Posted January 25, 200916 yr And here's an article about the redevelopment plans for the site... King Records renderings http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/12/king-records-renderings.html Late last month, local music institution King Records was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a ceremony and historical marker unveiling in front of its former headquarters at 1540 Brewster Avenue in Evanston. Launched by Syd Nathan in 1943 as a country label, King eventually got in on the ground floor of the burgeoning rhythm and blues market. The company soon grew into the nation's sixth-largest label, and was ahead of its time in putting African Americans into positions of leadership in recording, pressing, designing, warehousing and shipping – all of which was done on site. Following last summer's display of King Records: A Cincinnati Legacy, a collection of King Records artifacts and memorabilia exhibited at the Main Library, Evanston Community Council president Anzora Adkins and Liz Blume, director of the Community Building Institute, discussed the idea of starting a museum. A site on Montgomery Road, near the Flavor of Arts Studio, was chosen as a more feasible location than the old building, which is landlocked and privately owned. Designed by SHP Leading Design, the new building will combine the arts education programming of Flavor of Arts with a memorial space that can be used by the community and a recording studio that will provide apprenticeship opportunities to neighborhood youth. Cincinnati city councilmember John Cranley helped lead the effort to recognize King Records. Cranley says that the new marker, and the words upon it, validate the company's importance to national music history. "It is a great tragedy that most Cincinnatians don't know about the great history that happened here," he says. "That has to change. We're going to honor our history." On November 26, a council motion was adopted directing the Cincinnati Historic Preservation Office to execute a local designation landmark study on the old company property, which could eventually make it a local historic landmark and protect it from demolition. "Our work will not be complete until we get this building back," Cranley says. "This building is holy, sacred ground."
June 17, 200915 yr Funding transfer could prepare Evanston site for King Studios http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2009/06/funding-transfer-could-prepare-evanston.html The City of Cincinnati would like to transfer funds from one Evanston project account to another to help jumpstart the King Studios project on Montgomery Road. Just three blocks from the original Brewster Avenue site of the historic King Records, the $12.5 million, 30,000-square-foot King Studios, is envisioned to include: King Records Memorial Hall, providing visitors with an interactive history of King Records and Cincinnati's musical roots King Recording Studio Flavor of Art Studio, which will help community residents discover the power of making visual art, and also will train and develop arts educators to serve at schools and other community facilities throughout the area "The new King Studios will serve as a catalyst for revitalization in the Montgomery Road corridor and will complement other improvements underway in the area including the new Keystone Parke office development, Xavier University’s Hoff Academic Quad and Xavier Commons," Dohoney said. The community focal point will be owned and operated by a limited partnership including the Evanston Community Council, Ultrasuede Studio, Flavor of Art Studio, and Xavier University. SHP Leading Design will serve as the project architect. In 2005, council established a capital improvement program project account, funded with $2 million, that has been used to provide deferred loans of up to $5,000 to residents of owner-occupied structures in the neighborhood for exterior improvements to their properties. As of this month, more than $723,000 has been spent from that account. $950,000 of the remaining funds would be used to acquire three properties on Montgomery Road, demolish them, and perform environmental assessments on the site. Before the funds can be used for this purpose, council must pass an ordinance transferring the requested funding from the capital improvement program project account and into another account, called Income Tax Permanent Improvement Fund 758. Launched by Syd Nathan in 1943 as a country label, King Records eventually got in on the ground floor of the burgeoning rhythm and blues market. The company soon grew into the nation's sixth-largest label, and was ahead of its time in putting African Americans into positions of leadership in recording, pressing, designing, warehousing and shipping – all of which was done on site. King Records was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum during a historical marker unveiling and ceremony last November.
