Architecture + Design

$8.3M Saengerhalle development to spark Race Street transformation through OTR

By Newsroom

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September 21, 2010

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) has focused their attention along Vine Street and parts of Main Street through Over-the-Rhine for the better part of the last five years. Their goals have been to target some of the most troubled areas of the neighborhood and turn them around. Now, the development corporation has shifted its focus west to Race Street and will move its offices into a new $8.3 million project taking shape along Race Street just north of Washington Park.The Saengerhalle development, named for the "Saenger Halle" music venue that preceded Music Hall, is to 14th and Race streets as the Duncanson Lofts development was to 12th and Vine streets years ago. Following the completion of Duncanson, a handful of projects immediately followed suit which have led to hundreds of new residents, dozens of new businesses, dramatic declines in criminal activity, and a heartbeat to a part of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood which has not been felt in a generation.3CDC has tapped NorthPointe Group to oversee the redevelopment project that will introduce more than 32,000 square feet of office space to the neighborhood by spring 2011. But like Duncanson, once Saengerhalle is complete, several other projects will fall in line. Four such projects will create even more residential units and retail space, redevelop and expand the historic Washington Park, redevelop a historic church, and introduce a new underground parking garage underneath the northern most section of the park."We wanted to bring business into the area and make the area vibrant during the day outside of the park," said Christy Samad, Communications Assistant, 3CDC. "The Saengerhalle project is in the heart of the redevelopment taking place in the area and it will be great to be there with the merchants and new Washington Park."3CDC plans to relocate their offices to the street-level office space in the redeveloped structures along with NorthPointe Group."We're hoping that the first premier commercial space in this part of the neighborhood will serve as a catalyst for other investment nearby," Samad explained. "We're taking the first-floor space so that the two upper floors are preserved for tenants looking to take advantage of the great views of Washington Park."While 3CDC will be occupying approximately one-third of the total commercial space, there will also be room for a restaurant at the corner of 14th and Race that will include outdoor seating.According to 3CDC officials, the $8.3 million project was funded through an innovative partnership with Fifth Third Bank that helped secure $4.2 million in tax credits and $4.1 million from the Cincinnati Equity Fund."We believe in the renaissance taking place in our urban core. The positive results are evident," said Catherine Cawthon, president of Fifth Third Bank Community Development Corporation. "People are coming back to the central business district and Over-the-Rhine for entertainment, to buy homes and to start businesses. Along with construction jobs, the Saengerhalle project is projected to bring at least 100 permanent jobs to Over-the-Rhine, and we're proud to offer our support."Writer: Randy A. SimesRendering ProvidedStay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

Latest in Architecture + Design

Developers get started on $50M Incline Square project in East Price Hill

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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September 14, 2010

Developers have been working since 2005 to make the proposed $50 million Incline Square development a reality. Over those five years developers have scaled back plans, modifying the phasing of the proposed development, and even adjusting specific elements of the project. But as the economy slowly recovers, the development team believes that now is the time to move forward.To commemorate that news, the development team celebrated an official ground breaking for the project on Monday, September 13 at the nearly eight-acre project site in East Price Hill. One of the primary members of the team is former Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley who believes that this success will breed success for future phases of the development."The $50 million project will be a long-term endeavor over the next decade, but we hope that momentum of the new restaurant and office building will help drive demand," Cranley explained.Cranley described the initial $3 million work, that will include a restaurant with biergarten and 15 apartments ranging from $900-1,000 per month, as phase 1a. The hope is to begin work on phase 1b - a development that includes at least 20,000 square feet of medical office space - by late 2011. Once the two-part phase 1 effort concludes, Cranley expects there to be another medical office building and additional restaurant and retail space in later phases.According to Cranley, the extended nature of the project can be explained by a variety of economic realities the project has faced including an ongoing lawsuit between the Greater Cincinnati Associated Physicians (GCAP) and the Health Alliance.Even with the challenges, developers believe that the progress being made now is not only encouraging for Cincinnati, but specifically for the Price Hill community which doesn't ordinarily see this kind of investment."It's been a very, very challenging environment to say the least," said Cranley. "But for us to be able to get a project done in Price Hill is very encouraging given that most people thought we would never get it done."Cranley went on to speak to the project's viability by saying that this area of East Price Hill is facing the same challenges that Mt. Adams, Covington, and Newport have faced over the past 20 to 30 years, and that the views and close proximity to downtown are "very underutilized" at this point."Price Hill has astounding parks like Dunham and Mt. Echo, great proximity to downtown, unbelievable architecture, and a really great size and affordability of homes. We need to keep anchors like Price Hill Chili, Elder and Seton high schools, and Kroger in the neighborhood while establishing new anchors like Incline Square. East Price Hill today has more potential and signs of improvement than it has in 30 years thanks to the trend towards urban living."Writer: Randy A. SimesRendering ProvidedStay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

