urbanpioneer

Are you kidding me? After all of the stories about surpluses, lavish bonuses, perks, malfeasance of foundation funds, etc., on top of fuzzy language that even Brewster Rhoads admitted to, I'm more convinced than ever that this charter amendment is a terrible idea. Many wealthy people have given lots of money to help develop and sustain our parks. It's working. The tax increase is an opportunistic move that's backfiring in light of recent revelations.

As a pedestrian, I recently almost got run over by a bicyclist who was riding on the sidewalk in front of St. Louis Church at 8th & Walnut. He was speeding and it was only luck that spared me. He could've really harmed me in a major way. I've also had close calls with bicyclists who don't observe traffic rules and run red lights. It's not always easy to notice a bicyclist when you're walking in a crosswalk and mainly looking out for cars turning corners, much less so when they're speeding through red lights. I can appreciate the dilemmas that bicyclists face but I wish some of them would be more careful and considerate of pedestrians.

I've heard a rumor that the park board enjoys a $32 million surplus. I don't know if this is a calculation of the value of all of its endowments or what. But if this is true, or even anywhere near being true, I think it's scandalous that this permanent property tax levy is even being proposed at this time.

It's my understanding that there couldn't be large trees like those pictured on FWW decks. And the trees are what makes that place in the photo especially inviting.

I'm not sold on the park tax. At all. The way it's set up makes it more of a mayoral slush fund.

I have mixed feelings about public art. Since it imposes itself on a place and it's people I guess I feel it should be extra special.

I guess the video has to be viewed in slow motion to be able to discern exactly what happened in that fateful moment. I couldn't tell, but in any case it was clear enough that the cop's account of what transpired was false. Why oh why didn't he just shoot out a tire if he was [justifiably] worried that a drunk driver without a license was getting away? That he didn't leads me to suspect he was aggrieved that the man disobeyed him. I thought Deters was very good in his presser and deserves our thanks for diffusing a very tense situation. BUT he seemed to have an ax to grind against UC and didn't miss an opportunity to criticize it. He practically laid the groundwork for a civil suit against the university on behalf of the victim's family. In light of some of the crime that's occurred near the campus I can't blame the university for wanting to take extra measures to ensure the safety of students. I seem to recall a fairly recent event where some young people were held up on a sidewalk while a CPD cruiser went right by -- does anyone know what I'm thinking of? Cops have a tough job, there's absolutely no doubt about it. Please correct me if I'm wrong but it's my understanding that the police unions generally resist means whereby cops can be held accountable. At the very least they should encourage periodic psychological testing since it's the type of profession that can easily attract bullies, people with control issues, etc., and even if recruits don't start out that way, it's understandable that over time some of them could become ill-suited for the job. The cop in S. Carolina who looked like he was taking target practice on that man who was running away from him is a perfect example of someone who obviously shouldn't have a position in law enforcement.

You are correct about the city not receiving funding via Hamilton Co. property taxes, jdm00. My mistake! Thank you for the info. While already funded by city, state and federal tax dollars, this city levy is to create dedicated local funding for city parks - and evidently other things - that will be at the discretion of the mayor and City Manager to fund, if the urbancincy report is accurate.

I'm confused about what's going on -- the proceeds from county-collected park revenue via property taxes also support city parks. So it seems like we'd be taxed twice for the same thing. Also, in this urbancincy report, it's stated that the mayor and City Manager will select the projects that are funded by the city's levy funds! It sounds like the levy revenue could turn into a convenient slush fund for Cranley: http://www.urbancincy.com/2015/07/proposed-tax-would-provide-dedicated-parks-funding-stream-fund-85m-in-improvements/#disqus_thread

I don't understand the negative reactions here, sorry! I'm not bothered at all by this design! The bird's-eye view may be what's making the new entrance look mediocre. Besides, we really can't discern many details from this rendering -- we're mainly getting too good of a look at the entryway's roof. The quality of The Phelps' transformation just across the park into a Residence Inn makes me have faith that this project is going to be very nice in the end.

What a truly ambitious undertaking. My hat's off to all concerned -- you're doing absolutely great work. It's going to be a big, beautiful home! Wow!!!

This story has made its way to the Drudge Report: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/07/horror-black-youths-mock-and-laugh-at-unconscious-and-bloody-white-male-victim-after-july-4th-beatdown-video/ ETA: AND the WCPO story made it to Real Clear Politics.

The mayor gave a petulant, class-baiting, race-baiting, intellectually dishonest speech after he failed to get his way on the streetcar vote today. Luckily Flynn and Mann (and probably others joined in but I had to run errands and couldn't keep watching) didn't hesitate to rebut his cringe-worthy remarks. Mr. Cranley has made a fool of himself two days in a row on this union/operating issue -- but our local media seem to be covering up for him. So far The Enquirer is characterizing the vote today as a flip flop by Wendell Young rather than another streetcar defeat for Cranley, who is obviously trying to sabotage the project any way he can. His idea of fiscal conservatism is truly perverted in this case, considering the millions that would be wasted if the streetcar fails. I'm beginning to think The Confederacy has nothing over die-hard streetcar opponents. It's embarrassing to see our mayor behave like a spoiled brat who didn't get his way. He refuses, kicking and screaming, to acknowledge the economic development successes the streetcar has already conferred. He's the sorest of losers and if I were his wife I'd tell him to shape up, get with the program, and behave with some graciousness and maturity. He's a mayor of a major city for crying out loud and should act like one. Sheesh.

