Boo hoo. It's time. But, boy will it leave a hole in the skyline. 

 

Hopefully to be replaced by something modern and glassy. The west side of the skyline needs some flair.

 

Can we please just get a "twin" to Indy's JW Marriott?

Any reason specified as to why they are demolishing the hotel before they even have any plans for a new one to take its place? 
 

Before Covid wasn’t the downtown area already running low on hotel rooms available? 
 

Not sure how it’s going to be when Cincy is full of events again...heck if Cincinnati is awarded the World Cup host city bid im not sure city officials will host all the fans.

 

 

8 minutes ago, Troeros2 said:

if Cincinnati is awarded the World Cup host city bid

If this happens, we will get a fancy hotel or two to make sure we can accomodate the influx.  Indy got their fancy Marriott once it was announced they were hosting the Super Bowl.

1 hour ago, Troeros2 said:

Any reason specified as to why they are demolishing the hotel before they even have any plans for a new one to take its place? 

 

..heck if Cincinnati is awarded the World Cup host city bid im not sure city officials will host all the fans.

 

 

Pretty sure you answered your own question here. If we get awarded the World Cup site at the end of this year/beginning of 2022, then add 12 month of demo after a hotel plan is in place it could be a tight schedule to get a hotel up and running as well as possible convention center expansion by 2026, if renovation was off the table then it makes sense to give yourself a blank slate as soon as possible.  

 

The construction trailer for the demo has been set up in the middle of Elm street and it's clear that the plan is for Elm to be closed to traffic for the foreseeable future to be used as a staging/sorting area for the demo process. I worry that this is being treated as a way to ease into closing this stretch of Elm permanently with a potential expansion of the convention center in conjunction with the new hotel. I would really hate to see Elm closed, as the SW corner of downtown and historic 4th street is already so separated from the rest of downtown this would only make that feel worse. 

Edited April 8, 20214 yr by ucgrady

55 minutes ago, 10albersa said:

If this happens, we will get a fancy hotel or two to make sure we can accomodate the influx.  Indy got their fancy Marriott once it was announced they were hosting the Super Bowl.

100%, and time wise for the 2026 World Cup they would need to break ground by late 2023/early 2024 which is definitely doable. I would assume Cincy could host a NFL draft later in the 2020s too with the bengals lease being up I would demand it if public dollars are being used for any renovations to Paul Brown. Hosting a super bowl isn’t in the cards I don’t think.

Fast-growing Cincinnati CRE firm buys downtown, West End apartments

 

A fast-growing Cincinnati commercial real estate development firm has purchased two apartment buildings in the city’s urban core.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/04/13/cre-firm-buys-dtwn-west-end-buildings.html

 

Bring back Reliable Jewelry and Loan :)

The Townplace Suites at 7th and Race is nearly finished and had the construction lift removed revealing the final facade on both sides. Personally I don't know why the addition switches from the black metal panels to black thin-brick tile, I would have just kept the black metal the whole way but that's just my opinion of false brick. I think this project came out really well, and considering that we got to add new constru ction hotel rooms downtown while also saving a historic building in one project is a win-win. 

Looks great!  The historic facade looks fantastic.

46 minutes ago, ucgrady said:

Personally I don't know why the addition switches from the black metal panels to black thin-brick tile, I would have just kept the black metal the whole way but that's just my opinion of false brick.

Fair point. From my perspective, I don't mind the new, modern brick details here... because I think they were executed with a careful eye to detail. I like the "texture" the brick adds, even if it's not structural brick. Overall, I'm very impressed with how this project came together. Who was the architect on this?

 

 

6 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

Who was the architect on this?

The illuminati, I mean Luminaut.

Yeah, it does look great.

5 hours ago, ucgrady said:

The Townplace Suites at 7th and Race is nearly finished and had the construction lift removed revealing the final facade on both sides. Personally I don't know why the addition switches from the black metal panels to black thin-brick tile, I would have just kept the black metal the whole way but that's just my opinion of false brick. I think this project came out really well, and considering that we got to add new constru ction hotel rooms downtown while also saving a historic building in one project is a win-win. 

Very nice!

I think this was a much more difficult project than your average addition onto a historic building. There is such a large amount of adjoining area between old and new, that it would be easy for it become very off balance. Overall, I really like how Townplace Suites has turned out.

I was wondering if they would keep the night deposit box but looks like it is gone. Cool building - nice to see it being used again

Props to this project and to Luminaut. Great work!

On May 7th, the Planning Commission will review a proposal for the City to sell 120 Garfield Place to Towne Properties for $1.6 million. Currently the land is owned by the City, and leased to a subsidiary of Towne Properties. Anybody know what prompted the change? The Planning Commission doc says "Towne Properties does not propose any modifications to the mixed-used development on the site." 

