Botany Hills firehouse could be on way out

By Scott Wartman, Kentucky Enquirer, December 21, 2009

 

The Covington Fire Department's oldest fire station has started to show its age.

 

The modest house in the Botany Hills neighborhood in western Covington has housed the Covington Fire Department's Company No. 2 since 1932.

 

Maintenance issues and lack of space has the Covington Fire Department looking for a new station.

Corporex buys Marriott garage

By Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer | December 29, 2009

 

After the city declined to take over the 455-space Madison Place garage underneath the Marriott hotel from the state, the Corporex Cos. purchased the garage this month for $1.5 million.  The Covington-based developer owns the office and condos above the garage and has sought ownership of more parking along the river in Covington, said Corporex spokeswoman Debra Vicchiarelli.

 

Corporex wanted to buy the RiverCenter garage but the Covington City Commission voted 3-2 in January against selling it.  "When you don't own the garage, it is difficult to get the repairs and capital improvements so those garages can provide the maximum amount of support," Vicchiarelli said. "We want to own the Madison Place garage and RiverCenter garage."

 

Read full article here:

http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20091229/NEWS0103/912300355

Convention center expansion put off

By Amanda Van Benschoten, Cincinnati Enquirer, January 11, 2010

 

COVINGTON - The Northern Kentucky Convention Center has scaled back its funding request from the state for a planned expansion of the state-owned facility.

 

It will request $3 million in seed money instead of the full $51 million for the project.

Vacant visitor center gets tenant

By Scott Wartman, Kentucky Enquirer, March 22, 2010

 

COVINGTON - A design company will soon move into the former Northern Kentucky Visitor's Center next to Goebel Park.

 

Designs Direct, currently located in Dayton, Ky., is building two additions to the building at 605 Philadelphia St. in Covington. The company and its 25 employees will move there in April or May, said David Meyer, co-owner of Designs Direct.

LEED building practices helping turn around Covington neighborhood

By Randy A. Simes, UrbanCincy | April 26, 2010

http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/04/leed-building-practices-helping-turn-around-covington-neighborhood/

 

Two new homes in Covington have been awarded LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for their green home building and design. The two homes become some of the first LEED certified homes in Kentucky, with the home at 520 Thomas Street being the first home to achieve LEED Gold.

 

The home was built by the Center for Great Neighborhoods (CGN), with assistance from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky and the City of Covington, and incorporates a variety of sustainable design features that include low-flow plumbing, low-e windows, EnergyStar-rated appliances, high efficiency HVAC systems, recycled construction materials, bamboo flooring, sustainably-harvested wood moldings and more. In total, the green building features of the new home scored the project 78.5 out of 136 total points possible in the LEED for Homes certification – Gold status projects must score between 70.5 and 85.5).

 

“As a LEED certified home, 520 Thomas Street serves as a model of greener living for the entire community,” said Nate Kredich, Vice President of Residential Market Development for the U.S. Green Building Council. “The home is at the national forefront of quality; and their example can help us all to live better by reducing our environmental footprint, cutting our utility bills, and coming home to a healthier place to live.”

 

The new homes are part of a larger revitalization wave happening in the Austinburg neighborhood of Covington which is bordered by the Licking River and the proposed Licking River Levee Walk.

 

“The Center for Great Neighborhoods aims to make Covington a place where people choose to live, work, and play,” Rachel Hastings, Director of Neighborhood & Housing Initiatives with CGN, described. “We built homes on a formerly vacant lot in Covington’s Austinburg neighborhood at the request of the Austinburg Neighborhood Association in an attempt to increase home ownership and remove blight.”

 

Hastings explained that the CGN uses its housing development program in a targeted effort to increase property values, reduce blight and increase high-quality affordable market-rate home ownership. She is also excited about the positive impact the Seneca Place development is having on the neighborhood which is seeing its first new construction in over 50 years.

 

“When neighbors saw the new homes being built, it helped restore their confidence in their neighborhood and encouraged them to make improvements on their home because they saw that they could get a return on their investment,” explained Hastings. “The homes also show that, for a reasonable price, you can build LEED Gold homes that are easy for the average homeowner to maintain.”

 

The new homes also mean an addition to Covington’s tax base and new residents populating Covington’s urban core. The success is planned to continue as CGN owns additional lots in the Austinburg neighborhood where it plans to construct an additional eight homes, and invest another estimated $1.6 million into the immediate area.

 

Covington examining dog park for MainStrasse Village

By Randy A. Simes, UrbanCincy | April 28, 2010

http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/04/covington-examining-dog-park-for-mainstrasse-village/

 

Residents of Covington’s historic MainStrasse Village are yearning for a dog park that will provide another amenity in their neighborhood. Dog parks have become highly sought after  by urban dwellers as city living becomes increasingly more attractive.

 

In Cincinnati, early efforts were stalled for a dog park downtown due to the lack of capital money to build the park. The efforts to create a downtown dog park yielded fruit earlier this year when Procter & Gamble’s Pet Care division announced that it would contribute $50,000 towards the construction of a dog park on a half-acre piece of land on the eastern edge of downtown Cincinnati. Planners have also included a dog park in Washington Park’s redesign that is to be reconstructed over the next year in historic Over-the-Rhine.

 

Dog park supporters in Covington will meet on Thursday, April 29 at 5:30pm on the second floor of Chez Nora (map). Those in attendance will hear from Tom Biedenhorn who was instrumental in making the Pioneer Paw Park reality. Biedenhorn will be joined by Covington Commissioner Sherry Carran who did the site design for the Pioneer Paw Park, and will share information from that project with the audience.

This should be getting a bit more real now that the IRS has agreed to build a tower and demolish the existing 1 story complex.

This should be getting a bit more real now that the IRS has agreed to build a tower and demolish the existing 1 story complex.

 

Just curious, but are there any public sources for that information? That building complex has no place in a historic urban environment.

 

Also, this:

 

Covington moves to revitalize riverfront

Cincinnati Enquirer - by Amanda Van Benschoten

 

As an $80 million entertainment, residential and retail development takes shape on the northern shore of the Ohio River, its neighbor to the south is looking inward at what can be done to revitalize its own riverfront.

 

Covington is moving forward with plans to develop city-owned property between the Roebling Suspension Bridge and Madison Avenue. Last week, the city sent out about 40 requests for proposals from developers. Now, it is seeking input from the community to help elected officials select a proposal early next year.

 

Read full article here:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20111205/NEWS0103/312050132/Covington-moves-to-revitalize-riverfront

Here:

 

IRS to stay in Covington

City takes broad overview

 

11:23 PM, Sep. 20, 2011

Written by

Mike Rutledge

 

COVINGTON - On a night city leaders lamented the loss of Omnicare and the payroll taxes the Fortune 500 firm has meant to the City Hall, they also rejoiced that the Internal Revenue Service plans to keep several thousand jobs in Covington at its regional tax-return processing center, and touted new jobs that can result from an existing business accelerator program the city plans to build upon.

 

"It's been a long week and it's only Tuesday," City Manager Larry Klein quipped toward the end of the City Commission meeting, a day after Omnicare announced its departure...

 

The article goes on to say, "'They are remaining in Covington. They are reinvesting in Covington,' said Klein, who has said Covington is pleased the IRS is looking to transform its multi-acre, single-story facility that occupies much of the city's riverfront into a tower that will occupy a smaller footprint, allowing expansion of the Northern Kentucky Convention Center while also opening up acres of other land for new development."

 

 

Win win for them! Very nice!

@JYP Thanks! I always assumed the reason they built the single-story complex was for some security purpose, or that it fit their needs logistically. Guess not? Seems like if they need a tower in Covington they might as well move into space at Rivercenter.

It was logistical at the time (apparently it's easier to push paper across 1 floor instead of up and down floors) but with the increasing use of electronic filing, they've seemed to realize they don't need the horizontal space.

Great news. 

Anything happening or any new news with a new IRS tower going up in Covington?  Here is a quote from the Enquire back in September 2011:

 

"They are remaining in Covington. They are reinvesting in Covington," said Klein, who has said Covington is pleased the IRS is looking to transform its multi-acre, single-story facility that occupies much of the city's riverfront into a tower that will occupy a smaller footprint, allowing expansion of the Northern Kentucky Convention Center while also opening up acres of other land for new development"

 

It was also reported according to the IRS that they have to be located in Covington's downtown.  They employee anywhere from 3,500 to 5000 people depending on the time of year.   

Developer pulls proposed Covington project

Business Courier

 

A recently proposed development project for Covington’s riverfront has been rescinded.

 

Boca Hotel Group LLC informed the city of Covington that it will not be pursuing “The Sail Project” for the Madison Overlook at the north end of Madison Avenue. The group has decided to incorporate the apartment component of the Sail project into the group’s other proposal for the riverfront, the Kentucky Queen Project, according to a city news release.

 

The city of Covington had issued a request for proposals in late November 2011 for the Madison Avenue site.

 

Cont

Thoughts?

http://therivercitynews.blogspot.com/2012/05/center-city-action-plan-part-one-of.html

http://therivercitynews.blogspot.com/2012/05/center-city-action-plan-part-two-of.html

 

 

Location: http://g.co/maps/k39km

Looks like a huge improvement. That area is an embarrassment.

Good grief, was that rendering done by J. J. Abrams? 

Covington is just now doing the type of real visioning work the City of Cincinnati and 3CDC did ten years ago. This is no way a slight to Covington or the NKAPC. I think one of the factors that has led to delay in this type of planning was the perception that up until a few years ago, NKY had been making gains on Cincinnati which led many leaders to "stay the course." Of course the situation in Cincinnati was much more dire in 2001 than what Covington faces today. Yet Covington faces similar challenges, particularly disinvestment and decline in its traditional urban core. This plan is a huge step forward and coupled with the recent news the NKCDF finally reached its $10 million goal, I expect to see some exciting developments and rehabs that "get" the new urban lifestyle there.

Agreed. This is also in no way finalized renderings, just a concept of "what if." There was a great book of this old part of Covington that was demolished for interstate services after the highway was completed.

^^Two things you forgot to mention:

 

1) The IRS has agreed to move out of their horrific facility that eats up a large chunk of the area with a one story office building.

2) Covington has a progressive new interim mayor who had been pushing for changes in the area for years before being selected.

 

I'd say these two things are the chief reasons we're seeing this type of plan now (in addition to the Brent Spence plan(s) shaking things up).

Good grief, was that rendering done by J. J. Abrams? 

 

Awesome.

Thanks for sharing Sherman!

 

I really like this idea:

PUMA suggests lighting treatment to "reinforce the kinetic energy of the rail and unique ground lighting to illuminate the industrial character of the raised rail as public art.

I'd be happy if CSX would remove those plywood boards. They can just as nicely install jersey barriers to hold the gravel in.

Good grief, was that rendering done by J. J. Abrams? 

 

In college they called him LensFlare.

 

 

 

 

I made that up.

Covington is just now doing the type of real visioning work the City of Cincinnati and 3CDC did ten years ago. This is no way a slight to Covington or the NKAPC. I think one of the factors that has led to delay in this type of planning was the perception that up until a few years ago, NKY had been making gains on Cincinnati which led many leaders to "stay the course." Of course the situation in Cincinnati was much more dire in 2001 than what Covington faces today. Yet Covington faces similar challenges, particularly disinvestment and decline in its traditional urban core. This plan is a huge step forward and coupled with the recent news the NKCDF finally reached its $10 million goal, I expect to see some exciting developments and rehabs that "get" the new urban lifestyle there.

 

Is the NKCDF similar to 3CDC?

^Yep!

I was wondering if there was an update on the Covington convention center?  There was an article in the Biz Courier Sept 23 2011, but I haven't found anything else  Since they're expanding into the IRS parking I was also wondering if any news was happening there with the new IRS tower that the IRS was going to build that was to take up a smaller footprint?  Now that I'm thinking about it, what happened with the 3 major Covington projects, one was called the Sail Project, the building was scratched but I think the apartment portion was to be intigrated into another new project called the Kentucky queen hotel and conference center, but this was also to use property from the existing sprawling IRS site.  I guess a lot of this new development depends upon the IRS building that new tower to make the land available.

 

I guess a lot of this new development depends upon the IRS building that new tower to make the land available.

 

I wonder if the IRS will be able to free up any land for development due to security reasons.  It seems that after Sept. 11 they would require huge setbacks.  Anybody know of any other new federal buildings to compare?  Maybe the new FBI in Sycamore Township. 

Since it's been nearly a year since that article about the IRS tower, has anything really transpired as to what their plans are?

http://www.rcnky.com/articles/2012/10/24/25-million-boutique-hotel-development-be-announced-covington

The City of Covington will announce Thursday morning the development of a $25 million boutique hotel in the building that is currently used as City Hall.

 

[...]

 

The $25 million development follows last Friday's news that Gateway Community & Technical College has purchased the former Marx Furniture building on Madison Avenue as the first serious redevelopment of a building for the purposes of a long-sought urban campus. For months, Mayor Chuck Scheper and the city commissioners have hinted at good news to be rolling out of City Hall and now it appears that that has begun, even involving the physical structure of City Hall itself.