July 1, 200915 yr King Studios funding approved, renderings updated http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2009/07/king-studios-funding-approved.html Cincinnati City Council has approved unanimously a transfer of funds to help clear a site for the $12.5 million King Studios project in Evanston. Under the new ordinance, $950,000 in funding remaining from a $2 million capital improvement program project account, established in 2005 to provide residential exterior improvement loans, will be shifted to a new account to acquire, demolish and assess the sites of three Montgomery Road properties, just three blocks from the original Brewster Avenue site of King Records. The 30,000-square-foot community focal point, which will include an interactive memorial hall, recording studios, and visual arts training facility, will be owned and operated by a limited partnership that includes the Evanston Community Council, Ultrasuede Studio, Flavor of Art Studio, and Xavier University. SHP Leading Design is the project architect. Launched by Syd Nathan in 1943 as a country label, King Records eventually got in on the ground floor of the burgeoning rhythm and blues market. The company soon grew into the nation's sixth-largest label, and was ahead of its time in putting African Americans into positions of leadership in recording, pressing, designing, warehousing and shipping – all of which was done on site. King Records was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum during a historical marker unveiling and ceremony last November. New renderings:
July 2, 200915 yr very cool. i wonder exactly where on montgomery road this is proposed to go. "just three blocks from the original Brewster Avenue site of King Records." So, probably the 3500 block.
August 4, 200915 yr Music marker fund drive begins Cincinnati soon could get another historic marker showing its contributions to the music industry. On Monday, the Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation and others who helped erect the King Records historic marker in Evanston last fall announced a fundraising effort for a marker at 811 Race St., downtown, where Herzog Recording Studios operated from 1945 to 1952 on the now-vacant second floor. The building's current tenants include ArtWorks and CityBeat. Late WLW engineer Bucky Herzog ran Herzog Recording Studios, where Hank Williams Sr. recorded "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" 60 years ago this month as well as seven other classics. The first R&B King Records sessions were cut at the studios with Bull Moose Jackson, and country acts including the Delmore Brothers, Grandpa Jones, Cowboy Copas and Patti Page also recorded there. Read full article here: http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20090803/ENT/908040314/Music+marker+fund+drive+begins
December 14, 201113 yr I believe they just started demolition of the site in Evanston for this. “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
July 9, 20159 yr Not the original project... Big park initiative: A rundown of the details King Records Evanston Pavilion Cost: $2 million Neighborhood: Evanston Description: For nearly 30 years, King Records helped revolutionize the music industry producing bluegrass, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, doo-wop, country, soul and funk artists including James Brown and the Stanley Brothers. The rundown studio can be seen off of Interstate 71. This money would be used to preserve this piece of Cincinnati history and create a small shop/café to stimulate economic growth in the area. Estimated annual maintenance cost: $125,000. "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
July 9, 20159 yr That is good news. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 27, 20169 yr It's pretty obvious that Jay Gilbert didn't write this. Joseph is a huge source of radio advertising. Not that hard to figure out. http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2016/04/25/jay-gilbert-king-records-should-go-too/83505066/
April 27, 20169 yr More proof of just how self loathing many Cincinnatians are... Sheesh. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2
January 25, 20178 yr Three streets renamed for King Records musicians: http://700wlw.iheart.com/articles/local-news-119585/streets-renamed-for-king-records-artists-15500482/
April 25, 20178 yr King Records site remains in limbo. http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/042517-soapdish-record-store-day-cincinnati-vinyl-tradition.aspx Hopefully the city and possibly Cranley chum Neyer Properties can come up with a plan to save it from the owner's demolition dreams.
April 25, 20178 yr Dream case scenario is that it's renovated into a museum/studio where the crew from WNKU can move in and begin broadcasting on another station. www.cincinnatiideas.com
June 29, 20177 yr City moves to seize King Records, plans renovation, memorial King Records, the Cincinnati record studio where hillbilly boogie morphed into rock ’n’ roll, could sing again if the City of Cincinnati gets its way. City officials are asking council Wednesday for approval to proceed with eminent domain action in court, where a judge would order the sale of the building that is part of a 12-acre lot in the Evanston neighborhood. The land appropriation, the city says, is "for the public purpose of stabilizing, renovating and preserving the buildings in which the King Records music label operated, the public purpose of establishing a public memorial to honor the King Records legacy and educate the public of its significant contributions to music and culture..." Cont "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
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