The Banks, Cincinnati

File:The Banks on Opening Day for The Cincinnati Reds April 2012.jpg 2012]]

The construction for a new riverfront area between the two stadiums is the 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:

1. To site the two new stadiums for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals
2. 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, interviews, and public meetings were held throughout the planning process.

A Concept Plan was published in April 1997 which identified 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 referendum on the siting of the Reds Stadium. Once the decision on the Reds Stadium was made by the voters in favor of a riverfront site, Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati appointed sixteen prominent citizens to the Riverfront Advisors Commission who were charged to "recommend mixed usage for the Riverfront that guarantees public investment will create sustainable development on the site most valued by our community". The result of that effort was The Banks, a September 1999 report from the Advisors which contained recommendations on land use, parking, finance, phasing, and developer selection for the Central Riverfront. The final Master Plan includes The Banks recommendations from the advisors.{{cite web|url=http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/transeng/pages/-7093-/|title=Home|author=|date=|website=www.cincinnati-oh.gov|accessdate=14 February 2018}}

Carter and The Dawson Co. were selected by the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County as master developers for the 18-acre mixed-use project.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130116033259/http://www.choosecincy.com/projects/the_banks City of Cincinnati development projects] Carter has also served as program manager for the construction of the city and county-funded parking garage and infrastructure components of The Banks project, including accommodation of parking for the Cincinnati Reds stadium. Bob Castellini, CEO of the Cincinnati Reds, was a chair of Joint Banks Steering Committee.

On November 1, 2007, Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County approved of the project. Groundbreaking took place on April 2, 2008. The first phase, which opened in summer of 2011,[https://web.archive.org/web/20130112060833/http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/mayor/mayor-mark-mallorys-biography/ Mayor Mark Mallory's biography] included Current at the Banks,[http://www.villagegreen.com/cincinnati/current-at-the-banks/ Current at The Banks] a building containing 300 apartment units atop 96,000 square feet of street-level retail space.

Phase II of The Banks broke ground in the summer of 2013, including projects with 300 apartment units, more than 60,000 square feet of street level retail, and more than 400 parking spaces along Vine Street between Second Street and Freedom Way.[http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/print-edition/2012/10/05/banks-next-phase-set-for-winter-start.html?page=all Banks next phase set for winter start]{{cite web |title=An Ohio River City Comes Back to Its Shoreline (Published 2012) |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/realestate/commercial/cincinnati-comes-back-to-its-ohio-river-shoreline.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1361897316-F+6nz27egk4Cf5itoHFzFA}}

According to a 2012 study of Phase I by The University of Cincinnati Economic Center, it was estimated that The Banks would have an ongoing economic impact of $91.6 million, as well as generating $556 million in construction-based impact.[https://archive.today/20130407220250/http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2012/05/study-current-phase-of-banks-to-have.html Study: Current phase of The Banks to have $91.6M annual economic impact] Upon completion, The Banks would be the region's largest mixed-use development and would house more than 3,000 residents.[http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2012/07/the-banks-gearing-up-for-next-wave-of.html?page=all The Banks gearing up for next wave of construction] The City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and a joint venture between Carter and The Dawson Co. formed The Banks Public Private Partnership to secure funding and develop the project.[https://archive.today/20130630100337/http://www.thecincinnatiherald.com/news/2013-01-26/News/Cinci_riverfront_development_among_best_in_the_cou.html Cinci riverfront development among best in the country]

