From the 7/27/06 Kentucky Post:

 

 

Newport's case unlike Norwood's

By Shelly Whitehead

Post staff reporter

 

Key players in an eminent domain case pending in Newport said Wednesday's Ohio Supreme Court ruling will not effect any of the properties or people involved in their situation.

 

The Housing Authority of Newport has begun acquiring properties through eminent domain on the north side of 13th Street between Central and John streets as sites for homes for low-income families. Last April, several homeowners in the neighborhood hired a Fort Thomas attorney to represent their interests in the action.

 

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060727/NEWS02/607270352/1014

 

Glad to see this moving forward, but I wouldn't hold my breath on a 25 story office tower in the near future!

 

Corporex to develop Newport riverfront

 

Post staff report

 

 

Corporex Cos. will have an opportunity to continue to put its mark on the Northern Kentucky riverfront as the firm was chosen to develop a high-profile site in Newport, city officials announced today.

 

Corporex will develop the 14-acre site at the Ohio and Licking rivers, planning a combination of retail, office and residential buildings in a development it calls "Ovation."

 

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060831/NEWS01/608310357

Riverfront developer named

BY MIKE RUTLEDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

August 31, 2006

 

NEWPORT - The Northern Kentucky developer that is transforming Covington’s Skyline with a dramatic condominium tower will also rework Newport’s riverfront, Mayor Tom Guidugli announced this morning.

 

Corporex Cos., now building the 22-story upscale condo tower Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge, was chosen from among five developers that applied for the job.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060831/NEWS0103/308310002

Thought I would throw together a location map incase you aren't exactly sure of the area mentioned:

what a disgrace.  this is nothing more than le corbusier's "towers in the park."

 

 

it was horrible in the last century and while other cities are retrofitting their mistakes, King Butler is plopping it down right on some of the best real estate in Newport.

^I don't think it is quite that bad, but there are some major concerns for me:

 

-Why are the smaller mid-rises in the middle with the taller high-rises on the outside...it could be flip-floped so that everyone has river/Cincy views

 

-Why is there such a disparity amoung bldg heights....you've got 3 story bldgs, and then 25 story bldgs inserted throughout (some consistancy would be nice)

 

-Why do all of the bldg styles/architectures have to be identical....isn't that what you had there previously and that you are trying to get away from (a mega-block development)

 

-Much of the presented green space looks to be unusable/will be under utilized....simply placing strips of grass periodicaly throughout a development does not do the trick of creating a vibrant urban park network....this greenspace could be reworked to create larger swaths of open area, while at the same time creating a development that appears to be denser.

 

 

I guess there are just some things that need to be worked out with the plan, IMO, and maybe those tweaks are still to come...

 

 

what a disgrace.  this is nothing more than le corbusier's "towers in the park."

 

CiNYC, you beat me to the punch.  I was going to say the EXACT same thing, and had that Corbusian POS in mind as well.  That design does nothing to relate to the rest of Newport.  I understand the need to go vertical, but this does not look like anyone put much effort into it.

-Much of the presented green space looks to be unusable/will be under utilized....simply placing strips of grass periodicaly throughout a development does not do the trick of creating a vibrant urban park network....this greenspace could be reworked to create larger swaths of open area, while at the same time creating a development that appears to be denser.

 

That's the part that gets me the most.  This land is valuable - why on earth would you waste it on green space that adds no value?  I guess the thought is that it increases the value of the other units more than it would be worth as more units, but I know those spaces would make this development less attractive to me, not more attractive.

 

But then, I ain't planning on buying anything there anyway...

I suspect this isn't any kind of real proposal for this, they just paid someone $500 to come up with a computer rendering to go with a press release.  The townhomes on top of the levee add yet another disjointed element to this "plan", but it sounds like this is going to be developed in such slow motion there will certainly be some variation in the buildings, unlike the Covington "skyline". 

 

 

Yikes.

I hope that is just a lame stock rendering of some kind.  That plan is awful, just awful.  Those ugly massive towers surrounded by no mans land, a circular shape that has no relationship to the site.  I hope the final product looks nothing like this.

I suspect this isn't any kind of real proposal for this, they just paid someone $500 to come up with a computer rendering to go with a press release. 

 

I really hope you're right because this is without a doubt the absolute worst proposal, conceptual or otherwise, that I have ever seen in this city in my lifetime.

 

And to think that Hamilton Co. would've allowed this company to be in charge of the banks...

