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6 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

Question: Are they opening the windows on the pyramid?  I've heard yes, I've heard no.

 

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Yes. 

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche

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  • Photo from our exterior survey crew at Union Central Tower.  This photo was taken hanging 22 stories up just below the 23rd floor cornice.  The faces shown are approximately 6’ tall.  

  • Some photos from the other day. Mind boggling the complexity of this adaptive reuse, hands down the most extensive (and expensive) private rehab of a historic building. So many interesting things goin

  • 646empire
    646empire

    Took some quick pics, can’t say enough how big a deal it is to get this huge building redeveloped and occupied.  

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2 hours ago, JYP said:

Yes. 

That would be amazing!!!!

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21 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

Question: Are they opening the windows on the pyramid?  I've heard yes, I've heard no.

 

What was the space in that "pyramid" section originally used for? And what's the proposed use after the renovation? It certainly has the potential be a neat, unusual space with a combination of great views and a sense of being in a "cozy attic" with the sloping walls. Also might turn into an uncomfortably hot greenhouse in the summer, so I hope they plan accordingly to accommodate for the solar heat gain. 

1 hour ago, jwulsin said:

What was the space in that "pyramid" section originally used for? And what's the proposed use after the renovation? It certainly has the potential be a neat, unusual space with a combination of great views and a sense of being in a "cozy attic" with the sloping walls. Also might turn into an uncomfortably hot greenhouse in the summer, so I hope they plan accordingly to accommodate for the solar heat gain. 

Worlds largest tanning bed 

2 hours ago, jwulsin said:

What was the space in that "pyramid" section originally used for? And what's the proposed use after the renovation? It certainly has the potential be a neat, unusual space with a combination of great views and a sense of being in a "cozy attic" with the sloping walls. Also might turn into an uncomfortably hot greenhouse in the summer, so I hope they plan accordingly to accommodate for the solar heat gain. 

What i hope they are doing.....Either a rooftop speakeasy club ala the Chrysler building or the coolest mega-loft apt in the city. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/garden/21who.html

On 4/24/2024 at 10:11 AM, jwulsin said:

What was the space in that "pyramid" section originally used for? And what's the proposed use after the renovation? It certainly has the potential be a neat, unusual space with a combination of great views and a sense of being in a "cozy attic" with the sloping walls. Also might turn into an uncomfortably hot greenhouse in the summer, so I hope they plan accordingly to accommodate for the solar heat gain. 

It will be a three-story penthouse from levels 29-31. 31 and 32 won't have the windows reinstalled but you will be able to walk up a staircase and gain roof access from the unit.

 

Also, the windows will be much smaller than what's shown in that sketch.

Edited by dnymck

Wow, would love to know what that goes for per month. I know this building is rental not condos, but as far as I know the multi-floor penthouse in the Ascent has still never been sold. 

On 4/25/2024 at 2:39 PM, ucgrady said:

Wow, would love to know what that goes for per month. I know this building is rental not condos, but as far as I know the multi-floor penthouse in the Ascent has still never been sold. 

Listed for $8,940. I suspect they'll get that easily.

  • 1 month later...

Does anyone with inside knowledge know the plans for the exterior lighting of the tower?

 

With the white color and location,  the building should be very prominent from the south if lit with a warm LED.   I could also see multiple color variations similar to 

the Empire State which may be interesting if they don't get too cute with it.   Seems like they did so some colored lighting in the past 2-3 years before the renovations. 

Anything would be better than the high-pressure sodium 30 years ago. 

 

18 hours ago, GHOST TRACKS said:

Does anyone with inside knowledge know the plans for the exterior lighting of the tower?

 

With the white color and location,  the building should be very prominent from the south if lit with a warm LED.   I could also see multiple color variations similar to 

the Empire State which may be interesting if they don't get too cute with it.   Seems like they did so some colored lighting in the past 2-3 years before the renovations. 

Anything would be better than the high-pressure sodium 30 years ago. 

 

 

Yep. It's a great opportunity. I'll say this, I really like the classic look of the richly amber Carew Tower behind the stark white Central Trust. 

  • 4 months later...

$90M Union Central project changes ownership, gets new name and timeline

 

The developer behind the long-awaited $90 million residential conversion of downtown Cincinnati’s Union Central Tower has sold his interest in the project to a private equity investor who plans to complete it.

 

Jonathan Holtzman, founder and CEO of Detroit-based City Club Apartments, sold his management position and ownership interest in CCA Union Central LLC to Stanley Dickson amid City Club Apartments’ ongoing financial troubles. The firm has had to walk away from multiple developments nationally, including projects in Chicago and Kansas City.

 

Dickson, a Detroit-based entrepreneur and managing director of Finance Michigan, was previously a passive investor in the project. He confirmed he’s now the sole owner.

 

In a similar move, Dickson in June bought out Holtzman’s interest in a downtown Cleveland project, according to NEOtrans, a Northeast Ohio news site. The 23-story mixed-use tower, called Skyline 776, is nearly finished.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/10/21/union-central-trust-development-downtown-new-owner.html

 

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"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

Glad to hear that it's not stopping or going to go unfinished, but not sure on the new 'Sky Central' name but it doesn't really matter. I took a picture of a worker on one of the balconies the other day, those balconies and the pool deck above are going to be unreal. 

