January 20, 201114 yr While im generally satisfied with what has been competed to date, im pretty disappointed in the lack of imagination in the architecture. They basically developed four different facades and just repeated them throughout the development. Would it REALLY have been so difficult to come up with entirely unique designs for each building? It would have been great had the developers selected multiple architects, at least for the two separate appartment buildings. Oh well. I understand that individual tenants will create a more dynamic streetscape, but im not sure its enough. Maybe i will feel entirely different when the brewhouse, office tower, and hotel are completed. Hopefully their addition will create enough dynamic to satisfy my need for variety... but we'll see. What is incredible to me is the improved urban spacial environment around the ball park. It feels like its a part of downtown... finally.
January 20, 201114 yr I don't know if they took the ticket office and hall of fame into consideration with the design, but I can see similarities.
January 20, 201114 yr The decoration on the facades is okay, but I still think it would have been a lot better had it been developed as individual plots rather than the super-block it is. I have a feeling that in 20 years, we're going to look back at superblock developments like this (and University Park Apartments, for instance) as the strip malls of our generation.
January 20, 201114 yr The decoration on the facades is okay, but I still think it would have been a lot better had it been developed as individual plots rather than the super-block it is. I have a feeling that in 20 years, we're going to look back at superblock developments like this (and University Park Apartments, for instance) as the strip malls of our generation. +1 Totally agree. I haaaaate the superblock style.
January 20, 201114 yr What is incredible to me is the improved urban spacial environment around the ball park. It feels like its a part of downtown... finally. I couldn't agree more. I think it feels like the ballpark is "right in the neighborhood." It was dismal a few seasons back walking along 2nd St. with that giant hole in the ground from where Cinergy stood and The Banks was stalled. I like how the buildings of The Banks blend well with the HOF and team offices. It feels like the ballpark is tucked away amongst the buildings. I think it will be cool for out of town fans and the typical suburbanites who visit one game a year to come down and see the progress. It's dramatically different from last year.
January 21, 201114 yr The decoration on the facades is okay, but I still think it would have been a lot better had it been developed as individual plots rather than the super-block it is. I have a feeling that in 20 years, we're going to look back at superblock developments like this (and University Park Apartments, for instance) as the strip malls of our generation. +1 Totally agree. I haaaaate the superblock style. 100% agree as well. But how would you go about dividing the blocks into plots in a proper way? What is the range for a proper plot size for a human scaled urban environment?
January 21, 201114 yr Well there's superblocks and then there's superblocks. I don't really consider The Banks or anything downtown to be a superblock. The convention center for instance only takes up two city blocks. The University of Cincinnati is a superblock, as were many of the housing projects in the West End, though fairly well broken up by the City West developments. There's plenty of very large and well-executed buildings that take up most of the block downtown, such as the Hamilton County Courthouse, Shillito's, the Taft Theater and Cincinnati Masonic Temple, and City Hall. To suggest that a 25'x100' lot should be the largest unit of development downtown is a bit far-fetched. Even in Over-the-Rhine many lots that size were aggregated for larger buildings. The problem I see with projects like The Banks is that they try to make it look like there's several smaller buildings, but it just comes across as a rather hollow and a somewhat patronizing move. I'm not saying that some articulation of the facade is bad, but it shouldn't pretend to be something it's not. There's ways to make a blocky horizontal building more vertical and urban without resorting to fakery.
January 21, 201114 yr ^ Well said. My only other gripe (ive complained about this before when the renderings were released) is that while the buildings facades ARE executed in such a way to create an illusion of multiple, smaller structures, the street level architecture completely ignores this. Granted this building is not yet finished, the 3rd image posted above illustrates my point clearly. The ordering, massing, and proportion established above all of the sudden disappears. Its as if two completely isolated sets of eyes designed whats above and whats below. Whats missing right now which i believe will add a nice level of detail are the balconies and railings. I think these buildings will really come to life when those elements start to show up. That, and when people are waiting in line by the hundreds to hop on the mechanical bull.
