Merchants finding retail space scarce at Findlay Market

Business Courier - by Dan Monk

Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 4:34pm EST

 

Once it was a glass half-empty. Now, Findlay Market is an overflowing cup.

 

Three new tenants bring to 100 percent the occupancy rate in the historic markethouse, which was 47 percent full when the city of Cincinnati completed a $16 million renovation in 2004.

 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/print-edition/2010/11/12/merchants-finding-retail-space-scarce.html

New phase for Findlay Market

Written by

Laura Baverman

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110703/BIZ01/307030001/New-phase-Findlay-Market

 

De Stewart has expanded Colonel De’s herbs and spices shop three times since opening up in Findlay Market five years ago.

 

On Saturdays, up to nine workers scramble to serve customers with a growing number of spices, herbs, blends and rubs. Friday and Sunday traffic has picked up, too, helping him grow sales 30 percent each of the past four years.

Findlay Market is the crown jewel of Cincinnati's growing farmers market collection: http://urbn.cc/p24a (complete with GoogleMap).

Another building rehab at Findlay Market, courtesy of 5chw4r7z:

 

http://5chw4r7z.blogspot.com/2011/12/findlay-market-construction.html

That building is not currently being rehabbed.  The city is having it stabilized after the previous owner started work and failed to complete it.  Some of you may remember the crazy woman who swept in from St Louis a year ago starting s**t with everyone.  Turns out she was full of it.

 

I can tell you that the grey building on the corner (Crown Furniture Building) is currently under development.  Historic tax credits have been applied for, and the project is going for LEED certification.  Work should start early next year.

That building is not currently being rehabbed.  The city is having it stabilized after the previous owner started work and failed to complete it.  Some of you may remember the crazy woman who swept in from St Louis a year ago starting s**t with everyone.  Turns out she was full of it.

 

referring to 'Lacey Dresses' (her alter ego on FB?)?

 

Good to see that building being stabilized, then. It's been looking kind of rough for a while now. I wonder how long it will be before we see some of those homes being rehabbed...

Oh yea I remember that building. I was trying to place it and thought this was the one on the other side of the main parking lot but now I see that horrible attempt at a garage. Yeah, I don't miss that loon one bit!

She's the one.

That building is not currently being rehabbed.  The city is having it stabilized after the previous owner started work and failed to complete it.  Some of you may remember the crazy woman who swept in from St Louis a year ago starting s**t with everyone.  Turns out she was full of it.

 

referring to 'Lacey Dresses' (her alter ego on FB?)?

 

Good to see that building being stabilized, then. It's been looking kind of rough for a while now. I wonder how long it will be before we see some of those homes being rehabbed...

 

She's the one.  I'm not sure where it is in the legal process, but the title is being returned to OTR Adopt. Hopefully Danny can find someone good for it.

And you have idiots that believe in this story, or Sandy Northside, or all of these other suspicious accounts and folks who masquerade as preservationists, when all they want is a cheap building to butcher. It's a shame that OTR Adopt had its name dragged into the mud for this.

Can someone recount this story? Or is that inappropriate for a public forum?

Can someone recount this story? Or is that inappropriate for a public forum?

 

Regarding 1737 Elm: Considering that the aforementioned previous owner was an attorney (or at least claimed she was) perhaps best to not get into too many small details. Her side of the story was that promises were made and some claims against the structure had not been settled but these issues were not disclosed to her.  But as stated, as these problems mounted and became cumulative, the new owner finally decided it was unworkable so she and her husband bailed. (allegedly, a hired masonry contractor had also began work without pulling a required permit and was stopped by the city) ) If she was an attorney, one would reasonably assume that she would have applied due dilligence and discovered all outstanding issues involving the property before taking on the project. In any event, following the latest abandonment, the structure went back on the City's nuisance properties list (which has around 5,000 properties at last count) but given it's prime location and nearby on-going renovations, I feel confident a new owner will be more successful this time around.  A valuable lesson to be learned from this incident: always get ALL of the information available before taking on the rehab of a long neglected and abandoned property. The OTR still has numerous distressed properties in this category and bringing a deteriorated structure like this back is challenging even under the best of conditions. Since the aforementioned person had supposedly rehabbed numerous buildings similar to this one in St. Louis, why this one had to lead to such a negative outcome for all parties involved is puzzling. Obviously, careful planning is crucial for a successful outcome. That's about all I wish to say about the incident.

