April 12, 20232 yr On 4/10/2023 at 4:02 PM, ColDayMan said: Downtown's Lloyd Library eyeing major renovation, expansion project A downtown Cincinnati library focused on research is planning a major renovation and expansion. The Lloyd Library, located at 917 Plum St., is eyeing a renovation and expansion of its 51-year-old building. When complete, the project would increase the library’s size by about 26%. For roughly a decade, the Lloyd Library has seen its number of visitors and program attendees shoot up, Executive Director Patricia Van Skaik told the Courier. A research library founded in the 19th century as a reference source for a pharmaceutical company, the Lloyd Library has traditionally been a home for scholars. Now, Van Skaik said the library’s board is deliberately offering more programs that appeal to the general public, with large success. The library’s audience was historically about 80% scholars, but it’s now largely made up of individuals who are visiting the library’s exhibits or programs. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/04/10/lloyd-library-eyeing-major-renovation-project.html i like the design, especially as it opens it to the street. Right now it looks like a suburban library and is not inviting from the street. You have to have a reason to go there. With the new design it may encourage a passerby to check it out
April 12, 20232 yr 34 minutes ago, Miami-Erie said: The Traction Building is also coming up on the HCB docket. i thought construction was well underway on the Traction building?
April 12, 20232 yr 27 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: i thought construction was well underway on the Traction building? Absolutely not, that building has been sitting with no progress for yearsssss. It’s the one that frustrates me the most (besides The Terrace) it’s not all that big and it’s received tax credits over and over and still nothing. The location is so visible too it looks so bad on street level walking past. That’s why it’s so laughable that it’s going to HCB almost 8 years in. They need to sell it to someone else. Edited April 12, 20232 yr by 646empire
April 12, 20232 yr Huntington Center lands new tenants, plans second phase of building upgrades By Abby Miller – Reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Apr 12, 2023 One of downtown Cincinnati’s largest office buildings is planning a second phase of amenity upgrades as it secures more tenants. Huntington Center, located at 525 Vine St., has inked five new leases within the first quarter of 2023, bringing the office building’s occupancy to about 75%. With an initial lobby renovation complete and more upgrades on the way, CBRE’s First Vice President Travis Likes said Huntington Center is a sign the flight to quality trend is still a mainstay in the office world. “If you have the product right … and you're doing the right things from a marketing and preparedness standpoint for the building, you're getting deals done,” Likes told the Business Courier. MORE
April 12, 20232 yr 3 hours ago, Miami-Erie said: The Traction Building is also coming up on the HCB docket. Thread for that project:
April 12, 20232 yr 6 hours ago, 646empire said: Absolutely not, that building has been sitting with no progress for yearsssss. It’s the one that frustrates me the most (besides The Terrace) it’s not all that big and it’s received tax credits over and over and still nothing. The location is so visible too it looks so bad on street level walking past. That’s why it’s so laughable that it’s going to HCB almost 8 years in. They need to sell it to someone else. The pandemic followed by construction inflation has had this thing on life support, but they are still working on it. Patience.
May 4, 20232 yr Downtown's 312 Elm opens new amenity spaces worth $2 million By Abby Miller – Reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier May 4, 2023 One of downtown Cincinnati’s largest office buildings has opened a major $2 million amenity space within the building. The office tower at 312 Elm St.’s sky lounge and outdoor roof deck are now open on the building’s 14th floor. The space can now be used by tenants at 312 Elm and 312 Plum, both owned by Rubenstein Partners. “312 Elm St. is a premier office asset in Cincinnati and our investment in the new Sky Lounge and roof deck is creating a unique experience for building tenants and visitors,” Brian Simel, vice president of asset management at Rubenstein Partners, said in a news release. “This one-of-a-kind amenity takes full advantage of the building’s exceptional location and panoramic views, while providing an additional space for tenants to collaborate and host events.” MORE
May 19, 20232 yr Marketing agency St. Gregory moves headquarters back to downtown Cincinnati By Abby Miller – Reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier May 19, 2023 A local marketing agency that was founded near the heart of Cincinnati has made the move to a new office space downtown. St. Gregory, a marketing firm founded on Mount Adams’ St. Gregory Street, moved into a new office in downtown Cincinnati’s Longworth Hall the weekend of April 1. The firm’s office at Longworth Hall, located at 700 W. Pete Rose Way, is 4,000 square feet, according to a news release, and located on the second floor. The new, flexible office space is more conducive to the way the firm operates, St. Gregory President Kyle O’Daniel said in a release. MORE
May 22, 20232 yr Cincinnati could extend restrictions on new surface parking lots in downtown, urban core By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier May 22, 2023 Cincinnati could extend a near-ban on new surface parking lots in downtown and parts of other urban core neighborhoods for another six months, a measure that faces opposition from one of the city's major parking lot owners. Councilman Mark Jeffreys has unveiled a resolution to extend an interim development control district (IDC) set to expire Sept. 20 for another six months while Cincinnati’s planning staff studies a permanent ban. The study is unlikely to be complete before the current ban expires, Jeffreys told the Business Courier. MORE
May 22, 20232 yr Jeffrey's heart may be in the right place, but he lacks practical thinking. His proposal is fraught with a lot of issues especially the legal bills that will have to be paid for defending against property owners rights in the area in some cases.
