Tag: developments

Categories
News

Zoning Revolution!

Neighborhoods are the heart of what makes Cincinnati an incredible city. Each neighborhood is different, and has developed over time into the vibrant places they are today. Hyde Park, Mt. Adams, Clifton, Over-the-Rhine, are all great neighborhoods. They are also illegal under current laws. So what happened? Why can we not build neighborhoods like this anymore? My theory… Euclidian Zoning.

The conventional city zoning code deals with uses. It tells what you can or cannot have at a certain place (example: commercial separated from residential). This separation of uses effectively prohibits a traditional neighborhood or mixed use development from occurring. What if, instead of thinking of buildings in uses, we thought of buildings in form? If we select certain elements that the form of the building has to have, then we can work towards creating traditional neighborhoods, instead of a series of random buildings surrounded by parking.

Andres Duany has championed this neo-traditional development form. He has asked us to do nothing more than create the places where we all want to live. If we like places like Over-the-Rhine, why not create a zoning code that allows new development to be built like Over-the-Rhine? This isn’t about recreating history, or making “fake” cities, it is about creating smart, pedestrian friendly, diverse, and beautiful neighborhoods.

Let’s make smart design legal again.

Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls’ is pursuing a plan to bring “Smart Codes” to Cincinnati. She believes that “a combination of traditional zoning codes and auto-oriented, suburban street design has threatened the built form and the design quality of our neighborhoods and business districts”. I for one, support her in this effort.

Learn More about SMART CODES HERE!

Categories
News

Washington Park expansion

Washington Park offers a great opportunity for Over-the-Rhine. It is a historic park that has been owned, by the City, since 1855. The park boasts Civil War monuments, a historic bandstand, and some beautifully mature trees.

On the other hand the park has been plagued with perceived safety issues and an overall lack of investment in the surrounding area. This is rapidly changing with the massive investment from 3CDC and others. New residents, businesses, and a new School of Creative and Performing Arts are all offering the park and the neighborhood a fresh chance at new life.

Washington Park Conceptual Plan – Image provided by 3CDC

Washington Park Elementary once sat on the northern most portion of Washington Park and essentially cut Washington Park off from its northern neighbors. The demolition, of Washington Park Elementary, now offers an opportunity to expand the park where the school once sat. At the same time it will allow for a potential solution to another problem for new residents, businesses, and established destinations in the area (i.e. Music Hall, Memorial Hall, etc) – parking.

The expansion plan right now is to build a garage, underneath the expanded park, that would create 600-700 parking spaces. The total project cost is pegged around $25-million and a time line for completion will be created following more community input on the final plan.

This is all made possible by a recent agreement between Cincinnati Public Schools and the Cincinnati Park Board with 3CDC. CPS has agreed to permanently transfer the title for the former school site to the Park Board.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Business Development News Transportation

Clyffside, Streetcars, Moerlein…oh my

Last Friday (4/11) was a great day for Over-the-Rhine, and especially the Brewery District. There was the debut of a new Ohio Historical Marker for the Brewery District…and the Clyffside building kicked off its renovation process with a ‘wall knocking’ by council members Chris Bortz and Roxanne Qualls.

Brewery District people spoke, the two council members, and many others saw this as a chance to voice their support for the Cincinnati Streetcar. At one point the audience was instructed to look out the window and notice where the Northern end of the Streetcar will eventually be (1.5 blocks away or so). Needless to say, people were excited about the historical honor and the announcement of a renovation project that will bring 19 new units to OTR ranging from the low 100’s to the mid-200’s. Oh yeah, and the free Christian Moerlein was great too.

Over-the-Rhine certainly has some serious momentum that it hasn’t had for a long, long time. Speculation is already occuring along the proposed streetcar route and the neighborhood’s rich history is starting to get the recognition it deserves. To that I say cheers, over a Christian Moerlein OTR Ale.

You can view the rest of my photos from the Clyffside ribbon cutting, historical marker, and building tour HERE.

View from The Clyffside units (Randy Simes)

Categories
Development News Politics

Accountability comes a knockin’

City Manager Milton Dohoney is at it again. The City has for too long let developers linger around and stall on potential development sites for a variety of reasons. Most of which aren’t good enough reasons for me. Our city has reached the point where we no longer have to bend over backwards for developers. Instead it is about time they (private developers) start living up to their respective end of the agreement.

Dohoney’s first bold maneuver was to call out Eagle Realty on their lackluster development progress on 5th & Race. The City had essentially given Eagle Realty the land for nothing and simply ask that they develop something on an already cleared plot of land, and arguably one of the most prime pieces of real estate in the CBD. Dohoney said enough was enough, and informed Eagle that the City was taking away their development rights to the site.

Now on a much less prominent property, but equally as disturbing, Dohoney has once again taken the bold action of demanding that a developer live up to their end of an agreement. At 33 W. Fourth Street (corner of 4th & Race), the City gave a lease to MMF Realty with the expectations that they would redevelop this site. Well 3.5 years have passed and virtually nothing has occurred at the site.

In the mean time the City has heard from several other developers who are interested in developing the site themselves. Sounds like a win, win to me. Take this property off of MMF Realty’s hands – who clearly doesn’t want to do anything – and sell it off to another developer who is willing to do the job. It’s great to have a City Manager like Milton Dohoney around who actually has the backbone to stand up for the City and say enough is enough.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Business Development News Politics

Best Week Ever? No, but a really good one

This week has been pretty amazing for the City of Cincinnati and OTR:

1. Bootsy’s, Produced by Jeff Ruby is a go
2. Strickland adds more historic tax credits for OTR
3. Outside opens in the Gateway Quarter
4. The Music Now Festival hits the three year mark
5. Rookwood Pottery moves to OTR based on the future streetcar…without even full approval, the streetcar, is already causing economic development to occur.
6. The Banks broke ground
There was also a really good article in the Pulse of the City about the Brewery District

Rendering of Booty’s, Produced by Jeff Ruby – Image Provided