Video Take a Look at the Brandery’s First Class

By Seven/Seventy Nine

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Architecture + Design

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September 14, 2010

The Brandery, a start up accelerator based here in Cincinnati, just welcomed it's first class of companies and is using a 12 week program to teach start ups how to think of themselves as a brand rather than just a business. This week, in the first of a series of videos that will follow the entire Brandery process, Soapbox and Seven/Seventy-Nine introduce you to The Brandery and the companies that make up it's inaugural class.

P&G will compact all its powder detergents in 2011

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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September 14, 2010

Procter & Gamble plans to compress all of its U.S. and Canadian powdered laundry detergents in order to contribute to green choices. This change will reduce fuel consumption for transport and reduce packaging. The existing detergents will still be as efficient, cleaning the same number of loads as previous detergents. Read the full story here.

The Brandery Builds Brands, Brings Businesses to Cincinnati

By Val Prevish

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Architecture + Design

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September 14, 2010

In the life of business start-ups, the great idea is only the first small step. So five lucky start-ups are getting the chance to learn from Cincinnati's master brand strategists and market research gurus as they take part in the first ever 12-week program at The Brandery, a new business accelerator that is luring promising young companies to Southwest Ohio.

2010 Gateway Quarter Tour of Living to show off region’s hottest housing market

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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September 7, 2010

The 2010 Gateway Quarter Tour of Living will take place on Sunday, September 12 in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. The free urban living tour is scheduled to include eight models that show off what close to 100 available loft condos in the area offer.The event comes as the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) continues work on more than $70 million worth of development projects in the immediate area including 200 housing units, 63,000 square feet of commercial space, and 300 parking spaces - all of which should be complete by February 2011, with Parvis Lofts becoming available later this fall.Previous 3CDC-related development projects in Over-the-Rhine date back to 2004 and include 205 housing units and 43,733 square feet of commercial space. To date, more than 70 percent of these housing units have been occupied, and roughly 60 percent of all commercial space has been filled resulting in more than 39 businesses becoming members in the Gateway Quarter Merchant's Association."People have been attracted to the downtown area because they can actually walk to work, entertainment and dining and not have to worry about driving. People can actually save money by living downtown," said Holly Redmond, Gateway Quarter Realtor with Link Realty. "New buyers are also excited about the hype of everything new coming like the streetcar and the casino."The area is becoming more desirable as more young professionals, first-time home buyers, and businesses move into the resurgent Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Between 2004 and 2009, there has been a 48 percent reduction in reported crime within the area, and 849 fewer crimes. Additionally, several new businesses are planned to open in the coming months as leases are finalized and build-outs completed."the lack of crime is huge, you can actually walk down the streets and the streets look good with the new streetscaping and stores and cleaned up buildings, it just looks fabulous," Redmond said. "But for those who may not have visited in a while, the biggest difference they'll notice is that the crime is no longer there. It's just stunning."The 2010 Gateway Tour of Living is anticipated to show off all of this progress and more this weekend - the event coincides with the monthly Second Sundays in OTR street fair. Gateway Quarter realtors say that condos in the area are available from the low $100s to mid $300s. Tour-goers will be able to tour ten buildings including Lackman Lofts, Duvenick, Trideca Lofts, Good Fellows Hall, Belmain, Falling Wall, City Home, Gateway Condos, and the brand new Parvis Lofts and Trinity Flats.The 2010 Gateway Tour of Living is free and open to the public, and will run from 12pm to 4pm on Sunday, September 12. Event organizers say that automobile parking will be available at lots at the corner of 12th & Vine, Mercer & Vine, and inside the Gateway Garage that is accessible from 12th Street and Central Parkway. Free bicycle parking is available throughout the area, and Metro bus service is also available (plan your trip).Writer: Randy A. SimesPhotography by Scott BeselerStay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

