CINCINNATI — In October, city officials asked a very crucial question that's been on many a Cincinnatian's mind over the years: What can we do with those abandoned subway tunnels?
The council submitted a Request for Information, meaning the city is looking for information from businesses capable of improving the space.
Through a public records request, I acquired the responses the city received to this question — 18 in total.
The submissions range from ideas from Cincinnati residents to full-blown project proposals from design and architecture firms. The ideas themselves also vary widely — from a bathhouse concept to underground arts experiences to restoring a canal within the city.
"You cast the net wide, you get creative ideas ... some of them are way out there and will maybe not be feasible, you know, but that pushes the thinking," said Mark Jeffreys, Cincinnati council member.
One of the most-proposed ideas involved converting the existing subway tunnels into some form of actual transit center for the city, though how to achieve that and what kind of transportation would be offered varied.
Cincinnati's never-utilized subway system is considered the nation's largest abandoned subway tunnel. For nearly 100 years, the two-mile stretch has been silent, its doors blocked by steel fences that have been vandalized over and over throughout the years.
Two miles of the proposed subway were constructed by 1923, and then the project was more or less halted. Above-ground sections of the planned loop were nearly finished by 1927 but the project ran dry on funds and tracks were never laid.
Here's a look at the proposals to transform Cincinnati's unfinished subway tunnels:
The Rhineline
Over-the-Rhine-based design-build company Yard & Co. proposed creating a "sprawling tapestry of interconnected experiences, seamlessly weaving together the city's abandoned subway tunnels, hidden cellars and historic brewery tunnels."
The proposal says it would have dedicated pedestrian and bike paths that link together other amenities inside the tunnels, including art installations, historical exhibits and business spaces. Those business spaces proposed range from retail experiences to speakeasies to "innovative tech startups."
The company said it chose the name Rhineline because of Cincinnati's brewing heritage and the area's historical references to the former Miami and Erie Canal, over which the subway tunnels were built, which were "affectionately referred to as the 'Rhineland' by German immigrants."
Their plan is to break the subway tunnels up into different areas based on the tunnel's access points and proximity to high-traffic areas like TQL Stadium and Music Hall.
"The Rhineline can offer diverse experiences through distinct districts, each with a unique personality," reads the proposal. "For example, one area might feature a sunken forest, providing a lush, green escape. Another could be a dynamic performance space, showcasing installations and events that reflect the city's energy."
Cincinnati Arts Underground
This proposal was a combination effort between the University of Cincinnati's office of research, ArtWorks, the Haile Foundation, the Contemporary Arts Center, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and GBBN, a local design and architecture firm.
This proposal specifically focuses on a high-impact arts district within the tunnels that would house everything from live performances, to BLINK-like light and sound installations, to a street art gallery and opportunities for site-specific theater performances.
"An expression of Cincinnati's enduring commitment to the arts, the Underground will invite visitors to pass from the familiar surface-level paths they walk everyday into a space of imagination and expanded potential," reads the proposal. "Focusing on the Race Street, Liberty and Brighton Place stations, the Underground will create a network of hubs where people dream together."
The proposal pitches the Brighton station as a space for muralists and street artists to showcase their mastery along the Central Parkway-lining walls leading to the station. Those works of art would be re-done over and over, changing the facades surrounding the station as new artwork is implemented over time.
The Liberty Street station is proposed as a food craft market area, where people can wander in from nearby Findlay Market or spend time before an FC Cincinnati game at TQL Stadium.
"In the evening, a twinkling vintage and craft market crowds the platform as thrifty fashionistas and great gift givers peruse the merchants," reads the proposal.
The Race Street station would become a theater, cafe and art exhibition hall that could be utilized for a wide variety of performances or presentations. The proposal includes ideas like a "shape-shifting theater" on the west end while "technologically advanced, multi-sensory art installations" would occupy the station's east end.
"The descent into the Race Street Station feels like an entrance to another world," reads the proposal.
