7 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

Like how everybody dumps all their video games when the games are 5-15 years old and wonder why they don't get any money for them, then the minute the game turns 16 the value of it skyrockets and nobody will sell it.

 

When will I be able to make big money selling all by Beanie Babies?

1999

10 hours ago, jmicha said:

Yep. We lost so many great examples of mid-century design, international design, brutalism, etc. because people are completely unaware this cycle exists and refuse to accept that it does even when pointing out how and why post-WWII so much great late 19th, early 20th Century architecture was torn down in a similar fashion. It's a shame.

 

I don't know much about this particular building and I agree that it is nice to have layered history in our cities, but my understanding of the problem with many typical modern buildings and modernity in general, is they tend to be so overly universal and rigid that they can be difficult to repurpose in an economic way. Typical 100+ year old buildings, smaller and more locally utilitarian, don't seem as rigid and have been able to be repurposed or adapted for myriad uses. Special 100+ year old civic buildings have been saved because they tend to exude value and meaning with ornamentation and beauty and are now seen as desirable traits whereas modernity exudes universalism which has been panned both by 130+ years of philosophical thought as well as new urbanists, though not by style-focused architects perhaps.    

Edited August 13, 20204 yr by atlas

Found this image on the Auditor's site showing the three buildings that used to stand at 32, 34 and 38 W Third street. 

 

 

If Carew Tower were converted into residences, would that make it the tallest residential high-rise in Ohio? What would be the next tallest residential high-rise in the Midwest region (sans Chicago)?

It would be Eleven in Minneapolis at 547 feet.

I though that Terminal Tower, with its partial residential conversion, was claiming to be the tallest residential building in Ohio?

I thought for the time being, the residential conversion that took place with LeVeque Tower in Columbus was at the moment the "tallest"?

1 hour ago, ink said:

I though that Terminal Tower, with its partial residential conversion, was claiming to be the tallest residential building in Ohio?

 

Partial isn't full-residential like Eleven in Minneapolis.  Ditto with LeVeque (which is part hotel).

Hathaway Stamps has moved from their old location on Main Street to the corner of Eighth and Sycamore, where Glassworks used to be located.

 

 

On 6/30/2020 at 5:45 PM, ColDayMan said:

Swan song for the Chong; 3CDC acquires Race Street building

 

A longtime downtown retailer has closed and sold its real estate to Cincinnati Center City Development Corp.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/06/30/exclusive-swan-song-for-the-chong-3cdc-acquires.html

 

The little city owned parking lot behind this is now partially covered in two to three dumpsters and interior demo has commenced. 

1 hour ago, ucgrady said:

The little city owned parking lot behind this is now partially covered in two to three dumpsters and interior demo has commenced. 

Can this building support additional floors if they decide to add apartments above? I hope they don’t do the same with this building as they did with the Macy’s building and get our hopes up with the talks of a tower above, just to renovate the existing floors. 

I'm genuinely curious how those small businesses inside the building managed to survive for as long as they did. I have to imagine there is a gross amount of money laundering going on within a wide array of businesses in the CBD...you look at some of these businesses and they look like a rambled shack with broken glass and if you look out the window it looks as if a hoarder occupies the space. It just blows my mind. 

 

5 hours ago, ucgrady said:

The little city owned parking lot behind this is now partially covered in two to three dumpsters and interior demo has commenced. 

The TIF dashboard indicates that "College Street Improvements" has TIF funding allocated. I'm not sure exactly how much, and if other funding sources are also contributing. Has anybody seen a design or details regarding the improvements?

 

https://insights.cincinnati-oh.gov/stories/s/br22-px7q

@jwulsin Thank you for that website link.  Lots of interesting information.

The mural and small plaza at College and 7th are being redone. I had assumed the hotel going into the former PayLess was funding it, but it could be part of the "College Street Improvements" project.

On the other side of 7th and Race, I really like the modern addition to the Towneplace Suites and it's starting to come along nicely. I'm looking forward to the wood paneling to see some more warmth on the addition, but so far I'm really liking this project. 

 

And some lighting to help show off the texture and detail of the existing concrete.

2 minutes ago, ucgrady said:

On the other side of 7th and Race, I really like the modern addition to the Towneplace Suites and it's starting to come along nicely. I'm looking forward to the wood paneling to see some more warmth on the addition, but so far I'm really liking this project. 

 

And some lighting to help show off the texture and detail of the existing concrete.

It will really activate that side of downtown. I’d like to see more things open up in the Gramercy apartment building as most of those storefronts are empty. 

