Major retail chains such as Starbucks and Chipotle have all expressed interest in 3cdc  OTR locations but 3CDC told them to piss off.

I can't believe people were complaining about Subway "bringing down the neighborhood" when it opened up in a parking garage of all places. Guess what: it's affordable and decent.

It's affordable and sort of edible.

 

ftfy

I used to eat Subway so much in college that I kind of got sick of it, but I do still enjoy the grilled chicken breast sandwhich, I think it's the best bang for your buck there for sure and tastes quite good, depending on what franchise location you get it, though.

Copenhagen's main street (also a pedestrian-only street) Strøget has a 7-Eleven, KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, another 7-Eleven, Footlocker, yet another 7-Eleven, a Nike Store, Urban Outfitters, Disney, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ben & Jerry's mixed in with all the local stores and restaurants (many of the restaurants are on the 2nd floor), along with many more high-end retailers like Chanel, Burberry, and the like.  https://goo.gl/maps/h3afkkW6xWT2  The key is they're all in urban storefronts of (mostly) older buildings.  Even the newer ones are just a bit more glass and steel as opposed to glass and masonry.  Now what is interesting is that the cheaper fast food and convenience stores are pretty much right at the main entry point of Strøget off the City Hall square, near the train station and main bus depot where most tourists and commuters alike would be coming from.  As you go farther you get the more high-end boutique and jewelry stores.  Still, this street which bisects the medieval core of the city is only 2/3 of a mile long, the distance from the SCPA to Findlay Market. 

Did anyone have a report from the OTR community council meeting last night? I wasn't able to go, but there was a presentation from the developers of the Liberty and Elm site. The community had asked for additional information - curious about what was presented and/or decided.

I'm curious as well. People all over Facebook are blasting it for being "way too tall" despite it being only 6 stories. A street like Liberty needs 4-6 story buildings to feel comfortable, especially since a road diet is far from a sure bet. That and the massing models we've seen are far from feeling too massive or tall. I'm hoping that community input doesn't result in a shrunken building like it did at 15th and Race.

Yeah. This is one of the best infill developments we've seen in OTR. There are 5 story buildings on both Elm and Liberty. As long as a building isn't 2 floors higher than most of the surrounding building stock I have no problem with being 1 floor higher. We have to have some flexibility.

Exactly. There are plenty of 5 story buildings, several of which have an attic level visible in the cornice. It's not like 6 stories is some major departure from the norm.

 

The developer's marketing material which several are using as, "look how awful this development would be" examples actually look like things I'd quite like to see in OTR. Modern but still relatively contextual. Different but respectful. Not trying to be faux old and has a personality which fits in but is different from the historic building stock. And a generally higher quality look than most of the new construction that has occurred in OTR thus far.

A presentation was deferred to next month because of a lack of a projector. There was some civil discussion but then the fire alarm rang and the building was evacuated. When the meeting reconvened we moved on to other business.

Are there any renderings?

I have also been dismayed at the discussions that focussed on "look how terribly BIG this building will be!" I'm fully on board with insisting on high quality materials and design, but the scale is completely appropriate for that site, and I just have a very negative reaction to arguments that scream "less density, please!"

 

Maybe those of us who feel this way should turn up next month.

Yes.  If you live in OTR, go to the community council meeting next month.  SERIOUSLY THIS MATTERS. 

Can people who don't live in OTR come and express their opinions? I live in the CBD, so I feel that we should also have opinions of value at these meetings.

You can express your opinion but cannot vote.

From the latest HCB packet: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/feb-22-2016-packet/

 

11-25 E. 14th - Mercer IV. 3CDC is proposing changing it from commercial/residential to office building. The packet has new renderings of this infill project that incorporates the historic structure at 11 E. 14th. The original proposed use for this site included residential multi-family with commercial uses, five stories, building setbacks and first floor parking in 41,700 square feet. The proposed amendment is to change the use to exclusively commercial office use without parking, four stories and zero setbacks in 64,000 square feet.

 

I just went through the packet and I didn't see any mention of "OFFICE commerical" use. It simply said 64,000 sq ft reserved for commercial space, making a commercial blvd.