This is worse than the kroger garage! :-o Where is Samuel Hannaford when you need him..!? Why do we keep building crap!? A block on my Sim city looks 10X better than this block of shite.

the buildings look like giant cheese graters though i dont take much stock in anything in the rendering.  i think all of us on this board should know by now that original concepts NEVER come to fruition.  Butler has grown a little bold with the aparent success of The Ascent which i can appreciate but these things just look terrible.  its as if he has taken the balcony arangement from the ascent slapped it on rectangular buildings and hit copy.  this is exactly why one developer should never have control of so much land.  they are replacing project with buildings that look like...projects. 

The site is now up, complete with a comments/suggestions box.  We can all let them know just how much we love this project.

 

http://www.newportriverfront.com/

^I just sent them a crap-ton of my feelings about this mess of a project!!!  Anywho here is an interesting article, maybe the announcement of this Newport thing will light a fire under the Banks project and really get things going to ensure that Cincy isn't beat to it by Nky.

 

The reaction from Ohio

'Good for everybody'

ENQUIRER STAFF REPORT

September 1, 2006

 

CINCINNATI - Hamilton County commissioners don't see a $600 million office, residential and retail development proposed for the Newport riverfront as a threat to their own $600 million riverfront commercial, residential and retail development known as The Banks in downtown Cincinnati.

 

"Generally, I think these projects are good for everybody on both sides of the river. I don't see it as a threat," Commissioner Pat DeWine said.

 

E-mail [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/BIZ01/609010362

Another article...

 

Project planned for Newport

Corporex group has big plan for site where rivers meet

BY MIKE RUTLEDGE AND JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

 

NEWPORT - The Covington-based developer that walked away from The Banks development on Cincinnati's riverfront has been chosen to lead development of a 13-acre site at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers and promises "big plans" - including office and residential high-rise buildings and retail.

 

Corporex Cos. and Boorn Partners beat out four other groups to develop the prime land, which commands views of both rivers and downtown Cincinnati.

 

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20060901/BIZ01/609010352

I guess the name of the project should now be: "Ovation".  But anyways, I thought I'd make it a little easier to see the renderings so...here are some of the other images from the website:

 

 

 

 

 

And here is a recap of the other two renderings I posted earlier:

 

A few concerns given the new info in the new article...

 

Guidugli gave a rough cost estimate of $600 million - the same amount as is estimated for the Banks. He was uncertain how much taxpayer money might be needed. The city told Corporex up front that the city had limited financial resources and that a developer must buy the land rather than receive it as a gift

 

Butler said an undetermined amount of financial help would still be needed from the city, state and federal governments to make it happen.

 

This is exacltly the same situation as The Banks had, only they are even farther behind in their due diligence!  That last quote basically gives him an out, "undetermined" where is all this money going to come from?

 

Parking garage revenue helped finance Newport on the Levee, but Guidugli wasn't sure the city could do the same with this project.

 

I believe NOTL has yet to make a payment back to whatever gov'nt issued the bonds for the garage and construction, I am sure the State of KY is aware of this breach of contract and will be leary to fund much larger garages in the same city.

 

But to lift the "ground level" to the height of the earthen levee, parking garages must be built on stilts, in the same way Corporex's RiverCenter towers were elevated by parking levels.

 

People forget that the City of Covington and the State of Kentucky paid the entire cost of the garages for the entire RiverCenter development, these were massive tax dollars given to the project.

 

City officials and Butler said they would integrate the development with the rest of Newport. Officials will hold community meetings to give Newport residents input, Butler said.

 

My concerns here are twofold: one, given the rendering, nice try (I know it is just an early concept, but they have a long, long way to go here), two, I believe Newport does not slope up the way the Cincinnati side does and remains pretty flat.  If the entire project is built 20-30 feet up on garages, at some point there is going to be a massive elevation change that must be made, not sure how you could integrate this in a subtle manner.

 

 

Quote from PhattyNati

this is exactly why one developer should never have control of so much land.  they are replacing project with buildings that look like...projects. 

 

I was also shocked by Newport's choice of Corporex for the same reason.  They are going to be playing Newport against Covington for their office space.  There is still plenty of space available in RiverCenter, as well as the final phase planned for the parking lot behind the Embassy Suites as well.  Furthermore, Corporex owns and manages most of the hotels on the NKY riverfront.  The Greater Cincinnati hotel market has been at or near the bottom of the hotel market for years now, do you think Butler is going to build another hotel on the riverfront to compete with an already soft market and the bulk of his portfolio?

