OCtoCincy

^ beautiful! Thanks. Also, it's unfortunate, but it seems that two stops will have no shelter and possibly no in-time arrival notification. The Music Hall stop (Washington Park stop is actually the one on Race) and the Central Parkway stop will not have shelters. This is due to their location and resistance by Cincinnati Parks & Music Hall & probably 3CDC on views, image, style, etc. the other 16 stops will have shelters & on-time-arrival data.

It's also a hideous suburban building & lot layout, while Adriatico's is incredibly urban (flush with sidewalk, great use of tiny piece of land, addresses street very well, etc.)

It may also have to do with placement of OCS poles in a curve, etc. Curves and intersections require much more infrastructure, including poles, than straight aways. Either way, it's gonna be a big bump out and it might as well have trees.

Next door is actually two vacant lots. One 3CDC got control of and that will be the next building (immediately adjacent). The third lot (adjacent to the next southern most building), is tied up in some bankruptcy court and so, while they are using it for staging, no one owns it yet. Potentially, it could become a third home at some time in the future.

Here's how you know they aren't serious about the downtown store. Sorry to any DAAP grads, but if Kroger builds a store they AREN'T going to go to students to design it. They are a billion dollar company. They will hire a firm to tell them what works best. This makes it look like a gimmick, but people love it cuz "oh look they are letting the kids get involved!" Also, we have an urban grocery store. If everyone on this chain shopped there weekly that store would improve so much. But most people here drive to Newport or somewhere else so they only make small improvements. Who on here lives in the urban core and hasn't shopped there at least once a month the entire time they lived here? I was there yesterday. between that and Findlay Market I get virtually everything I really need.

Henry St closure to begin next week, last until September! Installing the multiple Y-intersections that allow for streetcars to turnout into the MOF. I think there are three turnouts in a row. Also, a number of people have been trying to get the City to install tree wells on the two large bumpouts that will be built. One is half built, at Henry & Race all the way up to mcMicken. The half they build is massive cement and pretty useless. The section they haven't yet built may have room for two tree wells. The second location is a large (100x8ft) bumpout along 12th at Main. The north side of 12th at Main will have a bumpout that extends from the corner westward ending just before Mixx's dumpster. This may also be able to hold a couple tree wells which would add much needed character to 12th st). Essentially this removes the parking lane for that almost 100 foot section of the street. I've noticed a number of spots like this (a smaller one is at Elm & 12th) and I think part of the purpose is to make sure no parked cars are in the streetcars way during turns and also to prevent anyone from trying to pass the streetcar on the right (or left in a few instances) before or after turns. On Race @ Central Parkway there will be another small bumpout (this one very small, maybe 7 foot x 7 foot) to prevent a car from trying to pass the streetcar on the left (basically where the parking lane is).

Several of those are actually occupied! The republic St one is occupied, but after decades of having a vacant bricked up storefront OTRCH is reopening it and renting it out to a restaurant from Northside to be a small food carryout. I think it's GREAT if OTRCH and any other low income housing property manager starts renting their storefronts to market rate commercial users.

Brick work began yesterday: This building looks amazing in terms of its quality of the brick and its accuracy in design and scale. Honestly, if you were just riding the streetcar up elm and glanced over you could think it was historic at first. Also, I've been told a nearly identical building will be placed immediately to the south. Two massive new single families. Very interesting.

The renovation of the church at 12th & Elm, to be a music venue/wedding venue is $4.5 million. I've been told the interior is in pretty decent shape, unlike 15th & race which was bare walls.

I think there's some misunderstanding on how a property tax abatement works.... The residential property tax abatement is very good. It is an abatement on the improved value. and it has a cap. For a new construction home that cap is $275K. If I build a $500K tax abated home I pay full taxes on the land (in wealthy areas can be upwards of $100K) and then I pay full taxes on the value above $275K. So for a $500K new home in a wealthy area on a normal but nice lot (hyde park, etc.) It could be a discount of $175K on your tax bill. You still pay full tax as if your house was valued at $325K. So many people think you pay ZERO in taxes if you're abated. For renovations it's the same, and you have to spend around $10K on improvements to be eligible. Do a 30K addition to your home? you can lock in your value for 10 years so you aren't "punished" tax wise for improving an old home. That being said, the abatement for new construction apartments, like those in Corryville or UC is very different. It becomes a 100% abatement on the improved value for X number of years (usually between 10 and 15 years) and there's no 'cap'. So they are only paying the taxes on the land. And Dusty Rhodes values land around UC like it's worth pennies. There are sizable lots where the land is valued at $10K. It's pretty insane. I wish the City would change the process in Uptown. I wish the abatements would start to phase down to 50% of the improved value in the next couple years. There's been so much development, and they all fill up right away, but we need to start saying, OK, now we want the market to take over with less incentive. I'd rather have the abatements stay at 15 years but only be for 50% of the value, than have them shrink to 8 or 10 years but be 100% of the value of the improvements.

Then you're ignoring massive other costs. Your time has a value. Spending months and months doing your own masonry work has a value. I have friends who bought properties around 2010 and they hope to be finished by 2016. One of the biggest "success stories" of OTR adopt was the Barr's loans building when it got sold. The individuals who bought it lost a ton of money, fell behind on their taxes, 3CDC had to buy it from them and the back of the building began collapsing last week. My only point is these buildings are very expensive, and a majority of the people who think they can renovate a 3000 square foot Italianate themselves end up taking years to get it done or can't get it done.

