New development company Urban Expansion brings rental units to OTR

There is a new splash of color on 14th Street in Over-the-Rhine.

The four and a half story purple building at 24 East 14th is the work of Chris Reckman and his new development company, Urban Expansion.

Reckman finished the project last month. The building houses eight rental units; two one-bedrooms and six lofts. The building, called East 14th Lofts, is Reckman's first foray into the rental market, which he says has more demand than supply can keep up with. The apartments, which rent for $500 and $600 each, have their own water and heat so they can be condominiumized in the future if the market demands it, Reckman said.

Reckman says the demand for affordable rental housing in Over-the-Rhine is extremely high, a phenomenon that he noticed this summer when new restaurants and bars opened in the Gateway Quarter and made it a more livable place. Since most of the newly rehabbed units there are offered as condominiums, it is difficult to find a newly-renovated affordable rental. He says his future projects will hit the market as rental units as well, until supply increases or demand decreases. The next two buildings he'll rehab will be in the Pendleton district.

Reckman has been doing urban renewal projects since he was old enough to earn a paycheck, going in to clean up sites before they were remodeled by his father's development company, Model Group. After college he spent several years with Model Group learning the construction business, and started CAR construction in 2005.

"I've kind of separated myself from my dad, and started my own company," he said. "I began in 2005, buying my own properties and rehabbing them."

The recent change in name from CAR Construction to Urban Expansion marks Reckman's shift from contractor to developer. His former construction employees have started their own construction companies, and they now work for Reckman on a contract basis.

Over the years, Reckman has developed his own style, which is reflected in a historic three-car garage on Republic Street that he converted into his own studio apartment. The exterior has been restored to its historic state, with three functional garage doors. Inside, poured concrete floors, painted brick, and finishes made with exposed rough-cut boards and stainless steel give it a modern feel.

He has a new office about a hundred yard walk from his studio, on Vine Street.

"The idea down here is to live and work in the same neighborhood," he said.

Writer: Henry Sweets
Photography by Scott Beseler.