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New Empower MediaMarketing building at Mercer Commons' fourth and final phase:

 

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  • He should be fined for blocking the streetcar tracks and causing the downtown loop to be shut down for several days, though.

  • ryanlammi
    ryanlammi

    The Smithall building at the Northwest corner of Vine and W. Clifton is looking good with the plywood first floor removed and new windows installed 

  • You could say that about every historic building in OTR. "What's the point in saving this one Italianate building? it's just like every other one in the neighborhood."   The value in a histo

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Wowza, never realized how shallow the units on the south side of Mercer were!

Hopefully when the Kroger is torn down we can get something a lot more substantial than this in the large space between Vine and Walnut.  Hopefully underground parking. 

Hopefully when the Kroger is torn down we can get something a lot more substantial than this in the large space between Vine and Walnut.  Hopefully underground parking. 

 

Oh yeah. The Kroger block is huge, assuming that they can incorporate all of the land that was supposed to be part of the stalled "Grammer's Place" Phase 2 proposal. The rear part of Wielert's has already been demolished (the former biergarten that was then converted to an auto garage, I believe). Once they demolish the OTR Kroger, there is a huge rectangular space that can be developed, probably about double the size of the One Mercer / Mercer Garage building, plus additional lots facing Vine and 15th that can be developed. There's a lot they can do with it... I can't wait to see their proposed site plan.

 

However, I don't know which is a higher priority for 3CDC to do next... redevelop the OTR Kroger or redevelop the vacant lots along Liberty between Race and Elm. Hopefully they do the OTR Kroger first so the Liberty Street Road Diet can move forward...

Amazingly few people live in the new construction parts of Mercer.  Like well under 100.  Maybe just 50.  Historically, hundreds of people lived on each of these blocks. 

  • Author

Get a look at new mixed-use development coming later this year near Findlay Market: PHOTOS

Jul 10, 2017, 2:49pm EDT Updated Jul 10, 2017, 3:53pm EDT

Chris Wetterich

Staff reporter and columnist

Cincinnati Business Courier

 

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Urban Sites is about six months from completing a long-awaited mixed-use project featuring industrial loft apartments that will further add to the redevelopment activity around historic Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine.

 

The Film Center project at 1632 Central Parkway, projected to cost $9.4 million, will feature 44 luxury apartments and about 10,000 square feet of street-level commercial space, including an outdoor patio fronting Elder Street. Residents will have access to several amenity areas as well as a rooftop deck. The deck will offer views of downtown, Mount Adams and Mount Auburn.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/07/10/get-a-look-at-new-mixed-use-development-coming.html

The Film Center is such a cool and unique project. The renderings look really nice. If you want to see what it looked like inside before the renovation started, here's some photos I took back in 2014.

They still do though. Separating out "new construction" completely disregards the buildings that were renovated as part of Mercer Commons to result in around 100 units total of residential.

I'm excited to see this brought back to life so I'm trying not to be a downer here. But using that corner lot that's a gateway to Findlay Market for an "outdoor patio" is sort of underwhelming and disappointing. It really should have been either an addition to the building or an entire new, separate building.

Usually I agree with that sentiment, but in this case, the Film Center is a big enough building that I don't feel like we're losing much density by using that outdoor space as a patio for the restaurant.

 

Also, Northern Liberties feels very destination-oriented right now. A lot of people go to the market or Rhinegeist but don't really venture into the surrounding blocks. Having an outdoor patio at a prominent street corner is a big deal because people on their way to the market will see it and think "we should go there."

I think the open space can act as a great gateway to the Market. Particularly if the surrounding lots get quality built form infill and it can have a production function.

 

Not every solution requires buildings, all architects of the world. ;)

I hate when people bring up how many people use to live in OTR.  It was completely unsafe and unsanitary living conditions back then.  We will never approach that amount of people living in that area.  If you think we will or are using that number as a basis for "success" then you'll never be happy. 

