February 27Feb 27 The former parking lot at Henry and Dunlap has been torn out and fencing has been put up around the site
February 27Feb 27 @ryanlammi, was this the “free parking” lot for OTR Stillhouse? And if so, are they still using that nearby parking deck for their customer parking? Just realized I’ve never actually driven a car to there.
February 27Feb 27 39 minutes ago, Gordon Bombay said: @ryanlammi, was this the “free parking” lot for OTR Stillhouse? And if so, are they still using that nearby parking deck for their customer parking? Just realized I’ve never actually driven a car to there. Unrelated. This was an hourly pay lot across the street from Dunlap Cafe
March 4Mar 4 OTR Community Housing, Tender Mercies plan $8.9M project near Washington Park A new supportive housing project is proposed in Over-the-Rhine to replace and improve upon a facility that offers the same services at the same location. Tender Mercies, a downtown Cincinnati-based nonprofit that serves those with histories of homelessness who have experienced mental illness, is looking to build a new facility at 1440 Pleasant St. just north of Washington Park. The proposed four-story, 19,582-square-foot building, called Pleasant House, carries a total development cost of around $8.9 million. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/03/04/otr-tender-mercies-pleasant-house-demo-tax-credits.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 5Mar 5 2 hours ago, ColDayMan said: OTR Community Housing, Tender Mercies plan $8.9M project near Washington Park A new supportive housing project is proposed in Over-the-Rhine to replace and improve upon a facility that offers the same services at the same location. Tender Mercies, a downtown Cincinnati-based nonprofit that serves those with histories of homelessness who have experienced mental illness, is looking to build a new facility at 1440 Pleasant St. just north of Washington Park. The proposed four-story, 19,582-square-foot building, called Pleasant House, carries a total development cost of around $8.9 million. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/03/04/otr-tender-mercies-pleasant-house-demo-tax-credits.html I’m kind of confused on the location. There’s currently already a building at 1440 Pleasant street. Is this building replacing that building or is it going in the lot just south of the said building?
March 5Mar 5 28 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said: I’m kind of confused on the location. There’s currently already a building at 1440 Pleasant street. Is this building replacing that building or is it going in the lot just south of the said building? Rendering has it at the corner. Looks like the building will be razed.
March 5Mar 5 Yeah the current building is going to be demoed for this new one. It's only from 1990 and needs lot's of updates, so instead of investing in it further they are going to build a newer, larger, and nicer building in the same spot.
March 5Mar 5 12 hours ago, zsnyder said: The interior with the tables and egress to the sidewalk...will that be public? I don't know for certain, but I suspect that space will only be for residents.
March 5Mar 5 Interesting to see a relatively recent infill building demolished for something bigger/more dense. Makes me wonder if the same thing could happen to Brackett Village on Walnut at some point.
March 5Mar 5 55 minutes ago, taestell said: Interesting to see a relatively recent infill building demolished for something bigger/more dense. Make me wonder if the same thing could happen to Brackett Village on Walnut at some point. I had a similar thought. Would make a lot of sense for Eagle Realty/W&S to consider something much denser in this area. It's a large part of OTR and if you ask them, they're proud to state that they were the first 'major investment' in OTR back in the 1990s. From www.westernsouthern.com/about/history: "Brackett Village, an affordable housing community developed by Western & Southern in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine (OTR) neighborhood, is dedicated. It helps spur OTR neighborhood redevelopment."
March 5Mar 5 1 hour ago, taestell said: Interesting to see a relatively recent infill building demolished for something bigger/more dense. Make me wonder if the same thing could happen to Brackett Village on Walnut at some point. I forget which podcast it was on... but I recall John Barrett speaking surprisingly positively about Brackett Village, saying something along the lines of "they look just as good as the day they were built." I think he intended it positively, but it's also a bit damning with faint praise, if you ask me.
March 5Mar 5 I think the current buildings and have held up well, seem to be well maintained, and blend into the neighborhood just fine. But there's an opportunity to add a lot more affordable housing units to the neighborhood. About half of the land is used by surface parking lots, and the buildings are only 3 stories while many of the neighboring historic buildings are 4-5 stories. Buildings could be replaced in a phased approach to minimize disruptions to the existing residents, and we might actually achieve enough residential density to support the ground floor retail spaces in the neighborhood.
