Was curious about the current standing of the New hotel next to The Pitch. Looking through the courts records I saw on 8/3 that the description states INTERVENING APPELLEES' REPLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS FOR LACK OF STANDING. I looked through the documents but I am not great when it comes to finding out what this really means. Can anyone give an update on the actual status of this project?

On 11/5/2022 at 3:28 PM, 1400 Sycamore said:

No, sorry. OTR Adopt just got another few months of delay. They will refile the appeal when Judge Allen gets around to a dismissal entry.

I guess the guess the good news is that it’s still the project is still being planned? Would this case still go through even if the developer told the courts that the project will not proceed? 

1 hour ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

I guess the guess the good news is that it’s still the project is still being planned? Would this case still go through even if the developer told the courts that the project will not proceed? 

There is no venue for the developer to communicate with the court about its plans. If the developer is backing out, he would negotiate with OTR ADOPT and file an agreed entry of dismissal as the result of that negotiation. The court does not care what the litigants do if they reach an agreement.

Edited November 6, 20222 yr by 1400 Sycamore

 

Quote

The four historic buildings are currently vacant and dilapidated. They are not habitable and would would need to be restored to proper historic standard. 3CDC is proposing to convert the buildings into a mixed-use development containing 29 residential units and 2,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. 9 of the units would be affordable, with 3 being affordable to 60% AMI, and the remaining 6 being affordable to 80% of AMI. The other 20 units would be listed at market rate.

 

The applicant is Sean Suder on behalf of Margy Waller.

Yeah, that area should not be zoned residential. Seems like nothing more than an attempt to block the proposed hotel.

Why would they even entertain changing zoning because one person asked?  A zone change should only occur with a project pending that change.  Per usual this person is just causing trouble to stop development.  I don't understand why our government even gives these types of people a microphone to voice their stupid opinions. 

This is great, so the hotel can be caught up in appeals court hearings for the next 3-5 years. /s

I don't think the hotel is actually within the area proposed for the zoning change. I'm not going to look now, but I wonder if there is anything in the building/zoning code about being adjacent to RM-0.7 that would impact the proposed hotel.

1 hour ago, taestell said:

Yeah, that area should not be zoned residential. Seems like nothing more than an attempt to block the proposed hotel.

The proposed hotel is outside of the new boundary. It seems to me that they are trying to prevent large scale development from creeping into the neighborhood from the west.

  

1 hour ago, Cincy513 said:

Why would they even entertain changing zoning because one person asked?  A zone change should only occur with a project pending that change.  Per usual this person is just causing trouble to stop development.  I don't understand why our government even gives these types of people a microphone to voice their stupid opinions. 

There is a petition attached to it, so it's technically not one person, but a collection of residents in the effected area.

8 minutes ago, Chas Wiederhold said:

I don't think the hotel is actually within the area proposed for the zoning change. I'm not going to look now, but I wonder if there is anything in the building/zoning code about being adjacent to RM-0.7 that would impact the proposed hotel.

I don't think that the code of one parcel has anything to do with what's next to it. Looking really quickly, I'm not seeing any clauses that trigger if it's adjacent to any other zoning. From my experience, staff wants to keep zoning blocks contiguous, and the only adjacent zoning is CC-A, RM-0.7 and RM-1.2. So we can argue all day that it should be CC-P, UM, or whatever, but ultimately planning staff is not going to recommend that.

Interesting to note that CC-A has a height requirement of 85 feet while RM 0.7 has a height requirement of 35 feet, unless it's multi-family, which has no height requirement. Also, none of the RM districts allow hotels. RM 0.7 is the only one that allows for offices, but they must be on the ground floor with less than 2.5k sqft and on an arterial. I think Elm is considered an arterial by the city so it's not a complete ban on offices. CC-A has no conditions for office space.

FWIW, of the zones that currently exist in OTR:
Hotels are permitted in: CC-M, CC-A, UM, DD
Hotels are not permitted in: CN-P, CN-M, CC-P, RM-1.2, RM-0.7, MG, SF-2, PR

Looking at the renderings of the hotel, it does look like a small part of it is within this zone change boundary. 