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/about-city-planning/city-planning-commission/

45 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

On May 7th, the Planning Commission will review a proposal for the City to sell 120 Garfield Place to Towne Properties for $1.6 million. Currently the land is owned by the City, and leased to a subsidiary of Towne Properties. Anybody know what prompted the change? The Planning Commission doc says "Towne Properties does not propose any modifications to the mixed-used development on the site." 

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/planning/about-city-planning/city-planning-commission/

just another transfer of city property to a private entity on the cheap....

Does anyone have any updated pictures of this project?

 

 

 

5 hours ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said:

Does anyone have any updated pictures of this project?

 

 

 

5/3rd Bringing all workers back to HQ, ending work from home. This will bring a lot more daytime energy to Fountain Square.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/05/18/fifth-third-ending-hybrid-office-model.html

Good news!

 

Downtown Mercantile Library Building to be converted to apartments

 

The Mercantile Library Building at 414 Walnut St. in downtown Cincinnati is under contract to be purchased by Model Group, which plans to convert most of the building to apartments. The namesake Mercantile Library would stay and expand as part of the project.

By Tom Demeropolis  –  Senior Staff Reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

May 19, 2021 Updated 8 hours ago

 

The Model Group plans to purchase the Mercantile Library Building and convert most it to apartments.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/05/19/mercantile-library-building-conversion.html

^Good time to remove the skywalk...

That skywalk has never bothered me much. It was very lightly used anyway. It is there, but in reality given the location, the street was always the preferable mode of travel anyway. There were a lot more street businesses in that area, there was no Skywalk businesses and not much to encourage people to go to the Skywalk level at that location. It is not like the Tower Place Skywalk where there were a lot of Skywalk level businesses.  That Skywalk took people from an elevator bank surrounded by hotel ballrooms on one side to an event center surrounded by blank space on the other side. WHereas, any businesses that were in those buildings that people would travel too were on ground level. Given that the street was fairly narrow in those areas, it was just natural for people to go on the street. 

 

I do not have a problem with leaving the skywalk there because it actually does not detract anything from street businesses at that location. The Skywalk is the vehicle that is not really used. Invest the money into other features in the building and let the Skywalk be in this case. 

1 hour ago, Brutus_buckeye said:

Invest the money into other features in the building and let the Skywalk be in this case. 

Counterpoint: removing the skywalk would be huge aesthetic improvement to the historical facade and view looking down the street & removing the skywalk could result in more useable space in the building itself 

Edited May 20, 20214 yr by thebillshark

5 minutes ago, thebillshark said:

Counterpoint: removing the skywalk would be huge aesthetic improvement to the historical facade and view looking down the street & removing the skywalk could result in more useable space in the building itself 

 

Not to mention you rid yourself of the maintenance bill on a duplicative and useless piece of infrastructure.

12 hours ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said:

Good news!

 

Downtown Mercantile Library Building to be converted to apartments

 

The Mercantile Library Building at 414 Walnut St. in downtown Cincinnati is under contract to be purchased by Model Group, which plans to convert most of the building to apartments. The namesake Mercantile Library would stay and expand as part of the project.

By Tom Demeropolis  –  Senior Staff Reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

May 19, 2021 Updated 8 hours ago

 

The Model Group plans to purchase the Mercantile Library Building and convert most it to apartments.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/05/19/mercantile-library-building-conversion.html

 

Awesome! I was wondering if this building is mostly vacant at the moment, then?

 

Model gets projects done so I don't think this one will sit around long.

 

Anybody know what's going on the the SE Corner of 5th and Walnut. That is a hotel development correct and is it still pushing forward? In the last 5 years with all the new renos going on that 4th + 5th street corridor is really transforming. Highly important to the health and well being of downtown Cincinnati.

 

Also I agree get rid of that skywalk. Helps the street look so much better, I always hated that one.

Mercantile Library would double with building’s planned conversion to apartments

 

As part of a planned more than $33.5 million conversion of the Mercantile Library Building into apartments, the building’s namesake tenant would double in size.

 

Model Group is planning to convert nine floors of the building at 414 Walnut St. from office space to apartments. As part of that planned project the Mercantile Library would expand to take the entire 12th floor of the building, John Faherty, executive director of the Mercantile Library, told the Business Courier. The library was founded as the Young Men’s Mercantile Library in 1835 by a group of 45 young businessmen to promote learning and to provide themselves with a library and reading room downtown

 

Faherty said this expansion would arguably be the biggest change the library has seen in the last 150 years.

