cramer

You're right. I think the designers have been influenced by current ideas in place making, specifically the Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org). Their Power of Ten idea is that each place should have ten (or more features), and at each feature, there should be 10 things to do. From The Power of Ten: Why Great Places are more than the sum of their parts:

I've no direct experience, but I think their concerns are just what you've said -- building something out that creates a swirl in an already relatively tricky place to navigate.

^ As far as the navigation channel being changed in the least, it was my impression that that's not true. That's not what I was told by a Corps engineer at a meeting many months ago. My hazy recollection was that it had something to do with building piers into the river and the interaction with the bridges. At the same meeting I attended, representatives from shipping concerns and B&B riverboats seemed highly concerned about this very thing. The guy from B&B said navigating the bridges is already difficult and expresed concern that this would make it worse.

Local group recommended to develop The Banks Cincinnati Business Courier - 1:25 PM EDT Thursday A development group led by Western-Southern Financial Group has been recommended to make The Banks riverfront project a reality. Full story text is available at http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/05/22/daily40.html?from_rss=1

To all of those complaining about how long it will take to get this started and done: I think you're overlooking a few critical things. One, the project involves several levels of government, a park board, designers, and public input. It's gonna take a while to sort all that out. Second, and more importantly, this project involves slightly changing the course of a river. It's not something done lightly. The Army Corps has had to study water flow, flood scenarios, the effect of bank changes on erosion, and the effect on river traffic. It's quite a bit more than a park.

It's my understanding that the population of Queensgate consists solely of prisoners on Linn St., folks at the rehab/training center on Western, and that's it. I don't think, for the City's purposes, that counts as permanent residents. Interesting note. There have been some rumblings lately of an effort to get an official, City recognized neighborhood council for Queensgate. Why? Because then the city is on the hook to provide $10k per year. I think it's coming from Dale Mallory and Junebug Beatty.

Those photos of Toledo are gorgeous and sad. On the topic of population decline and estimates. Are federal dollars allocated based on the ACS estimates? I thought the decennial census was the only onethat mattered. From the perpective of Cincinnati, the thing that's most troubling is the alarming increase in vacant units. If 10k is close to right, that's bad, bad news. I think the nature of this forum (and it's not unique to UO) is enthusiasm, and that enthusiasm, whether it's about new projects or recent construction, blinds us to the slow leak from our communities. Certainly, the places I usually go seem as healthy as I can remember. But that's not the whole picture. Having said that, I really want to believe that the upper bound of this estimate is more accurate, so 303k. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-context=adp&-ds_name=ACS_2004_EST_G00_&-tree_id=304&-all_geo_types=N&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=16000US3915000&-format=&-_lang=en

During my trip to Paris, I made a special effort to visit Luxembourg Gardens, partly because of the recommendation of Project for Public Spaces. And now Laure Quinlivan does the same... ugh. You're exactly right Jake, I got the feeling that it's a neighborhood park more than a destination (at least, it wasn't a tourist destination). Surrounding population is the first requirement for an active, successful park or public space. I'd be pleased if the central riverfront park were only as big as necessary to provide a connection to the river and deal with the fluvial realities it presents. A band of green in front of the development, connecting the stadia to the parks to the east. Ideally streching down Eastern , at least as a bike bath or greenway, all the way to Schmidt. Not unlike the, what was that, '48? Master Plan. Having said that, the range of activities on offer at Luxemboug Gardens is something we would do well to imitate. It was probably my favorite part of Paris and is among the best parks I've ever been to. Lovely.

High life is nothing like PBR. I don't think you should be concerned. Plus, I read that Milller is trying to take High Life upmarket a bit, so that will undermine any hipster-cred it's developed. I have seen no price increase, but this article (can't find it) said that it's imminent. I dunno if you've seen the latest marketing strategy with HL -- gone are the monotone voiceover High Life man ads, replaced by some sentimental stuff about memories voiced by "the Girl in the Moon." So I guess High Life is now a beer for slightly more affluent women. You may still need to downgrade.

This would be incredible. I ran into Greg at Kaldi's during Bockfest. He seemed pretty set on returning Moerlein brewing to Cincinnati. If the other brands come back as well, more the merrier. Hudy Gold was available at the keg dock until at least 2001. PBR has been able to make it's move on a cost basis mainly. Also, with the decline of blue-collar work, many young people (no matter their income) want to connect with that sort of lifestlye, which they view as more "authentic." Thus the rise of PBR and High Life among hipsters and their ilk. One may be relatively corporate, but one doesn't drink some yuppie crap like Amstel Light. It's sort of a silent, mainly misguided, protest against mass-corporatism, one drink at a time. I just blew my own mind.

Kudos to you guys for your excellent work. I was doubly impressed that everything ran smoothly with my 5 year old dog iBook. Good stuff.

