Use a photo editing program to make the size smaller.  If you don't have one try searching for gimp, it will work fine and is free.

lets see if this works...

some mo

Here is a quick photoshop job on the last photo, save it off if you want to keep it.  Are there anymore tours going on?  I would like to tour for the sake of taking this photo :)

 

^It looks like once QCS II is finished you won't see the Central trust building anymore(PNC bank).

yea there should be many more tours going on since they are also sales pitches, with an open bar and h'orderves.  i got a postcard flyer thing in the mail asking me to RSVP since it is free i did it.  you get to tour the 6th floor first and check out all of the different floor plans and then get to go to the penthouse by way of the construction elevator on the outside of the building which faces the river (great views all the way up). i was looking around then saw a staircase and went up to the roof for a sec but had to come back down quick because our group was leaving.  you can probably shoot them an e-mail for info on upcoming tours tho. i would def recommend it 

My friend is doing electrical work for the condo and said they're still planning on 4 buildings as originally planned.  This legit? I thought they shaved it to 2 towers.

^ I went back through the thread to find the old renderings that showed 4 towers, but all of the links to the enquirer articles are dead.  Does anyone have the old renderings?

Found this one on the net.

Think of all the views that those towers will kill.  I haven't heard any news from upset Newport residents.

I agree and hope they redesign this into only 2 towers. 

Ooooh ahhhh ... Take that Cleveland for density! ;)

 

Wow, this tower is really, really, starting to look sharp! It reminds me of something from Miami. CSI:Miami that is ...

Yes, it is very Miami-esqe.  I showed Florida Guy (from Ft. Lauderdale) the renderings of this thing and that is immediately what he thought as well.  It's a nice addition, but like Miami style condo towers it leaves a lot to be desired at street level.

Well, that can't be helped unfortunately. The floodwall acts as a huge psychological and physical barrier, and the periodic flooding leaves very little street-level activity at the tower.

That's an excuse...it's all in how it is designed.  On top of that I don't think that some of the projects suffer from the same situation as South Shore where the floodwall is literally the bounding feature.  I haven't been in a while, but is that the case at Wastersedge or Harbour Green (or whatever it's called)?  I'm seriously asking because I don't remember that being the case and they still seemed to turn their back on the surrounding community.

^What would you have done differently for Newport & Bellevue's projects?  (not intended as a barb of any sort, I'm actually curious)  It seems to me that any new construction in a 100+ year old neighborhood, particularly of condo towers or retail centers, is going to be vastly different than the existing environment, even without a floodwall or major roadway dividing them.  Given Newport's floodwall and the serious congestion of Bellevue's only real access road (KY RT 8 ), how would you suggest better connecting projects with their respective cities?

Something simple like turning some of the buildings to face the street, reorganize the parking layout so that it doesn't create a barrier between the new and old...and most importantly create access/entrance points somewhere on the side that faces the rest of the community.  Too often new developments are culprits of 'walling off' or create this semi-public/private space for their tenants to use.  A space that doesn't invite or engage people outside of the development and does little to engage those living inside the development (i.e. someones front yard in a subdivision...how often to those get used).  A clearly private (amenity deck) and/or public (i.e. plaza or sidewalk open/accessible to all) space would work much better.

I would added a median to ky 8 so it was something walkable

You can't face buildings to the street if you have a floodwall and the ACoE denies permits to modify or remove a section of the floodwall. I've filed a FoIA to see if South Shore did, or any of the other major projects for comparison.

 

It would be nice if the floodwall could be integrated into a project. Unlike Cincinnati, portions of Newport/Covington lay very low to the water and there has to be design modifications to ensure that the project doesn't flood out. That's why the Banks is being essentially constructed on a parking garage; you can't replicate that in all instances, especially with South Shore without elevating everything else around it to be outside of the 100-year flood plain.

im pretty sure this has been cut down to only the 2 res towers.  the model they have inside the sales office includes only the 2 res towers

I would added a median to ky 8 so it was something walkable

 

How would a median influence the walkability of KY 8?

Medians offer pedestrian 'safe havens' as people try to cross large streets.

