CINCINNATI — Cincinnati leaders will get a first look at a new design plan to finally develop empty lots at The Banks and improve the riverfront next week.
The Banks urban plan update is set to be presented at the Hamilton County Commissioners’ staff meeting at 10 a.m., Nov. 18, and at Cincinnati City Council’s Equitable Growth & Housing Committee meeting at 1 p.m. that day.
Our I-Team obtained preliminary images from a June 24th presentation to The Banks Urban Design Steering Committee. It showed a high-rise luxury residential building with waterfront views, a new hotel near Paycor Stadium and a pedestrian-only version of Freedom Way.
A county spokesperson said that some visuals in the June presentation are outdated and no longer being recommended by the committee.
It is unclear whether height restrictions contained in the Cincinnati Bengals' lease with the county could allow the team to reject a proposed high-rise near Paycor Stadium, such as the luxury residential building shown in the June presentation.
Business owners have been pleading with elected leaders to develop the vacant lots after more than a decade of waiting in an effort to draw visitors to the riverfront when the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals aren’t playing home games.
Commissioners voted in April to hire two urban planning firms, Chicago-based Perkins & Will and Over-the-Rhine’s MKSK, to lead a planning process for The Banks to be built out.
The project is being overseen by an urban design steering committee that includes representatives from the city, county and stadium tenants.
WATCH: We talked to Mayor Aftab Pureval in May about what The Banks is missing
Documents obtained by our I-Team through public records requests shed light on how the process to reimagine The Banks took shape this summer.
The consultants held a virtual meeting on June 9, attended by representatives from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Heritage Bank Arena, the Brady Music venue, The Current & The Radius, The Filson, Yard House, 191 Rosa Parks, 180 Walnut, AC Hotel, Moerlein Lager House, the Bengals and the Reds.
The feedback from those stakeholders was reviewed at the June 24 meeting at Great American Ball Park.
“Safety: Top priority. There’s a ‘hands-off’ perception. More visible, human-scale policing (bike/foot patrols) is needed. Public realm: Maintenance issues, underutilized spaces, and need for consistent upgrades (e.g., synthetic turf, lighting, wayfinding). Freedom Way: Reimagining this street as a pedestrian boulevard or linear park emerged as a top ‘quick win,’” were the top recurring themes listed in the presentation.
Other themes included brand identity, connectivity and river access.
The biggest threats to The Banks were listed as “lack of coordination” or “lack of vision,” “current economic environment” or “lack of funding,” “public perception and willingness to take the necessary steps to enhance public safety,” and “fragmented/large stakeholder group” or “politics,” according to the June 24 presentation.
That presentation included a market study by HR&A, which suggested The Banks could add up to 1,210 units of high-rise, luxury, market-rate housing to fill a gap in the market. It also recommended building at least one new upscale or midscale hotel, up to 80,000 square feet of neighborhood retail, including grocery stores and cafes and adding diverse entertainment options from family-friendly activities to fine dining.
But the market study did not recommend adding new office space at The Banks, noting that the current office product is mostly vacant.
The presentation said “current market demand does not support speculative development,” and suggested it could be a potential later-phase development.
HR&A was set to begin a financial feasibility analysis of new development at The Banks in August, including public-private financing options.
The June 24 presentation also included a concept workshop by the design team, which suggested that different versions for filling the empty lots at The Banks could be used for residential, hotel, retail and entertainment purposes while maintaining skyline views from Paycor Stadium.
Some ideas included a Bengals fan plaza, converting Freedom Way into a pedestrian-first or pedestrian-only thoroughfare and a Freedom Center Park and riverfront Ferris Wheel.
Other suggestions included a new parking plan with wayfinding improvements and planting more trees for shade.
The Banks Urban Design Steering Committee is comprised of Billy Weber, Markiea Carter, Katherine Keough-Jurs, Marion Haynes, Holly Christmann, Kelly Adamson, Steve Johns, Roger Friedmann (he replaced former outside counsel Tom Gabelman), Phil Beck, Caroline Blackburn, and Phil Castellini.
