Posted April 24, 200421 yr Has anyone heard an update as to what's going on with this development at the base of the purple people bridge? It hasn't been in the news in quite a while.
April 24, 200421 yr I checked out the Montgomery Inn site and it mentions it, but it basically just says what we already knew. I haven't heard any news, either, and I'm kind of interested myself. P.S. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to move this to Projects & Construction.
June 5, 200421 yr Yes, we're all still wondering. I did hear a blurb today on the news that says that a developer is supposed to be in place by the end of the month and that groundbreaking is expected near the end of the year.
June 6, 200421 yr It would really be cool to have entertainment and retail options right on the Cincinnati riverfront. The Purple People Bridge already gets quite a bit of foot traffic on regular days with little more than a park (albeit a nice one) on the Cincinnati side. I am worried about the impact it might have on Tower Place, though. However, the retailers in Tower Place are geared more towards the professional. It would be great to complement those with some unique retailers and restaurants at the Levee II site.
July 8, 200420 yr Author This is an article on the building near Sawyer Point, it touches on the Montgomery Inn project. On the fringe Sawyer Point building attracts tenants to downtown's growing eastern edge -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Greg Paeth Post staff reporter As office vacancies hover around 16 percent in Cincinnati's central business district, John Schenk has had some good luck leasing a building that's a 10-minute walk from the heart of downtown. In the last 18 months, Schenk said he's leased more space in the Sawyer Point Building at Eggleston and Pete Rose Way - about 105,000 square feet -- than has been leased in any of the Class A office buildings downtown over the same time. As is usually the case with real estate, location is critical. No link available.
July 8, 200420 yr I guess it's 4-6 weeks then until a developer is named. And then who knows how long before any plans are announced....
August 13, 200420 yr For all of you in Cincinnati, there is some hope for the riverfront. Looks like the Gregory family is following through on their promise. Who knows, this may help spur other development. At the very least they are talking about building a grocery store, which downtown sorely needs. http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/3649139/detail.html
August 13, 200420 yr Yes, this is excellent news. They also need to start construction on the 17 story condo in st. xaiver park area (on top of the parking garage built last year).
August 13, 200420 yr This isn't the "Cincinnati on the Levee" type development that I thought was the plan, but it's a far sight better than a parking lot!
August 13, 200420 yr Author Sounds like a winner, and a far better plan than what was originally proposed.
August 13, 200420 yr ^ I agree. I would hate for a "Cincinnati on the Levee" type development compete with some possible ideas for The Banks. I think the Gregory family is very mindful of that. It certainly would not be the destination that the Levee is, but I think it would compliment it nicely.
August 17, 200420 yr Ahem. Awesome. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
September 7, 200420 yr Author The latest..... From the September 3, 2004 print edition Project could bring grocery to riverfront Dan Monk Courier Senior Staff Reporter The Gregory family has selected Miller Valentine Group as lead developer for a riverfront complex that could include dozens of luxury condominiums and something downtown boosters have long coveted: a grocery store to serve a growing residential base in the city's urban core. According to downtown real estate sources, Miller Valentine is negotiating a development contract with the Gregory family, which owns the Montgomery Inn restaurant chain and controls the riverfront site by virtue of a land swap approved by Cincinnati City Council last year. Click on link for article.
September 7, 200420 yr This sounds fine, but what the heck is a "fresh food" market? They were planning to sell stale food someplace? Project could bring grocery to riverfront Dan Monk Courier Senior Staff Reporter The Gregory family has selected Miller Valentine Group as lead developer for a riverfront complex that could include dozens of luxury condominiums and something downtown boosters have long coveted: a grocery store to serve a growing residential base in the city's urban core. No link available for article.
September 7, 200420 yr LOL@stale food. Agreed about the location of the grocery store. It would be a pretty far hike for many downtown residents, and would only serve the residents of the development well.
September 7, 200420 yr ....a good place for a supermarket...a real supermarket...would be that open area thats between I-75 and the county jail, I think. I think this was going to be the location of the Reds stadium? That would have enough area for parking & a real supermarket, like a big Kroger or Cub Foods or something similar. These mass market high volume supermarkets usually have lower prices, and this would be beneficial to the poorer folks who live in Over The Rhine.
September 7, 200420 yr If you mean I-71, then you mean the "Broadway Commons" site where they were going to put the ballpark. It would be a nice, large site--Kroger already has a small store in OTR that they just paid quite a bit to renovate. They'd probably want to shut that down before building a new one. I couldn't think of another local grocery concern that would even look at building there, to be honest.
September 8, 200420 yr Vine St. Kroger already offers low prices to OTR residents. The selection is not overwhelming, but they had two brands of Red Wine Vinegar so it's good enough for me.
