^Yeah, but it's just the bridge approach that does that.  Looking at it on Google Earth, it seems like it would be relatively easy to alter the ramp to have southbound traffic exit on Columbia instead of the current configuration where traffic exits onto either 3rd or York.  I don't think they'll do that, but since the entire street grid in that section of Newport is about to be reworked via Ovation and/or the RT8/RT9 realignments, it's not totally outside the realm of possibility.

A lot of big "ifs"..........

 

Ovation could break ground in a year

Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 6:07am EDT  |  Modified: Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 8:33am

 

 

The biggest real estate development to hit Northern Kentucky – the $1 billion Ovation project in Newport – could break ground in a year, its developer says.

 

“To break ground in a year, that’s realistic,” said Covington-born developer William Butler, chairman of Corporex Cos. Inc., speaking March 4 to United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s biggest givers.

 

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2010/05/ovations_could_break_ground_in_a_year.html

 

A recycled post, basically. Funding is the issue, which just isn't happening in this recession.

To break ground in a year, thats realistic, said Covington-born developer William Butler, chairman of Corporex Cos. Inc., speaking March 4 to United Way of Greater Cincinnatis biggest givers.

 

 

I thought he said the same thing two years ago.

I thought the issue was waiting on the state to figure out what it's doing with the RT8 re-route.

From what I've heard via people at Corporex it's mostly funding at this point - if they had enough money committed I'm sure they could push the RT8 fixes through.

This is beyond financing for the project.  They don't have the market.  The Banks is being constructed and Manhattan Harbour has received lots of public and private money to fund that massive project.  As much as I like Cincinnati, it can not sustain 3 multi-billion mixed-use projects in the same small geographic region all at once.

 

The Banks will create new demand based on its high profile, and Manhattan Harbour will suck what is left from the empty nesters and grab some young families from the 'burbs.  Ovation will be left as the odd man out with no real market to make it viable.

I'd agree except for it has a great spot eventually. I think the question will be to see how long Newport can be patient with the project before they start pushing something (though this was mostly public housing so it wasn't taxable anyway).

Most definitely a great location.  Outside of The Banks, there is no better real estate in the region.

Most definitely a great location. Outside of The Banks, there is no better real estate in the region.

 

Run a streetcar over Talyor Southgate, connect the two

^I believe that's Newport's plan/hope.  It's certainly mine.

Bill could buy time for Ovation

 

By Scott Wartman • [email protected] • February 7, 2011

 

 

NEWPORT - The site for the planned $1 billion Ovation project in Newport has sat vacant for four years and could get more time for the developer to take advantage of a state tax incentive before it has to break ground.

 

http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20110207/NEWS0103/102080320

kinda sad to see that the developer gets more time.

 

I would like to see the area split among a few developers with the city guiding a master plan.  IMO the Ovation master plan is horrid, as are the example street-scapes...

I've been told for the past 2 years that they are waiting for the Rt. 9 rebuild coming from the AA Highway. Not sure when this is happening.

It is project 6-8101.01 and 6-8101.02. You can see a general route at http://maps.kytc.ky.gov/SYP/. Construction is estimated to be 2012, but I'm not sure on the date.

 

CONSTRUCTION

http://pmtoolbox.kytc.ky.gov/SYPmapsPreconReport.asp?COMB=6-8101.01

http://pmtoolbox.kytc.ky.gov/SYPmapsPreconReport.asp?COMB=6-8101.02

 

 

ugh- Ovation needs to be scrapped entirely and replaced with a walkable neighborhood.

 

Has anyone seen those plans for something like: Newport West or a name like that? It was a plan that had City West style buildings filling in the entire Ovation area and everything was market rate.  It also included a bit of work with 4th and 5th st's as well.  It was awesome looking. Saw it a few years ago and haven't been able to find it since....

Not to get anyone's hopes up as I'm sure it means nothing, but I was in the area this afternoon and drove by the site of Ovation. Now I haven't been over there in a long time so I have no idea how long it has been there, but the billboard that is advertising the project shows a rendering that is completely different than anything I've ever seen released for the project. How long has this been there? From the short glimpse I got of it as I drove by the rendering showed a site development that would be far better than that displayed in past renderings and on the website. Thanks for any information.