May 22, 20232 yr Jersey Mike's will be taking over the former Key Bank space in Dixie Terminal. Opening sometime in late summer/early fall. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
May 22, 20232 yr 42 minutes ago, Cygnus said: Jersey Mike's will be taking over the former Key Bank space in Dixie Terminal. Opening sometime in late summer/early fall. Has Jersey Mikes had a presence downtown lately? I know they used to be over on Vine across from the Westin but I think they closed that shop around 10 years ago, correct?
May 22, 20232 yr 2 hours ago, Brutus_buckeye said: Jeffrey's heart may be in the right place, but he lacks practical thinking. His proposal is fraught with a lot of issues especially the legal bills that will have to be paid for defending against property owners rights in the area in some cases. Lots of zoning codes around the country have areas where surface lots are banned. Control of uses is a fundamental part of Euclidean zoning. There are no taking of property rights here because the property can be used productively and economically for like 1,000 other things.
May 22, 20232 yr 4 minutes ago, DEPACincy said: Lots of zoning codes around the country have areas where surface lots are banned. Control of uses is a fundamental part of Euclidean zoning. There are no taking of property rights here because the property can be used productively and economically for like 1,000 other things. Depends on the condition of the building. Sometimes in the short term, a parking lot is the best economic use.
May 22, 20232 yr 58 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: Has Jersey Mikes had a presence downtown lately? I know they used to be over on Vine across from the Westin but I think they closed that shop around 10 years ago, correct? I don’t ever remember a downtown Jersey Mike’s, the Vine location was a Subway if I recall correctly. Jersey Mikes is good tho!
May 22, 20232 yr Ditto. I've been working downtown since 2007 and don't recall a location. The Subway on Vine in Carew Tower is still there. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
May 22, 20232 yr 1 minute ago, 646empire said: I don’t ever remember a downtown Jersey Mike’s, the Vine location was a Subway if I recall correctly. Jersey Mikes is good tho! not to date myself, but it had to be around 15 years ago now. THere was one on Vine by the skywalk going into Carew Tower. It was next to a Schlotszkys Deli for a while. I think they pushed Jersey Mikes out when they converted the building to condos back around 2010.
May 22, 20232 yr 16 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: not to date myself, but it had to be around 15 years ago now. THere was one on Vine by the skywalk going into Carew Tower. It was next to a Schlotszkys Deli for a while. I think they pushed Jersey Mikes out when they converted the building to condos back around 2010. Oh interesting. I remember a Quiznos being around the corner too. Oh the memories
May 22, 20232 yr 35 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: Depends on the condition of the building. Sometimes in the short term, a parking lot is the best economic use. Ok, then if I accept that, zoning law doesn't say you're entitled to the best economic use, only AN economic use. I'm only allowed to build a single family house on my property, even though it would be more economical for me to build an apartment building. There are thousands of uses that the zoning code bans. Surface parking doesn't have special legal protections.
May 22, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, 646empire said: Oh interesting. I remember a Quiznos being around the corner too. Oh the memories Oh man, I think I kept that Quiznos on 4th in business.
May 22, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, Brutus_buckeye said: not to date myself, but it had to be around 15 years ago now. THere was one on Vine by the skywalk going into Carew Tower. It was next to a Schlotszkys Deli for a while. I think they pushed Jersey Mikes out when they converted the building to condos back around 2010. Oh man, Schlotszky's... miss them in the area. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
May 22, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, DEPACincy said: Ok, then if I accept that, zoning law doesn't say you're entitled to the best economic use, only AN economic use. I'm only allowed to build a single family house on my property, even though it would be more economical for me to build an apartment building. There are thousands of uses that the zoning code bans. Surface parking doesn't have special legal protections. I probably did not explain myself well. Certainly, zoning is one way to control the spread of lots, if they change the zoning laws however, if the area is zoned to allow a parking lot as a matter of right, I do not agree that they should be able to ban it without properly changing the zoning code.
