cramer

The building on the right was the former dry cleaner.

The neighborhoods of Linwood, Mt Lookout, and Mt Washington already raised holy hell of the mention of larger jets a few years ago... Politically it seems like a non-starter.

I understand the aversion to tearing down a building; it's an inclination I share generally. But because it was a dry cleaners there are some environmental issues that make tenanting that building or even new construction problematic. My limited understanding of the contamination is that it is not unlike radon in that keeping it enclosed in a building causes the problem, whereas an uncapped plaza will allow it to dissipate and become less of a problem. The follow-up testing will point the best course.

The rendering of the plaza was purely conceptual. A final design has not been created. The goal of the plaza is to provide a better entrance way from the merchant lot south of Ludlow into the district, replacing the rather foreboding alley that now exists. Additionally, it will be a new community gathering place, which, along with the improvements to Telford and the relocated crosswalk, will create a new axis for the street. What sort of things would you like to see in that space?

^They call it trashgrass.

What's your beef with Rumpke Mountain Boys, Monte? Is it that they play bluegrass, and you can't stand anything that is remotely Kentucky-ish? Or is it their jambandiness?

Dissenting voice on Via Vite. Our waiter spent far, far too long explaining every item on the menu. Seriously, maybe 10 minutes. The penne was nicely prepared, but it tasted like a slightly classed up hamburger helper.

^One and half times. From Charlotte to New Orleans, then split time between NO and Oklahoma City post Katrina. Back now to NO full time. Their success in Okla City is one reason why local businessmen went after the Sonics. NOOCH was fun to say.

Court St steps to Oregon St steps. Or out along Columbia Pkwy.

At the risk of devolving this thread into a discussion of balls... (ahem) You can disagree that the lights are attractive, but your reason can't be that 15 years is too long to think something is attractive. Or that 1992 was a bad time to form an opinion. To paraphrase: I'll be honest with you... I'm a Michael Bolton fan. For my money, I don't know if it gets any better than when he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman." Recorded in? 1992. Case closed. Or wait, that movie was made in 1999, can it still be funny? Seriously, I think that the integrated signs/traffic lights are a real design achievement, all these years on. They are simple, restrained, and effective. They have become an important design element that indicates this is downtown Cincinnati and the lights match them very well. Now maybe you think they aren't ornate enough (I can't bring up a mental image of the lights on 4th street, but I must admit being naturally disinclined to something that's "English") or that they don't fit it with the architecture of downtown. But there's a lot of architectural languages being spoken downtown, and those humble lights are content to remain silent, floating above the din of the city, steadfast and resolute, showing our way home.

Respectfully disagree. The balls, as you call them, are great. They integrate well with the unified street signs/traffic lights on downtown streets, and I appreciate their minimalism. If you ever read Cincinnati Observed, the author takes note of how good they look. Anything that would replace them would look faux-historic probably, and worse.

^ Hey, I was at that Jazz-Celtics game.

I look forward to learning more about the plan. To the extent that it would actually provide primary care for those who would otherwise go the ER for everything, it would actually save money. And if the Health Dept can generate revenue, that would offset costs. This is about providing an affordable minimum of care for those who would otherwise not be able to access the system except through the ER. It's not socialized medicine, it's the city participating in the market.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071102/NEWS01/711020425 That's frightening. ^The reason folks don't think of auto accidents the same way is that they feel a sense of control and self determination behind the wheel. Everybody is Jeff Gordon behind the wheel. And I'm Nicky Hayden.

The DCID funds DCI. The funding is a formula based on value, which means DCI has a healthy operating budget. Obviously, the OTR SID would be more modest. Essentially, the SID is a way to self-tax and then control that money directly. DCI uses it for promotions, the ambassadors, cleaning, etc. They must be renewed every 5 years.

SIDs require agreement from 60% of owners on a frontage basis or 75% of owners on a total assessed value of a contiguous district basis. It's not easy to get that kind of buy in. The trick is to set the assesment at a level that is acceptable but that can also fund services. They might have to gerrymander the district around agreeable properties. I wish them luck, it's not easy.

I guess my hatred for all things ESPN has colored my view of it. Taking on two capital projects that will cost $50+ million is going to be tough on the capital budget... If the city had to make the tough decision, which is more important: the Banks or the streetcar?

Why this obsession with an ESPN Zone? It's like wanting a Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock. I'm all for a killer sports bar down there, it's a natural fit. But espn zone.... Eh.

I usually keep it around 3 or 4.

I can't say that's really an article against the streetcar. It's more just a showcase for Bronson's ADHD. Let's see, streetcars, Chad Johnson, Jesus, the Rockies. Yep, that's a cogent argument.

Pick up Walking the Steps of Cincinnati and explore. Or Mt Airy Forest.

Down 2 games to the Steelers with 2 games left against them. 10 games remaining. It's not over. But considering the second half against the Jets was the first time in a long time I've seen the team battle back from adversity, I'm not betting on it.

Found the ad on the Enquirer's site. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071001/VIDEO09/310010061/-1/newselection

Has anyone else seen Winburn's first ad? It's despicable. Charlie decides to play shit your pants politics. A female voice talks of a picture of Winburn rotating in front of the skyline. After talking some nonsense about how much better things were with Winburn, it ends with some ominous statement about what things will be like if he doesn't get elected. Then the sound of gunshots and muzzle flashes throughout downtown. GABP, Atrium, Carew. All lit up by gunfire. Infuriating.

Sorry, net present value. And apparently only for the western district. What that functionally means is that there isn't money left to subsidize other projects, like 3CDC's projects.