Not to get anyone's hopes up as I'm sure it means nothing, but I was in the area this afternoon and drove by the site of Ovation. Now I haven't been over there in a long time so I have no idea how long it has been there, but the billboard that is advertising the project shows a rendering that is completely different than anything I've ever seen released for the project. How long has this been there? From the short glimpse I got of it as I drove by the rendering showed a site development that would be far better than that displayed in past renderings and on the website. Thanks for any information.

 

I'm guessing when you drove by the sign that you didn't take a picture with your phone of the new site development so you could post it on here?

Haha, I did actually snap a picture, but my phone is super low end and requires a special Windows based program it came with to upload photos to my computer which just so happens to be a Mac. So unfortunately I'm not a very useful member of Urbanohio. That and my camera called it quits recently...sadface.

I was last over there 2-3 weeks ago and no change. Will try to make another pass this week.

http://www.siteselection.com/features/2007/nov/ohioRiver/images/pg906a.jpg

 

It's not this?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39017545@N02/5889234289/#sizes/o/in/photostream/

 

Here's a link to a massive photo by someone else that shows the billboard. Although now being able to look at it more closely it isn't quite what I thought it was, it's still different from any of the released images, but only in slight ways. Still, it is interesting that the current billboard features a rendering not previously shown elsewhere.

That rendering is laughable.  While I'd love to see some NYC/Las Vegas style high rise density like that...well,  you know.

I actually am quite confused by the desired scale of this development. While I understand that the views are important and all that, there's already The Banks, and Covington's downtown as well as a lot of the development down both shores of the river that are vying for that segment of the market. It would seem that filling the entire site with 4-5 story buildings, either apartment buildings, row homes, or detached homes on small lots would make a lot of sense while still offering a lot of density that could support a small business district within the development.

That photo was taken in 2011. It's pretty outdated.

That photo was taken in 2011. It's pretty outdated.

 

That's still what is there though. Nothing new. My guess is ovation never happens. Something completely different will replace it

soooo anybody know whats going on with this?

soooo anybody know whats going on with this?

 

Um. Well.  Um.

soooo anybody know whats going on with this?

 

Corporex/Butler lost The Baldwin Complex to bankruptcy and the Rivercenter buildings are about 50% vacant so he might lose those.

He likes to refinance, put money in his pocket, and be highly leveraged. I think financing for Ovation will be difficult at least as originally outlined.

Ovation should be redone as dense mid-low residential with a few mid rise, wide floor plan office buildings between 4th & 5th. 

 

A smaller denser version of Denver's Stapleton. Is it as sexy as Ovation? No. But it brings in wealth & economic stability into NKY's core in a walkable way (Not a high rise that has no street presence a la Southshore). Plus, our region can only have so many high rise office buildings. Vacancy downtown is still high and rents are low. Covington is mostly empty. 

Newport prepares for road, first buildings on Ovation site

 

NEWPORT – Buildings might soon come out of the ground on the long dormant Ovation site in Newport about nine years after the project was first announced.

 

The state of Kentucky in the spring will start construction of the extension of Ky. 9/AA Highway into Newport, a road that developer Corporex has said was necessary before starting the $1 billion commercial and residential Ovation project.

 

Newport City Commission on Monday night granted an easement to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet near the Taylor-Southgate Bridge.

 

Cont

Does anybody know more details about the proposed design/alignment of this road project? Is it going to follow Central Ave or is it an entirely new road along the Licking? How/where is it going to connect to the Taylor-Southgate Bridge?

 

 

I found this on the Southbank Partners website from 2011, though I don't know if this is up-to-date: http://www.southbankpartners.com/Portals/southbankpartners/Documents/Projects/KY%209%20MAP%20CAMPBELL%20CO.pdf

 

The alignment/design seems to match what was described in the Enquirer article. The roundabout at 5th/Isabella seems unnecessarily large and over-engineered. I think they could shrink the radius, which would slow traffic while still allowing for trucks to navigate the intersection. But I'm no traffic engineer...

This road project feels a lot like "urban renewal" and not an actual transit project. The route chosen seems placed on purpose to force the demolition of as many public housing buildings as possible (vs a route that would line up with 6th and Isabella).

