03 March 2011

Does This Building Stay or Go

I've heard that this building may be demolished for a new development on Vine. Is that true?
 


A drawing on 3CDC's website seems to show it missing:
 


Non-profit corporations are allowed an exemption to the Historic District guidelines which prohibit demolition, but so far as I know 3CDC has not used this exemption much, if ever. In another drawing, it looks like the building will remain:
 


[where: 1314 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202]

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was told 9 months ago it was being torn down. Maybe something has changed since then.

Anonymous said...

I wonder what the facade of this building looked like originally. The window configuration is a little odd - altered? Is that stucco over brick? Any ideas on what this building was built for?

5chw4r7z said...

The last condo tour I was on they waved at it and said it was going to make way for a four story parking garage. Now that won't look out of place at all on Vine St.

5chw4r7z said...

I wonder if it would be possible for them to leave the facade, maybe use it as the entrance? It would at least keep the illusion up of a historic street.

Anonymous said...

The parking garage is supposed to go behind the new structure being built on Vine St. Only the access to the garage would be visible.

Randy Simes said...

The most recent information I have said that the building would be torn down to make way for the parking garage structure. The structure would include retail uses along Vine Street.

Eric said...

Why can they not put in underground parking garages? Maybe its cost, but you just can't make a parking garage look good. And of course it looks out of place in this neighborhood.

Jim Uber said...

The large scale development this is evidently making way for is awesome urban infill design, based on what I've seen in drawings and elsewhere. HI density, making use of existing structures, and hiding the parking.

But it would be interesting to look inside this one. It might be a hard interior space to reconfigure.

Save the cornice!

prolix21 said...

Last I heard from people at the Gateway Quarter office it's coming down.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 5 4 7, especially the top part.
Illusion is everything when everything else is gone.

Jon said...

The second picture is older- the top picture is newer, but they are actually both about a year old.

The windows on that building don't make ANY sense from a historic stand point. They are clearly not original.

Vine will have a new, contemporary looking building with lots of glass lining the street, with a slightly hidden garage entrance.- the goal is that the garage will almost entirely be hidden although since there is a surface lot between this development and the Buddy Gray building it will be visible from that part of vine.
I'd rather have this structure than a surface lot- and as much as i WAY prefer underground parking, the lot under Washington Park costs $20,000,000.

There will be lots of infill- this development will be a huge game changer for the region, as it's the first 3CDC development to touch Walnut- Additionally- 3CDC just purchased about 6 properties along the east side of walnut between 14th and liberty (not including Biffs or the Grammars buildings).

Jon said...

^ by region i meant neighborhood... got excited.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know when they are actually supposed to start this?

Randy Simes said...

It's my understanding that 3CDC would like to begin work on this project later this year depending on funding.

Anonymous said...

Jon - It is exciting.
It is important that there always be more old than new in that area other wise if not it turns into the Banks.
More exciting stuff: I saw work being done on the church at the SW corner of Race and 14th(?) Anyone know what is happening there?? Or is it just stabilization - which is good too.
The new glass building on Vine would be neat as it reflects the old buildings across the street from it.

Randy Simes said...

The church at 14th & Race is undergoing stabilization work thanks to funding from 3CDC and the City of Cincinnati. 3CDC is now in control of the property and is actively looking for an adaptive reuse of the historic structure.

Anonymous said...

Here's an interesting discussion of this development and the fate of 1314 Vine Street. Some 66 comments on this photo alone: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450690807699&set=a.316738867699.148473.282777447699

I've done some digging and will have an in-depth post about 1314 Vine soon.

1314 isn't over yet.

CityKin said...

OK, I didn't know there was already a discussion happening about this building. Here is a link to the Facebook discussion from the above comment.

Neil said...

Eric: It is possible to make garages look good. For a dramatic example on a smaller scale, take a look at this shot:

http://bp0.blogger.com/_6RuB-MyU_O4/SIUlt7AaYPI/AAAAAAAABhQ/xWPhl4DVVJs/s1600-h/Photo+by+Nitro101+from+flickr+creative+commons.jpg

This is a famous shot, but look closer down at the bottom and it will reveal that these famous Victorian houses all have garages retrofitted on them.

Here is another example from Charleston of an actual dedicated structure:

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/momadunc/2/1232919960/parking-garage-the-new-looks-old.jpg/tpod.html

The point is, you can make a garage look good if you work at it. Cincinnati needs to understand very well that its assets are tremendous (Cincy had about the same pop as San Fran did in 1900 btw), and should actually start thinking outside the box to preserve it.

This one building isn't too much, but at the same time, I'm frustrated that far more significant buildings keep being demolished - its completely the wrong direction for a city with an architectural legacy that is one of the top in the nation to follow.

I hope that someone finally convinces 3CDC that they should at the very least save the facade. I'm all for the rest of the development, considering the sheer amount of neglect that OTR had gotten over the years its a wonderful change.

Anonymous said...

Case for saving: Set a new precedent by incorporating this facade into the new garage. It would be an interesting contrast - a relic incorporated into a new construction. It would show how seriously you take OTR's valuable historic architecture. It would appear as the new helping the old when they are juxtaposed (front to back, side to side) as one rather than the old or elderly dismissed and eliminated. When entirely new is created like the Gateway condos/garage at Central Parkway, as time goes by that development looks more and more out of place - there is too much new or perhaps too much of the same as far as the repetitious condo design. OTR is variety.
We love and appreciate (not speaking for everyone) so much what you are doing 3CDC but want to love you even more!!! (Saving old Smitty's has not been forgotten - thank you!)
Saving the facade, at least, of 1314 Vine could be more costly(?) but would have a greater long term psychological effect confirming, "this place (OTR) is worth saving".