Hamilton County/Cincinnati Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan Prepared by urban design associates Prepared for Hamilton County and The City of Cincinnati april2000 urban design associates Table of Contents Acknowledgements Executive Summary 1 1 Summary of the Plan 1i Planning Process Planning Process 8 i Concept Plan 1i Final Urban Design Master Plan Urban Design Analysis 13 i Concept Plan Focus Groups 1i Urban Design X-Rays® Urban Design Principles 17 Frameworks 26 Development Program 30 Urban Design Master Plan 33 i Urban Design Master Plan ii Urban Design Initiatives Urban Design Guidelines for The Banks 58 i Urban Design Guidelines ii Architectural Guidelines iii Streets and Parking iv City Streetscape Standards Appendix 84 ZHA Report Broadway Commons Plan ERA Report Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Memorandum The Banks urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan Acknowledgements Steering Committee City of Cincinnati Hamilton County Charlie Luken Bob Bedinghaus Mayor, City of Cincinnati Hamilton County Commissioner Minette Cooper John S. Dowlin ViceMayor, City of Cincinnati Hamilton County Commissioner Paul Booth Tom Neyer Jr. City Council Member Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine David J. Krings City Council Member Hamilton County Administrator Phil Heimlich City Council Member Former City Council Members Todd Portune Roxanne Qualls City Council Member Tyronne K. Yates Alicia Reece City Council Member Jeanette Cissell James R. Tarbell Bobbie Sterne City Council Member Dwight Tillery Charles Winburn City Council Member Former County Commissioners John Shirey City Manager Guy C. Guckenberger urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan Riverfront Advisors Commission County &City Staff Jack Rouse Susanne Burke Chairman Director, Administrative Services David Anderson Terry Evans Clifford A. Bailey Assistant Manager, Otto M. Budig, Jr. Administrative Services J. Joseph Hale, Jr. Gary Van Hart Thomas H. Humes, Jr. Director, Public Works Eric H. Kearney, Esq. Ronald B. Kull Ronald P. Miller, aicp Laura L. Long Secretary/Executive Director, Hamilton Steven R. Love County Regional Planning Commission Norman Miller Richard Mendes Paul Muller Deputy City Manager Charlotte R. Otto Jeanne H. Schroer John Deatrick Nicholas J. Vehr Director, Transportation & Engineering Frank Wood Toni Selvey Maddox Acting Director, Economic Development Consultant Team Elizabeth Blume Director, City Planning Urban Design Associates Robert H. Richardson, aia ZHA, Inc. City Architect, Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Transportation & Engineering Lopez Rinehart, Inc. Mark McKillip, Eric Doepke Associates Principal Architect, Transportation & Engineering Balke Engineers Cheri Rekow Economics Research Associates City Planning urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan 1 Executive Summary urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan i Summary of the Plan the cincinnati central riverfront master plan is the 2 result of a public participation planning process begun in October 1996. Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati engaged Urban Design Associates to prepare a plan to give direction in two public policy areas: • to site the two new stadiums for the Reds and the Bengals • to develop an overall urban design framework for the development of the central riverfront which would capitalize on the major public investment in the stadiums and structured parking A Riverfront Steering Committee made up of City and County elected officials and staff was formed as a joint policy board for the Central Riverfront Plan. Focus groups, inter- views, and public meetings were held throughout the planning process. A Concept Plan was published in April 1997 which identi- fied three possible scenarios for the siting of the stadiums and the development of the riverfront. The preparation of a final Master Plan was delayed due to a November 1998 public refer- endum on the siting of the Reds Ballpark. urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan Once the decision on the Reds Ball- The final Master Plan, which park was made by the voters in favor of a includes The Banks recommendations riverfront site, Hamilton County and the from the Advisors, has the following City of Cincinnati in January 1999 major elements: 3 appointed sixteen prominent citizens to 1 Four anchor attractions (three new: the Riverfront Advisors Commission Paul Brown Stadium, Reds Ballpark, who were charged to “recommend mixed and the National Underground Rail- usage for the Riverfront that guarantees road Freedom Center; and one exist- public investment will create sustainable ing—Firstar Center). development on the site most valued by 2 Parking for over 6000 cars to serve our community.” The result of that effort commuters, sports fans, and festival was The Banks, a September 1999 report attendees. from the Advisors which contained rec- 3 The Banks, a vibrant mixed use dis- ommendations on land use, parking, trict with: 900 to 1300 housing units; finance, phasing, and developer selection 400,000 to 500,000 