I think it is important to keep in mind how many people used to live in OTR, because the amount of retail space was driven by the amount of people living in the neighborhood. The vast majority of buildings along the major north/south streets have retail space on the ground floor. Historically you may have had 30+ people living in a particular building that has now been renovated into 6 condos with maybe 10 total residents. Yet we still have the same amount of retail space on the ground floor to support 1/3 of the residents above. Combine that with the fact that we now to go a single grocery store that has everything we need, so there is no need to have separate storefronts for the butcher shop, the produce shop, the pharmacy, etc. And a huge amount of shopping is done online now anyway.

Haha, but we need business!

 

It looks like a nice enough outdoor area. I'm just concerned with the amount of open space around that intersection. There's no guarantee the other surrounding lots will be filled it which is where my concerns arise from.

^Generally I agree with jmicha[/member] that we need to be cautious about having "too much" open space... but in this case, as long as the restaurant is well run and draws a lot of people to the outdoor space, I like the idea of having a large outdoor space at this corner because it makes the activity more "visible" (as opposed to if the restaurant only had interior space). Along these lines, I love how the crowd at Queen City Radio is so visible from Central Parkway. To make the space usable in the colder months, there will need to be fire pits and/or gas heaters.

I hate when people bring up how many people use to live in OTR.  It was completely unsafe and unsanitary living conditions back then.  We will never approach that amount of people living in that area.  If you think we will or are using that number as a basis for "success" then you'll never be happy. 

 

However there is a healthy density these buildings could house and that might be higher than what's happening.  I'd be happy if its comparable to the density of say Wicker Park in Chicago- enough to keep the neighborhood vibrant and self sustainable.

They still do though. Separating out "new construction" completely disregards the buildings that were renovated as part of Mercer Commons to result in around 100 units total of residential.

 

As many cars live on the block as do people, and as long as that continues, Over-the-Rhine is not going to be a very densely populated place and won't be able to support the businesses that people expect from that sort of neighborhood. 

 

I'd be curious to see the population of Clifton Heights when UC is in session as compared to Over-the-Rhine.  It is probably similarly dense despite not giving that appearance. 

 

 

 

But does singling out one block in regards to parking and ignoring the fact that it opens up other blocks to be parking free make much sense from an analytical standpoint? The Mercer Garage is directly responsible for several other large projects being able to forego parking on site. That's not a small thing to ignore. Yes, the one block of Mercer Commons with the garage isn't as dense as others, but narrowing down your view to disregard the rest of the context doesn't make any sense when analyzing neighborhood density.

 

And that doesn't even get into the fact that you're looking only at residential units and ignoring the very large office building that is going up that will add substantial daytime density to the area.

Some new business is going into the former H&R Block storefront at 14th & Main. They have been building inside of that space for weeks. Today, they added a new doorway that required them to destroy half of a mural that was painted on the side of the building. Here's what it looked like before:

 

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However, they reused the bricks to patch the old doorway, so it looks pretty interesting right now:

 

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In general, the murals are a complete menace. Covering lovely soft toned 150 year old masonry with pictures of idealized street scenes in primary colors should be a crime. This graphic mural is not as horrible, but it will not be missed. Should be washed off of there entirely now that it has lost its artistic "integrity."

Oh give me a break. Do you purposefully craft comments in hopes of trolling these boards? Cincinnati's murals are essentially unanimously loved and for good reason. They're fantastic.

 

Also I can only think of one "idealized street scene" mural but it's not in primary colors. In fact I can't think of any mural that's purely primary colors. There's a massive array from realistic scenes to cartoon depictions to abstract art. They're an asset not a menace.

It's literally some old grumpy guy, much like our old troll from Mason, who criticizes everything and loves nothing more than to bash and troll others. They come and go from this forum all too often, usually when they get bored and tired.