^On page 111, it says: "The applicant is requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to construct a new infill four story office building and rehabilitation of existing structure at 11 E. 14th Street. The project is referred to as Mercer IV Office Project."

 

If you look at the floorplans (pages 149-150), you can see the building layout is configured for office space.

Are there any renderings?

 

If there was anything in the presentation (new rendering or massing) we didn't see it last night. Don't know if they'd post it anywhere before next month's meeting.

WCPO.com has a story and photos of the Parksite condos for sale.

 

http://www.wcpo.com/home/home-tour/home-tour-parksite-condos-in-over-the-rhine-give-new-life-to-old-style-in-heart-of-the-city

 

http://otrliving.com/properties/parksite

A high generating income company is moving from Hyde Park to OTR...Not just any part of OTR, but North of Liberty.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/02/27/exclusive-hyper-growth-triggers-logistics-firm-s.html

Dumpsters have shown up to clean out the vacant red building at 1500 Race. Not sure what the plan is but I'm assuming apartments/condos above an opened up commercial space on the ground floor.

 

The Jose Garcia designed 3 story single family home at 1504 Race is under construction and filling in that gap which will be nice to see. The most recent renderings I saw were somewhat uneventful, but I think it will be a decent addition to the neighborhood. Jose seems to be good with materiality which should help a lot.

 

The Towne Property spaces wasters, er, townhomes along Elm Street have had their excavation for the basements completed and foundation work has begun.

 

The five townhomes behind those along 15th are ready to start. The most expensive of which is pending for 1.198 million. I believe that's a new record for OTR. Granted it's a huge house, but still.

A 2 million dollar estate in OTR is mind boggling. Not necessarily the price itself, but how much it has inflated from 2010 to 2016 is just insane growth. I know gentrification leaves a huge impact on the real estate market, but I've never seen it jump this much in other gentrifying neighborhoods across America  in such a short time span. It's ridiculous growth.

Honestly that 1.2 million townhouse isn't really any more expensive per square foot than anything else in the neighborhood. It's just a really big home.

 

Prices have increased here, but the pace isn't really that fast compared to some places. Which is good. People are claiming we're in a bubble here, but the reality is that real estate has just been super undervalued here for basically the last two generations. So it's a departure from what people know, but not because it's a bubble. But rather because it's aligning itself with other peer markets which haven't had as long of a history of extreme undervaluation of urban property.

Check out 3CDC’s newest OTR townhomes and condos:

Nonprofit developer Cincinnati Center City Development Co. recently completed eight single-family townhomes along Mercer Street and five new condos at 1408 Elm, adding to its vast portfolio of finished Over-the-Rhine projects.

The townhomes, which all have three bedrooms and two-and-half bathrooms, range in price from $610,000 to $650,000. They have between 1,906 and 2,025 square feet.

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2016/02/check-out-3cdc-s-newest-otr-townhomes-and-condos.html

I just realized something that can be potentially an issuer causer soon.

 

Some of the art murals that we are creating (such as the beautiful cincinnatius murual, or the golden muse mural, are seriously gorgeous work of arts...they are also facing empty lots. Meaning, theoretically you have to choose between hiding a mural or filling the lot.

 

The problem 9 times out of 10 those murals will have much more beauty and character than the lackluster infill we would potentially be putting in place.

 

It sucks, because some of these murals are iconic and are seriously works of art, especially the cincinnatius mural, and I don't know how you can just cover that up with potential infill.

Those murals were always intended to be temporary beautification methods before lots could be built on. We should not and better not ever restrict new construction because of them.

There was an entire wave of murals organized by Carl Solway that have disappeared since they were painted in the 1970s.  The last one still visible is now in an alley off of, I think, 7th right by Race.  The penultimate mural was the puff the magic dragon that faced the Justice Center above the Goodyear Tire store.  I don't think that the Cincinnatus one facing north at Vine & Central Parkway was part of that project, but I might be wrong. 

 

Meanwhile all of these new murals all look like they're coming from the same 2 or 3 minds and being designed on Illustrator.  They're computer files so they can be replicated somewhere else, esp since none of them have any real relation to the buildings they're painted on.  Meanwhile, advertisements often have way more presence and impact that artwork.  The Davis Furniture mattress demo is something you can't make up.  It was always there from what I remember, but was repainted sometime around 2003, right before the store went out of business. 

