Eh, I can see why IHOP bailed. How many other urban IHOPs can you name? They are almost like Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel. You know what would work really awesome at this location, though? A Rooster's!

 

No Ihops are allowed within Columbus' city limits from my understanding; it's stipulated in an agreement between the city and Bob Evans!

 

I agree; that's the perfect spot for an ihop. UC needs at least ONE 24 hour place.

 

Well there is the Skyline on Ludlow...

And Camp Washington at the bottom of the hill.

Now that I think of it, a Rooster's won't work at this site because current Rooster's policies do not allow restaurants to be located in new buildings, only renovated ones. That's actually a great company policy for making a small dent in sprawl. Well, this is not a sprawly area, though some parts look a suburban.

Last-minute funding gives Uptown hotel project new shot

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/13/tidbits1.html

 

Investors in the Uptown neighborhoods surrounding the University of Cincinnati took a “leap of faith” in late September when they committed $10.5 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits to a hotel project that has yet to finalize its tenant mix and financing package.

 

Click on link for article.

Now that I think of it, a Rooster's won't work at this site because current Rooster's policies do not allow restaurants to be located in new buildings, only renovated ones. That's actually a great company policy for making a small dent in sprawl. Well, this is not a sprawly area, though some parts look a suburban.

 

Really? I had no idea. That's why I see Rooster's in many small storefronts (and ... some gasoline stations).

Building Cincinnati has reported that the boarded up apartment building sometimes known as the 'Florence' has been torn down.  You can find images of the building and its demolition with the story link...

 

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/11/wrecking-cincinnati-111108.html

Building Cincinnati has reported that the boarded up apartment building sometimes known as the 'Florence' has been torn down.  You can find images of the building and its demolition with the story link...

 

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/11/wrecking-cincinnati-111108.html

 

Too bad, that building looked OK from the outside - but it was probably trashed on the inside.  I just hope the redevelopment project gets moving - the last thing we need is another or larger fenced hole in the ground.

I don't think it was in too bad a shape, a fair number of CCMers lived there. It basically completes the block, maybe UC will try to bury the intersection of MLK and Jefferson again (that was Steger's big hope).

^Not gonna happen in a million years.

Yeah, especially with the recent re-do of that intersection.  Nothing will change there for awhile, I would think.

 

The master plans you can look up at UC's library have some interesting concepts, though.

I know, but that was the plan. I knew CCMers tasked to work up those designs 5+ years ago.

I knew CCMers tasked to work up those designs 5+ years ago.

 

CCM students?  That doesn't make much sense.

There were still people living in that building until this past spring as well as a number of other properties on that block.  There was still a church there until about 2002.  There were also homes on Vine across from the EPA until about 1998 and MLK was widened around that same time.  The area looks like crap. 

^To me, Corryville is a tragedy for this and many other reasons.  It's really too late to turn back.

I knew CCMers tasked to work up those designs 5+ years ago.

 

CCM students?  That doesn't make much sense.

 

ha.  theyre outsourcing to CCM!  bah!

Duh...DAAPers of course.

Agreements authorized for Corryville Crossings garage

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/12/agreements-authorized-for-corryville.html

 

Cincinnati City Council has approved unanimously an installment sale agreement and a garage management agreement with Uptown Consortium subsidiary Uptown Transportation Authority (UTA) to facilitate the construction of a 219-space public parking garage at Corryville Crossings.

 

The sale agreement will transfer ownership of an air lot at Vine Street and E Martin Luther King Jr Drive to the City, allowing the parking structure to be built built without issuing bonds.

 

In return, the City will use Corryville tax increment financing (TIF) district funds to service the debt on UTA's garage loan.

 

A portion of the parking revenues will also be used to service the debt starting in 2012.

 

The garage then will be transferred back to the UTA within fifteen years or on the date the garage loan is paid in full and the TIF district funds have been repaid, whichever comes first.

 

Additionally, the management agreement will allow the UTA to manage and maintain the garage both during construction and following the transfer.

 

Construction of the garage, which is estimated to cost $6.2 million, will also include a public plaza and streetscape improvements.

 

At buildout, the $24 million Corryville Crossings will include an 80,000-square-foot, 132-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel and three commercial outlots.

 

Council approved a planned development district (PD-54) for the site on August 6.

 

Councilmembers Chris Bortz and John Cranley were excused from voting on the ordinances.

Lots of equipment showed up over the weekend and it looks like this thing is underway.

Yeah I had thought that this was dead in the water, but I saw the same equipment and there was actually some dirt-moving equipment being used this past week, then on Friday a drilling machine showed up.

