March 30, 200520 yr CiNYC, you don't think the entire NKY riverfront would be better with a block of parkland across the whole thing? Trees, bike trails. etc. The entire RiverCenter complex is already totall disjointed from downtown Covington and blocks all the views, the same goes for the large buildings on the Newport riverfront. Nope, not at all. There are plenty of parks around (mostly underused) with more on the way. I like successful parks, but in order to have a successful park, you need critical mass of people working and living nearby, which Covington definitely doesn't have. I'll take development on the river over unused land (no matter how nice it may be) any day. Regarding the views, no that doesn't bother me either. I like cities at street level. If people want views, then build up IMO.
April 1, 200520 yr if this project starts i'll toss up a webcam so we can watch it. my desk faces the river, but i can put a camera on the back of our floor and document this. should be an interesting project to watch
April 19, 200520 yr More great press. It sounds like this project really has momentum. The Enquirer also had vignettes on Libeskind's other projects: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050419/LIFE/504190324 In Covington, Ascent will reach for the sky City Commission votes today on condo project By Sara Pearce Enquirer staff writer From the moment settlers constructed their first building on the downtown riverfront, our eyes have been drawn to it. In the centuries since, the Ohio River's banks have seen it all. Warehouses. Town houses. Parking lots. Stadiums. Saloons. Parks. Mansions. Offices. Each incarnation has been a bellwether of our hopes, dreams and aspirations as a city. From thriving port and commerce center to major-league town and cultural hub. And as the riverfront and skyline on both sides of the river have evolved, major additions have been hotly debated, which is one of the many things that immediately separates The Ascent at Roebling's Bridge from what has gone before it. The building with the lofty name, designed for Corporex, is a sleek, $40 million, 21-story condominium tower that everyone seems to like. The proposal has been approved by the Kenton County Planning Commission, Covington Architectural Review Panel and Covington Urban Design Review Board. Tonight, it faces one final group: Covington City Commission, which is scheduled to vote on it. More at http://www.enquirer.com
April 19, 200520 yr ^Today's article in the Enquirer is very good. Somewhat unusual for them. They provided a nice big rendering too.
April 20, 200520 yr It's approved and construction is to begin this summer. Condo project ready to rise Covington gives final approval for Ascent at Roebling's Bridge By Cindy Schroeder Enquirer staff writer COVINGTON - Construction of a sleek, $40 million, 21-story condo tower vying to become Greater Cincinnati's most dramatic-looking skyscraper should begin by late summer, after the project cleared its final legislative hurdle Tuesday. The Ascent at Roebling's Bridge is the dream of Corporex Cos. chairman Bill Butler and Polish-born architect Daniel Libeskind, the winner of an international competition to design new buildings for the World Trade Center site. The crescent-shaped tower just west of the historic bridge would add 80 luxury condominium units, all with views of the Cincinnati skyline, to Covington's riverfront. Tuesday, Covington City Commission unanimously approved two alternative development plans and the variances required for Corporex Cos. to develop the one-acre site at the southeast corner of East RiverCenter and Scott boulevards, where the Coach and Four restaurant once stood. Developers will decide which version of the tower to build later this year. Details such as the square footage of the condos, prices and amenities have yet to be determined because the developer "is still working through the interior design," Project Manager Steven Massicot said. More at http://www.enquirer.com
April 20, 200520 yr A large rendering of the Ascent at Roebling's Bridge is featured on the front page of the second section of today's Wall Street Journal under the headline "Location, Location, Architect: Builders Hire Famous Names to Design Luxury Condos; Paying More for Libeskind". Smaller renderings of buildings in St. Petersburg and Ft. Lauderdale, FL are also included. According to the article the prices of the condos in the Ascent will range from $380,000 to $1 million. I'd think $1 million would be a bargain for the penthouse apt. if that were true.
May 8, 200520 yr From the 5/7/05 Kentucky Post: Condo project might work its magic in city By Jeanne Houck Post staff reporter World-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind wrote in a 2004 memoir that "There's a magic to a great building." Covington leaders hope that's true of the 21-floor condominium tower he's designed for the city's riverfront. Government officials and business people would like nothing more than to see surrounding residential and commercial development take wing with the asymmetrical "swooshing" roof that is to top the estimated $40 million high-rise that Corporex Cos. of Covington wants to build just west of the Roebling Suspension Bridge. Steven Massicot, Corporex's project manager, thinks it's a given. "This will definitely be a catalyst for downtown Covington and the entire region," he said. "We've learned from other downtowns such as Nashville that if you bring residents downtown, retail will follow." Full article at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050507/NEWS02/505070325/1011/RSS02
May 8, 200520 yr Well, atleast SOMEBODY is on the ball with getting the riverfront development intact... "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 8, 200520 yr holy mackeral that thing is wacky -- in a good way. i cant wait to watch the construction. the trees or plantings along the top seem to take up valuable penthouse space, no? ieh, 'm sure they have that all figured out. i'm happy to hear it's a go. it will be fun to watch go up and a striking and cool addition to the skyline.
