Ram23

If the Dems in Cincy allow two liberal/democrat aligned candidates to run against each other like they did with Qualls and Cranley, the more conservative one is always going to win when it comes down to the final two candidates. The whole primary system for mayor is whack and should be eliminated. Qualls vs. almost any Republican would have won. It'll be interesting to see if another Democrat runs against Cranley in 4 years, though I fear we'll get the same result - Cranley vs. a more liberal Democrat, and Cranley will win half the D's and all the R's again.

Objects can be overpriced even if they sell at market rate. I think Cadillac’s and Chryslers are overpriced because they’re fairly ugly and unreliable compared to what you could get for the same cost. It really comes down to a matter of taste – but I’d agree that these condos are overpriced because you could do much better with that amount of money, even in the same neighborhood. It’s a relative and objective term, and everyone is allowed an opinion. And for the record, I looked at two 3 bedroom houses within a few blocks of this building a few years ago for under $200,000, though everything is around $300,000 now (they probably would have been a good buy, in hindsight). Still, I think you could do much better for $700,000 in that same neighborhood, but some people prefer to not have a yard or maintenance needs and don't have visitors or any need for a second bedroom.

How do you know those will be turn down? That'd be a shame. I've always hoped they would build a tower atop their historic building, a la the Hearst Tower in NYC. I remember there was a UC thesis project that was a tower like that (maybe it was a poster on Urban Ohio?)

Per Central Parkway, it wasn't brought up much that there was a lot more parking behind the Mohawk Building but I am pretty sure the owner's main objective was to get rid of the trees so as to make his building more visible. I’d suggest every single one of those Central Parkway spots be occupied for that Park(ing) day thing if that still exists?

These concerns should be readily dismissed – these businesses may lose a few nearby parking spots (that they have a misplaced entitled attitude towards) but they’ll gain hundreds, even thousands of people passing by on the streetcar every day. I’d actually like to know who, specifically, is complaining.

According to the early environmental assessment study there are four substations. One in the Findlay Market parking lot, one in the parking lot at Central and Vine, one in the empty lot at 7th and Main, and one on the dead space on the northeast corner of 2nd and Main. They all seem like pretty good spots to put equipment. They aren't any more of an eye sore than a parking lot, and if dressed up even minimally (some brick or other decent finish) they'll look better than an empty parking lot (which is what the spaces they are going to occupy are 75% of the time) * edit: looks like there is a 5th substation at Odeon and Central Parkway next to the existing Duke substation. Also a good, out-of-the-way site.

I've been to Plano a few times. It is basically the suburban Mecca. It's 270,000 people living in a cookie cutter suburban landscape. Think Mason times 10. All of the corporate leadership that would typically want to place their HQ's in suburban office complexes likely foam at the mouth at the thought of being in Plano. Huge corporations are very resistant to change. Even as we see a shift back toward urbanism and the fact that young professionals do not want to live in suburban sprawl, the corporations that currently flock to suburban campuses aren’t going to change very fast, and people are still going to take the jobs there even if they don’t like the location. It will be awhile (perhaps a generation) before the young people that can’t stand suburbs work their way up the ladder to a corporate leadership level and actually have a say in things like this.

He is literally suggesting people break the law, unless he plans to designate those specific sidewalks as shared paths. Even then, people have the right to bike on the street even if a bike path is present. Central Parkway is ridiculously wide in places, and never near capacity (I commute on it during rush hour every day to and from Ravine to downtown, sometimes on bike and sometimes in a car). A bike lane would be better for everyone because the space is there for one, and people drive way over the speed limit.

^ Isn't Duke getting partially reimbursed for moving their substation? Maybe it needed replacement/upgraded anyway and they'll be glad to have it paid for by tax dollars instead of out of their budget.

I noticed those because I walk by them all the time between Clifton and OTR. They don't look too bad from the street, but like most buildings in their shape they would require a few hundred thousand in renovations to be habitable. It's a shame because they're so close to Findlay Market and the northern end of the streetcar. Surely there will be a demand for buildings in that area within the next 5-10 years with the current pace.

This hasn’t been posted in a while so I’ll post it again - the list of historic buildings up for demolition review is published here each month: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/community-development/property-maintenance/condemned-buildings-for-review/

Even if the subway tunnels downtown don't get utilized, the short stretch under Hopple would make perfect sense so the rail lines would avoid the spaghetti mess of ramps being built there.

