^ oh come on, you know he meant Washington Park.

^ oh come on, you know he meant Washington Park.

I honestly didn't know what s/he was talking about. I had forgotten that Steiner was the developer of the the big infill project on Race St facing Washington Park. Thanks for clarifying.

Yes haha sorry about that.

OTR Foundation sponsoring infill design competition with a $5,000 first prize.

Get a look at 3CDC’S latest condos in Over-the-Rhine

 

Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. has finished construction of its most recent mixed-use development, the Glassmeyer.

 

The renovation of two buildings at the corner of 15th and Elm streets created six two-bedroom condominiums, two one-bedroom condos with second-story living space and a 950-square-foot commercial space on the first floor. Joe Rudemiller, director of communications for 3CDC, said two of the condos are already under contract.

 

“This is a project that has appeal to a variety of audiences, young professionals, families and empty nesters,” Rudemiller told me.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/09/get-a-look-at-3cdc-s-latest-condos-in-over-the.html

 

Since that image contains a URL (but the URL isn't clickable), here are the links:

Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdiTmo6A8vVSnXPIqDNwyw7fjBaOC_wZ_BONlMAiAUS8qq9Vw/viewform

Competition brief: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ony3y4cmapo9fi/OTRF.Competition.Brief.1.8.17.pdf?dl=0

So is this design competition meant to be conceptual or will it be actualized and constructed in otr on some empty lot?

It must be conceptual, because I have a client that already had me do a drawing for that site and it looks like his project will be going forward. 

^Any details you can share? Corner infill is super important so it's interesting to hear about.

Heads up.

 

3CDC demolished the Short Market this morning (NW corner of Sycamore and Liberty). Not yet a 3CDC project but they bought the lot last year.

Seems like a perfect opportunity to start infilling Liberty after the road diet.

So the road diet is happening? Is there any idea of when?

This project is on the north side of liberty, so it could move forward before/without the road diet as that only affects the parcels on the south side.

 

Is 1613 sycamore on the chopping block as well to open up that whole large lot, or is this just th corner?

1613 is owned by someone else. The vacant lots just north of 1613 are all owned by the same company "WDC LLC". OTR Holdings owns the former Short Stop Market up to the lot adjacent to 1613.

 

Those parcels are big enough to develop individually, though. They don't need to be grouped together.

Some really interesting projects in the newest packet, especially the last one on the packet and also the houses on Vine:

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/january-8-2018-staff-report-and-attachments/

^Yeah, look like a new bar might be coming to the anonymous building north of Rhinegeist. 

^Yeah, look like a new bar might be coming to the anonymous building north of Rhinegeist. 

 

The packet says it's "Mikey's Late Night Slice and Oddfellows Liquor Bar"

Mikey's is a Columbus chain I think that, obviously, serves late night pizza. Their large assortment of condiments (ranch, thousand island, etc) is what they are known for.

Soon, you'll be able to grab a late night slice at Goodfella's, have a few drinks at Longfellow and Rhinehaus, then take the streetcar up to the Brewery District and have another late night slice at Mikey's Late Night Slice followed by more drinks at Oddfellows and Rhinegeist.

Some really interesting projects in the newest packet, especially the last one on the packet and also the houses on Vine:

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/january-8-2018-staff-report-and-attachments/

 

1921/23 are two of those 4 buildings that are all two stories and angled against the street. Glad to see someone investing in such peculiar buildings, and I hope the others follow.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1921+Vine+St,+Cincinnati,+OH+45202/@39.1179246,-84.5172623,3a,90y,235.4h,84.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEi5VMwx-0G8Vi7mxNR0Qbg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x8841b3f98c8d1f59:0x968b71419f9ec5b0!8m2!3d39.1178563!4d-84.5173847

^Yeah, look like a new bar might be coming to the anonymous building north of Rhinegeist. 

 

The packet says it's "Mikey's Late Night Slice and Oddfellows Liquor Bar"

 

It looks like they have a lot of work to do though to get there yet, with parking being the main issue.  I bet the city and 3CDC is already working on pre-liminary scouting plans for a large parking garage in this area of OTR to accomodate all the rehabilitation.  What do you all think would work best?  I always thought where the market lot is now, but how would they work that without severely interrupting the markets schedule?  Maybe first make a new ramp and re-do of Findlay Playground, then further along in the next 3-5 years make a ramp in the current Findlay parking lots

I think Findlay Playground would be a good spot for something. I’d prefer something Mercer Commons-y mostly just because I don’t like how that park abuts Vine and strongly feel there should be a building along there, but I also have a feeling there would be an outcry from anti-gentrification folk if it’s redeveloped as anything other than a park, so maybe going underground yet again would be a solution.

