The first townhomes are complete at Factory 52, a mixed-use development rising on a former industrial site in Norwood. PLK Communities opened the first building in its three-story upscale townhome community in July, bringing brand-new two- and three-bedroom layouts with attached two-car garages to a corner of Cincinnati that was, not long ago, dominated by factory walls.
A New Residential Chapter on an Old Industrial Site
According to Local 12, the development is described as a $250 million mixed-use project, and the newly finished Factory 52 Townhomes occupy the northeast corner of Beech Street and Robertson Avenue, immediately west of Interstate 71. The townhome section comprises the southern third of what Local 12 describes as the 33.2-acre Factory 52 mixed-use district, a figure that differs from other project descriptions discussed below. The homes themselves include an amenity center and apartment building, along with a pool deck situated directly behind them, per the same outlet's report.
The leasing site for the community, liveatfactory52.com, markets the units as a brand-new collection of luxury two- and three-bedroom townhomes in Norwood, Ohio, with floor plans starting at $3,375. Residents get access to two resort-inspired swimming pools and two fitness centers spread across the broader Factory 52 campus, giving the townhome section a shared set of amenities with its apartment-dwelling neighbors.
Built Where a Factory Building Once Stood
The townhomes rose on ground with a specific industrial history. PLK Communities has said the project represents the redevelopment of the former Multi-Color Corporation building site, which was cleared to make way for the new residential addition, according to a company announcement posted to plkcommunities.com. That same announcement describes the layouts as offering more square footage through multi-level living, with walkable access to dining, retail and community amenities already built out elsewhere on campus.
Factory 52 itself traces back to the former U.S. Playing Card Company campus, and the Port of Greater Cincinnati describes it as a multi-phase, mixed-use development on what it lists as a 20-acre site, according to the Port. That acreage figure conflicts with Local 12's reported 33.2 acres for the district, and the discrepancy was not resolved in available reporting. The cost of the overall project has also been described differently across sources: Local 12's report puts the figure at $250 million, while a project write-up from MKSK Studios previously described PLK Communities' redevelopment as a $100 million project. Neither source explains the gap, and it is not clear whether the figures describe different phases or scopes of the broader campus.
A Campus Still Filling In Around the New Homes
The Port's project page also lists public amenities and gathering spaces, residential units, retail and recreation spaces, and a food hall among the components planned for the site, and it notes the development is anticipated to create 400 full-time jobs and 100 part-time jobs. MKSK Studios' description of Phase 1 lists 306 residential units alongside a signature food and market hall, a brewery, a dog park, an event lawn and retail components, while the Port separately notes that construction of 128 market-rate apartment units pushed the district's total residential count past 400 — two tallies that were not reconciled in available project materials.
Those 128 apartments refer to Kenilworth II, a five-story building that sits on the south side of Morgan Way immediately east of Factory 52's two existing infill apartment buildings, per Local 12's earlier coverage of the district. That building welcomed its first residents at the beginning of June, roughly six months after pre-leasing began, and was around 65% pre-leased and 42% occupied when that report published. The townhomes now join that building as the latest piece of a campus that developers say has grown to include apartments, dining, retail and year-round community activations alongside the new residential offerings, according to PLK Communities.