 

 

Finally, this thing is now as big as The Banks; it is obviously not nearly thought out as well as The Banks plan was, even at its inception, nor do I believe does the State of KY, Campbell County, or the City of Newport have the resources that the Ohio side does to throw into this project.  Remember The Banks plan was conceived by the Riverfront Advisors, a committee of the best and brightest in town and the plan, costs, and revenues were extremely detailed. This thing is just based on the City of Newport's analysis and the internal analysis of Corporex.  Also, the Banks plan was heavily reliant on parking revenues, for which there is a market at the Banks, not so in Newport.  The Banks has the downtown office market and the stadium events from which to draw revenue, where is the demand for parking in Newport if they are going to rely on it?  If they are not going to rely on parking revenue, it is just another chunk of money the taxpayers will have to pony up.

 

So, I would not hold my breath on this project starting anytime soon.

 

 

^Very good points.....very true and very daunting for Newport.

<i>This Post article has a lot more details. None of the pics below show a "community amphitheater"? I was surprised to hear that the size and cost is comparable to the Banks. They will be endlessly compared now. At least the Banks has a 6 year head start. </i>

 

<b>Major facelift for riverfront</b>

 

By Greg Paeth

Post staff reporter

 

The once dreary northwest corner of Newport would become the glitziest stretch of riverfront real estate in Greater Cincinnati if a developer can deliver on its vision.

 

A riverfront amphitheater, a 3,000-seat Las Vegas-style showroom, high-rise office towers - one 25 stories tall - two hotels, a variety of retailers and more than 1,000 condominiums and townhouses are all part of the vision in a project estimated to cost at least $600 million.

 

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/NEWS01/609010338

Current plans call for 114,000 square feet of small retail shops as well as another 88,000 square feet of space that could be used by anchor retailers in what is being called "Jubilee Circle."

 

"Jubilee Circle"?  WTF!  That is about the dumbest name I have ever heard, either someone's kid named it or it is going to be an X-Men based theme.  Cyclops Tower, Wolverine Promenade and Magneto Way are sure to follow!

If this monster gets built, I am sure it will change its looks several times (I hope). This would be Newport's Museum Tower (Louisville style). OUCH!!!

Kentucky is a hoot, isn't it?  First, Slavery Jenga in Luhlvulle, then the Nike Swoosh in Covington, and now Le Corbusier + Stanley Kubrick = Newport's Robert Moses moderne take.

 

All I'm saying is, Ludlow, you're next.

this is exactly why one developer should never have control of so much land.  they are replacing project with buildings that look like...projects. 

 

LOL.  That's exactly what I thought when I opened the paper this morning. I told my wife "look, there going to put projects up next to Newport on the Levee".

It does look as if Kentucky is in the lead (by a great distance) in the race to build the worst/ugliest projects in America.  They somehow manage to screw up every piece of valuable waterfront property in the state.

They talk about Newport not having a focus, well, what about the World Peace Bell?! 

Does anyone know who the architect / designer is?

^I just sent them a crap-ton of my feelings about this mess of a project!!!

 

Here is their response...with my original questions/comments that I sent them at the end:

 

Date: Fri 1 Sep 13:00:40 EDT 2006

From: "Ovation at Corporex.com" <[email protected]> Add To Address Book | This is Spam

Subject: RE: Comment From newportriverfront.com

To: <[email protected]>

 

 

Thank you for your interest in Ovation. 

 

The renderings that were made public on Thursday are preliminary visions

of the use of the space.  The renderings were done by Hellmuth Obata

Kassabaum (HOK) one of the top 10 global architectural practices. 

 

HOK started with an evaluation of the site considering views to and from

the site, existing infrastructure, existing connections and connections

that need to be made to weave the site into the larger community.  From

this they created a massing plan for a mixed use community (residential,

office, retail, lodging, public green spaces and more) that delivered

the content that Corporex and Boorn Partners believed would best serve

the region. 

 

To be clear, the renderings shown do not represent the final design.

Exterior finishes, exact building placement, sq footages and more will

all be reviewed and most likely optimized as we move forward.  City,

Public and market influences will all be considered before the plan is

finalized.

 

What we hope to do with these renderings is to give an idea of what

could be.  I hope you see, as we do, the potential to create a world

class river city.  The potential to create an engine of prosperity that

radiates positive energy and growth through out Newport and beyond,

lifting the entire region.

 

Please watch the web site for updates.  Once the Master Development

Agreement is in place our plan is to create opportunities for more

detailed explanation of the plans and public input.