The Central Spine
Local firm Hub + Weber Architects submitted a proposal that, similar to the Arts Underground concept, envisioned the subway tunnels not as one holistic overhaul, but a varied experience that could be different depending on where people are.
Hub + Weber broke their ideas down into "vertebra" along the subway lines, each with its own unique concept.
The first would encompass the portion of tunnels running along Central Parkway downtown, south of OTR. This district would provide "urban recreation" in the form of a stormwater overflow cavern used for activities like kayaking.
The second vertebra of the Spine would be incorporated into the proposed FC Cincinnati development at the corner of Liberty and Central Parkway, the proposal says.
"As each station is aesthetically unique with good structural bones, it doesn’t take too much imagination to transform the abandoned vault into a restaurant, night club, sportsbook, or other entertainment venue with revenue potential," reads the proposal, which goes on to cite successful enterprises like the underground brewery tours and Ghost Baby.
The third vertebra would provide stormwater overflow collection and detention to protect the surrounding neighborhoods from future flooding issues.
The fourth vertebra would be aimed at "horticulture and production," specifically giving a space for a hydroponics growing facility that could allow for farm-to-table plates served at nearby restaurants. The proposal also suggests using it to help produce hops for local breweries.
"A subterranean growing facility would create jobs, educational opportunities and fresh local crops for all residents without consuming large swaths of industrial land," reads the proposal.
The final vertebra imagines a future where an extended route for the Connector street car exists. The final stretch of the subway tunnels would facilitate that, by moving the street car to the tunnels from Mohawk Avenue to Straight Street.
"The extension would support the multi-million dollar investments of the Cincinnati Beverage Co. and others in the Mohawk neighborhood while the Brighton Street Station would stimulate increased investment in the northern West End and lower CUF," reads the proposal.
From there, the street car path could be extended up to Hughes High School, loop through Camp Washington and into North and South Fairmount.
Speakeasy concepts
There were multiple proposals for speakeasy ideas, or the concept was implemented into grander ideas about the tunnels. Merriman Anderson Architects proposed a speakeasy space that would also operate as an event venue capable of being rented out for weddings, galas or other events.
"The original tracks have been preserved as a unique feature, with some areas featuring transparent glass flooring, allowing guests to peer down into the depths of the station’s underground roots," reads the proposal. "An adaptive reuse of a subway station into an event venue not only preserves a piece of urban heritage but also provides a fresh and unexpected location that offers a unique atmosphere for any occasion, while the speakeasy bar could be a standout experience for Cincinnati natives and visitors alike."
This proposal also points out that above-ground improvements would be required for access and any parking options would need to be studied in greater detail.
A different proposal from Trident Investments pitched the idea of a speakeasy called "The Vault," which focused specifically on the Race Street station.
That proposal suggested the space would "not only preserve the structure's historical integrity but also introduces a modern social hub, blending Cincinnati's past with its future.
Preserved for historical tours
American Legacy Tours submitted a proposal that suggesting keeping the tunnels mostly the same — as much as safety and logistics allow — in order to provide tours that highlight the historical and engineering significance of the tunnels.
"The tours will offer a blend of storytelling, illuminated visuals, and historical anecdotes to provide an engaging and informative experience," reads the proposal. "In addition to tours, American Legacy Tours is exploring the possibility of redeveloping one of the remaining stations with the goal of making the station appear how it would have if the subway had been completed."
The tour company already provides Queen City Underground tours, and tours of the city's hidden brewery caverns.
This proposal also came along with letters of support from 3CDC and Visit Cincy.
A bathhouse not unlike those in ancient Rome
Yep, you read that right — a bathhouse. Platte Architecture + Design submitted a proposal that suggests turning the Race Street station portion of the underground subway space into a public bathhouse — but that's not their first choice either.
"It must be prefaced that our stance is that the highest and best use of the subway tunnel would indeed be a rapid transit system as its designers originally intended," reads the proposal. "However, as the task at hand is to reimagine or repurpose this buried concrete runnel, the question then becomes: what other intrinsic value does this century-old folly have to offer?"
