moonloop

Well, I'll admit the panels could pass for window tint on a bitchin Camaro, I'll kept the faith.

<i>I'm not buying it. I find it hard to believe the Museum Center would be negatively effected by a new bridge in Queensgate. I'm betting a couple of used car dealers are moaning about the possible losses of their surface lots. I don't think there is any business in that area that is worth stopping a new bridge in Queesgate. Lets get moving on eminent domain ASAP.</i> <b>Queensgate alliance concerned about Brent Spence options</b> Cincinnati Business Courier - 2:16 PM EDT Friday The Queensgate Business Alliance has gone on record in opposing two of the five alternatives for a Brent Spence Bridge replacement. Both of the alternatives would "result in a catastrophic negative impact from an economic point of view to Queensgate," Doug McDonald, president and CEO of the Cincinnati Museum Center and treasurer of the Queensgate alliance, wrote in a March 30 letter to Ohio Department of Transportation. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/04/03/daily62.html?jst=b_ln_hl

This almost sounds like some kind of Jack the Ripper type of thing - targeting drug users instead of prostitutes. That's what I find interesting too. It sounds like another guy did the shooting while a deal was in progress. Granted, it could be someone working for the dealer, but that would be poor business sense.

<i>What's the harm with a little drug dealing, no one is getting hurt, oh wait . . I think the dealers need to starting opening satellite offices in suburbs - one in West Chester, Mason, another in Florence - their profits would soar.</i> <b>Dopers warned: OTR deadly</b> By Peggy Kreimer Post staff reporters ADVERTISEMENT Cincinnati police have a warning for people who come to the city's toughest neighborhood to buy drugs: You could wind up dead. In three days this week, three people who drove to Race Street to buy drugs have been shot, two fatally. Two of the victims were from Northern Kentucky, including Matthew Cox, 20, of Florence, who was shot in his car at 1415 Race shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday. He was the city's 23rd homicide this year. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060407/NEWS01/604070342

Thanks for the update. It will be interesting to see how those panels get wrapped around those funky angles.

I think LPH needs to make up its mind, is residential or industry? IMO, there's way too much industry to make it a decent residential environment.

Here's bit more info on the Residential part of the report. The last two are really nice to see. WCPO has a Word file to download. <b>Residential</b> • 500 new residents moved downtown in 2005, bringing the center city residential population to nearly 7,000. The downtown residential population has nearly doubled since 2000. • Major 2005 residential projects representing a total investment of more than $90 million and 266 units included: Park Place at Lytle, The McAlpin, 18 East Fourth, The American Building, and The Lofts at Graydon Place. • The downtown apartment market remains in high demand with a 94.5% average occupancy rate. • Nearly 700 residential units will be under construction in 2006, welcoming nearly 1,000 more residents downtown.

<i>Maybe this will help carve out an additional safe haven for the young artists types in OTR.</i> <b>Theater troupe hopes new location brings more funds Know Theatre in former nightclub near Art Academy</b> Cincinnati Business Courier - March 31, 2006 by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter Over-the-Rhine's Know Theatre is hoping to grow attendance and triple revenue by moving to an abandoned nightclub one block south of the Art Academy of Cincinnati. The move adds ballast to a burgeoning arts district in the southwestern corner of Over-the-Rhine, where developers are investing millions in new condominium, entertainment and ground-floor retail projects. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/04/03/story5.html

There's a line at the bottom of the pic - Visualisation by Matt Bowker and James Newman, 2003. Click to enlarge. You'll get a bigger image.

I thought this was interesting. A guy put together all of the worlds biggest buildings in one place. http://www.skyscrapernews.com/wtb.htm

These are very slow moving projects. I would think getting the proper people in the know about your concerns shouldn't be problem. There is also a steel yard in that area. The place just got a new sign. I wonder if that is also for sale.

Hey look the guy who killed the guy in the Walnut Hills shootout has an ear growing on his neck. :argue: :argue:

<i>The print addition of the Enquirer had a bit more info but I can't find it online. I thought it mentioned the City is tossing in $500K. I thought banks have done these types of loans before and nothing real substantial seems to happen.</i> <b>Mortgage program finances purchase, renovation</b> By Joe Wessels Post contributor A collection of city and business leaders unveiled a new program today that will allow prospective Over-the-Rhine homebuyers to place purchase and renovation costs under one mortgage. Dubbing it "Live Buy Design in Over-the-Rhine," city leaders, headed by Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell, announced the program at the Gateway Condominiums along Vine Street near Central Parkway. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/NEWS01/603290352/-1/all

