Historic Crosley Building may see new life

Published May 19, 2009 at 12:00 a.m.
Ifyou have ever driven along Interstate 75 through Camp Washington, youhave almost assuredly been greeted by one of the most visible pieces ofCincinnati history laying vacant and in disrepair.

Originallybuilt in 1929, the Crosley Building was the headquarters for the PowelCrosley Jr. empire, and produced the first mass-produced table-topradio, the first non-electric refrigerator, and the first mass-producedeconomy car.

The majestic ten-story building, designed by famousCincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford & Sons, has seen a variety oftenants since the Crosley Corporation sold the structure in the '70s.

Giventhe building’s prominent location along I-75, its close proximity torail, downtown, the airport and its inclusion in the recent GO Cincinnati economic development report, the building has been deemed a high priority redevelopment spot by the City of Cincinnati.

Thesite sits on roughly one acre of land with nearly 300,000 square feetof space within the Crosley Building.  Previously, the city hadidentified the site as a possible redevelopment for aresearch/technical facility that would continue the legacy of theCrosley family.

The city is now looking at the site in adifferent light as they hope to engage the private market.  “We wouldreally have to sit down with the private market to figure out theredevelopment of the site,” says the Senior Development Officer withthe Department of Community Development at the City of Cincinnati, SamStephens.

Most recently the City of Cincinnati included theredevelopment of the Crosley Building in its stimulus request askingfor $4.3 million. Additionally, there is a formal request sent toCongress for an earmark in the FY 2010 budget.  Stephens says this isthe first indication the city is interested in moving into the CampWashington area for redevelopment purposes. There exists anunprecedented opportunity to apply for additional available money.

Inaddition to the redevelopment of the location, a remediation processwill most likely be needed to clean up the site from its environmentalhazards.  Stephens mentions that programs like the Clean Ohio Fund andthe Job Ready Sites offer more public resources for the cleanup ofsites like this than ever before.

As the City progresses in its efforts to prep the site for redevelopment, it plans to continue to engage the Camp Washington Community Council who helped identify the building as a primary redevelopment site in the neighborhood.

Stephenssays that Camp Washington is currently in the process of finalizing anurban renewal plan for the neighborhood in which the redevelopment ofthe building plays a prominent role. The plan is scheduled forcompletion over the summer following additional community input.  Fromthere, the plan could go to the Planning Commission and then CityCouncil.

“It’s very early on this project and not all of the information isthere, quite yet,” says Stephens.  “We are doing what we can tomaintain that building and its integrity for the city and theneighborhood of Camp Washington.”



Writer: Randy Simes
Source: Sam Stephens, senior development office, City of Cincinnati Department of Community Development

Photography by Zachary Fein



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