Hey, 1400 Sycamore[/member], your building got a shout-out in CityBeat this week:

 

Sycamore Manor represents 19 units of affordable housing in an area of Pendleton seeing rapid reinvestment. The building’s HUD subsidies will expire in September this year, and tenants there have already been told they will need to be out by the end of the summer. Residents there have a variety of opinions about that — some shrug it off as simple economics. But others, including one elderly tenant who sat on his doorstep recently with a bandage on his arm from the dialysis he must undergo, say they are very upset about the situation. At this point, many aren’t sure where they’ll move.

 

Care to share your plans for the building?

It's literally some old grumpy guy, much like our old troll from Mason, who criticizes everything and loves nothing more than to bash and troll others. They come and go from this forum all too often, usually when they get bored and tired.

 

Well, maybe people don't want to hear about it, but I am certainly not going to apologize for calling out the hideous murals. Artworks and the ODOT are on equal footing as far as I am concerned as to the damage they have caused.

Hey, 1400 Sycamore[/member], your building got a shout-out in CityBeat this week:

 

Sycamore Manor represents 19 units of affordable housing in an area of Pendleton seeing rapid reinvestment. The building’s HUD subsidies will expire in September this year, and tenants there have already been told they will need to be out by the end of the summer. Residents there have a variety of opinions about that — some shrug it off as simple economics. But others, including one elderly tenant who sat on his doorstep recently with a bandage on his arm from the dialysis he must undergo, say they are very upset about the situation. At this point, many aren’t sure where they’ll move.

 

Care to share your plans for the building?

 

I'll put something up eventually. I will say that a highly respected relocation specialist is working with the tenants. But, as usual, there is not one fact in the City Beat article that is correct other than that tenants are being relocated. The so-called man with diabetes who spoke on the record is not a tenant at 1400 Sycamore.

Dude, it's paint. "Damage" is an absurd choice of word to use. Especially considering how many of the murals are on the sides of buildings which used to abut buildings that have been torn down and don't actually cover brick but rather the parging on the side lot lines.

 

I can't believe I'm even entertaining this idea that artwork is somehow destructive. Cities all over are applauded for quality murals like those put up by Artworks.

Some new business is going into the former H&R Block storefront at 14th & Main. They have been building inside of that space for weeks. Today, they added a new doorway that required them to destroy half of a mural that was painted on the side of the building. Here's what it looked like before:

 

33469313254_5624d3c032_h.jpg

 

However, they reused the bricks to patch the old doorway, so it looks pretty interesting right now:

 

35737856112_324f19402a_h.jpg

 

Wow, I love how the brick from the mural was scattered to fill the infilled doors. Consider it Cincinnati Wabi Sabi. Seems like something Carlo Scarpa might do if he were still alive today. Another architectural word I'll throw out is "palimpsest", which is "something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form". In a way, this small move, much like the advertisement murals (ghost signs) from ages past, tell a story about how we live, how we change over time.

The murals are one of my favorite components of OTR.

Wow, I love how the brick from the mural was scattered to fill the infilled doors. Consider it Cincinnati Wabi Sabi. Seems like something Carlo Scarpa might do if he were still alive today. Another architectural word I'll throw out is "palimpsest", which is "something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form". In a way, this small move, much like the advertisement murals (ghost signs) from ages past, tell a story about how we live, how we change over time.

 

I imagine that they'll repaint the building at some point, but the way it looks right now with the colorful bricks mixed in, is pretty awesome.

Wow, I love how the brick from the mural was scattered to fill the infilled doors. Consider it Cincinnati Wabi Sabi. Seems like something Carlo Scarpa might do if he were still alive today. Another architectural word I'll throw out is "palimpsest", which is "something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form". In a way, this small move, much like the advertisement murals (ghost signs) from ages past, tell a story about how we live, how we change over time.

 

I imagine that they'll repaint the building at some point, but the way it looks right now with the colorful bricks mixed in, is pretty awesome.

 

It would be cool if they actually took a design note from the re-used bricks and did multi-colored accent bricks across the entire facade.

So a few things....

