Cincinnati - There is an article in the September 17, 2004 issue of the Business Courier about a possible condo project in the old Enquirer building on Vine Street downtown.  Currently Class B office space and partially vacant, the article dosen't go in much detail as it sounds like no one is talking at the moment.  Tried to find the article online but I was unsuccessful.

I haven't seen any info on it either.

 

Here is a (bad) photo of the particular building:

I hadn't heard about it, but it appears much of the building is vacant.

The article in the Business Courier said about 110,000 SF is vacant out of about 217,000 SF or something like that. About half full anyway . . . Downtown Cincinnati, Inc. is located in the building and the building served as the exterior for the offices of "WKRP in Cincinnati".

That would be a wonderful building for residents.

I briefly worked in that building, the lobby is cool, but the other floors are just regular space. Also, the building is dumbbell shaped which allows in light and air .

It's a really great location, to be sure. I bet some nice residential could come of it.

That would be a great place for residents.

I went and took these pictures from the 15th floor terrace at the URS Center. The Enquirer Building, 617 Vine Street, is the building roughly center with the pediment. The picture illustrates what Cincinnati_Kid was saying in that the building is dumbbell shaped. And the resulting light wells are really quite large and would bring in light and air to the inner units.

 

 

Oh, yeah...I had only seen that in aerials. You'd be surprised what a lot of buildings look like behind the facades.

'Stunning' site to get new life

Former Enquirer building on Vine St. to have $20M mixed-use makeover

BY LAURA BAVERMAN | June 8, 2007

 

For years it housed the printing press and reporting staff of the Cincinnati Enquirer, but come 2008, the historic 617 Vine Street building will undergo a $20 million redevelopment.

 

Middle Earth Developers purchased it for $2.5 million and hopes to use historic tax credits, institutional and private funding to bring the 79-year-old building up to code and convert it to 150 apartments, 150 parking spaces and 54,000 square feet of commercial space.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/06/11/story3.html

^ Great news, and this is a neat building.  However, I feel cautious with it being Middle Earth Developers.

I wondered how long it would take for the MED comments to come out on this one.  :laugh:

I'm fine with middle earth, they are learning as a they go and doing stuff.  Also taking a building with 82% vacancy class A office space out of the equation can only help our downtown occupancy rate.  It might be like sucking in your gut to fit into your old pants, but until you have to breath you are wearing those 32x32s from back in college.  Good call on apartments instead of condos. that is a cool tobacco store, the couple that owns it are as nice as can be.  and that building has the only no surcharge ATM that I know of downton.

Good news, the building is very cool in its architectural details, and it is dumbell shaped to allow light to all floors.  Also, this building housed WKRP as the "Phlegm Building".  They should call them the WKRP Lofts, Johnny Fever Flats, or The Residences at the Venus Flytrap.

The Residences at the Venus Flytrap

 

LMAO!

It will always be the second best newspaper building in town. The Times-Star building is much better. I think the new Enquirer bldg is more fitting of the paper's quality than the personality that inheres to the Vine Street bldg.

Also, this building housed WKRP as the "Phlegm Building".  They should call them the WKRP Lofts, Johnny Fever Flats, or The Residences at the Venus Flytrap.

 

I love it!  They all sound great.  Perhaps a WKRP themed business could go in at the street level?

Apt.'s, I kind of wish they would go with condos instead.

^ I would agree insofar as it's a cooler use for the building, but I think downtown could definitely use more rental units.

 

Yup...apts are definitely a safer bet at this point in time.  Maybe it will help attract some more young people to live downtown...because the $300,000+ condos sure as heck aren't in most YP's price range.  It will be interesting to see how successful the apts will be.  The occupancy rate for downtown apts is quite high, and it would be nice to see it support some additional units without taking a hit.  Who knows maybe it will lead to a new apt. mid-rise of some kind.

Cool building.  I had a lawyer with an office there and I always loved it.  I think they stole it at $2.5 million.

The Ohio Justice & Policy Center also has offices in there.

Is there a photo of the building?

Click on the link in the first post.

Is there a photo of the building?

 

You've had to see this building, can't miss it. It's sexy as hell.

^ I agree.  This building has excellent character.  I didn't realize it was that empty, I am in there time on business.

Ah, well this is coming from the person who couldn't find Fountain Square in downtown Cinci after driving around trying to find it! (Rando showed me where it was...)

Ah, well this is coming from the person who couldn't find Fountain Square in downtown Cinci after driving around trying to find it! (Rando showed me where it was...)

 

What can I say...I'm a pro!

^ HOTT DAMN!!

FYI. The following is a statement from an article posted elsewhere on the forum.

 

Next year the firm plans to launch a $32 million renovation of the former Cincinnati Enquirer building on Vine Street.

