We occasionally post videos put together by people from around the world for no other reason than to share their incredible job of showcasing cities. The latest such example began surfacing a couple of weeks ago, and this time the video profiles Chicago.
The approximately six minute video, entitled Windy City Nights, was put together by Max Wilson over a nearly two-year period. The extraordinary timelapse video showcases a number of Chicago landmarks while also profiling some more casual scenes from about The Windy City.
According to Wilson, he shot over 200,000 exposures to end up with the final product. It also apparently taxed him due to his simultaneous full-time work and family commitments.
Well, Max Wilson’s struggles are for your enjoyment. So sit back, relax and enjoy this wonderful video of the capital of the Midwest.
Last week construction crews began demolishing the 81-year-old Wilson Auditorium along Clifton Avenue. The structure had sat vacant, used for not much more than storage, for decades and had been planned for demolition for just as long.
A parking garage was once envisioned to take the place of Wilson Auditorium, but updated plans call for the construction of temporary classroom space for students displaced by the $45 million renovations taking place at the College of Education. Once that project is complete, the temporary structures will come down and school officials say that the site will be transformed into green space.
The future of another University-owned structure, however, also appears to be limited.
The Campus Services Building along Reading Road is rumored to also be in line for demolition. This 84-year-old structure was once home to a Sears Department Store and now sits on what will become prime real estate following the construction of the $108 million MLK Interchange.
It is important to note, however, that the existing cobblestones are being shipped off for storage and cleaning, and will be put back on Elm Street in a way to compliment the new streetcar track.
UrbanCincy technologist and contributing photographer, Travis Estell, has been out and about lately and has captured some of the recent work through his lens. The following 12 photos were taken over the past two weeks in Over-the-Rhine.
This month’s URBANexchange returns to the Moerlein Lager House biergarten where the beer flows freely and the pretzels are warm and plentiful. The event will be held on Wednesday August 14 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
Held monthly, URBANexchange has become the place where urban enthusiasts trade ideas, share a drink and get to know one another.
The event is a casual way to unwind from the day and an opportunity to meet similar like minded people. There is no formal presentation or formal anything, and there is no cover charge for attending.
For this month’s event we are hosting local photographer and fellow blogger Ronny Salerno, who has just released his new book, The Future is One of Mighty Ducks T-Shirts and Discmen. The book features many photographs from his long career of photographing abandoned buildings and theme parks.
Salerno’s photography won him local media attention for capturing the state of many forgotten places throughout the Midwest. His latest photo projects include Suburbia Lost and 224Cincy which can be found on his blog Queen City Discovery. The blog recently celebrated its five year anniversary.
At the event we will hold a drawing for two lucky attendees to win a free copy of his new book. So come down to the Moerlein Lager House for drinks, fun and a chance to win a book filled with amazing photography!
Mercer Commons has long been considered a critically important site in Over-the-Rhine due to its size and central location.
In 2005, Cincinnati Public Schools purchased the land and existing buildings on the 2.2-acre site with the plan to rebuild the shuttered Washington Park Elementary School there.
As plans changed over the years, the school district decided to abandon the school plans for the site and instead sell it to the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) to pursue a $63 million mixed-use development.
View from the Mercer Garage
View from the Mercer Garage
Construction Site
Condo Construction
Condo Construction
Historic Renovation Work
Condo Construction
Construction Site
Historic Renovation Work
Historic Renovation Work
Historic Renovation Work
Historic Renovation Work
Construction Site
Mercer Garage
Mercer Garage
Historic Renovation Work
Alley Restoration
Historic Renovation Work
Mercer Commons Alley
Historic Renovation Work
Historic Renovation Work
Mercer Garage
Historic Renovation Work
Historic Renovation Work
Historic Renovation Work
Historic Renovation Work
Townhouse Construction
Townhouse Construction
Condo Construction
Consisting of a new 340-space parking garage, 28 condos and 96 market-rate apartments, 17,600 square feet of commercial space, and 30 affordable apartments, Mercer Commons is not only adding new structures along Vine Street and Fourteenth Street, but is also renovating 19 historic structures as part of the overall development.
With work on phase one nearing completion, and ground recently being broken on phase two, Mercer Commons is now transforming a large central portion of Cincinnati’s largest historic district.
UrbanCincy staff writer and photographer Jake Mecklenborg visited the site last week to document its progress. What he found is that the finished development will have the appearance of having been renovated and constructed at various times, instead of all at once as it actually is.
“They are building modern-looking row homes on Mercer right next to all the renovations, and I noticed that it looks like they’ve paid some attention to the back alleys, since this is how residents will reach the parking garage,” Mecklenborg explained.
He went on to say that the development team appears to be reusing bricks in the alley serving the site, and that this will end up being the primary access point for residents living at Mercer Commons.
