Hypothetically if rheingeist wanted to demolish that building for their trucks, how would they be able to? If it's a registered building of the otr historic district it would seem strange that the HCB would alow a piece of otr fabric can be so easily demolished, especially if it's still structuraly sound.

 

It's considered a non-contributing building.  Tearing it down for a parking lot would still be a problem though.  The guidelines for dealing with non-contributing buildings are at the end just before the big list:  http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/local-conservation-guidelines/over-the-rhine-historic-district/

I went to the groundbreaking for the Felsenbrau (I think) condos in 2007 or 2008 that never materialized.  Roxanne Qualls and Chris Bortz were there.  At the time a lot of people speculated that development was going to take off on Renner St. (new construction just happened on Mulberry) but nothing has happened that I'm aware of. 

 

A lot of credit for the streetcar goes to the brewery district promoters who were some of the first to back the project.  Originally the line was to have traveled a few blocks further north and looped on McMicken St. rather than Henry St.  If the line is ever expanded north, all of the people who currently board at Rhinegeist will have to walk across Findlay Market instead. 

 

I was also at that "groundbreaking". Basically they just had hammers and put two holes in a sheet of drywall.

Haha i found it at almost the same time.

 

That photo archive is one of my favorite things to browse anywhere on the internet. It's like Google Streetview from ~100 years ago.

Sounds like the Liberty & Elm development (now called Liberty Corner, formerly LibertyElm) is now going before Planning Commission. Following along on Twitter, I'll post here if anything interesting happens.

Was it approved by the planning commission?

Developer rehabs old German boarding house in OTR

 

 

The Rhine Development Group, a small company headed by Cathy Caldemeyer and her daughter, Lisa Diedrichs, purchased the 1870-built Kolping Society building at 1523 Republic St. and has converted it to four condominiums and first-floor office space.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/10/27/developer-rehabs-old-german-boarding-house-in-otr.html

Does anyone why the HCB hasn't been posted for this weeks hearing date? It was supposed to be on 10/24, but there has still yet to be anything posted, which is odd since it's usually posted the day of.

I'm sure it'll find its way there eventually. In the past a handful of times I noticed the same thing and it was usually there a few days later. Not sure if it just forgot to get uploaded or what, but it eventually becomes available for download. I wouldn't worry about it.

On an unrelated note, just wanted to give a heads up that Panino's and Please are 2 restaurants that should be opening up on Vine and Clay St in the next coming few weeks. It seems like Revel wine bar on 12th St isn't to far behind either.

 

Currently there's 9 restaurant/cafes/bars that I know of that should be open in the next 3-6 months (who the hell knows when Hen of the Woods will open. The owners are so focused on promoting their chip company first it seems like)

 

 

Genius-Cafe/Bar on Republic St

 

Please-Fine Dining Resturaunt by Ryan Santos on Clay St

 

Panino's-Old Fashioned Deli on Vine St

 

Revel-Wine Bar on 12th St

 

Peace Maker-Cafe/Bar on Clay St

 

Grind on the Rhine-Cheese cafe with a Wine Bar on Elm St

 

Hen of the Woods-Restaurant with a Small Grocery Store in an adjacent building on Main St

 

Mecca-Bar from the owner of Cheapside Cafe on Walnut St (this is a really strange bar, and I mean REALLY strange. Look on their instagram account and you'll see how truly artsy and just straight weird this bar looks on the inside and it's backdoor patio area)

 

Cheapside Corner-Ice Cream Shop from the owner of Cheapside on Main St

 

 

It's a good lineup IMO.

 

 

Also, totally random thought, but that church on the 1500 block of Republic would really make a nice mini taft ale house....

 

 

 

...or Berghain Cincinnati!

...or Berghain Cincinnati!

 

omg yes! Lol, that would be one instance where I wouldn't mind Cincinnati connecting with its German roots! Though such a club would probably be a better fit in somewhere a bit more industrial...maybe Brighton or Camp Washington. How cool that would be...