Something simple like turning some of the buildings to face the street, reorganize the parking layout so that it doesn't create a barrier between the new and old...and most importantly create access/entrance points somewhere on the side that faces the rest of the community. Too often new developments are culprits of 'walling off' or create this semi-public/private space for their tenants to use. A space that doesn't invite or engage people outside of the development and does little to engage those living inside the development (i.e. someones front yard in a subdivision...how often to those get used). A clearly private (amenity deck) and/or public (i.e. plaza or sidewalk open/accessible to all) space would work much better.

 

How in the world to you have buildings face a street that is lined by a flood wall?  I think in this case having them face the river is very appropriate.

All I know is new towers will dictate how future buildings and areas are constructed to keep certain views of the city.  One tower is built, so another taller tower is built so you can see over the first one.  I predict Cincy and NKY using the natural hills for some very very cool high rises.  NKY and Cincy skylines could be changing drastically within the next 50 years.

Something simple like turning some of the buildings to face the street, reorganize the parking layout so that it doesn't create a barrier between the new and old...and most importantly create access/entrance points somewhere on the side that faces the rest of the community.  Too often new developments are culprits of 'walling off' or create this semi-public/private space for their tenants to use.  A space that doesn't invite or engage people outside of the development and does little to engage those living inside the development (i.e. someones front yard in a subdivision...how often to those get used).  A clearly private (amenity deck) and/or public (i.e. plaza or sidewalk open/accessible to all) space would work much better.

 

How in the world to you have buildings face a street that is lined by a flood wall?  I think in this case having them face the river is very appropriate.

 

I don't understand why this has to be and either/or proposition.  You could very easily do both with some good site planning/design.  It's just easier if no one holds a developers feet to the fire to build the way they have and will continue to build along Nky's riverfront.

 

The many projects in Cincinnati's East End don't ignore the street, neither does it look like One River Plaza will.  NOTL did a pretty good job, but also walled off the majority of the development by its design/layout.  It's ok to ask and demand for better results.  I don't know why I'm the bad guy for wanting developers to do a better job and for Nky officials to start demanding it.

The many projects in Cincinnati's East End don't ignore the street, neither does it look like One River Plaza will.  NOTL did a pretty good job, but also walled off the majority of the development by its design/layout.  It's ok to ask and demand for better results.  I don't know why I'm the bad guy for wanting developers to do a better job and for Nky officials to start demanding it.

 

I don't think you're the bad guy, I just think that there's a HUGE difference between what Cincinnati can demand and what Bellevue, KY can.  The NKY river cities have seen virtually zero non-expressway related development in the last 50 years (before projects like NOTL started popping up).  They're small and don't carry the weight that Cincinnati, OH does.  If Cincy takes a hard stance and loses a project, it's no big deal.  They have several projects in the works at any one time, and eventually another developer will want a site in Cincinnati.  If Bellevue or Dayton do the same thing, it's an enormous loss, and they might not get another offer for a long, long time.  I honestly think that after decades of stagnation, these cities are happy just to have people investing in the neighborhood again.  It might be different if Covington somehow annexed Newport, Ludlow, Bellevue, and Dayton; maybe then they'd have a little more clout as the 2nd or 3rd largest city in KY.

 

All of that said, I completely agree that these developments need to be less automobile oriented and should do a better job integrating into the neighborhood.  I just think that cities like Bellevue are afraid to demand too much, or possibly don't realize what they need to ask for, since they don't have as much experience with this, or the kind of resources, representation, and planning departments that a major city like Cincinnati has.

The East End does not have a floodwall to deal with though. And projects like Captain's Watch is set higher off of the ground along Eastern Avenue on the north side, and along the riverfront on the south side -- and those have practically unusable first floors sans an exercise room or "disposable" rooms for when they (will) flood. Garages, if you will.

 

You can't compare those projects, or projects like Adam's Landing, to South Shore, because Adam's Landing is set MUCH higher above the flood plain than South Shore is. And there is no floodwall for comparison.

^If there's a will, there's a way.

^If there's a will, there's a way.

 

And a price to pay.

 

I think giving the circumstances, the orientation of the building fits the location.  The other side is a view of the on and off ramps for I-471 and Party Source.  It is not like they built this building in the middle of a dense business district.  They took advantage of a beautiful view of the river and cincy skyline.  They also intend to have the marina taking advantage of a natural transportation route rather than some street that has no good pontential for development on the other side.

^If there's a will, there's a way.

