My vote is for a parking lot. That part of downtown doesn't really have any affordable parking. They could make the money for the demo back many-fold.

 

I can only hope that was a joke... cause downtown needs another lot like I need a hole in my head.

 

I'm hoping for an Applebee's

My vote is for a parking lot. That part of downtown doesn't really have any affordable parking. They could make the money for the demo back many-fold.

 

I can only hope that was a joke... cause downtown needs another lot like I need a hole in my head.

 

I'm hoping for an Applebee's

 

I'm hoping for a one-story, drive-through Walgreen's set back from the street with parking in front.  :roll:

Extra hotels, if the city makes itself more user-friendly, could certainly benefit from more visitors. After all, isn't one problem that not enough outsiders know what all is there? One part of solving that would be to increase the capacity for visitors while also taking way the guesswork for where to go Downtown and elsewhere: highly visible downtown signs for the top destination neighborhoods possibly centered around Fountain Square could be seen by these visitors and  consist of one along E 5th near reading "Mount Adams ► 1.8 miles" and another on Vine northbound: "Northside ▲ 4.7 miles", etc. Just would want to avoid a cluttered feeling, but adding more hotel guests seems like a good opportunity.

Email from CBRE:

 

The CBRE Indianapolis-Cincinnati Multi-Housing Group arranged the disposition of:

 

617 VINE STREET

Located in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio

 

Cincinnati - September 2012: The Indianapolis-Cincinnati Multi-Housing group of CBRE has negotiated the sale of 617 Vine Street, a 240,000-square foot redevelopment opportunity of the historic former Enquirer Building located in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati.

 

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, 617 Vine Street housed the longest running daily, The Cincinnati Enquirer, at its site for 119 years. The current building was completed in 1928 and is also recognized as the fictional “Osgood R. Flimm Building” from the 1978-1982 American situation comedy, WKRP in Cincinnati.

 

Standing at fourteen stories tall, 617 Vine Street holds the reputation of being Cincinnati’s first major art deco building with a touch of premodern style. Among its many impressive architectural features are the unique symmetrical “H” shape of floors four through fourteen, many multi-light arched windows, an Indiana limestone and brick exterior featuring several gargoyles, and an impressive lobby highlighting intricate limestone, marble and copper décor.

 

Zoned DD-Downtown Development, 617 Vine Street was vacant at the time of sale, offering excellent adaptive reuse potential. The CBRE Indianapolis-Cincinnati Multi-Housing Group represented the seller in this transaction. The buyer was SREE Hotels out of Charlotte, NC. 

 

Download PDF of the 617 Vine Street Oak Press Release:

http://f.tlcollect.com/fr2/812/26009/CBRE_Sells_Historic_Former_Enquirer_Building_at_617_Vine_Street_Cincinnati_Ohio.pdf

awesome. how long 'til construction starts I wonder?

A little something for the rumor mill:

 

I live downtown and walk passed the Enquirer building all the time. The other night was the first time I ever seen inside lights on at night. Apparently something is going on there. Can't say whether it's the start of construction or whatever. Just an FYI.

Construction will begin in late January. 

I see they finally patched the broken piece of this building's marble facade. But why in the hell did they use a black piece of marble with white and orange streaks? The rest of the facade is grey marble with lighter and darker streaks. Surely someone could've put a little more effort into getting a better matching piece of marble. I hope this isn't foreshadowing the quality of work that will take place.

Does anyone have a pic of that^

They put that patch up months ago. Now that I think about it, I noticed it just a couple days before the initial hotel announcement.

I see they finally patched the broken piece of this building's marble facade. But why in the hell did they use a black piece of marble with white and orange streaks? The rest of the facade is grey marble with lighter and darker streaks. Surely someone could've put a little more effort into getting a better matching piece of marble. I hope this isn't foreshadowing the quality of work that will take place.

 

The existing grey marble was originally black.  100 years of outdoor city life has turned it grey since the polish has disappeared. 

 

I'm pretty sure they can put a treatment on the new marble to etch it grey, but I wouldn't be surprised if they wait until they are finishing out the building next year. 

That's ironic. When I saw the black marble, I thought if the facade was all black marble it would look better than the grey marble. I just didn't like how it was so blatantly a patch job. I would rather see the outside marble restored to black so reflect the original intent of the architect.

Does anyone have a pic of that^

 

 

Uh.

Relax everyone. This building is about to get a $40-50 million renovation (if not more!). Hilton (and SREE) obviously isn't going to leave it with mismatched marble. :)

Relax everyone. This building is about to get a $40-50 million renovation (if not more!). Hilton (and SREE) obviously isn't going to leave it with mismatched marble. :)

 

Thank you. People get so worked up.

