Mecklenburg Gardens building to undergo renovation
By Lorelei Smillie
Mecklenburg Gardens, which operated as a restaurant and beer garden for more than 150 years, will soon return to the Corryville neighborhood of Cincinnati.
The Corryville Community Development Corp. (CDC) purchased the Mecklenburg Gardens building complex near the University of Cincinnati on Oct. 13 with a plan for revitalization. The original restaurant and beer garden opened in 1867 and operated for 156 years until its closure in October 2023.
The Corryville CDC paid $1.2 million for the property, using money from the neighborhood’s tax increment financing district. These funds use future property tax increases within a designated area to finance public improvements, allowing local governments to support development without tapping into the general budget.
The building has been vacant for two years. Since its closure in 2023, the building has fallen into disrepair. A nearby shooting in 2024 left three people dead and two injured, raising concerns about public safety and the environment around the vacant structure.With the revitalization, the CDC plans to replace roofing panels, install new electrical and plumbing systems in addition to addressing existing infrastructure problems.
The original Mecklenburg Gardens was one of the few German beer gardens to survive Prohibition and anti-German sentiment during World War II.
Corryville CDC Director Brandon Williams said he hopes to lease the property to a brewery or a German restaurant.
“We view this opportunity primarily as a restaurant and brewery project to restore the heart of a critical neighborhood business node,” he says in a statement on the CDC’s website. “We understand the significance of this property, its historical value to the neighborhood and its role in Cincinnati’s restaurant history. We aim to fulfill our community’s dream of revitalizing this storied building.”