natininja

Think about all the extra sewer, electric, gas, roads, etc. required because each building requires multiple times its floor area in parking. (Also keep in mind this thread is specifically about Downtown and OTR.)

I worked at Solomon Cordwell Buenz. They had 3 floors on Michigan Avenue. 1/0th of one floor had a couple of the big boys, who would whip something up, sometimes literally on the back of a napkin. The underlings would do the rest.

The population of the city is greater than that of Ohio. If Istanbul were a state, it would be the 5th largest, ahead of Illinois. In terms of density, however, it's on par with Buffalo. Thanks for the tour. Looking forward to moar!

Yeah, when I say "subsidized", I don't mean "publicly subsidized" exclusively. Any time someone buys or rents a unit, or makes a purchase from a store, which has a parking spot which they don't use or wouldn't use if the cost were made explicit, that spot is being subsidized.

Hama and Hapa...

^ I can't comment on the interior, but my opinion of the exterior is that it's quite nice. Whether my aesthetic taste is objectively valid or not. (In other words...who made you the arbiter of good taste?) I find most contemporary buildings horrendous. Those are probably buildings you would find to be spectacular.

I agree that the internet makes space irrelevant in many ways -- for purchasing goods, notably. I think this is overlooked when the downfall of the shopping mall is discussed. Suburban retailers are poised to take the biggest hits, because no one will hesitate to replace big-box and chain stores with online alternatives. But I think the internet will have a bear of a time trying to reproduce the economic effects of spatial business agglomeration which central business districts do so well. A Skype meeting is not a great substitute for a real-life one, especially when you consider the social, human aspects of doing business. For example, going out with colleagues after work, to dinner or a bar. The internet doesn't do well at replicating situations like that. Having laws in place which arbitrarily increase the amount of parking available is anathema to agglomeration. It separates things and people, and makes those social interactions more difficult to orchestrate or happen upon. It undermines the economic edge that a center city has over suburban environments. If things are downtown that people want to experience, they will find a way to do that. If they need more parking, and are willing to pay for it, the market will accommodate. The county just built an @ssload of subsidized parking spaces between the stadiums. Fountain Square has a big garage underneath it. If someone can't go to the square or to see the Reds or Bengals because of expensive or inaccessible parking, the barrier to attracting them is simply too high, too expensive, too detrimental to the form, function, and prosperity of downtown.

I would not hold my breath for the Horseshoe folks to make it inviting for people to go out into the neighborhood.

I hear things like this all the time: "I would go to more Reds games if parking wasn't such a hassle." "I went to Reverfest once. I liked the fireworks, but I don't think it was worth putting up with traffic." "I can't move my business downtown because I need space to load my trucks." "I hope my conpany never moves downtown because parking is so expensive." Matthew Hall is right. If people can't afford to park, then it's not economical to cater to them. Subsidizing more parking is not an answer to anything. If they can't afford to pay for a parking spot, then they can't provide enough economic benefit to justify subsidizing a parking spot for them (regardless of where the subsidy falls -- public hands, private hands, or a combination). The best we can do is provide better transit, which makes it easier for people of all incomes to get around. No parking necessary, or for those coming from farther afield, they can park somewhere where space is not at such a premium and do a park-and-ride. If someone is not willing to do that, it does not make it any more economical to subsidize their parking -- that just feeds more economic unsustainability which is likely a habitual part of their lifestyle. The demands of such people directly flout economic and environmental sustainability, as well as healthy lifestyle choices. Even spending money educating them about the convenience provided by the bus route that goes directly through their neighborhood to downtown would be a more productive use of funds.

I read it as "Expect boring glass."

Is it called "Beer Pong on the Highline"? :)

I'm just trollin' y'alls.

I think it's an attractive building from the outside. No politics. I just like the look of it.

^ I don't think it's the numbers that upset him, I think it's all the bitterness.

Can't a man just be good at sports without being a q$$$r?

...ummm are you thinking of Cincinnati? The current Union Terminal is both a museum and train station. LOL. But yes, I agree that there's probably room for both. Ah, that's the one! Thanks! ;-)

I think the Freedom Center deserves to be on the river. Powerful, powerful symbolism. Doesn't mean Union Terminal couldn't become a secondary train station after one in a more prominent location. Heck, maybe the Freedom Center could serve as a museum and a train station. There seems to be a lot of empty space there. And someone told me there is a city where a museum and train station share a building, so it must be doable...can't remember where that is right now.

I like it, too.

Never saw this article before. In it, it mentions a theory John Schneider has about local rail opponents planning to attack the streetcar via the state legislature. What's that all about? http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/lyndon-henry/cincinnati-streetcar-project-breaks-ground.html

I know I read about a story a while back where people who were primarily used to listening to music on mp3 players rated higher compression audio as higher quality than less compressed audio. Maybe your ears have made that transition, to where the technically higher quality sound actually sounds worse to you. (I have no idea, just throwing that out there. It's an interesting concept, either way.)

^^ Thanks. Wow, it is really coming together now. Just so exciting. I wonder when NKY will step up their game. Imagine a companion park on the other side of the river, of similar quality. Either way...it's just so great to see this really panning out, simultaneously with all the other stuff going on. I don't know how much longer Cincinnati can be ignored or brushed aside by tourists and the national media. This park is going to be like a giant welcome mat.

Cool. I've only seen them in rainbow so far, so it's good to know they can/are switch(ing) it up.

^ Were they lit up with rainbow colors?

^ Any way you can post a larger version of that picture? It looks awesome but I can't make out anything. It actually looks like a rendering at that resolution, lol.

Your units have to be off. Ohio's per capita GDP 36,937 in thousands is $36,937,000 ... per person. That's insane wealth!