^As an anchor tenant for the renovations of the Crosley Building? Just soundproof those walls and you're good to go!

On an unrelated note, just wanted to give a heads up that Panino's and Please are 2 restaurants that should be opening up on Vine and Clay St in the next coming few weeks. It seems like Revel wine bar on 12th St isn't to far behind either.

 

Currently there's 9 restaurant/cafes/bars that I know of that should be open in the next 3-6 months (who the hell knows when Hen of the Woods will open. The owners are so focused on promoting their chip company first it seems like)

 

 

Genius-Cafe/Bar on Republic St

 

Please-Fine Dining Resturaunt by Ryan Santos on Clay St

 

Panino's-Old Fashioned Deli on Vine St

 

Revel-Wine Bar on 12th St

 

Peace Maker-Cafe/Bar on Clay St

 

Grind on the Rhine-Cheese cafe with a Wine Bar on Elm St

 

Hen of the Woods-Restaurant with a Small Grocery Store in an adjacent building on Main St

 

Mecca-Bar from the owner of Cheapside Cafe on Walnut St (this is a really strange bar, and I mean REALLY strange. Look on their instagram account and you'll see how truly artsy and just straight weird this bar looks on the inside and it's backdoor patio area)

 

Cheapside Corner-Ice Cream Shop from the owner of Cheapside on Main St

 

 

It's a good lineup IMO.

 

 

Also, totally random thought, but that church on the 1500 block of Republic would really make a nice mini taft ale house....

 

 

 

 

Pretty sure HOTW's plan to open a restaurant are permanently on hold while they focus on packaged food.

I hadn't heard of about 2/3 of those places listed. Crazy what happens when you leave a neighborhood and no longer see it daily. Can't wait to try them all out on visits back.

 

Mecca looks interesting. It's toying with a line of feeling fakely "weird" and actually being weird. I hope it falls in the direction of actually being weird and being a spot where weirdness thrives.

Let's not forget Allez Bakery (to open on Main St between Camino and Macaron Bar) and Brown Bear Bakery opening on 13th.

I always heard that 3CDC charged a percentage of revenue for retail spaces, which made it less risky for the businesses. Success wasn't guaranteed at first so it was nice that businesses wouldn't be on the hook for huge rents if they didn't make a profit. It also incentivized 3CDC to hand-select the businesses that they thought would be successful. I have no idea if they still do this.

 

The percentage rent is now used by almost all of the bigger developers in OTR at this point, and is catching on elsewhere Downtown. It requires the developer to significantly invest in the hard start up costs (which bigger developers have the cash on hand for), and they essentially are an investor at that point versus just a landlord. It is usually a small percentage of gross sales and a base rent, and they pay the greater of the two. The successful bars/restaurants almost always end up paying the percentage rent, while light retail/boutique shops probably pay a mixture based on their busy times of the year.

 

I wonder if they are back to the drawing board on that corner building since they haven't started yet on that?  It would make for an awesome corner type market / bodega / even like a UDF with apartments above in a 3 or 4 story building

 

I would be surprised if UDF invests in a store downtown without a gas station. I heard from a UDF rep a couple of years ago that they don't invest in new stores that don't sell gas, and it is very hard to introduce gas stations in dense urban environments because of the environmental ramifications.

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/110116-kunsthous-community-living.aspx

Never figured out the allure of that one. Aside from the bathroom, having my own kitchen was one of the biggest goals of moving from roommates to my own apartment.

One of my Clients is a coliving company whose properties are mostly in Brooklyn but they're expanding to other markets. Though I personally wouldn't want to live in one of these setups I get their appeal. Some people really don't care about having space to themselves or (at least in the case of my Client) ever having to worry about utilities, finding roommates, worrying about making sure the Bathroom and general Kitchen items are stocked, etc. You pay a fee and your'e done.

 

If I had to guess I'd imagine if current trends in urban areas continue that we'll be seeing a ton more of these types of places showing up around the country at varying price points.