12 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

Looking at the renderings of the hotel, it does look like a small part of it is within this zone change boundary. 

 

 

This looks like spot zoning...

2 hours ago, Miami-Erie said:

 

 

This looks like spot zoning...

Could you elaborate what that means? 

Spot zoning is supposedly prohibited because it denigrates the integrity of the zoning code. A non conforming building right in the middle of a zone with specific and different rules. In practice, most variances are examples of spot zoning. The interesting question is who can grant a variance notwithstanding the prior ruling of a planning commission or historic board.

I think this is a scrivener's error. That circled area is not a separate parcel.

 

Over-the-Rhine Community Housing will build $11.7 million housing project

By Chris Wetterich  –  Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier

Nov 9, 2022 Updated Nov 9, 2022, 4:12pm EST

 

Over-the-Rhine Community Housing will be allowed to develop a $11.7 million, 44-unit housing project aimed at homeless people on a surface parking lot, located at 2000 Dunlap St. in Over-the-Rhine.

 

Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to overrule the city’s Historic Conservation Board, which had blocked the proposed density for the project, which will be called Gloria’s Place.

 

Councilman Reggie Harris said the city should not halt the project based on “flimsy technicalities.”

 

MORE

 

Haus of Luxe salon opening in OTR, offering makeup, lash services

By Andy Brownfield  –  Senior staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

Nov 9, 2022 Updated Nov 9, 2022, 1:35pm EST

 

A beauty salon is opening on the ground floor of a $4.3 million mixed-use project in Over-the-Rhine.

 

Hause of Luxe is opening at 33 E. 13th St. on Nov. 13. The 884-square-foot salon is going into a retail space that formerly housed the Cincinnati Music Accelerator in the Stafford redevelopment, which was completed in 2017. It joins other tenants Homemakers Bar and Fifty Fifty Gin Club.

 

Haus of Luxe is being opened by Savanah Cocagne, a licensed esthetician and lash educator who previously worked as an independent contractor in salons including Defined Beauty Bar and Mymy's Lash Bar.

 

MORE

13 hours ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said:

Councilman Reggie Harris said the city should not halt the project based on “flimsy technicalities.”

I love our city council this term.  Even Liz is championing higher density as one of her main talking points.

5 hours ago, 10albersa said:

I love our city council this term.  Even Liz is championing higher density as one of her main talking points.

 

Who will replace Greg Landsman? Hopefully someone pro density.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2022/11/14/the-pitch-bar-revamp.html
 

I wonder if the renderings for the hotel have changed. Last one I saw it butted up right next to the Pitch.  The rooftop portion of the Pitch was gone. 

On 10/24/2022 at 1:11 PM, taestell said:

Will they actually bury the overhead utilities on those streets, as shown in the rendering? I hope so, but am not optimistic.

 

On 10/25/2022 at 6:15 AM, jwulsin said:

Yes. That work for underground utilities will be starting in early November. 

 

Woodward Street is getting torn up right now for the utility work. It will be great in the end but I'm feeling really sorry for the Collective Espresso guys — I feel like their block has been under construction about 50% of the time that they've been open, between the Ziegler Park renovation, the Main Street streetscaping, and now this street pedestrianization project.

Cincinnati expands residential parking program farther into Findlay Market area

 

Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to set aside more parking only for residents near Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine, an area that is facing an extreme parking crunch because of the removal of spaces to construct a new parking garage.

 

Cincinnati City Council is expected to approve an ordinance Wednesday restricting parking on Green Street between Elm and Race streets and Pleasant Street between the market and West Liberty Street for residents only.

 

Parking is at a premium near the market as Hamilton County constructs a new, $18 million 515-space garage in the northeast corner of Elder Street and Central Parkway. The site used to be a surface parking lot. Findlay Market has two other lots serving it – one north of the market along Findlay Street and another on the south side of West Elder Street between Logan and Campbell streets.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2022/11/30/residential-parking-findlay-market.html

 

The land at Liberty / Elm was sold for $4.5M to an LLC which appears to be associated with Indianapolis based Buckingham Companies

 

11 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

Cincinnati expands residential parking program farther into Findlay Market area

 

Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to set aside more parking only for residents near Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine, an area that is facing an extreme parking crunch because of the removal of spaces to construct a new parking garage.

