April 8, 20178 yr Wow that's a lot bulkier than I was picturing. It definetly will affect the festivals, such as goetta fest and italian fest, that happen down there as well as affect the master plan for turning that area into a park space. Hopefully the final version will be better than the rendering. The shade might actually help the festivals. It gets really hot and miserable on that blacktop in the direct sunlight on a summer afternoon.
May 1, 20178 yr Newport on the Levee’s vacant theater could get a new use The former IMAX theater at Newport on the Levee has been vacant for 14 years, but it could be getting a new use, River City News reports. Kentucky Symphony Orchestra founder J.R. Cassidy said the theater has the perfect structure and has been preserved well enough that it could become the performing group’s new home. More below: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/05/01/newport-on-the-levee-s-vacant-theater-could-get-a.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 15, 20177 yr Newport prepares for Ferris wheel When building a giant Ferris wheel, you need many approvals. So far so good for the 235-foot Ferris wheel planned for Newport on the Levee. Barring some change of mind by local officials, it looks like the Newport City Commission will give zoning approval for the Ferris wheel. The commission held first reading this week to change the zoning at Newport on the Levee to allow for amusement park attractions. Cont "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
June 30, 20177 yr googling "list of cities, tallest structure ferris wheel" did not yield the desired results.
June 30, 20177 yr My quick search shows that the only other city with an 'observation wheel' as the tallest structure is National Harbor, Maryland. Orlando comes surprisingly close, with it's Orlando Eye at 400' and it's tallest building downtown at 441'. EDIT: On second thought, isn't Southshore condo tower in Newport technically or is that Bellevue? It's 240' tall and the new wheel is only 235'...
July 7, 20177 yr Big screen amenities getting a comfy upgrade at AMC cinema in Newport Recliners, new menu part of $8M overhaul NEWPORT, Ky. -- Plush, power-recliner seats will be part of a major upgrade happening this year at the AMC Newport 20 Theatres cinema. Even before that's done, expect a snack bar-menu overhaul complete with gigantic pretzels. All 20 theaters at the riverfront entertainment complex are slated for renovation with completion expected late this year, said AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan from the company's home city of Leawood, Kansas. The cinema complex at the Levee has not been updated since it opened in 2001. "It's going to be the update of a lifetime," Levee director of marketing Vanessa Rovekamp said. The project is slated to cost about $8 million, according to a Levee release. Along with the upgrade announcement, the Levee said AMC has extended its lease through 2032. Cont "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
July 7, 20177 yr ^That's good to hear, that theatre used to be one of the best in Cincinnati, but in recent years has faced some stiff competition.
December 19, 20177 yr Nerf arena coming to Newport on the Levee An indoor Nerf arena meant for families, team building or just plain fun is coming to Newport on the Levee. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/12/19/exclusive-nerf-arena-coming-to-newport-on-the.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 18, 20187 yr Newport SkyWheel project goes back to the drawing board Newport’s SkyWheel might not be opened in 2018 after all, FOX19 reports. Koch Development, the developer planning a $13 million viewing wheel along the Ohio River near Newport on the Levee, said its design for the wheel has been rejected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a third time. https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/18/newport-skywheel-project-goes-back-to-the-drawing.html
January 18, 20187 yr So are the Army Corps just going to reject anything on the river side of the flood wall? It was standing on a concrete podium in the newer version, not touching the earth levee at all. Seems really stupid.
May 18, 20187 yr North American Properties is buying Newport on the Levee: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/newport/2018/05/18/newport-levee-being-sold-price-group-amc-barnes-noble/623436002/ This is good news, as I think North American Properties will do a better job at densifying residential options around NOTL than current owner Price Group.
July 31, 20186 yr I biked by Newport on the Levee last weekend and I was impressed by how busy the outdoor spaces were (had to walk my bike through the crowds)... and then when I went around the corner, both of the large restaurant spaces (in the mall building) facing the river are vacant, and appear to have been for a while, since this streetview shows them vacant since at least May 2017: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.095742,-84.4962634,3a,75y,138.31h,84.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZh3BQ4yp4uz5IbmtWiD99Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 It's just an interesting reminder of the importance of size and scale. The "courtyard" side has lots of small shops and restaurants, feels very "human scaled" and gives it a vibrancy and energy. I don't know for certain, but presumably the rents are cheaper since the storefronts are smaller and don't have river views. They should split the large restaurant spaces into smaller units. As it is, each of those restaurant spaces is just too massive, so unless they have a HUGE crowd, it will always feel empty.
