To me this project is a microcosm of the US real estate market in many ways going back it being de-railed in 2008. What we have now over 15 years later is very high end residential, sitting on a literal pedestal, with none of the 'missing middle' which could include market rate housing, convenient retail, services etc. because it literally sits on top of car infrastructure, which faces all the pedestrian entrances and public rights of way.

 

So what we have is an auto-centric project in an otherwise walkable city, that offers zero retail or services to the community, sitting directly across from older affordable housing but only catering to it's own wealthy condo owners and their cars, with a commercial portion also lifted up off the street and catering only to visitors who come through for a concert at a venue owned by one of two duopolies running the entire music industry in a venue named Mega Corp, an almost too on the nose metaphor for the state of our current economy's priorities. 

I still can't believe after all this they built condos that are only 5 stories tall.    Seems crazy they didn't try to go taller.

I don't think the demand is there for taller condos if they were going to do three separate buildings.  Even though they aren't tall they put them in the front of the development so their view will never be blocked.  When the last condo building is finished hopefully they make some announcement on the apartments being built.  Those are supposed to go behind the condos and be taller.  That would add a lot more people to this currently very dead area on non concert days. 

 

I agree the entire development from a street level perspective is just awful.  I can't imagine any type of commercial activity will do well here until there are a lot more residential places built.  

newport!

2 hours ago, RJohnson said:

patience grasshoppers. Good things come to those who wait and listen quietly. 

 

Good things like cheeseburgers... in paradise? 

 

What's the latest on Margaritaville?

 

Last news seemed to be December.

i haven't a clue if you're talking Newport Level or not. but I haven't heard anything.

19 hours ago, jack.c.amos said:

newport!

This is a visual obituary.

19 hours ago, Gordon Bombay said:

 

Good things like cheeseburgers... in paradise? 

 

What's the latest on Margaritaville?

 

Last news seemed to be December.

The Margaritaville Hotel is looking like a 3rd quarter of this year groundbreaking.

 

While we are on the scoops topic 180 Walnut St Banks will be announced in the late spring mixed used building around 17-19 stories.

Quote

While we are on the scoops topic 180 Walnut St Banks will be announced in the late spring mixed used building around 17-19 stories.

 

Can you identify a source "generally" without betraying him/her?

 

12 minutes ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said:

 

Can you identify a source "generally" without betraying him/her?

 

Sure being a DAAP graduate Urban Planning some of my more accomplished classmates are now in various economic development departments regionally.180 Walnut is well along in the  planning stages and city incentive agreements.Margaritville hotel in Newport was always going to happen the timeline has always been about other planned hotels in their pipeline opening.

 

Western Southern is procrastinating as usual about their Masonic renovation hotel plans.

 

More than a few large developments in uptown will soon be announced as well.

Edited April 1Apr 1 by ucnum1

33 minutes ago, ucnum1 said:

Western Southern is procrastinating as usual about their Masonic renovation hotel plans.

AKA waiting for the impending economic downturn when labor and borrowing gets cheaper

1 hour ago, Rabbit Hash said:

This is a visual obituary.

don't leave margaritaville 4 dead.

2 hours ago, Rabbit Hash said:

This is a visual obituary.

Don't forget:

 

18 minutes ago, ucgrady said:

AKA waiting for the impending economic downturn when labor and borrowing gets cheaper

John Barrett is a different kind of cat.He was all gangbusters about the Sundance to Cincinnati bid with elaborate plans to renovate the Masonic building and eventually add a hotel component.I would not be surprised to see that project get put on a shelf like the Headquarters building.

49 minutes ago, ucnum1 said:

John Barrett is a different kind of cat.He was all gangbusters about the Sundance to Cincinnati bid with elaborate plans to renovate the Masonic building and eventually add a hotel component.I would not be surprised to see that project get put on a shelf like the Headquarters building.

What’s funny (but not) is I got into a big back and forth with someone on this site last year when I tried to tell them the potential JW Marriott project was at best several years away. I’m very familiar with Barrett and crew, there wasn’t a snow balls chance in hell it was coming anytime soon. I think the poster even claimed it would beat the convention center hotel to open which was a ludicrous comment lol.

4 minutes ago, 646empire said:

What’s funny (but not) is I got into a big back and forth with someone on this site last year when I tried to tell them the potential JW Marriott project was at best several years away. I’m very familiar with Barrett and crew, there wasn’t a snow balls chance in hell it was coming anytime soon. I think the poster even claimed it would beat the convention center hotel to open which was a ludicrous comment lol.

Also Cincinnati is about to open about 5 new downtown properties (financed ready to go and under construction) over the next 3-4 years adding over 1,100 rooms. It might be a long wait for the ole JW.

Edited April 1Apr 1 by 646empire

2 hours ago, ucnum1 said:

More than a few large developments in uptown will soon be announced as well.

 

Hopefully the McMillan/Vine/Auburn mega block and the next phase of the district.

Edited April 1Apr 1 by tonyt3524

2 hours ago, ucnum1 said:

The Margaritaville Hotel is looking like a 3rd quarter of this year groundbreaking.

 

🙏 

6 hours ago, Gordon Bombay said:

 

🙏 

 

3 hours ago, zsnyder said:

 

 

new highrise... it's gonna be nice. comes w American cheese

11 hours ago, RJohnson said:

 

new highrise... it's gonna be nice. comes w American cheese

You forgot the big kosher pickle.