Thanks, John S.

 

Sounds like the whole thing was/is quite a mess. I remember seeing Lacey Dresses in some preservation conversations on Facebook. Guess I won't be seeing her around anymore.

Thanks, John S.

 

Sounds like the whole thing was/is quite a mess. I remember seeing Lacey Dresses in some preservation conversations on Facebook. Guess I won't be seeing her around anymore.

 

You're welcome.  The person you mention has abandoned all efforts/interest in the Cincinnati area and will apparently, remain in St. Louis.  She's also closed down the FB discussions (she had a Cincinnati centered FB preservation group) and has requested that I not contact her anymore... which I will honor, of course. There are no bureaucratic shortcuts to rehabbing a place like the Elm street building. Properties like that one have been on the City's "radar screen" for years if not decades, and anyone coming in to rehab such a property (unless they already have a proven track record in the OTR) will have to do it one step at a time by the book to satisfy the City. That issue was the primary reason for this project's failure.

Isn't Findlay Market working on a new master plan or parking plan...?

Cross posted from the 5th and Race thread. There's been speculation about 3CDC's future level of involvement with the market and its clear their future focus area will be in that general vicinity.

 

Leeper did have some very good things to say about the pending design of the building, but you never really know whether that's a genuine assessment or puffery. 3CDC has a good track record IMO, so I'm hopeful.

 

Other things Leeper said that seemed new (sorry to only be posting this now, and also sorry it's not completely on topic for this thread): Fountain Square will get a number of additional improvements, including a better LED screen, in the near future. Many of the visual improvements will be near Via Vite. He also said that 3CDC has looked/is looking at opportunities to convert office space downtown into residential, although he was pretty vague about that (it seemed like the Bartlett Building isn't going to be a 3CDC project, if anything happens with that).

 

He suggested that the area surrounding Findlay Market would be a "natural extension" of what 3CDC is doing now, although he seemed kind of non-commital about specific plans for the area.

 

All in all it was a good talk, and free to boot. Plus free breakfast. All you had to do was RSVP. I was kind of surprised it wasn't totally packed with UrbanOhio types.

 

Sorry for not posting all of these tidbits in their respective threads--I work too many hours.  :-D

I kind of wish 3CDC would stay away from the Findlay Market area. It seems if they focus on Vine Street North of Liberty and the streetcar goes right to Findlay Market, the area surrounding the market could get truly private individuals/companies restoring the area around the market without 3CDC. I think 3CDC's work is critical to the revitalization of Over-the-Rhine, but I don't think it is needed around Findlay Market...

I've walked through probably dozens of buildings in OTR that are in need of immediate stabilization. As a preservationist, I want to see buildings survive. I support anyone willing to save these buildings. Very few developers have the desire and capability to take on some of these distressed properties. There's so much work to be done. I have nightmares about bowed brick walls and roofless buildings.

 

Many exciting things are on the drawing board for OTR and I've never had more hope for its future. My biggest fear: insufficient financing for those capable of preservation/development.

 

 

What role does the Corporation for Findlay Market play in future renovations around Findlay Market? Do they partner with 3CDC to get more of the buildings ready for retail on the ground floor with residential above?

^

A big part of their role will be dependent on who is hired as Bob's replacement to run the Corporation and the direction from the Board.  To date, either the Corporation or the city have developed the buildings around the Market. 3CDC has not directly done any work there, yet.

 

I do know that the 3 city/Corporation owned buildings (129, 131, 133 W Elder) are being whiteboxed (storefronts only) this winter for additional leasable space.

Findlay Market announces new tenants

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/04/29/findley-market-announces-new-tenants.html

 

Both new tenant's (Eli's Barbecue and Maverick Chocolate) will be great additions to the area. But by far the best aspect of this news is that Eli's will be open until 9pm six days a week. If the new Eli's at Findlay Market is anywhere near as busy as its first location on Riverside, there is going to be an awesomely HUGE increase in foot traffic around Findlay Market in the evenings. And this should also provide impetus for a lot of other businesses to locate nearby (and stay open in the evenings). This is fantastic news for the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District!

I wonder if Eli's addition at the market is a result of the other OTR location failing, or if that location wasn't as prosperous as the market location.

 

Sidenote - are there apartments/condos above the street level retail in those buildings at the market?  Or are those offices, or vacant?

I wonder if Eli's addition at the market is a result of the other OTR location failing, or if that location wasn't as prosperous as the market location.

