But the Metropole is affordable housing, and this proposal removes that and leaves The Dennison as the only remaining place for poor people in the CBD.  I think it is an important discussion to have. 

Correct -- it got a bit off of the original topic of the development itself and back into the realm of affordable / public housing -- to which there is an extensive thread about already. My posts were included.

Hey I'll bring this thread back on track...ready? I HOPE THIS PLACE KICKS ASS! :) there.

Well, at the very least the property will need to be gutted due to its outdated configuration. I hope they can restore the exterior to what it used to be.

Okay, I couldn't tell from the website but does 21c have a lot of experience doing this type of work or was their 21museum project in Louisville their first go.  Also, have they officially announced that they're doing this or is this still speculative?

21c Louisville was their first, and they have since expanded to other cities, such as Austin. It's been a very successful venture.

You presently have a building that need SERIOUS work done to it. I do not think the numbers would work to rehab it and bring it up to code for low income housing. Incidently those codes are under review by the federal government and may become much tougher. Probaly the reason the current owner wants rid of it. Sometimes you need to go after the highest possible use for the building which would likely be a boutique hotel or condominium conversion. I think Cincinnati is possibly getting close to 'saturation point' however with condos. If you look at Indianapolis, they are majorly overbuilt downtown with 500K to million dollar condos. A 3-5 year supply AND they are still building. A boutique hotel makes sense and if its done right, it could be converted to condos in the future should market conditions warrant it. Cincinnati needs this kind of development downtown.

Are 21cs expansions adaptive re-use like the Louisville hotel, or do they have some new ones?

 

I agree that the Metropole isn’t a big deal negative impact on the Aranoff neighborhood.  That seems to be one of the hotter areas of downtown, and you barely notice the hotel and its residents.  Yet I can see the logic of having a hotel directly across the street from the Aranoff (and next door to MOCA).  The market (not the only market) would be cultural tourism, for example people coming to Cincy for shows at the Aranoff, combining it with a visit to MOCA as a weekend visit.  People willing to spend on performing arts tickets are already probably affluent enough to afford a room at a boutque hotel.

 

^21c only has two locations...the one in Louisville and their new one in Austin, TX which is still being built.

 

On another note, I'm guessing you're referring to the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) when you say MOCA...and it is the Aronoff Center not the Aranoff.

Thanks for those corrections, Rando. Those are the ones I am referring to.

Metropole to become world-class hotel

By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn • [email protected] • November 4, 2009

 

DOWNTOWN - An apartment building that's home to more than 200 low-income residents will be remade into a world-class hotel and contemporary arts venue under a $48 million plan billed as a key to revitalizing Cincinnati's Backstage entertainment and arts district.

 

A deal that closed Tuesday transfers ownership of the historic Metropole Apartments - located next to the Contemporary Arts Center and across Walnut Street from the Aronoff Center for the Arts - to Cincinnati Center City Development Corp.

 

The non-profit developer (3CDC) is working with founders of the critically acclaimed 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville to transform the Metropole into a 160-room hotel that will include an 8,000-square-foot contemporary art museum and upscale restaurant and bar.

 

*Much more including renderings and historical timeline*

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091104/BIZ01/911050304/Metropole+to+become+world-class+hotel

Companion article... lets see how 3CDC deals with this...

 

213 Metropole tenants face relocation

By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn • [email protected] • November 4, 2009

 

DOWNTOWN - The transformation of the Metropole low-income apartments into a world-class hotel sets up the largest relocation of low-income residents since Cincinnati City Development Corp. started remaking downtown five years ago.

 

Some of the building's 213 residents already have sought legal advice on how to stop the move.

 

3CDC says giving the tenants time and assistance to relocate to better homes is the nonprofit developer's top priority.

 

"This is not going to be without its challenges," said Stephen Leeper, president and CEO of 3CDC. "We realize there will still be residents who are nervous about this, but I am confident that we are going to be able to give them the dignity and discretion they deserve as we work to relocate them."

 

Meeting with residents began this morning, he said. 3CDC plans to pay for all relocation costs. Under federal guidelines, tenants will have a year to move.

 

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091104/BIZ01/911050310/213+Metropole+tenants+face+relocation

Nice! So 21c Museum Hotel people will be involved.