sq. ft. of retail for the Central Riverfront. and entertainment; 100,000 to The Advisors and the UDA team 200,000 sq. ft. of offices; and a hotel also worked closely with the Park Board of 200 to 400 rooms. and their consultants to integrate the 4 master planning for the riverfront park A new, 70-acre riverfront park as a into the overall Master Plan. signature front door for the City and as a location for major festivals. urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan 5 A narrowed, redesigned, and partially Development decked Fort Washington Way, the The City and the County will jointly sunken interstate highway which create a Riverfront Development Com- runs east-west through the City mission which will oversee and ensure 4 between Downtown and the river- implementation of The Banks. The first front. task of the Commission will be to issue a 6 An Intermodal Transit Center below national Request for Proposals for devel- grade on the south side of Fort opers in summer 2000 for Phase One of Washington Way for buses, service, The Banks project between Paul Brown future on-grade light rail, and future Stadium and the Freedom Center. Phase commuter rail. One could be completed in 2003 to 2004. 7 A redeveloped Third Street with new The City and County will work with commercial office buildings and sup- property owners and developers to facili- porting retail and parking tate commercial office development and Next Steps parking on the north side of Third Street. Construction Four projects are under construction: Transit Paul Brown Stadium, Fort Washington The City and the County will support Way, and the East Parking Garage will the regional development of light rail open in August2000; the Intermodal transit linking the airport, Northern Transit Center will be completed in Kentucky, the Central Riverfront, 2001, a monumental achievement. Downtown Cincinnati, and the Univer- sity of Cincinnati by way of split tracks Design on eastbound Second Street and west- Four projects are in design: Reds Ball- bound Third Street. park; National Underground Railroad Freedom Center; underground parking; and the riverfront park. These four proj- ects are scheduled for completion after 2002. urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan iiPlanning Process the development of the plan for the Central Riverfront 5 was divided into two distinct phases: The Central Riverfront Urban Design and Stadium Concept Plan which was pub- lished in April 1997; and the current volume, the Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan, dated April 2000. Background Voters of Hamilton County passed an initiative in May 1996 which provided an increase in the sales tax of ½ percent to finance the construction of two sports stadiums—the Bengals and the Reds—and related infrastructure and parking. Hamil- ton County and the City of Cincinnati jointly funded a plan- ning study to site the two stadiums. The planning process had three goals: 1 The construction of the two stadiums must be seen as an economic development project which will spin-off other private development. 2 The urban design quality of the Cincinnati Central River- front must be enhanced to reflect the historic importance of the riverfront as the front door to the City, including the reconnection of the Downtown to the Ohio River. 3 The public must be involved in the planning process. Urban Design Associates (UDA) was selected as the lead consultant, with ZHA, Inc. (market study), Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin Lopez Rinehart, Inc. (traffic and parking con- sultants), Eric Doepke Associates (landscape design), and Balke Engineers (civil engineering). urban design associates Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan Steering Committee Phase III: Final Concept Plan 6 A Steering Committee made up of the The Urban Design Associates team, County Commissioners, the Mayor, City using input from the Public Forum and Council, and County and City senior from working sessions with the Steering staff was formed to be the policy board Committee, prepared the Concept Plan for the planning process. The Steering for the Central Riverfront, including Committee met on a monthly basis in locations for the two stadiums and a public session for much of the time as framework plan for the development the plan evolved. blocks between the stadiums. Concept Plan Central Riverfront Master Plan (October 1996 to April 1997) (May 1997 to March 2000) The Concept Plan was a highly concen- The development of the plan after the trated planning process from October publication of the Concept Plan was 1996 to April 1997. There were three dominated initially by the debate over phases: the final location of the Reds Ballpark. The Concept Plan had shown three pos- Phase I: Data and Analysis sible locations for the ballpark, two on The team collected data on land use, the riverfront and one at Broadway transportation, zoning, historic resources, Commons. The issue was finally resolved and development plans. An important by a voter referendum in November 1998 task was to conduct interviews and focus in favor of a riverfront location.