January 21, 201114 yr The ground floor retail being fairly mundane and unarticulated doesn't surprise me too much. I'm not saying that's necessarily a good thing either, but the fact of the matter is that many retail establishments want pretty nondescript spaces and exteriors so they can use their own signage and window dressings to establish their brand image, rather than trying to rely on architecture which is difficult to replicate in all locations. A exception to this is Don Pablo's. They've taken the architectural details of their Rookwood Pavillion restaurant and emulated it in many many different places. Anyway, aside from that, once all those signs and displays and other things are installed, it can get to be fairly busy visually. This is why the overall architecture around strip malls and the inside of enclosed malls (Kenwood is a good example) are fairly neutral and nondescript. If it was very busy and visually engaging on top of everything the retail tenants installed, it would be overpowering. Again, I'm not saying some variation is bad, but that's the rationale for it anyway, to make that retail space more fungible.
January 21, 201114 yr red brick > brown brick. The buildings will have a gloomy look even when the weather is nice.
January 21, 201114 yr Hello all!! I am moving to Current @ the Banks in a few months when the south building gets finished!! I am sooo glad I found this forum. I am very, very excited to get to live within walking distance to EVERYTHING! I currently live in Texas, but am looking forward to moving there. The pictures of the progress are awesome. I'm looking forward to making many friends as I get settled in. :wave:
January 21, 201114 yr The ground floor retail being fairly mundane and unarticulated doesn't surprise me too much. I'm not saying that's necessarily a good thing either, but the fact of the matter is that many retail establishments want pretty nondescript spaces and exteriors so they can use their own signage and window dressings to establish their brand image, rather than trying to rely on architecture which is difficult to replicate in all locations. I agree that the individual retailers with bring a lot to the table when it comes to creating individuality. And yes, a clean palette is appealing to a potential tenant so they can make it their own. But this is not kenwood mall and in no way should the architecture be treated as such. To the point made earlier there is nothing wrong with a block sized building (which is basically what the developers tried to do on the ground level) but be consistent and let the architecture be what it wants to be. Their attempt to break up the facade, implying multiple buildings, is at odds with their attempt to create continuity at the street when its not necessary. The forced two completely different ideas one one another that suddenly transition at this magical line at 16 feet.. It just looks bad. Anyway...welcome laurasrn, youll have to tell us what YOU think when you move in!
January 21, 201114 yr Hello all!! I am moving to Current @ the Banks in a few months when the south building gets finished!! I am sooo glad I found this forum. I am very, very excited to get to live within walking distance to EVERYTHING! I currently live in Texas, but am looking forward to moving there. The pictures of the progress are awesome. I'm looking forward to making many friends as I get settled in. :wave: Welcome, to the forum and the City!
January 21, 201114 yr We need more Second Empire buildings. They seemed to be able to fill a block w/ one style while still be interesting.
January 21, 201114 yr Welcome, laurasrn! What brings you to Cincinnati? jjak, Phatty, atlas: all good points. I think they could have done a lot to make it better. One way would be to make the differences up top show all the way to street level. Another way would be to embrace the large building, and use less farcical techniques to emphasize the vertical (could even be dmerkow's suggestion of a second empire look). Another possibility would be to actually make smaller buildings (they could be connected in places for convenience). Mixing up the architects could have helped.
January 22, 201114 yr I'm moving to Cincy to be closer to my friends and family, and just for a change of pace. I've never lived "downtown" anywhere before, so I'm preparing for a big culture-shock! I'm originally from KY, so this way, I can drive down and see them whenever I want. I'm single - no kids. Question: Is there an existing streetcar system in place NOW in downtown Cincinnati, or is it coming? I'm needing to know about all public transport availabilities from the Current @ Banks area that I can possibly take to any of the hospitals (I'm a nurse) when the roads are bad (with all the snow and ice). Thank you.
January 22, 201114 yr No streetcar system yet (late 2013ish?). Bus service is good from downtown to the hospitals. Of course, that can be affected by snow and ice.
