What's Being Built in Northside, Cincinnati in 2026
Northside's building projects in 2026 are mostly about old buildings getting a second life and new homes filling in near the business district. Here is where each one stands, from the wood-frame drugstore at the neighborhood's front door to a historic school that has been apartments for a decade.
At a glance
| Stolz Drugstore | 4001 Hamilton Ave: $400,000 in Ohio historic tax credits in July 2026 toward a $3.2 million restoration with a storefront and apartments upstairs |
|---|---|
| Northside Gateway | 78 homes planned by Urban Sites, OTR Community Housing and NEST, with $2 million in federal money and $3.9 million from the city; no construction start announced |
| Vandalia Point | 52 income-restricted apartments, opened February 2025 |
| Kirby School Apartments | 40 apartments in the former Kirby Road School at 1710 Bruce Ave, open since 2016 |
| Zoning | Connected Communities, approved by City Council in June 2024 |
The Stolz Drugstore, at Northside's front door
The former Stolz Drugstore at 4001 Hamilton Avenue is a rare wood-frame historic building at one of the gateways to the business district. In July 2026 it won $400,000 in Ohio historic tax credits.
- Who is doing it. NEST, short for Northsiders Engaged in Sustainable Transformation, the neighborhood's community development corporation.
- What it becomes. Commercial space on the first floor and three to four apartments on the second and third floors. An early rendering shows four affordable apartments.
- What it costs. About $3.2 million.
NEST executive director Rachel Hastings told the Cincinnati Business Courier why the group is putting so much into one small building: "That is our most important intersection in the neighborhood." She added that it is the first historic building you see. No completion date has been announced.
Northside Gateway: 78 homes planned
Northside Gateway is a $25 million plan for 78 homes, the Courier reported in February 2026. It would rehab the four-story Stagecraft building and add a new four-story building next to it.
- The mix. 13 three-bedroom, 23 two-bedroom and 25 one-bedroom apartments, plus 17 studios.
- The team. Urban Sites, OTR Community Housing and NEST.
- The money so far. $2 million in federal funding, secured through U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, and $3.9 million from the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
- The open question. The state housing finance agency turned down the project's tax credit application twice, and the team said it had paused that effort. No construction start has been announced.
Vandalia Point: 52 homes, open since 2025
Vandalia Point opened in February 2025 with 52 income-restricted apartments near Blue Rock Street, Apple Street and Vandalia Avenue. It joined earlier Northside apartment projects such as the Gantry, which opened with 135 apartments in 2015.
Kirby School Apartments: a school that became home
The former Kirby Road School at 1710 Bruce Avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its developers called it one of the few neoclassical schoolhouses left in Southwest Ohio. When the building approached the auction block in 2013, neighbors in the Committee to Save Kirby Road School worked to find a local buyer.
That buyer was Bloomfield/Schon, which turned the school into 40 apartments and opened them in June 2016 with help from $600,000 in state historic preservation tax credits. The conversion kept the school's character:
- Chalkboards, coatrooms and wainscoting in the apartments.
- The original library, with its wooden shelves.
- Rookwood tile water fountains lining the main hall.
- An apartment in the principal's office, loft-style homes in the gymnasium and a large unit in the former auditorium.
In December 2024, Bloomfield/Schon sold the building to Brad Lauck of Lauck Properties. It is an independent property, not part of Parker Woods Flats, and inquiries about living there go to its own management.
Zoning that allows more homes near Hamilton Avenue
In June 2024 Cincinnati City Council approved Connected Communities, a set of zoning changes that make it easier to build small apartment buildings and add homes near business districts and transit corridors, with lower parking requirements. In Northside, that includes the Hamilton Avenue corridor.
What it adds up to
Northside is growing by restoring what is already here and filling in near the business district. For a tour of what is open now, from new restaurants to the Wednesday farmers market, see our Northside neighborhood guide.
Looking for an apartment in Northside? Parker Woods Flats is five renovated buildings on Glen Parker Ave, about 0.3 miles from Parker Woods Nature Preserve. See the homes available now or call or text (513) 392-8074.
Questions
What is being built in Northside, Cincinnati?
In 2026 the main projects are the restoration of the Stolz Drugstore at 4001 Hamilton Avenue, the planned 78-home Northside Gateway, and smaller infill homes made possible by the city's 2024 Connected Communities zoning changes. Vandalia Point, with 52 income-restricted apartments, opened in 2025.
What is the Stolz Drugstore project?
NEST, Northside's community development corporation, is restoring the historic wood-frame building at 4001 Hamilton Avenue. The $3.2 million project won $400,000 in Ohio historic tax credits in July 2026 and will have commercial space on the first floor and three to four apartments above.
Is Kirby School Apartments still apartments?
Yes. The former Kirby Road School at 1710 Bruce Avenue has held 40 apartments since 2016. Bloomfield/Schon sold it to Lauck Properties in December 2024.
Who is NEST in Northside?
Northsiders Engaged in Sustainable Transformation, the neighborhood's community development corporation. It is behind the Stolz Drugstore restoration and is a partner on Northside Gateway.
Sources
- WKRC Local 12 and the Cincinnati Business Courier, "Historic building in Cincinnati lands $400K in state tax credits for redevelopment", local12.com, July 11, 2026
- Cincinnati Business Courier, "78-unit housing project in Northside gets millions in federal money", bizjournals.com, February 6, 2026
- WKRC Local 12, Vandalia Point grand opening, local12.com, February 2025
- WCPO, "Peek inside former school turned apartments", wcpo.com, May 2016
- WKRC Local 12 and the Cincinnati Business Courier, "Cincinnati developer buys historic former CPS school building", local12.com, January 3, 2025
- WVXU, "City Council approves sweeping zoning reform", wvxu.org, June 2024
Published by Parker Woods Flats, managed by TLP Property Management. We check every fact in our guides against the sources listed above; business hours, prices and event dates change, so confirm with the business or organizer before you go. Spot something out of date? Call or text (513) 392-8074.