September 8, 200420 yr Living downtown and working downtown, I've definitely changed the way I do my grocery shopping. I generally go to Findley Market about every other weekend, stocking up on most major food items. I find that I make frequent trips to the corner CVS or Walgreen’s on my walk home from work or on weekends. Included are random trips to Silverglades, when open, and the new Queen City Beer & Wine since they stay open until 10:30 pm. Personally I don’t mind paying a bit more for the convenience. Now if I need a big grocery run or other items I get in the car and go to the Queen City Kroger (bigger selection) or even Target on Ridge if I need things like soap, toothpaste, etc and it is just another stop when doing errands. They key here is that if I do need a lot of stuff that I know I cannot carry, I get in my car and drive. This includes Findley Market. (Someone downtown mentioned they walk there and take a cab back, which I’ve never done, but I thought it sounded like a good idea.) If there was a moderate to large grocer downtown, say over at the Montgomery development, I would still probably drive there versus driving to a store further out and that is a good thing. Would I prefer it be more central? Yes, so I could also walk there. Do I think it would do better if it were more central? Yes. But will I go there, driving my car the few blocks so I can lug the 64 oz. liquid Tide home. One last note -- For those living in the suburbs, or say even Hyde Park for that matter, I’m sure the amount of people walking to those grocery stores is very small. It just isn’t practical. And it is not about walking there. It is just the convenience of having a close option that has a nice selection and that you enjoy going to. (Personally, I do not enjoy going to either the OTR or Clifton Kroger.)
September 8, 200420 yr ^What you describe in the first part of your post is how most urban dwellers I know do their shopping, especially those in places like NYC and Chicago. They make more frequent trips picking up what they need rather than one big walloping trip to stock up. Quite a few get their bulkier items (i.e. 64 oz. Tide) via an online service. That's one of the big differences between urban and suburban living - more frequent quick trips to the store vs. hauling the H2 to Costco. Having lived in both, I personally prefer the former. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
September 8, 200420 yr I agree BallHatGuy, I would try to shop at a new store downtown if it were something like a real supermarket. I usually drive out to Kroger's in Hyde Park Plaza once a week and get everything I need. I am just too lazy to shop in the "sophisticated" urban way going to places like Findlay Market and Court Street Market and all the other little shops and I am not brave enough to shop at Kroger's in Over-the-Rhine. There have been too many shootings in their parking lot for my taste.
September 9, 200420 yr hat's one of the big differences between urban and suburban living - more frequent quick trips to the store vs. hauling the H2 to Costco. Thats how I remember it in Chicago...plus those two-wheeled grocery carts you could use to carry stuff home. Also, in Germany, that was the pattern too...frequent trips to neighborhood grocers, bakers, butchers, and weekend markets.
September 9, 200420 yr Ah, but it wasn't an IGA in my day. It was just "Bob's Supermarket". I prefer Seaman's--it's even more surreal.
September 14, 200420 yr My girlfriend and I prefer C&E FoodFair on Richland- looks kind of dumpy but it's super cheap, and they have really good meat.
January 28, 200520 yr Well, still no news and nothing on Montgomery Inn's page. Another story that dropped off the face of the Earth....
March 14, 200520 yr Author Kroger denies talks for riverfront grocery Dan Monk Courier Senior Staff Reporter Has Kroger Co. passed on yet another chance for a downtown grocery store? Developers working on a riverfront condo project at the site of the Montgomery Inn Banquet Center say they're hoping Kroger will bring a natural foods retail outlet to the project. Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken said he expects to meet with developers and Kroger this month to discuss a potential deal. One source even indicated a letter of intent has been signed. But Kroger says "no." No link available.
March 14, 200520 yr Author Kroger just really doesn't seem all that interested in a downtown grocery store. I say open talks with Bigg's, IGA, or whoever. I'm sure that would spur Kroger to do something, if not, maybe a deal can be done with one of the other chains.
March 14, 200520 yr Unfortunately, I doubt that any big chain would be any more interested in locating a store there than Kroger is. Bigg's has nothing but huge suburban type stores as far as I know, likewise Meijer. Maybe they could get Jungle Jim interested in doing some sort of smaller boutique-type store. I think that one of the problems with this project from Kroger's point of view is the fact that they have an existing store just across the river in Bellevue, KY just behind the Party Source off I-471. I go there quite often now since I discovered it. It's only about 1 1/2 miles from my apt. as opposed to Kroger's Hyde Park where I also sometimes shop which is more like 3 or 4 miles.
March 15, 200520 yr Any local private market style developers doing anything like this that would work. I love the layout of Jewel Osco in Chicago. A small store with options similar to Hyde Park (strong organics and wine) would be ideal. Close that damn Bellevue store, it wouldn't be as hot as one downtown and they know it.
