3 minutes ago, Rabbit Hash said:

 

 That takes me back, I remember on special occasions we would either eat at the top of the Radisson or the Stouffers. Both were revolving restaurants, we kids liked the stouffers because we could get mac and cheese. 

2 hours ago, Rabbit Hash said:

 

In all fairness, the tower seemed like it still could have had a little more life, the shorter building seemed much more obsolete, almost like a motor inn or something along those ends. If (a big if) things can turn around on schedule and we get a nice new gleaming tower on the site, it will be worth it. 

21 hours ago, 646empire said:

If I had to guess it will be in the 30-38 story range similar to one that is proposed in Indianapolis which is 38 stories and 800 rooms (pictured below). The Cleveland hotel looks fine, thankfully Cincinnati will most likely get a better flag than a standard Hilton tho. But I prefer the new Louisville convention hotel as a model for Cincinnati it’s the same size as Cleveland’s but it’s a Omni and is much nicer and has a residential component (pictured below in 2nd photo)

 

Looks great and preferable to the Cleveland model due to room count and residential component. Would be ideal to add at least 250 apartments to the site in addition to the 800 hotel rooms. 

I saw they have a tower crane up and attached to the tallest part of the hotel now. It should start coming down soon

Has the Port given any indication when they’ll have a plan for the Millenium’s replacement? I fear the demo will conclude then it’ll linger as an empty lot instead of transitioning immediately into construction. 

13 hours ago, Cincy_Travels said:

I saw they have a tower crane up and attached to the tallest part of the hotel now. It should start coming down soon

 it’s a large one for sure. they are also installing a lift on the north side

8 hours ago, Miami-Erie said:

Has the Port given any indication when they’ll have a plan for the Millenium’s replacement? I fear the demo will conclude then it’ll linger as an empty lot instead of transitioning immediately into construction. 

 

This becoming FSW Part 2 is a forgone conclusion. Expect something to break ground in 2027. 

2 hours ago, dotunderscore said:

 it’s a large one for sure. they are also installing a lift on the north side

I’m assuming the tallest crane we’ve had since Great American was built. Would love to see a couple of these this height in the sky at the same time throughout downtown. 

1 minute ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

I’m assuming the tallest crane we’ve had since Great American was built. Would love to see a couple of these this height in the sky at the same time throughout downtown. 

I suggest you look at photos from the 80s then, probably the closest you will come for the time being :) lol

1 hour ago, Rabbit Hash said:

 

This becoming FSW Part 2 is a forgone conclusion. Expect something to break ground in 2027. 

Is 3cdc not involved? Last I heard I thought they were..usually they are pretty hasty with development decisions and getting areas flipped fast.

I would say if this was just a regular hotel downtown then I wouldn’t waste my breathe in it getting turned over quickly, but since this is going to be the signature hotel for the convention center I’d assume they are going to work pretty quickly on getting it turned over. Thankfully by the time it’s down we’ll have a new mayor who will hopefully understand the importance of this hotel. 

42 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

Thankfully by the time it’s down we’ll have a new mayor who will hopefully understand the importance of this hotel. 

 

And he'll be Aftabulous.

Does anyone know if they’ll have a demolition cam?

On 6/11/2021 at 10:14 PM, ColDayMan said:

 

And he'll be Aftabulous.

Maybe he will be Da Mann? 

Has there been any rumors from insiders here about what’s the plan? 
 

I feel like as a city this should probably their number one priority to get a hotel locked for that site. 
 

I know conventions are the biggest revenue draw for the city and is the biggest source of outside tourists for Cincy. 
 

Almost any city you go to has a convention hotel connected to the convention center. 
 

Hell, even Dayton has one. 
 

I feel like we should be hearing more...

33 minutes ago, Troeros2 said:

Has there been any rumors from insiders here about what’s the plan? 
 

I feel like as a city this should probably their number one priority to get a hotel locked for that site. 
 

I know conventions are the biggest revenue draw for the city and is the biggest source of outside tourists for Cincy. 
 

Almost any city you go to has a convention hotel connected to the convention center. 
 

Hell, even Dayton has one. 
 

I feel like we should be hearing more...

Not a lot made public but I’ve heard plenty is happening behind the scenes. Don’t be surprised if this project moves fast once plans are made public. Keep in mind demolition doesn’t even wrap up until next year.