 

Just an FYI - you may of posted too much of the article.

Awesome! Can't wait for this to open!

Leeper showed up at Arnold's last night and was in a good mood.  Must have just inked this deal.

I'm not sure how much more good news we can handle in one day!

^ This has to be one of the best news days in UO history.

 

With the metropole going from low-income housing to likely the best (and certainly hippest) hotel in the city, I am nominate the block of Walnut between 6th and 7th as Cincy's best block.  It has (or will have):

 

Nada, Roma (most underrated restaurant in the city in my opinion), Nicholsons, Bootsy's, the Righteous Room, several upscale newly renovated condos, the Aronoff Center, the CAC and now a great new hotel. 

 

Not bad for one city block.

I'm not sure how much more good news we can handle in one day!

 

I chased the plant thief out of my hood down to republic street where the cops caught him and his stolen plants.  :-D

 

No on 9-casino-passenger rail-mallory-library-union terminal-metropole-plant thief behind bars!  what a day!

 

 

Nice job! Watching your live updates on Facebook was more exciting than watching the OJ Simpson police chase!

They better get rid of the bed bugs.

I'm not sure how much more good news we can handle in one day!

 

There's a new club opening at 6th & Main called Passage Lounge.

A new building entry for UrbanUp:

 

Metropole

 

The Metropole is located at 609 Walnut Street in downtown Cincinnati's Backstage entertainment district. Constructed as a luxury hotel in 1912, the nine-story structure was converted into apartments for low-income residents in 1971.

 

And a follow-up blog post:

 

Metropole to become a hotel

 

an image In a follow-up to the following blog entry, Metropole Apartments to become a boutique hotel?, it is all but certain that the aging Metropole will be redeveloped into a boutique hotel complex.

Hey guys. New here; I've been reading posts on the board for a couple weeks now, but first-time posting. It's a great place to get up-to-date info on Cincy.

 

 

Is not the Banks project supposed to include an upscale hotel as well? Is there really that large a market in Cincinnati for two of them?

 

Also, while I do think it's important to include mixed-income housing downtown and in all neighborhoods, the Metropole seemed like too good a location to pass up some big-time development. It really is one of the best downtown blocks these days.

^ No doubt. It was bound to happen anyway.

As a note, I updated the article and blog post (listed above).

 

21c Museum Hotel will be the primary tenant at the Metropole. Renovation plans include an 8,000 square foot contemporary art museum, a 160-room boutique hotel and a Proof restaurant and bar.

 

Proof on Main is in Louisville in the 21c Museum Hotel and is really, really good. Their drinks are reasonably priced.

 

What a big plus this is for downtown Cincinnati, and seeing that the Model Group (and its subsidiary) is actively looking for larger, reasonable properties for them to move into (and among other things), this will be a win-win for everyone involved.

The alleyway seating will fit in nicely with the concept of the backstage district. Maybe someday they'll get the open container permit for those alleys and things can really start poppin.

^^they put someone on a Segway in that picture

^lol that was my reaction, too.

Yellow penguins?

The penguin seems to be a trope the 21C hotel likes to use.  A visit to their website shows red penguins all over the Louisville location.

the penguin thing is their shtick...and the segway rider even looks like Shawn. Props for authenticity there.

 

In walking by the building today, I noticed those uglay 4 and 1/2 windows on the mezzanine level, right side of the photo (north end of east facing facade).  Those certainly don't look to be historical.  I wonder if they can get rid of them.

...and the segway rider even looks like Shawn. Props for authenticity there.

 

I was wondering if that was intentional or not, but you are right, dead on.

Who is Shawn?

 

And, anyone been to the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville? If not, it is a must stop for any urbanite who visits the city... very, very nice, and I can say that this will be on par and much larger. I can't wait to see what their restrooms will be like!

Who is Shawn?

 

And, anyone been to the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville? If not, it is a must stop for any urbanite who visits the city... very, very nice, and I can say that this will be on par and much larger. I can't wait to see what their restrooms will be like!

 

I go to the University of Louisville, and we had a class at the museum and lunch at Proof on Main. Good food, very interesting and fun museum, ESPECIALLY the bathrooms. Didn't look around the hotel much, though.

