August 10, 20231 yr 6 minutes ago, Lazarus said: The new subdivision in Villa Hills is about halfway complete. No doubt the developer is asking huge money for the remaining hillside lots: I need to get over there with a real camera before the remaining hillside lots are built-out. This subdivision has a few townhomes in it that don't match the detached housing stylistically, as well as some sort of u/c commercial building that might end up getting a yoga studio or something like that. The development has been a nightmare. It's causing major issues on Route 8 below. Wildlife are moving to other neighborhoods now, wish the sisters of Benedictine would have never sold. Just glad they didn't shove 400 plus apartment units
August 30, 20231 yr https://nkytribune.com/2023/08/governor-expected-to-participate-in-onenky-center-groundbreaking-wednesday-in-downtown-covington/ OneNKY is breaking ground tomorrow.
August 30, 20231 yr 19 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said: https://nkytribune.com/2023/08/governor-expected-to-participate-in-onenky-center-groundbreaking-wednesday-in-downtown-covington/ OneNKY is breaking ground tomorrow. Damn was hoping that fugly building wouldn't break ground...
August 30, 20231 yr 39 minutes ago, savadams13 said: Damn was hoping that fugly building wouldn't break ground... Definitely not the best looking building but at least it’s removing a parking lot.
August 30, 20231 yr 37 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said: Definitely not the best looking building but at least it’s removing a parking lot. maybe someone should sit the architect and advisory board down and have little heart to heart. Just looking at the suspension bridge and the new building images gives me the he-be-gee-bees.
August 30, 20231 yr 11 hours ago, RJohnson said: maybe someone should sit the architect and advisory board down and have little heart to heart. Just looking at the suspension bridge and the new building images gives me the he-be-gee-bees. Is the architect who designed The Ascent the same one for this building?
August 30, 20231 yr No the Ascent was designed by Daniel Libeskind and VE'd to oblivion, this is Phoenix architecture out of Blue Ash doing a weird homage/copy of the Ascent across the street. I blame Corporex for being involved in both, and pretty much all the ugly buildings south of the river.
August 30, 20231 yr at one point during the press release of the ascent, i remember reading a quote by either Liebeskind or the Corporex team saying "the blue glass was in homage of the blue suspension bridge..." which is dumb, since the bridge can be painted any color. now we are getting a mini knock-off ugly version paying homage to the blue glass of ascent.
August 30, 20231 yr 59 minutes ago, jack.c.amos said: at one point during the press release of the ascent, i remember reading a quote by either Liebeskind or the Corporex team saying "the blue glass was in homage of the blue suspension bridge..." which is dumb, since the bridge can be painted any color. now we are getting a mini knock-off ugly version paying homage to the blue glass of ascent. I don't think that's dumb. It could be painted any color technically. But it won't be. That bridge will always be blue.
August 30, 20231 yr 48 minutes ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: Is it the same architect as Mercy Health at I-71 and Edwards? ^Looks just like the Roebling Bridge! What an homage! ;)
August 30, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, DEPACincy said: I don't think that's dumb. It could be painted any color technically. But it won't be. That bridge will always be blue. yes, and they will always have blue grass as a backup.
August 31, 20231 yr Do I remember reading somewhere/sometime that the original color of the Roebling was beige/brown?
August 31, 20231 yr 29 minutes ago, Rabbit Hash said: Do I remember reading somewhere/sometime that the original color of the Roebling was beige/brown? Came here to say this. Yes, it was a tan color originally. Last time it was painted, there was much discussion about it retaining it's blue hue to represent Univ of Ky. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/2023/06/04/just-askin-why-is-the-roebling-suspension-bridge-painted-blue/70274356007/
August 31, 20231 yr I remember that discussion and some public voting / poling and was really torn between the current Roebling blue and the verdigris green color, either way I think starting with a pale pastel color is smart because you end up with that color anyway as seen on the faded Big Mac and Purple People bridges.