Edited June 18, 20213 yr by 646empire

4 hours ago, 646empire said:

Not a lot made public but I’ve heard plenty is happening behind the scenes. Don’t be surprised if this project moves fast once plans are made public. Keep in mind demolition doesn’t even wrap up until next year.

I would assume that something will be announced before Cranley leaves office so he can get credit for it. 

I think there is almost no chance that this remains a vacant lot for a significant length of time.

AC Marriot just finished a hotel near the Columbus convention center. Hilton is expanding with a 28 story tower across High Street and adjoining the convention center, itself.  A comparable tower in the North Market's current parking lot, across from the convention center, should be breaking ground in 2022 and will have hotel space. That's good incentive.

18 hours ago, taestell said:

I think there is almost no chance that this remains a vacant lot for a significant length of time.

I like hearing you say that because I consider you an insider. I was musing as I looked at the tower crane this morning that there is a scenario where they leave the demo crane in place and it becomes a construction crane.

19 hours ago, zsnyder said:

AC Marriot just finished a hotel near the Columbus convention center. Hilton is expanding with a 28 story tower across High Street and adjoining the convention center, itself.  A comparable tower in the North Market's current parking lot, across from the convention center, should be breaking ground in 2022 and will have hotel space. That's good incentive.

The city is aware of the competition which is why this will be happening sooner rather than later. Cincinnati doesn’t have a hotel problem in the general sense, it specifically has a *convention center hotel problem. Over the past year 3 new hotels have opened downtown and a 4th Is scheduled to open in 3 weeks. 

The whole podium is gone, only the two towers themselves remain. 

Here are a few additional pictures:

 

 

 

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/as-the-millennium-hotel-comes-down-some-are-looking-to-the-future

 

I have good hopes this will get built sooner rather than later. 
 

I have an inkling that 3cdc will probably be involved and get this project off the ground next year when demo is complete. 

The photo of the excavators reminds me: Does O'Rourke get (seemingly) every contract for demo work around Cincinnati? I don't think I've seen any other demo company.

Edited July 23, 20213 yr by RealAdamP
More logic

2 hours ago, Troeros2 said:

 

I have an inkling that 3cdc will probably be involved and get this project off the ground next year when demo is complete. 

Why would you think they would be doing a new build hotel? An inkling suggests you have inside information.

6 hours ago, RealAdamP said:

The photo of the excavators reminds me: Does O'Rourke get (seemingly) every contract for demo work around Cincinnati? I don't think I've seen any other demo company.

Evans Landscaping does a significant amount of demolition. I'm sure there are others but that's the only one coming to mind right now.

3CDC was trying to build a new hotel on the lot south of the convention center...

 

On 5/15/2018 at 1:18 PM, taestell said:

Sounds like 3CDC wants to build a new hotel on the parking lot south of the convention center. Probably bad news for the Millennium Hotel.

 

3CDC, GCRA to acquire parking lot near Duke Energy Convention Center

 

“What it really is, the best use of the site, it’s a great convention center hotel site,” Leeper said. “A real convention center hotel is going to be critical to our convention center business.”

 

Leeper said 3CDC has already started discussions with potential hotel developers for the property.

 

...before the Port starting buying up all the other lots surrounding the convention center and eventually the Millennium Hotel itself.

 

For that reason it wouldn't be out of the question for 3CDC to be involved in the project somehow, but isn't it a little weird for 3CDC and the Port to be working together? Aren't they basically competitors?

9 hours ago, taestell said:

isn't it a little weird for 3CDC and the Port to be working together? Aren't they basically competitors?

I doubt they view each other as "competitors". I think they view each other as collaborators, each with specific skills/opportunities based on how they're structured and the types of financing they have access to. As a quasi-governmental organization, The Port has access to specific public finance tools that 3CDC doesn't have. And as a non-profit community development corporations, 3CDC can develop projects in ways that the Port can't. They both benefit from increased investment from other developers in their "priority areas," and the Port and 3CDC both care a lot about downtown. So, I suspect they both view investment around the Convention Center as a shared priority. I'm sure there are times when egos collide between the organizations, but ultimately they both want the same thing and benefit from each other's success. 

Developers don't really look at each other as competitors, no.

Commissioner talking about the hotel site. Says she’d rather have the hotel to the south where there’s a parking lot currently. So could we see an expansion of the convention center to the East with a hotel to the south?