March 15, 200520 yr Unfortunately, I doubt that any big chain would be any more interested in locating a store there than Kroger is. Bigg's has nothing but huge suburban type stores as far as I know, likewise Meijer. Maybe they could get Jungle Jim interested in doing some sort of smaller boutique-type store. I think that one of the problems with this project from Kroger's point of view is the fact that they have an existing store just across the river in Bellevue, KY just behind the Party Source off I-471. I go there quite often now since I discovered it. It's only about 1 1/2 miles from my apt. as opposed to Kroger's Hyde Park where I also sometimes shop which is more like 3 or 4 miles. You have on in OTR on Vine, less than a mile...
March 15, 200520 yr Yes, there is also the one of Vine St. which was recently renovated, though it is pretty small. The one in Bellevue is more an average size Kroger, similar to the one at Kenwood Towne Center. The one in Hyde Park is much larger.
March 15, 200520 yr The one in Walnut Hills is just up Gilbert, and while it's nowhere near as nice as Hyde Park, it has the staples in a pleasant enough environment. The produce isn't great, but it's big, lots of selection.
March 16, 200520 yr Corryville still sucks but it exists. With the attention that is being paid to OTR then that area should be better in a couple of years to shop at. I already do shop there and don't have any problems.
March 16, 200520 yr What about the Corryville Kroger? I haven't been there in years. Corryville is no closer to downtown than Walnut Hills is, and from what I remember (it's been a year or two now) it pretty much blows - bad produce, poor selection, seedy feel to everything. The Walnut Hills one has decor stuck in the 70's, but it's a fairly large store, nice employees, and the Alexandria building as a backdrop...if I were coming from downtown, I'd probably go to the IGA before I'd go to Corryville Kroger...and in fact, I'd probably go to IGA before I'd go to the Walnut Hills Kroger too... Say, anything ever came of this? http://www.cincypost.com/2002/11/12/super111202.html Krogering in the city UC students designing store that 'will be welcoming to everyone who uses it' -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ By Craig Garretson Post staff reporter Thirty years ago, supermarkets began an exodus from inner city neighborhoods, building ever larger megastores in the suburbs. But those big superstores surrounded by parking lots don't lend themselves to the limited confines of a city block, leaving companies to struggle with the question: "How do you transform the suburban prototype of the superstore that is now being used into something appropriate for an inner city setting, where you don't have access to an 8- or 10-acre empty block? No link available.
March 16, 200520 yr ^ Are you talking about the whole University Plaza study or just supermarkets? There's a University Plaza plan here, where they touch on retail options: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2563.0
March 16, 200520 yr I was mostly asking about the architecture students' plans. Here's a link from that thread: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cdap/downloads/cdap_pdf8958.pdf ...looks like a lot of great plans in the works. Best line from one of those articles talking about Short Vine: "It's a diamond in the rough," said Dan Schimberg, a Corryville developer who co-chaired the planning initiative. Looks like the project is picking up steam - can't come too soon!
May 2, 200520 yr Author Hello! Hello! Hello! Gregory family? Developers? Anyone out there???????? BUMP
July 5, 200519 yr Some sort of news of some sort: An ordinance that would name GMV Development, LLC (the Gregorys + Miller Valentine) as the preferred developers for the Gregory property (L&N Loop site) was proposed at the 6/29/05 council meeting that is going to the Finance Committee. There is no timetable on a return. The developer has presented a plan for a mixed-use area including home owneship opportunities, the Banquet Center and retail, as well as parking in garages and surface lots, and will be a complement to the Newport side of the bridge. This ordinance would give the developer time to put together a more detailed plan. The developer has until September 24, 2006 to investigate and determine the feasibility of the development. This is consistent with the Letter of Intent. The city bears no responsibility for costs of studies, etc., during this period. (you can read the agreement at the link below) Project stats: * This will be one mixed-use project with a common courtyard * 2 mid-rise condos, 140 units * 1 apartment building, 60 units * Retail along the bottom of condo buildings, lining courtyard and river (river "promenade" extending along river from PP Bridge with outdoor restaurants, retail) * Possible "urban country club": outdoor pool/patio, fitness center, bike/kayak storage (membership will be available to residents of center-city neighborhoods and DT workers) * Street level for the apartment building will be a courtyard large enough to handle valet parking for the Banquet Center, as well as more retail space * Project built atop two parking structures: 370-spaces and 375-spaces. There will be dedicated spaces for residents * 115-space surface lot under highway ramps Project schedule: * Preparations are underway to start condo pre-sales in September * June 2006-December 2006: Construct garages * January 2007-May 2008: Phase I, 80 condos * January 2007-December 2007: Construct Banquet Center and apartments * June 2007-November 2008: Phase II, 60 condos * Entire project should be complete by the end of 2008 Here is the site in question. I don't really want to go into detail about the property swap, etc., but you can find that info on the link below. http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/13453.pdf
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