March 5Mar 5 32 minutes ago, taestell said: I think the current buildings and have held up well, seem to be well maintained, and blend into the neighborhood just fine. But there's an opportunity to add a lot more affordable housing units to the neighborhood. About half of the land is used by surface parking lots, and the buildings are only 3 stories while many of the neighboring historic buildings are 4-5 stories. Buildings could be replaced in a phased approach to minimize disruptions to the existing residents, and we might actually achieve enough residential density to support the ground floor retail spaces in the neighborhood. Would be transformational to South of Liberty to get major density, first floor retail, mixed income, structured parking in this area between Vine and Main.
March 20Mar 20 OTR’s northward march By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Mar 20, 2025 It becomes obvious at night, when the southern half of Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine transforms into an entrancing esplanade, with so many lanterns and backlit storefronts and all the warmth of a living room at Christmas. Continue north past Liberty Street, however, and things abruptly change. Now streetlights crane from the tops of tall, slender telephone poles spaced 40 yards apart. The light is harsh and intermittent, giving sanction more than radiance. It turns the vacant buildings ghoulish and seems to create more shadows than it erases. The difference is nearly as stark during the day. Vine Street through the southern half of OTR is the stuff of technicolor tourist booklets; through the north, it’s as desaturated as it is barren, with boarded-up windows, crumbling cornices, spalling pavement, strewn trash and the occasional detritus of drug use. Liberty Street may indeed present the clearest divide in the country between the two halves of a single neighborhood. But it won’t be that way for long. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/03/20/otr-north-liberty-street-city-3cdc-rehab-findlay.html
March 21Mar 21 I hadn't seen anything visual for the Crossroads health center but between this visual and the added surface parking lot... yikes. I guess at least they are keeping the steeple.
March 21Mar 21 2 hours ago, wjh said: Holy moly. Why does it not have windows? I'm guessing because they are using the existing rec center building and just doing interior renovations.
March 25Mar 25 Author Significant interest in Alms & Doepke apartment conversion, Driehaus says By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Mar 25, 2025 The next residential conversion target in Cincinnati’s urban core could be the historic Alms & Doepke Dry Goods Co. building on Central Parkway following the departure of Hamilton County from its confines at the end of this year. Alms & Doepke, which dates from 1878, has been county-owned since 1993. Hamilton County Job and Family Services currently occupies the 235,954-square-foot building, though less than a quarter of the more than 800 employees that once occupied its offices do so today. MORE
March 25Mar 25 1 hour ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: Significant interest in Alms & Doepke apartment conversion, Driehaus says By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Mar 25, 2025 The next residential conversion target in Cincinnati’s urban core could be the historic Alms & Doepke Dry Goods Co. building on Central Parkway following the departure of Hamilton County from its confines at the end of this year. Alms & Doepke, which dates from 1878, has been county-owned since 1993. Hamilton County Job and Family Services currently occupies the 235,954-square-foot building, though less than a quarter of the more than 800 employees that once occupied its offices do so today. MORE That would be great! Also of note is that only 200 of the former 800 employees are there. It should increase the activity quite a lot in the area. If they go apartments I wonder how many they can fit? It could also end up being a great hotel, those are the two uses I would push for. I would be happy with either one. *Also, is one of the buildings which may be up for sale from Hamilton County the building at the corner of MLK and Victory in Walnut Hills? Edited March 25Mar 25 by IAGuy39
March 25Mar 25 13 minutes ago, IAGuy39 said: *Also, is one of the buildings which may be up for sale from Hamilton County the building at the corner of MLK and Victory in Walnut Hills? Yes. 1520 Madison Rd is near the corner of MLK and Victory Parkway. From: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/07/02/hamilton-county-may-sell-downtown-building-others.html Quote The buildings that would be sold, pending commissioners’ approval are at: 222 E. Central Parkway (Hamilton County Department of Jobs and Family Services) 250 William Howard Taft Rd. (public health, environmental services) 264 William Howard Taft Rd. (juvenile court assessment center) 1520 Madison Road (developmental disabilities services) 5093 Kingsley Drive (developmental disabilities services)