 

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ5Njc0OTEucnNz/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvYm9vbS5jb20sMjAyMS0wNy0yOTovcG9zdHMvNzkxNDM1MA?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwjtgsSjuo3yAhUPWs0KHSgqD_8QjrkEegQICxAH&ep=6

rip the annex

30 minutes ago, dotunderscore said:

rip the annex

 

I thought someone posted a plan/section drawing of that building on here once but I have never been able to find it. From what I remember, it is (was) a very peculiar split level type building filled with racquetball/handball courts.

at least one racquetball court 

Edited August 17, 20213 yr by dotunderscore

Port loses chance to end legal battle over Convention Place

 

A Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas magistrate has denied the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority’s claim that a limited liability company affiliated with developer Chinedum Ndukwe does not have an interest in the former Convention Place building in downtown Cincinnati.

...

In a statement from Laura Brunner, president and CEO of the Port, she said she can’t comment specifically on active litigation, but the organization’s plans for the property have not changed.

 

“We intend to demolish the building and build a parking lot on the site until a redevelopment plan is in place,” Brunner said.

 

More drama below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/09/14/port-loses-chance-to-end-legal-battle.html

 

Great - so this lot and the millennium lot will sit as surface parking "until further notice". 

6 hours ago, wjh2 said:

Great - so this lot and the millennium lot will sit as surface parking "until further notice". 

good riddance. That’s a hideous building that has always stood out in the cbd like a sore thumb. 

I agree not an attractive building, but the 'hold and wait' approach on parking lots usually is code for a decade of nothing. 

3 hours ago, wjh2 said:

I agree not an attractive building, but the 'hold and wait' approach on parking lots usually is code for a decade of nothing. 

I trust 3cdc and that area around the convention center is top development priority…too many big players invested to keep this vacant for too long. 
 

Plus new mayor coming soon with a whole new council. I’m staying confident this will be vacant lot temporarily.
 

 

remember parking lots at fifth and race. both sides of the street for years.

 

11 hours ago, RJohnson said:

remember parking lots at fifth and race. both sides of the street for years.

 

Our convention site is probably one of the worst out of all mid sized cities in the mid west. Even dayton has a better set up than us. 
 

Convention shows are huge revenue drivers for the city and I would be absolutely baffled if they don’t have a connected dedicated convention hotel like you typically find with any major convention center. 
 

This is a big deal for a lot of wealthy stake holders so it doesn’t make any sense for these sites to remain empty lots.

If it doesn't make money it doesn't make sense. Only time will tell in this case.

The new convention hotel is going to go where the currently-being-demolished Millennium Hotel sits, west of the convention center.

 

After the demolition of this building, we're going to have an entire block dedicated to parking south of the convention center. We're not going to get a second signature hotel there.

As long as those parking garages have retail facing the street and preferably residential above them it's fine with me.  

26 minutes ago, taestell said:

The new convention hotel is going to go where the currently-being-demolished Millennium Hotel sits, west of the convention center.

You mean east of the convention center, right?

Oops, that's what I meant...corrected.

Let's hope we don't make the mistake of expanding the convention center itself into Elm, thereby breaking the street grid, and onto the site of the Millennium. Convention centers are black holes and should be underground, as in Cleveland, or over a highway or stacked vertically, as in Seattle.

 

The west side of downtown north of 4th needs an injection of density, not another windowless box.

57 minutes ago, Miami-Erie said:

Let's hope we don't make the mistake of expanding the convention center itself into Elm, thereby breaking the street grid, and onto the site of the Millennium. Convention centers are black holes and should be underground, as in Cleveland, or over a highway or stacked vertically, as in Seattle.

 

The west side of downtown north of 4th needs an injection of density, not another windowless box.

i am concerned this option will be presented to the public and council as the only way “forward”, possibly with some kind of constrained time frame for approval.  No doubt in my mind if they block Elm with convention center expansion, in one generation or less we will be talking about how to go back and fix that mistake. 

would be amazing if the 75 connectors  northwest of FWW/ West of the convention center got buried and the convention center expanded on top of them.

On 9/19/2021 at 3:17 AM, zsnyder said:

would be amazing if the 75 connectors  northwest of FWW/ West of the convention center got buried and the convention center expanded on top of them.

 

^ My understanding is that expanding west was the preferred option, but with the BSB project effectively stalled, the Convention Center was forced to start looking at other options.