I personally can't forsee an OTR population of more than 12 to 15k without serious differences to land use and transportation in the region. Most of that has to do with the nature of rehabbed housing in OTR that MR mentions above. I haven't done anything remotely like a rigorous examination of this, but my hunch is that 20k is the best possible scenario. That's still a helluva lot compared to present circumstances, and would represent a remarkable achievement. You have to consider that just as Cincinnati's population loss was due mainly to shrinking household size until the 1970 or 80? census (IIRC), so too has most of OTR's population loss had to with shrinking household size. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. I feel like everyone looks to the number 50,000 without considering what's behind that statistic. Folks are awestruck by it -- "wow, wouldn't it be great to have 50k there now?" The answer is no. It would be unacceptable and offensive to our modern sensibilities. Those buildings can't accomodate that sort of density and at the same time be appealing to anyone with housing choice. Not to mention that if richer people move in, they'll bring with them more cars, which for better or worse, and I think worse, will have to be accomodated.

I'm very glad that this has happened. Castellini is my hero. However... I think the penultimate paragraph is crucial. "Heimlich said controversial issues related to the use of tax increment financing and parking revenue will be left to the Banks Working Group to resolve." We're not out of the woods just yet. So, what will happen first: the Reds make the playoffs or construction begins at the Banks?

I'm sorry to see the Friars Club leaving Clifton Heights. I played basketball for them in 7th and 8th grades and had a lot of good times in that gym. Any word on where they're relocating or what will come of the old building?

I've been. It can be very, very cool. Kathy Wade sat in while I was there, which was incredible. I've aso heard that Paavo Jarvi played as well. It's well worth it.

@ UCPlanner -- Check out americanapparel.net American Apparel is sort of like a hipster GAP. They are very high quality and have a Europeanish slimmer (or retro American) cut, not like modern tees which are made for ballooning Baby Boomers. I've used their shirts as stock for some shirts I printed. <Shameless self plug> Speaking of those shirts, they were in the Best of Cincinnati issue of CityBeat! Best Hometown Pride Clothing: CincinnaTees. Setting aside the fact that that sort of made-up "Best" is what has diluted the Best of issue, it's still pretty neat to get recognition for something I made. bestofcincinnati.com/goods.html Scroll down for the CincinnaTees. If anyone here is interested, I've still got some available. PM me if interested. Grasscat or other admins, maybe we could work out a deal for UrbanOhio members where part of the proceeds go to hosting fees. And if it's not cool to self-promote in this way, feel free to delete this post. </Shameless self plug>

I like it too. Something like that would complement Paul Brown Stadium's lines nicely.

This jumped out at me from the article. "It's not the first time the city has dusted off its old subway drawings, which have been meticulously preserved in city archives. Engineering reports through the years have determined that the tubes are large enough to accommodate modern light-rail cars - even around the sharp northward turn the tunnels take at Plum Street." That's an interesting revelation, and seems to contradict what noozer says above. Hmm...

This too. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060315/NEWS01/603150348/1056 Tunnels full of ghost stories, tours, proposals BY GREGORY KORTE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER For eight decades, Cincinnati's abandoned subway has been in a time warp - simultaneously stuck in the past and the future. To historians, it's a wonderfully preserved time capsule of the city's corrupt - yet booming - Boss Cox era. To futurists, it's an unfulfilled dream that could yet propel Cincinnati into the class of big-league cities. To cynics, it's the most notorious example of an enduring Cincinnati theme: the colossal white elephant of a public works project that cost taxpayers millions of dollars with little to show for it. .........

This is a very interesting thread. I've heard ghost streets typically referred to as paper streets, at least for the ones that only ever existed on paper. I've seen a great illustration of what the bend in Sycamore (@Edinburgh) in the book Cincinnati Scenes, iirc. I'll try and dig that up.

They are literally a block up from the ball park. Granted, that block is FWW, but still. Everytime I walk up from a Reds game, I can't help but think there should be at least one bar/restaurant in there.

Got this email with details. ________________________________________________ Join us on Saturday, March 4th for Bockfest's first annual OTR Saints and Sinners Tour! Your tour guides, Kate, Dan and Jen will showcase the fabulous history and architecture of some of Over-the-Rhine's most significant religious institutions and breweries. The tour includes a trolley ride and interior tours of beautiful St. Francis Seraph and Old St. Mary's AND the former watering holes: Jackson Brewery, Clyffside Brewery, and Grammers! Learn which brewery was raided by the FBI during Prohibition and which church has unidentified corpses in its basement. The $5 tour will last two hours. Meet us at Kaldi's at 1204 Main Street this Saturday at 12:30pm!! Tickets are limited, so get there early and bring your cameras- this is the first time the breweries have been open to the public! You don't want to miss this!!

Cool follow-up pics. I used to live in the green building across from the park (413). Good times.

Hyde Park and Northside occupy opposite ends of the spectrum and are sentimental favorites for me. I grew up walking to Graeter's and buying baseball cards and candybars from the long gone drug store on the corner of Erie and Edwards. And I'm a descendant of Lingo, for whom the street off Hamilton is named. So I get a kick out of being in Cumminsville. Oakley has been getting more and more interesting. But when it comes to my favorite... Ludlow has the IGA, Esquire, Skyline, and Graeter's. That's a pretty tough combo to beat. I'll give Clifton the nod. It'll be interesting to see what Calhoun/McMillan is like after all's said and done though.

I helped with some clean-up at Jackson Brewery over the weekend. I encourage everyone to come on the tour; it's going to be a (metal) blast. Ba-dum. Who's in? If you're there, chances are I'll be the guy in the Reds hat.