March 25Mar 25 1 hour ago, jwulsin said: Yes. 1520 Madison Rd is near the corner of MLK and Victory Parkway. From: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/07/02/hamilton-county-may-sell-downtown-building-others.html Thanks! I was actually thinking this building but it looks like it isn't Hamilton County owned: 2830 Victory Parkway - It is for sale, not sure why I thought that was one of the buildings: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.129907,-84.4808305,3a,75y,134.2h,87.82t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sdZRZrLsJkoe5iglKlQjsRQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D2.17700844752828%26panoid%3DdZRZrLsJkoe5iglKlQjsRQ%26yaw%3D134.19970039320918!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxOS4yIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDU1SAFQAw%3D%3D Here is another one in the area but this doesn't look like it's up for sale and maybe not part of Hamilton County portfolio either: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Greater+Cincinnati+Behavioral+Health+Services+(GCB)/@39.1298601,-84.4792825,3a,75y,187.55h,107.5t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPVzZfULbXjrycmJIu4hqjg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-17.49518157286758%26panoid%3DPVzZfULbXjrycmJIu4hqjg%26yaw%3D187.5502754285248!7i16384!8i8192!4m16!1m9!3m8!1s0x8841b24afcfa8e61:0x6ce50e3fae12ef55!2s1520+Madison+Rd,+Cincinnati,+OH+45206!3b1!8m2!3d39.1301903!4d-84.4781725!10e5!16s%2Fg%2F11c4qxvt7h!3m5!1s0x8841b24ad3f28197:0x4e2472780456fccb!8m2!3d39.1296635!4d-84.4793223!16s%2Fg%2F1tfg8bvw?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxOS4yIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDU1SAFQAw%3D%3D
March 31Mar 31 Massive $100M 'OTR North' project secures first-phase financing Construction on a massive $100 million overhaul aimed at transforming Vine Street north of Liberty Street in Over-the-Rhine is expected to start May 1 after Cincinnati City Council approved needed financing for the project. The unanimous March 26 votes allow the city to sell up to $34 million in economic development revenue bonds to construct a new Findlay Community Center and Crossroad Health Center, most of the city’s eventual $43 million contribution to the project. All are a part of the OTR North effort recently spotlighted in the Business Courier’s March 21 Weekly Edition cover story. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/03/31/3cdc-otr-north-liberty-city-funding-findlay-rec.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 1Apr 1 21 hours ago, ColDayMan said: Massive $100M 'OTR North' project secures first-phase financing Construction on a massive $100 million overhaul aimed at transforming Vine Street north of Liberty Street in Over-the-Rhine is expected to start May 1 after Cincinnati City Council approved needed financing for the project. The unanimous March 26 votes allow the city to sell up to $34 million in economic development revenue bonds to construct a new Findlay Community Center and Crossroad Health Center, most of the city’s eventual $43 million contribution to the project. All are a part of the OTR North effort recently spotlighted in the Business Courier’s March 21 Weekly Edition cover story. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/03/31/3cdc-otr-north-liberty-city-funding-findlay-rec.html This is exciting for a number of reasons: 1.) Community Center will be great for that area of town. Young folks need an outlet to get off the street and hopeful they can get programming together to get kids in there year round with mentors. 2.) Fixing up a Lot of buildings, looks like 13 in a two block area, with 96 Units. 3.) Reducing empty buildings reduces crime, this will help a lot. 4.) Hopefully push for impetus for more private development in the immediate area. McMicken is probably, one of the best streetwalls of historic buildings in the city and this will continue that march. It is a race against time in a lot of cases so increasing private development at least will fortify more buildings from getting razed due to negligence, I hope.
April 1Apr 1 With the Liberty to Findlay Market area being redeveloped, OTR North is a critical hinge for the neighborhood. In many ways, it's the keystone of the neighborhood. The last major quadrant in need of redevelopment/streetscape improvements is this Vine/McMicken/Main/Liberty zone. This includes Grant Park, Husman/Moerlein warehouse, Shell Station, Vine Street North, Hudepohl Brewery, and the Schiller/Hughes Street empty lots.
