Michael L. Redmond

I have been asking the exact same question. We all want to see the Brewery Dist turn around however sometimes we start believing in our own rhetoric. We need to start seeing real plans for the Brewery Dist vs just a lot of feel good talk. Dunlap Flats, wonderful development, but it is an island. KD Lamp, hows that coming? Clyfside, we have been hearing about it for years and nothing. Metal Blast, nothing. And what else? All I hear is it is such a great area and great buildings. Great buildings for what? I still have yet to hear real solutions for many of the buildings there. I am saying this to be critical yes, but not defeatist about the area. Hopefully the Dist. will step up and put together a real plan, not just a marketing one. To say we want investors to come into the area is not enough, some of the heavy lifting has to be done for them first. And LostinCincinnati said it, if you hang your hat on the streetcar to bring your development then what is the contingency plan if something happens with that? The Brewery Dist does have one valuable resource, and it is not the buildings, it is the committed group who push the Brewery Dist. That group just needs to put together a building by building plan and taking into consideration realities on the ground vs blind enthusiasm. When that happens I think then you will see progress in the Brewery Dist, streetcar or not. Oddly enough, the more flack I get about my above assesment will demonstrate the willingness or unwillingness to bring about real results to the Dist. I hope that this year the Dist can make some real strides but I think it will take a different approach to achieve it. Getting the name Brewery Dist with an accompanying map in the newspaper is not going to be enough anymore. Here was the very first post on this thread, what has changed since then?

So what does this ultimately mean? If she sees this is a distraction from building a regional rail system, has she been successful in convincing other members of council this as well, demonstrated by the number of signatures she was able to get on her counter proposal?

I was that someone. My question is are there people on council that do not know this and are there people in the Uptown Consortium that do not know this? John, I would really like to know your take on why this came out from Qualls, what was the motivation?

Chance, How would you respond to this line by Chris? Money is a risk and so is time. Which risk would you be most willing to take?

Or even getting them started let alone completing. When we are agressive, it seems to pay off. It is when we get timid, afraid to do something because we might fail is when we get in trouble. I think that the people of Cincinnati would be more forgiving of taking a chance vs cowering away.

I think the what if question is certainly a legitimate one but I tend to agree with Chris that this is a risk worth taking. How much more expensive will this project be to do in 4 years?

Would you say this is what is behind Roxanne's proposal or is it something different entirely?

If you let me know when you will be doing the one's on Mulberry, I will point them out to you.

I would argue on how much they are truly helping to begin with. The argument I always here, not just from social services, but outlying communities is we place the service there because that is where the homeless are. I think it is the other way around, the homeless are here because that is where the services are. When you look at it that way it becomes easy to understand why no other community wants to disperse those services so we are left to fight the battle alone.

If she holds out sure, but I think there is something in between here that is acceptable to all parties. or the next phase?

That is what I am trying to do as well along with an estimation of the other parties named here. Call it 'thinking out loud', I admit I could be wrong. Can anyone answer me this, If phase I is built, is there a possibility that phase II never happens. Is there a scenario that puts that connection in jeopardy? I would think there would be a multitude of things that could either stop, or severely delay the connection to Uptown. Does Uptown have any reason to believe that any of these scenarios are a real possibility? "I think there has been some miscommunication, perhaps some misunderstanding among some council members." He reiterated the point that expansion to Uptown has always been integral to the plan Malory To me it sounds like this was the misunderstanding and Qualls was the one who misunderstood. So what does she do? She "endorses a line from Downtown to Uptown, rather than a loop through Over-the-Rhine." And "Her motion drew six signatures, a majority of the nine council members". Even though "Mallory intends to see that the streetcar make it up there, in the second Phase" so she settles for something that will be a "guarantee". Uptown says we will take the guarantee, and in return issues a "written a letter to city officials stating the she understands the importance of completing the downtown loop first with local funds before undertaking the uptown loop." Which as John says will be put out on Monday. That is what I am getting at Lincoln Kennedy. But I could be wrong. My belief all along has been "negotiations are now open and she will give, and so will you. The only question is what is she looking for? It isn't in the proposal, it is in the negotiated settlement." Chris, am I close?

