I'm in #208. The southeast corner on Mcfarland.

This is my deck.

You guys coming to the condo warming in Feb/March? I know they say January but at one floor a month theres no way we'll be in there by then.

 

 

You have access to CAGIS...

 

The CAGIS Internet Map Server:

http://cagis.hamilton-co.org/map/cagis.htm

 

I don't think that is nearly as accurate as the main database.  Usually the online versions of GIS stuff is crap...the GIS/IT people just don't care enough to keep it up to date.  They usually stay busy enough with all the other data entry and what not that needs to be done.

Oh, I'm aware that it's an inferior version.  The interface sucks and it's sometimes inaccurate.

The Parker Flats blog has been regularly updating the construction progress.  Here is one of the latest photos (9/5/07):

I got a very wet and cold tour of the construction site, took some very bad pictures. Anyhow, the decks on the east side where I am are bigger than I thought they would be. They've poured the 6th floor and now all they need to do is pour the ceiling for that. The studs are going in and the second floor will come along quickly now. They didn't say when the facade would go on.

 

Heres a look out my unit to the southwest.

 

http://parkerflats.blogspot.com/

Sweet!

5chw4r7z, that's awesome for you! I'm so jealous ... maybe a UO party to chrissen the crib??? ;)

 

 

 

 

So, they've topped it out then?

Don't know about an OU party, but the deck is high enough but not too high to drop some well placed beers to tailgaters walking to the Bengals game. I wanted to have a big blowout party when we get in, but it looks smaller that I expected, so I may have to give people 1 or 2 hour time slots to come in and drink. And then throw their asses out for the next group  ;-D

or not.

For sure when the Bengals are home we'll have the TV on the deck with PBS in the background.

 

"So' date=' if a city has a personality, maybe it also has a soul. Maybe it dreams." - Neil Gaiman[/quote']

That sounds like something read on BLDBLOG

^

 

They always look smaller during construction.  Its some kind of optical illusion.

can 2x4s really hold up a concrete building?

no but the 4x4s they have are doing a good job

 

LOL

First, let me say that I just happened across this forum by chance, but it's really great!

 

Second, a question about Parker Flats, does anyone know who the architect and structural engineers were for the project?

 

Thanks!

^Middle Earth Development

PDT is the architect, not sure about the engineers, but True Wall is the builder.

^Middle Earth Development

 

Oakie, sounds like you work (or worked) on site.  Any way you can figure out who the structural engineering company is?

 

Thanks!

They've poured the roof by now I think.

The last I heard late March for occupancy.

 

 

Is it just me or does late March sound like an aggressive timetable?  The sooner, the better if you ask me.

^Middle Earth Development

 

Oakie, sounds like you work (or worked) on site.  Any way you can figure out who the structural engineering company is?

 

Thanks!

 

PDT  =  ARCHITECT

Steven Schaefer Associates, Inc.  =  ENGINEER

According to the Parker Flats blog, there is going to be an addition of two new penthouses on top of the current structure's roof.  One of these sounds like it is already sold, and the other is still available for about $750k.  Here is the new rendering as provided on the Parker Flats blog.

 

http://parkerflats.blogspot.com/2007/12/penthouse.html

 

Essentially the difference is that there is this new angular portion on the top of the building now.  Previously the building just had a flat roof on top of that 7th floor.  I think the design of the building is dramatically improved with this addition...however it may be an unfortunate loss for those who have already signed on and expected something cool on the roof (ie patio).

Thanks, I tried to post this yesterday, but the site seemed to be down.

The other future residents seem split on this issue, a couple don't care, a couple are seriously pissed and tired of MED's crap and want out. At first I was mad, but I can't invest the energy into something I have no control over. Once I got over that, I actually like how it looks.

The way this was handled shows MED's total lack of a clue, I'm continually amazed they can find their asses with either or both hands.

 

We are pleased to inform you that we are adding two Penthouse units to Parker Flats.  

The Penthouse units help Middle Earth overcome the effects of the increased cost of construction. As many of you know, the prevailing wage lawsuit significantly increased the projects costs, creating a funding shortfall that MED has worked to fill. Although we have closely watched expenses and received some additional funding through our bank and the City of Cincinnati, these Penthouse units will be an important means of offsetting the substantial additional cost of paying prevailing wages on the entire building.