October 26, 20231 yr https://linknky.com/news/infrastructure/2023/10/25/kenton-county-fiscal-court-approves-2-million-for-drawbridge-inn-site-redevelopment/ Drawbridge inn site redevelopment proposal has changed. The retirement portion is only 9 floors now (think the original was around 11 floors). Work is expected to start at the end of the year.
October 26, 20231 yr Kenton County approves funding for $200M Drawbridge Inn site redevelopment The proposed redevelopment of the former Drawbridge Hotel and Convention Center site in Fort Mitchell has received county money for infrastructure work. The Kenton County Fiscal Court Oct. 24 approved $2 million to upgrade the storm sewers around the development site. The money comes from Kenton County’s site development fund, which is administered by the Northern Kentucky Port Authority. Kentucky Sen. Chris McDaniel secured $13 million for the fund in the most recent budget session. Greg Berling with Buttermilk Pike Development Co. said at the Oct. 24 fiscal court meeting the money will go toward the replacement of a regional storm detention line that runs at the edge of the site and serves residents of Lakeside Park and Fort Mitchell. The development will not use the line; rather, it will rely on a separate sewer line that will be newly constructed as part of other infrastructure improvements. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/10/26/drawbridge-inn-development-kenton-county-funding.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
October 31, 20231 yr The landslide on KY 8 opposite Riverbend and Coney Island is being repaired: This is one of those hillsides that were supported by old railroad rail driven vertically like a real I-beam pile. I have seen this type of cheap retaining wall elsewhere around NKY and obviously it has a limited lifespan. The new wall looks like concrete shot over chicken wire, so another not-permanent fix. Also, quite unexpectedly, this area was home to a huge population of monarch butterflies in 2023. On the day that I took these photos, I saw over 30, meaning that hundreds must be living in this area. Edited October 31, 20231 yr by Lazarus
November 8, 20231 yr Looks like they have denuded the hillside in Ludlow that will be home to Cityview Station.
November 16, 20231 yr Fischer Homes lands zoning change, initial recommendation for NKY community despite resident concerns Southgate residents condemned homebuilder Fischer Homes’ plans for a hilltop development that Campbell County commissioners voted to recommend during a Nov. 14 planning and zoning commission meeting, citing a slew of concerns from landslides to traffic congestion. Fischer Homes outlined plans for Sunrock, an 85-acre, roughly 575-unit residential community located in Southgate during the Tuesday evening meeting. The homebuilder sought a zoning change for portions of the property at Moock Road and Fox Chase Drive in addition to Stage I plans for the community. Both were recommended for approval and will next head before Southgate City Council. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/11/15/campbell-county-recommends-sunrock-fischer-homes.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
December 21, 20231 yr Trouble in paradise: https://www.wcpo.com/news/northern-kentucky/falmouth-city-council-serves-mayor-with-impeachment-papers-they-think-theyre-getting-rid-of-me The video is amazing. Definitely the best 3 minutes you will waste today. It has it all - fake boobs, big makeup, heating/cooling guy hoodie, about 15 nutcrackers, drone footage, and TV video of someone taking cell phone video.
December 23, 20231 yr https://www.wcpo.com/news/northern-kentucky/nky-projects-get-attention-in-gov-beshears-executive-budget-proposal Mentions the Brent Spence Bridge project, a new crime lab at NKU and the new bridge between Newport and Covington. The one thing that drew my attention was money for a convention center expansion.
January 25, 20241 yr https://www.druryhotels.com/locations/cincinnati-oh/drury-plaza-hotel-cincinnati-florence Was at the Florence Costco the other day and noticed a new building across 75 around the Bob Evans and Frisches. Doing some digging I found out it will be a new 7 floor Drury Hotel. It stands out pretty well.
January 25, 20241 yr 2 hours ago, Ucgrad2015 said: https://www.druryhotels.com/locations/cincinnati-oh/drury-plaza-hotel-cincinnati-florence Was at the Florence Costco the other day and noticed a new building across 75 around the Bob Evans and Frisches. Doing some digging I found out it will be a new 7 floor Drury Hotel. It stands out pretty well. Thanks for sharing this. I saw it a couple weeks ago when I was leaving Menards and meant to look it up but forgot.