I have friends in Chicago who walk 6-8 blocks for their groceries, or they take the bus. With the Streetcar you only have to walk a couple blocks, get on the streetcar, walk a couple more blocks, take it back home, etc. Eventually downtown will get a grocery, but right now it's not enough residents to demand its own grocery. How many people are in CBD? 5000? the main reported number is 14,000 but that includes OTR & pendleton. Pendleton is about 1000 and OTR is about 7500-8000. Westwood is 30,000 and it only has 1 grocery. Avondale is 15,000 people and it doesn't have a grocery store. Clifton is 8000 people and it doesn't have it's own grocery anymore. Northside doesn't either (the Kenard Kroger off of Mitchell is Spring Grove Village). The OTR Kroger should be used by everyone for the next few years until we had a few more thousand people downtown. And back to the hotel... Whenever they get storefronts in right there it will really help that stretch. Vine Street from 6th to Central Parkway is incredibly dead. Hoping this development spurs someones interest in getting rid of those parking lots at 7th

$65-$75 in OTR of a gut rehab italianate is almost impossible for a non-developer. I just talked to two small time developers in OTR (each have done about 6-8 buildings) who said no individual can pull off $65-75 per square foot unless you're using laminate and carpet, no hardwood floors and no marble counter tops, building needs minimal masonry repair, etc. $100-120 per square foot is a reasonable rate for a moderate quality finished rehab of one of these OTR monsters. That's the best a first timer is likely to pull off. Unless you have a history in the construction business and have supply chain access to all kinds of bulk rate wholesale pricing, less than $100 will almost never actually happen for the majority of the buildings in OTR due to their size & condition. 3CDC, for comparison, spends $160-180, which is the high end.

Vine Street Kroger or Findlay Market? Is there anyone on here who lives in OTR and DOESN'T shop at least a couple times a month at the OTR Kroger? It's improved SO much in the last 3 years, but when you talk to the management or people at Kroger HQ they know that the wealthy people in OTR drive to other stores so they are only going to go so far. Remember, Kroger is an amazing datamining company. They know exactly what type of person shops where, what days, how much you spend at which store, which products you buy, and often where you live as well. They know that the people in fancy condos are driving to Newport. But as more and more move to OTR Kroger it will keep getting better. It's a perfect size for a neighborhood grocery.

We are so insanely far from maxing out the demand in OTR. Literally we can add 4000 new residents into OTR and 4000 residents in Downtown and there would still be development to happen. 3CDC slowing down isn't good, and it certainly won't "turn the tide" for small time developers. Downtown Denver is building 10,000 new housing units in their core right now.

Those lots make so much money. Last thing I heard is the owner wanted $1 million. Remember, the developer bought the SCPA & the entire field for $3 million. It's a bit sad to loose, but he's using less than 1/3 of the field for parking. Casino doesn't feel they need to build more parking, I doubt they'd partner.

The original plan did not have the city owning the garage. The new proposal does.

That's the same cost as Moerlein, which was new construction (cheaper) and a bit larger. Taft ale house is giant. It will seat almost 200 people. And it's a massive church that has been vacant for decades.

^ not wide enough. the right of way drops to only 20 feet. Meaning you would have to remove all on street parking, forcing even more people into 3CDC's garage as monthly parkers. Also, with 13th being two way, 15th going west and 12th being two way, I don't see it as a huge problem that it doesn't connect all the way over. 15th will likely reopen after 3CDC builds their office building.

Any ideas about the TJ Maxx space? I've heard some people have been going in and out of it recently. Would love to see it get reused in some way, or just torn down and replaced with a mid rise.

Interesting, Oakley is NOT hyde park-near anymore. It's become strong enough on its own that Oakley is no longer lied about as Hyde Park. Values are up, demand and development are up, etc. Ideally, that happens everywhere one day. At first you pretend to be the nicest neighborhood near you. Then you become a stand alone neighborhood worthy of having its own name.

Additionally, it's pretty amazing that 12th St from Main to Republic is either torn up to become track, about to be poured, or already finished. The official end date for the OTR loop is March 2015. But that includes everything. That means OCS, Stations, rebuilding of all curbs, sidewalks, etc. I think all track will be completed by mid fall. One thing that I don't think many people know, is that every intersection the streetcar crosses will be replaced with boom traffic signals instead of the hanging wire ones we currently have in all of OTR. You can see them already at 14th and Elm, Liberty & Elm, Race & 12th and a few other spots. Also, as mentioned, 14th will become two way from Race to Elm. This will not reduce parking. Parking on 14th will remain on the North Side of the street, but it will flip to face west. Then there will be two driving lanes. 14th between Race & Vine will remain eastbound only.

Smitherman & Winburn voted no on the Streetcar grant from SORTA, even though it potentially lowers the tax dollars the city has to pay for construction. Winburn said "I will vote no on everything that ever has streetcar in it".

Port & Chamber.

Guys, let's be a little realistic here. I dislike Cranley's policies & style as much as the next guy, but he's always been a huge champion of the Banks. In fact, one of his biggest criticisms of the streetcar was that all of it's TIF financing from downtown would hurt the city's ability to fund future phases of The Banks (and pave streets in other neighborhoods). Also, officially saying I haven't been told doesn't mean he hasn't been a part of it. I've even heard he strongly preferred the Banks over Oakley because of the ability to have impacts in neighboring developments. Remember, he's very close with 3CDC, Castellini, the Bortz's, Tom Williams, etc. Those are all pro downtown development people. He's just also pro development he's been a part of (ie not 4th & Race) and he's pro developer incentives over things like investments in transit so developers may need less direct incentive. The guy hangs out at Zula & Kaze nearly weekly. He's pro downtown & OTR, just in a very different way than we are, and in a way where he prefers to be heavily involved in the details, and if he's not he's not a big fan of the plan.