A New Lease on Life for Cincinnati’s Saks Store

In its last few years of operation, the Saks Fifth Avenue store in downtown Cincinnati only drew attention when thieves attempted “grab-and-dash” robberies with varying degrees of success. The store closed at the end of 2022, after struggling for several years.

But a new chapter is unfolding for the former department store space at 101 W. 5^th St., which is adjacent to the city’s central gathering spot, Fountain Square. First, earlier this year, payroll processor Paycor moved about 750 of its headquarters workers from a nearby suburb into the second floor of the Saks space.

And now, the building’s ground floor is home to a new restaurant by award-winning chef Jose Salazar. The 7300-square-foot eatery (which opened Nov. 19) is capable of seating up to 220; both stats dwarf Salazar’s former restaurant in the nearby Over-the-Rhine district, which he closed several years ago.

Prepping the building for its new tenants was no small undertaking, notes 3CDC, an economic development agency that’s been involved in a variety of downtown construction projects, including the Saks one.

The updated building features “a more open concept with a glass façade that allows for a great deal of natural light in the building, a new roof, and upgraded interior building systems including mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection. The streetscape also undergone significant improvements including sidewalk enhancement and expansion on Fifth Street including development of outdoor dining space, and fresh landscaping.” In addition, a skywalk that was attached to the building was demolished, a fate similar to that of the rest of the now-defunct second-story walkways, the group noted.

Appropriately enough, the reuse project is also slated to have a retail component, but plans for that space have not yet been finalized.