Nah.  This stuff wasn't there a couple of weeks ago.  I think there was a bulldozer, a dump truck, and possibly one other large vehicle.  Also, these piles of dirt are huge.  One of them completely conceal's the floodwall's pumping station, and that station is 15 feet tall easily.  I wonder if they're using the site to store dirt for one of the other local projects or if they're bringing unneeded dirt from another project to the Ovation site for future use there.

Apparently Corperex has selected their architect, F+A Architects http://www.faarchitects.com.  FRCH was the only local firm in the running.

Damn... they're impressive!

Apparently Corperex has selected their architect, F+A Architects http://www.faarchitects.com. FRCH was the only local firm in the running.

^  Yep, LOTS of good stuff.  I wouldn't mind seeing that Crystal Century Mansion in Shanghai being duplicated here!

I actually like "The Rift" project that they did in Jordan.  That would be amazing and unique for this area.  The U.S. has plenty of high-rise developments.

lets just hope it doesn't look like that crap they developed in BC

They look good.  Any time table for when this is supposed to be start construction?

my question also - "show me the shovels"

Let's get some dirt movin' on both sides of the river!

"more tall cranes please".......

I took these pictures about a month ago and forgot to post them.  These dirt piles are about twice this size as of this weekend.  I wonder if the Ovation site is being used to store excess dirt from The Banks or QCS2 sites.

 

 

Can you guys imagine ... With Ovation, The Banks, and a streetcar, this area would have to be one of the best urban spaces in the midwest.

Can you guys imagine ... With Ovation, The Banks, and a streetcar, this area would have to be one of the best urban spaces in the midwest.

 

Yep, I just hope that the streetcar makes it over to Ovation/NOTL and Covington.

Can you guys imagine ... With Ovation, The Banks, and a streetcar, this area would have to be one of the best urban spaces in the midwest.

 

Yep, I just hope that the streetcar makes it over to Ovation/NOTL and Covington.

 

The Purple People Bridge has an entire side that's not being used. Throw some tracks over it and connect with Cincy's streetcars!

Based on the pipe in the first pic it looks like they are doing something with the water main. But there usually aren't dozers and loaders just to work on water line.

Can you guys imagine ... With Ovation, The Banks, and a streetcar, this area would have to be one of the best urban spaces in the midwest.

 

if done properly.  we'll see. 

Can you guys imagine ... With Ovation, The Banks, and a streetcar, this area would have to be one of the best urban spaces in the midwest.

 

Yep, I just hope that the streetcar makes it over to Ovation/NOTL and Covington.

 

I think it would be great, but Nky will have to pony up if they truly want to connect into the streetcar system.

 

The Purple People Bridge has an entire side that's not being used. Throw some tracks over it and connect with Cincy's streetcars!

 

Streetcars would probably be better suited for the US 27 bridge (newer one to the west of PPB) leaving the Purple People Bridge open for any potential light rail plans.

I think it would be great, but Nky will have to pony up if they truly want to connect into the streetcar system.

 

Definitely.  The question is whether both sides will drop the KY vs. OH bit to work together on that, assuming that KY even wants in.  I'm hoping for the best, though.

 

 

Streetcars would probably be better suited for the US 27 bridge (newer one to the west of PPB) leaving the Purple People Bridge open for any potential light rail plans.

 

I like the sound of that!

I have dreams at night of being able to hop onto a Streetcar on Fairfield Ave, take it to Newport and across the river to the Banks, Findlay or Uptown.....

 

 

$800M project still dirt, dreams

By Scott Wartman • [email protected] • November 25, 2008

 

 

 

NEWPORT - Mounds of dirt have been dumped on the Ovation site in preparation for construction.

The developer Corporex, however, doesn't know when construction will start.

 

Corporex trucked in the fill dirt to the site and will use it when construction begins, said Debra Vicchiarelli, spokeswoman for Corporex.

 

http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20081125/NEWS0103/811250390

There seems to be a much less condescending tone with this article than similar ones written about certain places to the north, almost more informative rather than speculative, kind of how news is supposed to be written.  strange....

Well, give it 7 more years or so of sitting undeveloped and see what happens.  Ovation's only been in the works for a couple of years now, and appears to be prepping to break ground in the near future.  The Banks sat untouched for a decade with several false starts along the way.  Not that the Enquirer doesn't have an NKY bias, but comparing these 2 projects isn't really fair at this point.

^^ +1  That was my thought exactly! Odd...

This project's not dead yet...

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090523/NEWS0103/905240360/0/NEWS0103/Corporex+confident+in+Ovation+s+future

 

 

"You can build through tough economies, but until the financial markets settle down some, frankly (tax-increment financing) projects right now, the bonds just aren't selling, across the country."

 

Kind of a scary statement. "America is broke."

Hmmm.  I thought they were waiting for a firm plan on the KY RT9 realignment.

I predict that this will happen, but not for another 3 years at best.  With The Banks now underway Ovation will either have to catch up big time and compete for the same residents and business, or wait until demand is built back up over time.  While Cincinnati is a healthy market from my perspective, I'm just not sure we can handle two $1 billion+ projects like this right next to one another in addition to all the other major projects (Manhattan Harbour, QCS, Gateway Quarter, heck City West still isn't built out yet, SouthShore, Ascent, etc).  I just don't see it being a realistic possibility for this thing to happen any sooner.

^Agree mostly.   

  I still hope that this happens, though realistically it may have to wait til the Banks is at least 4-6 years into construction or more.    Corporex may have to wait a number or years to see how this market takes downtown (sales, leasing, etc.)  I don't think financing will be an issue once it starts flowing again, especially for urban projects like this.   