Parking requirements in OTR, so stupid. 

More housing coming to OTR near Findlay Market

 

 

Three apartment projects are planned at and near Findlay Market, adding to the ongoing momentum in Over-the-Rhine north of Liberty Street

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/19/more-housing-coming-to-otr-near-findlay-market.html

It's great to see some work going into Hamer St. That area around Hamer and McMicken is really charming. Not many streets left in the basin with the human-sized width of Hamer and Back.

^Very good news on all fronts. Question: does anybody know if 8K is collaborating with OTR Foundation on the design competition for the empty lots 1716-18 Vine? http://www.urbancincy.com/2018/01/design-competition-to-test-neighborhood-infill-regulations/

 

Based on the planning commission packet, it sounds like 8k is buying all of the parcels in the miniature block (1712-1718 Vine St. and 1659-1663 Hamer St) bounded by Vine, Benton, Hamer, and Schedel. That includes the 40x120 empty space to the north and the 20x120 empty space to the south.

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/about-city-planning/city-planning-commission/jan-19-2018-packet/

 

 

Utility crews have been on 13th Street for a few days and recently this massive box was attached to a telephone pole. The brand on it is "Clearfield" so it's related to fiber optics, but I have no idea if it's Cincy Bell, TWC, or maybe even a cell carrier responsible for this. It does not appear to be related to the "fiber ring" that the city is installing. As you can see, the box and pole take up about half of the width of the sidewalk, which is pretty annoying. There seems to be a trend in the last 2 or 3 years of giant utility boxes like this being installed at ground level, and we really ought to push back on this if we care about being a pedestrian friendly city.

I have one in front of my house on Dayton St. 

It only took a week before it was tagged with some nice "Hood Art".    They are very unsightly boxes.

^ It's bizarre that they put that so low. In other neighborhoods I've seen what I believe are similar boxes for fiber optics up higher on poles, with a little platform below them:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1250312,-84.5238756,3a,45y,291.65h,98.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1hZSiP_zn66HcsH_JtBokw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

^taestell[/member] - that's super annoying, especially on narrow sidewalks. If they need a big box, they should be required to put it up higher on the pole so it doesn't impede on pedestrian/wheelchair use of the sidewalk.

If I park on the street next to the pole by my house now, the passenger in my vehicle can't even open the door.

Weird that they couldn't at least make it parallel with the sidewalk.

^Parallel doesn't make it look any better.  I'l have to remember to snap a pic later to prove that.  That's what causes an issue with exiting a vehicle on street passenger side when the pole is so close to the curb.

^Parallel doesn't make it look any better.  I'l have to remember to snap a pic later to prove that.  That's what caused an issue with on street passenger side exiting a vehicle.

 

No doubt, but it gives people more room to walk.

^True.  Neither case is ideal except placing it 10 feet up or more on the pole.

^ It's bizarre that they put that so low. In other neighborhoods I've seen what I believe are similar boxes for fiber optics up higher on poles, with a little platform below them:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1250312,-84.5238756,3a,45y,291.65h,98.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1hZSiP_zn66HcsH_JtBokw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Based on the fact that there's still a giant coil of wire sitting on top of the box, I am hoping that the work is not finished and they are going to come back and move it up higher.

 

As cell carriers start transitioning to 5G, they will rely more on small transmitters spread out across the city instead of a few giant towers. This one on Central Parkway actually doesn't look too bad, since it has all of the equipment integrated into the pole itself. But this one downtown has a giant piece of equipment next to it, taking up a lot of sidewalk space.

On 4th St, there's a transmitter that often buzzes loudly: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0992965,-84.517211,3a,90y,351.93h,103.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxiUwzEPnlc7-yyxm4m-t0w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656.

Does somebody pay the city to put these in the ROW?

Or this. Koalas everywhere! https://i.imgur.com/flYwWTp.png

 

just steal this program- http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@cped/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-121720.pdf

 

Will they make some poor waitress or busboy troubleshoot when the reel-to-reel tapes get jammed?

The Liebs are particularly excited about working with a company called Uncanned Music, which has designed the acoustics of the room and is creating a custom all-analog playlist delivered on reel-to-reel tapes.

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/dining/2018/01/22/coming-soon-otr-serious-simple-food-jeremy-and-bridget-liebs-sacred-beast/1049695001/

 

I hope the reel-to-reel tape is a self-aware, ironic nod to OTR's sometimes excessive nostalgia for the past. I'm nervous though that they might think reel-to-reel is actually superior to a high bitrate lossless digital audio file.