Middle Earth's $35.4M upscale apartments slated for 2009

BY KEVIN LEMASTER | SOAPBOX

February 19, 2008

 

DOWNTOWN - Middle Earth Developers is finalizing the design on their $35.4 million mixed-use project at 617 Vine Street Downtown, which will include 150 upscale apartments and 54,000 square feet of commercial space when completed late in 2009.

 

The 14-story, 288,000-square-foot building, which was built in 1928 to house the Cincinnati Enquirer's reporting staff and printing press, was purchased my Middle Earth last June after languishing as undesirable, outdated office space.

 

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and holds treasures such as marble walls, etched bronze elevator doors and an exterior bronze grille featuring details documenting the history of printing.

 

Middle Earth has just begun to clear some debris from the building, and Bill Langevin has been hired as the architect of record.

 

When completed, the apartments are expected to range from 800 to 1,100 square feet and to have monthly rents between $850 and $1,100.  Commercial spaces will fill floors 1 through 3 and will rent for $12 per foot per year.

 

Each residential unit will feature high-end finishes such hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and custom fixtures.

 

The three-story basement, which used to house massive printers, will be converted to a 150-space parking garage.

 

Glenn Kukla, project developer for Middle Earth Developers, points out that the Downtown residential market - and especially the apartment market - has continued to stay strong and that the project is designed to capitalize on that trend.

 

"A friend of mine was remarking that for the first time in his memory, you can go Downtown any night of the week and see lots of people walking around, visiting shops and eating at restaurants," Kukla said.  "There is a new sense of vibrancy now Downtown that we’ve never had before.  Like I always like to say, 'It’s no wonder no one goes Downtown…it’s always too crowded!'"

^

$850 for that location really isn't that bad. It would be nice to see some other people follow suit and get on renovating old office space into apartments. Downtown really is lacking in the apartment market.

no, not bad at all.  this is just what the area needs, and I bet this is a successful venture.  hopefully it stays on schedule.

difficult to do apts downtown. construction costs are rising, but rents haven't moved that much in 5 years...

More residents in the CBD will kill like a million birds with one stone.

difficult to do apts downtown. construction costs are rising, but rents haven't moved that much in 5 years...

 

The apt I'm looking at (6th & Race Apts) just rose from $700/month to $725/month at the beginning of the calendar year.

Rando - what are those apts like inside?

^Very nice...they are new construction and are only like 4 or 5 years old.  They have walk-in closets, balconies, modern/spacious kitchens, large bathrooms, washer/dryer in each unit...just very nice.  There are lots of amenities and the units are nicely laid out.  Obviously I like them though so I am a bit biased.

As a whole most of the cities rental rates are less than $1.00 a SF, making it hard to build something new...

 

But props to Middle Earth for coming up with a way to do it. I think it will be a cool project in a killer location.

More residents in the CBD will kill like a million birds with one stone.

 

Definitely.  If you really think about it, it's amazing how many problems that simply adding a significant amount of residents would solve.

Can anyone post a picture of the building for out-of-towners like myself?

 

It's hard to figure out which building is which just from newpaper articles ... even with windows local live!

The Emporis website has a few good pictures of the building:

 

http://www.emporis.com/en/il/pc/?id=122037&aid=8&sro=1

 

I could have just stumbled across my future residence...what a great building and great location! :wink2:

As a whole most of the cities rental rates are less than $1.00 a SF, making it hard to build something new...

 

But props to Middle Earth for coming up with a way to do it. I think it will be a cool project in a killer location.

 

Most rental rates Downtown are $1/sf or higher.

Ok, when I was looking for apartments last summer, most of the places I looked downtown (Groton, Sycamore Place, Emery, 4th and plum, etc) were under a $1/SF. The renaissance and 6th and Race were over 1, but not by more than a quarter.

 

Now that is no market study, but just what I experienced...

yea almost all are around the $1/sf level.  Some above, some below, but most right around.  Every realtor person I have talked to has echoed this. 

on a side note, what is the typical cycle for downtown.  I am so used to living in the university bubble at osu and now uc that I expect everything to come on line in september and want to look 2 months ago.  But yea its way too early for downtown, unless I put myself on lists, etc.  But most places have told me to wait until 60 days before.  If I do this, can I expect to find things for September 1st or is the usual cycle June to June and there won't be as many units available in September? 

^It's tough...from what I have experienced.  It really just depends on what place you're looking at and what kinds of residents they have.  I don't know if there is a definitive cycle or not.  I would recommend meeting with leasing agent and getting a feel for the place...they should be able to give you a good idea.

I started looking on the last day of June and found a great place that I moved into by the July 4th. Now I needed to move that fast, but if you have some time, spend a couple of weeks checking stuff out. A leasing agent can help, but if you know the area you can set up appointments by yourself. I wouldn't say there is a cycle of move-ins/outs. I know my lease is a year long, but after that I go month to month.