CINCINNATI -- The local real estate firm that opened Ohio's first co-living apartment building last spring in Walnut Hills is expanding this year with two new shared living spaces in Over-the-Rhine.
Kunsthous just announced its third co-living house will feature an outdoor greenhouse and garden at a historic building they're renovating at 207 W. McMicken St. It will be ready for residents to move in by early 2019, according to a news release.
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Just one block north of Rhinegeist Brewery, "Appolonia House" will focus on building community between house members and promises to provide affordable rent in an increasingly pricey neighborhood. Each apartment in Appolonia House will be approximately 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms measuring about 200 square feet each. The apartments will feature in-unit laundry, hardwood floors and modern finishes.
“We believe that these historic buildings should be renovated in a way to encourage people to talk to each other and build a community. We spend too much time lost in Facebook wormholes or trapped on YouTube," wrote Kunsthous Co-founder John Blatchford in a news release. "Shared space and regular events through co-living help to bring people together in real life. We’re really lucky to have great building partners and investors that are fully behind us, and awesome people in our houses so far."
Appolonia House will be Kunsthous' third building, adjacent to Best and Lothes (205 W. McMicken St.), which is currently under renovation and should open by summer 2018. The rear courtyard behind both Best and Lothes and Appolonia House will have raised beds for gardening, a greenhouse and outdoor seating to be shared by house members. Monthly events at each Kunsthous will bring members together for meals, movie nights, game nights and other events to get house members out of social isolation and form real-life relationships.
Appolonia House pays tribute to Appolonia Best (1821-1898) and her daughter of the same name (1856-1935). Both women lived at 207 W. McMicken St. from the Civil War until 1898 and helped to run the Best & Lothes Mineral Water Manufacturing business at 205 W. McMicken St, according to Kunsthous Co-founder Alyssa McClanahan, PhD. The history of the building, which was constructed during the Civil War, will be available to house members through a comprehensive book written by McClanahan.
The building was recently purchased from OTR ADOPT, a local nonprofit that buys and sells deteriorated historic buildings in and near Over-the-Rhine to well-intentioned owners. If you’d like to live at Appolonia House, please visit Kunsthous.com.