May 9, 200520 yr Am I the only one that hates balconies on buildings? They can really affect (negatively) the design of a building. I wonder if the trees in the top floors will actually happen. He loves glass, and incorporating plants and whatnot.
May 9, 200520 yr I hate to break it to the guy, but it is going to cost alot more then $40 mill to bulid. Probably double that amount. Especially with the price of steel the days.
June 7, 200520 yr From the 6/6/05 Cincinnati Business Courier: New Covington tower to let buyers give input on design Corporex Cos. has started a new program for its planned Covington condo tower that will let early buyers give input on the building's interior design. The Reserve Buyers Program will be open to buyers "who have a significant interest in being the first to own a home" in the 21-story Ascent at Roebling's Bridge. According to a news release, those reserve buyers will be able to give their input on design decisions at the tower and will receive special monthly updates about the building's progress. The Ascent condo project will include 78 condo units ranging in price from $395,000 to $1.5 million for standard units. Penthouse units are expected to cost even more, a spokeswoman said. The building, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, will overlook Northern Kentucky and the Ohio River. More information about the project is availabile at www.corporex.com/theascent. Full article at http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/06/06/daily7.html
June 9, 200520 yr Potential buyers help plan Ascent Focus groups aid developers with details of tower By Mike Rutledge Enquirer staff writer COVINGTON - Steve Frank figures the Ascent at Roebling's Bridge is his best chance at getting his New York-born wife to move to his native Northern Kentucky. Frank, 48, a Covington Latin graduate, and his wife, Nancy, are among 30 people who have participated in focus groups to help shape the amenities, features and floor plans of the Daniel Libeskind-designed high-rise. "The high rise appeals to her New York kinda stuff," he said. "She insisted when we married that we move to Ohio. And this is my only way of getting her back - I can give her a New York high rise." Focus groups are part of an effort by the developer, Covington-based Corporex Cos., to involve prospective buyers early. That's unusual for such projects, real estate experts say. It's led by Corporex's chief marketing officer, Debbie Vicchiarelli, a veteran of Procter & Gamble Co. and other consumer companies. Unit prices - which are still in flux - are estimated to range from $395,000 for a single-bedroom unit with a den to around $1.5 million for the penthouse. Each unit will have 10-foot-tall windows looking out over the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the city. The building's three-story penthouse will be called "The Pinnacle," and it will not have a number like the other units, only its high-reaching name. More at http://www.enquirer.com
June 9, 200520 yr Sorry about all the big words Grasscat, I just cut and paste. Although I am now experimenting with color.
June 9, 200520 yr Can you include the URL with the articles? It's handy sometimes for emailing folks and finding related stories and such...but thanks for updating us with them!
June 10, 200520 yr Sorry about all the big words Grasscat, I just cut and paste. Although I am now experimenting with color. Well, it's not that, but the "ADVERTISEMENT", "Zoom" and the sidebars that appear in the middle of the stories that kind of muck it up. Can you include the URL with the articles? It's handy sometimes for emailing folks and finding related stories and such...but thanks for updating us with them! Plus, it's a matter of common courtesy when you're posting someone else's articles.
June 21, 200519 yr Did anyone apply on Corporex's web site for the Reserve Buyer's Program? It closes June 30. What it means: ** Chance to purchase before the first public offering. ** A chance to provide input on bylaws and interior options.