January 27, 201114 yr I wish it'd be: http://www.highlandparkdc.com/apartments.asp But alas :( "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 27, 201114 yr Banks Venues Aim For Summer Opening Dates Owners Excited For Growth In New Entertainment District POSTED: 7:27 pm EST January 25, 2011 WLWT CINCINNATI -- The Banks will have at least one spot hopping by the Cincinnati Reds home opener. Developers said Tuesday they are moving fast to have four other locations going by the end of summer. The owners of the Holy Grail bar and restaurant said they expect to be ready for the March 31 opening date, if not two weeks earlier. "You're going to see a whole new entertainment district come up. We're right here, close to the river. I think, for years, people have been waiting for this to happen," said Tom Heitker, of the Holy Grail. Heitker would like to have the Holy Grail open by St. Patrick's Day. It will be right across from the Reds Baseball Hall of Fame. cont "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
January 27, 201114 yr I'm moving to Cincy to be closer to my friends and family, and just for a change of pace. I've never lived "downtown" anywhere before, so I'm preparing for a big culture-shock! I'm originally from KY, so this way, I can drive down and see them whenever I want. I'm single - no kids. Question: Is there an existing streetcar system in place NOW in downtown Cincinnati, or is it coming? I'm needing to know about all public transport availabilities from the Current @ Banks area that I can possibly take to any of the hospitals (I'm a nurse) when the roads are bad (with all the snow and ice). Thank you. I've found the buses to be a very reliable way of getting around when it snows here. I live in uptown (Clifton/gaslight) and work in Over-the-Rhine, and always take the bus to work when the roads are bad. So much easier than dealing with the icy hills.
January 28, 201114 yr I wish it'd be: http://www.highlandparkdc.com/apartments.asp But alas :( Where is the "Like" button?
January 28, 201114 yr ^^^I don't "get" DC. I would never want to live there. It's so sterile and completely devoid of culture. In this case, I'll take Current @ The Banks over Highland Park @ The Metro. The city surrounding it is much more interesting.
January 28, 201114 yr I wish it'd be: http://www.highlandparkdc.com/apartments.asp But alas :( Where is the "Like" button? As a personal opinion of someone who sometimes designs web pages... I think those sites are both ugly, although Current is marginally better.
January 28, 201114 yr ^^^I don't "get" DC. I would never want to live there. It's so sterile and completely devoid of culture. In this case, I'll take Current @ The Banks over Highland Park @ The Metro. The city surrounding it is much more interesting. You know, I understand where you're coming from with that sentiment, but after living there for almost 2 years, I completely disagree. When I first moved there, I had the same exact impression. It seems like a city of transient people who have no real attachment to the city and no local culture. While it's not right on the surface, DC definitely has a local culture, and it has tons of amazing neighborhoods with character, culture, and charm. The infill development in Columbia Heights is nothing short of extraordinary if you knew what the area looked like previously. While the tenant mix isn't local establishments, it does provide retail to an area that was sorely under served. I would LOVE for Cincinnati to have more DC style infill. I'll take an urban, 2 story Target in a mixed use development over Oakley's 'Center of Cincinnati" any day.
January 28, 201114 yr And Bojangles. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 29, 201114 yr ^^^I don't "get" DC. I would never want to live there. It's so sterile and completely devoid of culture. In this case, I'll take Current @ The Banks over Highland Park @ The Metro. The city surrounding it is much more interesting. You know, I understand where you're coming from with that sentiment, but after living there for almost 2 years, I completely disagree. When I first moved there, I had the same exact impression. It seems like a city of transient people who have no real attachment to the city and no local culture. While it's not right on the surface, DC definitely has a local culture, and it has tons of amazing neighborhoods with character, culture, and charm. The infill development in Columbia Heights is nothing short of extraordinary if you knew what the area looked like previously. While the tenant mix isn't local establishments, it does provide retail to an area that was sorely under served. I would LOVE for Cincinnati to have more DC style infill. I'll take an urban, 2 story Target in a mixed use development over Oakley's 'Center of Cincinnati" any day. I couldn't agree with you more. While I have never lived in DC, a number of my friends have and I spend a lot of time down there for work. There are a lot of great neighborhoods with their own character both within the city and in the surrounding first ring suburbs, all of which are linked by a (albeit underfunded) comprehensive mass transit system. In my opinion, the fact that it is a city of transplants is more a positive than a negative, as a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives makes things interesting. To tie this back to the topic at hand, there are a lot of attributes of DC that, if applied to Cincinnati, would make the city an even better place. Hopefully we're headed in the right direction on many of them.
