Cygnus

Reds ownership finally wakes from their post All-Star game nap: Reports on Twitter have Dick Williams promoted to GM and Walt Jocketty will remain as President of Baseball Operations. Yet to be updated: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=cin

At the end of the Hamilton County Democratic Forum debate yesterday, the straw poll results were fifty nine percent of the people for, 41 percent against: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/10/29/mayor-opponents-clash-over-park-levy/74797180/

First Streetcar Vehicle to Arrive Friday Morning October 28, 2015 First Streetcar Vehicle Set to Arrive in Cincinnati on Friday CINCINNATI —The first streetcar vehicle will be delivered by flatbed tractor-trailer to the Maintenance and Operations Facility (MOF) at the corner of Race and Henry streets in Over-the-Rhine on Friday, Oct. 30. The vehicle will be hauled northbound on Race Street via Liberty Street after morning rush hour. At about 9:30 a.m. the vehicle will pause on Race next to the MOF for approximately 90 minutes to unload onto tracks, followed by an additional 30 minutes to tow, along the tracks, to the inside of the MOF. See A Map Below For safety reasons, designated viewing areas are available for the general public and media. Media may stage cameras on the sidewalk along Race Street across from the MOF and inside the MOF yard. No members of the media will be permitted inside the MOF building. City and SORTA officials will be on hand for interviews and to answer questions. Tours of the car will not be available at this time because the streetcar needs to be “unpacked” and undergo a series of tests. While the arrival of this vehicle is a major milestone, the streetcar is still 10 months away from being operational. After Friday’s delivery, the City will still be waiting on four other vehicles that will arrive in Cincinnati over the next few months for testing and street readiness preparations. Passenger service is scheduled to begin in September 2016. The streetcar project remains on budget. ABOUT THE STREETCAR The Cincinnati Streetcar is a modern rail-transit system intended to stimulate development, expand transportation options, and enhance livability by connecting key communities in and around the center city. The system, which is scheduled to begin passenger service in September 2016, consists of a 3.6-mile loop extending from The Banks, through Downtown and north to Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine. Click for a downloadable version of this map

Some recent updates to the streetcar line...

On the $19M surplus, I'm certain Glendale wants the $6.2M owed to them due to Cincinnati mistakenly receiving an estate tax payment.

I'd really like to get a tour of the MOF prior to operations beginning. Anyone know if this would be a possibility?

My first appearances on Google Maps...

Bowdeta Tweh of the Enquirer just tweeted: "BREAKING: Toby Keith's I Love The Bar and Grill at The Banks has closed as a result of defaulting on its lease. Full story soon. @Enquirer" It's unclear at this point whether it's related to the lease dispute from two summers ago, or if they're actually in financial trouble. From the Arizona Republic via The Enquirer, a very in-depth article: Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill closings, lawsuits raise questions across the country

OTR, Pendleton park includes pool, 400-car garage It looks like Over-the-Rhine’s Ziegler Park will get a pool, two sets of restrooms, a playground and sprayground, and be extended into the Pendleton neighborhood where a 400-car underground garage will be constructed and topped with a massive lawn. Construction could start by year’s end, according to park and planning officials, who led the final community input session Monday night at Woodward Theater. “I’d say the whole project can be fast-tracked,” said Adam Gelter, executive vice president for development at the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), which has helped spearhead the redevelopment plan. Attendees of the input session shared overwhelming satisfaction with the plan Monday, including the garage, which had provoked some anger when introduced. Cont

Also, is anyone planning on attending his second State of The City Address?

I've been away for a couple weeks and surprised to return to no discussion on: Recall Mayor John Cranley : Town Hall Meeting Please join us for our first Citizens for Reform Cincinnati - Recall Mayor John Cranley citizens town hall meeting. Our first meeting will take place on TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM at the Clifton Branch Public Library located at 3400 Brookline Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45220

The Market Cincy will open their second downtown location this fall in the former Pieczonka Unlimited space at Dixie Terminal.

Quite disappointing when you have two grocery bags and the nearest station is .7 miles away...

