Exploration Commons (Digital Futures Complex)

Exploration Commons marked the first phase in the ambitious Uptown Innovation Corridor—a transformative $200 million development designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and community engagement in Cincinnati. Envisioned as a vibrant, mixed-use hub, the project includes a 10-story, 250-room hotel, multiple office buildings, and structured parking. Prioritizing pedestrian safety and public interaction, the development integrates greenspace, public art installations, and flexible outdoor areas designed to host music performances, lectures, and other community events.

At the heart of the development is UC’s Digital Futures, a 190,000-square-foot facility dedicated to interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence, sensors, and informatics. The building also includes a podium-level parking garage with 1,350 spaces, supporting both current and future phases of the corridor’s growth.

Adjacent to Digital Futures, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital occupies a newly constructed 180,000-square-foot building. Designed as a non-laboratory research center, the facility houses over 200 employees. Children’s utilizes the top two floors—totaling 60,000 square feet—while the remaining four floors, each 30,000 square feet, are available for future tenants, offering flexible space for additional research or commercial use.

Bayer Becker provided comprehensive land surveying, civil engineering, and transportation engineering services for this complex and high-profile project. Our team implemented innovative stormwater management solutions that not only addressed current site needs but also anticipated future development demands. Through close coordination with project stakeholders, we helped shape a dynamic, future-ready environment that supports both institutional growth and community vitality.