Citing a combination of public bathhouse designs from around the world and the atmosphere of a sensory deprivation tank, Platte came up with a subterranean design that would boast a cafe, reflection pools, locker rooms, group saunas, hot and cold pools and a lounge area, among other spaces.
"We are suggesting minimal intervention in terms of lighting, volume, sightlines and finishes," reads the proposal. "The subway platform becomes pool deck. Train lines become waterways, treatment rooms, and saunas. The largest communal pools are located at the two ends of the subway station, hinting at the infinite of the once circular subway route."
As above, so below
Cincinnati architects KZF Design submitted a few different concepts that all fall under the idea of "as above, so below." The proposal suggests adding pedestrian and bike-friendly pathways that link the Central Business District, OTR and other nearby neighborhoods to the subway itself. Under this proposal, the tunnels would have five different districts: Work Life Balanced, Arts and Entertainment, Spectators and Scores, Eat and Drink and Paths and Play.
The Work Life Balanced section would include artisan pop-up markets, a business hub with co-working spaces and an urban wellness hub offering yoga and guided meditation.
Arts and Education would feature a mural and graffiti art gallery, smaller galleries and performance spaces, an underground venue for a film festival, educational spaces and a 365-day-long BLINK exhibit that showcases the biennial arts event.
Spectators and Scores, as it sounds, would focus on developments near TQL Stadium by creating an FC Cincinnati fan zone and a multi-sport underground arena space with courts for pickleball, basketball, indoor soccer and more.
Eat and Drink would encompass the portion of the tunnels near Findlay Market. It would include a Findlay Market food court, brewery tasting tunnels and a hydroponic farm and urban agriculture lab.
Paths and Play envisions the final section of subway tunnels as an urban recreation space fully equipped with a skate park, a transportation museum and bike repair facilities. There would also be a community workshop and event space in this section, where gatherings could be held highlighting the region's cultural diversity, the proposal says.
The design firm's proposal then transitions into a different conceptual idea for the tunnels that involves restoring the city's historical canal path.
"While the early German settlers affectionately referred to it as the Rhein, it soon became an urban sewer and suffered from a lack of maintenance and vision," reads the proposal. "The Historic Canal proposal looks to re-establish the original canal path as a green waterway and a new, amenity-rich spine through Cincinnati. By removing the subway infrastructure and reintroducing a series of locks and lagoons, Cincinnati will once again have a centralized canal — this time with modernized technology and layers of art, recreation, restorative landscaping and sustainability."
Some kind — any kind — of transportation usage
Several proposals were focused on dreaming up what the tunnels could handle from a public transportation system. One proposal suggested creating a subway-like system utilizing vehicles like a Robovan or other Tesla-created vehicle.
A German company submitted a proposal for a public transit line that would use their vehicles — called Dromos.
"Legally, Dromos is considered a 'specialized rail system' and thus its 2+ autonomy function is fully sufficient for regulatory approval," reads the proposal.
Dromos vehicles look like mid-size cars, but the company says they provide "high-capacity, affordable, low-on-carbon public transport with maximum passenger convenience." The vehicles can carry up to four passengers and run on narrow, dedicated lanes that the company says only require light infrastructure to support.
Another proposal pitched "a very bare bones subway."
Stormwater management
Many of the above proposals had stormwater management built into their concepts. However, the Metropolitan Sewer District submitted a proposal that aimed to only do that with the subway tunnels.
It's an idea that MSD said was investigated in 2022, but the concept wasn't pursued "because of the complexity of agency coordination, the cost and direct benefit to ODOT and MSD appeared to be less than the alternative selected."
However, MSD points to sewer backup issues in OTR and the West End that could be mitigated through this proposal. It also points to their own ability to move the critical water main that's currently housed in the tunnels somewhere else.
The option could also reduce flooding risks for many neighborhoods and help with sewer odors that plague the intersection of Linn and Poplar every summer.
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