OTR Guidelines

HISTORIC CONSERVATION GUIDELINES FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION #THISISOTR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document was developed through a Infill Committee Professional Volunteers: Over-the-Rhine Infill Design Competition: community effort led by the Over-the-Rhine Matt Deininger Sanyog Rathod, Sol Design + Consulting, 1st Place Foundation, the Over-the-Rhine Foundation’s Infill Nick Dewald Maren Kuspan, 2nd Place Committee, and professional consultants. Luke Field O'Sam Mardin, Professional Design Associates, Inc., Honorable Mention We wish to acknowledge the following: Shannon Hokanson Elizabeth Ickes Other Participants: Seth Maney Jim Guthrie, Hub + Weber Architects Over-the-Rhine Foundation Board of Trustees: Ana Ozaki Zoe Evans, Paige Michutka, and Alyssa Pack Darrick Dansby Adam Rayne Hermann Kamte, HKA | Hermann Kamte & Associates David Fatherree Anne Delano Steinert Eric Inglert, Eric Todd Inglert, AIA Tom Hadley Sean Suder Thomas Schroeder, ATA-Beilharz Marge Hammelrath Nancy Yerian Matt Ireton, K4 Architecture Reid Hartmann Consultation provided by the City of Cincinnati Office Paul Shirley, Pelican Studio Andy Holzhauser, Treasurer of the Urban Conservator: Ryan O'Malley, Platte Architecture + Design Beth Johnson, Urban Conservator Marilyn Hyland The competition was sponsored by: W. Kevin Pape, President Document design by: The Over-the-Rhine Foundation, Cincinnati Preservation Danny Klingler, Infill Committee Co-Chair Hyperquake Association, 3CDC, 8K Construction Company, Jennifer LeMasters Wirtz, Infill Committee Co-Chair the University of Cincinnati’s Niehoff Urban Studio, M+A Architects AIA Cincinnati, The Christian Moerlein Brewing Company, Seth Maney and An Anonymous Donor Special thanks to: Kristen M. Myers, Secretary Chris Heckman Sanyog Rathod Adam Hartke Frank Russell, Vice President Ann Senefeld This document was funded in part by: Sean Suder The Over-the-Rhine Foundation John Yung The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation Certified Local Governments Grant administered by Ohio History Connection from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Historic Preservation Fund (CFDA 15.904) INTRODUCTION 4 Over-the-Rhine is Cincinnati’s historic New construction has powerful impacts heart, and a national treasure. Few on the fabric and sense of place of neighborhoods in America inspire like Over-the-Rhine, and can either enhance Over-the-Rhine, with its expansive the historic character of the district, collection of Italianate churches, or damage it in harmful and irreparable breweries, and tenements providing ways. Moreover, due to demolition one of the best surviving examples in that occurred in the 20th century, new the country of a 19th century urban construction will ultimately comprise neighborhood. The district serves not a very significant portion of Over-the- only as the showpiece of Cincinnati’s Rhine, and will thus play a substantial cultural heritage, but also as an economic role in defining the district. engine and driver of the local economy. The famed travel historian Arthur Frommer said of the neighborhood, “When I look These guidelines provide a regulatory at [Over-the-Rhine], I see in my mind the framework for ensuring that new possibility of a revived district that literally construction occurs in a manner that could rival similar prosperous and heavily preserves and protects Over-the-Rhine visited areas.” Indeed it is precisely the for current and future generations unique historic character of Over-the- of Cincinnatians and visitors alike. Rhine that has fueled the renewal of the neighborhood and helped to facilitate a resurgence in the city as a whole. Over-the-Rhine As a national exemplar for what historic preservation can do, it is essential that is Cincinnati’s the Over-the-Rhine Historic District continue to be preserved and protected so that its status as both a cultural and an historic heart, economic asset for the city of Cincinnati is maintained. This includes protection and a national not only from demolition of the historic structures that comprise the district, but also from insensitive new construction treasure. built on vacant sites in the neighborhood. 