Fountain Square’s status as a downtown landmark is being elevated by The Foundry, the new 3CDC development bringing additional talent, business connections, and nightlife options to a gathering spot where more than two million people already cross paths annually. The visibility and high traffic volume helped attract Divisions Maintenance Group, Deloitte, Turner Construction, and Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse to relocate to the former Macy’s department store. The $60.5-million mixed-used project rebuilt the three-story building from the ground up with a sleek, modern design and floor-to-ceiling windows and now has 150,000 square feet of office space and 35,000 square feet of street-level retail and restaurant space.
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse opened in the fall to cater to business clientele and downtown residents and visitors alike. “We’ve always been hometown-proud, and moving closer to the city’s center helps take that connection to the next level,” says Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary. “With people coming back downtown to work, play, and live, this is a prime time to be in the midst of it all. Moving to a much larger space directly across from the iconic center of the city at Fountain Square was a bit of a dream. There’s a buzz there we haven’t seen in a few years.”
Relocated from its longtime home at Seventh and Walnut streets, the restaurant offers the classic Jeff Ruby experience along with new private spaces and more capacity, plus a sushi bar and enhanced live entertainment on an elevated stage.
Divisions Maintenance Group, which provides businesses with maintenance services through a network of technicians, is taking 103,000 square feet of office space over two full floors. A combination of outgrowing their separate existing offices—expanding from 500 employees to 800 in the last few years—and the need to attract top talent were chief reasons the company chose The Foundry, says General Counsel Alex Strohm.
The new office space is functional with huddle rooms, conference areas, and individual offices to cater to everyone’s working style, he says, while a cafeteria, cafe, and game room help make it a desirable place to work in person. “We wanted a place for everyone,” says Strohm. “The Foundry checked all of our boxes: It’s an iconic building on Fountain Square, the epicenter of Cincinnati’s business community offering the right mix of amenities, visibility, opportunities for community engagement, resources, and entertainment.”
Strohm says that Divisions will continue its organic growth in 2023 by working to attract the best developers, programmers, and tech talent in the region, and the new downtown headquarters space will be an exciting draw for new employees and existing staff alike. The company plans to complete its move by mid-year.
Deloitte and Turner Construction took occupancy of their office spaces in mid-2022. Five Iron Golf, which features golf simulators, instructors, club fitting, and a bar space, is scheduled to open in the first quarter.