<i>I'm not in OTR on daily basis(maybe once a month) so I put a lot of stock in Nick's opinions. He isn't a social service nazi or a religious nut republican. He sounds downright reasonable to me. I hope city council is listening.</i> <b>The CSO at The Emery?</b> Patience is running out in OTR. Nerves are raw, people are tired, there's a lot of tension in the air. Despite the talk that comes out of City Hall, most people down here do not see things getting better overall. There are small signs of progress here and there, but nowhere near enough. And the empty lines about "taking time to change" and the "slow process" just aren't cutting it. I have been pretty gracious to this new Administration and Council since the November election. But I'll admit to being a tad annoyed at this point that they aren't taking proactive steps to clean this neighborhood up. That they seem to still tiptoe around the thornier issues that MUST be addressed, like social service reform and overconcentration of poverty. They need to find some guts, and soon. Because the residents and business owners down here are fed up, and their anger is close to a tipping point. Want proof? The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, one of, if not THE, most powerful entities in the neighborhood, is making some very loud, very public complaints about the Washington Park area, and the clear impact that it is having on attendance. I was just down there yesterday, and Christ... all I could think of was John Alschuler's old comment about parking your car there and daring someone to say the police were doing their jobs. This is real. You're talking now about the CSO, the bars, the condo residents, all talking about getting the hell out of here. Its time to make a choice. Its time to actually do something about this. Otherwise, its all over for Over-the-Rhine, and probably for the entire city. I'm personally disgusted, in case you can't tell. I'm so disappointed in these people I had such high hopes for. I expected a lot more than this. Really, I've kind of given up already. I hear the same stuff I heard five years ago. Projects come and go, and none of them does very much. I mean, remember how the Art Academy was going to change everything? Hundreds of art kids running around the neighborhood? Hardly. Most of them are pretty terrified and run from point a to point b. I do the same thing. I can barely stand walking around down here, you can bothered so much. You can't build around the drug dealers, the mentally ill, the addicts, the aggressive panhandlers, the prostitutes. Its not working, and its not going to work. I'm sick of talking about talking about, thinking about it, fighting about. I thought this Mayor and this Council would change this stuff, but I see nothing, I repeat, NOTHING so far. They just kind of shrug, or talk about 3CDC's "plans." Wow, more plans. How exciting. Again, the answer here isn't more loan programs, or even more developments, until you clear out the barriers to growth. Those condos on Vine aren't selling for a reason. This neighborhood has got to stop offering a one stop shop for homeless crackheads. Nobody wants to pay 200k to deal with that! The ghost of Buddy Gray keeps people in positions to change this so gutless, and that just disgusts me. Look, they're just WRONG, the evidence is all around us, let's stop placating them and DO SOMETHING. Lest anyone think this post is nothing but complaining, I'd put forward this proposal: move most CSO performances to the now-vacant-and-crumbling Emery Theatre. It would save a historic gem, breathe new life into the Entertainment District, and it would look full every night they play there (the Emery is about 2200 seats total). The acoustics are amazing, there's ample parking nearby, and its at least safer than Washington Park. Unfortunately, I doubt the CSO would move invest in another OTR Space without some major commitments in terms of safety and funding from the City. Once again, City Hall, time to step up. posted by Nick @ 4:18 PM 5 comments http://nickspencer.blogspot.com/

Ok college kids, unemployed, and senior citizens you got a job to do. You must attend one of the following: <b>Banks developers-to-be to present plans</b> Cincinnati Business Courier - 4:57 PM EST Monday Four of the development teams vying to take on The Banks project will present their plans to the Hamilton County Commissioners and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory over the next two weeks. The presentations, which are open to the public, will take place in the third-floor Discovery Center at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in downtown Cincinnati. Teams scheduled to give presentations are: March 28, 10 a.m., Rockefeller Group and Kimco; March 31, 2 p.m., AIG Global Real Estate Investments and Carter Real Estate; April 4 (time to be announced), Partnership for Lasting Urban Growth and River Bank Consortium; April 4 (time to be announced), Cincinnati Banks Development Co. Five development groups submitted their qualifications in early March to build The Banks riverfront residential/retail/office project. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/03/27/daily9.html?jst=b_ln_hl

There's nothing urban about these pics, but I figured some of you would enjoy seeing the suburb sprawl while I was hiking. Scottsdale is a upscale city north of Phoenix surrounded by mountains. I've been spending my "spring breaks" out there the past several years. It helps to have a relative that lives there. Play Ball! The Cubs play in Mesa, about 30 minutes from Scottsdale. Home of the SF Giants in Scottsdale Pre-game entertainment The man himself; Bond, Barry Bonds Of course he hits a home run and double in his only at-bats. Scottsdale has a lot great places to hike, this is Camelback Mountain in the Paradise Vallley hood. The view is well worth the burning in my legs. DT Phoenix in the distance One up hill climb after another. Some people run this trail. I made it! Phoenix finally got some rain on the day I was flying home.