May 23, 20232 yr Hamilton County requests proposals for office space to house 1,200 workers By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier May 23, 2023 Updated May 23, 2023, 3:52pm EDT Hamilton County has asked for proposals to move 1,200 employees or more to Class A office space within 7 miles of the courthouse, although officials have declined to say how many might actually move and from which county facilities. The RFP already is fueling speculation that the county will take a large portion of its workforce out of downtown at a time when daytime use of the central business district can be sparse because companies have cut down on office space and employees are working more from home. MORE
May 24, 20232 yr On 5/22/2023 at 1:47 PM, Brutus_buckeye said: I probably did not explain myself well. Certainly, zoning is one way to control the spread of lots, if they change the zoning laws however, if the area is zoned to allow a parking lot as a matter of right, I do not agree that they should be able to ban it without properly changing the zoning code. Gotcha. I do agree that Jeffreys is going about this the wrong way. The idea, I think, was to use the development moratorium on parking lots to have the planning department study removing the use from the zoning code, and that this step in the process would help win over any opposition folks might have. "Look! We studied it and the study found it was a good idea!" But we already know it's bad to have a bunch of surface lots downtown for all the economic and environmental reasons that are obvious. He should've just put forth a motion to change the zoning code and be done with it. The Chavez family would be mad, but they'd move on in a few months. Instead we have a drawn out, year plus process, that may or may not end with changing the zoning code. It's completely unnecessary and makes it a bigger political fight than it needs to be. As an aside, if I worked for the Chavez family I'd be pushing them to embrace this. If you own an asset, you don't want it to be easy to produce more of that asset. You want scarcity. Their parking lots are worth more in a world where it is illegal to build more.
May 24, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, DEPACincy said: He should've just put forth a motion to change the zoning code and be done with it. I'm curious if he asked about that and the planning department said they didn't have time to vet it so they went with the IDC to at least prevent any new construction while they figure it all out.
May 24, 20232 yr 15 hours ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: Hamilton County requests proposals for office space to house 1,200 workers By Chris Wetterich – Staff reporter and columnist, Cincinnati Business Courier May 23, 2023 Updated May 23, 2023, 3:52pm EDT Hamilton County has asked for proposals to move 1,200 employees or more to Class A office space within 7 miles of the courthouse, although officials have declined to say how many might actually move and from which county facilities. The RFP already is fueling speculation that the county will take a large portion of its workforce out of downtown at a time when daytime use of the central business district can be sparse because companies have cut down on office space and employees are working more from home. MORE ??? Can anyone explain why the county is itching to leave downtown? All of the bus lines converge downtown. The Board of Elections moved to Norwood and the Coroner is now in Blue Ash. Neither of those moves made any sense.
May 24, 20232 yr Not sure of the motivation behind it, but I definitely see them moving to Norwood. With the other moves it feels like the County is intentionally moving employees out of Cincinnati.
May 24, 20232 yr Are developers coming after their downtown buildings for apartment conversions? Are suburban office building owners who can't find tenants slipping the county cash?
May 24, 20232 yr It seems really odd to move things to a decentralized location. I'm sure county employees are constantly running between the Portune office building and the courthouse all the time.
May 24, 20232 yr I wonder how many peer cities have their county offices outside of the hub city of that county? It cant be that many..
May 24, 20232 yr 1 hour ago, wjh said: I wonder how many peer cities have their county offices outside of the hub city of that county? It cant be that many.. A lot of places have a "city-county" building. Like this beauty: The choice to move the coroner to Blue Ash Summit Park was bizarre. Was it simply to be a more convenient commute for a few of the higher-ups?
May 24, 20232 yr The courthouse and therefore the attached jail seem like they are guaranteed to stay where they are; but everything else could hypothetically move out of the basin. Though the photo on the Courier article shows the Todd Portune building on Court street, I actually think the more desirable buildings if I was a developer would be the TImes Star building and the Alms & Doepke building. Court street is now getting more popular and it is right next door to Kroger so maybe that one could be converted as well, but Alms & Doepke, especially with the large county garage next door seems like a good conversion candidate.
May 24, 20232 yr 3 minutes ago, ucgrady said: The courthouse and therefore the attached jail seem like they are guaranteed to stay where they are; but everything else could hypothetically move out of the basin. Though the photo on the Courier article shows the Todd Portune building on Court street, I actually think the more desirable buildings if I was a developer would be the TImes Star building and the Alms & Doepke building. Court street is now getting more popular and it is right next door to Kroger so maybe that one could be converted as well, but Alms & Doepke, especially with the large county garage next door seems like a good conversion candidate. If developers do want these buildings (they might qualify for historic tax credits), the county ought to move its offices to vacant floors in downtown office towers.
May 24, 20232 yr There's going to be a TON of large floorplate office deals to be had over the next few years, it is a great time to be a tenant. Owners are going to struggle as current leases expire and will fall over themselves to land a large tenant.
May 24, 20232 yr 21 minutes ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: There's going to be a TON of large floorplate office deals to be had over the next few years, it is a great time to be a tenant. Owners are going to struggle as current leases expire and will fall over themselves to land a large tenant. They could probably get space in a tower right off Government Square, which would be much more convenient for many bus riders than the current buildings around Court St.