I think I'm going to call them tomorrow and see if they have any restroom renderings available.

Interesting that they added bike racks that resemble those designed by David Byrne.

Tensions run high for Metropole tenants

By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn • [email protected] • November 5, 2009

 

The process of relocating more than 200 low-income residents of the Metropole Apartments to make way for a world-class hotel got off to a rocky start Thursday.

 

*Read on to hear about homeless advocates yelling about race and class!* Way to come to the table with a level head fellas.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091105/BIZ01/911060367/Tensions+run+high+for+Metropole+tenants

Oh, the Legal Aid Society, which is a reverse-racism joke, said this to the Enquirer,

 

"...(they believe they have been) discriminated against because they are primarily elderly, disabled and African-American. They are being kicked out because of who they are." (source)

 

They are trying to milk 3CDC for money, or they are really believing this is racism. This is nothing more than MARKET FORCES in effect. The highest use of the land is not subsidized units in substandard housing that contains cubicle-sized units and shared bathrooms with no central heating and A/C in a building that is deteriorating and needs serious and substantial repairs.

 

Why do they feel entitled to this? They are being given over a YEAR to relocate. That's more generous than if I was told to move here at the Emery, if it was going condo. They are given opportunities for bigger and better units, and being given assistance on top of that. This is the market and capitalism at work.*

 

(Before somebody rants, I have not once stated I support a pure free market or a pure socialistic market.)

There is always a risk in renting.  The owners of the building can sell and change things.  My impression is that the owners were trying to get out of it, and no one will buy that building, spend lots of money to update it, and leave it as an SRO.

This new hotel looks AWESOME, but a contemporary art gallery right next to the contemporary art museum..a little redundant?

^If you go to DC there are a lot of Smithsonians close together

I think adding more contemporary art to that block is a great thing. The CAC isn't selling art and "contemporary" means so many different things it will be great to hit up both and will hardly be redundant.

...I am nominate the block of Walnut between 6th and 7th as Cincy's best block.  It has (or will have):

 

Nada, Roma (most underrated restaurant in the city in my opinion), Nicholsons, Bootsy's, the Righteous Room, several upscale newly renovated condos, the Aronoff Center, the CAC and now a great new hotel. 

 

Not bad for one city block.

 

Roma will have to move too...

This new hotel looks AWESOME, but a contemporary art gallery right next to the contemporary art museum..a little redundant?

It may sound that way on paper, but if you've been in 21c in Louisville the art flows throughout the gallery, the restaurant, the hotel and even the bathrooms.  The gallery space is one a piece of the whole concept.  I've loved the different exhibitions and installations they have every time I've been there so I think that the 21c will really complement the CAC nicely.  My biggest concern at this point is that the yellow penguins in the renderings don't pop as much as the red penguins in Louisville  :-D 

I thought it most interesting that the people doing all the "politically correct complaining" about the relocation aspect were not complaining about the deteriorating living conditions over the last 10 years the residents endured!

 

Cincinnati will get a world class hotel. A histoirc building is restored to what it once was "a Luxury Hotel. Construction and Hospitality indiustry jobs are created and people who need good quality housing will be relocated into a better living conditions than they presently enjoy. That is a big win all around.

 

 

^ Agreed, and a year's notice is pretty damn generous. Those of us who live in normal rental apartments usually get no more than 30 days notice if the landlord decides to kick the tenants out and convert the property to condos.

And they are being given relocation assistance. Much more than what is required by law.

Tenants file to stop Metropole conversion

Business Courier of Cincinnati

 

 

The Metropole Tenant Association and two residents are asking the federal government to stop Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) from converting the downtown, low-income apartment building.

 

On Nov. 4, 3CDC said it had purchased the Metropole and named Louisville-based 21c Museum Hotels as the lead candidate to develop the space into a boutique hotel.

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/11/09/daily14.html

Do we know where they are suggesting moving these people? Just because they are tenants in this building doesn't mean that they don't have rights.

 

I'm not saying that the redevelopment should be blocked, but that it can be done in a way that works with these people...and maybe that's what they're doing with the one year and relocation assistance...but some old people can be very stuck in their ways and not want to be moved regardless of the situation.

 

This could be an interesting fight.