I also think that 6200 parking spaces is ridiculous and a deal with southbank shuttle rerouting or finishing the loop between Newport and Covington along the 4th street bridge needs to be considered to help reduce that number. That's nearly one parking space for every two people in the city of Newport, not to mention the enormous parking garages at the levee and across the river at the banks.

All that being said I hope this spurs the development of this looooong delayed project (especially the residential portions).

The public housing was demolished to make way for Ovation in 2006 (http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1436.20;wap2), not for the roadway it seems. It seems that the end goal was to spread the income throughout the city and not concentrate public housing in one location, to which there are some decent public structures in the city that are a step above what was once housed at what will be Ovation.

That picture is exactly what they are building.

 

The road will take out the public housing on the other side of the street and conveniently the KOI that resisted being purchased for the Ovation project.

 

However the silver lining of the whole project is that Monmoth Street can be two-ways again.

Nice. Monmouth is already ready to go, infrastructure wise, to be two-way. I was wondering what the hold up was.

They won't get financed for that much of a portion of office space. Butler gave the Baldwin Complex back to the lender last year and he is

ready to lose Rivercenter also. Would not be surprised to see that get into the courts. But he does make $$$ refinancing these projects.

Dan Neyer should just follow his bread crumbs.

KyleCincy, where did you hear Corporex was going to lose RiverCenter?  Was it written/hinted somewhere or is just rumor?  Just curious.

Nice. Monmouth is already ready to go, infrastructure wise, to be two-way. I was wondering what the hold up was.

 

They've had traffic light poles installed on the "other side" of Monmouth street for years, but I hadn't heard anything was officially planned.  That is welcome news.

KyleCincy, where did you hear Corporex was going to lose RiverCenter?  Was it written/hinted somewhere or is just rumor?  Just curious.

 

Nothing in print for sure, but lots of rumors in the industry. Corporex has developed some great locations and buildings, but they seem

to be highly leveraged all of the time. No room for error or losing a certain % of tenants/leases.

 

Rivercenter 1, 300,000 RSF, 120,000 vacant

Rivercenter 2, 250,000 RSF, 150,000 vacant (100,000 is for sublease but that ends in 1 year)

Madison Place, 290,000 RSF, 290,000 vacant

 

Years ago Humana was in Grand Baldwin, and growing so Corporex built the single user Humana building across the street for them.

So you didn't lose them, but the Grand B LLC certainly did.

 

 

Saw this, not too much new but some more details on the road and timescale. http://m.fox19.com/fox19/db_330522/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=AO9hWnRn

They have started clearing the path for the road. 

Here's the current status of this area:

 

 

 

Corporex looking for help to build Ovation

Scott Wartman, [email protected] 6:42 a.m. EDT March 19, 2015

 

 

Developer Bill Butler thinks retailers undervalue urban areas in Northern Kentucky.

 

This includes the 13-acres his Corporex company owns at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers in Newport. During a high-profile, 2006 press conference, officials hailed Ovation as a residential and commercial development where residents could live, work and play. Yet, nine years later not much else has happened. The former site of a public housing complex that was razed to make way for Ovation is now a field of grass and weeds in the middle of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky urban landscape.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/03/18/corporex-looking-outside-help-build-ovation-site/24986265/

Uh huh.

 

I'm picturing many scale reductions, scope reductions, etc. and a final product made up of zero highrises and many smaller, 2-5 story buildings. Not bad, but also not super exciting based on all the concept work we've seen from this site.

I don't understand the 6,200 parking spaces.

 

Anyone with me on project a few blocks east they recently finished with more of a historic architecture, I can't remember the name of it.  Those actually look pretty decent.  Why not build a neighborhood like that.  That would be very attractive IMO.  Paint them different types of colors, etc.

I think they should go for something more modern and reflective of the qualities of architecture in 2015. The context is nonexistent so why not use this as an opportunity to introduce something new? No need to create a knock-off of something from another era.

 

Ovation is separated from anything historic in every single direction and should be an example of modern urbanism.

I hear you on that.  In my mind I just figure, hey it will work, so why not!  But if they can come up with some nice, new modern designs, that would be nice as well!

Wouldn't be surprised if those condos don't turn into apartments...