1 hour ago, seicer said:

 

I know that was a big trend in the 1970s and 1980s as a way to give business districts a leg up on competition with suburban malls (e.g. Middletown OH, St. Albans WV, Ithaca NY, Louisville KY, North St. Louis, MO, etc.), but most of these pedestrian-only zones failed for a variety of reasons. I'm interested in the more recent concepts in London, in which the street is raised to the level of the sidewalk, with no marked lanes or sidewalks. Pedestrians co-exist with vehicles. It's still unclear long-term if this reduces accidents, but it certainly does slow down speed.

 

Exposition Road in London is a good analysis of a modern shared space design. Part of the street carries through traffic and the other doesn't, but they have the same design.  Unfortunately what they found, and other analyses have confirmed this, is if there are more than 100 motor vehicles per hour traveling down the street, then it will not function as a shared space, the vehicles will push all other uses to the side, effectively recreating the current setup.  That doesn't mean it's not safer or less cluttered (potentially), but it won't be shared space so much as functioning more like a parking lot.  Look at Short Vine for a local example.  Also, pedestrianized areas need a robust walking and public transit rich environment to have enough foot traffic to activate the street, especially during off hours.  Relying solely on people going to/along that street is not enough, there needs to be people going through it as well.  It's also much harder to keep the space activated when you have 60-70 feet from building face to building face instead of 20 feet or less like you find in Medieval European or Asian town centers.  

1 hour ago, ryanlammi said:

So what's going on with the building at 1400 Sycamore? There's a really ugly faux storefront painted on the front that wasn't there before. I can't tell if an exterior facade was removed and this is what was underneath, or if it's a new project. It's not flattering, though, and I would be shocked if the city approved it in the last couple of years.

@1400 Sycamore

9 hours ago, ryanlammi said:

So what's going on with the building at 1400 Sycamore? There's a really ugly faux storefront painted on the front that wasn't there before. I can't tell if an exterior facade was removed and this is what was underneath, or if it's a new project. It's not flattering, though, and I would be shocked if the city approved it in the last couple of years.

I walk by that building every day and I can't believe they got permission to do that ugly mural (if they even did?). It looks like there used to be a historic, cast-iron facade on the ground floor that was (mostly) bricked in. Either take the brick out and put in new storefront, or just leave it brick. The mural they've painted on looks something you'd see on Hey Arnold.

anyone have a picture of the new look?

12 minutes ago, seaswan said:

anyone have a picture of the new look?

 

This will be the finished product 

I personally don't mind it. I feel like in alot of larger cities you tend to see art scribbled on the front of the building. 

 

Most of the artworks mutuals will eventually disappear once infill covers them up. It's kinda cool to see art work that's more in your face instead of on the side of a wall 

very citi-fied. looks very nyc and could be used in any number of films. I see Dobie Gillis' dad coming out the door wiping his hands of his grocery store apron. 

Page 47 of the latest HCB Sept 23rd shows renderings of the new 3cdc OTR Vine St Infill.

 

I have to say it looks SEXY as hell. Reminds alot of Chicago inspired infill. 3cdc haa been simply killing it lately with the new otr infill. 

Agreed, the curved brick details are really interesting and something you would see Morris Adjmi doing in New York. The color and sheen of the brick will determine its success ultimately, but the starting point is good and is a nice nod to historic bay/oriel windows while being contemporary looking as well.

Edited September 19, 20195 yr by ucgrady

12 minutes ago, ucgrady said:

Agreed, the curved brick details are really interesting and something you would see Morris Adjmi doing in New York. The color and sheen of the brick will determine its success ultimately, but the starting point is good and is a nice nod to historic bay/oriel windows while being contemporary looking as well.

 

 

 

3cdc must have more money for better architects I'm guessing..but seriously, this recent stuff is night and day compared to.mercer back in 2012. 

Agree about the sheen of the brick, hopefully it remembers the exterior of 21C. 

 

As to having more money, I would imagine being in an opportunity zone helps. Seems like this large array of projects and Model's projects above Findlay rely on opportunity zones to a significant degree. 

1 hour ago, ucgrady said:

Agreed, the curved brick details are really interesting and something you would see Morris Adjmi doing in New York. The color and sheen of the brick will determine its success ultimately, but the starting point is good and is a nice nod to historic bay/oriel windows while being contemporary looking as well.

I knew this was coming but did not realize it was the the parking lot where the Empire Theater once stood. 

^ Same. Have we seen any renderings for what they plan to build on the lot just north of The Kruckmeyer?

24 minutes ago, taestell said:

^ Same. Have we seen any renderings for what they plan to build on the lot just north of The Kruckmeyer?

This is included in the GBBN elevation showing adjacent building heights:

There are full detailed renderings in a previous packet from summer I believe in regards to number 5 labeled infill. 

2 hours ago, troeros said:

 

 

3cdc must have more money for better architects I'm guessing..but seriously, this recent stuff is night and day compared to.mercer back in 2012. 

 

quoted for truth.