 

In all seriousness, I'm excited that they're taking the acoustics of the restaurant seriously (it makes a huge difference if you have to shout to hear across the table). Sacred Beast sounds like something totally different from anything in OTR today. I'm curious what price point they'll target.

Will they make some poor waitress or busboy troubleshoot when the reel-to-reel tapes get jammed?

The Liebs are particularly excited about working with a company called Uncanned Music, which has designed the acoustics of the room and is creating a custom all-analog playlist delivered on reel-to-reel tapes.

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/dining/2018/01/22/coming-soon-otr-serious-simple-food-jeremy-and-bridget-liebs-sacred-beast/1049695001/

 

I hope the reel-to-reel tape is a self-aware, ironic nod to OTR's sometimes excessive nostalgia for the past. I'm nervous though that they might think reel-to-reel is actually superior to a high bitrate lossless digital audio file.

 

In all seriousness, I'm excited that they're taking the acoustics of the restaurant seriously (it makes a huge difference if you have to shout to hear across the table). Sacred Beast sounds like something totally different from anything in OTR today. I'm curious what price point they'll target.

 

Pontiac BBQ has a reel-to-reel player and it adds a nice touch.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/23/exclusive-daniel-wrights-proposed-otr-bar-faces.html

 

Confused as to why this is facing backlash about noise. It’s in the corner of Race and LIberty and from the looks of it the outdoor space is facing LIberty.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/23/exclusive-daniel-wrights-proposed-otr-bar-faces.html

 

Confused as to why this is facing backlash about noise. It’s in the corner of Race and LIberty and from the looks of it the outdoor space is facing LIberty.

 

If anything it should be opposed as too low of a density. With the narrowing of Liberty Street this is a parcel that could be expanded for a bigger infill development that replaces a non-contributing ugly building. Sticking a patio there wastes this opportunity of the city's investment in Liberty.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/23/exclusive-daniel-wrights-proposed-otr-bar-faces.html

 

Confused as to why this is facing backlash about noise. It’s in the corner of Race and LIberty and from the looks of it the outdoor space is facing LIberty.

 

Details are in the latest HCB packet (last item): https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/january-22-2018-staff-report-and-attachments/

 

The HCB is concerned about lack of dedicated parking. City Council and the Mayor need to revise parking policies in OTR, because it's getting out of hand. There is lots of free, un-metered parking on side streets, no residential permit system, AND onerous requirements for any new business, no matter what size. Together these make for very bad policies. 

^ "Requiring deeded parking for such establishments could stop development, Gelter said. Gelter acknowledged the need for a more comprehensive system and said 3CDC continues to work on an overall residential parking permit program in Over-the-Rhine."

 

Comprehensive. Ya think? But a comprehensive system isn't a residential parking permit program. The streetcar needs to be a centerpiece of a parking plan geared to visitors to the area. But 3CDC still insists that the streetcar doesn't exist.

I'm so sick of complaints about noise and parking.  OTR is on these major intersections is an entertainment district in a dense downtown environment.  If you don't want to deal with noise then don't move/live there.  If you expect every business to have it's own parking you're going to halt development. 

...that is WAY too low density.

 

What is happening in OTR? Since I left two years ago it seems like every major corner is getting a patio. Or something low density. Corners are critical in urban environments. There is zero reason this site should be a one story single use building with a patio. It's ridiculous. It's insulting to the standards of good urban practice.

 

This site should be a 5 story building occupying the full site with street level retail and residences or offices above (or a hotel, but that's much less likely). Anything else is wrong for the site.

 

I really hope this is denied. I hate their reasoning for opposing it, but if the end result is that it doesn't happen, that's a positive in my mind.

 

This site should be a 5 story building occupying the full site with street level retail and residences or offices above (or a hotel, but that's much less likely). Anything else is wrong for the site.

 

 

But, but, but...Parking!!!!

...that is WAY too low density.

I hear you. Wonder if part of the reason for this proposal is that the existing 1 story building would be considered a contributing structure. Hence a major hassle for a demolition permit.

I have a feeling it would be. Personally I say tear it down. There are times when hanging onto a historic structure doesn't actually enhance the quality of a place and allowing it to be demolished (if being replaced) is actually beneficial. In the case of this site, if the road diet does indeed happen this building shouldn't stand in the way of properly scaled urban infill on this site.

 

But that's all moot if there's a little patio on the corner...