So you think this is just blind political motivation that drove her to do this? We shall see. I prefer not to underestimate someone like Quall's. In my mind, if she really was taking into consideration her political future, she would manufacture something that could give something to a very powerful, and influential group, and satisfy the masses as well in an agreement of some kind. This is a win/win for the parties involved, and a win/win for her as well. I thought it wiser to look deeper than just say, blind ambition, but perhaps there is no need.

If you think it is that simple then, ok. So if she is truly after a kill, then what?

Then what is she after then? It is one of two things, a concession or a kill. I am looking at possible concessions that would benefit one of the benefactors named in the story, Uptown. Otherwise you have to take this at face value, "endorses a line from Downtown to Uptown, rather than a loop through Over-the-Rhine." I am looking for meaning and motive because the answer is somewhere in the middle. To say that there is already a plan in place that does X when Y was just proposed, I am not sure where you find comfort in anything that has been "planned". Yet we have been going under the assumption that there is the possibility that Qualls is not. I am more inclined to think she is.

But does it ultimately give a guarantee to Uptown? If she gets a guarantee then does that hurt the streetcar? No. Does it help Qualls? Yes. It could be a win win.

There are 3 steps on Mulberry that you are missing. 2 are easy to find, you have to do some digging for the 3rd. Frintz street steps next to 103 Mulberry that runs from Frintz to Mulberry and the 29 Mulberry Steps that runs from Peete to Mulberry. The 3rd steps are abandoned steps that run from Mulberry up to Jackson Hill Park and is on the north side of Mulberry next to 84 Mulberry (I believe) and you have to poke your head into the woods but they are there. There is one more set of steps that is on Seitz that are closed but run from Seitz to Goethe.

And there lies your answer. As I said before, this is primarily a red hearing and she is trying to get something (for someone). This is probably the something and Uptown Consortium is probably the someone. "[glow=red,2,300]VERY important that EVERYONE SHOW UP TO THE HEARING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE STREETCAR PLAN[/glow]." and now even more so. These are politicians and they pay attention to levels of support. Everyone needs to be at the hearing on the 25th.

Let me adjust my post to reflect this new information.... I have a great apartment at 144 Mulberry. Cork floors, view of CBD, exposed rock wall, just totally redone. 2 floors connected with a spiral staircase. 1 Bedroom but could be 2 for $750 a month.

"endorses a line from Downtown to Uptown, rather than a loop through Over-the-Rhine." "Qualls said Wednesday it’s exciting that a majority of council was willing to support a line between Downtown and Uptown, two high-employment areas, and that council members recognized the economic development opportunities of connecting the job centers of Downtown and the area around the University of Cincinnati and the hospitals." followed by "a letter to city officials stating the she understands the importance of completing the downtown loop first with local funds before undertaking the uptown loop." This is a just a case of communication breakdown? I said they have been talking, now it seems they should be talking.

So John, you are saying that Roxanne's proposal is dead in the water come Monday and will cause no change? Agreed. I would think that conversations would have happened between Qualls and Uptown before issuing a release like today. Why would she put out something today that gets refuted only days later by the very same people it is meant to help?

I do not find that so hard to believe at all. But irregardless this story does more to illustrate the importance for everyone here to show up on the 25th and show your support for the streetcar. We need to be prepared and we need to be united in whatever is thrown our way. This is not going to be a cake walk and we all need to rally behind this cause and the ones who are working hard to bring it to fruition. My delivery in some post may have something to be desired because conspiracy was never my intention. Lobbying is not necessarily conspiratorial. I am saying that lobbying may have something to do with todays news and we need to figure out who are all the interested parties.

"Any good tips on living space in Downtown Cincinnati or Over-the-Rhine?" you are the "downtown" Nazi. You would have had a point if you said this isn't Over the Rhine. Technically it is Mt. Auburn as it is on the north side of Mulberry.

I have a great apartment at 144 Mulberry. Cork floors, view of CBD, exposed rock wall, just totally redone. 2 floors connected with a spiral staircase. 1 Bedroom but could be 2 for $750 a month.

Worse case scenerio, I am wrong. This isn't a negotiation. How hard has all the major parties been advocating for this? Has Uptown been there as a major supporter? Has 3CDC? Has downtown interest? And I am not talking about a nod of support, I am talking active support. If that has cooled then you are not dealing with a negotiation, you are probably dealing with a withdrawl.

Your guess is as good as mine. I do not have an answer here but would lean toward #1.