No one is getting worked up.

It's possible that the patch is just a temporary mock-up to see how well it matches the character of the building, and/or how well it weathers.

It's marble, they're going to have to quite a while to see how it weathers.

Marble is one of the most porous and fragile types of stone you can use on an exterior application, which is why so few building are clad with it. (There's a reason they use granite for kitchen countertops and not marble.) This is just speculation, but they may want to see how it withstands one winter in Cincinnati.

Confirmed: 105-suite Homewood Suites and a 144-room Hampton Inn will occupy this building. And the developer, SREE, is looking elsewhere downtown for a limited-service Marriott property (probably Courtyard or Fairfield)

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20121220/BIZ/312210034/Old-Enquirer-building-house-2-hotels-not-1?nclick_check=1

 

Below is a link to a pretty decent set of pictures of the Enquirer building from the Business Courier

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/12/20/look-inside-the-enquirer-building.html?s=image_gallery

A couple shots of her backside.  :-P

 

Blog post:

http://goo.gl/6Vgx7a

 

 

 

 

Nice! Looks like work is coming along smooth.  I walked past the other day and noticed a lot of work going on with the windows in the front.

 

Here's who will build two new hotels in the former Enquirer building: EXCLUSIVE

Tom Demeropolis Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

The owners of the former Enquirer building in downtown Cincinnati selected HGC Construction as the construction manager for the $27 million conversion of the office tower into a dual purpose Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites hotel.

 

SREE Hotels LLC purchased the building at 617 Vine St. last year. It is the group’s first hotel in the region.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/11/06/heres-who-will-build-two-new-hotels.html

Photos from 11/23/13:

 

Anyone heard anything on how this project is going?  It hasn't been in the news recently and seems to be flying under the radar.

I walk past this site often and there is activity going on inside the building.  Additionally, i can see the construction elevator in the back from my apartment window and it moves throughout the day.  Its supposed to be done Q4 2014, so we will see if they stick to that timeline.

 

Bartlett Building is supposed to be done in July, once both these buildings are back online and functioning it will be great to see historic buildings being put to productive use. 

 

(I would have loved for 1 of them to go residential, but happy nonetheless they are no longer dormant).

I'm a co-op with HGC Construction, the GC on the project.  I've been in classes this semester so I'm not 100% up to date, but framing has started on the top two floors and from everything my buddy has told me who is on site down there, the project is running smoothly and on schedule.  Looking forward to visiting the project on Thursday when I go back to work for HGC after exams are over.

Was this building and also the Bartlett building abandoned before these renovations?  Sorry, a little bit new to the area!

I don't think abandoned is the correct term, but vacant, yes. There may have been a business on the first floor of the Enquirer Building until not too long ago. I don't know for sure, though.

Correction noted, vacant!  Well this is really good news with the new life in these buildings, well done.

Renovation continues on ‘dual flag’ hotel

Bowdeya Tweh, [email protected] 3:37 p.m. EDT June 30, 2014

 

Cincinnati’s first dual-flag hotel development is under construction Downtown at the former Enquirer building.

 

Since early January, HGC Construction Co. has been leading the project to convert the 14-story building at 617 Vine St. into a 144-room Hampton Inn and Suites and a 105-room Homewood Suites, HGC senior project manager Keith McDougal said.

 

Charlotte, North Carolina-based SREE Hotels is the developer of the nearly $30 million project.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2014/06/30/renovation-continues-dual-flag-hotel/11791663/

"Rooms at the Homewood will feature fully equipped kitchens."

 

Where will these guests shop for groceries?

Vine Street Kroger or Findlay Market?

 

Is there anyone on here who lives in OTR and DOESN'T shop at least a couple times a month at the OTR Kroger?  It's improved SO much in the last 3 years, but when you talk to the management or people at Kroger HQ they know that the wealthy people in OTR drive to other stores so they are only going to go so far. Remember, Kroger is an amazing datamining company.  They know exactly what type of person shops where, what days, how much you spend at which store, which products you buy, and often where you live as well.

 

They know that the people in fancy condos are driving to Newport.  But as more and more move to OTR Kroger it will keep getting better. It's a perfect size for a neighborhood grocery. 

 

 

^-If they add another small format or ideally urban format store to downtown in general I think you guys would be set on Groceries without driving.

