Month: December 2011

Categories
Business Development News

Historic Schiel School to make way for $20M development in Corryville

Demolition work has begun on the 100-year-old Schiel School in Corryville. The school has long served as a landmark for the Short Vine business district, but was closed by Cincinnati Public Schools in 2010.

To preservationists the demolition of the school marks yet another dramatic loss to the historic fabric of Uptown, but to many urbanists the $20 million development to take its place marks a turning point for the long-troubled business district on the east side of the University of Cincinnati’s main campus.

“Greater residential density will support the existing and incoming merchants and add the kind of vitality that helps to enrich and secure a neighborhood,” says Kathleen Norris who is the vice president of Brandt Retail Group’s Urban Focus division. “Housing of this quality is likely to attract not only undergraduates but also grad students and even area professionals from the educational and medical communities.”


The historic Schiel School is prepared for demolition in Corryville.

Project officials say that the five-story, mixed-use development will include 102 apartments geared towards students, and several street-level retail spaces. Fifth Third Bank has already signed on as one of the retail tenants, and will serve as the retail anchor for the project.

The development is part of a larger wave of multi-story residential development sweeping through historic uptown neighborhoods like Clifton Heights, Corryville, Clifton, University Heights, Avondale and Mt. Auburn. The developer of this project, Uptown Rentals, now has three developments within the immediate vicinity of Short Vine that are bringing hundreds of new housing units to Corryville.


A new $20M mixed-use development will rise where one of Short Vine’s most prominent historic structures once stood.

Visitors to the area will also notice other residential developments nearby including one such project sits almost immediately across the street from the Schiel School site on Short Vine. There, older structures have already been cleared, and the new development is now rising from the ground.

Community leaders in Corryville do expect the redevelopment of the Schiel School site (map) to transform the Short Vine business district, and it also seems certain that the addition of hundreds of new residents to the neighborhood will change the area’s demographics and urban form.

“Business at Dive Bar is great and has been steadily growing,” said Joe Pedro, owner of the recently opened establishment. “We see the new residential units being constructed in the neighborhood as an excellent driver for the business district, and ultimately we are excited to see new tenants coming to the street and feel it will positively impact all of the businesses in the area.”

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect rendering for the $20 million redevelopment of the historic Schiel School site in Corryville.

Categories
News Transportation

Streetcar project expands with new funding

UPDATE: The Fiscal Year TIGER III grants have been released, and it is official: The Cincinnati Streetcar has received funding to complete Phase 1 with the Riverfront Loop. Along with a transit building upgrade in Cleveland, the Cincinnati Streetcar project was the only other Ohio project to be awarded money. Out of 848 applicants, the project was one of 46 to move forward with funding.

Undisclosed Congressional sources notified UrbanCincy Monday that the shovel-ready Cincinnati Streetcar project will receive 10.9 million dollars in funding from the federal TIGER III grant. As reported earlier in November, the city applied for $58 million in funding through the program, to restore the project to its original aim of connecting the Uptown and Downtown employment centers. The $10.9 million will potentially be able to expand the adjusted route down to the Banks.

“This TIGER III grant was awarded on a competitive basis and shows that the Cincinnati Streetcar is one of the best transportation projects in the country for generating economic development and putting Cincinnatians back to work,” said CincyStreetcar blog founder and local transit expert Brad Thomas.

Over $50 million of the project’s original funding was cut by Governor Kasich’s office in April for other much lower ranked projects, including a bus line in Canton, Ohio.

According to Transportation Issues Daily, no other cities in Ohio have received funds from the grant. However, TRAC director and former asphalt lobbyist Jerry Wray wrote a letter of recommendation for a TIGER III grant to widen 3.75 miles of roadway in Pickaway County, Ohio. Despite major pushback at the state level, local support has never been stronger with the new election of 7 pro-streetcar council-members.

Council-member, OTR resident and ardent supporter Chris Seelbach told UrbanCincy, “IF the news is correct, as the Business Courier is reporting, then it’s great news! The goal was always to connect Cincinnati’s two biggest job centers, downtown and uptown. Only when Governor Kasich cut the State’s funding was the route shortened. I’m hopeful this new funding source will again allow us to have fixed rail from the stadiums to the University of Cincinnati and hospitals, and everywhere in between.”

Cincinnati Streetcar picture by 5chw4r7z.

Categories
Business Development News

Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati kicks off 2012 DIY Urbanism Competition

The Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati (AFC) and the University of Cincinnati Niehoff Urban Studio have launched the DIY Urbanism Competition 2012 for the city of Cincinnati. Organizers say that the competition is looking for entrants to identify the most creative visions for temporary installations that could enhance the use, perception, and enjoyment of public space in urban areas throughout Cincinnati.

Entries for the DIY Urbanism Competition 2012 are open to individuals or groups associated with architecture, planning, art, or design disciplines that reside or operate within the Cincinnati region. Students must be currently enrolled.

Organizers state that proposals may vary in content from architectural, fine art, or programming concepts, but must be illustrated for a site specific context. A $10 entry fee paid upon delivery, and competition work must be submitted to the AFC by January 18.