 

 

Your cynicism really isn't warranted here. Artworks is done with volunteer work. Expecting volunteers to be able to do much more than "color by numbers" is bad planning. That's why they have that look and have such solid colors for the most part.

 

You're comparing the work of an actual artist to work created by an artist with the intent of being implemented by untrained volunteers.

Huge Over-the-Rhine office project lands key approval

 

Cincinnati City Planning Commission unanimously approved the zone change on Friday morning. The staff of the Department of City Planning recommended the commission approve the zone change.

Is this purely an office project? Or is there going to be retail on the ground floor?

 

Is this purely an office project? Or is there going to be retail on the ground floor?

 

If you look at their proposal it appears there will be one restaurant on the ground floor. This project also has a lot of development around it. Queen City Radio across the street and the Shakespeare theater/Boutique hotel.

 

If you want any more detail on the floor plan of the strietmann building it can be found in the January 11 Otr historic packet.

Here is my "before" shot for 15th & Vine:

 

 

Here is my "before" shot for 15th & Vine:

 

 

Any updates on when this is set to start?

The latest Historic Conservation Board packet is out: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/march-7-2016-packet/

 

It includes:

• Details about a treehouse on Orchard St
  
• Floor plans for the Ensemble Theatre project - renovation and infill
  
• Proposal for new single-family construction at 1409 Republic
  

I don't mind the proposal for 1409 Republic in general, but in its context there are some questionable choices. The first being how short it is. It's 3 stories yet is barely taller than nearby two story buildings. It looks ridiculous. It looks like someone took a 3 story building from down the street, scaled it down by 1/3, then plopped it on the lot. It just doesn't work. It's the exact same problem the three story townhome built just south of 15th on Elm has. It's squat. Beyond that one just being terribly detailed it looks stupidly scaled. Like someone flattened a correctly scaled townhome.

 

That angled bit is bad. There's nothing more to it than just being a bad move.

 

The house also has a tiny amount of windows but that's not really anything that affects how it works with the street context. But it's a questionable move for the owners.

 

I'm all about new infill filling in these lots and a townhome on Republic makes sense based on the context, but I'm not sure I'm on board with this one specifically.

In the most recent Planning Commission packet, the following OTR-related projects were discussed: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/about-city-planning/city-planning-commission/mar-4-2016-packet/

 

• Recommendation for sale of city-owned property at 57 E McMicken and 47 Back St to Bona Residential Properties, with commitment to have property renovated and occoupied in 12 months (page 14)
  
• Recommendation for lease of city-owned property at 1632 Central Parkway to Urban Sites, to be redeveloped as a mixed-use site with 40 apartments and 10,000 sq ft of commercial space (page 32)
  
• Recommendation on zoning change for block bound by W. 12th Street, Elm Street, Charles Street and Central Avenue from CC-A (Commercial Community - Auto Oriented) to DD-C (Downtown Development - Support) in Over-the-Rhine. This will allow the Streitmann building and the Cincy Shakespeare Co to not need to provide on-site parking (page 34)
  

The house also has a tiny amount of windows but that's not really anything that affects how it works with the street context. But it's a questionable move for the owners.

 

I'm all about new infill filling in these lots and a townhome on Republic makes sense based on the context, but I'm not sure I'm on board with this one specifically.

 

I agree that it looks strangely small on its lot (not to mention taking up a very small amount of the lot to begin with). I'm really questioning the lack of windows on the south side of the building. Granted it faces a much taller building, but that is the best way to get more light in the evenings. Plus it'll be a very noticeable blank wall for anyone walking by, since it's over a driveway.

I don't mind the proposal for 1409 Republic in general, but in its context there are some questionable choices. The first being how short it is. It's 3 stories yet is barely taller than nearby two story buildings. It looks ridiculous. It looks like someone took a 3 story building from down the street, scaled it down by 1/3, then plopped it on the lot. It just doesn't work. It's the exact same problem the three story townhome built just south of 15th on Elm has. It's squat. Beyond that one just being terribly detailed it looks stupidly scaled. Like someone flattened a correctly scaled townhome.

