Tag: planning

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Business News

A Great Good Place: Park + Vine

The Great Good Place is actually a book written by Ray Oldenburg. The book covers the places that are often hangouts and community gathering points. We’re not talking about public squares or private halls, but rather, those places that seem to be nodes of activity without meaning to.

These places are described as Third Places since they are nether home (first place) nor work (second place), but are comfortable and help to create a sense of place. Every neighborhood has them, so what and where are they in Cincinnati? Maybe it’s the neighborhood bar, bookstore, coffee shop, barber shop, or cafe. Or, if you’re live or visit the newly emerging Gateway Quarter, it is more than likely that you have spent some serious time in Park + Vine for more than just shopping for the latest/greatest green merchandise.

I know I have gone to Park + Vine just for the conversation…and on more than one occasion I have walked out of the store after meeting and getting to know someone new. Stephen Carter-Novotni, from CityBeat, described Park + Vine as a, “swank hang out for sustainable living enthusiasts in the area. Stick around for a few minutes and you’ll meet local people who are driving biodeisel cars, tending organic gardens or figuring out ways to turn junk into art.” So what’s your great good place?

Categories
News

Flagship urban Kroger at The Banks?

Local NBC affiliate, WLWT Channel 5, reported last week that the developers of The Banks are planning to release names of tenants later this year. Three tenants in particular that they did mention that they are in negotiations with are an ESPN Zone, Margaritaville, and Kroger.

ESPN Zone and Margaritaville don’t surprise me all that much…Kroger on the other hand is a pleasant surprise and gets my thoughts stirring about what they could do with an urban store in a newly constructed building in the very city they call home.

What I expect is for Kroger to step up and do something truly special. Something that incorporates all of their best store features and incorporates them into an urban model. A store that could become their flagship urban grocery store – an area in which Kroger doesn’t seem to venture too often, but one that they might want to start considering (see gas prices).

I’m thinking of a store that has lots of international foods, organic products, and generally fits with an “urban lifestyle” for those who may be buying in smaller quantities but at greater frequencies. Could there be a better location, time, and/or opportunity? I don’t think so.

Urban Kroger location (GoogleMap) in Atlanta, GA – Photos by Randy Simes
Categories
Business Development News

Calhoun/McMillan development pushes forward

Over the 4th of July weekend, the last two remaining buildings came down in the long-stalled McMillan Park project. First it was the money, then it was the property holdouts, then the bad economy topped it all off. Throughout this process the project was pretty much scrapped and put on the back burner.

That is until the remaining properties were secured. That has happened…enter Towne Properties, a renewed interest from UC, a growing UC student population, and future connection point between the Uptown and Downtown streetcar lines and you have some serious momentum.

Original rendering for McMillan Park – Source Unknown

Some people have criticized the poor design of University Park (across the street), but I’m not sure anyone can complain about its impact on street activity along Calhoun Street. People can be found all over the place doing homework, eating, relaxing, and socializing. So what can be done across the street to compliment those activities and continue to expand upon them?

I think a pedestrian only Hartshorn Street (GoogleMap) would be great for large outdoor patio spaces (see Cadillac Ranch Downtown) that could also make for neat street vending opportunities for students (i.e. artwork, music, maybe even some performance type stuff).

Along with that, 8-10 story buildings would seem to work well. The first two floors should be built out to the street, and then setback for the remaining 6-8 stories…thus creating the opportunity for an amenity deck above the 2-level retail or town homes below. This would then create a new level of activity that would spill onto the street below, while also remaining semi-private for the residents above. What would you like to see?

Example amenity deck – Source, www.1010midtowncondosupdate.com
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

Is gentrification inevitable in OTR?

So, is it? I tend to think that it is inevitable, but it does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. The word often comes with very negative connotations, especially when you throw race into the equation. This is exactly the issue in Over-the-Rhine, and it is also not a new one (see Buddy Gray).

Gentrification, by definition, is the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents. The key here is that gentrification often displaces poorer residents. An influx, of middle-class or affluent people, alone isn’t a bad thing. It is what usually comes with it that is bad – the displacement of poorer residents.

NW View over OTR by Randy Simes

So far gentrification has been taking place in/around the Gateway Quarter, but displacement hasn’t really occurred. Many of the buildings were vacant and there has been an effort, by 3CDC, to keep units at affordable levels. Some of the units have even been arranged to only accommodate individuals within certain income ranges.

As more and more new condos pop up and more new businesses arrive, the question seems only logical. How are we going to deal with the issue of gentrification in our city’s most infamous neighborhood? It is something that will take work and courage from our leaders, and dedication from the developers to do what is right.

The gentrification of OTR doesn’t have to be the divisive/negative aspect that it often is elsewhere. We know what we can do (inclusionary zoning techniques), and we know what we should do. The question really is whether the OTR power brokers will ultimately do the right thing and not displace those current residents just so they can fatten their wallets.