Yes, this is really interesting. The 'for sale' signs are still up on the fence though?? Does anyone know whats up?

I have heard it is a go.

I have heard it is a go.

 

Care to elaborate in any way shape or form?

Construction photos from 5/29/09:

 

1. Taken from Ahrens looking west (UC power plant in background).

 

2. Taken from Ahrens looking southwest.

 

3. Taken from Martin Luther King Drive looking southwest.

Thanks for the update Randy.  This project definitely seemed to start out of nowhere. 

$24M Corryville Crossings pushing full steam ahead

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/0602corryvillecrossings.aspx

 

If you have been past the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Vine Street recently you may have noticed the bevy of construction activity at the Corryville Crossings site.

 

The cleared site has sat somewhat lifeless for the past several months while financing was being worked out and delivered for a new parking garage and hotel, says Franz Stansbury, director of real estate development with the Uptown Consortium.

 

The Uptown Consortium is one of the entities providing financing for what will become a 200+ space parking garage and a 132-room Hampton Inn hotel, built by Messer Construction .  The hotel will be located on the southern and western end of the rectangular site, with two additional commercial retail pads available on the northern end along Martin Luther King Drive.

 

A Starbucks, IHOP and a bank were originally envisioned for the retail portions of this development until the economy began to shift.  “The economy hit everybody, so they’re waiting to see what happens and are looking for other tenants,” states Stansbury.

 

Stansbury says that a restaurant would make a lot of sense for at least one of the spaces as it would benefit the neighborhood and provide a service to the hotel patrons as well.

 

The parking garage is currently progressing at the Corryville Crossings site with pilings going in now.  Stansbury expects that the garage will be finished by the end of the year, with the hotel potentially opening within 18 months.

 

The Uptown Consortium sees the Corryville Crossings development as a key component of their Short Vine revitalization plans.  “We see two anchors on Short Vine; the Kroger area and this,” says Stansbury.

 

Once all is said and done the entire investment throughout the Short Vine area could reach as high as $100 million, with Corryville Crossings accounting for roughly one-fourth of that at $24 million.

 

“We’re working with major stakeholders in the area including the University of Cincinnati, and have completed a number of development potential analyses,” says Stansbury about the larger Short Vine revitalization efforts.

Nice to see it going up.  It came as a surprise, I thought it had stalled.  If only a few more empty lots in uptown could see some work begin..

any new renderings?  Hopefully improved over the last few floating on here....

^Same renderings since the project never really died.  Although I was told that the renderings for that 2400 Vine redevelopment project (on Short Vine) are just placeholders and will be reworked with community input.

any new pics of the progress over here? I hear it's well underway but I'm not living in Cincinnati at the moment.

 

I'm guessing the hotel opening is a way out because Hampton is not even listing this property as a "future opening" or anything

Any idea what's happening on Jefferson down the street? It looks like a few houses have been torn down

More student housing - the post is floating around somewhere on here.

^You need to provide some context with a question like that.  Are talking about across from the University?  Apartment complex.  I believe there's a thread for that development already.

 

If you're not talking about that area, be more specific.

More deconstruction will happen on Jefferson as the Rochelle Substation will be expanded. Rochelle St. is approved for vacation west of the power plant. I think around 4 buildings will be taken down.

Any idea what's happening on Jefferson down the street? It looks like a few houses have been torn down

This project is really becoming very destructive. There are some really fantastic buildings on Jefferson that were once well to do homes (not to mention "the Florence" which was covered earlier in the thread). Not sure which buildings you are referring to, but it worries me to hear that.

sorry for lack of context, yeah across from campus. i figured i probably missed the post  about it, but also figured your bright minds would help me remember. thanks!

$24M Uptown hotel scheduled for Fall 2010 opening

By Randy A. Simes, Soapbox Cincinnati | April 20, 2010

http://soapboxmedia.com/devnews/042024MUptownhotelscheduledforFall2010opening.aspx

 

Last June site work began on the $24 million Corryville Crossings project that will be anchored by a new Hampton Inn hotel.  Today the site looks much different - the new five-story hotel is nearly 50 percent complete with much of the exterior work finished.

 

The new Hampton Inn will add 132 hotel rooms to the Uptown area, but they will be rooms at a lower price point than the nearby Kingsgate Marriott.

 

"We will have some of the same crowd, but we saw a need for additional hotel rooms Uptown," said Paul Laing, owner's representative for the new Hampton Inn.  "The location of where it is at has a huge need especially with the recent closing of the Vernon Manor."

