This historic building is so elegant and graceful. It is very traditional, yet interesting with nice design details. I love the windows. Cincinnati is lucky to have this!
Gateway Quarter to expand November 2, 2008
While projects here and nationally have been staled by the looming credit crisis and slouching economy, redevelopment in Over-the-Rhine has barely missed a beat.
Since 2006, dozens of vacant buildings have been transformed into new storefronts and more than 100 condominiums, mainly along Vine Street.
Another 106 condominiums and 15,000 square feet of retail space are under construction as part of a third phase of the Gateway Quarter.
Key to the projects has been 3CDC’s use of New Market Tax Credits, a federal program created by Congress in 2000 as a way to draw private development dollars into struggling neighborhoods.
3CDC got the city’s first installment of $50 million in tax credits in 2004 and last month announced it had landed another $35 million.
Cincinnati projects win Ohio historic tax credits October 17, 2008
Projects include:
- The American Can Building in Northside, which will receive $4.5 million in credits;
- Arrow Apartments, which will get $352,000 in credits;
- The old Cincinnati Enquirer building on Vine Street downtown, which will get the maximum $5 million in credits;
- A $4 million project to rehabilitate The Golden Lamb in Lebanon, which won a credit valued at $439,250.
- And the Glencoe Auburn Place Row Houses, which will receive $3.9 million in credits.
- Eleven of the 15 Cincinnati projects are buildings being redeveloped in Over-the-Rhine by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., or 3CDC.
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/13/daily41.html
The value of historic windows July 23, 2008
The Preservation Nation blog addresses the issue of replacing wooden windows in historic buildings in the name of “green design” and energy efficiency. I cringe when I see “green” advocates show images of old windows leaking heat from a building. That approach is so one-sided. The Preservation Nation Windows Tip Sheet does a great job of systematically and objectively presenting the issue and giving balanced information for decision making. Energy efficiency of the overall building should be considered over solely focusing on windows. Adding insulation could give you a lot more energy savings for the amount of investment. I especially like the points under “My Windows Are Old and Drafty, Why Shouldn’t I Buy New Ones?”
Something I would like to see is a cost-benefit analysis toolkit that would allow people to compare the money spent, energy savings, and design quality of keeping or replacing windows in different situations. There is certainly a qualitative element of the analysis in determining the value of historic windows. Original windows often almost seem like part of a building’s “soul.” I appreciate the effort to ask people to stop and think before making window replacements in the name of energy efficiency. It might also be useful for people to see some before and after photos of window replacement projects to better visualize the impacts replacement windows can have on the design.
And, what about encouraging architectural salvage for those instances where the windows are not going to be saved? That’s another approach to encouraging green design in new buildings, and in renovation projects, by using salvaged architectural elements that do not require new resources for their construction.
Yeah, the Hughes Center in Clifton lives on! May 8, 2008
University Heights has gone through some major transformations in the last few years – blocks of buildings have been demolished, a large mixed-use building has been constructed, and some existing buildings have been renovated and re-used, perhaps the most interesting being the Urban Outfitters in a church. I was sad to see some of the beautiful old row houses get demolished, and I question how much control the University should really have over the properties in this neighborhood. But I was happy to see the horrible fast food restaurants – plagued with drive thrus, surface parking lots, big signs, and terrible design, go away. I like the new mixed-use building, though I think the design should have been better – more nice details and more character like the old buildings in the neighborhood. The pedestrian-oriented scale is great, and the density is appropriate for the site.
One of the unknowns in this University Heights plan was the future of the Hughes Center, a beautiful landmark at the end of Calhoun Street. I was really happy to read in the Enquirer today that it will be used as an innovative science and math high school, combining resources of the Cincinnati Public Schools, The University of Cincinnati, many businesses (including Procter & Gamble and Duke Energy) and non-profits. Thanks to Jeff Edmondson of the Strive Coaltion for organizing the effort. This is a great use for the landmark building, and I’m so happy it will live on!
Building Cincinnati and wrecking Cincinnati March 27, 2008
Kevin LeMaster writes a great blog “Building Cincinnati” about development activities and related planning issues in Cincinnati. I think the “Wrecking Cincinnati” posts are an especially good idea. When a building is demolished, he posts the picture along with the date of construction and date of demolition. It is sad to see that many of the buildings being demolished exemplify beautiful architecture – they tell a history and have character that many new buildings do not have. Posting these pictures encourages people to think about and discuss why the buildings are being demolished, and to consider if demolition of these existing resources is a good thing or not… Here are links to some recently demolished structures.
Historic preservation is green design March 25, 2008
I’m happy to see that the LEED rating system for green buildings is being revised to give better consideration to historic preservation. Link to the full story New Version of LEED to Incorporate Better Metrics for Historic & Existing Buildings on PresevationNation.