The SkyStar Wheel was scheduled to open at The Banks on August 31, 2018, but was delayed until September 1, 2018 due to weather.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-31 |title=SkyStar wheel opens to great views, reviews |url=https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/the-banks/observation-wheel-at-the-banks-will-open-one-day-late |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=WCPO 9 Cincinnati |language=en}} It opened to help celebrate the Banks' ten-year anniversary and was located across from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The wheel remained open at this location until March 1, 2020.{{Cite web |first1=Scott |last1=Wartman |last2=Fair |first2=Julia |title=No Ferris wheels for Newport, Cincinnati anytime soon |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2021/07/08/newport-ferris-wheel-wont-happen-cincinnatis-skystar-doesnt-look-much-better/7900594002/ |date=2021-07-08 |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=The Enquirer |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2020-03-02 |title=SkyStar Ferris Wheel Moving- Permanent Ferris Wheel Coming |url=https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2020/03/02/skystar-ferris-wheel-moving--permanent-ferris-wheel-coming |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=spectrumnews1.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-03-02 |title=Out with the old, in with the new: Cincinnati's SkyStar being dismantled |url=https://www.wlwt.com/article/cincinnatis-skystar-being-dismantled-this-week/31192021 |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=WLWT |language=en}} On July 2, 2019, it was announced that the owners, SkyView Partners, planned to return to the area and install a permanent {{Convert|180|ft|m|1|adj=mid|tall}} observation wheel set to open by March 5, 2021.{{Cite web |last=Brookbank |first=Sarah |last2=Wartman |first2=Scott |title=It's (mostly) official: SkyStar Wheel will stay in Cincinnati |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/07/02/its-official-skystar-wheel-stay-cincinnati-the-banks-permanent/1626101001/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |first=Scott |last=Wartman |title=SkyStar return? Maybe, but owner tells county they understand 'if something else comes along' |date=2021-01-26 |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/26/skystar-return-hamilton-county-told-giant-ferris-wheel-banks-hold/4264677001/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=The Enquirer}} However, the company indicated in December 2020 they had put the plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smale Riverfront Park spans over {{convert|40|acre|m2}} of land along the Ohio River between Broadway and Central Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is named after John G. Smale, who gave $20 million for its construction in memory of his wife, Phyllis W. Smale.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/john-g-smale-procter-gamble-chief-dies-at-84.html|title=John G. Smale, Procter & Gamble Chief, Dies at 84|author=|date=21 November 2011|website=The New York Times|accessdate=14 February 2018}}

File:Smale Riverfront Park - panoramio.jpg

The park connects Bicentennial Commons and Sawyer Point to form an almost {{convert|3|mi|km|0|adj=on}} corridor of public park along the river.

The park includes:

• Bike trails
• Boat docks
• Carousel
• Gardens
• Grand stairs
• Great lawn
• Green spaces for festivals and community events
• Playgrounds
• River's edge promenade with oversized "porch" swings
• Tree groves
• Walkways
• Water features (jets, cascades, pools and waterfalls)

Additionally, the park contains a historical marker indicating the position of home plate of the former Riverfront Stadium. The area occupied by the Banks and the Riverfront Park is the former site of this storied facility, razed in 2002 after the completion of Great American Ball Park to the east.

The master plan for The Banks project included the project as the southern terminus of the first phase of the then-proposed Cincinnati Streetcar system, linking Over-the-Rhine and Downtown to the riverfront and the new development.[http://www.cincystreetcar.com/ Connect the Dots], Cincinnati Streetcar The proposed system came to fruition in 2016 as the Cincinnati Bell Connector.

File:GABP.jpg|Great American Ball Park

File:Heritage Bank Center.jpg|Heritage Bank Center

File:Cincinnati-paul-brown-stadium.jpg|Paycor Stadium

File:Roebling Suspension Bridge at night.jpg|Roebling Bridge

File:NationalUndergroundRailroadFreedomCenter.jpg|National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

File:Fort Washington Way at night.jpg|Redesign of Fort Washington Way

File:Riverfront-Transit-Center-Entrace.jpg|Riverfront Transit Center

File:Smale Park Fountain Dowtown Cincinnati (44807706).jpeg|Smale Riverfront Park

File:Andrew J. Brady Music Center.jpg|Andrew J. Brady Music Center

• 2012 NAIOP Impact Award (Cincinnati chapter)[http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2012/11/banks-developer-carter-dawson-big.html NAIOP Impact Award]
• 2013 National Planning Excellence Award for Implementation from American Planning Association (APA)[http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2013/01/cincinnati-central-riverfront-plan.html National Planning Excellence Award for Implementation]

{{reflist}}

• [http://thebankscincy.com/ The Banks, Cincinnati]
• [https://www.cincinnatiparks.com/river-parks/smale-riverfront-park/ Smale Riverfront Park]
• [http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cityofcincinnati/linkservid/E506D20A-9B46-F3A6-6D763ECBC854F106/showMeta/0/ The Cincinnati Central Riverfront Master Plan]

{{Cincinnati topics}}

{{Cincinnati parks}}

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Category:Mixed-use developments in Ohio

Category:Buildings and structures in Cincinnati

Category:Economy of Cincinnati

Category:Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in the United States

Category:2011 establishments in Ohio

Category:Neighborhoods in Cincinnati

Category:Tourist attractions in Cincinnati