 

Cincinnati City Council is expected to approve an ordinance Wednesday restricting parking on Green Street between Elm and Race streets and Pleasant Street between the market and West Liberty Street for residents only.

 

Parking is at a premium near the market as Hamilton County constructs a new, $18 million 515-space garage in the northeast corner of Elder Street and Central Parkway. The site used to be a surface parking lot. Findlay Market has two other lots serving it – one north of the market along Findlay Street and another on the south side of West Elder Street between Logan and Campbell streets.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2022/11/30/residential-parking-findlay-market.html

 

 

 

I hate the phrasing of this. "Extreme parking crunch." According to whom?

1 hour ago, wjh2 said:

The land at Liberty / Elm was sold for $4.5M to an LLC which appears to be associated with Indianapolis based Buckingham Companies

 

 

And they picked up the permit! https://cagis.hamilton-co.org/opal/apd.aspx?entcode=cinc&ezstdadrtag=1617||ELM|ST||||CINC|CINC|01330003014301617E|013300030143|013300030143|CINCINNATI&APD=2021P03243

2 hours ago, wjh2 said:

The land at Liberty / Elm was sold for $4.5M to an LLC which appears to be associated with Indianapolis based Buckingham Companies

 

Google maps:

Buckingham did Woodburn Exchange in EWH: https://buckingham.com/coming-soon-woodburn-exchange

If the permit was applied for before they bought it, does that mean it's the same project?

2 hours ago, Dev said:

Buckingham did Woodburn Exchange in EWH: https://buckingham.com/coming-soon-woodburn-exchange

If the permit was applied for before they bought it, does that mean it's the same project?

 

Buckingham and Kean (the previous owner of Elm & Liberty) have some form of partnership on the Woodburn Exchange in EWH unless they bought out Kean on that as well.

Cannot wait to see Elm & Liberty built! Will make a huge change to both Liberty and Central Parkway.

So with this transaction what does this mean? 

51 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

So with this transaction what does this mean? 

Probably that it gets built now.Buckingham has the resources to get this done on a faster timeline.If they picked up the permit they intend to build what was planned.

3 hours ago, ucnum1 said:

Probably that it gets built now.Buckingham has the resources to get this done on a faster timeline.If they picked up the permit they intend to build what was planned.

Does this affect the appeal? 

How do developers still have the resources to get financing and loans with these high interest rates? Is it still cost efficient to build anything? Especially since interest rates are still going up in December and the foreseeable future?

Edited December 2, 20222 yr by Troeros2

12 minutes ago, Troeros2 said:

Especially since interest rates are still going up in December and the foreseeable future?

 

Interest rates are only now revisiting the realms they occupied for most of the 20th century, back when the United States surged into its position of global dominance. 

10 hours ago, Lazarus said:

 

Interest rates are only now revisiting the realms they occupied for most of the 20th century, back when the United States surged into its position of global dominance. 

but wasn’t it much cheaper back then to build things? Interest rates are reaching 

similar highs but labor and materials  costs are much different 

4 minutes ago, Troeros2 said:

but wasn’t it much cheaper back then to build things? Interest rates are reaching 

similar highs but labor and materials  costs are much different 

Most MF developers of size are continuing to pursue projects despite interest rate hikes.  Rents have risen dramatically and should continue to do so with the for sale decline and lumber costs have moderated.  Proformas must still be working.

40 minutes ago, Troeros2 said:

but wasn’t it much cheaper back then to build things? Interest rates are reaching 

similar highs but labor and materials  costs are much different 

 

Interest rates were higher as recent as the mid-2000s. We are still at historic lows, despite a fast relative rise.

