Iconic Crosley building: Plans for artists' enclave give way to industrial development
A proposal to transform the historic Crosley building in Cincinnati's Camp Washington neighborhood into affordable apartments for artists has been replaced with plans for an industrial site.
The Port, formerly The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, wants to buy the former headquarters of Crosley Radio Corp. and 700 WLW-AM’s studio for yet-to-be-determined industrial use.
Hamilton County Commissioners, who routinely partner with The Port on development projects, last week approved $1 million in funding for The Port to acquire and stabilize the 300,000-square-foot building at 1333 Arlington St., which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
About $900,000 will go toward the purchase of the building, which last sold for $1 million in 2016, according to the Hamilton County Auditor's website.
The total acquisition cost of the land and the building is $2.5 million, and it will cost $1.65 million to stabilize the building, according to documents submitted to the county commissioners.
The city of Cincinnati has also pledged to kick in $1.6 million in industrial site redevelopment funds.
History made in that building: Radios to cars to the Reds: Powel Crosley Jr. made an impact on Cincinnati, nation
The building's sale would usurp previously announced plans by Indianapolis-based developer TWG Development to turn the building into an artists' enclave with about 200 affordable units, a museum and a storefront where artists could showcase and sell their wares.
Officials at TWG, which still owns the building, could not be reached for comment.
The Port has no immediate plans for the building but eventually hopes to redevelop the site as a manufacturing hub, creating up to 350 jobs and $22 million in annual payroll.
The Port's CEO Laura Brunner said during a press conference last week that the public finance agency's bid to buy the Crosley building aligns with its broader industrial strategy of repurposing aging and abandoned real estate.
"The redevelopment of the Crosley building is critical to developing a modern manufacturing and business-supporting district in Camp Washington and Queensgate," Brunner said at the press conference.
The building, which was constructed in 1928 and designed by the Cincinnati architectural firm Samuel Hannaford and Sons − whose founder designed Cincinnati's City Hall and Music Hall − has been vacant for years.
Brunner said The Port would conduct a structural analysis and architectural review to make sure the building can support planned redevelopment.
Look back at the historic Crosley building:
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What's happening to the Crosley building?
