SWOH

^That's a better combo then Josh Mandel + whoever he picks, but hopefully the Democrats can pull it off this election. Some kind of Cordray / Whaley combo would be good IMO.

Beautiful structure, thanks for sharing those pictures! It'd be awesome to see it restored to its former glory.... 7' ceilings and all lol

That Arts Annex proposal is an interesting idea. Just caught it after checking this thread for the last update. In Columbus IN there's a similar gallery space in the former downtown Sears dept. store that has seen a lot of success, although its focus is on architectural art rather than performing art.

Exactly. Going to Austin is a lateral move, Columbus and Austin are very similar size-wise. Demographics are similar too - Austin's median age is 34.4 and Columbus' is 35.6. The only big difference I see is Austin is more Hispanic and less white than Columbus.

^I just ate at R Taco on Brown for the first time last Saturday... it's there haha. And it's pretty good! It's in the same building as Milano's

Seems like a logical move for PDSI. It appears the facility was formerly home to one of their competitors, a company that did not treat their employees well.

Indeed! Jeff was the guy that got me started on urban blogging in the first place. I was looking up history on Trotwood as a high school Freshman just over a decade ago and stumbled right onto one of his posts about the Salem Mall corridor. I hope he's doing well.

I could go take a bunch of pictures for ya. I'm literally heading up there tonight. Anything in particular you'd like to see? Brandt Pike in particular was looking bleak around ~2009 but has improved significantly since then.

Sorry, I missed this. We were out until 5pm. We had a great time and it was good meeting new people! We'll have the next one in a couple of months so you can come. No worries! I felt awful that I had to miss, looking forward to the next one!

Hey! I got tied up with a few commitments so the earliest I'd be able to make it out is 3pm if y'all are still around

Sounds great, I'll should be there too! (assuming I don't get scheduled for work like I did this past weekend).

Breathtaking! Detroit is quickly becoming the coolest city in the Midwest once again (not that it wasn't already... just a less gritty version of cool)

A roundabout at that intersection is an excellent idea. It would add even more character and a sense of place to Northside.

It is! If the momentum keeps up I'm betting a lot of the industrial in that area will be churned up and turned into residential just like what has happened to the Dayton Supply building.

I'm an urbanist, but.... I actually live at Austin Landing. In the apartments here. I chose it because it's the only Buckingham property in the Dayton area (I used to live http://www.thecole.com/ and it is also a Buckingham property), I have a friend in the building, and it's a reasonable distance from my family which is on the other side of town). The complex is somewhat walkable, they made the parking lots not horrid to walk across with tree-lined sidewalks delineating pedestrian walkways away from automobile space. It doesn't exactly encourage walking like an urban environment would, but it's a small nod in the right direction. It'll be interesting for the south side if they bring more of the same or a less-retail heavy version of a Steiner lifestyle center. The development is inevitable, so if it's going to happen I for one hope the final project will look more like Bridge Park and less like Bridgewater Falls. Right now I can assure you all that millennials aren't fooled into thinking this is a downtown replacement (the "scene" for the area is still decidedly in the Oregon District, downtown, and Brown St).

It's hard to argue against Denver right now. Easiest argument I see - too close to Seattle / west coast. Other easy arguments include isolation (aside from Colorado Springs and Pueblo, what metros are close?), high cost of living, and its constrained developable area. Hopefully Bezos visits the ~10-12 top contenders in person, along with his selection team, because if he does I imagine a Midwestern contender will win. Based on the direction Amazon appears to be going in alone, the most logical choice would be Cincy (Macy's, Kroger, P&G all HQ'd there, easy to poach their workers) followed by Detroit (highest # of engineers per capita of any metro, U of M is right there, would build a lot of public goodwill, tons of sites available, easy access to Canada), possibly Philadelphia or Baltimore (both would have similar advantages/disadvantages) and then the rest. The downside to most of the Midwestern locations that aren't Cleveland or Chicago is mass transit options. Both MI and OH should be able to provide the tax breaks necessary, along with IN and MN (Minneapolis would also be an interesting choice). IL would be more pressed because of their budget and WI is already tied up with Foxconn. (btw, I'm tentatively back on UO since I'm in OH again, I'll primarily be stopping by the southwestern Ohio stuff)

That's true. The big issue is enforcement. But I question whether or not it would be publicly unpopular. Especially if it was presented for what it really is, which is basic policy to eliminate negative interactions in the public space. I know we all aren't the type to blare music from open speakers on the bus or solicit people on the subway, but there are plenty of people out there that do stuff like that. And living in an urban environment, we learn to brush it off, but even with that it's still an annoyance that makes the day worse. To me, this precedent seems like an easy fix. Depending on the verbage in the lawsuit, it can really create a baseline for a commonly accepted set of behaviors on transportation. Right now, there is one, and with people becoming ruder and ruder by the minute, it shows. I'm hoping some rules with teeth (prosecution) will solve the problem.

That's the best idea I've heard in a while haha

Figured this topic deserves its own thread, since its implications on mass transit could be huge (and hopefully create a better experience for all passengers): http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/14/opinions/airline-brawl-lawsuit-opinion-cevallos/index.html Essentially this lawsuit addresses the issue of what kind of behavior is acceptable in the public transit space. Can loud noises and interruptions constitute a crime? What kind of solicitation, if any, can occur on public transit? What is the responsibility of the transit providers to their customers? Many good questions will be answered, hopefully, with this suit. I for one am hoping for tighter restrictions and full prosecution of the defendants to set a precedent for a better, quieter, and safer transit experience for all. What do you guys think??

^Very cool, looking forward to checking it out once it's done. Amazing work done at that site.

This is the most disturbing thing I've seen all day. People spend $1700/night on this? How?? You'd be better off throwing your cash in a barrel and burning it.

I will be rooting against Xavier this year. Go Flyers! (sorry, had to, rivalry is too strong haha)

Ah. I see. Methane. Why hasnt the center been imploded yet?

Quick question - what happened to all the box anchors on the other side of the interstate? That whole center is dead, but it looks relatively new. Where did they all go? I was curious and looked up the site (btw, looks like a good one for Ikea). I'm hoping they do it, but IMO just from the map the Randall Park site makes more sense IF they could get zoning and land to put a big IKEA sign at the intersection of 480 and 271. Interstate access would be good, and they would be within spitting distance of Pinecrest and all the higher end stuff in Gates Mills/Beechwood/etc. Also would have a lot of Solon within the 5-10 mile radius, which should drive up the median incomes in the area. Or they could buy out the self storage facility and low-rent apartment complex at the SW corner of the 480/271 interchange and build there. IMO if they want visibility this seems like an easy way to get it.

I'm wondering if they will let residential and entertainment uses be part of the next phase of Tech Town. The location is good, and I can see people going for apartments & condos along the Mad River, possibly with a nice roofdeck for immersion in the city.