January 25, 20241 yr Author After years-long pause, development proposed at World Peace Bell site lands millions in bonds By Abby Miller – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Jan 25, 2024 Newport’s Board of Commissioners approved $16.5 million in bonds to help fuel a portion of the long-stalled development at the city’s World Peace Bell site. The bonds will go toward the construction of a 405-spot parking garage after commissioners unanimously approved the issuance at a Jan. 22 meeting. The bonds signal the reignition of World Peace Hospitality’s plans to build two hotels, office, retail and parking at the site, all while maintaining the World Peace Bell’s presence –the 66,000-pound object is one of the largest free-swinging bells in the world – near the intersection of Fourth and York streets. MORE
January 25, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, The_Cincinnati_Kid said: After years-long pause, development proposed at World Peace Bell site lands millions in bonds By Abby Miller – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Jan 25, 2024 Newport’s Board of Commissioners approved $16.5 million in bonds to help fuel a portion of the long-stalled development at the city’s World Peace Bell site. The bonds will go toward the construction of a 405-spot parking garage after commissioners unanimously approved the issuance at a Jan. 22 meeting. The bonds signal the reignition of World Peace Hospitality’s plans to build two hotels, office, retail and parking at the site, all while maintaining the World Peace Bell’s presence –the 66,000-pound object is one of the largest free-swinging bells in the world – near the intersection of Fourth and York streets. MORE From a tourist standpoint, I never quite understood the point of the World Peace Bell. If they could have built the tower, then maybe that would have been cool, but just doing the bell alone was a waste IMO
January 25, 20241 yr A stand-alone parking garage in the heart of the city with no ground floor retail and no possibility of building anything above? How is Newport so bad at this?
January 25, 20241 yr Why a bell of such significance is not on the river completely baffles me. Also, how disappointing... stand alone parking garages.
January 25, 20241 yr It looks like they're planning to tear down the visitor center and the little walkway that leads to the bell. Maybe you'll be able to lean over the edge of the parking garage railing and ring the bell. Or at least take a selfie. Also, look at all of these other world peace bells:
January 25, 20241 yr I’m all for turning parking lots into buildings but I feel like the a nice little urban park with the Peace Bell in the middle would be much more beneficial and pleasing for this site. Having a dual brand hotel right next to this is honestly a slap in the face(bell) to the Peace Bell. Heck just move the bell over to Covington and put it a park in the IRS development.
January 26, 20241 yr 14 hours ago, Ucgrad2015 said: I’m all for turning parking lots into buildings but I feel like the a nice little urban park with the Peace Bell in the middle would be much more beneficial and pleasing for this site. Having a dual brand hotel right next to this is honestly a slap in the face(bell) to the Peace Bell. Heck just move the bell over to Covington and put it a park in the IRS development. In a perfect world where the cheapest option didn't always win, they would've buried the parking and made a park with the peace bell on top like you said. Newport has a real lack of green space and this would've been a great Zeigler/Washington Park style parking situation and created a really nice center home to Newport. As it is, the only real community gathering spaces aren't really "in" the city but will be located on the periphery along the river or inside large private developments like Ovation and NotL.
February 10, 20241 yr https://linknky.com/culture/2024/02/09/newport-riverfront-improvements-17m/?fbclid=IwAR0t-byJXe3HKN1vPeUzQvQZzoEe1RXIjk_S7i5aWgFtIRAe087c0e2La04_aem_AS49ihZmVDXMAJEyQIHrqnlf4WKP9gvb-jBLB2VwbckJvQuk40OeSqsbHyyonU3MeIs The park along the river in front of Ovation has started. One rendering has the peace bell at the park. Would be a lot better than surrounded by a parking garage and hotel.
