Author Topic: Cincinnati: Over-the-Rhine - Former SCPA / Historic Woodward redevelopment (Read 4998 times)

OTR · « **on:** November 12, 2012, 11:45:26 AM »

Indianapolis-based Core Redevelopment has placed the winning bid for the former SCPA / historic Woodward High School in OTR.

More info about Core here:
http://www.blogotr.com/otr/core-redevelopment-set-to-buy-historic-former-scpa-building/

More about the sale with quotes from Danny Klingler and Jim Tarbell here:
http://www.wlwt.com/news/local-news/cincinnati/Indianapolis-developer-to-buy-former-SCPA-building/-/13549970/17376278/-/u9xi0k/-/index.html

JYP · « **Reply #1 on:** November 12, 2012, 12:10:20 PM »

This is great news!

jmicha · « **Reply #2 on:** November 12, 2012, 12:53:43 PM »

I just saw this. I couldn't be happier this building is going to see new life in the form of residential conversion. Should bring a nice amount of residents to that side of town. I'll be excited to watch this development.

natininja · « **Reply #3 on:** November 12, 2012, 01:12:08 PM »

Wowowowowowow!

I thought that would either sit vacant for years or become a charter school. This is incredible!

Living in Gin · « **Reply #4 on:** November 12, 2012, 02:36:17 PM »

This is great news. I've often looked at that building and thought it would be awesome to see some loft-style apartments or condos in there. Hell, I'd seriously consider getting a place there once I'm done with grad school. I just hope the design of the apartments is more creative than what was done at the Emery.

Quimbob · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2012, 12:37:00 AM »

Anybody familiar with this developer?

moonloop · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2012, 02:58:15 AM »

Core converted a baseball stadium in apartments. This should be easy.

Jimmy_James · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2012, 03:54:35 AM »

That's great news. I can't wait to see what they do with this building!

Johio · « **Reply #8 on:** November 13, 2012, 04:21:06 AM »

I wondered if first-floor retail would make sense here but it appears as if most of the units fronting 13th in either direction are primarily all-residential with no commercial so doing residential top to bottom wouldn't be a bad thing. Hopefully the address the surface lots along the sides and front. It will be interesting to see what they do with the field in the back whether they keep it as a sporting green, program it as more of a park, pave it for parking or build on it.

With any sort of luck the energy on the site could spill over to the parking lot across the street.

Interesting personal tidbit. My ancestors owned a home around Woodward and Yukon on what I suspect is now either Ziegler Park or the parking lot.

OTR · « **Reply #9 on:** November 19, 2012, 02:08:41 AM »

Interior / exterior photo tour:

http://www.blogotr.com/otr/photo-tour-of-the-old-scpa-historic-woodward-high-school/

mcadrenaline · « **Reply #10 on:** November 19, 2012, 03:06:50 AM »

Great pics. I can't wait to see what they do with this building. The character and detailing looks far more intricate than the Emery and look how well that building turned out!

Wonder what will become of the gyms and pool? Pool probably filled in and gyms turned into 2-story loft apartments?

neilworms · « **Reply #11 on:** November 19, 2012, 03:25:31 AM »

^-a gym could be kept as a fitness center. I bet the pool is leaving though...

Would be awesome if they could set it up like this where there are bars and movie theaters: http://www.mcmenamins.com/427-kennedy-school-home

Living in Gin · « **Reply #12 on:** November 19, 2012, 03:58:25 AM »

No reason the pool couldn't be fixed up and offered as an amenity for residents. How many other downtown / OTR residential developments can offer an indoor pool? That gym looks enormous, but it would make an awesome fitness center, and could be divided to form an event space.

mcadrenaline · « **Reply #13 on:** November 19, 2012, 08:42:51 AM »

I would be extremely suprised if the pool makes it. The expense of reconstruction and operating it for a relatively small number of units would be quite high. Not to mention insurance costs, etc.

JohnClevesSymmes · « **Reply #14 on:** November 19, 2012, 08:53:03 AM »

What if someone contracted to run a for-profit gym there?

CincyGuy45202 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 19, 2012, 12:29:43 PM »

Interesting idea. How is Snap Fitness doing downtown? Independent gyms are very difficult now that gym's (now being last 20 years) have become so commercialized and are almost all just a handful of chains.

If Snap Fitness is doing well, perhaps you could see another gym, But with the athletic club, YMCA, Snap, a handful of yoga & Pilates places, a crossfit on 7th, downtown & OTR might not be in a place for more.

JohnClevesSymmes · « **Reply #16 on:** November 19, 2012, 03:28:52 PM »

True, but snap is a postage stamp, and the athletic club is men only. I wonder how the gym at Adams landing does.

On a separate note, how great are those rookwood water fountains? I call a unit that incorporates one!

jmecklenborg · « **Reply #17 on:** November 20, 2012, 03:44:28 AM »

I thin the parking lot fear is a little overblown. The property already has about 75 parking spaces. If the building ends up with 200 residents an additional 100~ spaces won't be a big deal.

ryanlammi · « **Reply #18 on:** November 20, 2012, 03:48:52 AM »

^I agree with that. Is it really only 75 spaces though? I was walking by there the other day and noticed parking spots numbering in the 90's. I know some of the spots are compact only or awkwardly located to squeeze them in, and admittedly I didn't count the spaces. Also, the park next door is a huge selling point for that location. If you look at the ballpark that the company is converting into apartments, the entire baseball field is left as open space. I don't think we have to worry too much about a parking lot covering that park.

jmecklenborg · « **Reply #19 on:** November 20, 2012, 04:11:21 AM »

The park used to be row houses. They were bulldozed for the park sometime around 1935.

