malem Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 This location does seem like a particularly bad fit for apartments, mainly for traffic reasons, even if that use is currently the most lucrative. If Kings Island opposes the rezoning, I'm sure that they will make their position known to the city. IMHO I highly doubt that those who actually will be able to afford rent there, will visit the park often, even if they do, they'll go home to eat a meal, spend the least amount of cash as possible due to proximity. On the other hand, if this gets built, and KI still offers all-season dining plans, some residents might dine at the park every day during the summer. I would honestly like to see employee housing on that land. KI draws most of its workforce from the Cincinnati area, and many of its seasonal employees are minors, so large-scale employee housing is probably not likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Except that's a chicken and egg thing. KI has a mostly local work force with a lot of minors because there is no easily affordable local employee housing. And there is no easily affordable local employee housing as KI has a mostly local work force with a lot of minors. Introduce what is known as a disrupter and... I wonder if the Mason city fathers and mothers would be amused if the developers came right out and said that their target market was largely seasonal park employees. Problem...the place won't be financed if it is thought that it will sit empty nearly half of each year...unless the rents are nearly double what they otherwise would be and/or 12 or 13 month leases are required, which would greatly depress demand. One thing is certain. In this location, these are highly unlikely to be luxury apartments (a code term used in the industry frequently to mean rent subsidies aka Section 8 not accepted). Watch what they do, not what they say. A thing, merely by being observed, changes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI-ORIG-EMP Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 As for the noise complaints, the only housing near Kings Island when it opened in 1972 was Kings Mills propper (I lived there for over 40 years) and the houses down past Western Row Road on Columbia Road and down past Western Row Road going towards Fosters, Ohio. We did not mind the fireworks going off at 10pm on a daily basis during the season, nor the roar of the lions in the early morning hours wanting their breakfast, nor the noise from the amusement park itself. Now we have apartment complexes very near the park and upscale houses nearby on Western Row road and even three new upscale housing developments on each side of Kings Mills itself, plus across the river directly across from the park. What will these people demand, sound barriers like they had to build alongside the interstate highways to act as a buffer from the road noise? I am not sure about building new apartments where the old Kings Island Resort is now. I think that is not a proper venue or zoned for it with all of the hotels/motels along Kings Island Drive. If a Towne Properties was to develop it into apartments, I look for it to be at the very least, upscale and luxury in nature with rents to match. I don't see this apartment complex accepting Section 8 and Section 42 or "affordable housing" as it is known as. So if this apartment ideal was to fall through or if it is not rezoned for it, what else will become of the land? Build another motel complex in its place? I guess it all depends what the developers feel will bring in the most revenue (with the approval of both the city and county) for the land, both during the peak and off peak time of the year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 As I pointed out, before that post was lost, the property in question is in Deerfield Township, while the park is in Mason (the park itself was in Deerfield Township originally, but Mason annexed it in the 90s). Unfortunately this makes things a bit more complicated. I'm guessing that Mason and KI can appeal to the county if they don't like the way things are going. Also, I wonder if developers realize that KI Drive could see a lot more vehicular traffic once the rebuild of the Western Row interchange is finished in a few years (see http://www.imaginewesternrow.com if you're not familiar with that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Went to Great Wolf last night and was able to "view" from outside the KI Hotel/Conference Ctr. Doesn't appear that they've done much. There is a fence at the entrance ways, that's about it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Yeah, it even has power. Looks like demolition won't be for a while. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Did the rezoning ever happen? This would seem to indicate yes: http://raycomgroup.worldnow.com/story/28401803/kings-island-resort-and-conference-center-being-torn-down?config=H264 Terp, who likes to ask questions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italian Job 2005 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Whyyy apartments of all things??? I really think it would've been fun had Kalahari come in and built a resort there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 There's no guarantee the apartments will be happening at this point. Rezoning was approved and nothing has happened since then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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