Cincinnati City Council has approved unanimously a transfer of funds to help clear a site for the $12.5 million King Studios project in Evanston.
Under the new ordinance, $950,000 in funding remaining from a $2 million capital improvement program project account, established in 2005 to provide residential exterior improvement loans, will be shifted to a new account to acquire, demolish and assess the sites of three Montgomery Road properties, just three blocks from of King Records.
The 30,000-square-foot community focal point, which will include an interactive memorial hall, recording studios, and visual arts training facility, will be owned and operated by a limited partnership that includes the Evanston Community Council, Ultrasuede Studio, Flavor of Art Studio, and Xavier University.
SHP Leading Design is the project architect.
Launched by Syd Nathan in 1943 as a country label, King Records eventually got in on the ground floor of the burgeoning rhythm and blues market.
The company soon grew into the nation's sixth-largest label, and was ahead of its time in putting African Americans into positions of leadership in recording, pressing, designing, warehousing and shipping – all of which was done on site.
King Records was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum during a historical marker unveiling and ceremony last November.
Updated renderings provided by Jeffrey Sackenheim, vice president, SHP Leading Design.
Previous reading on BC:
Funding transfer could prepare Evanston site for King Studios (6/17/09)
King Records renderings (12/10/08)
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6 comments:
So they're tearing down two 90+ year old buildings for a new structure honoring a 65+ year old company? I don't want to downplay the history of King, but there's plenty of open space just north on Montgomery that I don't think the teardown is justified. At least, that's assuming they're building on the corner of Montgomery and Clarion - the posts didn't specify.
I do agree with Cranley that we should preserve the original building. Maybe while they're at it they can reconnect Brewster (so people have better access) and move the I-71 south entrance to the Dana bridge. Of course, I don't know how that would affect the FHWA issue with the Keystone garage...
The Brewster Avenue buildings, IIRC, are scheduled to be demolished as part of a Xavier University expansion project.
What are the three buildings that are slated for demolition on Montgomery? I bike by this daily and I am pretty familiar with the stock there, and since Brad noted it is three 90+ year-old buildings, then I assume it is at Montgomery and Brewster?
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As far as I know, Xavier's expansion doesn't yet take it that far south towards I-71. They're focused on first finishing the new Ledgewood quad, then the "Xavier Square" project at Dana/Montgomery. I have seen long-term plans that put a baseball field along Brewster, but I expect Xavier would just incorporate the original King building into the plan. Either way, financing all of it is going to take longer than originally planned.
As for the new construction, I think it's from the corner of Montgomery and Clarion on the east side, which would raze two old buildings (and a much younger one).
Including the building they are painting the mural on right now?
I wish I still had the older campus expansion map. It showed ballfields and surface lots along Brewster, but I can't remember if the buildings were included in the plans or not.
Mural? You mean on the Metro Scooter building? I'm a Xavier student and moved off campus in May, so I haven't been in the neighborhood for the past two months.
As far as I've been informed (from both studying and working on campus), the primary construction is the Hoff Quad on Ledgewood north of Dana. This will be followed by mixed retail/residential "Xavier Square" on the northwest corner of Dana/Montgomery. If we ever get light rail, there's a station planned for this location. (Thank God they're forward-thinking!)
Work south of Dana has been limited to the new physical plant at SW Ledgewood/Dana. All the plans south of campus between Dana and Brewster are pushed so far back that talking about them is pure speculation. I thought I had an original map but I can't track it down at the moment. I still think a baseball field was originally slated for the area, but that was when a new sports center was slated for construction on the old baseball field (with a connecting bridge to the student center). Now that the sports center has been moved to Xavier Square there's no reason for a new field. If they did go ahead with new plans, it should be easy to re-purpose the historical building and incorporate it in some way.
Xavier also owns the old shopping complex north of Cleneay (aka Herald), but I haven't heard any news on plans there.
I do have to say that Father Graham told me directly that the university expected to sell the Village Apartments at 1401 Dana since they are so disconnected from the rest of the residential community, as well as the danger of crossing Dana on the hill. Don't expect this anytime soon, until Hoff Quad and Xavier Square resolve the housing shortage.
To be honest with you guys, I'm still not clear on what buildings are slated to be demolished and I'm still trying to work that out. From the looks of things, they're almost all still in private hands.
Dunno anything about the future of the Brewster Avenue, buildings. It sounds like you guys would have knowledge about that than me, but I haven't heard any immediate plans.
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