Never figured out the allure of that one. Aside from the bathroom, having my own kitchen was one of the biggest goals of moving from roommates to my own apartment.

 

Someone's going to have a really annoying girlfriend who moves in, doesn't pay rent, and IS ALWAYS THERE. 

 

Kunsthous might be the worst name for a development I've ever heard. Just what is the proper pronunciation? While reading the article, I was pronouncing it like ©kunts-house. Do people even think before giving these absurd names to developments??

Kunsthous might be the worst name for a development I've ever heard. Just what is the proper pronunciation? While reading the article, I was pronouncing it like ©kunts-house. Do people even think before giving these absurd names to developments??

 

Yep, right up there with the ill fated Pussers on Union Center. It doesn't matter where it came from if the modern perception makes you cringe.

 

Never figured out the allure of that one. Aside from the bathroom, having my own kitchen was one of the biggest goals of moving from roommates to my own apartment.

 

Someone's going to have a really annoying girlfriend who moves in, doesn't pay rent, and IS ALWAYS THERE. 

 

 

Not sure how this one will work, but all the others I've seen have a person in the house that acts as a sort of manager that can help relay anything back to the Owner for slightly reduced rent and this would immediately be reported as someone living there without paying membership and would be acted upon. In reality, this type of living situation would have proper recourse for making sure that annoying girlfriend actually has to pay her part.

Kunsthous might be the worst name for a development I've ever heard. Just what is the proper pronunciation? While reading the article, I was pronouncing it like ©kunts-house. Do people even think before giving these absurd names to developments??

 

Unfortunately people feel compelled to throw German into whatever it is that they're doing, i.e. Rhinegeist.  I've always hated the word zeitgeist, because it was a trendy art and music criticism term in the 90s that let everyone know the writer took obscure classes in college.  Kunst, oddly enough, is not thrown around by the sort of critics who raced to lob a zeitgeist at you. 

Never figured out the allure of that one. Aside from the bathroom, having my own kitchen was one of the biggest goals of moving from roommates to my own apartment.

I would love to share a communal kitchen & living room. Modern life is too isolating.  The successful co-housing I've seen firsthand involve small individual houses with common gardens and common dining hall.  I think it can work in the city too, as long as the members have their own private space and really want a community of sorts and are not just trying to save money.

One of my Clients is a coliving company whose properties are mostly in Brooklyn but they're expanding to other markets. Though I personally wouldn't want to live in one of these setups I get their appeal. Some people really don't care about having space to themselves or (at least in the case of my Client) ever having to worry about utilities, finding roommates, worrying about making sure the Bathroom and general Kitchen items are stocked, etc. You pay a fee and your'e done.

 

Its probably not for me, but I do see a market for this - lots of people live with roommates already to help cover the cost of expensive rent in urban markets, and this is another way of organizing such an arrangement.

 

OTR is getting expensive enough that I see this as a good way for someone fresh out of college to live in a cool urban neighborhood that might be out of their price range.

Kunsthous might be the worst name for a development I've ever heard. Just what is the proper pronunciation? While reading the article, I was pronouncing it like ©kunts-house. Do people even think before giving these absurd names to developments??

 

Agreed. Kunst is German for "Art" but the second part makes no sense. Maybe they misspelled "Haus"?

Worked with a lady who was in her seventies before she retired and when she moved here lived in a building that was an all dorm for young working girls that sounded like this, she said it was the best time of her life.

Worked with a lady who was in her seventies before she retired and when she moved here lived in a building that was an all dorm for young working girls that sounded like this, she said it was the best time of her life.

 

Working girls?  Umm...

Worked with a lady who was in her seventies before she retired and when she moved here lived in a building that was an all dorm for young working girls that sounded like this, she said it was the best time of her life.