March 13, 20241 yr New Kentucky of college medical school and NKY college of law buidlings is being proposed and up for funding in KY state budget.Location is on the Covington IRS riverfront redevelopment site.I will give Kentucky credit what Cincinnati usually has a idea to do Kentucky actually uses that idea and makes it happen on thier side of the River.UC college of Law to the Banks a decade or so ago. Edited March 13, 20241 yr by ucnum1
March 13, 20241 yr NKU unveils $80M+ addition to Herrmann Science Center Northern Kentucky University aims to begin construction in 2024 on a long-planned addition to its main science research building at the school's Highland Heights campus. NKU unveiled plans for the Herrmann Science Center expansion at the board of trustees meeting March 12. The project will add 85,400 square feet of teaching and research space for the departments of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, geology and engineering technology. The Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics and the Kentucky Center for Mathematics, currently located in Landrum Hall, would relocate to the building. The budget could include funding for renovations to 19,000 square feet of the existing 175,131-square-foot building, according to board documents. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/03/13/nku-expand-herrmann-science-center.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 15, 20241 yr Northern Kentucky University's law school could move from the school's Highland Heights campus to the former IRS site on Covington's riverfront. The University of Kentucky's College of Medicine, which works in partnership with St. Elizabeth and NKU, could also make the move. The potential change is part of a $150 million proposal to create the Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence, a campus focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship and life sciences, according to a press release Wednesday from Kenton County. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2024/03/14/nkus-law-school-med-school-may-move-to-former-irs-site-in-covington/72971769007/
April 8, 20241 yr Orleans Development, Catalytic Fund debut Burton Building apartments in Dayton, Kentucky Renovation work on a prominent historic building in Dayton, Ky., is complete, delivering 10 new residential units and ground-floor commercial space to the river city’s central business district. Officials cut the ribbon on the four-story Burton Building at 512 Berry St. March 25 following a years-long redevelopment effort. The city of Dayton, deploying money from the American Rescue Plan, collaborated on the project with the Catalytic Fund and Covington-based Orleans Development. Orleans purchased the 14,000-square-foot building and completed primary construction work with money provided through the Catalytic Fund, a nonprofit that funds high-impact real-estate development projects in Northern Kentucky. Duke Energy also provided a grant for predevelopment work through its Urban Revitalization Initiative. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/04/08/dayton-kentucky-apartment-historic-burton-building.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 11, 20241 yr Author Kentucky budget sends millions to NKY river cities for Riverfront Commons By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Apr 11, 2024 Kentucky's biennial budget bill contains a $2.5 million appropriation to community and economic developer Southbank Partners to advance the Riverfront Commons project, a series of multiuse paths across Northern Kentucky's river cities that's been in the works for two decades. The riverfront walkways will serve as a common thread connecting a series of developments planned and underway, including Covington's Central Riverfront, Newport's Ovation, an unnamed project by Neyer Properties in Bellevue and Manhattan Harbor in Dayton. Local officials have christened those and other developments, as well as the Brent Spence companion bridge project, the "$5 billion mile." Kentucky Sen. Chris McDaniel, chairman of the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee, secured the $2.5 million for Southbank in the budget bill, on which Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, as of this writing, has yet to act. MORE
April 26, 20241 yr Somewhat recently, the median of I-471 has had all the bushes removed. It looks way uglier now and from a safety perspective is more dangerous since the bushes did a nice job of blocking the headlights of opposing traffic. Anybody know why those bushes were removed and what the plan is for that ~15' wide space (that now is just covered in wood chips) between the concrete barriers?