 

“We’ll be able to talk to more people, have more books, more discussions and really celebrate literature,” Faherty told me. “It’s an incredible opportunity.”

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/05/19/mercantile-library-to-double.html

 

The new Marriott TownePlace Suites at 7th and Race is open! It’s going to be nice having both this and The Kinley Hotel activating that intersection. 

Created a new thread for the Western & Southern Headquarters discussion

Has anyone heard the status of Neyer Properties renovation of Shillitos at 7th and Elm?

I also wonder if 4th and Walnut Centre ever sold and what the plan is there since it won $5M in state HTCs. 

1 hour ago, Miami-Erie said:

Has anyone heard the status of Neyer Properties renovation of Shillitos at 7th and Elm?

 

Not sure if related but they did recently tear down the awning on the side facing 7th.

16 hours ago, Miami-Erie said:

I also wonder if 4th and Walnut Centre ever sold and what the plan is there since it won $5M in state HTCs. 

It didn't sell, and they owe a number of firms locally, money on all the work that was produced to turn it into a viable dual brand hilton property with parking garage. 

Fourth time’s the charm? $81 million conversion to luxury hotel planned for former P&G HQ

 

The developer that has been working to convert a historical downtown office building into a hotel updated its plans to transform the property.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/06/02/gwynne-building-planned-81-million-conversion.html

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/06/14/downtown-cincinnati-library-main-branch-renovations/7686288002/


Also, I thought 3cdc had plans to repurpose the north building. Is that still happening?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

13 hours ago, lobanio0 said:

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/06/14/downtown-cincinnati-library-main-branch-renovations/7686288002/


Also, I thought 3cdc had plans to repurpose the north building. Is that still happening?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Once the remodel is complete it would be great to re-purpose the north building site. No need for the library to carry the costs of that building if it isnt used or needed long term and upgrading that block would go a long way towards connecting CBD and OTR via the vine/court street corridor. 

If I recall correctly, 3CDC wanted to turn the north building into a food hall and the Library was supportive of the idea because they could easily fit their downtown collections into the south building. However, there was a lot of opposition from people who interpreted this as "3CDC gentrifying the library" so they pulled out. Then 3CDC incorporated the food hall concept into the new Kroger store and shifted their focus to Court Street. So I'm not sure if 3CDC will have anything to do with the upcoming library renovation. I hope that the library moves forward with the proposal that would add housing along Walnut Street in front of their existing building.

54 minutes ago, taestell said:

If I recall correctly, 3CDC wanted to turn the north building into a food hall and the Library was supportive of the idea because they could easily fit their downtown collections into the south building. However, there was a lot of opposition from people who interpreted this as "3CDC gentrifying the library" so they pulled out. Then 3CDC incorporated the food hall concept into the new Kroger store and shifted their focus to Court Street. So I'm not sure if 3CDC will have anything to do with the upcoming library renovation. I hope that the library moves forward with the proposal that would add housing along Walnut Street in front of their existing building.

 

Yeah - my concern is that they will hold onto under-utilized space for no reason other than fear of 'community backlash' and perception the library is 'kicking people out'. 

21 minutes ago, wjh2 said:

 

Yeah - my concern is that they will hold onto under-utilized space for no reason other than fear of 'community backlash' and perception the library is 'kicking people out'. 

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/19/library-board-calls-surprise-meeting-fate-north-building/966614001/

My biggest issue is that this is a public facility, it's large, and we already own it. We couldn't have anticipated 20 years ago how successful and important the Makerspace is to people in the community. We don't know what we may want that space for in 2030 if we had sold it off a few years ago. I do think it's short sighted to offload assets like the north building without really taking into consideration what we might be missing out on in the future.

The biggest factor to me is just the poor urban design of the whole downtown library complex. There is poor interaction with all of the surrounding streets; too much of the library's footprint is taken up by surface parking; and the plazas on the east and west sides are underutilized and have a distinctly 1980s community college campus vibe. I would like to see them move forward with the proposal that would construct a new addition on the Walnut Street side of the south building that would incorporate some combination of new library space, retail space, a parking garage, or new housing. This would be a better "front door" for the library than the outdated plaza and set-back entrance that exists now, and be a better use of land that is directly adjacent to a streetcar stop and many major Metro bus routes.

34 minutes ago, taestell said:

The biggest factor to me is just the poor urban design of the whole downtown library complex. There is poor interaction with all of the surrounding streets; too much of the library's footprint is taken up by surface parking; and the plazas on the east and west sides are underutilized and have a distinctly 1980s community college campus vibe. I would like to see them move forward with the proposal that would construct a new addition on the Walnut Street side of the south building that would incorporate some combination of new library space, retail space, a parking garage, or new housing. This would be a better "front door" for the library than the outdated plaza and set-back entrance that exists now, and be a better use of land that is directly adjacent to a streetcar stop and many major Metro bus routes.