July 3, 200519 yr More on the project and the October 25th groundbreaking date from the 7/3/05 NKY Sunday Challenger: Ascent to Rise This Fall Buyer Meetings Precede October Groundbreaking By Larry Nager The Sunday Challenger [email protected] COVINGTON - Since last October, when The Sunday Challenger wrote the first story of what has since become the most talked-about building project on either side of the Ohio River, plans for the condominium project, designed by perhaps the premier architect of our time, Daniel Libeskind, have been moving toward an October groundbreaking. The building now has a name, "The Ascent at Roebling's Bridge," a waiting list of prospective buyers and a new groundbreaking date, Oct. 25. Located at East RiverCenter Boulevard and Scott Street at the foot of the Roebling Suspension Bridge, the 21-story Ascent will reinvent the Covington skyline with its curving shape and dramatically swooping roof. The innovative building, with a preliminary construction budget of $40 million, has caused such an impact in the media that even the publicity-insatiable Donald Trump grabbed a few headlines criticizing its lack of classical Trumpian gaudiness. Full article at http://www.challengernky.com/articles/2005/07/03/around_nky/doc42c5864059226405901282.txt
July 20, 200519 yr Condo project prepared Covington tower to move from paper to reality with October groundbreaking By Mike Rutledge Enquirer staff writer COVINGTON - The 21-story Ascent at Roebling's Bridge condominium tower has gone from blueprints to a blue line on the Covington parking lot where construction crews are to break ground on the crescent-shaped building in late October. "Preconstruction has started," said Debbie Vicchiarelli, chief marketing officer for Corporex Cos., developer of the Daniel Libeskind-designed tower. It will house 64 condos priced from $395,000 to around $1.5 million, plus eight penthouses, some costing more than $1.5 million. Crews recently painted the blue line on the lot, southeast of East RiverCenter and Scott boulevards, to mark the location where the building will sit, she said. "That's the literal outline of the building," Vicchiarelli said. "The actual outline of the building is there so we can start taking core samples (of soil and rock beneath the site). Full article at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050720/NEWS0103/507200368/1059/NEWS01
July 20, 200519 yr I love the outline painting! That's just great - especially when you see it painted over a parking lot! Oh, for the day when we see this over one of the most eggregious parking lots in the state:
July 20, 200519 yr I wish they could have put it over on the Ohio side. Oh, well, it will still be good for the city
July 20, 200519 yr it will still be a part of the "money" skyline shot coming down the hill...so that makes it ok for me
July 22, 200519 yr Anything northern Kentucky does that is positive effects downtown Cincinnati in a positive way! Just look at The Banks and Newport on the Levee. We are in a competition in sort of a way, something to gauge our success by.
July 22, 200519 yr I love to see that blue curve on that prime space. The footprint seems so small and delicate. Or ... like a sythe, cutting down the parked cars!
July 22, 200519 yr too bad it wont actually fit the site that way...seems like there is a whole lot more going on at the ground levels with parking, amenities etc.
August 1, 200519 yr I am on the Reserved Buyers list for the Ascent and received a letter over the weekend. Apparently they are having Libeskind in town for an 8/25 ribbon cutting ceremony of their "Experience Center" where prospective buyers will be able to review floor plans, views from each unit, fixtures, upgrades, etc. All on the list will have personlized apptmts with their lead sales lady scheduled in the near future.
August 1, 200519 yr sounds great NoKY, that's a rare opportunity to have that much input at that stage. welcome to the forum.
August 18, 200519 yr From the 8/17/05 Kentucky Post: Buyers signing up for Covington condos The Ascent at Roebling's Bridge was featured on MSNBC news recently, but it's not like the planned 72-unit condo high-rise needed the attention. Already developer Corporex Cos. has more potential buyers than the building will have units, said Debbie Vicchiarelli, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the company. The buyers are attracted partly by the unique design of internationally acclaimed architect Daniel Libeskind, partly by its view of the Ohio River and Cincinnati skyline and partly by the attractions of urban living, Vicchiarelli said. "The demand has been tremendous,'' she said. "This project is really like a gestalt. One plus one equals three ... the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.'' Units will go for $394,900 to $1.5 million, with penthouses costing more than that. Full article at http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/NEWS02/508170379/1011/RSS02 The riverfront One of the Covington riverfront's earliest redevelopment successes was the Riverside Terrace condo complex east of the Roebling Suspension Bridge, built by developer David Herriman in 1984. The project unleashed a wave of development that has completely transformed the area. Among the numerous new buildings: - The first RiverCenter office tower opened in 1990. The second opened in 1998. - The 228-room Embassy Suites hotel opened in 1990 next to RiverCenter I. - The Gateway Center, a nine-story office building for employees of the Internal Revenue Service, opened in 1994 on Scott Street between Third and Fourth streets - The Northern Kentucky Convention Center on Madison Avenue hosted its first convention in November 1998. - Construction of the Madison Place office and condominium project started in 1999. - The 86-unit Roebling Row apartment complex built by Towne Properties welcomed its first tenants in 2001 near the foot of Greenup Street. - The $20 million Kenton County courthouse and garage open in 1999 at Third and Madison. - The 326-room Marriott Hotel opened in 1999. Full article at http://news.kypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/NEWS02/508170378
August 19, 200519 yr the way those bad boys are "potentially selling" they should bump it up 100 floors or so. where does Koolhaas fit into the local architecture scene?
