April 18, 200619 yr FYI, the next Northside Community Council meeting (Monday, May 15th) will be at the American Can building and it will be preceded by an open house to which the mayor and council members have been invited, I believe around 6pm. It's open to the public so come one, come all, see what all the fuss is all about.
May 4, 200619 yr More info: THE AMERICAN CAN BUILDING OPEN HOUSE & NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING Come experience the exciting potential of this dynamic urban renewal project and get a “before” look at this redevelopment project. Monday, May 15, 2006 Building Tours Start at 5:30 p.m./Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. The Northside Community Council, the Northside Business Association, the Northside Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and the developers of the American Can Building cordially invite you to attend an Open House/Northside Community Council Meeting to be held at the American Can Building, 4101 Spring Grove Avenue. MAYOR MALLORY, THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AND THEIR STAFF HAVE BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND. Tours of the American Can Building will be offered FROM 5:30 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. WHEN the developers will present their vision for the comprehensive redevelopment of a potential 7-acre site. At 6:50 p.m., a member of City Council will speak and open the monthly Northside Community Council meeting. Also, according to one of the principals, the hearing for the Clean Ohio funds went very well, and a decision is expected by late June. The general feeling was that the Clean Ohio fund people were genuinely excited about funding the reclamation of a building since so many of their projects are lots and vacant parcels.
May 4, 200619 yr Um, there isn't really a link. It's from the Northside email list (Bits & Pieces - see http://www.northside.net). The info about the hearing is from Monday's Northside Business Association meeting and was part of the Q&A after the American Can presentation.
May 4, 200619 yr here ya go http://www.northside.net/NCC/index.php But there really isn't any more info there. I really want to check out the view from this building.
May 4, 200619 yr The Northside e-mail list works? I signed up and I've never gotten one message. I might be going to this. I wanna see the building.
May 5, 200619 yr Grass, try again the link was broken for a while and nobody knew it. also, the mails get pretty big, your isp might have blocked it. I doubt it, but you never know. Just use the link at the bottom of the home page. If that doesn't work let me know.
May 5, 200619 yr horosho - I'm sorry - didn't mean to sound unappreciative of the info - definitely, thanks for the heads up...I'm going to see if I can go with my Northside friends...
May 5, 200619 yr horosho - I'm sorry - didn't mean to sound unappreciative of the info - definitely, thanks for the heads up...I'm going to see if I can go with my Northside friends... RiverViewer, no problem, I'm new here so I'm still kinda getting the lay of the land. You are right, it's always a good idea to put sourcing in a post and I'll do it next time. Hopefully we'll see you at American Can! Cheers, h
May 14, 200619 yr American Can plans to be unveiled $25 million redevelopment creates loft-style apartment building BY MIKE BOYER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Northside residents will get their first look Monday evening at the master plan for the $25 million American Can site redevelopment, a centerpiece of this historic community's ongoing redevelopment. Developers Steve Bloomfield and Ken Schon have been working for two years on a historic renovation of the five-story can plant off Hamilton and Spring Grove avenues, converting it to a 100-unit loft-style apartment building. "We think this has the potential to be the largest community redevelopment project outside of downtown," said Bloomfield, who renovated the vacant Ford Motor factory overlooking Interstate 71 in Walnut Hills into a fully leased office building. Although the outline of the American Can Factory Square project has been known, Monday evening the developers and Northside community groups will conduct tours of the 180,000-square-foot plant built in 1920. They will also share details for redeveloping the surrounding 7 acres that includes a park facing Hamilton, neighborhood retail space and condominiums on the site of the adjoining former Myron G. Johnson & Son lumberyard and a 20,000-square-foot office building. Conversion of the old factory into loft-style one- and two-bedroom apartments is expected to begin this fall and take about a year to complete. That project is expected to cost about $15 million, Bloomfield said. The redevelopment of the adjoining area, which will require the city's support, is expected to cost another $10 million, he said. Northside community officials, who opposed an earlier plan by Walgreens, have been impressed by Bloomfield's and Schon's efforts. "It's refreshing," said Paul Green, president of the Northside Community Council. "This is an extremely important part of Northside. The building and the concept they have are beautiful." Tours of the building begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a presentation by the developers and a Northside Community Council meeting. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060514/BIZ01/605140332/1076/BIZ
May 16, 200619 yr i dunno but i think its about time we turn that frown upside down. Agreed! I went and I'm pretty sure I saw Quimbob taking some pics which will hopefully show up here before too long. Very impressive presentation by the developers. The scale of this building is hard to picture from the street, it's just huge. The units look to be very nice. The Community Council meeting was held in a big open bay that still has some of the old cranes etc, very cool reception/meeting space. Saw the mayor, Tarbell (who spoke), and Crowley there, not sure if any other council types showed. This is really a best case scenario for Northside.