In the meantime, the Penthouse units will benefit the existing buyers at Parker Flats. The first benefit will be a direct increase in property values. If / when you decide to sell your unit, the appraiser will value your unit higher simply because of its comparable features and proximity to the high-priced Penthouse units. The second benefit is the increased prestige the Penthouse units will bring to the project as a whole. Penthouses radiate status and exclusivity. The innovative design, features, and location of Parker Flats already insure it will be a modern downtown landmark. The addition of two Penthouse units will only add to the visibility and cachet of the project and, in turn, increase the value of your investment.  

In other Parker news, the interior framing continues to progress and has now reached R-4, or the 500 level units. Additionally, much of the electric and plumbing has been run on R-1 while work continues on R-2.  

The windows have been ordered and we are hopeful that window installation will begin in early 2008. Once the windows are installed, drywall will be hung. Masonry work has begun on the north and western façades of the building and will continue over the next few weeks.  

 

They need to hire a PR firm to handle this stuff for them, but as they showed in the past they really don't care what we think.

Nuff said.

Dear Buyers:

 

Many of you have sent additional questions concerning the penthouse units that are being built at Parker Flats.  Instead of sending individual responses, questions are consolidated below so that everyone may see them. 

 

Size of Penthouses:

The two penthouse units will be constructed on the seventh floor of Parker Flats.  The eastern penthouse is approximately 2012 square feet while the western penthouse is 2115 square feet.  The unit layouts are illustrated in Attachment 1 with an updated rendering of the building included as Attachment 2.   

 

Cost of Penthouses:

The western penthouse is under contract.  The eastern penthouse is available and being listed at $750,000.     

 

Rooftop Access:

Middle Earth has never promised access to the rooftop.  When asked, our official response has always been that we could not construct a deck because of building code requirements but that once MED left the building, the Association could explore constructing such an improvement.  Furthermore, just like in any high rise condominium project, the roof will have mechanical equipment, such as a retaining pond and air conditioning condensers.  MED will do its best to consolidate this equipment in one location that will hopefully leave access for an additional improvement.  However, MED cannot promise this at this time.

 

Construction Timeline:

We are continuing to do our best to complete units as quickly as possible without making any compromise in construction quality.  We will work to assure that the addition of the penthouses has as little impact on the project schedule as possible.  By the time we give the next monthly update, we will know much more precisely what impact, if any, those units will have on our construction schedule and we will provide our best estimate regarding completion dates in that update.

 

As to their amazement that anyone downtown would actually want roof access or what they would want it for I can only imagine they received their information from imtotalyclueless.com.

I'm not knocking them for wanting to build what they want and to make a buck, just the way they handled it and boldly lied to everyone about it.

What I really like here is how the penthouse units reflect the shape of the convention center a block away.

 

5chw4r7z, don't sweat it! This will only help your condo's value when you decide to upgrade.

Yeah, you should just fork over the extra jack and buy the other penthouse! :wink:

5chw4r7z, I would be irritated too.  After seeing the rooftop patios of Park Place & The McAlphin I would be fantasizing about the rooftop of Parker Flats too if I was a future tenant. 

Yeah, overlooking PBS and unobstructed views to the west.

But its their building and project, I just wish they would stop telling people what they want to hear.

Transparency is always better, but these guys haven't got the memo.

 

But on the other hand it should increase our home values and I really like how it looks.

Who ever lives in the penthouses better like unexpected cigar smoking visits from neighbors!

  :-D

Downtown condos feature floor-to-ceiling windows

Last Updated: 8:33 am | Tuesday, January 1, 2008

 

Parker Flats, the $14.2 million condominium project under way at Fourth Street and Central Avenue, is on track to be completed by spring as scheduled.

The six-story development will house 57 condos, of which 63 percent have been pre-sold, said Glenn Kukla of Camp Washington-based Middle Earth Developers Inc.

Units are to feature loft ceilings, exterior glass walls and retractable window-walls leading to balconies. Parker Flats is the largest new-construction condo project in the Cincinnati Central Business District, Kukla said.

Sale prices range from the upper $180,000 to more than $350,000.

Lisa Bernard-Kuhn

 

is on track to be completed by spring  as scheduled

That must be the double secret schedule that moves every month or so.

I would much rather have roof top access like 4th and Plum.  I think more and more condo's downtown should try and include some sort of roof top access with floral and a pool.

^Garfield Tower also has a quite spectacular rooftop set-up.  It is enclosed with glass and has an indoor/heated pool with a little fitness center room as well up there.  It is quite impressive and about 18 stories up in the air...very nice.  Unfortunately the units are quite dated and awkward.