July 31, 20186 yr I have season passes to the Aquarium (daughter loves it), and I have been pleasantly surprised with how crowded and popular the levee is every weekend. The exterior half is constantly crowded, and I feel like that Barnes and Noble is the most popular in America. The indoor mall portion is much less popular, but the movie theater, gameworks and dewey's are all doing fine. I really want the Imax and the vacant lot in front of it to become something. The valet currently uses it for parking, but my personal wish is that it would become something more useful especially targeted at the family demographic that the levee is so popular with like a putt putt course. The large blank wall on the side of the Imax could use an Artworks mural too. I know it's not for everyone, but the levee should just lean in and go full Navy Pier. I never once went to Navy Pier when I lived in Chicago, but now as a dad looking for things to do with my kid I'm starting to understand its necessity. The levee is already home to the Aquarium, a movie theater, gameworks, bowling alley, and will soon (maybe) be home to a big ferris wheel. Why not a fun Cincinnati/NKY themed putt putt course?
August 23, 20186 yr SkyWheel, Newport on the Levee redevelopment land school board support The Newport Independent Board of Education voted unanimously to support the planned SkyWheel on the riverfront and the redevelopment of Newport on the Levee. The board voted in support of the city of Newport using industrial revenue bonds to help finance the construction of the SkyWheel and North American Properties’ planned purchase of Newport on the Levee. Under a previous agreement, the board of education and the city approved industrial revenue bonds for the development of the Academy on 4th, a $38 million, 200-unit apartment building that is under construction on the site of the former Fourth Street Elementary at the corner of Fourth and Monmouth streets. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/08/23/skywheel-newport-on-the-levee-redevelopment-land.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 3, 20186 yr Any news on the skywheel? I know it was being built in Panama City and with the hurricane I’m sure it pushed that work back some.
December 7, 20186 yr Newport on the Levee has new owner, over $100 million investment planned By Tom Demeropolis – Senior Staff Reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Dec 7, 2018, 1:12pm EST Updated 2 hours ago One of the largest commercial real estate developers in Greater Cincinnati has purchased Newport on the Levee. North American Properties purchased Newport on the Levee from the Price Group LLC for an undisclosed amount. North American Properties announced in May it planned to acquire the retail and entertainment center along the banks of the Ohio River. MORE
December 7, 20186 yr Newport on the Levee is a total failure in my opinion. Maybe it was somewhat successful when otr and downtown Cincy was still considered dangerous by many during the early 2000's...Now Newport on the Levee serves no purpose what so ever. They really should have developed the area as mixed use with residential units above, and there should have been a bigger focus on drawing hotels, office space, residential units, and other organic neighborhood elements. They should have also not have targeted these massive restaurant and bar chains and focused on developing smaller square footage ground floor retail space and focused on developing local restaurants, bars, cafes etc.. How many of these big restaurant chaind are floundering and you have this massive space that will only suit another chain. They sort of screwed themseleves. Best bet is to demolish the new port on the Levee and start over. This current format needs a massive overhaul if they ever want to compete with any of Cincinnatis bustling entertainment districts. Edited December 8, 20186 yr by troeros
December 8, 20186 yr ^Newport on the Levee seems crowded with families almost every time I’ve been there or passed through. I wouldn’t call it a total failure or even a failure by any stretch of the imagination. Edited December 8, 20186 yr by thebillshark www.cincinnatiideas.com
December 8, 20186 yr Yeah NotL is much more likely to have families with small children than anywhere in OTR which is mostly nice bars and nice restaurants (aka not kid friendly). Cincinnati has NKY smoked on parks, but the Levee is still a good option for families especially in the winter. The aquarium is great, the movie theater is good, the retail is lacking and the bars and restaurants are fine. With a few more uses and the removal of the brio building to open it up to the city of Newport instead of turning its back I think it will be very successful. The new owner has already brought in a skating rink for the first time and made incremental improvements for the holidays.