 

 

 

 

 

Comment/Question from the newportriverfront.com web site...

-----------------------------------------

Name: Randy Simes

Email: [email protected]

 

 

Question/Comment:

-----------------------------------------

-Why are the smaller mid-rises in the middle with the taller high-rises

on the outside...it could be flip-floped so that everyone has river/Cincy

views

 

-Why is there such a disparity amoung bldg heights....you've got 3 story

bldgs, and then 25 story bldgs inserted throughout (some consistancy

would be nice)

 

-Why do all of the bldg styles/architectures have to be

identical....isn't that what you had there previously and that you are trying to get away

from (a mega-block development)

 

-Much of the presented green space looks to be unusable/will be under

utilized....simply placing strips of grass periodicaly throughout a

development does not do the trick of creating a vibrant urban park

network....this greenspace could be reworked to create larger swaths of

open area, while at the same time creating a development that appears to

be denser.

 

-The project also seems to trounce all over the existing urban fabric of

Newport...it seems as though this project could be inserted in Anywhere

USA, instead of being specifically geared to the Nky and Cincinnati

riverfront.

Somebody needs to send them the link to urbanohio so they can see how real urbanists think.

So anyone going to break this off to it's own thread? Subj. Newport Riverfront: Ovation or something. Though based on comments it could become another Hope VI project. I'm going to reserve judgment, but it does seem the spacing of the buildings is odd. Is everyone going to have to drive around in the circle to get to work. ;-)

Rando;

I liked your questions, and their answers seem about what I thought.  It is all very preliminary. Massing, heights, uses will all change.  But the attitude shown in the renderings does represent view that is generally destructive to urban life. 

A 3,000-seat Vegas-style performance space? What on earth are they going to show there?

Nick Lachey.  Duh.

98 Degrees on Ice.

KY. effort is area catalyst

BY JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

A Corporex Cos. executive said Friday that negotiating a deal with the city of Newport to develop 13 acres at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers was easier than working out a deal to develop the Banks because there were so few competing interests.

 

Corporex executive vice president Tom Banta said it's possible that the Covington-based developer could fail to reach an agreement with Newport as it did with Hamilton County on the Banks. But, he said, Newport has at least one big advantage: The site is essentially controlled by a single entity, the city of Newport.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060902/BIZ01/609020385/1076/BIZ

A 3,000-seat Vegas-style performance space? What on earth are they going to show there?

 

Bronson Arroyo in the offseason.

The Newport site, opposite downtown Cincinnati at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers, also offers opportunities to create great views - something Corporex found to be highly valuable when it began marketing the Ascent condominium tower in Covington.

 

The Banks site, which sits between two stadiums and is limited by building-height restrictions, doesn't afford the same kinds of views, Banta said.

 

 

No shit.

There essentially is no story here, it's basically just a press release insinuating that The Banks is not only a mess but doomed to play second fiddle to this.  It's picking a fight while claiming there is no competition. 

 

Eh:

 

"The best thing that could happen is that they both accelerate and gain traction," Banta said.

 

"Newport is starting from a much higher level," Banta said, citing the success of Newport on the Levee and the Newport Aquarium. "They've got traction. That's a huge advantage."

 

 

 

 

 

its been a while since I posted anything on the entire site but I HAVE to chime in on this. That projects looks hideous. I hope they aren't going to emphasize retail there because if any of you have been to the levee lately it hasn't even managed to fill up its second floor so how are they going to attract retail to this horrid thing. (leaving aside the fact that building new retail or office space causes old spaces to fill up more too because that force is marginal in this instance.)  as for the banks not having a view thats because kentucky doesn't have a skyline lol. its not supposed to have a view its supposed to be practical which it is. when I'm sitting at home thinking about whether to go to kenwood mall or the levee  or florence etc I don't often stop and ask myself "what view am I in the mood for " nor would companies ask that about the office space they would be leasing for their employees. I sincerely hope this thing is some kind of practical joke. my other question is if it were to look anything like that where are the streets? would it cut into newport through traffic?

Like I said earliler, do not look for this project to start anytime soon.  That giant question mark hanging up in the air of how much taxpayer money will be contributed is huge.  First, they don't even know how much money it will take. Second, they don't even know where the hell it is going to come from.  If this whole project has to get lifted out of the flood plain just like The Banks, even without all the squabling, this thing is years and years away.  There was a huge financing hole in the Banks project, per Corporex, but everyone knew it as well.  Just wait until Corporex comes up with their figure for taxpayer contribution, it will be HUGE (plus they are on the hook for the land cost)!  And expect a ton of taxpayer backlash.