Delhi's business strip is hard to figure out. It's such a mix-mash of buildings that they lack any cohesiveness. You got fast food restaurants 2 feet from the street, then there are businesses set so far back you wouldn't know they're even there. The comment about the incomes of people is interesting. There are certainly fixed income types, but every new house or condo being built seem to be selling in the 200K+ range. Delhi seems to be the king of auto repair shops, there's one on every corner. The new Walgreens is moving in front of the old Thirftway building, but it's still down in a hole. I wonder if they will try to elevate it. On a somewhat related note, I noticed trees have been cleared out for what I think is the big box development on River Rd. I still can't figure out who they plan to attract with the development. But if big box goes down there, it certainly won't be coming to Delhi Pike.

Large scale development is really the only the way to clean up the drugs and crime. But it's discouraging to hear the Art Academy having a drop of enrollment since the move to OTR. In another article that was news to me was the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra considering moving from Music Hall. Things aren't happening fast enough even for them. It doesn't help that people like to throw road blocks every step of the way. There really needs to be a sense of urgency by everyone, city hall, police, residence. This could be the only chance to turn things around.

Music promoter hired as Fountain Square manager BY MARLA MATZER ROSE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER DOWNTOWN - Concerts, mimes and even tai chi classes could be part of the programming at the new Fountain Square if Bill Donabedian has his way. Donabedian fills the new position of Fountain Square managing director. His hiring was announced Friday by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., which is managing the year-long, $42 million renovation of the Cincinnati landmark. His salary and other terms of employment were not disclosed. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060325/BIZ01/603250365/1076/BIZ

<i>Here's a bit more info on the hire from the Post</i> <b>Show will go on at Square</b> By Joe Wessels Post contributor One thing's for certain about the construction site that is Fountain Square: When it's open, it will have loads of entertainment. Bill Donabedian, co-founder of the popular and critically acclaimed Midpoint Music Festival that showcases local and national musical acts every fall around downtown Cincinnati, has been named the first managing director of the Fountain Square Management LLC. This new company was formed solely to program entertainment on the square after it reopens later this year.

<i>Here's one big box retailer I always liked, glad to hear they are being good corporate citizens. I hate to admit I haven't been to the FC yet. I will make of point of going this year and then buy some Michael Graves stuff from Target.</i> <b>Freedom Center free days continue</b> By Luke E. Saladin Post staff reporter Minneapolis-based Target announced Thursday it will continue to sponsor free admissions to the National Underground Freedom Center once a month through the end of 2006. Target, which owns 1,418 retail stores in 47 states, began the program last fall to celebrate the Freedom Center's first anniversary. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060324/NEWS01/603240356

<i>This looks promising. A hip young dude with good musical taste. Less of a chance for balloon animal contests</i> <b>Fountain Sq. manager named</b> THE ENQUIRER The team behind the ongoing $42 million renovation of Fountain Square is this afternoon expected to announce Bill Donabedian to the new position of managing director of the square. Donabedian, who co-founded Cincinnati's independent MidPoint Music Festival, will be charged with programming the Square year-round and making it "a destination for all Cincinnatians," according to a release from project manager Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. Besides 3CDC head Steve Leeper, the announcment at 3 P.M. today will be attended by Mayor Mark Mallory, Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell, Procter & Gamble executive and Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber chairwoman Charlotte Otto and local funk legend Bootsy Collins. The complete overhaul of Fountain Square began in September, and is expected to continue through August. The development is expected to spur further private investment in the immediate area and drive traffic for downtown businesses.

I wonder why there isn't any talk about combining the new bridges with the train bridges that already exist. That would elimate two more ugly bridges. I think a new bridge in Queensgate would be great. The further west the better. Queensgate is way under utilitized. There's plently of room to move business and add new ones. I would think having 75 traffic going through Queensgate would be a good thing.

^Get it to the voters, that's the fairest way. This November will work for me. I haven't read what Mayor Mallory thinks of casinos. No Columbus?, seems odd.

Louisville is getting two new bridges, right? I can't remember the reasons, but I think because NKY and Cincy farted around too much, Louisville ended up getting two instead of one.