 

That angled bit is bad. There's nothing more to it than just being a bad move.

 

The house also has a tiny amount of windows but that's not really anything that affects how it works with the street context. But it's a questionable move for the owners.

 

I'm all about new infill filling in these lots and a townhome on Republic makes sense based on the context, but I'm not sure I'm on board with this one specifically.

 

I agree about the "angled bit" which they call the "accessory volume". The whole southern elevation is bad: oddly shaped, set back from street, only two tiny windows, strange materials (cedar on first floor, HardiPlank on 2nd and 3rd floors).

The latest Historic Conservation Board packet is out: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/march-7-2016-packet/

 

It includes:

• Details about a treehouse on Orchard St
  
• Floor plans for the Ensemble Theatre project - renovation and infill
  
• Proposal for new single-family construction at 1409 Republic
  

 

According to the packet activities in the treehouse may include daydreaming or eating an apple

I'm glad that the city is taking a lenient stance on this tree house and letting it stay. These kinds of additions to the neighborhood add charm and personality... and make it the kind of place where families can stay long term.

The latest Historic Conservation Board packet is out: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/march-7-2016-packet/

 

It includes:

• Details about a treehouse on Orchard St
  
• Floor plans for the Ensemble Theatre project - renovation and infill
  
• Proposal for new single-family construction at 1409 Republic
  

 

According to the packet activities in the treehouse may include daydreaming or eating an apple

 

Was the Honeycomb Hideout an "accessory structure"?

 

The 1409 republic street infill looks alright. A part of me wishes there were cornices, and more elaborate details, but at the same time, it "fits" in more or less.

 

I'm also okay with the squatness only because it creates that diverse street elevation. That's what makes OTR streets so fascinating, is that all the buildings differ in height, and this being more squat helps with that for Republic street. .

My problem isn't with the actual dimension of the building, it's that dimension in relation to how many floors the building is. It's too small for a three story building and it's very noticeable and stands out, especially when it's placed adjacent to two large 5 story buildings.

 

If it was one foot taller per floor it would be a lot closer to a comfortable proportion. It just looks like something from another neighborhood plopped there because floor-floor heights in OTR generally don't vary wildly and this is quite a bit smaller than what is typically found.

The height of the floors is probably pretty short (I'd guess 8 ft) since the designer chose to make the living room a double-height space (if I'm reading the plans correctly).

To be clear - I actually don't mind the shorter floor heights. There are lots of examples of varying floor heights in adjacent buildings throughout OTR. If the rest of the design were more resolved, I don't think the floor height would be a problem at all.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1141147,-84.5186148,3a,75y,310.45h,96.41t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQJvCodYNqfZ85KJ3LG634Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1147997,-84.5164079,3a,75y,260.21h,96.33t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_29xzTDXuL9-MW176PxS_Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1138824,-84.5186905,3a,90y,263.68h,95.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCf2EWMBuWnckeyV7fuuoxw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1145642,-84.5163463,3a,75y,83.34h,95.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spQy8H3iWmwpmJViOdZHlmg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

 

I'm more surprised at how its not very deep.  There's a ton of room on that lot and it barely takes up any space.  I'd go back nearly 10 more feet per floor. The building is only 1850 square feet. I'm worried that these types of homes become empty nesters only.  We need more homes for families with 1 or 2 kids too.

It's a 3-bedroom and the owners/designers have two kids: http://www.ourcityhouse.blogspot.com/2016/02/our-city-house.html

 

So, the are designing it with the intention of it working for at least their family of four. I have other concerns with the design, but I don't think it's a problem of being too small for anything but empty-nesters.

My biggest concern is the open area being against the taller building.  It would work way better if the building was against its taller neighbor and the open area be on the other side (which I'm assuming is the red bike barn right?)  Would fit in a lot better that way.

 

 

Looks like the document has been taken down...did anyone save a copy?

I'm more surprised at how its not very deep.  There's a ton of room on that lot and it barely takes up any space.  I'd go back nearly 10 more feet per floor. The building is only 1850 square feet. I'm worried that these types of homes become empty nesters only.  We need more homes for families with 1 or 2 kids too.

 

1800 Square feet is enough room for a family of four.  That's what we have.