 

I bet it was either the Fontbonne or the Anna Louise Inn, both were adult women-only boarding houses. Had a much different reputation than the traditional men's SRO hotels. http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/jobs/catholic-school-job-opportunities/page/2/. My mom and her sisters grew up in the St Al's catholic Orphanage in the 40's to the 60's and places like this were the next step for women who had to support themselves but didnt want to live alone (or become a nun which im sure was also encouraged). Plus folks Im sure questioned any single women who lived in their own place back then. Way different times.

 

From the latest 3CDC newsletter:

 

The Most Beautiful Thing in the World is (also known as tmbtitwi and Beautiful) will officially open to the public later this week. Located at 6 W. 12th Street, the new shop will feature women’s fashion, accessories and home goods with an international style.

 

Well, we lost TKILTBAG but we gained TMBTITWI.

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/november-7-2016-staff-report-and-attachments/

 

1706 & 1708 Elm Street is getting a new facade, as well as new front and rear decks!

Apologies for how random this is, but what do you guys suggest to do with the land that is currently situated in north liberty on republic street (the giant building that looks like a prison and still has the old church steeple remaining)? I imagine down the road that land will become available for development.

 

Their was discussion in another thread about how Cincinnati doesn't have a real true plaza, and I was curious if you guys though this land would perhaps make an interesting location for a European esque plaza? Plant some benches, some trees, maybe a nice center piece fountain? Especially since it borders Findley market I thought it would perhaps be an interesting alternative use for that prison look alike building that currently sits there.

 

That said I'm not sure if their is a need for a plaza in OTR..and would probably prefer more density and mixed use development...That said, in my mind it potentially works.

Umm... that's the OTR Community Center. The neighborhood needs that.

 

That being said the building is truly ugly in the outside and moreover I think the the "prison" like architecture sends a negative message to the community that it can't be trusted or something. There are literally metal spikes placed on the windowsills on the outside. When it was built it as probably trying to convey that it was a safe indoor space in a dangerous outside neighborhood, but built into that idea is that the world has given up trying to make the outside neighborhood into a space place. That's not how we think about our urban neighborhoods anymore.

 

The building is awful from a walkability standpoint by giving pedestrian a big blank wall to stare at and its looks are probably holding back renovations of the row houses across the street.

 

Some rich person needs to come along with $5-10 million to renovate or replace this building IMO.

It is the polling place for a lot of that neighborhood.  They set up the polling booths on the roller rink, circling the light-up disco iceberg that occupies the center of said rink. 

^ There's a roller rink?

^It's where the OTR Community Council meetings are held.

Huh, sounds like a neat place!

 

Still, the building looks like a prison, and those who live on republic street have an unfortunate blank wall to stare at. Hopefully in the not to foreseeable future one of these big developers (source 3, 3cdc, The model group, etc..) can perhaps find a way to move the community center (like on the sycamore lot for instance...) and open that area for mixed use redevelopment.

I don't think that the community center should be moved. It's in a critical spot in the community, it is well scaled architecturally. While it doesn't necessarily follow the rhythm of the other buildings in the neighborhood to a level of mimicry, I think the building would be a great candidate for an ambitious mural project. Living in Philly right now, I think and Isaiah Zagar style mosaic would be great covering this building.

 

That roller rink is an underused asset... I remember going to roller nights there when I was in undergrad. Some of the most fun I've had! I love drinking, but it was a nice way to spend an evening without alcohol!

Here is the internet's only photo of the rink:

 

This slideshow has a couple of image of the inside of the rink: http://www.cincinnati.com/picture-gallery/sports/2015/05/09/saturday-hoops-at-otr-rec-center/27069833/

 

I think the OTR Community Center is a valuable asset for the neighborhood, despite its unfortunate design. The roller rink unfortunately has quite low ceilings which makes it hard to use for a range of sports. As a short term fix, the building could be dramatically improved with some straight forward renovations if they simply added more windows along Green and Republic St. That'd improve both the exterior and interior space.  The offices for the Corporation for Findlay Market are similarly badly designed (both inside and out).

