The long-silent Garfield Suites tower in downtown Cincinnati is finally getting a second look. The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) has entered an agreement to buy the former Garfield Suites Hotel at 2 Garfield Place for $3.75 million and says it will explore ways to bring the 16-story high-rise back to life.
The building, which has sat largely empty for about a decade along Vine Street between Fountain Square and Over-the-Rhine, could see a full-scale overhaul. A complete redevelopment might run roughly $62 million, according to FOX19 NOW.
Katie Westbrook, 3CDC’s executive vice president of development, told FOX19 NOW that "it's critical to reactivate this site along Vine Street" as the organization begins studying what, exactly, to do with the property.
Big, Empty, And Right In The Middle Of Everything
The former Garfield Suites at 2 Garfield Pl. clocks in at roughly 16 stories and 306,355 square feet of high-rise space, according to its listing on LoopNet. The listing notes the property was marketed in August 2025 and details parcel assessment figures that hint at just how large a lift any redevelopment will be.
From 1980s Tower To Long-Term Vacancy
The tower was built in the early 1980s and later converted into a hotel around 1990, FOX19 NOW reports. A 2015 push to turn the building into apartments reportedly fell apart by 2017, leaving the structure largely out of use for roughly a decade.
That long stretch of inactivity is a key reason 3CDC is calling the reactivation of this Vine Street block a priority.
What 3CDC’s Move Could Signal For Downtown
3CDC is no stranger to big, complicated downtown projects. The nonprofit has been involved in major efforts tied to the Duke Energy Convention Center area and the planned convention headquarters hotel, which WCPO reports is moving forward with a mix of public and private support.
That track record gives 3CDC the experience needed to chase the layers of financing and tax credits a 16-story retrofit is likely to require.
For now, though, the group is keeping things in the "early days" category. 3CDC says it has not filed formal plans or locked in a final budget. The next phase will involve due diligence, financing work, and design studies.
Once those pieces are in place, downtown neighbors and other stakeholders can expect more detailed proposals spelling out whether the Garfield tower reemerges as apartments, commercial space, or some mix of both.