Apparently on their Cincinnati library Instagram page they answered to one of the comments about the walnut street parking lot and it appears by the response from the account that there are still plans to develop that lot into, hopefully, something mixed use like you mentioned above.  
 

 

 

Few larger projects popped up in todays budget and fiance meeting.

 

OrdinanceORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Paula Boggs Muething, City Manager, on 6/16/2021, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING the City Manager to execute a Community Reinvestment Area Tax Exemption Agreement (LEED or Living Building Challenge) with CLC 300 Main Street LLC, thereby authorizing a 15-year tax exemption for 100% of the value of improvements made to real property located at 300 Main Street, 304 Main Street, and 302 E. Third Street in the Central Business District of Cincinnati, in connection with the remodeling of the existing building into approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial office space, which remodeling shall be completed in compliance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver, Gold or Platinum standards or Living Building Challenge standards, at a total remodeling cost of approximately $7,000,000.  Not availableNot available

202102266140.OrdinanceORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Paula Boggs Muething, City Manager, on 6/16/2021, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING the City Manager to execute a Community Reinvestment Area Tax Exemption Agreement with Textile Partners LLC, thereby authorizing a 15-year tax exemption for 100% of the value of improvements made to real property located at 205 W. Fourth Street in the Central Business District neighborhood of Cincinnati, in connection with the remodeling of an existing building to create approximately 7,000 square feet of commercial retail space and approximately 215,595 square feet of residential space consisting of 282 residential units, at a total construction cost of approximately $55,347,000; and further AUTHORIZING a 10-year historic extension of such 15-year tax exemption

1 hour ago, ucnum1 said:

 

Few larger projects popped up in todays budget and fiance meeting.

 

OrdinanceORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Paula Boggs Muething, City Manager, on 6/16/2021, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING the City Manager to execute a Community Reinvestment Area Tax Exemption Agreement (LEED or Living Building Challenge) with CLC 300 Main Street LLC, thereby authorizing a 15-year tax exemption for 100% of the value of improvements made to real property located at 300 Main Street, 304 Main Street, and 302 E. Third Street in the Central Business District of Cincinnati, in connection with the remodeling of the existing building into approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial office space, which remodeling shall be completed in compliance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver, Gold or Platinum standards or Living Building Challenge standards, at a total remodeling cost of approximately $7,000,000.  Not availableNot available

202102266140.OrdinanceORDINANCE (EMERGENCY) submitted by Paula Boggs Muething, City Manager, on 6/16/2021, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING the City Manager to execute a Community Reinvestment Area Tax Exemption Agreement with Textile Partners LLC, thereby authorizing a 15-year tax exemption for 100% of the value of improvements made to real property located at 205 W. Fourth Street in the Central Business District neighborhood of Cincinnati, in connection with the remodeling of an existing building to create approximately 7,000 square feet of commercial retail space and approximately 215,595 square feet of residential space consisting of 282 residential units, at a total construction cost of approximately $55,347,000; and further AUTHORIZING a 10-year historic extension of such 15-year tax exemption

 

Sooooo happy to see that last entry for City Club Apartments!

Those main street properties were supposed to be a part of a hotel development originally correct? Now it is being turned into office space? That is kind of surprising given the current environment I cant imagine many companies are on the market for 40,000 sqft of space.

16 minutes ago, wjh2 said:

Those main street properties were supposed to be a part of a hotel development originally correct? Now it is being turned into office space? That is kind of surprising given the current environment I cant imagine many companies are on the market for 40,000 sqft of space.

 

Nevermind - it looks like it is Pure Romance... 

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/06/21/pure-romance-to-move-headquarters.html 

I'm glad it's going to be office space and not a hotel. I think there would have been major issues with hotel guests stopping on the streetcar tracks in front of the hotel to check in. I think the hotel planned to install signage instructing guests to turn right onto Hammond Street where there would be a temporary parking area for guest check-in ... but I think there still would have been issues.

14 hours ago, 646empire said:

 

Sooooo happy to see that last entry for City Club Apartments!

The second entry at 205 W 4th isn’t City Club, it’s for the Textile Building being redeveloped by The Bernstein Group out of Washington DC.  The City Club project at PNC Tower (Union Central) is mired in budget issues.

2 hours ago, thesenator said:

The City Club project at PNC Tower (Union Central) is mired in budget issues.

Where did you hear this?