What do you guys think about the new building being built off 1-71 in Norwood?

 

It's a typical brown paper clad box. They could have at least attempted something with a little pizazz.

Yeah, it's pretty boring. It makes the Pictoria Tower look like the Carew.

^ ROFL... Classic Grasscat...

 

Can the word tower and pictoria even be included in the same sentence? LOL

Seems to me a typical suburban office bldg.--nothing special--though it does add a bit of height and interest? to the I-71 corridor. My main objection to these is that they are continuing to drain life away from downtown. More and more I regret the sprawl.

^ ROFL... Classic Grasscat...

 

Can the word tower and pictoria even be included in the same sentence? LOL

Good point. Though I guess architects and developers speak some sort of different language.

its a watered-down postmodern riff on pre WWII multistory industrial buildings..which usually had brick veneer instead of whats probably dryvit in this case, and small-pane steel sash, not curtain walls.

is it a parking garage?

I hope so ^ :D

Better in Norwood than in Mason or West Chester, for preserving the urban core. There are uglier office buildings out there, to be sure.

Borrrrrring! Dreadful suburban architecture. No creativity. Just four walls and some drop ceiling. Tip: If you are going to build something on a high profile site, build something that future generations will enjoy - not pay to tear down. The downtown drain continues.

I agree. I am in Tyson's Corner in DC right now and almost every suburban office tower here blows that thing away.

Downtown drain? this thing is in norwood. let norwood fuck up as always eventually they'll wise up after all there dreadful (above pictured) type mistakes and annex! they can't seem to grasp the concept of how more people paying into a sytem yields better returns for all people participating in that system. they'd rather be a dumbass donut hole in the city doing thing like fighting the light rail proposal (failed anyway but principle of the matter) with their two feet of 71 right of way. you know what else norwood...your lateral is ugly and..and...the dubliner is the only thing you have going for you so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

no offense intended to norwood citizens this is toward your dumb government.

the dubliner is the only thing you have going for you

 

I thought the Dubliner was in Pleasant Ridge, thus in the City of Cincinnati. If so, I guess that means that Norwood has nothing going for it. Certainly not city finances, that's for sure.

^ Yes the Dubliner is in Pleasant Ridge :)

 

 

Drew, I don't know if I agree with you on this. Norwood is changing to keep up with the times. Those A frame homes that the developer wants to bulldoze is nothing special and these Rookwood amenities are a plus for the affluent neighborhoods of Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout and surrounding communities and a good tax base for Norwood.

 

Wouldn't you rather have the retail in the inner ring than the outer ring? It keeps the inner ring people content that they have "new" shopping options without having to drive to West Chester.

 

Another win for Norwood is its image. From what I understand, Norwood was known as a po-dunk burb. It is only a matter of time before you see Norwood renamed Rookwood.

I agree in part with Montecarloss. If we are going to have a city smack dab in the middle of our city at least make it a nice one. Norwood has historically been a manufacturing center - think GM plant. Now it is transforming into a retail and office center. While new-to-market retail is exciting and important, and while I agree that it is better placed in Norwood than West Chester, I am still frustrated by the thousands of square feet of Class A and B space downtown that sits empty while new space is being constructed. As for working in a suburban hell like that and having to drive to PF Chang's for lunch - I say hell no! Downtown is the only place to be in my opinion.

Agreed with the problems things like this cause for downtown. Disagree with the characterizations of Norwood, a city in its own right.

In respect to downtown Cincy, it has one of the lowest vacancy rates of class A space compared with other cities.

 

You have heard it from me first. Change the city name to Rookwood :)

"having to drive to PF Chang's for lunch - I say hell no!"

 

I say plain 'hell no' to PF Changs - overpriced, underportioned crap!

^ I am with you brother.

theres something I didn't know, why are both sides of pleasant ridge considered norwood but the road is part of cincinnati? that is right isn't it? weird, oh well. I don't hate norwood I just think everyone would be better off together. they should be a neighborhood like price hill or corryville (ok classier hopefully than corryville which is where my new apartment is so I guess I should be cincydrewincorryville...anyway). I guess even though it failed the telling cincy they would let a light rail go up 71 if they had their say was a little pointless considering it would have helped them and everyone (cincinnatians would rather raise their taxes for arena for our stupid teams instead though) sorry everyone I usually don't bitch this much about the way things are...ok yes I do but anyway I'll try harder not to in the future :D

that "would let" was suppose to be "wouldn't let"...sorry

theres something I didn't know' date=' why are both sides of pleasant ridge considered norwood but the road is part of cincinnati?[/quote']

Which road? I-71?