They've started on the parking lot in the back.

 

Sorry, don't know where else to put this, but it's in the general area of Parker Flats:

 

Condos to replace store

BY KEITH T. REED | [email protected]

 

A downtown institution will soon shutter to clear the way for more new condominiums on West Fourth Street.

 

Contemporary Galleries, a furniture store that for more than four decades has dealt in stylish, unique décor, is being closed by its owners, Rick and Denise Mayer, who plan to retire. Mayer said that after 42 years in the business, he was already pondering an exit to travel, spend more time with his grandchildren and escape the 12-hour days he'd put in at the store for so long.

 

His longing for a simpler life was put on a fast track earlier this year, though, when he got an offer to sell the store's building at 221 W. Fourth to a developer who he wouldn't name but said has plans for new residences there.

 

"I had planned to probably give it up in 2009. We got some inquiries on the building, and we got some interest in it," he said.

 

A sale contract for the building is already in place, though no closing date has been set. Contemporary will stay open at least through the end of February, running a 50 percent-off clearance sale and offering 40 percent off custom-ordered furniture.

 

Contemporary opened in 1962. Rick Mayer joined the business three years later, was part owner by 1971 and bought out founder Ron Kauper in 1994.

 

The store sits in a corridor already filled with new residential development: The McAlpin, a 62-unit condo development, opened last year two blocks east. Kinsey Flats, another residential project, opened in 2003 near the corner of West Fourth and Central Avenue. The Parker Flats condos are under construction on West Fourth.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/BIZ01/801080329/1076

 

This is the building for reference:

http://www.contemporarygalleries.com/store.html

I've created a flickr group for Parker Flats, if anyone wants to share pcitures I've left it open to everyone.

 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/parkerflats

Anyone out there know anything about code?

 

This wiring runs from my apartment into the middle of the shower, if you can believe that, instead of the wall and into the apartment upstairs.

 

This breaker box is facing into the living room, it could be turned around and face into a closet where no one will see it.

 

This is disappointing and shows a lack of attention to detail as far as I'm concerned.

If this is an example of Middle Earth's workmanship, we're in big trouble.

You should have a set of electrical plans that you would have signed before this work began. If the box is supposed to be facing the inside of the closet, have it flipped. If the other wiring is wrong, have that moved, as well. You may want to hire an inspector to come take a look before the drywall goes up.

I'm not real knowledgeable on building code(s), but as marlowe mentioned I would imagine these are items you could have easily remedied if you get to them in time.

^

Electricity + water = bad (not sure why the circuit is ran through the shower)

 

The panel typically isn't allowed within closets per the NEC (National Electric Code) due to the vicinity of easily ignitable material as well as the need for emergency access.

I got an answer.

About the breaker box,

 

This issue was previously identified by us.  Those panels are being moved in all of the '08 units.

 

And the wire,

 

That wire must be for the can light in the shower.  The hole it is in is the drain line for the upstairs unit.  The electrician must have not wanted a dangling wire.

Are there any built-in heat lamps in the bathroom?

i'd be watching MED like a hawk, anyone with prior experience with these guys probably isn't shocked by them changing plans mid-way, the delays and the lack of detail, such as the stuff with the electrical boxes. they're idea of a 'completed' project is getting it about 90% there, then finishing the last 10% over the next 5 years or so.

 

after seeing what mark went through next to the CAC with them, there's no way i'd trust them with my cash. my girlfriend ran into one of our old neighbors from kinsey next door (who is still there, pending a move to nyc), and they still haven't fixed the leaking ceilings or flooding garage from when we lived there (2 years ago!!)

 

good luck man. definitely a cool building, i hope they get their crap together though for the sake of everyone moving in there.

 

 

As we stand today, the updated timeline calls for the first units to be conveyed beginning in early May with an overall completion date of July 1st.  The reason for the push back in completion is the delayed installation of the windows.  It was expected that the windows would arrive in mid December with installation commencing in early January.  However, the windows did not arrive until the end of January.  Currently, the window manufacturers are on the job site and are busy cutting the thousands of pieces of glass that will comprise the windows.  It is a laborious process and has been complicated by the need to correct some mistakes made by the concrete subcontractor. All told, it has cost the project approximately six weeks.  Without windows, the lower floors have been brought to a standstill because it is fruitless to hang drywall as, when exposed to the elements, it will mold or crack and show damage within one year of installation.  Compromising construction quality for a faster return benefits neither the buyers nor Middle Earth. 