April 1Apr 1 I think Grant park is the most important piece in OTR at this point. It's larger than Washington Park's oval and has the potential to really anchor this section of the Neighborhood the way that Washington Park does to western OTR and Zeigler Park does for eastern OTR/Pendleton. Between those to parks we already have grassy fields, splash pads, a swimming pool, basketball courts etc. so this park needs to provide a different style and different amenity that works in concert with the new rec center replacing Findlay Playground. The three of them combined form a nice equally spaced triangle though that has the ability, like the squares of Savannah, to give all corners of the neighborhood nearby access to both high quality park spaces but also reliable underground parking. Personally to differentiate it from the other two parks I'd copy more off the Campus Martius in Detroit, which is roughly the same size. A grassy lawn, a standalone food/drink vendor, nice trees, a fountain and/or sculpture. Basically an OTR equivalent of Fountain Square but with soft grassy space as well. Tons of potential and a cheap playground/basketball court isn't going to cut it.
April 1Apr 1 1 minute ago, ucgrady said: I think Grant park is the most important piece in OTR at this point. It's larger than Washington Park's oval and has the potential to really anchor this section of the Neighborhood the way that Washington Park does to western OTR and Zeigler Park does for eastern OTR/Pendleton. Between those to parks we already have grassy fields, splash pads, a swimming pool, basketball courts etc. so this park needs to provide a different style and different amenity that works in concert with the new rec center replacing Findlay Playground. The three of them combined form a nice equally spaced triangle though that has the ability, like the squares of Savannah, to give all corners of the neighborhood nearby access to both high quality park spaces but also reliable underground parking. Personally to differentiate it from the other two parks I'd copy more off the Campus Martius in Detroit, which is roughly the same size. A grassy lawn, a standalone food/drink vendor, nice trees, a fountain and/or sculpture. Basically an OTR equivalent of Fountain Square but with soft grassy space as well. Tons of potential and a cheap playground/basketball court isn't going to cut it. Yes I think that is probably the next step and also ties in the McMicken corridor at least the eastern corridor portion, and the side streets and perpendicular streets to there like Clifton Ave, etc. which also has a very impressive streetwall.
April 1Apr 1 22 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said: Do they mention anything about burying the utility lines? Yes. The last part of OTR North is a $3.5 million streetscaping project that will transform the northern half of Vine Street in the same manner as the southern half – complete with buried utilities and pedestrian safety enhancements. Ordinances for the second phase are expected to surface in the fall. 3CDC expects to ask for $6.9 million for Findlay Flats, the full $3.8 million for Grant Park and the full $3.5 million for the Vine Street streetscaping. Construction on OTR North’s first phase could begin by May. Work on the second could begin in the fall, with all elements debuting together in the third quarter of 2026. Agree this will hopefully be the start of some huge changes in OTR North. Getting more residents in and abandoned buildings filled will make a giant difference vs what we see today.
April 1Apr 1 The last image I've seen of the park was from the biz journal in February. Dog Park swapped out for basketball courts, which were shown in earlier versions of the park.
April 1Apr 1 Wow, I'm looking forward to the new park! When I lived adjacent during the start of Covid it was pretty sketchy around there.
April 2Apr 2 The designs are great for the park. too bad there isn't room enough for a tree-covered walk like Piatt Park. Of the two plans, I like the top concept more because of the arched walkways at either end.
April 2Apr 2 19 hours ago, Cincy513 said: Yes. The last part of OTR North is a $3.5 million streetscaping project that will transform the northern half of Vine Street in the same manner as the southern half – complete with buried utilities and pedestrian safety enhancements. This is great news. What stretch of Vine is this for? From Liberty Street north to McMicken? Clifton?
April 2Apr 2 20 hours ago, Chas Wiederhold said: Dog Park swapped out for basketball courts The "Save Our Courts" group is not going to be happy about this.
April 3Apr 3 23 hours ago, Miami-Erie said: This is great news. What stretch of Vine is this for? From Liberty Street north to McMicken? Clifton? I tried to find this on the City Council legislation website but couldn't. Does anyone know?