Recently in the Business Courier:

 

Quote

Downtown Cincinnati hotels are feeling the steep drop in government-related travel, the slowdown in corporate trips and a drop in local leisure demand.

 

Recession fears lurk in the background, though hotel operators pin some blame for the grim start to 2025 on the Duke Energy Convention Center’s closure and the harsher-than-normal weather. [...]

 

Through the first two months of 2025, hotel demand in downtown Cincinnati is down 11.3% from the same time last year and 20.2% from the same time in 2023, according to data provided by CoStar.

 

Occupancy is 43.3%. That’s also down 11.3% from 2024.

 

Things might rebound a bit once the renovated convention center is open, but I'm skeptical other hotel projects like the W&S JW or Margaritaville will break ground. Especially since the Gwynne and Convention Center hotels are also going to add nearly another 1,000 rooms to the downtown inventory.

The Margaritaville Hotel will be a natural tourist draw from beyond the Tri-State region due to it's uniqueness and location on the river with a stunning view. Too many "parrot heads" in the area not to visit this destination and spend a few bucks.

A Margaritaville hotel in Newport  has little to do with downtown Cincinnati tourism.The Aquarium and Levee are much more important for them.

Who would travel to Newport and not cross the river to Cincinnati? I doubt people would just go to the Aquarium and levy and be like "Okay back to the hotel!"

1 minute ago, anusthemenace said:

Who would travel to Newport and not cross the river to Cincinnati? I doubt people would just go to the Aquarium and levy and be like "Okay back to the hotel!"

 

You'd be surprised.  I had family from Detroit drive down to N-O-T-L, do the Aquarium with the kids, ate at Hofbrau, spent the night in Newport, and left to Detroit the next morning.  Didn't even step foot in Cincinnati, even though I told them there were things to do too.

We actually had friends come in town for the aquarium a few years back from Indy, and they just spent the weekend in Covington/Newport.

33 minutes ago, anusthemenace said:

Who would travel to Newport and not cross the river to Cincinnati? I doubt people would just go to the Aquarium and levy and be like "Okay back to the hotel!"

I mean tens of thousands of people every season do.Newport Aquarium attendance ranges from 350k to 600k every year.40 % of those are out of town visitors.

Cool guys I get it. But honestly seems lame to just stay in Newport when Cincy is right across the river. I'm sure plenty of people walk across the bridge to Cincy. I mean it's right there...

3 hours ago, anusthemenace said:

Cool guys I get it. But honestly seems lame to just stay in Newport when Cincy is right across the river. I'm sure plenty of people walk across the bridge to Cincy. I mean it's right there...

 

Perhaps, but there are a billion examples of visitors visiting different attractions without visiting the actual city.

 

*People go to The Las Vegas Strip yet UrbanNevada forumers are like "Come to the Arts District and Fremont East!  It's right there!"

*People go to Walt Disney World or Universal Studios and UrbanFlorida forumers are like "Come to Downtown Orlando and Winter Park!  We got good stuff!"

*People go to Disneyland and Hollywood yet only see downtown Los Angeles when flying in and out of LAX.

 

And so forth.  It isn't unusual.  It's really up to said city to jointly push people to see the sites/attractions of the region better.  Downtown New Orleans is an urban paradise but is greatly overshadowed by the Bobs and Babs on the Boozetrucks on Bourbon.  Cities deserve better.

👍

Edited April 3Apr 3 by anusthemenace

20 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

 

You'd be surprised.  I had family from Detroit drive down to N-O-T-L, do the Aquarium with the kids, ate at Hofbrau, spent the night in Newport, and left to Detroit the next morning.  Didn't even step foot in Cincinnati, even though I told them there were things to do too.

I am surprised. Very. Bizarre to say the least. It’s not as tho Newport Aquarium is some world renowned facility like Georgia Aquarium or something. They could have even done a shorter trip to Shedd in Chicago which is much better as well. My point is for a Detroit family to pick Newport KY/Aquarium out as a stand alone trip with no Cincinnati intention or family in the area connection is highly unusual.

I don't think it's unusual at all for people from out-of-town to go to an attraction, stay near said attraction, and leave the immediate area of the attraction.  I think Americans, in general, are used to that.

I lived in Chicago for years and never stepped foot on Navy Pier, however there are plenty of families who go there to visit the children's museum, visit Grant park and the whole lake front and don't ever touch the real "city" of Chicago. I agree that this is pretty common. 

 

21 hours ago, 646empire said:

My point is for a Detroit family to pick Newport KY/Aquarium out as a stand alone trip with no Cincinnati intention or family in the area connection is highly unusual.

I can't speak to people from up north, but people from Kentucky and Tennessee who have passes to Dollywood get discounts to the Newport Aquarium and vice versa so they have more incentive to drive up and make that a destination. 

There goes the neighborhood...

Edited May 1May 1 by Lazarus

Condos open at Boardwalk Residences in $1B Ovation development: PHOTOS

By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier

May 1, 2025

The first residents have moved into Ovation’s riverfront condominiums, marking a significant milestone in the development of the 25-acre, $1 billion Newport development.

Covington-based Corporex, the master developer behind Ovation, offered a first look inside the Boardwalk Residences condominiums, housed in three buildings closest to the riverfront, during a media event April 30.

Corporex also unveiled two new bars at the development.

MORE