– by Kathy Doane
For the Rosenberg family, patriarch Marvin and his two sons, Barry and David, 423/Hoge in Columbia-Tusculum represents a lifetime of lessons well-learned. Once again, the second generation of real estate developers is giving the city something innovative in this 62-unit project aimed at empty nesters rethinking home ownership so they enjoy the flexibility of the active lifestyle they’ve worked so hard to attain.
423/Hoge welcomes its first residents on March 31.
The development represents a new way of living in Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhood. A carefree lifestyle energized by a sense of community, the project’s long-term goals of adding value to the area were key to its planning. All the very same thoughts that Marvin and his partners had when they tackled their first project more than 60 years ago.
Building Blocks
When friends Marvin Rosenberg, Neil Bortz, and Lambert Agin began to acquire and rehab their first properties in Mt. Adams in the early 1960s, it was a modest, working-class neighborhood of small houses. But they saw the potential to make it more, because there was a definite charm to the neighborhood with its hilly streets, tightly packed houses, and most of all, its spectacular views of downtown and the Ohio River.
Granted, it was counterintuitive to the trend driving many house-hunting decisions at the time: Moving to the suburbs. Still, Marvin, Neil, and Lambert, who formed Towne Properties in 1961, believed if they could attract enough people, generally younger adults looking to live a more exciting lifestyle, they could create a sense of community and something new.
And they did.
During the 1960s and ‘70s as bars, restaurants and shops opened, Towne Properties continued to rehab its older houses, and Mt. Adams became a weekend entertainment destination and one of the City’s most desirable places for young adults to live. It was the hip equivalent of similar areas in New York and San Francisco.
“We were selling the idea of community by introducing our friends, and their other friends, to the charm of Mt. Adams,” Marvin says. “It was a lifestyle that was much more interesting than the life they were living in the suburbs.”
In addition to creating a sense of community, the redevelopment added value to the area and enabled long-term growth potential. So, it was important from the beginning, to do it right. This formula would define Towne Properties’ reputation and success moving forward. Towne Properties became one of the area’s most successful property developers and managers, with iconic projects such as Indian Creek in Indian Hill, the Cloisters in Mt. Adams, Landen in Deerfield Township and Harpers Point in Montgomery.
“Everyone involved – the lending institutions, the seller and surrounding neighborhoods – knew our goals were long-term, and when we said we would do something, they could count on us to do it right,” Marvin says.
FAMILY TRADITIONS
Now that same philosophy is driving a second generation of Rosenbergs, Marvin’s sons, Barry and David, who formed R2 Partners, a commercial and real estate development company in 2019.
“One of the things we talk about is how our father has empowered us to the power of 2,” Barry says. “We want to go forward in our own way, but carry on the legacy and reputation that Dad and Neil created with Towne Properties. That translates to having a positive impact on the area with each project and creating long-term value.
It also means capitalizing on each other’s complementary skills, another lesson learned from growing up and watching how Neil, Marvin and Lambert managed things at Towne Properties.
“Dad was more involved in financial design of the projects, and Neil was more involved in the design layout, architecture and operations. Lambert handled the contracting and building,” Barry says.
At R2 Partners, David and Barry recognized early how their complementary skills could work together.
“I am more involved in the design and marketing of projects and my brother handles the financial design of each project,” Barry says.
“When we look at the Hoge project, we want to create this tight-knit community that fits in within the larger Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood, which is exactly what my Dad and Neil did in Mt. Adams,” Barry says. “The other thing, that we’ve tried to do at Hoge that they did is to create something that will be here long-term, and when you begin to think that way, you begin to think about all the little details within the project and that sets us apart from everyone else.”
Making a home
At Hoge, many of those details focus on residents’ health and well-being, a priority during every step of the process, beginning with the design and flow of space, both in the common areas and in each unit. Special attention was given to sound abatement, air quality, and a water purification system in the kitchens.
Just as Towne Properties often brought in national experts to consult on a particular aspect of a project, Hoge designers worked with Bill Browning, the country’s foremost proponent of biophilic design, recreating the positive and calming effects people experience when connecting with nature. They did this by choosing materials and surfaces throughout the building and in the outdoor courtyard that replicate the natural world.
Attention to detail also meant choosing top-of-the line amenities, such as Bosch appliances in every unit and luxury touches such as Rookwood-tiled showers and backsplashes and heated bathroom floors in some units.
It all adds up to what the sons have learned from watching their father do business and comes down to a pretty straightforward philosophy.
“If you’re going to do it, do it right or don’t do it,” says Barry.