BUSINESS

King Records now a city landmark

Council vote deters plan to demolish portion of building that fostered the careers of James Brown, other musicians.

Bowdeya Tweh

btweh@enquirer.com

The King Records complex in Evanston on Brewster Avenue grew into national prominence in the 1940s and 1950. The city of Cincinnati is considering designating the site a historic landmark.

Already considered a treasure in the eyes of musicians around the world, the former King Records complex is now a historic landmark in Cincinnati.

City Council unanimously voted Wednesday to change the zoning at 1532-1540 Brewster Ave. in Evanston, making it more difficult to obtain permission to demolish the structure. The buildings served as the record studio's headquarters between 1943 and 1971.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unveiled a city-funded historic marker in 2008 to honor the work of King Records.

Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation and the Bootsy Collins Foundation applied for the historic designation. Supporters see an opportunity to connect the King Records studio redevelopment to a larger initiative to create a new museum and memorial space for King Records, a recording studio and visual arts studio.

Located just west of Montgomery Road and north of Interstate 71, King Records now has two different land owners. One property is vacant and a second serves as a warehouse. Dynamic Industries owns the vacant property and it sought a demolition permit June 25 as part of its expansion plans.

City officials say the proposed parks levy, which Cincinnati voters will consider on the November ballot, could support the acquisition and stabilization of property for King Records' renewal. The levy could bring an estimated $2 million to the project and $125,000 of annual operating support, according to estimates released by levy supporters in June.

Mayor John Cranley said Wednesday his administration is working to acquire the King Records property in good faith. Cranley, recalling his days on City Council, said King Records preservation efforts date back to 2008 after council approved a motion to work toward designating the properties as historic. The motion, he said, was approved prior to the owner purchasing the property and the buyer should have known the designation could eventually happen.

"We’re only following through on a commitment made prior to the current ownership," Cranley said during the council meeting.

Supporters: King Records deserves landmark status

King Records, which was founded by Syd Nathan, became one of the nation’s most influential independent labels in the 1940s and 1950s. At its peak, the racially integrated label employed more than 400 people and was the nation's sixth-largest record company. King Records had a diverse catalog of artists including James Brown, Bootsy Collins, Ike Turner, Hank Ballard, Otis Redding, John Lee Hooker and LaVern Baker.

During the meeting, Councilman Wendell Young said he grew up near King Records and listened to some of the artists who found a home at the studio. He recalled finding old vinyl records, “45s” and “78s,” in the trash and believes the community would regret losing a piece of its history if the property were demolished.

“Very often as a kid, I saw many of these artists and I took them for granted,” Young said. “If you live around it, you don’t often appreciate it until something drastic happens.”