Developers break ground on $12M condominium project in Mariemont

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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September 7, 2010

Greiwe Development Group and North American Properties broke ground on the $12 million Emery Park condominium project in Mariemont last week. The development is the second phase of a larger project that will eventually create 121 new condominiums built according to the village's historic master plan and well-known Tudor Revival design."Mary Emery hired a great town planner named John Nolan to design Mariemont," explained Rick Greiwe. "Nolan's plans show a very dense village center with retail surrounded by walkable residential areas. Our projects are following that original plan that was finished in 1921."Greiwe says that due to a number of factors, much of the plan was not fully realized. As a result, his development team has been working to acquire land, tear down aging properties, and replace them with dense residential developments that adhere to the principles set out for Mariemont roughly 90 years go.The 29-unit Jordan Park development was the first-phase of this effort, with Emery Park being the second. Greiwe says that the development team decided to move forward with this second phase even before a single condo had been pre-sold."We are very confident in this location and the price point of these units," Greiwe said. "You're only 15 minutes from downtown, you have a great retail district, good schools, and a park nearby. As a result, we have already sold three units as of our groundbreaking last week."This second phase of development is expected to be complete by fall 2011; at that time they hope to start work on the next phase of development, Nolan Park, named after Mariemont's original town planner John Nolan. Greiwe says that in order for work to move forward on that phase, they must pre-sell at-least half of the total 35 units.The development team hopes to then come up with a more definitive plan for the fourth and final phase of the total development, but they do have a vision for exactly the kind of end result they want."We have noticed that people appreciate walkable communities, and Mariemont is one of the most walkable communities in the nation. We like to do infill projects close to healthy retail centers in walkable communities, and that is exactly why we're so bullish on Mariemont."Tours of Jordan Park and Emery Park condominiums can be scheduled with Sibcy Cline at the Mariemont Lifestyle Sales Center (map) from 1pm to 4pm on Sundays.Writer: Randy A. SimesRendering ProvidedStay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

‘Ugly Betty’ to attend third Annual Digital Non Conference to talk up new web, TV project

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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August 31, 2010

America Ferrera, the former "Ugly Betty" title character, is just one of the high-profile people coming to this year's Digital Non-Conference in downtown Cincinnati.The "non-conference," geared toward the region's digital marketers, has gained some cache in its third year. The event organized by ADCLUB Cincinnati and the American Marketing Association (AMA Cincinnati) is Sept. 23rd and 24th. Ferrera, along with Drew Buckley, COO of Electus studio, will be talking about a new television show the actress and studio will co-produce for MTV, said conference co-chair William A. Krieger, Client Service Director at R.L. Repass & Partners, Inc.The series "Pedro & Maria" has been described as "the first-ever multicultural, interactive series built for the digital age for MTV." It will air on television and on the web."They'll be talking about digital branding for entertainment," Krieger. "They keynotes this year are nationally recognized and phenomenal."Other scheduled speakers include Pandora founder Tim Wintergreen, The Huffington Post President Greg Coleman and Cincinnati's Jerry Kathman, president of LPK, the world's largest independent design agency. Conference organizers expect a 300-person sellout crowd this year. Cincinnati has its fair share of interested marketers who'll be attending; organizers estimate 400 Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky businesses focused on package design, branding, advertising, and marketing communications will take part. But the conference within the last two years also has drawn digital marketers from across the wider Midwest, including Cleveland, Louisville, Indianapolis and Huntington, Krieger said."The whole idea of the conference is to cover all things related to digital marketing. We're covering all the new trends in digital, from geolocation, to mobile marketing to video. The whole premise is to bring all the digital marketers into town to explore these trends."The conference also includes breakout sessions and special conference events including time to take in some tunes during the MidPoint Music Fest, which will be in town Sept. 23-25.There's also a pre-event happy hour set for Sept. 9 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Newport Syndicate.For more information on the conference or to register go here.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Cincinnati Digital Non-Conference Co-Chair William A. KriegerYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

Study hopes to guide casino’s impact on surrounding neighborhoods

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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August 31, 2010