The Provident brings apartments to historical downtown Cincinnati office building

 

 

The former Provident Bank headquarters in downtown Cincinnati has been transformed into 161 apartments.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/09/04/the-provident-brings-apartments-to-historical-down.html

I just noticed that the “Maislin Professional Center” building on 9th (btw. Main and Sycamore) has some for sale signs posted. I’m not sure if the adjacent Barrister House building is for sale too. Would love to see these go residential!

 

Those buildings always fascinated me.  They're some of the few remnants of that corner of downtown's early industrial heritage, probably old textile mills or shoe factories.  Maislin was built in 1860, which is quite old for a building of that size, and Barrister to the right is from 1885.  I bet they're great loft spaces, without also being monstrously huge and difficult to repurpose. 

The one on the right was painted around 1998.  That paint job was one of the few signs of life in that area at the time, since The Power Building, Krippendorf, and everything else were vacant and in tatters.  

Fourth & Walnut Centre, slated for a $100 million redevelopment into hotel, to be sold

 

A historical building in the heart of downtown Cincinnati that was planned for a conversion to dual-branded hotels is expected to have a new owner by the end of the year.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/09/29/fourth-walnut-centre-which-was-slated-for-a-100-m.html

 

^I'd love to see that turned into apartments instead of another hotel. In any case, it's a large, beautiful building so hopefully it doesn't sit vacant for too long. 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/09/30/35-million-downtown-apartment-project-moving.html?utm_content=1601487408&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook,twitter&fbclid=IwAR2-cRza4PjSUorMnc3-BP38ciMnyU3m-85Hit0ehMWXvbO9zSyVHBjq5yk
 

 

I have been wondering about the status of this project. So glad it’s moving forward and looks like the second phase as of right now will also be happening. Wasn’t really sure they way they stayed it if both phases will be happening at the same time or if phase two will begin right after phase one. 

1 hour ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/09/30/35-million-downtown-apartment-project-moving.html?utm_content=1601487408&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook,twitter&fbclid=IwAR2-cRza4PjSUorMnc3-BP38ciMnyU3m-85Hit0ehMWXvbO9zSyVHBjq5yk
 

 

I have been wondering about the status of this project. So glad it’s moving forward and looks like the second phase as of right now will also be happening. Wasn’t really sure they way they stayed it if both phases will be happening at the same time or if phase two will begin right after phase one. 

 

The article says at the end: "Birkla said he expects phase 1 to begin delivering units in about nine months, with phase 2 units coming right behind in 12 to 14 months." That implies to me that they're starting construction on Phase 2 now, and it will be finished in 12 to 14 months (from now). Though, perhaps it was worded poorly and Phase 2 will finish 12-14 months after Phase 1 completes (meaning it'll be done 21-24 months from now). I'm not sure, to be honest. 

1 hour ago, jwulsin said:

 

The article says at the end: "Birkla said he expects phase 1 to begin delivering units in about nine months, with phase 2 units coming right behind in 12 to 14 months." That implies to me that they're starting construction on Phase 2 now, and it will be finished in 12 to 14 months (from now). Though, perhaps it was worded poorly and Phase 2 will finish 12-14 months after Phase 1 completes (meaning it'll be done 21-24 months from now). I'm not sure, to be honest. 

That’s exactly what I though. 

Between this project and The Blonde, that's 255 new apartments next to the 8th & Main streetcar stop.

30 minutes ago, taestell said:

Between this project and The Blonde, that's 255 new apartments next to the 8th & Main streetcar stop.

But there was no demand I thought? Otherwise the Dennison wouldn't have needed to be torn down.

/sarcasm

Good to see a parking lot get built on as well. Seems like the phase 2 building will have built-in parking, but better than an empty lot.

Here is what it will look like when Phase 2 is constructed. Not sure if this part has gone to the HCB yet.

^ I wish there was a rendering facing north. The southside of the existing building does have windows for half of the facade so I'm curious if they will be covered up by the new building

Agreed, my guess is a "U" shaped floor plan, the addition being a backwards 'L', keeping those windows facing into an open middle light well. The building is over 40' wide so it's wide enough for a double loaded corridor going all around the floor plan.

3 hours ago, JYP said:

Not sure if this part has gone to the HCB yet.

I haven't seen it recently... but perhaps it went through HCB approval years ago when it was first getting designed. 

In a case like this I'd want to evaluate the design of the addition as if it was a totally separate building.  That's basically the approach they're taking anyway, just that the floors happen to all line up.  In a case like that though I think a bit of a height difference between the two buildings would be warranted. 