I think OTR will fall to (non-Cincinnati) chains at some point, but I don't think World of Beer will be the first one. Though I have no idea where they would fit, as at this point they'll have to lease an existing space if they're really going to open this year. If you look at their new/opening soon locations it's really a mix of suburban malls and urban spaces: http://wobusa.com/locations/new-locations Maybe one of the new spaces around UC? As mentioned earlier, Brass Tap is there already - it could be a Lowe's/Home Depot Walgreens/CVS location concept.

While not exactly "rental property" does anyone have experience with AirBNB? I have stayed at places using them, but I'm now considering listing two bedrooms in my three bedroom house because I have literally only ever been in them to renovate them. I don't want permanent roommates, but wouldn't mind people crashing for a couple days here and there while visiting the UC campus nearby.

I like that the Holtman's location in Loveland made the list. I'd wager that 95% of the people who go to the OTR location think that's the only one. Though anyone from Loveland will tell you that despite it's mailing address, that Holtman's is really in Goshen...

There are very few big architectural firms that will tackle large scale residential work, be it condos or apartments, because the profit margins aren't very high and the liability insurance is very expensive compared to most commercial and institutional projects. Most firms won't touch condos at all, as the LLCs that build them usually dissipate after construction, and individual owners who have the majority of their savings invested in the property sue architects for every leak or popped drywall screw. Anyway, that's why you end up with a couple of firms doing all the mixed use/residential work in the city, and thus it ends up looking the same.

Kincaid really makes some very obtuse statements. It's a shame there isn't an anti-Cranley version of Bill Cunningham in town because there would be a steady supply of garbage to pick apart. “It seems to me Councilman Seelbach has more concern with debating the process than protecting business owners,” How dare someone be concerned with due process?! “This is an ordinance that was passed by a lame duck council whose approach to governing had been very clearly repudiated by voters a week before." A lame duck council that unanimously passed the ordinance and had 6 members reelected. I don't know how the guy can walk around with his foot in his mouth all the time.

Some people prefer the suburban campus style office layout, with all sorts of amenities on site and under one roof. There are a few I visit in other cities for work frequently, and I find them depressing. There's no more convenience in having an on-site cafeteria than there is working downtown and having a cafe next door. The difference is you actually get to step foot outside of your company for a brief moment. I suppose Oakley would be a mix of the two styles, as there will be some restaurants within walking distance, though it'd likely be an unpleasant walk through a parking lot.

I grew up with my dad listening to him, and he thought he was hilarious because of the obvious hyperbole. He's purposely over the top. I worked in a car dealership garage through high school and college and it was probably 50/50 with most of the younger people finding him funny, and the older guys taking him seriously. I think WLW being a "news" station is to blame for the large percentage of listeners that don't realize most of what he says is tongue in cheek.

Hopefully he can manage to get on base more often as the season goes on. He basically has a free ticket halfway around the bases if he gets on.

I guess Jon doesn't realize Cunningham does the AM radio version of what Stewart does on TV. Sadly, neither do a lot of both of those guys' followers.

Here is what I don't understand, the lease is between the County and The Bengals. If the County does not own the western portion it would make the height restrictions unenforceable. The County could "sell" in some capacity the western portion to whatever developer they want. I own 2 parcels of ground at 1 and 2 Main st. I build a building and lease it to Acme, and agree in the lease not to build a building at #2 Main. I sell #2 Main to another entity and they build another building there. ACME's lease provision in unenforceable? It's probably some type of restrictive covenant and stays with the deed no matter who owns or leases the land.

^^ I rented a place in Astoria that had an immaculate oasis of a back yard, and was a 5 minute walk from the N train, which is just a short 10-15 minute ride from Midtown. I’m pretty sure most of my friends were only my friends because of the weekly grill outs, but at least they brought booze.

I know people who would never, ever dare step foot in OTR (in their minds, at least) who rave about that “cool new Senate place,” and don’t even realize they were in OTR. The other day I saw someone probably looking for a parking spot for Kaze or Eagle or someplace end up on Vine north of Liberty. They got about a block in before trying to do a U-turn in the middle of the street. The couple had the most frightened looks on their face because they must have realized they were in “that” part of OTR.

Yeah, I was always amazed that they had virtually every checkout line open at most of the busy times. However it’s been a few years since I’ve shopped there. For some reason I’m attached to the Corry Street Kroger near UC. It’s 3 minutes from my house, and I tend to spend 25% less per trip because I’m not tempted by any upscale brands because they don’t have any. When they do eventually tear down the UC Kroger, I’ll probably switch back to the OTR Kroger, as it is basically equidistant from my house, and I don’t like nice things. I think the Oakley Station Kroger will be worth a visit, but I don't think it'll be my regular store, because it will have too many options for my tastes.