 

With all of that said, the window subcontractor is stating that window installation will commence in seven to ten days.  The current strategy is to install all windows on the first residential floor.  This will give us a better idea of all of the installation issues that we can expect on the other floors.  The next step will be based on the results of the first floor.  We anticipate that most water is accessing the building through its largest entry point, the west-facing elevation.  Assuming that this is the case, windows will be installed along the western elevation of the building and from there we will install the glass for the remaining units while dry walling will commence in the units along the western elevation.  Until the roof is fully installed, hanging drywall will be a piecemeal operation.   

 

In the meantime, other pieces continue to fall into place.  The first floor parking deck that provides cover for the speed ramp accessing the lowest level of buyer parking is constructed and is being poured today.  The electric and plumbing subcontractors, along with the framers, continue to lay out the fifth and sixth floor units.  The northern staircase is almost complete, providing access from the public parking level to the sixth floor.  On the exterior of the building, the masonry work is almost complete along the northern elevation and the northwestern corner of the building. 

 

Middle Earth understands the frustration some have expressed over the project’s timeline.  We ourselves are frustrated with the delays and apologize to you for those delays.  Although we are exploring every possible method to accelerate the project’s schedule, we will not “cut corners” or compromise the building’s quality to shave a few weeks off of the completion date. 

 

Sincerely,

Jay Voss   

This brings back memories.... :)

after looking at the drawings a bit more the new roof definitely helps the building out a bit. looks nice, i bet those will be cool units on top. too bad about the loss of a possible roofdeck though.

Glass is going in.

 

 

 

 

And Parker Flats will be as much about the views as anything. I can't wait to start the weekly sunset parties.

 

As we stand today, the updated timeline calls for the first units to be conveyed beginning in early May with an overall completion date of July 1st.  The reason for the push back in completion is the delayed installation of the windows.  It was expected that the windows would arrive in mid December with installation commencing in early January.  However, the windows did not arrive until the end of January.  Currently, the window manufacturers are on the job site and are busy cutting the thousands of pieces of glass that will comprise the windows.  It is a laborious process and has been complicated by the need to correct some mistakes made by the concrete subcontractor. All told, it has cost the project approximately six weeks.  Without windows, the lower floors have been brought to a standstill because it is fruitless to hang drywall as, when exposed to the elements, it will mold or crack and show damage within one year of installation.  Compromising construction quality for a faster return benefits neither the buyers nor Middle Earth.  

 

With all of that said, the window subcontractor is stating that window installation will commence in seven to ten days.  The current strategy is to install all windows on the first residential floor.  This will give us a better idea of all of the installation issues that we can expect on the other floors.  The next step will be based on the results of the first floor.  We anticipate that most water is accessing the building through its largest entry point, the west-facing elevation.  Assuming that this is the case, windows will be installed along the western elevation of the building and from there we will install the glass for the remaining units while dry walling will commence in the units along the western elevation.  Until the roof is fully installed, hanging drywall will be a piecemeal operation.   

 

In the meantime, other pieces continue to fall into place.  The first floor parking deck that provides cover for the speed ramp accessing the lowest level of buyer parking is constructed and is being poured today.  The electric and plumbing subcontractors, along with the framers, continue to lay out the fifth and sixth floor units.  The northern staircase is almost complete, providing access from the public parking level to the sixth floor.  On the exterior of the building, the masonry work is almost complete along the northern elevation and the northwestern corner of the building.  

 

Middle Earth understands the frustration some have expressed over the projects timeline.  We ourselves are frustrated with the delays and apologize to you for those delays.   Although we are exploring every possible method to accelerate the projects schedule, we will not cut corners or compromise the buildings quality to shave a few weeks off of the completion date.  

 

Sincerely,

Jay Voss   

 

Guys, this thing is at a compete halt, at least from the nakend eye.  It seems that there hasn't been progress made in months unless you consider a few glass panes a day progress. July 1 is a pipe dream.

I took these about two weeks ago:

 

 

Hmm, I'm not sure on the complete halt thing, I walk there at least once a week.

They aren't moving fast I'll give you that, but they've been working on the 4th St facade and I can see progress on my unit every time.

From what I've heard MED hies small firms that aren't big enough to sue them. Thats consistent with what I've seen, theres never been more than 10 people in there working when I've gone in.

i assure you the project is still moving. however, it does seem like it is taking them forever to install the glazing

this is gonna look cool when finished.

Its hard to see, but they have the first sliding door in.

We're going to go through again in the next week or so.