December 8, 20186 yr I don't think the Levee was envisioned just as family oriented area. I'm sure the vision was a hopping family outdoor mall district by day and a night life district by sundown which it is not. I'm not saying that the new developers can't enchance the current experience, but I have my doubts on it ever becoming a place that 21 year olds flock to (like they did when downtown Cincy was dead and dangerous). For what it's worth I fine new port on the Levee nice in overall design. Its design is much nicer than the banks, and I really love the views of Cincy skyline. That said if I'm dropping 50 plus dollars on me and my gf on a date night meal Im not spending that money on a chain. I'd rather eat at some of the unique eateries at mainstrasse. Same goes for drinking. I'm not drinking at a bar Louie for Christ sake. Also, for what it's worth, the new tree house at Newport has been struggling mightily. So dead compared to the otr location.
December 8, 20186 yr Man, during my years in Southwest Ohio (06-10), Newport was the place to be. I saw Avatar in 3D there. ? Edited December 8, 20186 yr by mu2010
December 8, 20186 yr The aquarium brings a lot of families in, who then have lunch right there. The whole business model for NOTL was to have a variety of anchors that would sustain foot traffic to restaurants and traditional retail. So the big fish tank and the movie theater have succeeded in that respect, but the early IMAX theater did not. In the 1990s there was a big "contest" puffed up by the media between Cincinnati and NKY over a variety of things, one being an aquarium. At that time the aquariums in Chattanooga and Atlanta had opened and were putting butts in the seats. There was even talk of moving the Cincinnati Zoo out of the city, but since it is supported with a Hamilton County property tax, there weren't many suitable sites within the county. Also, at that time Avondale was in chaos and the zoo property woudn't have sold for much. There is still nothing keeping the Cincinnati Zoo from building its own bigger and better aquarium on its grounds, perhaps on either of the two giant parking lots that now flank Vine at Erkenbrecker that weren't there in the 90s.
December 8, 20186 yr Newport on the Levee serves its purpose. The movie theater is nice and large, and there are a few decent places to grab food before or after a movie if you want. Many a Friday night in high school was spent at the Deweys and AMC in Newport. The aquarium is also pretty nice and large, and I think they've even expanded it in recent years. The retail component has been a failure, and yes, most of the restaurants are chains and the bars are not somewhere I'd choose to go, but they serve their purpose. I'm curious to see how the place changes with this sizable investment.
December 10, 20186 yr Another sign of incremental progress, this wall has been blank beige since 2001, and now they have painted it white and added signage. This is a tiny step, but a step nonetheless.
December 10, 20186 yr Anybody taken a drive on the new Route 90 connection yet. It's a good alternative top 471 or 71/75 to get south to I-275. Plus I gotta think it is going to do something to revive that land along the Licking.
January 2, 20196 yr Mitchell's Fish Market closes: https://local12.com/news/local/newport-mitchells-fish-market-closes-cincinnati-campbell-county?fbclid=IwAR0zF1-sQ8ClelqGKHWq9G_Eg_rLbYoHgnqVwe8EkAWGRNQk0u0-GJbIRIg
February 1, 20196 yr One of the fun and novel things to do there was watch or even interact with the street performers ( entertainers ) !!! Some were just okay, but some were highly talented, it added that extra something to make for a festive ( atmosphere ) !!! The" nerf " arena adds that as well !!! Making the place totally unique , or " different " will be it's appeal going forward !!! The ' skywheel " will be a major part of that , if it happens !! The new management will decide how " fun and unique " the new and improved NOTL will be , they hold its LIFE or DEATH in their decisions !!! As a ' family " destination " they will need what I call ( good verbals ) , kids will have to be a part of ( OVER THE TOP ) experiences, such as I saw GATORS , SHARKS, RODE THE SKYWHEEL, GOT MY FACE-PAINTED, BOWLED FOR THE FIRST TIME ,GOT A BALLOON ANIMAL , SAW A MOVIE, PLAYED NERF WARS ,ETC, ETC, but the adults at night will require the same type of ( GOOD VERBALS !!! ) MOVIES , DINNER, DANCING , COMEDY CLUB, LIVE BANDS, but all with a unique , festive spin on them , to compete with ( THE BANKS ) !!! WE WILL SEE !!! Edited February 2, 20196 yr by G-MAN spelling
February 4, 20196 yr On 2/1/2019 at 6:08 PM, G-MAN said: I saw GATORS , SHARKS, RODE THE SKYWHEEL, GOT MY FACE-PAINTED, BOWLED FOR THE FIRST TIME ,GOT A BALLOON ANIMAL , SAW A MOVIE, PLAYED NERF WARS ,ETC, ETC, but the adults at night will require the same type of ( GOOD VERBALS !!! ) MOVIES , DINNER, DANCING , COMEDY CLUB, LIVE BANDS, but all with a unique , festive spin on them , to compete with ( THE BANKS ) !!! WE WILL SEE !!!