225 apartments by Town Properties according to this post: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,12534.msg668749.html#msg668749

If John Cranley is so gung ho on downtown condominiums, perhaps he should talk to some of his buddies like Arn Bortz. His Towne Properties owns the five acre Adams Landing site where two additional condo buildings were planned. They have been scrapped in favor of $2sqft apartments geared towards a "slightly older renter than those typically found at the Banks or in Over-the-Rhine." There is also the vacant One River Plaza lot owned by the Gregory family...

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Bank Arena owners unfazed by UC renovation plan Steve Watkins Staff Reporter Cincinnati Business Courier Owners of downtown Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena aren’t deterred by the University of Cincinnati’s move to go ahead with an $85 million renovation of its on-campus Fifth Third Arena. U.S. Bank Arena’s owners announced last month they’re planning a dramatic renovation of the 40-year-old facility that they’re now saying could cost up to $250 million. The plan will require some public financing, and Hamilton County commissioner Greg Hartmann told my colleague Chris Wetterich that it was critical to get UC to move its basketball games to the revamped downtown arena if the county were going to kick in money to finance the project. UC announced Tuesday it’s proceeding with its own plan to renovate its on-campus Fifth Third Arena. Its board of trustees approved spending $2.2 million to draw up initial plans for the renovation on Tuesday. Cont

R Good question. Are there any published figures for use of the existing Banks garages? I think we're too eager to accept what has already been built as an income generator for the county. According to this there are only 20 available monthly spots out of the 3,387 spots in The Banks garage. Obviously a certain percentage of spots are set aside for short term parking, but I don't know how many that would be. In my experience the lowest level off of Mehring Way is fairly vacant during regular business days. The lots that fill up are the cheapest ones on the periphery of downtown. Cincinnatians are cheap, I'd rather save $150 a month and walk 10 minutes from my building to my car than pay $200 to park in a garage downtown, and I'm not alone. When I RedBiked through the garage a few months ago there were hundreds of empty spaces. What day/time? Just walked through at lunch and I'd estimate the Baseball Block 50% full, Bridge Block 90% full, Freedom Center Block 99% full, and the Football Block with only 5-6 cars. With the Reds in town there is a barricade up between Baseball and Bridge so that may be why it isn't as full.

Fast-growing online retailer building massive distribution center at CVG Tom Demeropolis - Senior Staff Reporter Cincinnati Business Courier Wayfair Inc., one of the world’s largest online retailers for home furnishings and decor, is expanding into a nearly 900,000-square-foot facility near Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. A joint venture between Dermody Properties, a national industrial development and operating company, and Hillwood Investment Properties will develop an 898,560-square-foot facility for Wayfair (NYSE: W) on a 52-acre site at 1600 Donaldson Road. Dermody Properties and Hillwood have a long-term land lease with CVG, which owns the property. The development, known as LogistiCenter at 275, will be the single largest development in the history of Dermody Properties. It will put more than 20 acres of space under roof. Cont

The south building of Current @ The Banks has their resident parking in a fenced in area on the 2nd level of the underground garage. Entrance is behind Jefferson Social off Walnut St.

This could start today at Castellini Esplanade.

Is state preparing to kill East Side rail project? A do-or-die decision on a proposed East Side commuter rail line could be on the horizon. The state is planning to spend $2 million to complete a study on the Oasis rail line project, which calls for a 17-mile commuter railway between The Banks and Milford. Top state transportation officials told The Enquirer on Monday a decision on whether to move forward with the project could come soon after the study is finished, but they did not provide a specific timetable. The Oasis railway proposal isn't likely to move forward, considering it comes with a $592 million price tag and lacks significant community support. Almost no money is available for the project, so why spend another $2 million in taxpayer money?

Phase 3A ahead of tomorrow "groundbreaking":

Personal Observation: Uber Increases My Bar Tab

There are 3 more on the other side of the shelter. The other two stops with these installed are Liberty & Race (3) and 12th & Race (4?), but they do not have the decorative pavers.

It was going through 5th & Walnut right at noon today. OCS install also happening in this area. And recently installed at the Rhinegeist stop: