A while back there was talk about a tower going up on Covington's riverfront.  It was either going to be for condos or apartments.  It looked like a sail and was 30 stories tall.  Then Corporex had an issue with it blocking part of their view and the developer quickly decided not to do it.  Then they decided on some other designs, but not directly on the river.  Haven't heard anything about those either. There was also talk about the IRS wanting to use a smaller footprint where the existing facility is and wanted to build a tower.  Then they were going to let the city have the rest of the land for a convention center expansion. 

 

Anybody heard any articles relating to any of these.  It's like they fell off of the face of the earth never to be talked about again.     

My father still works for the IRS in Covington, and he hears rumors often about moving to Hebron, consolidating in a new building or moving in with the treasury department in the Gateway Center across the street. Nothing is ever concrete but the rumors are still circling in the building. But no, I haven't heard or seen anything in a long time about that development, but all that land that the IRS takes up plus the stretch of undeveloped riverfront between the Marriot and Clay Wade Bridge makes that area ripe with potential.

Canoes, kayaks coming to Waterfront site in Covington

 

This time a business that’s supposed to float down the river will go into the former Waterfront space in Covington.

 

A nonprofit has plans to make the dock where Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront once sat into a kayaking, canoeing and rowing destination.

 

The city-owned property has sat vacant since March 2011, when the Waterfront closed after partially breaking loose from its moorings, eventually sinking in August.

 

Cont

Historic MainStrasse buildings to see new life

Caitlin Koenig | Tuesday, March 24, 2015

 

Thanks to Model Group and Welcome House, 13 buildings in Covington's MainStrasse Village will undergo historic renovations.

 

Renovations will be done in two phases, with the first phase slated for completion by the end of next year. The project was awarded about $700,000 in federal low-income housing tax credits through the Kentucky Housing Corporation, and that money will be applied to 801 and 803 Main St.; 710-712 Greer Ave.; and 257, 301 and 315 W. Seventh St.

 

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/032415-mainstrasse-village-renovations.aspx

Developers land $5M to transform former city hall into a hotel

Apr 9, 2015, 7:15am EDT

Erin Caproni Digital Producer- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

Plans to transform a historic downtown Covington building into a luxury boutique hotel are moving forward after the project received a multimillion-dollar boost from the state.

 

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority approved $5.4 million in incentives for the $21.5 million Hotel Covington being developed by Salyers Group and Aparium Hotel Group.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/04/09/developers-land-5m-to-transform-former-city-hall.html

35 photos from the region’s newest urban living tour

Apr 17, 2015, 3:00pm EDT

Tom Demeropolis Senior Staff Reporter-Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

With more residents moving into Cincinnati’s central business district and Over-the-Rhine, Northern Kentucky development officials are working to capitalize on the influx of people to the region’s core.

 

To give potential residents an idea of their options south of the Ohio River, the Catalytic Development Funding Corp. of Northern Kentucky is organizing a self-guided walking tour of urban living spaces in Covington. “Beyond the Curb” is a series of one-day self-guided tours, kicking off at 10 a.m. on April 19.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/04/17/35-photos-from-the-region-s-newest-urban-living.html

I went to Braxton Brewing on 7th Street in Covington on Friday.  Great beer- a lot of offerings on nitro- and a really nice looking tap room space.  Highly recommend. 

 

That's one of the first times I've been in the Pike Street area so I went back on my bike to explore around yesterday.  Covington has some great urbanism going on.  It's got beautiful historic buildings, and a variety of continuously-maintained housing stock of various ages that can really make for an affordable urban experience for someone. It's a mostly flat, and close to downtown Cincinnati, making bike commuting really attractive. It's got so many positive attributes that I wish there were more neighborhoods like it on the Cincinnati side of the river. 

 

My previous impressions of Covington were that it's a little disjointed- for example there's Mainstrasse, then the stuff along Madison Avenue, Pike Street, and then the 80s/90s newer downtown stuff around the Roebling bridge, but none of it really connected.  Yesterday I found out why.  I had always thought the IRS was located in the River Center buildings, but today on my bike ride I was shocked to find out that I was mistaken and it's actually a sprawling, low to the ground one story office building surrounded by a sea of surface parking.  This sprawling complex cuts off the newer downtown Covington buildings and the Roebling link to Cincinnati from the historical downtown building stock down Madison Avenue/Pike, and then stretches all the way over to Mainstrasse to cut that off too.  This site makes worse use of land than any building being built in the far flung exurbs today.  There's simply no reason for an office building to be configured like that- it's not like they have a huge industrial production floor or anything. Also it is literally fenced off from its surroundings.  On Google maps satellite view, the IRS site is taking up more prime riverfront land than Paul Brown Stadium. 

 

If I was in charge of Covington, getting the IRS to move into a new tower built on the surface parking lot on Rivercenter Drive just north of the huge parking garage would be my first, second, third, and fourth priority.  This would enable redeveloping the IRS site by restoring the street grid into the traditional walkable configuration.  Build some luxury condo towers with a view.  Covington would also have room to expand their convention center if they wanted.  I think redevelopment of the IRS site is a more important priority to Covington than the ongoing Brent Spence bridge saga or a streetcar connection. 

 

With Hamilton County, Cincinnati, and the US Army Corps of Engineers investing millions in the Banks, Covington would be foolish not to try to cash in on that investment. All that re-developable land at the IRS site just over the Roebling, which forms the very centerpiece of the Banks development, could be a game changer for them. 

 

Also we have to make the Roebling Bridge more bikeable!  Either by putting something down on the steel grate so bikes can use the roadway, or at least make some curb cutouts so that bikes can re-enter the roadway from the sidewalk after crossing the bridge. 

 

 

 

I knew a woman who worked at the IRS. One day she said, "I processed a $35 million check today."

 

"Who wrote that check?" 

 

"I'm not allowed to tell you."  :angel:

 

 

 

If Covington reurbanized between Roebling Point and the Brent Spence and redeveloped their waterfront to be way more useful of an asset that would be amazing. Reintroducing the street grid so that Roebling Point doesn't feel so disconnected from Mainstrasse and fast-food-world could introduce some great development opportunities. The IRS building is just in the way and makes that impossible at the moment.

Covington's riverfront is still going to be inferior unless they can figure out a way to push back the flood wall like Cincinnati has done with Smale Park/The Banks/Fort Washington Way. Since there's very little worth saving between Brent Spence Bridge and Madison Avenue, they could come up with a master plan that would be very competitive with Cincinnati's riverfront... but it would require leadership with a vision and the ability to execute.

...but it would require leadership with a vision and the ability to execute.

 

Indeed, leadership that doesn't believe cheap motels and drive-thru fast food chains are the highest and best form of development.

Covington's riverfront is still going to be inferior unless they can figure out a way to push back the flood wall like Cincinnati has done with Smale Park/The Banks/Fort Washington Way. Since there's very little worth saving between Brent Spence Bridge and Madison Avenue, they could come up with a master plan that would be very competitive with Cincinnati's riverfront... but it would require leadership with a vision and the ability to execute.

 

Maybe I'm lacking vision here, but it seems like they could do a lot with the current flood wall without going full-on Banks project, ie. replacing the flood wall with park and underground garage. Just by redeveloping the IRS site they could fit in at least three more pro-athlete-worthy condo towers with incredible views. They could use the tax money from new well to do residents to solve their budget problems. Then they could put a bike path with viewing areas on top of the levee wall or something. Fill in the street grid south of the condo towers with mid rise residential with young middle class residents. Something to consider if they don't have the money and time it took to build the Banks.

 

I think it would be neat if they built a sibling tower to the Ascent on the lot on the east side of the bridge approach.

 

The Madison roundabout with the river overlook by the murals is one of the best views of Cincinnati but the site leaves a lot to be desired. For example, there are about four of these ugly metal pole structures sticking out the water that completely ruin photographs from that location. I don't know their function- if they were boat moorings or performed some structural function or what- but they should be removed if at all possible. Then the entire area needs to be greened up. Perhaps replace the lower parking lot there down by the water with park space.

Thos large poles used to hold a large barge with a tgi Fridays, yucatan liquor stand etc. and that whole area is/was waiting on Jeff Ruby's waterfront to relocate to a land based spot there. Also my dad works for the IRS, and there have been many rumors about consolidating to a Covington office tower and selling off land or an office in Hebron but nothing has happened yet (for the last 10 plus years). It would really be a game changer for Covington to have that land back, but I'm not holding my breath.

Covington's riverfront is still going to be inferior unless they can figure out a way to push back the flood wall like Cincinnati has done with Smale Park/The Banks/Fort Washington Way. Since there's very little worth saving between Brent Spence Bridge and Madison Avenue, they could come up with a master plan that would be very competitive with Cincinnati's riverfront... but it would require leadership with a vision and the ability to execute.

 

Maybe I'm lacking vision here, but it seems like they could do a lot with the current flood wall without going full-on Banks project, ie. replacing the flood wall with park and underground garage. Just by redeveloping the IRS site they could fit in at least three more pro-athlete-worthy condo towers with incredible views. They could use the tax money from new well to do residents to solve their budget problems. Then they could put a bike path with viewing areas on top of the levee wall or something. Fill in the street grid south of the condo towers with mid rise residential with young middle class residents. Something to consider if they don't have the money and time it took to build the Banks.

 

I think it would be neat if they built a sibling tower to the Ascent on the lot on the east side of the bridge approach.

 

The Madison roundabout with the river overlook by the murals is one of the best views of Cincinnati but the site leaves a lot to be desired. For example, there are about four of these ugly metal pole structures sticking out the water that completely ruin photographs from that location. I don't know their function- if they were boat moorings or performed some structural function or what- but they should be removed if at all possible. Then the entire area needs to be greened up. Perhaps replace the lower parking lot there down by the water with park space.

 

They could definitely improve the area without moving the flood wall. But it will end up similar to Newport on the Levee in terms of site layout. What Cincinnati did was a far better solution: you do not know that a flood wall even exists down there. The development flows from downtown to the riverfront and feels like one continuous neighborhood.

Of course it was much easier to do in Cincinnati because downtown sits on a terrace of land above the floodplain which drops noticeably from 4th Street down to 3rd, and historically continued dropping down to Pearl Street before leveling off.  Today's garages, transit center, and maybe some day FWW caps serve to push that plain out towards the river, which is relatively easy to do because it's only a few blocks. 

 

Covington and Newport however slope much more gradually towards the river, with the notable exception of Covington's Licking Riverside district that's on another terrace, hence why the 4th Street bridge lands at grade in Covington but then nosedives into Newport.  Anyway, there's not enough parking garages or fill available to raise that all up since you'd need to go at least twice as far inland, and there's no "sacrificial" park land on the riverbank to reduce the amount of land to be raised up. 

 

I think the advantage Covington has is that they aren't completely surrounded by flood wall like Newport is, but admittedly it's just as high and broad as Newport's wall by the time you get past the convention center.  It's not so easy as just saying "do what Cincinnati did" because the terrain is so different. 

I went to Braxton Brewing on 7th Street in Covington on Friday.  Great beer- a lot of offerings on nitro- and a really nice looking tap room space.  Highly recommend. 

 

That's one of the first times I've been in the Pike Street area so I went back on my bike to explore around yesterday.  Covington has some great urbanism going on.  It's got beautiful historic buildings, and a variety of continuously-maintained housing stock of various ages that can really make for an affordable urban experience for someone. It's a mostly flat, and close to downtown Cincinnati, making bike commuting really attractive. It's got so many positive attributes that I wish there were more neighborhoods like it on the Cincinnati side of the river. 

 

My previous impressions of Covington were that it's a little disjointed- for example there's Mainstrasse, then the stuff along Madison Avenue, Pike Street, and then the 80s/90s newer downtown stuff around the Roebling bridge, but none of it really connected.  Yesterday I found out why.  I had always thought the IRS was located in the River Center buildings, but today on my bike ride I was shocked to find out that I was mistaken and it's actually a sprawling, low to the ground one story office building surrounded by a sea of surface parking.  This sprawling complex cuts off the newer downtown Covington buildings and the Roebling link to Cincinnati from the historical downtown building stock down Madison Avenue/Pike, and then stretches all the way over to Mainstrasse to cut that off too.  This site makes worse use of land than any building being built in the far flung exurbs today.  There's simply no reason for an office building to be configured like that- it's not like they have a huge industrial production floor or anything. Also it is literally fenced off from its surroundings.  On Google maps satellite view, the IRS site is taking up more prime riverfront land than Paul Brown Stadium. 

 

If I was in charge of Covington, getting the IRS to move into a new tower built on the surface parking lot on Rivercenter Drive just north of the huge parking garage would be my first, second, third, and fourth priority.  This would enable redeveloping the IRS site by restoring the street grid into the traditional walkable configuration.  Build some luxury condo towers with a view.  Covington would also have room to expand their convention center if they wanted.  I think redevelopment of the IRS site is a more important priority to Covington than the ongoing Brent Spence bridge saga or a streetcar connection. 

 

With Hamilton County, Cincinnati, and the US Army Corps of Engineers investing millions in the Banks, Covington would be foolish not to try to cash in on that investment. All that re-developable land at the IRS site just over the Roebling, which forms the very centerpiece of the Banks development, could be a game changer for them. 

 

Also we have to make the Roebling Bridge more bikeable!  Either by putting something down on the steel grate so bikes can use the roadway, or at least make some curb cutouts so that bikes can re-enter the roadway from the sidewalk after crossing the bridge. 

 

 

 

You don't need a new tower for the IRS when 50% of the Rivercenter 1-2 is vacant and all of Madison place is vacant. I would stunned

if Corporex has sent talked to GSA over the years. But yeah the IRS complex is ugly and wasted real estate.

 

My previous impressions of Covington were that it's a little disjointed- for example there's Mainstrasse, then the stuff along Madison Avenue, Pike Street, and then the 80s/90s newer downtown stuff around the Roebling bridge, but none of it really connected.  Yesterday I found out why.  I had always thought the IRS was located in the River Center buildings, but today on my bike ride I was shocked to find out that I was mistaken and it's actually a sprawling, low to the ground one story office building surrounded by a sea of surface parking.  This sprawling complex cuts off the newer downtown Covington buildings and the Roebling link to Cincinnati from the historical downtown building stock down Madison Avenue/Pike, and then stretches all the way over to Mainstrasse to cut that off too.  This site makes worse use of land than any building being built in the far flung exurbs today.  There's simply no reason for an office building to be configured like that- it's not like they have a huge industrial production floor or anything. Also it is literally fenced off from its surroundings.  On Google maps satellite view, the IRS site is taking up more prime riverfront land than Paul Brown Stadium. 

 

If I was in charge of Covington, getting the IRS to move into a new tower built on the surface parking lot on Rivercenter Drive just north of the huge parking garage would be my first, second, third, and fourth priority.  This would enable redeveloping the IRS site by restoring the street grid into the traditional walkable configuration.  Build some luxury condo towers with a view.  Covington would also have room to expand their convention center if they wanted.  I think redevelopment of the IRS site is a more important priority to Covington than the ongoing Brent Spence bridge saga or a streetcar connection. 

 

With Hamilton County, Cincinnati, and the US Army Corps of Engineers investing millions in the Banks, Covington would be foolish not to try to cash in on that investment. All that re-developable land at the IRS site just over the Roebling, which forms the very centerpiece of the Banks development, could be a game changer for them. 

 

Also we have to make the Roebling Bridge more bikeable!  Either by putting something down on the steel grate so bikes can use the roadway, or at least make some curb cutouts so that bikes can re-enter the roadway from the sidewalk after crossing the bridge. 

 

 

 

You don't need a new tower for the IRS when 50% of the Rivercenter 1-2 is vacant and all of Madison place is vacant. I would stunned

if Corporex has sent talked to GSA over the years. But yeah the IRS complex is ugly and wasted real estate.

 

That's some insane barge traffic happening in that graphic. It looks photoshoped. 

 

I was hoping it would look more like Monmouth Row across the street, but it's a different developer so I guess that was asking too much.

 

I don't like this particular design, but Newport's real opportunity is in getting its historic housing stock redeveloped.  That only happens if the downtown area is seen as a place where people want to live, instead of as a place where people end up living.  The East Row Historic District is already there, but it only extends so far, ending abruptly at Washington Street.  So I'm disappointed in the design, but happy that this project is moving forward.  I think it will be good for Newport in the long run.

 

Other than mansion hill in Newport and some of Covington north of 12th, there is hardly a $100,000 home to be found in either the Covington or Newport basins.  In fact each are the site of the cheapest ready-to-rock housing in walkable neighborhoods inside the 275 loop, right down there with Carthage and Elmwood Place.  Tons of decent houses for $50,000 and move-in ready houses as cheap as $20-25,000.  Click it south a notch to Latonia and you will find move-in ready houses as cheap as $15,000. 

 

 

You don't need a new tower for the IRS when 50% of the Rivercenter 1-2 is vacant and all of Madison place is vacant. I would stunned

if Corporex has sent talked to GSA over the years. But yeah the IRS complex is ugly and wasted real estate.

 

Well by all rights setting up a deal should be a lot more feasible then. Covington and/or developers could probably get a good deal on the federal land too, but negotiating with the Feds would probably be slow and arduous.

 

You don't need a new tower for the IRS when 50% of the Rivercenter 1-2 is vacant and all of Madison place is vacant. I would stunned

if Corporex has sent talked to GSA over the years. But yeah the IRS complex is ugly and wasted real estate.

 

Well by all rights setting up a deal should be a lot more feasible then. Covington and/or developers could probably get a good deal on the federal land too, but negotiating with the Feds would probably be slow and arduous.

 

GSA is better than 15 years ago, but still has issues. They use the usual suspects as brokers, JLL CBRE, but not always get best advice. They have contracts with them now that include kickbacks, known as fee sharing.

That's some insane barge traffic happening in that graphic. It looks photoshoped. 

 

Ha.  I think that's the same barge over and over, an irregularity of satellite imagery.

http://www.rcnky.com/articles/2015/12/22/175-new-apartments-new-commercial-spaces-part-massive-downtown-covington-project

 

New development with 175 apartments with office and retail in Covington by Northpointe and John Senhauser. This project could be a huge boost to downtown Covington. It should really help to bridge the gap between Mainstrasse and downtown. This along with Braxton, the art gallerys and shops on Pike and the new Hotel Covington will really transform the old Covington downtown area. I'm really excited about this.

More on that...

 

Massive Covington mixed-use project moves forward

 

 

Plans to tear down historic buildings to create a mixed-use development including 175 residential units in Covington were approved on Monday, River City News reports.

 

Covington’s urban design review board gave its OK to the Duveneck Square project, which will be built on an existing parking lot on the west side of Washington Street bordered by Pike and Eighth streets and the east side of Washington Street where historic buildings currently stand.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2015/12/massive-covington-mixed-use-project-moves-forward.html

Possible designs for Covington's Riverfront:

http://rcnky.com/articles/2016/02/23/wow-possible-designs-covingtons-riverfront-emerge

 

 

Hotel Covington sets opening date; get a sneak peek inside

 

 

A boutique hotel in a historic downtown Covington building is nearing completion.

 

Hotel Covington will open in the former Coppin’s Department Store at 638 Madison Ave. in summer 2016 after millions of dollars in renovations.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/03/03/hotel-covington-sets-opening-date-get-a-sneak-peek.html

That rendering, along with a couple others, are available on Corporex's site.

 

http://www.corporex.com/our-real-estate-portfolio/mixed-use-development/

 

 

 

 

Let's dream for a minute. If they actually manage to build that site plan I'd be ecstatic. It creates a street layout, builds up to it with ground level spaces that appear to be retail or at the very least pedestrian spaces for office or condo/apartment buildings, offers a wide variety of housing types, is intelligently planned to allow for both the townhomes and the towers to access the views, places amenity spaces up high behind activated buildings, etc. It's well thought out and would be a great addition to the core of our region.

Not necessarily development, but newsworthy:

 

MainStrasse launches paid parking, here's what it means

 

 

Covington’s new parking plan for MainStrasse Village will go into effect later this month.

 

Historically it has been free to park in the area, but the parking plan, which includes new metered street parking, a pay lot and parking permits, will change that. According to the city of Covington, pay stations will be installed along Main and West Sixth streets on March 26, signs will go up a few days later and the pay stations will be live on March 30.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/03/28/mainstrasse-launches-paid-parking-heres-what-it.html

Get an early look inside the urban core’s newest townhomes

 

 

Nine single-family townhomes are coming to the heart of Covington.

 

Orleans Development is working on the $3.4 million adaptive reuse of the historic Boone Block building on Scott Boulevard, transforming it into residences with high ceilings, exposed brick and flex spaces. Tony Kreutzjans, president of Orleans Development, said this project has been different from any other he’s worked on in his career.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/05/25/get-an-early-look-inside-the-urban-core-s-newest.html

Holy crap. I had no idea this project was that far along.

Here's where Kenton County is moving its government offices

 

 

The Bavarian Brewery Building will remain standing, River City News reports.

 

Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann announced on Friday that the county will buy the historic structure and move the government there. The building – owned by Crestview Hills-based developer Columbia Sussex – had been at the center of a lawsuit between the owner and the City of Covington.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/07/11/heres-where-kenton-county-is-moving-its-government.html

I have a feelingn (perhaps just naive optimism) that the opening of the <a href="http://hotelcovington.com/">Hotel Covington</a> (scheduled to open in August) is going to mark a tipping point for retail in Covington. I was exploring Covington recently and was reminded of how incredible the streetscape of Madison Ave is, especially around the intersection with Pike Street. Each building is so different from its neighbor and the architectural details are stunning. In between 6th and 8th streets along Madison, we will have Hotel Covington, Braxton Brewing, and the Madison Theater. Each of those spaces is (or will be) a regional draw, and I suspect we will see other storefronts start to open up to capitalize on the draw.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0842048,-84.5103064,3a,75y,328.61h,95.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8xzDX_vPLpuTc9E4lkckIQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

 

 

Get a look at Hotel Covington transformation

 

 

Hotel Covington, the new boutique hotel in the former Coppin’s Department Store, is scheduled to open at the end of August.

 

When the 114-room hotel opens, it will be focused on providing guests with a local and unique experience. Construction crews are working to complete the $22 million conversion of the building.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/07/13/get-a-look-at-hotel-covington-transformation.html

I have a feelingn (perhaps just naive optimism) that the opening of the <a href="http://hotelcovington.com/">Hotel Covington</a> (scheduled to open in August) is going to mark a tipping point for retail in Covington. I was exploring Covington recently and was reminded of how incredible the streetscape of Madison Ave is, especially around the intersection with Pike Street. Each building is so different from its neighbor and the architectural details are stunning. In between 6th and 8th streets along Madison, we will have Hotel Covington, Braxton Brewing, and the Madison Theater. Each of those spaces is (or will be) a regional draw, and I suspect we will see other storefronts start to open up to capitalize on the draw.

 

 

Don't forget the "Duveneck Square" project, which will activate even more of this corridor:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2015/12/massive-covington-mixed-use-project-moves-forward.html

 

 

http://www.rcnky.com/articles/2016/08/03/photos-what-new-mainstrasse-apartment-development-could-look

 

This is a really big development opportunity for Mainstrasse. I tend to agree that the architecture is un-inspired for being in a historic neighborhood, but you also have to remember that across 5th street is a bunch of 1-story fast food restaurants and mechanics. This isn't really 'in' Mainstrasse or along beautiful 6th street, so I'm not sure that historic context matters as much.

I think Cincinnati would be wise if they could find areas in the basin to add "raw numbers" of housing units like this project would do for Covington without getting hung up on architecture and other neighborhood turf wars.

Fast-growing Greater Cincinnati firm CTI to move HQ to Covington

 

Tim Schroeder, CEO of CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, revealed today that the fast-growing firm plans to move its headquarters from Blue Ash to Covington.

 

The privately held firm will begin relocating up to 250 employees to the RiverCenter II building in the first quarter of 2017.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/08/17/fast-growing-greater-cincinnati-firm-to-move-hq.html

$38 million apartment development planned in Mainstrasse

 

 

An Alabama developer is working to bring a $38 million apartment project to the heart of Covington.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/07/38-million-apartment-development-planned-in.html

$38 million apartment development planned in Mainstrasse

 

An Alabama developer is working to bring a $38 million apartment project to the heart of Covington.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/07/38-million-apartment-development-planned-in.html

 

This is behind the paywall so I can't see specifics, but this would be great to add residents to Mainstrasse. That building is huge, having a long warehouse behind it that goes almost all the way to 7th street (coming short at a community garden) and it also has a pretty large surface lot attached at the corner of 6th and Bakewell.

 

I do hope they don't demolish the 4 story portion of the John R. Green building though, as that has a lot of character and is tall enough and in good enough shape that it could be filled with some nice lofts or condos adjacent to a new construction apartment building.

That's one of my favorite Artworks murals.  I'll be sad to see it go if the 2 story building comes down, but an apartment complex in Mainstrasse could be a nice addition.  I'd love to see a rendering.

Sorry, I have a feeling that mural is coming down regardless. It looks to be solid infill of what should be storefront glazing, so I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

Famed street artists begin Greater Cincinnati installation

 

 

An internationally known street artist collaborative will spend the next several days in Greater Cincinnati transforming a wall into a work of art.

 

Amsterdam-based the London Police is sending four artists led by the group’s founding duo to turn a 40-by-40-foot wall in the heart of Covington into a mural and vertical garden mixed-media installation.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/13/famed-street-artists-begin-greater-cincinnati.html

Huntington rehabbing Greater Cincinnati building to relocate 100-plus jobs

Sep 14, 2016, 10:17am EDT

Steve Watkins

Staff Reporter

Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Huntington National Bank plans to move more than 100 jobs to its downtown Covington location once it completes an extensive rehab on that property.

 

Huntington will move those jobs from its Crestview Hills office during the third quarter next year, Kevin Jones, regional president of Huntington’s local market, told me. When the move is completed, it will add those jobs to the 10 that now exist at the Huntington building at Sixth and Madison streets in Covington.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/14/huntington-rehabbing-greater-cincinnati-building.html

^That's great news for downtown Covington. Their building (originally home to Covington Trust) is beautiful (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0846422,-84.5104139,3a,90y,48.3h,102.18t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCSiHmBa6p53ok_nCNhC4Zw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DCSiHmBa6p53ok_nCNhC4Zw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D392%26h%3D106%26yaw%3D150.95673%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656">streetview</a>) and it'll be wonderful to have 100 workers down there every day. That'll help support the businesses along Madison.

 

Well, the giant IRS complex between Third and Fourth streets and Madison Avenue and Johnson Street is closing - taking 2,000 jobs with it. The IRS center in the Gateway Center between Third and Fourth streets and Madison Avenue and Scott Boulevard will not be affected. This opens up a giant parcel of land for redevelopment.

That spot desperately needs to have a street grid rebuilt within it so that Corporex's vertical suburbia...I mean "Downtown" can integrate westward and open up the possibility of eventually moving development far enough west to kill fast-food-paradise.

I've created a new topic for the IRS Site discussion: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=30877.msg818291#msg818291

 

This will likely be discussed heavily for the next decade, so we should keep it separate from the rest of the random NKY news.

$22 million Hotel Covington sets opening date

 

 

Hotel Covington, the new boutique hotel in the former Coppin’s Department Store, set an opening date.

 

The 114-room hotel is scheduled to open Tuesday, Sept. 27. The $22 million project by Aparium Hotel Group and Salyers Group will host a ribbon cutting that morning at 11.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/15/22-million-hotel-covington-sets-opening-date.html

Go inside Greater Cincinnati’s newest luxury hotel

 

 

Hotel Covington, a luxury hotel created by Aparium Hotel Group and the Salyers Group in the iconic 1910 Coppin’s Department Store, opened on Tuesday in Covington.

 

The building underwent a $22 million restoration led by Hub + Weber Architects and Plume Interiors + Light.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/28/go-inside-greater-cincinnati-s-newest-luxury-hotel.html

"...warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air"

$38 million apartment development planned in Mainstrasse

 

An Alabama developer is working to bring a $38 million apartment project to the heart of Covington.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/07/38-million-apartment-development-planned-in.html

 

This is behind the paywall so I can't see specifics, but this would be great to add residents to Mainstrasse. That building is huge, having a long warehouse behind it that goes almost all the way to 7th street (coming short at a community garden) and it also has a pretty large surface lot attached at the corner of 6th and Bakewell.

 

I do hope they don't demolish the 4 story portion of the John R. Green building though, as that has a lot of character and is tall enough and in good enough shape that it could be filled with some nice lofts or condos adjacent to a new construction apartment building.

 

The 4-story portion will be retained, but the adjacent 2-story building will be demolished.

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/091316-john-r-green-lofts-project.aspx