I am worried that because of "security concerns" they might build an all-new fenced lot in place of the park. The American Can's lot is fenced in.

Caseyc · « **Reply #20 on:** November 20, 2012, 05:12:32 AM »

There is currently a haphazard configuration of 100 spaces. And that could most likely be improved upon. Of course, they will probably want to offload some of those a bit to allow for landscaping etc. But I agree, it's not like they have zero parking now. They were able to accommodate a fully-functioning school for quite some time without paving over the field in the process.

OTR · « **Reply #21 on:** November 20, 2012, 06:32:18 AM »

I agree that the fears of losing the park are overblown. Still good to let it be known that the park is important to the neighborhood. We'll see what Core has to say if/when they choose to say it publicly.

atlas · « **Reply #22 on:** November 20, 2012, 07:29:34 AM »

They should try to use this project as an example of doing residential without a 1:1 ratio. Do 1:2 and negotiate with Zipcar to put one or two cars adjacent to the property.

Jskinner · « **Reply #23 on:** November 20, 2012, 07:43:23 AM »

The park is definitely endangered. First of all, it is not really a park. It is just leftover space from when demolition happened and neighbors of the site improved it. The story I heard is that the neighbors cleaned it up and then got CPS to take ownership because they wanted it to stay used as a community asset.

Now this greenspace will be in private hands and it will probably be fenced off and used for parking and other private uses such as tennis or just as private park.... not open to the public.

ryanlammi · « **Reply #24 on:** November 20, 2012, 08:01:58 AM »

There's also a parking lot across from 13th Street that could possibly be rented/sold to the developer (currently owned by a private company).

Until we hear SOMETHING from the developers, everything is just speculation. There is no "probably" because we don't know what their plan is for this space. I think it is important for the neighbors to emphasize the importance of the publicly open area, but at this point it's just speculation.

ryanlammi · « **Reply #25 on:** November 20, 2012, 08:10:36 AM »

Also, does anyone else see incredible potential for a green roof, partially vegetated roof, or at least a rooftop deck on Woodward? Just look at the enormouse flat roof that exists! Slap a few nice railings on there and you could have incredible views of Downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine. This would most likely raise the value of the building much more than an enclosed park adjacent to the building. People go crazy for those views.

taestell · « **Reply #26 on:** November 20, 2012, 08:28:12 AM »

I'd like to see a Mercer Commons-style building go where the playground is now, with buildings fronting Sycamore and 14th, and a parking garage hidden in the core. Then, the massive parking lot between 14th and Woodward Streets could be turned into a park, attached to the existing Ziegler Park. (Yes, I'm ignoring the fact that these properties have different owners.)

atlas · « **Reply #27 on:** November 20, 2012, 08:49:38 AM »

I definitely think Zipcar should and could be used as leverage by developers to build less parking and instead provide Zipcar spaces nearby and/or free memberships for a year. Would be interesting if that would work in Cincy.

CincyGuy45202 · « **Reply #28 on:** November 20, 2012, 02:42:11 PM »

Quote from: taestell on November 20, 2012, 08:28:12 AM

I'd like to see a Mercer Commons-style building go where the playground is now, with buildings fronting Sycamore and 14th, and a parking garage hidden in the core. Then, the massive parking lot between 14th and Woodward Streets could be turned into a park, attached to the existing Ziegler Park. (Yes, I'm ignoring the fact that these properties have different owners.)

It's much much much more likely that the parking lot would become a building then ever become a park. Outside of Riverfront Park, the City isn't really in a position to create NEW parks out of non-park land.

OTR · « **Reply #29 on:** November 20, 2012, 03:15:21 PM »

Speaking of that block, Peaslee has to be one of the ugliest buildings in all of OTR.

Jskinner · « **Reply #30 on:** November 21, 2012, 12:03:19 AM »

^Peaslee building was actually an annex to an old school building. The old school building was demolished but the annex was left.

OTR · « **Reply #31 on:** November 21, 2012, 12:51:52 AM »

BallHatGuy · « **Reply #32 on:** November 24, 2012, 09:41:17 AM »

Quote from: Jskinner on November 21, 2012, 12:03:19 AM

^Peaslee building was actually an annex to an old school building. The old school building was demolished but the annex was left.

Who designed the Peaslee addition, Jskinner?

Jskinner · « **Reply #33 on:** November 25, 2012, 03:27:30 PM »

I saw old blueprints once, but I can't remember.

mcadrenaline · « **Reply #34 on:** January 08, 2013, 12:11:47 AM »

160 apartments proposed for old SCPA building
After years of uncertainty about the future of a historic school, an Indianapolis developer is proposing 160-plus apartments for the former SCPA building in Pendleton, according to a community leader.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130107/BIZ/301070142/160-apartments-proposed-old-SCPA-building

News:

Author Topic: Cincinnati: Over-the-Rhine - Former SCPA / Historic Woodward redevelopment (Read 4998 times)