The Exhibit Opening Reception and announcement of winners will take place on Tuesday, February 7. Winners for ‘Best in Show’ and ‘Best Student Work’ will be awarded $500 and $200 respectively from the AFC.

More information about registration, design submissions and the competition is available through the University of Cincinnati Community Design Center website. Questions may be addressed by email only to design.center@uc.edu. All questions and answers will then be compiled and posted on the competition web site.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Landor creates new downtown tradition with holiday windows

Local branding and design firm Landor Associates, located in the former Shillito’s department store building at Race and 7th Streets in downtown Cincinnati, has implemented an updated twist on classic holiday window displays using modern technology.

For the last two years, the company has worked to create vignettes that incorporate their work in attractive and engaging ways. From invoking local fashion designers to asking area bloggers to record their inspirations, the creative teams at Landor have enlightened and delighted passersby with their creations. This particular display takes it to a new level.

Media Design Director Dan Reynolds spoke with UrbanCincy about the background and implementation behind the newest iteration of storefronts. “My background is in film-making and creating media-based, interactive environments,” says Dan. “For our holiday windows, we used a projection mapping process to create hyper-precise animated projections onto three-dimensional objects.”

This technology, combined with the motion designers’ work, creates an engaging, updated take on the classic department store animatronics of yore. The windows have been transformed into linear vignettes that illustrate the lyrics to the song “Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland.”

While the displays are nice to look at during the day, the real magic happens at 4:45, when it’s dark enough outside that the projections can be seen from the street. “Passersby have done double takes when they see the different animations,” says Dan. “It’s a completely new and unexpected experience that surprises and delights people walking by.”

The show fills a tradition left vacant by both the original Shillito’s Department Store Christmas displays, and the Duke Energy holiday train display, which moved this year from its home on 4th Street to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. While there is no argument to the appropriateness of a train display in a train station, the tradition of going downtown for the holiday displays is permanently changed.

Courtney Tsitouris has memories from downtown Christmases past. “My family had a ritual back then… back when I had to wear a ruffle dress and curl my bangs. We’d stroll through Fountain Square, look at the lights, eat at Orchids at Palm Court and I’d get a toy from the Christmas shop at the Westin. I believed in the magic.”

Now workers, residents, and visitors can complete their downtown Christmas experience – ice skating on Fountain Square, local shopping and eating, and seeing a magical holiday window display at the Shillito’s building. On December 16th, visitors can come inside the Landor lobby and visit with Santa, look at the windows, and take free carriage rides around the city from 4-8 pm.

“These windows are our responsibility to the city,” reflects Dan. “We have an obligation to engage our neighborhood, and building on classic traditions is just one way to strengthen Cincinnati.”

Landor Holiday Window picture by 5chw4r7z.

Categories
Business Development News Politics Transportation

City, county leaders celebrate latest milestone in Cincinnati’s central riverfront transformation

The sixth major portion of Cincinnati’s central riverfront transformation is now finished as city and county leaders celebrate the completion of the new street grid and a 729-space parking garage. The garage will lift the next phase of private development out of the Ohio River’s 100-year flood plain, and the completion of Freedom Way will connect both ends of the massive development.

The new parking garage is part of the larger Central Riverfront Garage system that spans five city blocks and makes the area buildable for private development. To date, Carter and Dawson Company has teamed to build an $80 million development that houses 300 apartments and 90,000 square feet of retail space.

“My wife and I walk, bike or drive past The Banks construction on a daily basis,” explained downtown condo owner Bob Schwartz. “As big a project as it is daily progress is visible if you see it regularly and I’ve thought it’s had a reasonably good pace considering its scope.”


Developers hope to break ground next summer on $75 million worth of mixed-use development atop the recently completed portion of the Central Riverfront Garage.

Officials have stated that negotiations are ongoing to bring a hotel to the site, as well as office tenants that would finance a new tower. Aside from the obvious construction progress there are also several other notable features that are now coming online at The Banks.

The new Central Riverfront Garage system includes valet parking and accepts credit cards through an electronic payment system. The new garage system has also includes a theme-based navigation setup. For example, sports fans can can see whether they are parked in the Baseball Block (red) or Football Block (orange).

All of the exposed garages will eventually be topped with private investment in a manner the development is intimately familiar. By lifting the development out of an undesirable area by garages, the public sector is able to essentially construct building pads for which future development will occur. This approach is very similar to what Carter has used when building out Atlantic Station in Atlanta.


The Central Riverfront Garage includes a theme-based navigation system organized by colors and symbols to help visitors navigate the massive parking structure.

The development team expects to start work on the next $75 million phase of development next summer. That portion, which lies immediately west of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, is anticipated to include an additional 300 apartments and even more retail space. Prior to that developers may get started on two anchor restaurants to be built in front of the Freedom Center.

“Many students are excited for the completion of the development,” said Heights Community Council member and University of Cincinnati student Tim Oliver. “While construction timelines may be adhered to, the public wants what The Banks promises now.”

The vast 2,400-space garage system is controlled by Hamilton County and is intended to serve the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals professional sports franchises, while also creating additional parking for future office towers along 3rd Street. The latest phase of public investment was made largely possible by a $23 million grant from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.