 

Please explain.

This area is 2-3 miles from pleasant ridge.

That's why I'm asking the question...it didn't make sense to me.

^ I agree, what are you talking about Drew?

 

The Dubliner is in the neighborhood of Pleasant Ridge.

 

These signs usually help:

 

 

Cornerstone pushes ahead

Norwood complex prepares for next phase

By Ken Alltucker Enquirer staff writer

 

With one building almost completed and mostly leased, developers of the $47 million Cornerstone office complex in Norwood plan to forge ahead this fall with construction of a second building.  Financial services company Smith Barney will relocate from the Atrium One building downtown to a space of nearly 19,000 square feet at Cornerstone. Smith Barney joins major tenants Lincoln Financial Advisors, Robert W. Baird & Co., Gold's Gym and smaller medical tenants to make the building nearly 85 percent leased.

 

Developer Ackermann Group also is "far along in the lease process" with other businesses that would anchor a second office tower, Ackermann partner John Wendt said.  "We will break ground before the end of the year," Wendt said. "All class A office space is a little soft, but it seems this location is a hot spot."

 

Read full article here:

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/09/25/biz_cornerstone25.html

Further drain of downtown - I hope the next office building isnt simply a clone of the first out there.

obviously it will be

^ sure it will be. ackermann group is a disgrace when it comes to design.

They are right. It will be an exact clone of the first one and the shitty Pictoria building off I-275.

 

Here is an aerial of what it will look like.

 

Bland bland bland bland bland

Nightmare in Asphalt! Look at all those parking lots! :shock:

That is among the most disgusting things I have ever seen. What a disgrace.

Norwood is in a finacial crisis. They will take anything they can get. That's why the plans have been approved so fast.

AHH!!! I just hope the Norwood Exchange or whatever it is doesn't get built. That thing will completly destroy the neighborhood and cause terrible traffic on the smith-edwards north ramp

If the relocation from downtown is going to happen, I'd much rather have it be to Norwood than to Mason or West Chester.

AHH!!! I just hope the Norwood Exchange or whatever it is doesn't get built. That thing will completly destroy the neighborhood and cause terrible traffic on the smith-edwards north ramp

Hell, development already has. What do you think is the main reason that the parcel has been deemed "blighted"?

I just read in the Business Courier that The Ackermann Group plans to break ground soon on two new buildings in the Cornerstone at Norwood.  The first is a 125,000 s.f. building (the first one is 140,000 s.f.).  The second is a very small build to suit for a physician surgery center.   I will post the entire article when the online version comes out on Monday. 

 

Let's just hope they decide to put at least a little thought into the architecture this time instead of the cardboard box with windows look!

 

Here is the first one....

 

Is the entire structure three feet off the ground?  It looks like you could crawl right under the building.  Is there parking below there or something? Or am I just seeing things?

 

Maybe it's a trailer that's way before it's time!!!

We had three topics going on the same thing, so I merged them all for you.  Be sure to read back to the beginning!

Is the entire structure three feet off the ground? It looks like you could crawl right under the building. Is there parking below there or something? Or am I just seeing things?

 

 

nope, you're exactly right hydrobond.  this hideous box is propped up above street level, with half-assed "landscaping" between the openings to the parking garage and the sidewalk.  not to say that this area is anything worthwhile to the pedestrian as is, but this ugly structure has sealed its fate for the future. 

Well, looks like Cornerstone at Norwood Phase II is underway.  I am sure we will have another nice looking cardboard box with windows to look at from Ackermann.  The pics were taken from the highway on the fly.

 

Also, on the south side of Dana Avenue and on the west side of I-71 (just south of these pics), most of the houses are boarded up, does anyone know what is going on there?

 

 

Also, on the south side of Dana Avenue and on the west side of I-71 (just south of these pics), most of the houses are boarded up, does anyone know what is going on there?

 

Not quite sure.  Many of the houses are owned by something called Dana Residential Investment Ltd.  Maybe they're going to redevelop there.

Sure, these buildings could be more attractive. But they also could be a lot uglier.  As I've said in the past, at least this is development in the center city, not Mason, West Chester, or Hebron.

i agree kendall...they leave a lot to be desired but overall i think its a positive

The thing is it's not in the city of cincinnati though. Even the center of cincinnati is not in the city it's self.

Here are a couple more (far away) pics from a week ago:

 

 

Was someone eating at P.F. Chang's last week?