 

The hotel is the first part of the larger Corryville Crossings project which will eventually include new retail space along Martin Luther King Drive in addition to the 132-room hotel and 200-plus space parking garage.  The development team stated that the project is currently on-budget and on-time for an expected Fall 2010 opening.

 

"The people of the Corryville Community Council and Uptown Consortium have been wonderful to work with," described Laing who also stated that Messer Construction's experience has been critical in avoiding any lost time due to injury for the roughly 50 workers on site daily.

 

"The people in the neighborhood are very happy to see us there," Laing said.  "We're bringing in jobs and will be a big boost for the local economy."

 

As work continues on the Hampton Inn a staff will also have to be hired.  According to Laing, the plans are to host a job fair within the next one to two months that will fill the majority of these positions.

 

Stay tuned for a website and details on the upcoming job fair.

 

The website for this location went up a few days ago...says August 2010 opening but not accepting reservations yet.

 

A great addition to Uptown, we can use more hotel rooms for sure! and this is the first Hilton-family property in the area too so people don't have to stay at the Kingsgate Marriott...

 

http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=0DUUGU3RV1SZYCSGBJT222Q?ctyhocn=CVGUPHX

Is the parking garage going next door?

The parking garage is adjacent/beneath it.

The website for this location went up a few days ago...says August 2010 opening but not accepting reservations yet.

 

I heard the completion date is November.

 

I also heard that the plans for retail at the other end are on hold and may not be completed for some time.  Blame the economy.

The website for this location went up a few days ago...says August 2010 opening but not accepting reservations yet.

 

I heard the completion date is November.

 

I also heard that the plans for retail at the other end are on hold and may not be completed for some time.  Blame the economy.

 

The progress they have made lately is pretty phenomenal. With a major chain hotel like this, everything is so regulated/cookie-cutter by their parent company, so things can happen fast. In my experience, Hilton is pretty accurate with their website updates on new properties.

 

My guess is that there is a push to open ASAP because there will be tons of easy revenue with UC football games and whatnot. I would expect that this hotel could be sold out most weekends fall quarter.

^Depends on the pricing and if we're in contention.

I doubt that this hotel will be anywhere near as nice as the Kingsgate Marriot.

I don't think it was ever expected to be. The expectation was that it'd fit within the density of its surroundings and capitalize on short-term, budget visitors. Obviously people aren't staying at the Interstate Motel to see a Bearcats game. It's probably going to be a lower price point but still nice.

A Hampton Inn and a full service Marriott are two totally different market niches of hotel, they are not meant to directly compete. 

A Hampton Inn and a full service Marriott are two totally different market niches of hotel, they are not meant to directly compete.

 

but in this market they will because they are really the only 2 properties serving the University and Uptown area. I would not be surprised if the Marriott lowers their rates or if the Hampton sets their own slightly higher than market average to exploit the rate environment in this area of the city. The one benefit the Marriott definitely has though is their conference space which may serve to attract an overall different dollar then this Hampton will...

 

also --  many, many business travelers are extremely loyal to a frequent guest program and are willing to go up or down in price/quality to stay within their favorite hotel family. What we have here is essentially a Hilton vs. Marriott competition on that front which is much bigger than just Hampton Inn vs. Marriott...

I would say the Holiday Inn Express @ Mitchell should be considered a competitor as well.

If the developer (or Hilton not sure if this one will be corporately owned or franchised) felt there was room to compete head to head with Marriott, they would build a full service Hilton, not a Hampton. It would be like a Hyundai dealership opening up next to a Mercedes dealership to compete for the same buyers.

Many teams playing UC stay at the Kingsgate Marriot.  Presumably they get a special rate negotiated by UC, but this new place should be cheaper.  It certainly looks it. 

 

What's hilarious about this location is that it's "closer" than the Vernon Manor to UC and the hospitals, but everyone will still end up taking cabs anyway to these spots due to the auto-centric nature of the horrific MLK/Vine intersection and the design of the hotels themselves.  I'm convinced that the Kingsgate Marriot was built with its front door facing "inward" so as to virtually dictate cab riding or, more insidiously, use of their vans, therefore creating an extension of the brand. 

 

That said the Kingsgate has the best interior decor of the new hotels. It has real wood paneling and decent floors. The Spring Hill Suites on Eden Park Drive is outfitted with necessarily new but comically cheap wallpaper and furnishings, including some sort of bizarre "VIP" tent in the main lobby.  The lobby is designed like a coffee shop, yet another example of the we're trying to trick you into thinking you're in a boutique hotel branding. 

Doesn't the UC shuttle drop off at the front door to the Kingsgate Marriot? Not a terrible mode of urban transportation.