However, parking was a point of concern as there are only 17 on-property spaces and statute requires 1.5 spaces per unit. Brad Lauck, owner of Lauck Development, said he is in conversations with neighboring property owners about leasing lot space, including the owner of the Third + Dayton building, which owns most of the area lots.
“Every indication is they’re going to work with us, but with that being said, I don’t have any firm commitments yet,” he said.
Hamilton Executive Director of Neighborhood Services Liz Hayden said the parking issue is “a practical challenge for the site.”
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
“If we let our parking requirements dictate what happens here, the building probably won’t get reutilized,” she said.
The approval allows Lauck to proceed on the project, though he didn’t comment on a timeline.
This past April, Lauck bought the historic Hamilton building from the Hamilton YWCA for $425,000, according to the Butler County Auditor’s Office. The YWCA moved to its current facility on Grand Boulevard off Ohio 4 at the end of 2022.
In December, Lauck received $540,000 in state historic tax credits for the $5.46 million redevelopment project of the three-story historic masonry structure that has been vacant since the YWCA built its new facility on Grand Boulevard.
Lauck said there won’t be a lot of changes to the exterior. Windows will either need to be repaired or replaced, along with some painting on the trip, along with tuck pointing and brickwork on the upper levels.
“We’re really preserving the historic fiber of the building, especially the outside,” he said.
Lauck said the apartments will be smaller units, with more than a handful of two-bedrooms with the remainder being either studio or one-bedroom units.
German Village Architecture Design Review Board representative Andy Weltzer said parking is a major concern, but agreed with Hayden on the obstacles of the property.
“We’re dealing with basically an anchoring historical building that has its challenges,” he said. We all understand that. Parking long term in the German Village is still under discussion, especially for us residents. We have to deal with Marcum Park/RiversEdge issues there.”
Parking is a concern with St. Julie Billiart, which is down the street on Dayton Street, which officials submitted their concerns to Planning Commission about the parking, which is already a problem with non-parishioners filling up their lot during downtown events or events at Marcum Park and RiversEdge.
While there was not a defined solution in Planning Commission’s minor plan development approval, the expectation is the developer and the city will be in conversation about parking. Hayden said while there are site challenges with concerns to parking, the McDulin Parking Garage is nearby (a little more than 500 feet). However, “if they want to live a car-free lifestyle, this would be a good location for it,” she said.
A defined parking plan may be required if parking becomes an issue.
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