April 26, 20241 yr I assume it was all honey suckle and they are trying to get rid of it throughout Kentucky. I agree that it should be replaced with something else though, maybe a bamboo or grass that spreads through rhizomes and not seeds blowing in the wind to help prevent it spreading to other sides of the highway. It was nice for preventing gapers block and glare from oncoming traffic so I would like to have something go back in its place. Also if it's not replaced with something else the honey suckle will probably just come back or be replaced with another invasive like bradford pears
April 26, 20241 yr 29 minutes ago, ucgrady said: I assume it was all honey suckle As a passionate hater of honey suckle, I'm pretty sure the bushes were not just honey suckle, and I don't think they were some other volunteer/invasive species. But I'm not sure what species was there. They were planted in a very consistent, deliberate pattern along the whole median. Here is Google Streetview from August 2013, showing the early stages of growth (does not look like honey suckle to me): https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0869226,-84.4741141,3a,75y,33.59h,76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sXwS7D2x9eFvOqiDMl-K0kg!2e0!5s20130801T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
April 26, 20241 yr the median of 275 from the 75 overpass junction east to turkeyfoot road exit used to have the same bushes long ago... been gravel and weeds for over a decade now. i had noticed that the bushes on 471 were starting to get infested with honeysuckle bushes - especially where one of the older non-honeysuckles died and made open space. too bad they didnt maintain the median and help the existing plants by removing the invasives and replanting the existing hedgerow.
April 26, 20241 yr An old OKI report makes it seem like they did on purpose to increase visibility distance, I guess they don't care about the glare from oncoming high beams.
April 26, 20241 yr ^thanks for sharing. Where's that from? Truly baffling "solution" if that is indeed what prompted it. Also, "0.2 mi." is only about 1,000 ft... but I think the entire length (multiple miles) of the median has been cleared. Edited April 26, 20241 yr by jwulsin
April 30, 20241 yr Boone County's new transportation improvement district aims to help county keep growing Boone County has become the first Kentucky jurisdiction to create a transportation improvement district, a decision leaders hope will help attract more funding and better connect communities as the county continues to expand. A TID, which is common in Ohio counties, should help Boone County move projects more quickly and garner funding from a wider variety of sources, said Judge/Executive Gary Moore. State lawmakers and Gov. Andy Beshear changed state law to allow for such districts and Boone County created it Feb. 6. The county appointed five members to it earlier this month. The members will review, vet and approve spending on county transportation projects. “I’ve heard about TIDs for many years,” Moore said. “It’s never been a tool we’ve had. I was very excited at hearing that we might have a shot at doing something like that in Kentucky." More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/04/29/boone-county-transportation-improvement-district.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 30, 20241 yr Author Newport approves development agreement for World Peace Bell site By Brian Planalp – Staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Apr 30, 2024 The city of Newport and the developer behind the World Peace Bell site have a development agreement in place to turn the long-disused land into a hotel, an office building and a parking garage. Newport’s board of commissioners voted unanimously April 24 to approve the agreement with Shaun Pan, president of World Peace Hospitality. Pan also owns and operates the nearby Hampton Inn & Suites and several other hotels around the region, including at least two others in development. The 2.1-acre site sits in the heart of Newport bound by Monmouth, York, Fourth and Fifth streets. MORE
May 6, 20241 yr https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/05/06/catalytic-fund-nky-truist-grant-urban-development.html Mentions 11 new single family homes that will be built on the west side of Newport that are currently vacant lots. Maybe on one of these plots that I have circled?
May 8, 20241 yr Uptown Rentals to cut ribbon on Florence Hall apartments near CVG Uptown Rental Properties is finishing construction on its first ground-up suburban development, a 156-unit apartment complex near one of the region’s hottest jobs hubs. Uptown will host a ribbon cutting for Florence Hall May 9. The developer, which typically does urban infill projects, with a concentration of properties near University of Cincinnati, acquired the land on Cayton Road for an undisclosed price in 2022. “We like to locate our apartments where people work, and a ton of people work in Northern Kentucky,” Patrice Eby Burke, vice president of development at Uptown, told the Business Courier. “With the investments in the airport, and Amazon, and Toyota, there’s just so much happening out here, and a lot of it is pretty high-end employment.” More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/05/08/uptown-rental-properties-florence-hall-apartments.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
June 18, 2024Jun 18 All indications point that there will be a (as of yet unannounced) Publix built in Hebron adjacent to the new Graves Road (KY495) exit in a 52 acre development called Hebron Pointe. Same developer, architect that has handle several other Publix projects. Can any of our UO sleuths venture a guess on the outlets occupants based on footprints and lot sizes?
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