Is it me or does this thing look like rendering of Atlantis?  Could Ovation be another mythical water city that suddenly ceases to exist...

 

<img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/UncleRando/Cincinnati/Nky/newport1.jpg">

 

<img src="http://www.squarecircles.com/edenproject/Atlantiscapital.JPG">

98 Degrees on Ice.

 

Jake, you had me laughing with this one...  I also didn't know Pruitt Igoe was coming to Newport.

^I wasn't laughing last night, I was out with people who I will loosely describe as "suburban Cincinnatians" who brought up how excited they were about this project and how they're going to have this all polished off before the Banks even gets off the ground.  I didn't even enter into the conversation, I gave up long ago trying to set the record straight about Cincinnati-related issues because I always feel like I'm talking to a bunch of whiny kids with this stuff.  Otherwise fantastic people all around town for some reason become ridiculously irrational when an anti-Cincinnati rant starts snowballing.       

 

I remember this anti-everything attitude in Cincinnati appeared around 1989-91, with the Fountain Square west fiasco and the closing of the downtown department stores.  I remember listening to Gary Burbank doing a really funny parody of "Big Bad John" but instead it was "Big Bad Jahn", for the Fountain Square West architect, making fun of Europeans and intellectuals. 

I really hope this works out for Newport, God knows they deserve a break(the people not the decision makers).  I don't know if this is the best set up but what would you guys like to see in that 13 acre slot.  Maybe a photo of another cities bank or a fictitious rendering from  some sort of 3D program or city simulator.  I like seeing the comparisons to Atlantis.  That will be cool to see the city aspect cross over the river with some highrises on both sides.

If the project goes well meaning if it's attractive and vibrant, then its great for all involved.  Whatever draws people onto the river for excitement is a boon for the region.  I know little of what's truly planned for this but if it gets people talking then that's great.

 

As for the Banks, all of the whining is an example of hurt pride.  People see new stuff going on on the Kentucky side of the river and feel embarrased that 10x the level of project isn't occurring in Downtown Cincinnati.  It's largely irrational and once the Banks project begins it will gain in strength until tenants move into the project will the hurt pride heal.  I have confidence in Ovation, the Levee, The Banks, Mt. Adams, the Gregory's, Bill Butler et al.

 

However until the Banks Working Committee picks a developer and solidifies project financing, I will be in the minority.

I really hope this works out for Newport, God knows they deserve a break(the people not the decision makers).

 

I'm just curious, what exactly do you mean by this?  Seems like there's a lot of great stuff going on in Newport, but maybe you're talking about something else...

If the project goes well meaning if it's attractive and vibrant, then its great for all involved.  Whatever draws people onto the river for excitement is a boon for the region.  I know little of what's truly planned for this but if it gets people talking then that's great.

 

As for the Banks, all of the whining is an example of hurt pride.  People see new stuff going on on the Kentucky side of the river and feel embarrased that 10x the level of project isn't occurring in Downtown Cincinnati.  It's largely irrational and once the Banks project begins it will gain in strength until tenants move into the project will the hurt pride heal.  I have confidence in Ovation, the Levee, The Banks, Mt. Adams, the Gregory's, Bill Butler et al.

 

However until the Banks Working Committee picks a developer and solidifies project financing, I will be in the minority.

 

Its all a matter of perception here is a recap:

 

Cincinnati Side:

1:  City West (construction)

2:  5th & Race (proposed)

3:  The McAlpin (construction)

4:  Parker Flats (construction)

5:  The Banks (proposed)

7:  The Edge (construction)

9:  Riversedge (proposed)

10: Government Square (completed)

11: Fountain Square (construction)

 

Kentucky Side:

6:  Ovation (proposed)

8:  South Shore (proposed)

12: The Ascent (construction)

 

Now I have obviously left out some other projects (on both sides of the river), but I only wanted to cover the major projects that have been ongoing over the past couple of months (proposed, completion, construction).  My point is that there is an abundance of projects with the majority of them falling on the Cincinnati side of the river....NOT Nky!

 

It is all perception....the local media seems to cover Nky projects more and more positively  :|  And they always seem to pit it as an Nky vs. Cincy thing (always portraying Nky as leading/victorious).

 

so.....WHO'S WINNING??.........CINCINNATI....imo

Somebody needs to send them the link to urbanohio so they can see how real urbanists think.

 

More like urbanist snobs

Thank you for clearing it up Rando.