The University of Cincinnati is welcoming more than new and returning 41,000 students for the 2010-2011 school – its highest enrollment ever – today. Many of those tens of thousands of students will get to enjoy one of the world’s most beautiful campuses, and one of the nation’s most unique urban universities.
UC’s largely car-free campus has virtually no surface parking lots, and in turn boasts award-winning green spaces, architecture, and recreational facilities. It is a campus unlike hardly any other. Buildings twist and turn, almost fighting for space on campus.
One such example is Nippert Stadium where the scoreboard is situated atop the Campus Recreation Center, the Lindner Athletic Center basically cantilevers over the northeast corner of the stadium, a CCM structure forms the southern end to the concourse area, and Tangeman University Center rubs elbows with the stadium’s press boxes.
UC’s internationally acclaimed campus is most known for its blend of historic architecture and stunning new architectural prize pieces. Works by Henry Cobb, Peter Eisenman, Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, George Hargreaves, Thom Mayne, Bernard Tschumi, Buzz Yudell, and more regularly impress crowded tour groups of prospective students and architecture buffs alike.
As a UC alumnus I am proud of my university, and am happy to welcome students back to the university’s Uptown campuses and those throughout the region. Go Bearcats!
Please excuse the infrequency of content lately. The UrbanCincy team has been hard at work lining up new stories and features we hope you will all find quite enjoyable. On top of that, I have been in San Francisco for the past five days. The trip to the bay area will certainly provide content down the road as I was able to learn a lot about their transit systems, urban design, and overall city functions during my visit.
While in San Francisco I got to see virtually all of the tourist destinations but also the city’s first parklet, their new bus stops, ride a bike down Lombard Street and across the Golden Gate Bridge to Saulsalito, try out one of San Francisco’s best taco trucks while enjoying Aztec dancing in the Mission District, enjoy some of the most walkable neighborhoods in the United States, and learn a lot about the region’s transit system thanks to Jeff Wood from Reconnecting America. I took hundreds of photographs documenting the entire journey, but in the mean time enjoy these sub-par camera phone pictures.
Newport saw the completion of its first high-rise tower when the 21-story SouthShore condominium tower began welcoming residents over a year ago. With much of the tower now occupied, UrbanCincy was invited to tour the dramatic riverfront building to see where it stands now.
The building soars 240 feet above Newport, overlooking the Daniel Carter Beard “Big Mac” Bridge and downtown Cincinnati. SouthShore’s 61 luxury condominium units range in size from 1br to a 5,000 square-foot penthouse that encompasses the entire 21st floor. Condominiums range from $395,000 to $3.3 million for the large penthouse unit.
One of the most unique features of the SouthShore tower is its front loaded design that allows each unit to face north toward the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati – a common design approach in high-end, waterfront residential towers. The building was intentionally designed with all of the mechanical features facing away from the river so that all the residents have stunning views of downtown, Mt. Adams and the river. Each unit also features a terrace, which range in size from a modest sitting area to an enormous 3,000 square-foot outdoor terrace for the penthouse.
With potential flooding being a concern for the structure, architects designed the building to be integrated right into the levee. The first four floors of the structure is a parking garage for residents and visitors, which feature two sets of floodwalls. If the City of Newport must shut their floodwall to protect the city from rising waters, residents at SouthShore can still exit from the complex’s private floodgate. The building then narrows as it rises from the garage, creating ample rooftop deck space for a swimming pool with fountains and a hot tub, an 1,800 square-foot fitness center, putting green, walking trails, gardens, and a two-level clubhouse for residents.
On the ground level, many of the residents use a secure storage area for their bicycles and segways. The building management is also looking to purchase two segways for residents to use at their leisure. Many residents walk to Kroger in Newport, spend time at Newport on the Levee, or walk or bike into other parts of Cincinnati. It is just a ten minute walk from SouthShore to The Banks development on the other side of the river. Realtors from Sibcy Cline also speak highly of the building’s soundproofing which allows residents to enjoy peace and quiet despite sharing walls with their neighbors.
Capital Investment Group, the project’s developer, has plans to build a similar tower next door to SouthShore called The Marina. This residential tower is planned to feature many of the same amenities with the addition of private dock space for homeowners in the new 100-slip marina approved by the US Army Corps of Engineers early in 2009.
Those interested in obtaining more information about condominiums at SouthShore can contact Christine Schoonover with Sibcy Cline at (859) 431-8000 or CSchoonover@sibcycline.com. When you speak with her, mention that you read about the condos on UrbanCincy.
Crews from Turner Construction Company continue to work on the finishing touches of Cincinnati’s new tallest skyscraper that will house a variety of companies including Great American Insurance for which the Great American Tower gets its name. The $322 million office tower boasts more than 800,000 square feet of office space and is scheduled to welcome its first tenants in spring 2011.
The Great American Tower is part of the larger Queen City Square development which includes the 303 Broadway office tower next door. The two towers share a 2,200-space parking facility and exterior design features.
The new tower has reached its highest point at 665 feet above Third Street with its majestic “Tiara” atop the structure’s 41st floor. UrbanCincy photographer Jake Mecklenborg was invited to tour the new tower as crews finish the structure’s crowning design feature. Mecklenborg’s photographs capture dramatic views from the top of the tower of Over-the-Rhine, Downtown, The Banks and the Cincinnati Riverfront Park. He also captures crews hard at work throughout the project.
Eagle Realty is currently working on leasing the final 175,000 square feet of office space at the Great American Tower on floors 28, 29, and 35 through 38. Once complete, the tower will house thousands of business workers, new retail offerings, and a dramatic new architectural feature to downtown Cincinnati that will eclipse historic Carew Tower as the tallest structure in the Ohio River Valley.
While designers the world-over work on their fall clothing lines in these sticky summer months, plans are also being put into place to continue nurturing Cincinnati’s fashion scene, on the heels of a very successful inaugural Fashion Week this spring.
“Cincinnati Fashion Week was the first stepping stone on our fashion-movement,” said Nathan Hurst, founder and CEO of Cincinnati Fashion Week. “I was proud to be a part of something that brought sixteen designers into the spotlight and helped develop a platform for working artists to showcase their talent and businesses.”
According to Hurst, this summer is seeing the development of a web-property that will connect designers, consumers and fashion enthusiasts.
“We are currently working on Cincinnati Lookbook, a fashion and lifestyle ‘blog-i-torial’ that will feature local and national artists for lavish jewelery, stylish apparel, and modern home goods,” he explained. “The blogging platform will feature style tutorials, community spotlights, and fashion editorials shot by local photographers.”
While spring Fashion Week here may have concluded with a runway show called the Fashion Finale, Hurst and the rest of the fashion community hope that the Finale actually points to the next frontier. Below, view a gallery of photos from the Spring Fashion Finale event, held in the Grand Ballroom of the Downtown Hyatt, as Cincinnati’s fashionistas look toward Fall 2010.