April 3Apr 3 5 hours ago, Miami-Erie said: I tried to find this on the City Council legislation website but couldn't. Does anyone know? I'm not sure if/when it went before City Council, but this was presented to the OTR Community Council in November: https://otrcommunitycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/OTRCC-North-OTR-Projects.pdf Edited April 3Apr 3 by jwulsin
April 4Apr 4 Curious to see what they propose for the streetscape north of Liberty. Hoping they take inspiration from projects like High Street in Columbus or the proposed/ongoing Central Parkway project, adding in maximum bump-outs wherever possible, maybe some raised crosswalks, and using high quality materials.
April 4Apr 4 5 minutes ago, taestell said: Curious to see what they propose for the streetscape north of Liberty. Hoping they take inspiration from projects like High Street in Columbus or the proposed/ongoing Central Parkway project, adding in maximum bump-outs wherever possible, maybe some raised crosswalks, and using high quality materials. I heard it's supposed to be like Vine St south of Liberty.
April 10Apr 10 3CDC buys OTR Crossroad Health Center site ahead of relocation near Findlay Market Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., or 3CDC, has acquired the Crossroad Health Center site on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. Plans for the 36-year-old structure, which occupies the prominent southeast corner of Vine Street and Liberty Street, are undetermined. “We consider this a critical intersection in the ongoing development push from southern portion of Over-the-Rhine to North OTR,” a 3CDC spokesperson told the Business Courier. “We are in the beginning stages of analyzing potential development plans for the site, but at this time, no long-term use has been determined.” More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/04/10/3cdc-otr-buys-crossroad-health-move-findlay-market.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 11Apr 11 18 hours ago, ColDayMan said: 3CDC buys OTR Crossroad Health Center site ahead of relocation near Findlay Market Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., or 3CDC, has acquired the Crossroad Health Center site on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. Plans for the 36-year-old structure, which occupies the prominent southeast corner of Vine Street and Liberty Street, are undetermined. “We consider this a critical intersection in the ongoing development push from southern portion of Over-the-Rhine to North OTR,” a 3CDC spokesperson told the Business Courier. “We are in the beginning stages of analyzing potential development plans for the site, but at this time, no long-term use has been determined.” More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/04/10/3cdc-otr-buys-crossroad-health-move-findlay-market.html Not sure if it's in the cards or not but would love a Wilkomenn type development here akin to this: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1130147,-84.5183161,3a,75y,3.62h,98.37t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDp7b8qogGxqbGR3pD0vzBA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-8.37346934550871%26panoid%3DDp7b8qogGxqbGR3pD0vzBA%26yaw%3D3.624733260060111!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQwOC4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDU1SAFQAw%3D%3D
April 11Apr 11 My assumption would be that they tear it down and use it as a parking lot for a few years. Would be great to see this site and the old Kroger site get developed at the same time.
April 11Apr 11 Agreed that it will likely be a parking lot for a few years unfortunately. There are parking lots along Liberty at Elm, Race, Walnut, Main and now likely Vine. Getting these parcels developed needs to happen in-conjunction with the whole 'OTR North' plan.
April 21Apr 21 Cincinnati residents balk at OTR housing development Most of the time, when neighbors object to new housing in Cincinnati, they are opposing a new apartment project. In the Mohawk section of Over-the-Rhine April 18, neighbors objected to new single-family homes to be built by Habitat for Humanity, with the head of Mohawk’s community development corporation (CDC) saying the 0.35-acre site should be multifamily on top of a parking podium. ... The Over-the-Rhine Community Council previously backed the project in a 27-5 vote, but nearby neighbors objected to it because of its location, density and lack of off-street parking, and, in one neighbor’s case, its low-income nature. “Low-income housing is not the answer. They have done nothing to help,” said resident Tammy Barnett, referring to Habitat. Barnett said she and her husband, Charlie, have bought up much of the land on one side of McMicken Avenue and gotten rid of “Section 8” housing, while also working on human trafficking issues with a nonprofit. She said there is too much debris in the neighborhood, and they have seen prostitutes having sex outside in broad daylight. “It has been a crime-ridden area,” Barnett said. “We are an up-and-coming neighborhood that deserves better development. Where are you going to put six to 12 cars? We could put higher-end housing up. We could use high rises, condos, better development, anything but this.” More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/04/21/mohawk-otr-habitat-humanity-single-family-townhome.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 22Apr 22 https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2025-04-22/36m-over-the-rhine-development-gets-key-approvals The Grammer's project moved 30' closer to Liberty!
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