Mt. Airy Water Towers
TRANSFORMING A LANDMARK WATER TOWER SITE INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD CROSSROADS
The Mt. Airy Water Towers are a historic landmark and focal point for spurring reinvestment in a neighborhood that is overdue for influential improvements. In 2024, the City of Cincinnati and Greater Cincinnati Water Works engaged Yard to lead a planning and redevelopment feasibility study, exploring additional uses for the property in conjunction with a major tower restoration effort and redevelopment on adjacent properties. Yard worked closely with the client team and a Steering Committee of engaged residents to test how enhanced park and recreation areas, civic spaces, trails, housing, food and beverage, and retail could be feasibly built and made to better connect the study sites, all with the 100-year-old restored towers as an iconic backdrop. A multi-day workshop was held in Mt. Airy, bringing together place-based and technical experts, to vet various scenarios and prioritize the types of development and activities best suited to meet community and stakeholder goals. The master plan details a vision and action items for creating a new and unique destination that puts Mt. Airy on the map for the entire region.
Services
Planning | Development
Timeframe
2025
Client
Greater Cincinnati Water Works
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio
PROBLEM
How can investment in a large public landmark be leveraged to highlight the neighborhood’s history, support community goals, and build demand for new development?
SOLUTION
Develop a collaborative site planning campaign that tests a variety of feasible options and provides recommendations that balance preservation with the need for new structures and activities.
ACTION
Deliver a conceptual master plan with a phased implementation strategy that identifies specific tasks for all relevant stakeholders, including ongoing coordination that keeps the project Steering Committee involved in decision-making.