August 19, 200519 yr Rem Koolhaas is currently designing a multipurpose art facility for the Louisville Riverfront. It will include condominiums, offices, and a farmer's market. One of his employees at OMA admitted that essentially they try to create the wildest designs possible. They shape foamboard into jagged shapes and then Koolhaas takes those designs and applies pretentious language to justify the structure. We shall see what he proposes for Louisville.
August 19, 200519 yr ^ Bingo. These stories were in the "Kentucky Post", which often includes news stories from Louisville.
August 26, 200519 yr From the Enquirer: Luxury Covington condos to include marina By Marla Matzer Rose Enquirer staff writer COVINGTON – The Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge, the 22-story condo project being built here by Corporex, will include a marina, Corporex chairman Bill Butler said today. The city of Covington plans to remove the Covington Landing barge that formerly housed TGI Friday’s restaurant from the site to make room for the marina. Covington closed the landing on July 9, about two weeks after a major leak sprang in the hull, forcing the city to hire contractors to keep the complex above water. Jon J. Fleshman, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Louisville district, confirmed today that there are plans by BB Riverboats owner Alan Bernstein to build a marina on the site. However, he stressed that there has been no application made for a permit for the project, and no permit has yet been granted. With superstar architect Daniel Libeskind in attendance, Covington-based developer Corporex unveiled what it calls an “experience center” for the $40 million-plus project this morning. The sales office, located in Corporex’s 100 E. RiverCenter Blvd. Headquarters, has an eye-popping view of the river as the backdrop for displays of floor plans and design elements that well-heeled buyers can choose from. Full article at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050825/BIZ01/308250016
August 26, 200519 yr Let's build two! I can't wait to see this built. I hope they open it up for tours. From the Cincy Post. <b>Condo buyers line up</b> Luxury high-rise in Covington offers views of the river and city By Bob Driehaus, Post staff reporter More than twice as many people have made initial commitments to buy condos in architect Daniel Libeskind's Ascent at Roebling Row high-rise than there are units - two months before groundbreaking. The interest in condos that start at $400,000 and climb to the $4.5 million Pinnacle penthouse, has been intense and is poised to grow further after Thursday's unveiling of a sales center on the 10th floor of RiverCenter, the future condo building's neighbor to the west. Bill Butler, president and chairman of Corporex Cos., said about 200 potential buyers each completed a three-page form to reserve a condo despite the fact that units won't be available at least until August 2007, which would be just in time to witness the Riverfest fireworks. Publication date: 08-26-2005 To read more: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050826/NEWS01/508260326
August 27, 200519 yr Covington marina idea beginning to gain favor By Mike Rutledge Enquirer staff writer COVINGTON - A marina just west of the Roebling Suspension Bridge could add a pretty site and some excitement to Covington's riverfront, supporters believe. Corporex Cos. president and CEO Bill Butler mentioned the possibility this week, in connection with his proposed 22-story luxury condominium tower, the Ascent at Roebling's Bridge. "We thought it might be nice to have a little pretty place right there as you come across the bridge," said Mayor Butch Callery. "And we were thinking people in the Ascent might have boats. And they could put their boats there." "I think it's an excellent idea," said Garrard Street resident and former boat owner Adrian Kessler, 77, as he walked his dog near the riverfront. "If you can spend $1.5 million for a condo, you can spend $500,000 for a boat." Full article at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050827/BIZ01/508270335/1076/biz
August 27, 200519 yr Covington OKs Ascent bonds By Mike Rutledge Enquirer staff writer COVINGTON - City Commissioner Jerry Stricker abstained while his colleagues approved two agreements that lay groundwork for financing of Corporex Cos.' proposed 22-story condominium tower designed by Daniel Libeskind. Stricker, who lives in a nearby riverfront condominium, said he abstained from the two 4-0 votes because he might buy an Ascent unit himself. As a way to make the project more financially feasible, up to $70 million in industrial building revenue bonds will be sold to finance the complex and its private garage. Such bonds require the property be owned by the city, which is not required to pay property taxes. The city then would lease the project back to the developer. Full article at http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050827/BIZ01/508270334/1002/biz
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