 

1. A group of buildings are being demolished on ring gold st in mt. Auburn by uptown rentals. Otr adopt is looking to save the green 2 story row house and transplant back in otr. They are paying for the building and the lot in otr but need help finding a suitable and appropriate street with an available lot.

 

The group of buildings are scheduled to be demolished in the next week or so.

 

2. The large vine st lot with the muscle man mural is on the market now by the owner. The lot is going for 180,000 dollars from what I recall. It's listed on zillow if anyone wants to check it out.

So a few things....

 

1. A group of buildings are being demolished on ring gold st in mt. Auburn by uptown rentals. Otr adopt is looking to save the green 2 story row house and transplant back in otr. They are paying for the building and the lot in otr but need help finding a suitable and appropriate street with an available lot.

 

The group of buildings are scheduled to be demolished in the next week or so.

 

2. The large vine st lot with the muscle man mural is on the market now by the owner. The lot is going for 180,000 dollars from what I recall. It's listed on zillow if anyone wants to check it out.

 

 

How are they going to save that house if it's being torn down in a week?  Also, I don't think it matters what neighborhood it ends up in.  There is a lot for sale on Highland Ave. about 300 feet away for $20,000. 

The Stafford (13th & Walnut) coming along nicely:

 

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^Incredible before and after with the Stafford.

I took 3 years of German and can't read the sign they uncovered.  It's "Deutche......................von Cincinnati". 

I took 3 years of German and can't read the sign they uncovered.  It's "Deutche......................von Cincinnati". 

 

It's the original location of the German Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Cincinnati. Which then built and moved into the Germania Building.

I have split the property revaluation discussion into a new thread since it didn't have much to do with OTR development.

Welp, now we know what's going in to the former H&R Block space at 14th and Main, as well as the space at 12th and Main that was previously going to be ran by Cheapside.

 

Liberty's Bar & Bottle owners opening two new OTR establishments

 

The owners of Liberty's Bar & Bottle in Over-the-Rhine have two new joints in the works, after being in business for nearly three years on the north end of Main Street.

 

Tom Stephen, Jeremy Moore and Garth Lieb plan to open the Pony and the Royal on Main Street in OTR in the coming months. The trio, longtime neighborhood residents and bar and restaurant industry vets, opened Liberty's Bar & Bottle, a craft beer and wine bar/retail shop at 1427 Main St. in 2014.

Rhinegeist gondola rumor:

www.cincinnatiideas.com

Hmmm. I'm very skeptical of this idea due to the cost. The Portland Aerial tram cost $57 million to build. I don't know if a tram going up the hill to Bellevue Park could be built for significantly cheaper or not. It would be pretty freaking awesome to be able to get on an aerial tram in Bellevue Hill Park, come down to Rhinegeist, and then transfer to the streetcar for getting around in the basin.

I have never seen an explanation for why Portland's tram costs got out-of-hand ($57 million!), but I'd bet it had to do with the integration of the upper station with the hospital.  Specifically, the hospital might have gotten stuff that was really "hospital" stuff pushed over in the "tram" column. 

 

 

 

Back in 2002 or 03 one of the CHCURC (Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corp.) members asked me about it, so I know it has been a dream of several groups for a while. Back then it was a pre-streetcar idea to get get  students and the hoped for wealthy Alumni Retirees who they wanted to move in to their new buildings to Findlay Market & make the Clifton Heights/Fairview area more marketable as a destination address.

I'd think that they would want to land it in the Findlay Market parking lot rather than on McMicken St.  Also, they can make aerial trams with intermediate stations.  Connecting Findlay Market and UC with an intermediate stop in Bellevue Park, should an attraction be built there, could make a lot of sense and get a lot of use.  A simple tram connecting Findlay Market and a brewery in that park would not. 

I've been on some gondolas at pretty podunk ski places so I'd imagine in the under 10  mil.  I'd think car size would be a fairly big factor in price.

From what i remember Rhinegeist purchased the land at the base of the hill that leads up to bellevue hill park, which could be something or could just be for employee/truck parking.

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