May 24, 20232 yr 22 minutes ago, GCrites80s said: FWIW, the Franklin County Coroner has been at OSU for years. The old Hamilton County Coroner was in-between University Hospital and the VA: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1369522,-84.5054916,3a,55.6y,325.37h,103.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9i88P3ZrkgnXtdpbQWYMxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu Now it's got palm trees, out in Blue Ash: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2448281,-84.3858728,3a,67.8y,267.9h,105.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfQhp-OqgjESAUPbt0LgiCQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
May 24, 20232 yr 46 minutes ago, Lazarus said: They could probably get space in a tower right off Government Square, which would be much more convenient for many bus riders than the current buildings around Court St. THey should build a new 15-20 story tower on Court Street in the parking lot for all the county employees and sell the old Portune Building and Alms and Doepke building to a developer to reconfigure into apartments.
May 24, 20232 yr 5 hours ago, Dev said: I'm curious if he asked about that and the planning department said they didn't have time to vet it so they went with the IDC to at least prevent any new construction while they figure it all out. I'm sure they did say that. But council is the lawmaking body. They can just pass an ordinance changing it. They don't need the planning dept. to vet it. I could make the changes in about 15 minutes with a sharpie and some white out. It's such a minor change.
May 24, 20232 yr 21 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: THey should build a new 15-20 story tower on Court Street in the parking lot for all the county employees and sell the old Portune Building and Alms and Doepke building to a developer to reconfigure into apartments. No I sense that they're seeing this as a bailout for one or more existing office towers that are owned by a prominent local and financed primarily by local banks. The county, obviously, would be interested in a 10-year lease or longer, so this would really save somebody's ass.
May 24, 20232 yr 1 minute ago, Lazarus said: No I sense that they're seeing this as a bailout for one or more existing office towers that are owned by a prominent local and financed primarily by local banks. The county, obviously, would be interested in a 10-year lease or longer, so this would really save somebody's ass. I agree with you. I think they are going to a place like 600 Vine or maybe the old URS building (its owned by Neyer so there could be political payback there). I am not sure which other buildings have a large amount of space unless you get over to the West side of downtown at like 312 Plum or 312 Elm. It would make sense to keep this by the courthouse and jail IMO to concentrate the county employees together.
May 24, 20232 yr 18 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: I agree with you. I think they are going to a place like 600 Vine or maybe the old URS building (its owned by Neyer so there could be political payback there). I am not sure which other buildings have a large amount of space unless you get over to the West side of downtown at like 312 Plum or 312 Elm. It would make sense to keep this by the courthouse and jail IMO to concentrate the county employees together. Yeah I think one issue is that many professional tenants won't want to be in the same building as the BMV, job & family services, etc., since they don't want that crowd in the lobby.
May 24, 20232 yr 12 minutes ago, Lazarus said: Yeah I think one issue is that many professional tenants won't want to be in the same building as the BMV, job & family services, etc., since they don't want that crowd in the lobby. I was thinking the same thing. I do not think the tenants of queen city square want the county workers there or people using those county services. It is definitely a more rougher crowd. The old URS center could work given that the building is more Class B office and has a lot of small law offices. You almost need to build/renovate an existing building or move to a mostly vacant office on the west side of downtown. Although office is dead now, this is an opportunity to negotiate and build a mid rise office tower over a parking lot in that part of the city if you could sell the existing buildings for apartment redevelopment.
May 25, 20232 yr As Hamilton County searches for space, real estate pros say Bon Secours Mercy Health's HQ stands out If Hamilton County is serious about moving 1,200 employees out of its current buildings, real estate sources said it will be difficult to find the amount of space the county says it needs, particularly downtown. Speculation in the real estate community has centered on the site of Bon Secours Mercy Health’s headquarters in Bond Hill, completed with much fanfare in 2016, but now is being used by a fraction of employees who once worked there daily. On May 24 around 1 p.m., the eastern part of the parking lot and an accompanying parking garage were nearly empty, while there were cars in the western part. About 150 Bon Secours Mercy Health employees work at the headquarters every day with the changing post-pandemic working patterns, according to a spokeswoman. In 2019, the city modified incentives for the site to account for more than 1,700 employees at the site. The Business Courier asked whether the company has had discussions with the county and the building owner about the site. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/05/24/hamilton-county-office-hunt-bon-secours-hq.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 25, 20232 yr 15 hours ago, Brutus_buckeye said: St. Louis has their offices outside of downtown. St. Louis is not in St. Louis County. The two split in the 1800s.
May 25, 20232 yr I find it unlikely the county will move but for years they have wanted to consolidate to one building. Remember, they thought about moving to Mt Airy a few years ago. Right now, most county workers telework at least 3 days a week. On top of that they are given $100 month for a parking stipend. Consolidating to one large building with free parking would probably save the county money.
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