Cincinnati's Urban Design Review Board (UDRB) on Friday got its first look at a planned overbuild that would add 111 apartments units above the .
Developers NorthPointe Group and North American Properties want to add seven stories to the eight-story garage, increasing the building's square footage by more than 120,000 square feet. Apartments would range from 600 to 1,700 square feet and would be available as studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and penthouse units.
Designed by John Senhauser Architects, the L-shaped addition would be built of steel frame construction, clad with glass curtain walls and lightweight ridged metal paneling systems. The cladding would be extended over three floors of the parking garage, helping to "animate" the façade and unify the building's look.
"It's a very important component to the city skyline, and we wanted to make sure we got it right," said Rick Kimbler, managing partner at NorthPointe Group.
Five stories of the garage were built in 2003, with structural supports that would have supported a proposed 12-story, 166-unit condominium project. In 2010, the garage was expanded by three stories to accommodate the parking needs of more than 600 Procter & Gamble employees who were transferred Downtown following the closure of the company's Governor's Hill facility in Symmes Township – lowering the number of residential floors that could be added.
Now, the developers are completing a feasibility study and looking to shore up the project's financing. They plan to return to the UDRB once construction documents are completed.
Kimbler said that the project will further reinforce the residential character of the district, which includes apartments at East 8 Lofts, the Renaissance at the Power Building, and Sycamore Place at St. Xavier Park.
"We think these units are an exciting addition to the product we already have," he said.
Rendering courtesy of NorthPointe Group
Previous reading on BC:
Downtown walking, spring colors abound (4/12/10)
Cincinnati passes ordinances for P&G parking (11/2/09)
Ordinances, COA needed for Downtown garage expansion (10/20/09)
Cincinnati approves funds for 7th Street garage expansion (8/11/09)
Downtown garage expansion could begin this October (8/3/09)
