Artist Painted Mural Before Cincinnati Building Demolition
A massive interior mural was completed inside a vacant health center just days before its scheduled destruction.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Artist Douglas Hoekzema transformed the interior of the former Crossroad Health Center in Cincinnati into a temporary art installation and skate park. The site, purchased by 3CDC in 2025, is now slated for demolition to make way for a new parking lot.
Why it matters
The project serves as a final creative use for the 1988-built structure before it is razed to support urban redevelopment goals. It captures the building's history through a collaborative artistic effort involving multiple contributors.
The mural project utilized 130 gallons of paint applied with garden sprinklers inside the 1988 structure. The former health center staff previously relocated to a new $16 million facility near Findlay Market.
The players
Douglas Hoekzema
He is the artist who completed the interior mural project titled Downpour.
3CDC
This is the organization that purchased the property in 2025 for future development.
O'Rourke Wrecking Company
They are the firm contracted to lead the demolition of the health center building.
Agar
This agency is planning to document the final state of the building for a video project.
The details
Artist Douglas Hoekzema and a team of collaborators sprayed paint across interior surfaces and worked with local skaters to convert the space into a temporary skate park. The Agar agency intends to document the site before O'Rourke Wrecking Company begins demolition.
Timeline
The Crossroad Health Center building was constructed in 1988.
3CDC purchased the property in the spring of 2025.
The artist visited the project site on October 8, 2026.
Building demolition is scheduled to begin October 13, 2026.
Market Landscape
This project follows the pattern of temporary site activations often seen during the 3CDC Over-the-Rhine urban redevelopment initiative. Such efforts distinguish properties under institutional ownership while transitioning older infrastructure toward modern commercial uses.
Local residents will see the removal of the former health center building to make room for a future parking lot. The upcoming demolition may result in temporary traffic adjustments or pedestrian detours near East Liberty and Vine streets.
The takeaway
The project demonstrates how artists can utilize transitional urban spaces to create temporary cultural value before industrial demolition. Interested viewers should look for the upcoming video project featuring the skate park conversion to see the space in its final form.
What happens next
The demolition of the building at East Liberty and Vine streets is expected to begin on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Further reading
For more on local development shifts, visit the Cincinnati Openings & Closings section.
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