1 Arthur Frommer, Visit to Cincinnati, 1993 HISTORY2 5 Over-the-Rhine is significant in the also has many simply designed, working- continuing history of Cincinnati and class buildings that display modest the United States. In 1983 the district elements of the high architectural styles. was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in recognition of both its exceptional nineteenth-century The Over-the-Rhine Historic District architecture and its association with the encompasses a dense, urban area that successive waves of German immigration displays a visual continuity conveying a to America in the nineteenth century. sense of time and place. The physical relationship of adjacent buildings in a dense environment is accentuated by Over-the-Rhine’s collection of the uniform faced lines imposed on the commercial, residential, religious and civic streets. The buildings’ consistent scale and architecture is one of America’s largest height, similar materials, and architectural and most cohesive surviving examples of detailing blend to create distinctive an urban, nineteenth century community. streetscapes reflecting the historic Similar neighborhoods in other cities development of Over-the-Rhine. have been decimated or lost entirely. Over-the-Rhine, however, continues to display its original dense, urban In the nineteenth century Over-the-Rhine development patterns and buildings of was home to businessmen of means and excellent architectural quality, imbuing the their families, shop owners, working-class neighborhood with a “sense of time and families, and the poorest of immigrants. place.” Rows of three- to five-story brick Like other urban centers of the period, buildings constructed along the sidewalk Over-the-Rhine was part of the ‘walking characterize the streetscape. Many city,’ in which most people could easily buildings have storefronts on the first floor walk from their homes to places of with residential space on the upper floors. employment, entertainment, and worship. The Italianate style is the predominant Building exteriors were designed to architectural style in the district. Other be experienced and appreciated by nineteenth-century styles, including pedestrians along the sidewalks, and Federal, Greek Revival, Second Empire, buildings were placed at the front of Queen Anne, and Renaissance Revival, add their lots for easy pedestrian access. to the flavor of the district. Over-the-Rhine 2 Excerpted from: Over-the-Rhine: A Description and History: Historic District Image: Provided by Cincinnati Museum Conservation Guidelines (Cincinnati, OH: Historic Conservation Office, Cincinnati Center History Library and Archives City Planning Department) 1995. PROCESS OF DEVELOPING 6 NEW CONSTRUCTION Prior to designing an infill Understand the historic neighborhood Thoroughly review these guidelines building in Over-the-Rhine, All successful new construction will emerge from Once a baseline understanding of the history developers contemplating an understanding and respect for the significance of Over-the-Rhine, the development site, and a new construction project of Over-the-Rhine as a historical place; it is the surrounding context has been achieved, should undertake the therefore essential that this understanding be in developers and designers should consult following pre-design steps. place before any design efforts have begun. It is these guidelines to work toward a high-quality recommended that developers and their designers design compatible with the historic context of tour the district on foot, and study written Over-the-Rhine. materials on the history and significance of Over- the-Rhine.3 Notify the Community Understand the site and surrounding context Early in the design process, developers and their designers should notify the Over-the- Each vacant site in Over-the-Rhine is contextually related Rhine Community Council, Over-the-Rhine to both the previously existing (historic) structure on the Foundation and other neighborhood groups site, and the historic buildings on the blocks surrounding of their intent to build. These community the site. Successful new construction will relate to both groups can provide knowledge, context, and of these facets of the context. Developers and their insight to a developer/designer that will aid designers should review Sanborn Fire Insurance maps to design of the project and assist in obtaining gain an understanding of what previously existed on-site, community support. This step also provides including the height, material construction, setback, an opportunity to enhance the developer/ shape of the building, and potential archeological designer’s understanding of Over-the- resources still on the site. Developers and their designers Rhine through the transfer of information should also tour the area surrounding the site extensively, from long-standing stakeholders in the studying the surrounding historic buildings and their neighborhood. attributes, including height, massing, rhythm of openings, detailing and ornamentation, proportion, shape, composition, and roofscapes. This study should focus Compliance with Building Codes on broad patterns that bring cohesiveness to the fabric, rather than isolated anomalies on individual buildings. Nothing in these guidelines shall prevent new Developers should never limit their study to contiguous construction from complying with all relevant

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