 

Sidenote - are there apartments/condos above the street level retail in those buildings at the market?  Or are those offices, or vacant?

 

The probably did the math and decided the Findlay location would be more profitable. Probably lower rent, given it's a far less trendy location.

 

I believe the space above the ground floor retail is vacant, which is a shame. The time can't be too far off until the owners decide some renovations are in order, though, right? I hope so, anyway.

Joe Hansbauer (CEO of the Corporation For Findlay Market) responds to some comments on UrbanCincy's article: http://www.urbancincy.com/2014/04/elis-barbeque-maverick-chocolate-first-of-several-new-tenants-to-open-at-findlay-market/

 

He writes:

Many of the buildings are not occupied above, but that is something you can expect to change in the next 18-36 months as new projects come on line to bring more residential and office use to the market district. You are correct that residential and office use would really benefit the vibrancy of the market during the week and drive vendor revenue.

 

 

So I guess "can't be too far off" means 18-36 months. :) Definitely an obvious "seed" location for development north of Liberty, and years overdue, frankly.

Can't wait!  Love Eli's and excited about market expanding.  Making the market a more all hours destination will do a lot for feeling of safety for people who might not go otherwise, as well as be huge for convenience.

I think Rhinegeist has shown that the right kind of "destination" business can attract a late-night crowd to that part of OTR. First the drinking crowd, then the eating crowd, and hopefully more residential quickly follows. A little more traffic around there at night will drive residential much quicker than the Main Street bars did in the 90's. The demand is so pent up for a lower price point, it just feels like it has to happen.

 

Plus Findlay Market! I mean who wouldn't want to live around Findlay Market?

Every time I go to Findlay Market I am struck by how cool of an area it would be if there was more residential rehab of the surrounding buildings.  How is it not more developed by now?  I assume that the streetcar connection will accelerate things, but really, lets get going.

I don't know about the buildings on Elder but there used to be a lot more people living around there in the last 30 years.

Well, heck, 30 years ago, there were people living where a lot of the parking lot is now.

I'm guessing slum lords, Section 8 & car dependency has a lot to do with it.

Every time I go to Findlay Market I am struck by how cool of an area it would be if there was more residential rehab of the surrounding buildings.  How is it not more developed by now?  I assume that the streetcar connection will accelerate things, but really, lets get going.

 

Currently there is only one single-family home for sale near Findlay Market. There are two large multi-unit buildings in the $300k range, which means it would probably take a developer at least $1M each to buy and renovate into desirable apartments. Since many of the buildings are so large, you need a developer like 3CDC (or Corporation for Findlay Market?) to buy and renovate them.

News/discussion on the redevelopment of buildings around Findlay Market: Cincinnati: Over-the-Rhine: 3CDC North of Liberty

News/discussion on the redevelopment of buildings around Findlay Market: Cincinnati: Over-the-Rhine: 3CDC North of Liberty

 

I think the thread for Findlay Market area/North of Liberty developments should be broader than just 3CDC since there are many buildings being rehabbed and reused.

 

I was up in the market/streetcar MOF area today and I was struck with how well Findlay Playground is framed by the surrounding buildings.  Any plans to "pull a Washington Park" with it?  It could look incredible, and it would be right by the streetcar Uptown extension.  Just stand in the middle of it and imagine all the surrounding buildings rehabbed and decorated for Christmas.

 

Also, I could see how an underground parking garage there could serve redevelopment in the surrounding area.  It'd also be nice if the market was able to reclaim some of its north parking lot for vendor space and events, and that might be facilitated by having a parking garage there as well. I can also envision a new structure being built by the market on the parking lot along Race right by the streetcar stop. So as much we urbanists would like to go car-free I can see a need for a garage in that area.

Findlay is a draw from all over the city and region so it makes sense that it will always have parking needs, proper transit in the core or not. I love the idea of a Findlay Playground redo that could help eliminate the need for surface parking while also making it a nicer park that's more useful to the surrounding area.

I would like to see the city-owned Findlay Market parking lots redeveloped with 1-2 levels of parking underground and new buildings above. It could have additional retail for Findlay Market merchants on the ground floor and apartments or condos above.

ArtWorks (with financial support from The Haile Foundation) is providing $150k in funding for an iconic public art piece to be placed outside Findlay Market along Elm Street. Proposals must be submitted by February 15.

