Scripps Center, Cincinnati

Rising 468 feet above downtown Cincinnati on Walnut Street, the Scripps Center is a defining feature of the city’s skyline. Completed in 1990, this 35-story office tower bridges the architectural gap between the Art Deco Carew Tower of 1931 and the shimmering heights of the Great American Tower, which claimed the title of Cincinnati’s tallest in 2011. For over two decades, Scripps Center stood as the tallest building constructed in the Queen City, marking an era of modern development.

Designed to resemble a lighthouse - a clever nod to the E. W. Scripps Company’s logo and guiding motto, “Give light and the people will find their way” - the building was crafted by Hoover & Furr of Houston, with Cincinnati's Glaser & Associates as the architect of record. It was developed by Duke Realty in collaboration with local visionary Manuel D. Mayerson, whose family continues to own the building.

Inside, the Scripps Center houses 500,000 square feet of office space, including the headquarters of the E. W. Scripps Company. It also serves a regulatory role for Ion Media stations acquired by Scripps in 2021, although WCPO-TV, despite being a Scripps-owned station, operates its studios separately in Mount Adams.

The building has made its share of public appearances. In 1990, just in time for the Cincinnati Reds' World Series win, cameras on the roof delivered iconic aerial views of the victory. Then in 2015, during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the tower sported an enormous cap and mustache, transforming it into a towering tribute to a 19th-century Cincinnati Redlegs player. Though the whimsical disguise won fans over, it was sadly temporary.

Whether broadcasting bird’s-eye views or symbolizing a company’s mission to illuminate, Scripps Center remains a modern landmark - one that quite literally gives light to the city below.