Rendering of Hub Cincinnati, part of Phase II of The District at Clifton Heights. Rendering courtesy: Trinitas Ventures.
As the second largest university in Ohio, with a population of 50,921 students, the need for student housing at and near the University of Cincinnati is growing, much like the Uptown community where the campus is located. By 2030, UC aims to have 60,000 students enrolled. Here are a few student housing developments coming to the Corryville, CUF and Mt. Auburn neighborhoods in Uptown.
Uptown Rental Properties (URP)
Exterior of former office building at 237 William Howard Taft Road. Photo courtesy: Uptown Rental Properties.
URP has been a developer in the area for almost 35 years. Currently, they are underway on an adaptive reuse of a building located at 237 William Howard Taft Road in Corryville. This site is only a few blocks from Kroger, Short Vine and the eastern side of the University of Cincinnati.
The office space will be converted into 103 units, totaling 293 beds, ranging from studio to 5-bedroom apartments. URP plans include a clubroom, large study rooms and a fitness facility. The apartments are expected to be open to students in the coming school year (2024-2025).
Interior of former office building at 237 William Howard Taft Road. Photo courtesy: Uptown Rental Properties.
“It’s a beautiful existing building that was on the market for quite a while with no buyers,” says Patrice Eby Burke, VP of Development at URP. “We’re excited to reactivate a building that otherwise could have become vacant and underutilized.”
Additionally, URP is also renovating several buildings in Mt. Auburn, at 2448 Auburn Ave., 2200 Auburn Ave., and 36-38 Hollister St. These previously vacant or under-occupied locations will be turned into residential spaces marketed to students and young professionals.
Trinitas Ventures
Trinitas Ventures is another developer responsible for bringing housing to the Uptown area. Its initial planning effort sought to complement the existing retail and residential mix in CUF while filling the demand gaps.
Photo of The Deacon. Photo courtesy: Trinitas Ventures.
The District at Clifton Heights is a five-acre project located on both sides of Straight Street and Clifton Avenue. Phase I of the project kicked off in August 2019 with the opening of The Deacon. The Deacon is home to 1,029 students with various floor plans and distinctive amenities, including a movie theater, a lounge, an arcade and a pool. UC’s Tri Delta sorority was also relocated to The District in January 2022. As one of the highest locations in Cincinnati, The District provides city views and a diversity of product types.
“Planning for The District started with a blank site plan and a set of uses as our driving program,” said Aaron Bartels, Executive Vice President of Mixed-Use Development at Trinitas Ventures. "But most importantly, the vision was informed and guided by collaborative input from residents, neighborhood leaders and elected officials. The plan unfolding today is consistent with our initial vision and will continue to evolve in the years ahead based on this continued engagement and the changing trends in demand and demographics.”
Rendering of Hotel Celare. Photo courtesy: Trinitas Ventures.
Phase II of The District will open in 2024 with two new additions. Hub Cincinnati will house 1,112 students and open in August 2024. Hotel Celare, opening in November 2024, will include 171 rooms, a rooftop bar and 18,000 square feet of meeting and entertainment space. In addition to these buildings, Trinitas and partner developer Crawford Hoying worked with the City of Cincinnati to fund improved streetscapes and a public parking garage.
At completion, the District will house over 3,000 students, working professionals and active adults. With the next phase delivering later this year, Trinitas is evaluating development opportunities for the balance of the District to include additional housing, retail and entertainment uses.
Future Space
With the University of Cincinnati in such an explosive growth period, many other developers are jumping into the housing fray to take advantage of this population boom. Even the university is looking for ways to house students off-campus by leasing blocks of apartments from URP and Trinitas and expanding campus with new student housing opportunities in a massive development known as “Block 1 & 2” in CUF.
UCI has invested federal New Markets Tax Credits into projects enhancing the five Uptown neighborhoods. A few past projects that have included a residential component include Views on Vine in Corryville, the Avondale Town Center and Hickory Place Townhomes in Avondale and USquare at the Loop in CUF. Follow UCI on LinkedIn and Facebook to keep up with project announcements and investments.