When a new casino opens at Broadway Commons in 2012, its presence will change the face of the surrounding neighborhood, and could influence the character of Cincinnati's entire downtown.The exact nature of those changes remains to be seen, but a study announced last week by the community-based non-profit Bridging Broadway is designed to bring as much of the surrounding community into the planning process as possible."Our overall goal is to make sure that the casino development is a catalyst for improving the quality of life for downtown," Bridging Broadway's director and founder Stephen Samuels said. "It's about connecting people and places and developing a district. In doing that, we realized we'd have to be at the front of the research that was taking place."Samuels said that his group is pooling outside resources to ensure a level of openness and inclusiveness that a cash-strapped city planning department could only hope to provide with a study. The first major step for the study will be one of three "community dialogue envisioning sessions," that will be held in late October, he said. "People can walk the area and we'll ask them questions about what they see now and what they want to see in the future," he said. Samuels said he hopes the new district, known as the Broadway Commons District, will become a 24-hour multi-use district where people can "live and work and play." The study could impact everything from the type of businesses that are encouraged on the surrounding streets to the way they are lit. Street performances, public art, and even a place for buskers to play could be included in the recommendations made to the city, Samuels said. Samuels began working on the casino issue during a class project at the Niehoff Studio for Urban Design, which led to the creation of Bridging Broadway. His professor in that class, Frank Russell, will be another principle on the study along with fellow UC professor Michaele Pride. Funding for the project will be provided by Bridging Broadway, UC's Community Design Center and the City of Cincinnati. Some UC students will be employed to research case studies of similar development projects in other cities.Samuels said the study could set an example for major development projects in American downtowns, and he hopes it can help link together Cincinnati's growing districts that are now separated by poorly lit, un-inviting streetscapes."We really have the opportunity here to transform the dark spaces of downtown around the Broadway Commons site, so that they disappear, so that it becomes very fluid to walk from Main St. to Broadway commons or from Fountain Square to Broadway Commons or, for that matter, from Fountain Square to Vine," Samuels said. "Let's eliminate the darkness."Writer: Henry SweetsPhotography by Scott Beseler

Gangster tour operators open OTR Civil War tour

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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August 31, 2010

At the corner of 12th and vine streets in Over the Rhine, a tall man in a black vest and top hat commands the attention of a few dozen suburban-looking Cincinnatians. "We're no Antietam, Gettysburg or Shiloh, but I guarantee you that this place was a battleground," he says. "It was a battlefield for the hearts and minds of Cincinnatians…who had to sleep with one eye open for four years."Mac Cooley was delivering the opening lines of "Cincinnati Civil War; Heroes, Halls and Holy Houses," a new walking tour exploring Civil War History in Over-the-Rhine. The tour will start every Saturday in September in front of Mica 12/v on Vine Street. It is the third tour that Cooley, Jerry Gels and their friends and family operate in the Greater Cincinnati Area - and the second in Over-the-Rhine.While the other tours - Newport Gangster Tours and Queen City Underground - cover salacious topics like prostitution and beer, Gels said he thinks the history in this tour is the most significant they've covered yet.It doesn't get any bigger than people who follow the Civil War and want to hear Civil War stories, so our goal is to put Cincinnati on the map for that," Gels said.The tour begins on Vine Street and heads to Washington Park beneath a monument for the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry - the Dutch Devils - an all German speaking group from Over-the-Rhine. It moves into Memorial Hall, and then over to the Emery Theatre which sits on the site of the Eagle Ironworks, where as many as 3,000 muskets a day were rifled for Union Troops. The tour ends at Old St. Mary's Church.Though no battles were fought in Cincinnati, much of the city's history was shaped by the war, and it provided a number of characters - like William Lytle, Powhatan Beaty and Sister Mary Anthony O'Connell -whose legendary actions figure prominently into Civil War history. Gels teaches Biology and Cooley teaches English at Hughes High School in Covington. Gels won a Next Generation Leadership Award (NGLA) for the work he does in the classroom and mission trips he leads to Jamaica. The business began when Gels and Cooley, then amateur history buffs, decided to hold a Gangster tour in Newport as a fundraiser for the mission trips. The tours were a hit, and the rest is history.They are now investigating commercial spaces in Over-the-Rhine for a potential new home."We're interested in having a bricks and mortar place in Over-the-Rhine," Cooley said. "It's the largest historic district in America, people love heritage tourism and that's what we're good at."Writer: Henry SweetsPhotography by Scott Beseler