Greater Cincinnati Water Works wants to know how the community would like to see the Mount Airy water tower property utilized.
The utility had planned to make repairs to the landmark castle structure and keep using it as a water tower. Necessary repairs include fixing or replacing the brick and concrete in some places; foundation repairs; replacing the original piping; and replacing the tank covers, among other issues.
Water Works says the project would cost around $36 million, so while repairing the structure is still an option, Water Works is considering other ways the site might be used.
Planning for the water tower's future
Water Works has hired consulting firm Yard & Co. to conduct a feasibility study on the property. The area in question includes not only the water tower, but adjoining park space, owned by the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, and a plot of commercial space across Colerain Avenue owned by Mt. Airy CURE, a community development organization.
"We've been hired to engage the community around what they want to see, and what they don't want to see, and how the changeover in use, or the future of the towers, can also generate more activity for the neighborhood and the neighborhood business district," says Kevin Wright, principal with Yard & Co. "As part of the study, we're also looking beyond just the towers themselves."
There's a seven-question online survey people can fill out. Water Works also is conducting a charrette — an intense, public-participation planning process — to gather feedback, suggestions, and ideas. The charrette will take place over two days: Oct. 20 and 21.
Schedule for Monday and Tuesday:
- 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. — open hours and coffee
- 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. — work session (drop in anytime)
- 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. — evening presentation and community input
All but one session will take place at Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly at 5530 Colerain Avenue. The final presentation and community input session will take place Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mount Airy School.
Wright says most any idea is up for discussion.
"Partial demolition is on the table," he says. "We want to explore the idea of a situation where you preserve the towers that are most visible, but then create space in the back to do other things like community gathering space, park space, even food and beverage, (and) trails down into Mount Airy Forest."
Historic preservation
The water tower — which is actually 14 individual tanks, though one holds a staircase — was completed in 1927. Sitting atop the highest point in Cincinnati, its castle-looking design has made it a landmark for decades, beloved by many. In 2019, a citizen-led effort prompted the city of Cincinnati to declare the structure a local historic landmark.
The move came as Water Works had been considering how to make necessary structural repairs to the aging facility — the process which is ongoing today. Water Works told WVXU in October 2024 that it anticipated the price tag at upwards of $20 million. The latest figures released this month put that estimate at $36 million.
The historic landmark designation means the structure can't be torn down. It also means any repairs have to follow strict preservation guidelines, such as using period-accurate materials, which can cost more than regular repairs.
While the historic landmark designation prevents the city from tearing down the water tower, there is a provision through the city's Historic Conservation Office that would allow demolition or partial demolition under certain circumstances.
Among other requirements, those include proving there would be no reasonable economic return from the property's reuse, a safety issue, or that a partial demolition wouldn't harm the historic district's character.
What about the water?
The water tower can hold 8.5 million gallons of water. However, Supervising Engineer Rick Riess says the towers' design means much of that water isn't readily available.
"We operate the system a lot differently today than we did 100 years ago. One of our challenges is that about 70-75 percent of the water that's stored there is really not readily usable for us," Riess explains. "Because the bottom of the tanks is at about ground level there, we can't let the water in the tanks drop below about 50 feet above the floor of the tank. That bottom 50 feet of water is really not usable for us. The water surface in those tanks kind of fluctuates in the top 17 feet of the tanks."
He says a modern, elevated water storage tank would work better for Water Works. It also wouldn't have to hold as much water.
"There's alternatives that Yard & Co. is looking at to actually keep a newer, modern elevated water storage tank on the same property, "Riess says. "And if that doesn't work out, we'd probably have to find another site and build an elevated tank somewhere else."
He says the city's last estimate for one of those was around $6 million in 2013.
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