Macy's Building (Cincinnati)

The Macy's Building is a skyscraper in Cincinnati, Ohio. Located in the city's central business district, the 21-floor building stands 96.7 meters (317 feet) tall. The postmodern high-rise was designed by Ed Haladay of RTKL Associates and built from 1978 to 1980. Originally named the Federated Building, it was the headquarters of Federated Department Stores (later known as Macy's, Inc.), a title which it would share with Macy's Herald Square in New York City from 1994 until 2020. After Macy's closed their Cincinnati headquarters in 2020, the building underwent residential conversion, reopening as 7 West 7th Apartments in 2025.

Macy's Building
The Macy's Building in 2019, prior to its residential conversion.
Former names	Federated Building
General information
Type	Residential
Architectural style	Postmodern
Location	7 West 7th Street Cincinnati, Ohio
Coordinates	39.103259°N 84.51413100000002°W / 39.103259; -84.51413100000002
Construction started	1978
Completed	1980
Height
Roof	96.7 m (317 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	21
Floor area	364,400 sq ft (33,850 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Ed Haladay (RTKL Associates)
Developer	Federated Department Stores, Inc. (later Macy's, Inc.)
References
[1][2][3]

Design and construction

The Macy's Building is located at the intersection of 7th Street and Vine Street within downtown Cincinnati. It was built from 1978 to 1980 using the design-build method, with construction occurring alongside the structure's design stage. The building was designed by Ed Haladay, who worked for the Atlanta branch of architectural firm RTKL Associates. Its postmodern design was influenced by the Citicorp Center in New York City. The tower features a white metal exterior with a chamfered roof. It contains 21 floors and stands 96.7 meters (317 feet) tall, with a floor area of about 364,400 square feet. The building was constructed directly above a seven-story parking garage.^[1][2][3]

Corporate use

The skyscraper was originally known as the Federated Building, as it was built to house the corporate offices of Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores.^[1][2] Federated rebranded as Macy's, Inc. after acquiring department store chain Macy's. Alongside Macy's Herald Square in New York City, the building was the co-headquarters of Macy's from 1994 until 2020.^[4][5] Beginning with Terry Lundgren's promotion to CEO in 2003, Macy's top leadership was primarily based in New York.^[6]

In February 2020, Macy's announced that it would close its Cincinnati offices as a cost-cutting measure, leaving the New York location as the company's sole corporate headquarters. Most of the approximately 500 employees were relocated to Springdale. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley referred to the closure as "disappointing", but stated that "functionally, Macy's stopped using Cincinnati as their headquarters ten years ago". Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman estimated that the closure would deprive the city of $500,000 in payroll tax revenue per year.^[5][7] The company's signage was removed from the building in September 2021, which WLWT referred to as "a noticeable change to the Cincinnati skyline".^[4][8]

Residential conversion

In October 2021, New York developer Victrix LLC submitted a plan to convert the tower into a residential building with 338 units and a 394-space parking garage. Victrix requested tax increment financing for the project, which was estimated to cost $73 million.^[9] In January 2022, Victrix agreed to a yearly contribution of $124,510 to the Cincinnati streetcar and $272,921 to Cincinnati Public Schools for 30 years in exchange for a 30-year tax abatement from the city government. The tax exemption was unanimously approved by the Cincinnati City Council. The city estimated that the residents of the converted building would generate up to $1 million in income tax.^[10][11] The building had been valued at $22 million in 2020, but Victrix purchased it for $10 million in March 2022.^[12] The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority approved $60 million in bonds for the project in September 2023.^[3]

The building reopened as 7 West 7th Apartments on April 16, 2025.^[13] The redesigned structure features 341 apartment units with an outdoor terrace, a gym, and a lounge where the executive offices had previously been located. At the building's ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mayor Aftab Pureval stated that it was "the largest housing project in the city", which was "all part of our strategy to go from downtown being almost exclusively a commerce center to a real neighborhood".^[14]

See also

• List of tallest buildings in Cincinnati
• Carew Tower, another Cincinnati skyscraper acquired by Victrix LLC for residential conversion