March 3, 2025 ADVOCACY UPDATE
Cincinnati Preservation is a non-profit organization that serves Greater Cincinnati as the recognized resource and champion for the preservation, reuse and celebration of historic and cultural resources; we accomplish this through advocacy, education and community building.
In December 2024, the developer, PLK Communities, petitioned the City of Cincinnati to change the zoning of the 1.78 acre project site in Hyde Park Square from the existing CN-P-B (Community Neighborhood-Pedestrian-Business) to Planned Development (PD) in order (i) to build taller buildings (86’ instead of the existing height limit of 50’) and (ii) to include a hotel in the development. The proposed development includes two 86’ tall buildings – a 7-story hotel that would front onto the square and a 7-story apartment building that is a full block long (400’ +/-) that spans from Edwards Road to Michigan Avenue.
Hyde Park Square is protected by an Urban Design Overlay District (UDOD), specifically UDOD #4 – Hyde Park Square Business District. This Overlay District was approved in 2004 by the City, after working with the Hyde Park community. Two purposes of a UDOD are to protect and enhance the physical character of the business district and to ensure infill development does not adversely affect the physical character of the area. UDOD #4 specifically requires that the “Architectural style, bulk, shape, massing, scale and form of new buildings and the space between and around buildings shall be consistent with the area and should be in harmony with neighboring buildings.” If the site is rezoned Planned Development (PD), which establishes its own design criteria, those existing UDOD #4 protections would no longer be applicable. The scale and massing of the proposed PD development is not in harmony with the neighboring buildings and is out of proportion with Hyde Park Square, where the average building height is 3 stories and the tallest building on the Square is 5 stories tall (the tallest nearby is 6 stories). The widest building on the square is less than 200’ wide; most are only about 50’ wide.
Hyde Park Square is one of the business districts affected by the recent Connected Communities legislation. Per the City’s website, Connected Communities includes polices “to increase walkability…to create more human-scale development in our city.” The Hyde Park Square building height limit of 50’, which was originally established in 2004, was NOT increased during the 2024 Connected Communities review nor upon adoption of the new zoning. A zone change to PD that allows 85’ to 90’ buildings would undermine the intent of the Connected Communities legislation a mere eight months after it was passed, by creating a development that would not support walkability due to increased traffic and would create a massive building that is not human-scale.
Cincinnati Preservation requests that the City abide by the existing UDOD overlay that was adopted over two decades ago by the Hyde Park community. The buildings proposed for this Planned Development do not comply with the UDOD overlay. Cincinnati Preservation believes that a crucial step in equitably growing the City is to ensure that the City follows approved City overlays, design guidelines and neighborhood plans – also approved by communities. This policy promotes community building, ensures that the voices of communities are heard and valued, and ensures that important and unique historic community structures and places are preserved.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Hyde Park Neighborhood Council (HPNC) – https://hydepark-cincinnati.org/
(scroll down on right side of homepage)
You can contact the following Departments and Elected Officials to voice your thoughts:
City of Cincinnati – Department of City Planning and Engagement
Andrew Halt, AICP, PE, Senior City Planner: 513-352-4854 / andrew.halt@cincinnati-oh.gov
Katherine Keough-Jurs, FAICP, Director: 513-352-4845 / Katherine.Keough-Jurs@cincinnati-oh.gov
Cincinnati City Council
All Council Members – CityCouncil@cincinnati-oh.gov
Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney: 513-352-5205 / jan-michele.kearney@cincinnati-oh.gov
Jeff Cramerding: 513-352-3640 / jeff.cramerding@cincinnati-oh.gov
Mark Jeffreys: 513-352-3464 / mark.jeffreys@cincinnati-oh.gov
Scotty Johnson: 513-352-4610 / scotty.johnson@cincinnati-oh.gov
Seth Walsh: 513-352-5232 / seth.walsh@cincinnati-oh.gov
Anna Albi: 513-352-5280 / anna.albi@cincinnati-oh.gov
Evan Nolan: 513-352-5243 / evan.nolan@cincinnati-oh.gov
Meeka Owens: 513-352-3466 / meeka.owens@cincinnati-oh.gov
Victoria Parks: 513-352-5210 / victoria.parks@cincinnati-oh.gov
Mayor Aftab Pureval
801 Plum St., Suite 150, Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-352-3250 / mayor.aftab@cincinnati-oh.gov
Support Cincinnati Preservation
Additionally, please consider giving to the Cincinnati Preservation Association so we can continue advocating for sites like Hyde Park Square
Media Inquiries
Contact Beth Johnson 513.246.2046