I have friends in Chicago who walk 6-8 blocks for their groceries, or they take the bus.  With the Streetcar you only have to walk a couple blocks, get on the streetcar, walk a couple more blocks, take it back home, etc.  Eventually downtown will get a grocery, but right now it's not enough residents to demand its own grocery.  How many people are in CBD? 5000? the main reported number is 14,000 but that includes OTR & pendleton.  Pendleton is about 1000 and OTR is about 7500-8000. Westwood is 30,000 and it only has 1 grocery. Avondale is 15,000 people and it doesn't have a grocery store. Clifton is 8000 people and it doesn't have it's own grocery anymore.  Northside doesn't either (the Kenard Kroger off of Mitchell is Spring Grove Village).  The OTR Kroger should be used by everyone for the next few years until we had a few more thousand people downtown.

 

 

And back to the hotel... Whenever they get storefronts in right there it will really help that stretch.  Vine Street from 6th to Central Parkway is incredibly dead.  Hoping this development spurs someones interest in getting rid of those parking lots at 7th

I have friends in Chicago who walk 6-8 blocks for their groceries, or they take the bus.  With the Streetcar you only have to walk a couple blocks, get on the streetcar, walk a couple more blocks, take it back home, etc.

 

I'm going to also add that the blocks in Chicago are usually 3x the length (or more) than the ones in OTR.  Though Cincinnati doesn't really have the walking culture that Chicago does.  People still have a mindset of drive to get everywhere.  I remember attending the streetcar rally and seeing people who lived in OTR going back to the garage at Washington Park to get into their car to drive maybe 4 or 5 blocks.  I also remember one year at MPMF when we were going to an after party by Washington Park and we were on main, several people in the group wanted to get their cars, but me and one other Chicagoan stated, its not a long walk and we wound up walking the 3/4 short blocks instead.

 

Baby steps, things will change ;)

The question was on extended-stay business travelers...

 

Will the hotel staff direct guests to the CVS/Walgreens a block and a half away or to the OTR Kroger at seven blocks. More likely they ask if the guest has a rental car and then directs them to the Newport Shopping Center or the Center of  Cincinnati.

I have friends in Chicago who walk 6-8 blocks for their groceries, or they take the bus.  With the Streetcar you only have to walk a couple blocks, get on the streetcar, walk a couple more blocks, take it back home, etc.

 

I'm going to also add that the blocks in Chicago are usually 3x the length (or more) than the ones in OTR.  Though Cincinnati doesn't really have the walking culture that Chicago does.  People still have a mindset of drive to get everywhere.  I remember attending the streetcar rally and seeing people who lived in OTR going back to the garage at Washington Park to get into their car to drive maybe 4 or 5 blocks.  I also remember one year at MPMF when we were going to an after party by Washington Park and we were on main, several people in the group wanted to get their cars, but me and one other Chicagoan stated, its not a long walk and we wound up walking the 3/4 short blocks instead.

 

Baby steps, things will change ;)

 

That's another reason I think the streetcar will be successful... lot of people saying, "Walk 4 blocks to Fountain Square? Let's just wait for the streetcar."

I still remember the year I went to MPMF with a Chicago friend, and we were going from the CAC to a venue in OTR, I told him its only ten blocks we can do it.  His eyes widened like that was going to be a horrible distance, but I reminded him that 3 Cincinnati (basin) blocks could fit in one Chicago block :)

It seems like this has taken a long time. Does anyone know why?

Yeah, it seems like the Renaissance was a much larger project, and it was completed much faster.  Is there a scheduled opening date for this hotel?

This is taking SOOOO LONG. I agree, the Renaissance went incredibly quickly.  Haven't heard a peep re opening

I saw a sign out front a few weeks ago saying there will be sign-ups and openings at a job fair for the hotel.

There are entire towns in the Middle East created from scratch, with 1,000 ft towers that are built quicker than this project. ;)

The website says they are opening in April.

There are entire towns in the Middle East created from scratch, with 1,000 ft towers that are built quicker than this project. ;)

 

Obviously none of you have rehabbed an historic building.  Even what one would think of as the simplest task can sometimes pose a tremendous challenge.  It takes a lot of guts, fortitude, patience and money to preserve an old building, if it's done well.

Obviously none of you have rehabbed an historic building.  Even what one would think of as the simplest task can sometimes pose a tremendous challenge.  It takes a lot of guts, fortitude, patience and money to preserve an old building, if it's done well.

 

What I've observed is that common sense does not apply to these forums.  Buildings cost money and take time, but that doesn't matter to most here. 

 

The owner self-performed a decent chunk of work prior to selecting a general contractor for the interior build-out.  He also fired the first GC and I think had some financing issues that added to the delay.  But don't let the facts get in the way of some internet complainers :)