May 16, 200619 yr jeez You recognized me from that little avatar pic ? man, that place was cold. Tarbell & Cranley did some much deserved cheerleading. There was some guidance of the "tour" A guy said that there were a lot of molds left behind that would likely be used for decoration. I really wanted to get up to the top floor but it was closed off. Anyway, here's the pics I took http://home.fuse.net/christol/AmericanCan/01.html
May 16, 200619 yr Quimbob, this shot of yours is super-cool: Also very interesting, in a kudzu-creeping-death way: Very nicely done! You caught some cool scenes!
May 17, 200619 yr i dunno but i think its about time we turn that frown upside down. Done! Wahoo! Hopefully, down the road, it doesnt have to be turned back around when it is forced in the Abandoned Projects.
May 17, 200619 yr I just checked out your pics, Quimbob. Lots of work to do! Any other impressions from the tour/cheerleading/meeting?
May 17, 200619 yr When the American Can project is done it will look amazing no doubt. I always thought that building had so much potential.
May 17, 200619 yr Any other impressions from the tour/cheerleading/meeting? A couple.... The developers seem to be genuinely interested in neighborhood input and the design, particularly the greenspace in front, reflects input from previous Community Council meetings. Two of the principals were at the McPerry's (convenience store & longtime Northside crime hotspot) demolition today. This is strongly encouraging. Mayor Mallory and Scotty Johnson (Mallory's bodyguard) were seriously jazzed about the project. This is really good as well since: They seriously overpaid for the former Myron Johnson lumberyard (note: this isn't a criticism, this is the only way they were going to get the property) They are going to have to pay a premium to acquire the old Murgard's bowling alley (most recently used as lumberyard warehouse space but subsequently purchased by Community Yellow Cab). Current plans show this building being razed and replaced with single family, owner occupied housing. The only way to make those 2 purchases work is with some City money. There was a fantastic turnout and I did not hear a negative comment.
May 18, 200619 yr While not exactly related to the project, the always hot neighborhood officer Windeler (sp?) reported very low crime for the month of April. The folks in that neighborhood work their asses off in their crime fighting efforts, hopefully their efforts are paying off & it wasn't just the weather. The results they get make me very optimistic for other neighborhoods like OTR with strong grassroots activism.
August 9, 200618 yr The ordinances to release the funds to help purchase both the Myron Johnson property and the bowling alley property were passed unanimously by council. $300,000 will come from Department of Community Development and Planning capital accounts. They will also get $884,089 from existing CDBG project accounts, some of which would have been used to help eliminate slum and blight. The reason for the emergency ordinances was because they needed to meet purchase option deadlines. What the deadline is, I don't know.
