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.
Gateway Quarter to expand November 2, 2008
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
Building Valued Neighborhoods Conference October 9, 2008
The Building Valued Neighborhoods conference sponsored by the City of Cincinnati and the Urban Land Institute, included a variety of perspectives: developers, architects, city/county staff, and political leaders. The conference showed how form-based codes, also called smart codes, can be useful tools to build well-designed neighborhoods. Form-based codes have the following goals:
1. Providing certainty for developers and residents alike as to what future development will look like. Rather than creating an adversarial situation with a zone change and a conventional zoning code, form-based codes define the form of future development in a design-based public participation process.
| Conventional Zoning | Form-Based Code |
| What can’t be done (prescriptive) | What can be done (proscriptive) |
| Minimum setbacks | Build-to lines |
| Focus on use and density | Focus on built form, streets, public realm |
2. Creating a mix of housing types to meet the changing market demand. Families with a married couple and children only make up about 23% of the housing market. Other groups are “settling” for typical suburban single-family homes when they would prefer something different. Traditional neighborhood development can accommodate a variety of single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, shops, and public facilities to meet the market demand.
3. Encouraging efficient use of land and preserving natural resources (“Smart Growth”). Allowing for a mix of uses and compact development encourages pedestrian activity and makes transit use more feasible. Conventional zoning encourages large lot sprawl and undesirable streetscapes. Form-based codes provide a tool for clustering development when desired.
4. Adding value to quality of life by creating desirable public places. Form-based codes focus on “transects” that can vary from urban to suburban to rural. By focusing on the appropriately designed form for the transect, development has character. Streets are a major focus in form-based codes. Buildings address the street creating a more appealing atmosphere, and amenities such as street trees contribute to creating a place where people enjoy walking, shopping, and relaxing.
Conference Website
http://cincycharacter.com/
Lenox Village – Regent Homes
http://www.regenthomestn.com/
Gulch Redevelopment – Downtown Nashville
http://www.nashvillegulch.com/living/index.html
Examples of Traditional Neighborhood Development
http://www.tndtownpaper.com/neighborhoods.htm
Nashville’s Form-Based Code
http://www.nashville.gov/mpc/
Louisville’s Form-Based Code
http://www.louisvilleky.gov/PlanningDesign/
Beautiful new buildings July 16, 2008
Apartment Building in New Jersey
Bachenheimer Building, Berkeley, CA
Blogger CityKin posted a picture of a beautiful new apartment building in New Jersey designed by architect Marieanne Khoury Vogt. The color, the texture, the design details, the scale, and even the interesting curved corner contrasting with the hard edge, the lovely windows, all made me see this building as a work of art, and part of a place where I’d like to be.
It reminded me of one of my favorite new buildings in Berkeley, CA, the Bachenheimer Building, designed by Kirk E. Peterson and Associates Architects. The Berkeley building is in a prominent location, and is a focal point in downtown Berkeley as you are traveling north on Shattuck toward University Avenue. My favorite design details are the arched windows and the Mediterranean-inspired tiles. The mixed-use building manages to look clearly new, while blending with the historic buildings in the neighborhood.
These new urbanist buildings are both neo-modern and neo-traditional. I’d love to see this level of design quality around Cincinnati… They are not just buildings, they are pieces of public art that contribute to a genuine sense of place.
Imagine if we could have had something a little better than Neyer’s new Columbia Square Building, which has few redeeming qualities, and certainly is not consistent with the historic buildings on the other corners.
Columbia Building, Cincinnati, OH
Mt. Lookout Community Council needs volunteers! July 16, 2008
If you are interested, attend the next meeting:
Place: MLT’s
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.
Ten questions about redevelopment in Cincinnati March 4, 2008
I have recently returned Cincinnati in December 2007 after living in Berkeley in the San Francisco area for several years. There, working as a Planner, and being involved in the community, I saw some interesting planning activities and developments occur. Now that I’m back in Cincinnati, I’m ready to get a sense of the current redevelopment climate here. I’m looking for answers to the following:
- What are the biggest incentives offered for redevelopment?
- What are the barriers to new investment in established areas?
- Are historic buildings consistently evaluated before demolition?
- Which developers are the biggest players in urban areas of Cincinnati?
- Which developers are known to be sensitive to community concerns?
- Which development corporations have been successful in sparking revitalization?
- How has the City of Cincinnati helped or hindered revitalization?
- What are the best new developments in the last five years, and who made them happen?
- Who are the most influential people in historic preservation and redevelopment in Cincinnati?
- What new developments are currently in the planning stage?