 

Not if the Army Corps of Engineers declines requests for major floodwall modification. Sorry, this isn't Cincinnati that doesn't have to deal with the ACoE or with a floodwall along the eastern edge. This is a part of Newport that does have an earthen mound for a floodwall, and the ACoE rarely allows for major modifications. Even getting a path installed along the ridge is an endeavor.

 

It's not nearly as easy as you make it out to be. I'm talking to one of the employees right now (as we speak) on this -- he's a personal friend that works at the ACoE Huntington District office.

If we can put a man on the moon, tunnel the English channel, bridge the San Francisco bay, and canal across Central America then I tend to think that we can figure out a way to build some riverfront condos in Nky that don't totally turn their back on their surrounding community.

Just to let you know, ACoE denied an application to modify the floodwall to permit integration into the initial structure. I think at best, it would have been not as great as you would have thought because the elevation at that stage is quite low, in comparison to NOTL or the rest of Bellevue.

We disagree...I don't doubt that the ACoE gave them crap, but at the same time I KNOW that they could have done a better job.  Maybe they couldn't create this vibrant street scene, but at the same time they didn't have go as far as they did.  Maybe make the garage levels a little more appealing from that side, maybe make those first few levels appear as though they engage or pay any attention to the surrounding area.

 

This is not an issue with just SouthShore, but most of the projects that have recently gone on along Nky's riverfront.  So while this particular locale may have been particularly tricky, others are less so...especially when you head east as the flood wall becomes less obtrusive.

Perhaps, but what would your solution be? A floodwall is in the way, and you can't have anything on the lower levels for the flooding. If they had built it on the opposite side, the condos wouldn't have been as pricey or luxurious, but it would be at street level.

 

It's more with the lower levels being down along the river at a lower elevation than that of Cincinnnati.

Perhaps, but what would your solution be? A floodwall is in the way, and you can't have anything on the lower levels for the flooding. If they had built it on the opposite side, the condos wouldn't have been as pricey or luxurious, but it would be at street level.

 

 

See:

We disagree...I don't doubt that the ACoE gave them crap, but at the same time I KNOW that they could have done a better job.  Maybe they couldn't create this vibrant street scene, but at the same time they didn't have go as far as they did.  Maybe make the garage levels a little more appealing from that side, maybe make those first few levels appear as though they engage or pay any attention to the surrounding area.

This is not an issue with just SouthShore, but most of the projects that have recently gone on along Nky's riverfront. So while this particular locale may have been particularly tricky, others are less so...especially when you head east as the flood wall becomes less obtrusive.

 

The Ascent is a good example of what you're describing.  Cool building, but virtually no connection to the street itself.

 

Perhaps, but what would your solution be? A floodwall is in the way, and you can't have anything on the lower levels for the flooding. If they had built it on the opposite side, the condos wouldn't have been as pricey or luxurious, but it would be at street level.

 

It's more with the lower levels being down along the river at a lower elevation than that of Cincinnnati.

 

Also, there's not enough room on the other side of the floodwall to build anything in that location, unless they moved the whole thing back into the surface lot in the Newport Island.

It's fairly tough to build anything particularly engaging below the base flood elevation for a 100 year flood plain.  In my experience with Floodplain Ordinances no residential dwelling space can be created below the BSE.  That is why Waters Edge's town homes are not entirely street level or why Harbor Greene is built on top of a parking garage.  While South Shore could have done things to enhance the ground level exterior they choose to instead build the garages out as close to the street as they can.  This has created a weird one sided corridor effect next to Don Pablo's.  There's no room for a sidewalk or any pathway of any sorts. 

 

I also want to address some comments a few posts back about the types of Developments in Bellevue.  Bellevue had a Urban Renewal program in place for the riverfront for over twenty-five years.  There were plenty of proposals that floundered (I don't know if anyone remembers Bellevue Harbour?) and Harbor Greene and Waters Edge were the first real big developments for the City in the past 4 decades.  Bellevue saw the condo developments as an opportunity to increase revenue and therefore use the increased income to provide more to its community.  I think what Jimmy_James said was accurate, small cities take what they can get.  But I think that as the population base starts moving closer to the urban core because of high gas prices, cities like Newport, Bellevue and Dayton can become more selective in the types of developments that are done.  I think the desirability for the areas close to downtown Cincy will increase.  I know at least Bellevue has learned a lot from the developments that it has approved and although they are not perfect in form, the city did the best they could to ensure that they fit in (even if the windows in Waters Edge look too small).

To paraphrase, this stands on its parking garage like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine. 

 

Since I know y'all are too busy with your ipods to listen to real music and recognize that reference, FFW to 1:23:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9XbatDkDw

 

 

Personal anecdote time: So last January or Feb I was taking real estate photos in Bellevue at about 9am on a Sunday morning and had some yuppie come running out his front door and start screaming at me yelling "We're never selling!  Go back to Cincinnati you punk!".  Then he got in his car, pulled up to me down the block, and yelled a few more expletives.  I cooly said back to him "hey, I'm not the one smoking crack on Sunday morning" which got him to shut up and move along.  My point is Bellevue, Dayton, etc. are setting themselves up for some serious town/gown drama by inviting all these rich know-it-alls into town.  I can't even imagine the scene at city council meetings these days. 

 

I hate having to modify these posts to correct spelling, I feel like that little italic 'last modified' line undermines the spontaneity of these kinds of posts.     

Go back to Cincinnati you punk!".  Then he got in his car, pulled up to me down the block, and yelled a few more expletives.  I cooly said back to him "hey, I'm not the one smoking crack on Sunday morning".

 

I said the same thing to a girl with KY plates shooting up in front of my house yesterday.

 

Personal anecdote time: So last January or Feb I was taking real estate photos in Bellevue at about 9am on a Sunday morning and had some yuppie come running out his front door and start screaming at me yelling "We're never selling!  Go back to Cincinnati you punk!".  Then he got in his car, pulled up to me down the block, and yelled a few more expletives.  I cooly said back to him "hey, I'm not the one smoking crack on Sunday morning" which got him to shut up and move along.  My point is Bellevue, Dayton, etc. are setting themselves up for some serious town/gown drama by inviting all these rich know-it-alls into town.  I can't even imagine the scene at city council meetings these days. 

 

I hate having to modify these posts to correct spelling, I feel like that little italic 'last modified' line undermines the spontaneity of these kinds of posts.     

 

Maybe this is why the newer developments don't "engage or pay any attention to the surrounding area".

 

Wait sec., a yuppie from Bellevue, or were you the yuppie?

Well this was an interesting, if futile, debate about the floodwall and ACoE, but does anyone have any pictures of the tower?  Particularly the base, which I have yet to see in person.

Actually, Building Cincinnati posted a bunch of new photos yesterday:

 

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/07/southshore-photo-update-72308.html

I do like the shape and the overall look of the building, BUT I would have to agree with some of you that the parking garage at the bottom just seperates the structure too much.    Other than that, it looks good.

^Exactly.  My main problem with the garage is that it is just a huge box.  It doesn't mesh with the rest of the building at all.  From the pictures, it appears that part of the building will connect with the street in the front (where that red external elevator is now), so maybe it will look better when it's completed, but I have my doubts.

 

/edit: I'd be more accepting of the "box look", if that garage was built to exactly the height of the floodwall behind it or if it were decorated in a style that made it appear to be part of the original floodwall structure to help it blend in.  As it stands, the garage looks a little ridiculous, especially from the other side of the floodwall.

I do like the shape and the overall look of the building, BUT I would have to agree with some of you that the parking garage at the bottom just seperates the structure too much.    Other than that, it looks good.

 

Looks like something right out of the Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte playbook. 

I think this building really looks great.  I hope some of the proposed projects in cincy take on an open and airy feel similar to this.  I that that One River Plaza, though more regular in form and utilizing a different material pallette, will have a similar impact.  I think a glassy project at 5th and Race would look really great in contrast to the more opaque skins of Carew and company.       

I think the front of this building looks fantastic.  Now that I'm seeing these pictures, I think the whole backside looks pretty ugly.  It's great that Cincinnatians will get to view the better side of this building...it's too bad that Nky got the shaft on this one.

 

Back:

 

Front:

Yeah, the front looks way better.  Have you seen the view of this from Mt. Adams?  It looks amazing from there looking down on it.

I've seen worse.  You should travel to downtown Stamford, Connecticut.  That place is the single ugliest downtown on Earth.  South Shore would be worshipped as a highrise God if it was placed there lol.