I'm having trouble imagining the height of the apartment tower because in the rendering it doesn't look as tall as you all are indicating, i.e., taller than the P&G towers! Yowza. Are there two stories between the exterior tinted concrete headers of the tower's shell? I hope the retail/townhouse-wrapped aspect of the garage remains part of the plan. So far, Senhauser hasn't changed or updated the rendering on his website but that doesn't mean the plans haven't changed.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but as I understand it, it's inaccurate to portray Cranley as a successful real estate developer. Price Hill's Incline Village, of which he was a partner, struggled to succeed and we've never heard if he repaid about $75,000 he owed on a defaulted LISC loan associated with the project. I think it was, and is, noble to try to help Price Hill realize its potential, but the fact remains that Cranley's track record as a developer isn't worth bragging about as far as I know.

FWIW, I know a nurse who has patients in the Pendleton area of OTR, and who claims to have an extremely hard time finding parking there due to the permit program. Hopefully, once the streetcar is operational, more people in OTR will be inspired to get rid of their cars. Of course some won't be able to, but honestly, isn't this a major rationale for the streetcar and the redevelopment of OTR in the first place? The densely-built neighborhood just wasn't meant to be home to very many people with cars. Almost all new construction and many rehabs have incorporated off-street parking into their designs, but that's obviously not possible in every case. IMO some peoples' complaints about the parking situation and their desire to enjoy ridiculously low rates in OTR seem antithetical to the urbanist cause.

Very nice plans. I really like the entire layout. I hope they end up looking good once they're built!

In the CBD, we pay $155/mo - $1860/yr for a surface parking lot space that isn't guaranteed.

I don't even click on The Enquirer's streetcar articles anymore. I don't care what they report, it always serves the agenda to purposefully roil public opinion. Besides, usually the same six people make comments and talk past each other. The Enquirer's worked hard to make the issue controversial because they've never been on our side. They wouldn't have endorsed Cranley if they were, or allowed Barry Horstman to get away with his hack reporting about it. So the agenda must come from On High. As far as this public disclosure issue goes, I'm cynical enough to believe they want to help cause operating costs to increase, or cause any other trouble whatsoever that they can. They probably consider talk radio as major competition since so many knuckleheads around the region rely on it as a news source. Thus the inflammatory reports, over and over, year after year.

A FB group has been formed to Save the Dennison Hotel: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dennisonhotel/members/

There is no "they" when it comes to the Main Street Historic District. A permit request to demolish a building in an historic district would by reviewed by the Historic Conservation Board. But I don't know that it's the final say - I think it only serves to advise, and City Council would ultimately decide. This is when the Josephs' political clout may come into play.

Any doubt that the owners of the Dennison Hotel want to demolish it can be laid to rest: "Hamilton County Auditor records show that building was sold July 24, 2013, by Ironworks Apartments LLC to a subsidiary of Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., an Over-the-Rhine nonprofit development group that sometimes gets city money to rehabilitate key sections of the city's urban core. Joseph bought the building from 3CDC a month later, and hopes to demolish the building for a future project." The full article: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/05/04/cincinnati-laws-require-elevators-inspected/26715959/

Interesting! Any idea how long it was before it was converted into a hotel? I think 2 Garfield became a hotel well within a decade of its opening. Maybe as soon as 5 years later. In those days there just wasn't the demand for downtown living that we see today, and it struggled. It was too far ahead of its time. A lot of the apartments were used by local big businesses such as Cincinnati Bell, P&G, etc., for trainees who came to town for extended stays.

That's too bad about the driver. I wonder how pedal wagons handle liability? They seem like an insurer's nightmare, in several ways. I've seen pedal wagons on Walnut near the Aronoff making rush hour traffic more congested around there than it already is. I'm all for traffic calming, but by less-obnoxious means. I can imagine it could be difficult for emergency vehicles to get around a pedal wagon on some of our narrow streets in the CBD and OTR.

I think it was only about a year ago, anyway, less than 2 years ago, that the Josephs bought the Dennison. I'd be surprised if it hasn't been their goal to tear it down. They've already torn down 2 buildings on the block since I've been familiar with it - a building at 7th & Main and a building on 8th, east of the alley that runs behind the Dennison. Those demolitions were after the creation of the Main Street Historic District. The Josephs definitely have clout. But it remains to be seen if they have enough to tear down the Dennison. Interest in preservation seems to have become heightened since those days. I can't imagine there wouldn't be an uproar if the they were granted permission to demolish the Dennison. It's much more architecturally pleasing than the Davis Furniture building or some other buildings in OTR that preservationists have fought to spare the wrecking ball.