 

Covington to get $25M luxury boutique hotel

Business First

Date: Friday, October 26, 2012, 7:14am EDT

 

 

Covington is getting a $25 million luxury boutique hotel in the 102-year-old building that currently is home to Covington's city hall.

 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/blog/morning_call/2012/10/covington-to-get-25m-luxury-boutique.html

Covington city building getting new life as hotel

Developers hope to have commission's home transformed by early '15

Written by Terry DeMio

 

 

COVINGTON — A war room on the seventh floor is the only evidence inside Covington City Hall of a top-tier hotel that will rise in the tattered building’s place, gracing the center city with hints of its past.

 

But developers who regularly meet there say it won’t be long until the Hotel Covington becomes more than the concept in renderings hanging on that planning room’s wall.

 

http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20131022/NEWS0103/310220022/Covington-city-building-getting-new-life-hotel?odyssey=mod|newswell|img|FRONTPAGE|p

Good to see some of the vacant RiverCenter space getting backfilled, plus new jobs for the urban center and region!

 

 

Two tech firms plan to bring hundreds of jobs to Covington

Andy Brownfield Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier  

 

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear joined economic development corporation Tri-ED officials on Wednesday in welcoming two tech companies that plan to bring hundreds of jobs to Covington in coming years.

 

Clear Measures and Xcelerated Learning Dynamics (XLD) plan to bring 341 jobs to Covington over the next three years. Both companies hosted their grand openings in offices in the Corporex Companies RiverCenter office complex on Wednesday.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/12/11/two-tech-firms-plan-to-bring-hundreds.html

Covington still has a shot at rebirth

Business closures are merely bumps in the road for MainStrasse's progress

Jan. 8, 2014 9:35 PM

Written by Amanda Van Benschoten

 

 

COVINGTON — A chapter in the city’s civic life came to a close on Sunday, when the landmark restaurant and jazz bar Chez Nora abruptly shut its doors just months shy of its 20th anniversary.

 

The closure leaves a gaping hole in the heart of the city’s MainStrasse dining and entertainment district, and also in the hearts of those who spent any time at all within Chez Nora’s warm, inviting walls.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20140109/NEWS0103/301090022/Covington-still-has-shot-rebirth

Hotel plan may help revitalize Covington

Funds approved for project to transform old City Hall

Jan. 20, 2014 10:50 AM 

Written by Terry DeMio

 

 

The disheveled old Covington City Hall stands bleak and vacant in the city’s urban core, but the building’s prospective owners, who intend to turn it into a boutique hotel, say they’re racing ahead on making Hotel Covington a reality.

 

“We are almost crossing the finish line,” said Guy van Rooyen, president of Salyers Group, which has been joined by Aparium Hotels of Chicago in the project.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20140120/NEWS0103/301200031/Hotel-plan-may-help-revitalize-Covington

Covington still has a shot at rebirth

Business closures are merely bumps in the road for MainStrasse's progress

Jan. 8, 2014 9:35 PM

Written by Amanda Van Benschoten

 

 

COVINGTON — A chapter in the city’s civic life came to a close on Sunday, when the landmark restaurant and jazz bar Chez Nora abruptly shut its doors just months shy of its 20th anniversary.

 

The closure leaves a gaping hole in the heart of the city’s MainStrasse dining and entertainment district, and also in the hearts of those who spent any time at all within Chez Nora’s warm, inviting walls.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20140109/NEWS0103/301090022/Covington-still-has-shot-rebirth

 

I wonder how much the revitalization of OTR has taken business away from MainStrasse.

From my personal perspective (as a 25 year old who drinks a lot) we either go out to OTR or Covington. To me OTR is taking away business more from Mt. Adams, because if you want a dive bar where you can smoke indoors and have a $1 beer you still go to Cov and I think as OTR gets more mainstream you will see the hipsters more on this side of the river. But if you want a nice cocktail or $6 beer where you don't smell like an ashtray and can see/be seen you go to Downtown/OTR. That being said old Kentucky bourbon bar, wise guys, and pachinkos are all smoke free. Either way when I turned 21 it was mt. Adams all the time, and I haven't been there since last summer. (And we only go to the banks for gamedays)

Covington takes a shot at riverfront development

 

In an effort to make some of its prime real estate more beautiful to look at and attractive to potential business investors, one Northern Kentucky city is working to transform itself into a “waterfront promenade.”

