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Planner presents Burnett Square PD: 7‑story mixed-use building proposed near Cincinnati Children's; council places zoning change on for passage
Summary
City planners recommended approval for a planned-development zone change at 3425 Burnett Avenue to allow a seven-story, mixed-use Burnett Square with up to 344 residential units, two ground-floor commercial spaces and up to 350 structured parking spaces; staff said the project aligns with Avondale plans and BRT routing work is ongoing.
Gabrielle Couch, senior city planner, presented a proposed zone change to create a planned development for Burnett Square at 3425 Burnett Avenue in Avondale, saying the application is the first phase of a larger Burnett Quarter initiative intended to revitalize the neighborhood business district.
Couch said the roughly 1.98-acre site sits adjacent to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House and currently contains 12 parcels, mostly vacant or with an unoccupied three-story apartment that will be demolished. The applicant team includes Steiner & Associates in partnership with Civitas Development Group, Continental Development Ventures and the port.
"Burnett Square will be one mixed-use building that will be seven stories tall and will include up to 344 residential units, two ground-floor commercial spaces, and two levels of structured parking with up to 350 spaces," Couch told the committee. She said the parking would be semi-submerged into the slope and not visible from Burnett Avenue, with access from Erkenbrucker and Northern.
Couch said the proposal met decision criteria, was consistent with Plan Cincinnati and the Avondale quality-of-life plan, and that three major Avondale organizations have submitted letters of support: the Avondale Business Association, Avondale Community Council and Avondale Development Corporation. A virtual public staff conference attracted six members of the public and one written comment requested more bike infrastructure, smaller commercial spaces and objected to the proposed parking garage.
Council members asked whether units will be market rate or affordable; the applicantsaid the affordability composition is "yet to be determined" and that the financing package remains under negotiation. Questions about integration with the bus rapid transit (BRT) route drew the administration's comment that BRT plans remain conceptual and city staff are coordinating routing and stop placement.
Members praised the project as a catalytic reuse of long-vacant land and discussed demolition of the structurally compromised existing building on Northern; staff said engineers found it had prohibitive structural issues. With no objections the chair announced the committee would "put item number 5 on for passage." The transcript does not include a recorded roll-call final vote.