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Did anyone else catch the under cornice lighting yet? It was on Thursday during Blink but i didn't see it on Friday or Saturday. As long as I've been around i dont remember this ever being lit. Gives me good hope that the new lighting plan will be more detailed than just flooding the columns with spotlights. image.png.a953ad8d222d205dec879fb8d6b1fa20.png

  • 3 months later...

Cincinnati firm tapped to manage Union Central apartments downtown

By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Feb 6, 2025

 

The owner of downtown Cincinnati’s Sky Central apartments in the Union Central tower has tapped a pair of local firms to oversee the property as it readies for its first residents to move in.

 

Stanley Dickson, a Detroit-based real estate investor, acquired Sky Central last year with plans to finish the long-delayed project. Dickson subsequently turned to Kevin Mire, a Cincinnati-based real estate and development consultant with 39Forward.

 

“Being an investor, he did not have project management expertise, so he hired me to step in, get the project stabilized and get it done,” Mire told the Business Courier in an email.

 

MORE

Sky Central apartments open in downtown Cincinnati's iconic Union Central Tower

By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Feb 13, 2025

Updated Feb 13, 2025 2:23pm EST

 

The long-awaited apartments in one of downtown Cincinnati's most iconic skyscrapers are finally open after a halting office conversion project that saw the property change hands midway through.

 

Units on the first 11 floors of the Sky Central apartments, housed in the 31-story Union Central Tower, are complete. An occupancy certificate is expected sometime this week.

 

MORE

city-club-apartments-1_900x506x3600-2025-0-188.jpg

Edited by The_Cincinnati_Kid

Can't wait for the orange construction wrapping to come off the building.  

Are they ever going to light it up?  At least the pyramidal section?!?!  The green top?  A COLUMN!??!

"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

yeah, the rest of the spire  needs to make a comeback. that it's missing the very top is pretty  obvious.

The article says the last apartments won't be ready until August, so clearly more work still needs to be completed.  Hopefully the top gets a nice facelift and there is some sort of lighting. 

3 hours ago, zsnyder said:

yeah, the rest of the spire  needs to make a comeback. that it's missing the very top is pretty  obvious.

I was unaware there was a spire.

I believe it is still the only building in the world that went from +500ft to -500ft without being demolished.

 

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"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

Wow. Also the statues(?) along the top should be restored. And just imagine how it would look if the windows on the top were put back in and the pyramid illuminated at night.

15 hours ago, anusthemenace said:

I was unaware there was a spire.

I suppose it's more accurate to call it a lantern.

I think it's been discussed but can't recall. Please tell me at least the PNC will be removed. Having nothing there is better. Alternatively, having...

 

SKY

CENTRAL

 

...in the old traditional red lettering like CENTRAL TRUST before it would be great!

 

24 minutes ago, Rabbit Hash said:

I think it's been discussed but can't recall. Please tell me at least the PNC will be removed. Having nothing there is better. Alternatively, having...

 

SKY

CENTRAL

 

...in the old traditional red lettering like CENTRAL TRUST before it would be great!

 

 

The PNC signs will remain.  City Club Apartments (previous developer) signed with PNC on what I recall was a 10 year lease for the sign back in 2002 when I was working with them on the project (we later walked rather than doing the construction with that developer).  As far as I know, there is not spire planned.  The chimney opening in the top of the lantern is being capped since the boilers are not being used with no spire.  We were reinstalling windows in the pyramid, even those behind the PNC sign.  I assume that is still happening for the extremely large 3 story apartment in the pyramid.  There were also extensive plans to light the exterior of the building.  I assume that's still happening as well.  It's great to see this project being finished by the new developer.

Edited by thesenator

3 hours ago, zsnyder said:

I suppose it's more accurate to call it a lantern.

 

The "Lantern" is the 3 story green structure at the top of the Central Trust Building.  At the base of the lantern was the public observation deck accessed via a 3-story spiral stair within the "Pyramid" section.  The top of the Lantern was originally topped by a copper roof and medallion, but I was told it was removed and melted down for the copper in WWII.  I believe the renters of the pyramid apartments will have access to the observation deck as an outdoor patio (it's quite large and circles the Lantern.

 

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Edited by thesenator

  • 3 months later...

Now that the tenants have started moving in and the crews have removed the detours on Fourth Street, does anyone know the timeline for

completing the exterior renovation and lighting the tower? I was curious since the scaffolding is still on the "temple" and the colonnaded section below

the roof level pyramid. Illuminating the building could be a selling point for garnering interest from prospective tenants, with all other conversions going on downtown. The building will stand out from the south if the lighting is well done.

Looking at CincyVison on YouTube tonight you can see they have lit up the building, mid way up below the scaffolding, with a wrap around. Looks pretty cool! Wonder what the final lighting plan will look like?

Screenshot 2025-06-11 215144.png

You could do some great lighting on that roof.

16 hours ago, jvarney1 said:

Looking at CincyVison on YouTube tonight you can see they have lit up the building, mid way up below the scaffolding, with a wrap around. Looks pretty cool! Wonder what the final lighting plan will look like?

Screenshot 2025-06-11 215144.png

You can see the lights during the day too. It’s much needed especially with the renovation to Carew Tower keeping its lights off now at night sadly.

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