City rezoning advances Burnet project

Boundaries of PD 50: Click to enlarge

Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously to create PD 50 (Planned Development District) in order to jumpstart the first phase of the Burnet Avenue project.

The newly created district is 8.48 acres and is bounded roughly by Burnet, Hickory, Harvey and a line even with Maple Avenue. (See map.)

The Burnet Avenue Urban Renewal Plan, which was approved in August 2006, advocated zoning changes that would allow for redevelopment, and suggested specifically that a PD designation would facilitate implementation of the plan.

PD zoning allows for a wide range of uses and puts the project under the supervision of the City Planning Commission.

The previous zoning was RMX Residential Mixed District and CN-M Commercial Neighborhood Mixed District. Neither would allow the proposed uses.

Phases 1 and 1A of the project include mixed uses along Burnet Avenue and condominiums along Harvey Avenue, with a parking garage in between.

The commercial development along Burnet will consist of two buildings. A six-story medical building (125,000 sf) will be at the southwest corner of the site. A three-story office/retail building (45,000 sf) will occupy the corner of Burnet and Northern.* A pocket park will be created in between.

The condominiums will consist of up to seven buildings with up to eight units each. Parking will be accessed from behind the homes via a private drive.

The parking garage will be six levels and 1,450 spaces, accessible from Northern Avenue.

The entire development will be tied together with a new streetscape.

Since most of the area is now vacant lots, there was no neighborhood objection to the change.

A final development plan still must be submitted to the City Planning Commission and must be approved by City Council.


Phase 1 and 1A site plan, north at left: Click to enlarge


Early condo rendering: Click to enlarge

WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW (looking east)
GOOGLE AERIAL MAP
Building Cincinnati: Burnet Avenue Zoning Study (5/1/07)

* In the future, Northern Avenue will be extended all the way to Harvey Avenue. A linear park connecting Burnet and Harvey will be created between Hickory and Northern.