By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HYDE PARK - Controversy has erupted again over a six-story retail, office and condominium building proposed on this Cincinnati community's historic square.

This time, neighbors are upset the developer changed the concept of "Michigan Terrace" at Erie and Michigan avenues.

Parking spaces in an underground garage are being reduced from 66 to 37 and the garage's main entrance is now off Erie - the main boulevard facing the square. Offices also have been scrapped. The building would be the tallest on the square.

"You can put earrings, lipstick and a necklace on it but it's still a pig," longtime resident Carl Uebelacker said. "This is the kind of thing they build in West Chester or downtown Cincinnati, not in turn-of-the-century Hyde Park."

The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council voted Tuesday to oppose the changes.

Original plans for the 75-foot-tall Michigan Terrace called for two levels of underground parking with the entrance off Michigan, an unspecified number of retail stores on the first story facing Erie, offices on the second floor and 11 high-end condominiums on the top levels.

Now, the additional number of condos isn't known but the retail will remain on the first story, including at least one shop facing Erie, said Chris Knueven, director of multifamily and retail development for one of the project's developers, Al Neyer, Inc. of Blue Ash.

An adjacent Hyde Park business owner's son already was fighting the building, saying it was too big. There also were concerns among neighbors that 66 parking spaces weren't enough.

The Hyde Park Neighborhood Council previously protested the height and setback.

Knueven contends changes were made to accommodate residents' concerns on additional traffic and parking. Concessions also were made on the setback, and upper floors will be tiered, he added.

Cincinnati's department of transportation and engineering has approved the Erie Avenue entrance.

Knueven stressed Wednesday that the company has compromised with the residents on the project, planned in the site of a vacant gas station.

The Hodory family, which owns the Hyde Park Medical Arts Building next to the proposed building, has appealed zoning approval for the project with Cincinnati's Board of Zoning Appeals. The appeal hearing is Feb. 23 at City Hall.

"I just don't want to see cancerous progression of large buildings in Hyde Park," Tim Hodory said. "They have made some minor compromises but they haven't gotten to the heart of the problems, the setback and the height."

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com