Mixed-use development is being envisioned for the area around the future FC Cincinnati stadium, according to recent planing documents.
FC Cincinnati will begin MLS play in 2019 as an expansion club. It is currently expected that the team will play two seasons at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium–its home from 2016-2018 for Division II USL competition–before opening a new stadium in the city’s West End in 2021.
Planning documents submitted to the City of Cincinnati on Monday detail several aspects of the upcoming stadium project, including potential mixed-use development. The developments would be handled by outside investors, and could include amenities like bars and restaurants, a daycare, a hotel, grocery store, and more. More details on the exact plans for the development could emerge in the future, but FC Cincinnati is seeking planning commission approval so that the amenities can be added down the road. More from the Cincinnati Enquirer:
Planning documents submitted to the city of Cincinnati for the Major League Soccer stadium reveal future development plans around the stadium that include a hotel and entertainment venues. They also show that parking remains a question mark for the stadium, with details about a Hamilton County garage at the site still under discussion….
- The plans include future development at the corner of Wade Street and Central Parkway and another on Central Parkway itself. The developments, which would not be taller than six stories, could include a hotel, bars, daycare, food market and a cultural institution. These would be built by outside developers, not the team itself. The plans are preliminary only, but FC Cincinnati wants the initial planning commission approval to incorporate what could come later.
Attaching mixed-use development to a stadium project has become an increasing trend around MLS, as is reflected both in current facilities and some upcoming venues. For instance, Minnesota United FC’s Allianz Field–set to open in 2019–will anchor a larger redevelopment in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood, while planned facilities in Nashville and Miami are both expected to be surrounded by mixed-use amenities. The full scope could become clearer over time, but it seems that FC Cincinnati is accounting for the possibility that a similar trend unfolds around its upcoming facility.
Rendering courtesy Meis Architects.
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