January 29, 201114 yr I wish it'd be: http://www.highlandparkdc.com/apartments.asp Funny I live at Kenyon and 14th in Columbia Heights one block from this building. Say what you will... it is nice in massing etc... but the website makes it look so much better than it is in person by virtue of the B&W image. The transformation of Columbia Heights has been crazy I just moved at the end of Nov. but have had family in the neighborhood for 6 years. It is not like living in OTR or Clifton almost all retail is chain related and the lease-able space is rather devoid of "character" or history. Yet as with The Banks you had a situation where a city was trying to do a major neighborhood renovation in less than a decade. In this case you have large plots of land given to singular developers, because they are the people with the money to make it happen and fast. (don't go down the "the banks has been in the works for 20 years road" - because the development contracts have only been in place for 4 years...) In this case the developer is trying to maximize their profit and space and will not subdivide their own lots. In the case of The Banks we will have to wait 40 years for the development group to sell parts and for those parts to change hands to a redeveloper who wants to split the property etc etc. For now it is a bit stale but it is straight-off-the-shelf, if you will, and it just needs some time. That said on an urban scale it is impressive to open 9 new blocks in short order.
February 3, 201114 yr Sun is finally back out and I made it down to the site at lunch today. The last photo is of the former Ted Berry Way at Vine St. where they are preparing to install a retainer wall. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
February 9, 201114 yr The apartments are filling up... http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2011/02/the-banks-apartments-starting-to-fill-up.html
February 11, 201114 yr And by first peek they mean one photo of a bedroom. First peek at The Banks apartments DOWNTOWN - Opening day for the first apartments at The Banks riverfront development is drawing near. More than 40 percent of the 300 apartments at Current at The Banks have been leased, with the first residents slated to move in starting in April. On Friday, The Banks developers Atlanta-based Carter and The Dawson Co. led Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and local media on a tour of a model apartment - finished and furnished - at the development off of Second Street between Joe Nuxhall Way and Walnut Street. cont "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
February 11, 201114 yr ^thx. they originally didn't have this link: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=AB&Date=20110211&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=102110807&Ref=PH "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
February 11, 201114 yr ^ haha- i was so confused at first- I was like... one picture? really? Looks alright! Not my style, but I'm sure plenty of people will love it and it'll be a fun neighborhood.
March 4, 201114 yr The Banks from Great American Tower "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
March 5, 201114 yr 3 local firms eye space at The Banks 4:01 PM, Mar. 4, 2011 The chefs behind upscale local restaurants Boca and Hugo and the region's largest bar operator say they could be among the next tenants to occupy space at the Banks. http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20110304&Kategori=BIZ01&Lopenr=103050337&Ref=AR
March 6, 201114 yr Great news that they're really making and effort to attract local businesses to The Banks.
March 6, 201114 yr So excited to see this finally happening. The beauty of the Freedom Center is much more apparent now that it's becoming a part of the urban fabric. Keep up the construction, kiddos.
March 7, 201114 yr Holy Grail to open March 17 DOWNTOWN – Holy Grail, the first restaurant and bar at The Banks, is scheduled to open March 17 – just in time to kick off St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness. “We’re 95 percent sure that we’re going to make it by then,” said Jim Moehring, a partner in the restaurant’s ownership group. “There’s a bunch of stuff that has to happen, but I think we’re going to hit our mark.” Located at the northwest corner of Joe Nuxhall Way and Freedom Way – directly across from The Reds Hall of Fame – Holy Grail is the only locally-owned venue to sign a lease at The Banks so far. Regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Sunday. cont "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
March 8, 201114 yr Is that beige wall at the end of the southernmost apartment building going to stay like that or is something going to be built in front of it? I would hate to see such a bland large space going there, if it is to stay, they should do some giant Reds player banners to hang there.
March 8, 201114 yr ^ A 10 story hotel will line Nuxhall way from Freedom way to the event lawn.... eventually.
March 8, 201114 yr I was referring to the beige wall facing GABP in the picture above, will the hotel cover that?
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