 

Media Coverage: http://www.soapboxmedia.com/innovationnews/011315-Findlay-Market-project-call-for-artists.aspx

Application: https://www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=1736

 

News/discussion on the redevelopment of buildings around Findlay Market: Cincinnati: Over-the-Rhine: 3CDC North of Liberty

 

that thread "Cincinnati: Over-the-Rhine: 3CDC North of Liberty" doesn't appear to working now. Was it moved again? Where did that discussion go?

All non-3CDC news (north and south of liberty) is now here.

Eli's is open at Findlay Market now. Hours are 11am-9pm, seven days a week. This will be the first restaurant to be open late for dinner in the area. I wonder which will be next. Pho Lang Thang?

 

Eli's is taking a big leap by being the first late night destination at Findlay Market. They will also do delivery by bike to the surrounding area, so that should help them out a bit. Maybe if Pho Lang Thang stays open later (which would be amazing), Findlay Market can become another late night dining option for people that are fed up with the long waits on Vine Street. It will also be a great place for people visiting Rhinegeist to grab a bite.

 

Just wait until the new developments along Race and Elm start opening up in a few years, and that area's going to explode with activity...

This is fantastic!  I will be there every Monday night at 8:30 PM to make sure they don't adjust those hours back.

I bought 3 pounds of pork yesterday at Findlay market and spent the rest of the day roasting so I could have some pulled pork to pack for lunch the next few days. Talk about bad timing. Maybe I'll stop by Eli's in a couple weeks, hopefully it's BYOB but I don't know how that would work since most of the seating is out in the beer garden area.

I was just wondering when Eli's was going to open! Wonderful news for OTR, bad news for my waistline, I fear.

Just picked up my first helping. It's all togo (there are two picnic tables to eat inside, but they still serve you in togo containers) and there's no BYOB. This just makes me want an open container district set up in Over the Rhine so much more.

Findlay Market's new construction project aims to attract new businesses (Video)

Apr 8, 2015, 12:18pm EDT

Andy Brownfield Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

Construction has begun on an industrial kitchen near Findlay Market that will be available to food entrepreneurs who want an entree into the market.

 

Corporation for Findlay Market President Joe Hansbauer announced on Wednesday that the corporation now owns the 8,000-square-foot building that will house the kitchen at 1719 Elm St. The kitchen is scheduled to open in the fall of 2015.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/04/08/findlay-markets-new-construction-project-aims-to.html

EXCLUSIVE: Findlay Market expanding biergarten hours

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/04/17/exclusive-findlay-market-expanding-biergarten.html?r=full

Findlay Market is extending the hours that its biergarten is open as part of an effort to eventually keep the entire market open later into the evening.

The biergarten is currently open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. But with the addition of restaurants like Eli's BBQ, which is open until 9 p.m. at the market, it made sense to extend biergarten hours, Corporation for Findlay Market President and CEO Joe Hansbauer told me.

This is behind the paywall, so I can't see the details: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/02/04/urban-grocery-store-coming-to-findlay-market.html

 

​Urban grocery store coming to Findlay Market

Two veterans of the grocery industry will open a small market and lunch counter just east of Findlay Market in September aimed at allowing people to do all of their grocery shopping at the venerable Cincinnati institution.

I believe this is the project on Race Street. It's been announced for some time and is supposed to sell staples that you currently can't get at the market itself (frozen foods, paper towels, cleaning supplies, snack foods, etc.). Not a lot of details have been released about it, though.

That would make sense. It would go in one of the buildings on Race that Model Group is renovating.

 

I'm curious who these "veterans of the grocery industry" are.

I'm curious who these "veterans of the grocery industry" are.

 

It's the people who own Fresh Table in the market.

 

They are "veterans" in the sense that she was a buyer and he was a corporate chef for Biggs.

 

ETA: It is on Race, in the Model Group's "Market Square" development.

The Enquirer is reporting that the "grocery store" will be named Epicurean Mercantile Co. and will go in 1818 Race St. It'll have a lunch counter and "offer fresh foods, shelf stable foods, libations, personal hygiene and seasonal gift items to complement what shoppers can find at Findlay Market." I'm excited about this, but it doesn't really sounds like a "grocery store". But whatever. It'll be good for the area.  Hopefully their hours reflect grocery hours and they stay open late.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/blogs/newintown/2016/02/05/new-otr-grocery-lunch-store-plans-september-opening/79867698/