I must be one of the few people here who doesn't hate One Mercer. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a modern building that just looks like a modern building. It's not trying to be faux-historic and it's not covered in a hodgepodge of random buildings materials like Current/USquare/The Gantry/Freeport Row in an attempt to "break up the facade."

They need to repeal unit density restrictions in OTR of 1 unit per 700 sf land area. You should not have to ask for a variance to put 18 units in a four story building like this. The market prevents the return of harmful tenement style densities, the height of the buildings are restricted, and there are no parking requirements. A density restriction is pointless and is nothing but a weapon for NIMBY neighbors to kill projects with. 

We need a citywide form-based code so that developers can just build their project without asking the city for variances, as long as it complies with the criteria laid out in that code (minimum/maximum setbacks from the street, minimum/maximum heights, etc). But our mayor said form-based codes were "scary" and crancelled the planning department's efforts to implement them, so we're stuck with our current legacy zoning system for now.

https://urbansites.com/uploads/project/pdf/77/600_E_12th.pdf

 

Thought this was interesting. Not sure how long this marketing brochure has been around by Urban Sites, but I will gladly love to see an Office Building on this long vacant piece of valuable land. 

It's the awning that ruins it for me.  The rest of the facade image is pretty much flat so it works, but trying to put an awning on it just makes it cartoonish.  Either leave it off (there'd be transoms behind the awning anyway) or put up a real awning.  

Keep in mind that UrbanSites very recently wanted to build an apartment building on the 12th Street lot and put a parking lot at the corner of 12th & Reading. This proposal was denied by HCB for...basically no reason. So I guess UrbanSites decided it was easier to just list it for sale.

On 9/19/2019 at 1:33 PM, JYP said:

I knew this was coming but did not realize it was the the parking lot where the Empire Theater once stood. 

 

 

The Empire Theater fiasco was a serious low point for the city.  Council + Charlie Luken were swindled, plus we lost a signature building that could have been rehabbed and enlivened that area by now. 

On 6/14/2019 at 9:40 AM, troeros said:

Bretzel has closed it's doors. They said that the new parking restrictions have forced them to become unprofitable and close their business.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/06/14/exclusive-soft-pretzel-bakery-to-close-otr-parking.html?iana=hpmvp_cinci_news_headline

 

This marks the 3rd OTR Business (The Anchor, The Rook, and now Bretzel) to close in just the past 5 months. Weird trend...

 

 

New sweets place opening in Bretzel’s old location. So much for the parking permits scaring away all that business! 

2 hours ago, JYP said:

New sweets place opening in Bretzel’s old location. So much for the parking permits scaring away all that business! 

 great photo. 

I just noticed that Vine Street from 15th to Liberty is closed to traffic for utility work related to the Meiners project. It's closed until 11/1, which seems like a long time to completely close a block of a major downtown street. Also it looked like interior demolition work was happening inside the Wielert's building and the other historic building immediately to the north of Wielert's. The old OTR Kroger has already been stripped of all signage and there was a security guard in the parking lot when I walked by earlier today, making sure no urbex'ers tried to get inside...

They might be doing utility prep work for projects on the west side of Vine also.  Incidentally, this looks like a much bigger interruption to traffic than anything surrounding the streetcar project.  

2 hours ago, jmecklenborg said:

They might be doing utility prep work for projects on the west side of Vine also.  Incidentally, this looks like a much bigger interruption to traffic than anything surrounding the streetcar project.  

 

Right, when all of the complex track work was installed at the intersection of 12th and Race, that intersection was completely closed down for maybe 3 weeks. It's bizarre that this block of Vine would be closed for 6 weeks for what appears to be standard utility work. I bet it has more to do with CPD wanting to intentionally disrupt traffic patterns in this part of the neighborhood than any legitimate utility-related reason.

I drove through tonight. They had steel plates over the work area but were letting cars through. 

7 hours ago, taestell said:

I just noticed that Vine Street from 15th to Liberty is closed to traffic for utility work related to the Meiners project. It's closed until 11/1, which seems like a long time to completely close a block of a major downtown street. Also it looked like interior demolition work was happening inside the Wielert's building and the other historic building immediately to the north of Wielert's. The old OTR Kroger has already been stripped of all signage and there was a security guard in the parking lot when I walked by earlier today, making sure no urbex'ers tried to get inside...

 

When is the otr Kroger set to be demolished?

There is a news article on WLWT on how a 15 year old teen entered a OTR bar (The Lackman) at 9pm and saw a purse sitting by itself on a bar stool and proceeded to run off with the purse. 

 

The patrons chased him down Vine and he dropped the purse and later got arrested for burglary charges. 

 

That said, they shared this post on Facebook and Twitter and I'm curious why this ever made news in the first place? It's the biggest non story but in big font in the header, "MAN STEALS PURSE IN POPULAR OTR BAR"...like why? Does the media have that big of an agenda against otr? I understand a shooting or some violent mugging incident, but a kid stealing a purse because the lady left it sitting there on its own? Like wtf?

2 hours ago, troeros said:

There is a news article on WLWT on how a 15 year old teen entered a OTR bar (The Lackman) at 9pm and saw a purse sitting by itself on a bar stool and proceeded to run off with the purse. 

