By Cameron Coats
Cincinnati Public Radio has taken another significant stride toward its brand new office and studio space for the market’s two leading noncommercial secular FMs: WVXU and WGUC.
This week, a crew removed an old parking lot in the Evanston neighborhood. This achievement concludes a six-year quest for a suitable plot.
Cincinnati Public Radio President/CEO and General Manager Richard Eiswerth has expressed enthusiasm for the project, which was initiated following the acquisition of 0.79 acres at 2117 Dana Avenue from Neyer Properties Inc. for $600,000 last year. The purchase came after plans to build new studios north of City Hall fell through.
The new two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility will nearly double the radio’s current space and house offices, studios, and a performance area. The Corbett Studio’s replacement will be a professional recording studio four times its size, complemented by 10 additional studios for interviews, news, production, and a podcast studio for public use.
Eiswerth’s timeline includes a groundbreaking ceremony on August 22, having the construction covered before the onset of winter, and a target to complete the building by the end of next year.
Additionally, plans include a large communal space on the first floor that will function as a public performance venue, hosting a variety of events from concerts to political debates.