August 29, 200618 yr Port authority gets $750K for asbestos Local business summary THE ENQUIRER Ohio has awarded the Cincinnati Port Authority $750,000 from the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund for asbestos abatement and remediation at the former American Can Co. building at Spring Grove and Blue Rock in Northside. The five-story, 180,000-square-foot building is to be developed into 150 one- and two-bedroom loft apartments. The estimated cost for the proposed remediation is $1,102,640 - $352,640 of which is being contributed by American Can Partners LLC, an entity formed by developers Steve Bloomfield and Ken Schon to redevelop the property. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/BIZ01/608290316/1076/BIZ
January 4, 200718 yr (Images at the end) The developers of Factory Square have received a zoning change from MG Manufacturing General to PD, which would allow the mix of uses proposed for this development. As a review, the project will entail the following: 1) Rehab of the American Can building into 90 residential units and 27,000 SF commercial space 2) Rehab of the railroad building, though a use hasn't been nailed down (it's 3,000 SF) 3) A new office/professional building of 20,000 SF, 2 stories 4) A new "mixed-use" building, 12,000 SF, 3 stories 5) 30 townhouses, along Langland St 6) A park at Hamilton and Blue Rock 7) Surface parking (There will be internal parking on the first floor of the factory building. Renters may also get one outdoor space.) Phase I: Numbers 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 to begin 2Q2007 and to take 12-18 months to complete. Phase II: 2 and 5 to begin late 2007 or early 2005 Future market development along the south side of Blue Rock St and along Mad Anthony St is possible. Mad Anthony has been mentioned as a possible future site for townhouses. Due to a lack of opposition, the zoning change was recommended unanimously by the City Planning Commission on December 15. As always, I believe the next steps are a public hearing in front of EDC, followed soon after by City Council. I did not see it on the EDC agenda for January 19, so it probably won't be heard until February. Once the zoning change is approved by Council, the developers will have to go back to the Planning Commission with a final development plan. Meanwhile, the developers are still trying to acquire the lumber yard property and the cab company sites. They have purchase contracts on those and are currently working with the city to get those deals done. That is expected to happen soon. Other funding may be available for this in the form of federal tax credits if the building is listed on the National Register. A consultant is currently working on this angle. (commercial condominiums)
January 4, 200718 yr Sounds like great news to me...this is an awesome bldg, and I'm glad to see it getting the much deserved attention.
January 4, 200718 yr Northside is on the way up. Right there on Blue Rock, a new bar opened, the Gyspy hut. For all the Chicago ex-pats, they have $2 Old Style on draft.
January 4, 200718 yr Man I'm so glad they're doing this. Northside is so progressive. I remember seeing that building a few years ago and thinking it would be perfect as a loft conversion.
January 4, 200718 yr Sounds great from the description but the actual site plan is shockingly bad, nearly on par with the Walgreens proposal aside from the adaptive reuse aspect.
January 4, 200718 yr Why a park at Hamilton and Blue Rock? There's one across the street. Is some of that surface parking going to be used for the rest of the business district, or is it reserved for the condos or new outbuildings? Seems like overkill if there's residential parking in the building itself.
January 4, 200718 yr Sounds great from the description but the actual site plan is shockingly bad, nearly on par with the Walgreens proposal aside from the adaptive reuse aspect. I think that it is not the best site plan, but certainly not comparable to the Walgreens proposal at all!!! Is some of that surface parking going to be used for the rest of the business district, or is it reserved for the condos or new outbuildings? Seems like overkill if there's residential parking in the building itself. I would assume that some of this project would correspond with the rest of the existing facilities and what not. The site designated goes over multiple properties, and would lead me to believe that they are working it into the neighborhood...but with that said odder things have happened before.
January 4, 200718 yr Sounds great from the description but the actual site plan is shockingly bad, nearly on par with the Walgreens proposal aside from the adaptive reuse aspect. Yeah, the parking lot on the corner looks almost like what Walgreens had proposed. But there won't be a driveway along Hamilton ? That would be better for the peds. The park doesn't lok like much more than what sits next to the funeral home up the street, tho.
January 18, 200718 yr What will be the Kitchen / Cafe What will be the Reception/Banquet Hall What an exciting development.
January 19, 200718 yr One of the two developers gave the tour and talked a lot about the project; it was fun. Our class went to the site. I use to picture developers as evil but these guys take out their valuable time to answer questions and talk about projects and I'm just amazed at how nice they are. I'm surprised he let us in considering the health hazards (asbestos, lead, etc thats currently being cleared out for the next few months before they can even do anything). P.S. a DAAP architecture professor came up with the idea for a park in the front to fill the void, and also did the rendering :]
January 19, 200718 yr I like parks, but why have a park across the street from an existing park (Hoffner)?
