discussed the 2007 plan (pre-recession!) for revitalizing Burnet Ave: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,3120.msg314345.html#msg314345

 

 

Here's a photo, looking south along Reading. You can see two similarly sized buildings with commercial on the first floor and apartments above. I'm definitely anxious to get more detail on this project. The quality of materials in the rendering look really shabby, but I like that it's mixed use with apartments above commercial.

 

I'm especially curious how this project will look from the Reading/Forest intersection.

 

 

The Port Authority just tweeted a photo of a new rendering of this project. The only change I'm noticing is that the side brick became a yellow color, similar to what's used at The Banks.

 

More info on the Avondale "Town Center" (bad name but at least it's not "Towne Centre") project:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/05/24/avondale-town-center-will-get-this-grocery-store.html

 

 

 

Game-changing Avondale development proposed

 

 

A developer that has made a name for itself across the nation as a master planner of memorable and engaging environments has set its sights on Avondale.

 

Steiner + Associates, the Columbus-based company that opened the $350 million Liberty Center project in Butler County last fall, has a preferred developer agreement with Uptown Consortium for more than 5 acres of land along Burnet Avenue. The initial vision? A mixed-use, walkable environment adding retail, restaurants, residential and office space near Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/07/21/game-changing-avondale-development-proposed.html

Development would change the face of Avondale

 

 

Uptown Consortium, the nonprofit community development group for Avondale, Clifton, Corryville, CUF and Mount Auburn, has signed a preferred developer agreement with Steiner + Associates for more than 5 acres of property along Burnet Avenue between Forest and North avenues.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/07/22/development-would-change-the-face-of-avondale.html

It needs a Chipelto.

This is very exciting news for Avondale.  It looks like developers are starting to see the potential in urban neighborhoods within Cincinnati.  Though Avondale seems a very long ways from being seen as stable, there are a lot of developments in the works there and we can only hope proposals like this move forward and more keep coming. 

This is immediately adjacent to the hospitals, which should help a lot.