 

Longer term, since the whole block is owned by the city, it'd be great to rethink that block for a better designed, mixed-use development that faces the streets. The block is 120'x400'. The new design could incorporate the current uses (community center, boxing gym, offices), or alternatively, those functions could be integrated into new developments at one the other major city-owned properties up around Findlay Market, listed in the order I'd like to see them re-developed:

• 150-car surface parking lot directly north of Findlay Market
  
• 84-car surface lot at 1712 Logan
  
• 40-car surface lot at 1711 Race
  
• 22-car surface lot at 1713 Republic
  

 

 

 

 

I have a commemorative book that was published when the rec center and all the city service buildings were built in the 70's and it was very much designed with a 'shelter from the chaos of the streets' aesthetic on purpose by the teams that developed and raised awareness and funding for it. If it has any worthwhile images or quotes I'll try and scan them. If i remember right it happened at the same time as the remodel that sealed Findaly market up from the outside as well.All that comes to mind right now was the crazy 70's fashion sported by the city's movers and shakers that are featured and the overall sentiment of 'Urban Renewal  is good' that was the feeling at the time. We are generally very fortunate that OTR didnt go the same was as the Bottoms or Kenyon Barr or any number of other neighborhoods that were wiped off the map back then.

 

I thought it was a type of jail or halfway house when I first moved to town.

New redesigned Liberty and Elm project exterior. Looks like they are going before the planning commission on the 18th of this month.

 

The design isn't bad i am just not crazy about the building eye brows...

I really do hope there is alot of brick and cast stone, because this easily could be all EIFS...

 

 

http://www.source3dev.com/2016/11/support-project-liberty-elm/

The Historic Board would immediately object to EIFS. You don't have to worry about that.

 

My problem with it mostly at this point is that the brick looks obnoxious. Alternating segments of brick neither looks modern nor historic. It looks silly.

 

It appears the strongest aspect is the Liberty Street portion that's not on the corner. The building's scale most relates to the other old factories/warehouses in the neighborhood and this relates most to those which makes the most sense. Unfortunately it still feels paper thin and is only such a small portion that the majority is unfortunately designed.

 

The corner isn't terrible but it feels like every new urbanist building going up. You can find this exact type of corner design all over Cincinnati and the rest of the country. It's not the worst, but it doesn't inspire at all.

 

The Elm side is insulting to the historic buildings around it. Let those masses be large. Don't try to break it up with alternating two colors of brick back and forth as if that distinguishes different parts of the massing as if it were multiple smaller buildings. It doesn't work. It looks ridiculous.

 

Either step the top story back along Elm or keep it the same materials. One or the other works. This scenario doesn't.

 

If your'e going to do the weird change in materials, be consistent. The sliver of brick that extends up on the side of the little step back next to the garage entrance on Elm is weird. If you're going to have a cornice that's not at the top of your building and treat the mass like an old row home that got a modern addition on top, do it. Don't half a$$ it.

 

I'd so much prefer the entire portion south of the garage entrance on Elm be treated as a reference to the industrial buildings of the neighborhood and the portion north of the garage entrance can be more traditional in materiality and design if people are for whatever reason pushing for that. Two types of design scenarios. not the current 3 they have right now. It's too much for one building even if it is a big building.

 

In that situation you'd have an L shaped industrial-esque building wrapping the corner, a break where the garage entrance on Elm is that is carried vertically as it is now, then a brick building that has a cornice and more traditional massing up to the top of the cornice on the 4th floor, then a setback of 10-15 feet or so, and a modern "addition" on top. Done. Simple, but effective.

 

There's a lot wrong with this. Too much wrong with it even.

New redesigned Liberty and Elm project exterior. Looks like they are going before the planning commission on the 18th of this month.

 

The design isn't bad i am just not crazy about the building eye brows...I really do hope there is alot of brick and cast stone, because this easily could be all EIFS...