February 4, 20196 yr I'm hearing rumblings of a zipline from the top of the purple bridge to the base of the aquarium. Newport on the Levee might have new owners, but they still have crazy ideas...
February 19, 20196 yr Aquarium debuts plans for new exhibit The Newport Aquarium will open a new exhibit this spring to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Freshwater Falls will provide a look at what lies below cascading streams and waterfalls around the world. It will feature dozens of species of plants and animals in 13 tanks including a tunnel that will provide a look beneath a Kentucky waterfall. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/02/19/aquarium-debuts-plans-for-new-exhibit.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 19, 20196 yr Newport Aquarium is really committed to the 5th grade art class look for their exhibit renderings.
March 14, 20196 yr A view of the construction of "Academy on 4th" from Newport on the Levee this afternoon, 3/14.
April 12, 20196 yr Aquarium’s newest exhibit debuts Newport Aquarium has opened its newest exhibit to the public as part of its 20th anniversary celebration. Freshwater Falls allows visitors to see what lies below the surface of streams and waterfalls around the world. It includes several species that haven’t been seen at the aquarium before. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/04/12/aquarium-s-newest-exhibit-debuts.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 23, 20196 yr So are we going to see a battle of the wheels? https://www.rcnky.com/articles/2019/04/23/skywheel-ground-lease-red-bike-stations-move-forward-newport
April 23, 20196 yr I would think the one in Cincy will be gone by the time the Newport one is open. Honestly the Newport one will have a much better view then the existing one. But the existing one is a great addition to the skyline at night.
April 24, 20196 yr Newport SkyWheel to become reality After years of delays, the Newport SkyWheel project has been approved to move forward, WCPO reports. Newport city commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a lease for a 235-foot-tall SkyWheel at Newport on the Levee. Plans for the estimated $15 million riverfront attraction had previously been held up by approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which claimed the structure would create a risk to the levee embankment. Those concerns are believed to be allayed in the latest iteration of the project. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/04/24/newport-skywheel-to-become-reality.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 25, 20196 yr Sitting at bar Louie, waiting for Avengers. The staff just told me their last day being open is the 30th of this month. Mitchels and now this...
April 25, 20196 yr 18 minutes ago, lobanio0 said: Sitting at bar Louie, waiting for Avengers. The staff just told me their last day being open is the 30th of this month. Mitchels and now this... Hopefully they are relocating? It would be nice to have a Bar Louie somewhere downtown/OTR/the banks.
April 25, 20196 yr Oh now that I think of it, that seems like another place that can be totally wrecked by taproom culture.
April 26, 20196 yr 2 hours ago, troeros said: Hopefully they are relocating? It would be nice to have a Bar Louie somewhere downtown/OTR/the banks. Would it? Bar Louie sucks.
April 26, 20196 yr 6 minutes ago, edale said: Would it? Bar Louie sucks. It caters to a certain older upscale crowd, so yeah.
April 26, 20196 yr Bar Louie has a relatively new Oakley location, so I don't think they're going to open a OTR/CBD location. Claddagh closed at the Levee when their lease was up a few years ago and never opened another location in the Cincinnati area.
April 26, 20196 yr 3 hours ago, troeros said: It caters to a certain older upscale crowd, so yeah. I don't think I've EVER heard of Bar Louie being "upscale" by any stretch. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 29, 20196 yr I think some of these closures are related to the new development team. Not that they want any tenants to fail, but similar to the discussion about Boi Na Braza and that building's new owner, I think they have a certain vision for what NOTL will become. The planned $100 million investment isn't nothing, and now with a full development team in place I expect more closures, changes and announcements in the near future: https://www.rcnky.com/articles/2019/04/25/newport-levee-announces-redevelopment-partners
April 29, 20196 yr On 4/25/2019 at 11:58 PM, ColDayMan said: I don't think I've EVER heard of Bar Louie being "upscale" by any stretch. Definitely have never heard of it being called upscale. Older, yes. Suburban, definitely. Upscale, no.
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