 

The city of Covington announced Wednesday plans to turn 32 acres of land that spans more than 1 1/4 miles into a series of performance pavilions, riverfront walkways and trails for pedestrians and bicyclists.

 

“Last week, after more than 10 years of due diligence and collaboration, draft construction documents were presented to the city commission that revealed the future plans of Covington's Ohio Riverfront and a funding option to make it happen,” the city stated in a release.

 

Cont

I love that we are looking across the river and getting riverfront park envy. Healthy jealousy and competition is great for development. I know that smale has plans for a boat dock, but considering where the river channel goes there is a lot more space for boat docks and floating developments on the ky side. I've been hoping for a floating pool structure like bjarke ingles designed in Rotterdam and they are now doing in new yorks east river for a while now. Covington needs to take advantage of its river ownership, as of tgi fridays going away, the waterfront drifting down river, and mike finks going away there is nothing left but potential.

great news.

Great news, indeed! From the rendering, it looks like a portion of the riverfront is roped off, presumably creating a boat-free zone for recreational purposes. Would that zone would be for kayaking and paddle boarding, or are they expecting swimming in the river?

 

To me, the priority should be integrating marina/dock space with dining options, since that will bring the most people down to the river on a regular basis. There should be some long-term marina slips as well as temporary dock space. The temporary dock space is important for hosting events (races, boat shows, regattas, etc.) The long term dock space ensures people can take their boats out as frequently as possible. Having dock space on both sides of the River would be great.

 

Which are the cities along the Ohio River (or other large rivers with significant barge activity) that have most successfully made their riverfronts into recreational destinations? I'm familiar with Louisville and one thing they've done well is encourage the use of sailboats on the river. The river is wider in Louisville, making it more conducive to sailing... but I still think sailing could be popular along our stretch of the river. Generally, any kind of boating regatta (sail, motor, or otherwise) would be great to get more people on the river.

 

Are there particular lessons we should learn from the failures/successes of other river cities (Portland, Chattanooga, Pittsburgh, St Louis, Philadelphia, Memphis, Nashville, Minneapolis etc)?

^Portland is into crew or something like it.  I was there once when they had a race on the Willamette river with all of the boats painted with dragon faces (sort of like a viking ship).  It was a fun atmosphere.

^The Cincinnati Rowing Club has their boathouse on the Licking River (http://www.cincinnatirowing.com/licking_boathouse.htm). The Licking is nice for rowing because it has much less current than the Ohio River and virtually zero boat traffic. The combination of the Licking and Ohio means you have access to both a small quiet river and a big wide river. It'd be great to able rent a kayak/canoe and take it up the Licking River. If Newport gets that empty parcel developed on the Newport side of Licking, the area surrounding the Licking-Ohio confluence could become a nice, lively area.

It'd be great to able rent a kayak/canoe and take it up the Licking River.

 

I like that idea.  Since the Licking flows northward, that means that you could paddle up river away from Newport and then just turn around when you're finished for a much easier return trip.  That's good for novices.

EPA money for licking river greenway's brownfield properties. The trail currently goes from 9th street to almost Holmes high school. Hopefully this money will help extend it further north or get the Newport side more involved, as it has many more brownfield properties.

 

http://rcnky.com/articles/2014/06/02/covington-newport-get-600-epa-grant-licking-river-greenway

Extremely light on details...

 

 

Mixed-use development could transform Covington

Terry DeMio, [email protected] 5:04 p.m. EDT September 26, 2014

 

COVINGTON –  The city is making headway on a development on a parking lot at Washington and Pike streets that appears to be part of a larger plan for the urban core.

 

The Covington City Commission has approved a mixed-use development agreement with 730 Washington, LLC, but will not disclose details, saying the developer has not completed plans yet. It could include residential, commercial, parking and public space.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/09/26/covington-makes-pact-mixed-use-development/16279159/

That lot is actually pretty huge.  This could be somewhat significant. 

Very exciting!

 

Also, in Newport news (pun intended), the school board is going to sell the elementary school at 4th & Monmouth, half a block from the levee, half a block from the new levee apartment project, and across the street from Towne properties Monmouth row project that has just finished. The project, hopefully conversion plus addition for residential could be another residential boost to downtown Newport. VERY exciting for Newport.

 

Also, a New Mexican restaurant just opened at the levee and got good reviews.

 

Next up, Newport needs to buy into Red Bike, ASAP with a station at the levee. Would be a great connection.

Yes.  There is a nice parking lot to exams the school in Newport.  The location is fantastic.