 

Cincy took the high ground and broke dirt first, for a change!  :wink:  Hopefully, another sign of a "Progressive" population afoot!

 

It's going to be all about the numbers!!!  And those numbers will have to include NKY.

^I hope the project happens too, and I feel pretty confident that the state of Kentucky will throw some big time money Ovation's way to help make it happen.  With that said you can have the financing in place but still not have a market for the product you're trying to create.

 

I think it's all just a matter of time at this point and think many people will start to realize that $1 billion+ projects don't happen overnight like they expected with The Banks.  I see Ovation taking just as long just because that's how these things happen.  Urban projects are complicated and expensive, and it takes time to make them work.

Hopefully they take a hard look at how Cincy is doing it.  I'm not a huge fan of the original renderings or at least the street level atmosphere.  I think it resembled South Shore and Assent TOO MUCH!  They need to get more people out and about on foot.  And that COULD turn NOTL into something real big then!! It's not far at all.

 

I do, however love the heights they are throwing around in those pics!  A Newport skyline would look TOO SWEET from inside GABP!

Ovation start waits for financing to open up

Live, work, play project brings entertainment hub

Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Lucy May

 

There’s nothing delaying the billion-dollar Ovation project planned for Newport’s riverfront that an economic rebound couldn’t fix.  The mixed-use development is still “a major focus” for Corporex Cos., said Debbie Vicchiarelli, Corporex’s chief marketing officer.

 

“We’re doing all the pre-work that it takes to make Ovation a success,” she said. “But until the financial markets break, we’re not talking about any kind of (construction) dates.”  Ovation is still planned as a billion-dollar, live-work-play development with a substantial entertainment portion.  “We still envision it to be a new hub for the Cincinnati region,” she said.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/08/17/focus6.html

New sign, little change at Ovation site

 

By Scott Wartman • [email protected] • December 9, 2009

 

NEWPORT - A new rendering of the proposed Ovation development went up on a billboard this week on the site, but a start date for the $1 billion residential and commercial property remains elusive.

This isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

MUCH better looking than their old Corbusier-style rendering.

http://cmsimg.nky.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=AB&Date=20091209&Category=NEWS0103&ArtNo=912100356&Ref=AR&Profile=1059&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

 

Agreed.  Much better.

nobody else misses the cheese graters?

If I wanted that, I'd go to the Party Source.

Wow.  That actually looks great from what I can tell from the faint picture.  I hope it gets built someday.

There is no way we can support Ovation, Banks, and Manhattan Harbor ... something is going to give. Imagine if we could though, we'd have one of the sickest riverfronts in the country, if not the sickest.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope the answer is Mason, West Chester, and Florence.

Well, it is now certain that Manhattan Habour is happening now that they have nearly $200 million in TIF. The Banks is under construction, although they are only constructing a fraction of the units that they will contain in a full build-out (which isn't going to happen for quite a while). And the Ovation project won't be happening for at least several more years.

 

These projects are all coming online at different times, and each cater to different demographics. Some will prefer apartments over condos. Some will prefer downtown Cincinnati to Dayton to Newport. I don't think it will be overkill if these projects come to fruition over the next 10 years.

I'm thinking 20 years.The Banks is 1,800 units. Ovation is only 970. Manhattan Harbour reports up to 2,000.

 

That's about 4,800 units. I think Cincinnati could pump out 250 new riverfront households a year, but not 500.

^What if they were to keep it affordable?    Their seems to be an even stronger demand for 100 - 150k residencies  (Maybe even something under 100k).  IF anyone can pull that off, they will start selling em like crazy.  I believe the desire for vertical living within the basin is going to be there well in the 21st.  Not everyone needs 3200 sqft. 

Each unit requires a $20-30K parking space in the garage.  That makes a sub-$100K unit very difficult to build.  Not sure there'd be much of a market for 20x10ft. units on the back of the buildings facing Newport's liquor stores. 

Are they required by code to include for parking?

If they want to get loans from banks, yes, they need close to 2 parking spaces per unit since most units will be sold to couples and you don't want a situation where in the future couples buy units that were formerly occupied by one person and suddenly there aren't enough spaces and no way to expand the garage. 

 

If you were a bank and someone wants to borrow $50 million to build something like this, are you going to give them the money if they don't have enough parking to sell the units?  Again, if you're single and will only use one parking space in the time you live there, your unit's resale value is stunted if you can't sell to 2-car couples. 

 

 

^He is correct, although fixed transit will lower lender's parking thresholds. Refer to examples in Dallas, Charlotte, Bay Area, etc.

 

For example, if you could somehow get a streetcar line going down Route 8 from Newport into Dayton, you could put a TOD overlay onto both Ovation and Manhattan Harbour, and probably get some lenders to accept a lower parking ratio. This would allow for smaller, cheaper units.

 

 

^PS I think they are actually surface-parking a lot of Manhattan Harbour. They could push their pricepoints down, which I think they should, since it's kind of isolated and they have competition with better riverfront locations.

Ovation will be Bill Butler's last big umm. . . load dropped on the Cincinnati/NKY skyline before he checks off, if he can pull it off.

He is apparently quite the character. I have heard him compared to the main character of the book "A Man in Full." I suppose you have to have some sense of self-importance when you're making multi-million dollar real estate bets.

A real estate developer is somebody who can be $500 million in debt and still be able to sleep at night.

Butler has concocted various schemes to connect NK with downtown Cincinnati via transit, most famously his monorail scheme back in the 1980's, and more recently the SKYLOOP in the 1990's.  Unfortunately the Taylor-SG bridge tails away from Ovation, otherwise it would make a pretty good streetcar link.