 

http://www.source3dev.com/2016/11/support-project-liberty-elm/

 

This project is still being opposed by Over-the-Rhine Community Council. Somehow I got on their mailing list. Concerns include:

 

• The project is not rooted in promoting the values of the community but rather in maximizing profit.
   
  The developer is seeking a lucrative benefit from the City (a "PD" zoning designation), but is not reciprocating by working with the community meet its vision.
   
  The project is not consistent with the principles and stated goals of the community's comprehensive plan or the city comp plan.
   
  The project will bring a generic and pedestrian architectural design to our beloved historic district, on a prominent gateway corner of Over-the-Rhine less than 2 blocks from Findlay Market, thereby diminishing the sense of place in the district. (See letter from Jennifer LeMasters Wirtz.)
   
  Though it is the largest infill project developed here in the last 75 years, there will be NO units of housing affordable to people of very low, low, or moderate income. The project is 100% market rate, with rents ranging from $900 for a studio to $1,700 for a 2 bedroom apartment.
   
  The developer has not answered our questions about the target demographics for these units—including whether they might be rented to people who will use them as a weekend place in the city' or an income producing Airbnb rental.
   
  The project is out of scale with the traditional size of buildings in the Over-the-Rhine historic district.
  

 

http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c6d53b9cf225ef5e0cfec8125&id=731c54f677&e=990715dd2e

A Cincinnati contractor is rebuilding OTR’s Strietmann Biscuit Building

 

 

Grandin Properties selected one of Greater Cincinnati’s largest general contractors for the $7 million core and shell renovation of the historic Strietmann Biscuit Building in Over-the-Rhine.

 

HGC Construction will handle the renovation work on the nearly 100,000-square-foot building located at 221 W. 12th St. Core and shell construction is expected to take nine months with interior tenant fit out work occurring at the same time.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/11/16/a-cincinnati-contractor-is-rebuilding-otr-s.html

vertical rhythm is good. In fact, it's necessary for successful commercial blocks. 5-6m shop front widths are ideal. That's the typical distance the brain reengages with something different. Long horizontal articulations cause boredom and the production of stress hormones. But when the vertical rhythm it is done in this faux, flat veneer, it looks cheep and ultimately loses the essence of a good commercial block.

Hmm, that list of grievances is pretty interesting, and I can't help but feel that some of those arguments are somewhat hollow when this council doesn't seem to make much of a stir about a lot of other similarly incentivised projects. Just seems to be the ones that are a larger scale like Grammar's and this one at Liberty, and the ones that make use of more economical material choices. I feel like some of these reasons are just tacked on to the deep down concern that this will effect the appearance of the neighborhood negatively. I haven't heard anything about the proposed single family homes that I believe are on Elm and take up a large footprint with about 5 units total. Those are a true affront to the affordability of the area. But alas, not a peep about that project.

Hmm, that list of grievances is pretty interesting, and I can't help but feel that some of those arguments are somewhat hollow when this council doesn't seem to make much of a stir about a lot of other similarly incentivised projects. Just seems to be the ones that are a larger scale like Grammar's and this one at Liberty, and the ones that make use of more economical material choices. I feel like some of these reasons are just tacked on to the deep down concern that this will effect the appearance of the neighborhood negatively. I haven't heard anything about the proposed single family homes that I believe are on Elm and take up a large footprint with about 5 units total. Those are a true affront to the affordability of the area. But alas, not a peep about that project.

 

Yeah, it's a strange double standard that's occurring. The design of the project is pretty decent (much more fitting in the OTR landspace than say the Mercer Commons project), and the height issue is idiotic. It's on a corner, and the height only varies 1-2 stories more than other surrounding OTR buildings, it's hardly an issue either.

 

The affordability point may be a factor though, but this is the new changing face of OTR I'm afraid....Also we have to remember that Source 3 is rehabbing the surrounding buildings that are in terrible shape. If we allow this project to be stalled, than who knows what the fate of these buildings might become.