3CDC, Art Academy bring winter outdoor art installation to Imagination Alley in OTR

 

Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) and the Art Academy of Cincinnati have teamed up on a winter-themed art installation in an outdoor community space in Over-the-Rhine.

 

"Imagination Installation: Winter Edition" features 3D duct tape snowflake-shaped sculptures, each 4 feet high by 4 feet wide, that hang from the cafe lights adorning Imagination Alley, a pocket park located at 1317 Vine St. Four of the six sculptures were designed with vibrant colors and patterns by Jake Brinkmann, who the Art Academy bills as its “resident duct tape expert.” The remaining two sculptures are covered in white tape; neighbors, business owners and park users can leave their own mark on the sculptures using a variety of duct tape that will be made available by the Art Academy during two community events.

 

Additionally, there will be 150 palm-sized, laser-cut snowflake-shaped ornaments available to decorate and take home or string in the park.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2022/12/02/3cdc-art-academy-bring-winter-outdoor-art-install.html

 

On 12/2/2022 at 11:37 AM, Troeros2 said:

but wasn’t it much cheaper back then to build things? Interest rates are reaching 

similar highs but labor and materials  costs are much different 

Lots of projects are getting dropped, even in high growth markets like Nashville and Orlando we're seeing lots of fully entitled pieces of land coming up for sale. Fact of the matter is this is a tough time to make deals pencil out. Rents have risen dramatically but so have construction costs, and while commodities are a lot lower than they were at the height of the pandemic, we have yet to see lower prices come through in GC bids. Buckingham is taking a risk, but this is a great site that is fully designed and entitled in a submarket that is not likely to see much new construction - they will likely do well once it is up and running ~3 years from now. We're still massively underbuilt across the country and in the city. So long as they can figure out a way to get a bank to finance this, they probably realize that this is a good time to be picking up property.

For private developers who can own or sell the units, the choice of rental for market rate properties has had the best numbers for years. The housing slump has increased that favorability. The less houses, the more rentals needed.  The higher the rental rates. There is a demographic that is at risk, but that demographic is not market rate OTR.

Demo has begun on the Hotel Site at Magnolia and Central Parkway.

Edited December 7, 20222 yr by Chas Wiederhold

On 12/1/2022 at 6:29 PM, ucnum1 said:

Probably that it gets built now.Buckingham has the resources to get this done on a faster timeline.If they picked up the permit they intend to build what was planned.

Steel has been brought to the site, probably for shoring/excavation, and grading has already started.

35 minutes ago, ucgrady said:

Steel has been brought to the site, probably for shoring/excavation, and grading has already started.

Great news! Literally had 0 faith this would survive after the lawsuit. Glad we finally will see this happen and will transform this section of OTR!

Edited December 13, 20222 yr by Ucgrad2015

conceivably it’s the developer’s way of clearing out the lawsuit, which under Ohio law is moot if work on the site has already begun. There was a funny moment last week when they made that argument and OTR adopt replied “what work??” Hard to argue that now. 

Are there any renderings for this? First I'm hearing about it, I didn't even know the building that was there was demolished. 

It's part of the Liberty & Elm development (formerly known as Freeport Row), which was expanded at some point to include the former Boys & Girls Club site along Central Parkway. (I have lost track of the timeline because this project has been dragging on for so long.)

1 hour ago, küshner said:

Are there any renderings for this? First I'm hearing about it, I didn't even know the building that was there was demolished. 

Here’s the most recent rendering. 7 story building at the top is where the boys and girls club used to be. 

I know it's for fire protection issues for the existing buildings on the corner, but it is a shame there can't be windows on the north side of the building along that single loaded corridor. The view north in OTR, especially from these upper units, is one of the best views in the neighborhood.

The amount of infill in just these few blocks around Findlay is great! 

Black- Liberty and Elm

 

Yellow- FC parking garage (commercial in bottom if I remember correctly)

Red- Cant remember the name but part of Wilkommen II (4 story affordable housing)

 

Blue- Logan Commons (4 floors). I have seen the renderings but haven’t really heard much about this project since. 

 

 

Edited December 14, 20222 yr by Ucgrad2015