 

I hope they can keep as much of the south side of the old building exposed on the inside as they can, that buff common brick is really nice looking, and very uncommon here as opposed to places like Chicago.  Even there it tends to have more black and red mixed in, depending on whether it's been cleaned or not.  I'm curious where it came from. 

The Garfield Suites has the entire sidewalk along Vine street blocked off with steel barricades. Does anyone know if this project changed hands again? 

 

On a random development note; the former House of Adam is being remediated and cleared out by a bunch of Amish construction workers right now. I think it got tax credits so it looks like something is moving forward. 

Urban Sites buys 530 Walnut from Fifth Third for $2.2 million

 

Urban Sites, the Over-the-Rhine-based commercial real estate developer, has purchased its first office building in Cincinnati’s central business district.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/10/05/urban-sites-buys-530-walnut-from-fifth-third.html

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/10/06/jean-robert-to-close-flagship-restaurant.html
 

Hopefully they find a new space in either Downtown or OTR. If I remember correctly the company that bought this also purchased the parking lot adjacent to this property. I’m excited to see what is planned for this site and hope that the parking lots across the street get redeveloped as well. 

20 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

they 

 

I'm glad he got a haircut, finally.  

Vine street between 7th and 8th is basically the only un-developed block of Vine street between Smale riverfront park and Liberty street so hopefully this leads to some redevelopment. Between the vacant Garfield suites, the half empty Macy's, the three surface lots and the soon to be vacant restaurant/markets, this section of downtown needs a real injection of activity.

 

Maybe after Court street is redone this area becomes 3CDCs next focus, because it causes what feels like a large gap between Fountain Square and Court street despite it only being 4 blocks. 

1 hour ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/10/06/jean-robert-to-close-flagship-restaurant.html
 

Hopefully they find a new space in either Downtown or OTR. If I remember correctly the company that bought this also purchased the parking lot adjacent to this property. I’m excited to see what is planned for this site and hope that the parking lots across the street get redeveloped as well. 

 

If they are being asked to relocate, does that mean that construction is close? I don't remember ever seeing anything in the planning commission packet?

29 minutes ago, troeros said:

 

If they are being asked to relocate, does that mean that construction is close? I don't remember ever seeing anything in the planning commission packet?

No, it means their 10 year lease it up and it would be more trouble for them to renew or go month to month than to just move on.

18 hours ago, troeros said:

 

If they are being asked to relocate, does that mean that construction is close? I don't remember ever seeing anything in the planning commission packet?

Not every project goes before the Planning Commission. 

20 hours ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/10/06/jean-robert-to-close-flagship-restaurant.html
 

Hopefully they find a new space in either Downtown or OTR. If I remember correctly the company that bought this also purchased the parking lot adjacent to this property. I’m excited to see what is planned for this site and hope that the parking lots across the street get redeveloped as well. 

 

I've always really liked that building, and it'd be great to see the new owners do something creative with the ramp and rooftop:

 

 

I remember going there and parking on the roof when it was an old computer store.

27 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said:

I remember going there and parking on the roof when it was an old computer store.

 

I vaguely remember the computer store. Looking at the auditor, the picture looks like it might have been called AAA Computers - which leads me to wonder if it is the same as AAA Laptops that still survives up in CUF.

 

The little barber shop that is adjacent to the parking ramp had been there since 1957:

 

49 minutes ago, jwulsin said:

 

I've always really liked that building, and it'd be great to see the new owners do something creative with the ramp and rooftop:

 

 

i like the space this building provides for small businesses, but in this specific case I think there is a lot more potential in demolishing the building and building something new. I hope the existing businesses could find new spaces downtown if this comes to pass. 

48 minutes ago, Ram23 said:

 

 

The little barber shop that is adjacent to the parking ramp had been there since 1957:

 

I got my hair cut there once and the old guy brought out this head massage device from 1957.  It was...weird.  

 

 

 

3 hours ago, thebillshark said:

i like the space this building provides for small businesses, but in this specific case I think there is a lot more potential in demolishing the building and building something new. I hope the existing businesses could find new spaces downtown if this comes to pass. 

 

If something substantial were built there, I wouldn't be opposed. Just saying that if the building remains, they ought to do something with the roof/ramp. And the sure as hell better not tear it down to make a surface lot. 

Rumor has it we are looking at a future substantial development for this site.  Think along the lines of 4th and Race.  They are still in property acquisition phase, but expect this to be the next 3CDC focus after Court St.