 

The patrons chased him down Vine and he dropped the purse and later got arrested for burglary charges. 

 

That said, they shared this post on Facebook and Twitter and I'm curious why this ever made news in the first place? It's the biggest non story but in big font in the header, "MAN STEALS PURSE IN POPULAR OTR BAR"...like why? Does the media have that big of an agenda against otr? I understand a shooting or some violent mugging incident, but a kid stealing a purse because the lady left it sitting there on its own? Like wtf?

women and their purses. its a thing.

CITY COUNCIL 9/25:

 

* Declared the development at 1118 Sycamore Street in Pendleton to be a public purpose and exempt from real property taxation for 30 years under a previously approved 25-year tax increment financing package. The development will replace a surface parking lot with 148 residential units, 6,960 square feet of retail, and a 134-space garage.

 

Hopefully construction starts by the end of the year 

 

^ See Pendleton thread

Interior demolition work starting to occur at the old OTR Kroger. The old Big K vending machine is being hauled away on the back of a flatbed truck.

From 3CDC:

 

Quote

Now Leasing: Columbia Flats Apartments

 

Are you looking for an apartment in the heart of Over-the-Rhine with character and modern amenities? Columbia Flats offers residents the charm of historic architecture with the ease of brand-new appliances and interior finishes. 

 

One and two-bedroom apartments feature various amenities including:

• Hardwood floors
• In-unit washer and dryer 
• Ceiling fans 
• Stainless steel appliances  
• Community courtyard 
• Onsite maintenance 
• Cat and dog friendly 

 

Columbia Flats is located within walking distance to some of Cincinnati's most popular bars and restaurants, the new Kroger On the Rhine, Washington Park and the Ziegler Park Pool. Want to head Downtown? Hop on the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar, which has a stop just a block away from Columbia Flats. 

 

The project is part of 3CDC’s larger strategy to develop high-quality affordable and market-rate residences in the heart of OTR. Of the 36 units, 8 will be made available to persons or families at 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

 

27 minutes ago, taestell said:

From 3CDC:

 

 

 

So if you have otr increasingly become more populated with wealthy individuals won't that heavily affect the area media income and thus make those 8 reserved units unaffordable?

9 minutes ago, troeros said:

 

So if you have otr increasingly become more populated with wealthy individuals won't that heavily affect the area media income and thus make those 8 reserved units unaffordable?

It's the median income for the City of Cincinnati. 80% of that number is considered low income.

 

https://cintimha.com/hcv/eligibility/

 

Looks like 80% AMI for one is someone currently earning $45,500 a year.

2 minutes ago, JYP said:

It's the median income for the City of Cincinnati. 80% of that number is considered low income.

 

https://cintimha.com/hcv/eligibility/

 

Looks like 80% AMI for one is someone currently earning $45,500 a year.

 

Curious if that's net or gross? That means someone has to make roughly 24$/25$ an hour at their day jobs. Yikes. 

^ To be clear: If you are a single person and your total income for the year is $45,500 or less, you would qualify for one of the subsidized ("affordable") units in the building. Meaning that you do not qualify if you make more than that amount.

 

For a family of 2, that amount is $52,050 total. For example, a young married couple where one partner makes $23,000 and the other makes $27,000, they would qualify for one of the subsidized units because their total income is below the limit.

The Cincinnatian Barber Shop has moved from the Schwartz Building up to 1341 Main Street, in between Tax Place on Main and MOTR.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, taestell said:

 

 

Fox 19 wrote an article saying 3cdc is still planning on developing a mixed use structure on the Kroger lot and still determining whether residential/office will be the best fit. Regardless, hope this lot is developed quicker rather than later. 

10 minutes ago, troeros said:

 

Fox 19 wrote an article saying 3cdc is still planning on developing a mixed use structure on the Kroger lot and still determining whether residential/office will be the best fit. Regardless, hope this lot is developed quicker rather than later. 

 

As several of us have speculated elsewhere, we suspect that 3CDC is trying to get the land owned on the opposite side of the block so that they can do a development that continues all the way to Walnut St.  That land is still tied up in the never-ending Martin Wade divorce proceedings.  

16 minutes ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

As several of us have speculated elsewhere, we suspect that 3CDC is trying to get the land owned on the opposite side of the block so that they can do a development that continues all the way to Walnut St.  That land is still tied up in the never-ending Martin Wade divorce proceedings.  

 

Aren't the Wade's old? One of them will probably die first of old age before the divorce settlement is wrapped up lol

7 minutes ago, troeros said:

 

Aren't the Wade's old? One of them will probably die first of old age before the divorce settlement is wrapped up lol

 

No comment but the word on the street is one of them is ill.  

The divorce is over. 

1 hour ago, JYP said:

The divorce is over. 

 

...so they're back together?

2 hours ago, JYP said:

The divorce is over. 

 

Then what's taking so long in regards to the property?

1 hour ago, troeros said:

 

Then what's taking so long in regards to the property?

Rich people work to their own schedule and can afford to sit on property till the right deal is ready. They may still want to do their development there. Who knows?