January 19, 200718 yr Dude its better than a surface lot. It's a way of connecting the building to the edge of the street, giving it a sense of cohesion. The park across the street is pretty small anyway.
January 19, 200718 yr ^certainly better than a lot, but why not a mixed use building with retail and some condos above it to continue the streetscape, or a fountain or a single lane bowling alley.
January 19, 200718 yr ^certainly better than a lot, but why not a mixed use building with retail and some condos above it to continue the streetscape, or a fountain or a single lane bowling alley. I'm with you on a fountain...maybe a bldg..but I hope you're joking about the single lane bowling alley!
January 19, 200718 yr Maybe they weren't able to get enough financing or maybe a public park qualified them for grants. Now I wish I would have asked about that.
January 19, 200718 yr of course I was joking about the bowling alley, I was just noticing it is a long narrow strip.
March 9, 200718 yr Developers manufacture plan to renovate Northside factory 1920s-era building to house commercial, retail, residential LAURA BAVERMAN | [email protected] March 9, 2007 NORTHSIDE - Developers of a $20 million mixed-use project in Northside plan to begin a historic renovation of the American Can building this summer. They'll convert the 1920s-era factory to 93 market-rate apartments and 30,000 square feet of commercial space. Additional plans call for a new 20,000-square-foot office building and 13,000 square feet of retail space on the site of an old lumber yard next to the building. A second phase could include up to 30 for-sale townhomes. Bloomfield, Schon & Partners acquired the historic American Can building in 2005 with a $500,000 loan from the city of Cincinnati. The project then received a $750,000 grant from the Clean Ohio Fund last August for environmental remediation. The cleanup process should be complete within the next three months. The developers and city officials are finalizing a financing package that includes federal New Markets Tax Credits, historic tax credits, tax increment financing and senior debt. They also plan to make the building green, applying for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. "We're pleased with what we see going on in Northside, and we've found that people are very interested," said Steve Bloomfield, a principal of the firm, which is known for its 2004 renovation of the historic Ford factory in Walnut Hills. He expects the project to include professional service firms, medical offices and restaurants or bars that are attracted to creative, loft-style space. Lease rates for the commercial space are negotiable, but the one- and two-bedroom apartments, ranging from 600 to 1,300 square feet, will average $1 per square foot. Bill Fischer, the city's community development director, called the building a "monster" in 2005 and made its redevelopment a top priority. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/03/12/newscolumn3.html
March 9, 200718 yr Wow, adaptive reuse of a brownfield site complying with historic preservation AND LEED certification.
March 18, 200718 yr The latest news on this project is that it's still seeking rezoning from MG Manufacturing General to PD Planned Development District. (It would be PD #47.) For an explanation of what this means, visit this post. As you may recall, the City Planning Commission approved a change in zoning on December 15, 2006. For some unknown reason, it took four months to have the hearing in front of the Economic Development Committee. This hearing will occur on April 10. I don't expect any problems to occur, but the sooner the change is approved....
May 19, 200718 yr Northside: American Can Factory Square Building Cincinnati From the "I just realized that this was never reported" file... Hamilton Avenue elevation Cincinnati City Council passed an ordinance in April that has kept the $20 million American Can Factory Square mixed-use project very much alive. The ordinance, which changes the zoning of the site from MG Manufacturing General to PD 47 (Planned Development District), passed unanimously. Bloomfield, Schon & Partners purchased the historic factory building in 2005. The project won a $750,000 Clean Ohio Fund grant last August to remediate the property. This should be completed by the end of the summer. Initial estimates in the development plan had Phase I of the project beginning 2Q2007, though this will no doubt be pushed back. Upon completion, the former factory will contain 93 market-rate apartments and 30,000 square feet of commercial space. There will also be a new 20,000 square foot office building, and 13,000 square feet of retail on the adjacent Myron Johnson property. Thirty for-sale townhomes along Langland St would be built in the second phase. The project will be LEED certified. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW GOOGLE AERIAL MAP http://buildingcincinnati.blogspot.com/2007/05/northside-american-can-factory-square.html
May 19, 200718 yr The layout of the units are really interesting. Long and skinny. I wannnt a stttuudddiiooo therrreee.
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