Developers break ground on $12M condominium project in Mariemont

Greiwe Development Group and North American Properties broke ground on the $12 million Emery Park condominium project in Mariemont last week.  The development is the second phase of a larger project that will eventually create 121 new condominiums built according to the village's historic master plan and well-known Tudor Revival design.

"Mary Emery hired a great town planner named John Nolan to design Mariemont," explained Rick Greiwe.  "Nolan's plans show a very dense village center with retail surrounded by walkable residential areas.  Our projects are following that original plan that was finished in 1921."

Greiwe says that due to a number of factors, much of the plan was not fully realized.  As a result, his development team has been working to acquire land, tear down aging properties, and replace them with dense residential developments that adhere to the principles set out for Mariemont roughly 90 years go.

The 29-unit Jordan Park development was the first-phase of this effort, with Emery Park being the second.  Greiwe says that the development team decided to move forward with this second phase even before a single condo had been pre-sold.

"We are very confident in this location and the price point of these units," Greiwe said.  "You're only 15 minutes from downtown, you have a great retail district, good schools, and a park nearby.  As a result, we have already sold three units as of our groundbreaking last week."

This second phase of development is expected to be complete by fall 2011; at that time they hope to start work on the next phase of development, Nolan Park, named after Mariemont's original town planner John Nolan.  Greiwe says that in order for work to move forward on that phase, they must pre-sell at-least half of the total 35 units.

The development team hopes to then come up with a more definitive plan for the fourth and final phase of the total development, but they do have a vision for exactly the kind of end result they want.

"We have noticed that people appreciate walkable communities, and Mariemont is one of the most walkable communities in the nation.  We like to do infill projects close to healthy retail centers in walkable communities, and that is exactly why we're so bullish on Mariemont."

Tours of Jordan Park and Emery Park condominiums can be scheduled with Sibcy Cline at the Mariemont Lifestyle Sales Center (map) from 1pm to 4pm on Sundays.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
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