OCtoCincy

I want to ask, is there a better casino design anywhere? Casino's are notoriously HORRIBLY designed when it comes to anything outside of Vegas. I can't think of a "great" Casino design. I would love to see a photo if someone has a suggestion.

Interesting- I don't mind the town homes at all, but I wasn't a fan of the giant glass building on Vine.

If Issue 48 passes, I will start a repeal petition 1 week after election day. Or- we can all take yard signs, all volunteer to phone bank or canvass for No on 48, and make sure it fails :)

^ It's true- Smitherman has implied to me he would collect signatures again.

And of course, the West End and the construction of City West is VERY interesting to see so quickly. I really wish they would finish the build out, and get a 50/50 affordable-market balance, instead of the 80/20 balance they currently have. sigh... could be such a great neighborhood.

Looking at both the UC & Medical superblocks, you see, between 1996 and 2011, the almost complete eradication of surface lots. Huzzah! While not everything about their developments is great, it IS great to see the greater use of structures and underground parking and less surface lots. Perhaps one day we'll be able to see some structures converted into buildings if the full streetcar and other rail projects develop. 2026 maybe (another 15 years)?

New OTR Work Group Quarterly Report. http://www.3cdc.org/images/editor/OTR%20workgroup%20-%20October%2018.pdf Heavy focus on Homeless to Homes, Mercer Commons & Washington Park.

Not the whole metro, but the highest rates in the city and some of the highest in the County. People are certainly moving to Downtown & OTR. In most older metro's right now we see a donut effect. Growth in the urban core, losses in the inner suburbs (this includes older suburban style neighborhoods inside City's [westwood, avondale, etc]) and growth in the outer suburbs and exurbs. I predict that 10 years from now this urban core growth will begin expanding into the inner suburb rings (with a full, successful OTR, development and growth will spread to Mt. Auburn, Lower Price Hill, Walnut Hills, South Fairmont, etc) The outer suburbs will begin seeing stagnation of development and the Exurbs will continue to see heavy growth. Relating this to the streetcar is.... That this is EXACTLY the time and place to be building a streetcar route based off of impact, importance and development potential, and not based on what streets have fewer sewers. With ideas like that leading the way, we might end up with a streetcar that travels up Central ave downtown, cuts over to main, then across 15th to elm, then over to Central Parkway and up Ravine, then all the way over to Vine and off to the Zoo....

I disagree with you there. The Hamilton County treasurer has to pay real money to service the debt - and that's money that could have been spent on something else. It's the same effect as a typical homeowner that make mortgage payments. If the need to make a payment wasn't there, then the homeowner could spend, say, $500 a month on new clothes instead of mortgage bills. Ahhhhh your logic is always flawed. You're ignoring something huge in that statement. If the homeowner didn't have to pay the mortgage on their home, YES they could buy more clothes BUT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE A HOME! Almost no US government entity has the money to flat out pay for ANY capital expenses. Just like people do with major things that they consider important, governments pay for capital expenses to a major extent with debt.

80% of the City of Cincinnati's revenues come from downtown's 60,000 workers and uptowns 80,000 workers (source, Roxanne Qualls). The two largest, most condensed groupings of working people in all of Greater Cincinnati (2.2 million people). Our entire Metro region has just under 1,000,000 jobs. The fact that 140,000 jobs, a little under 15% of the 15 county metro's entire workforce, are in a roughly 6 square mile plot (in a metro of 4,465 square miles) is exactly why this is the perfect spot to begin rail.

It could, however, help the 7th, 8th, or 9th person endorsed by a party finish higher and go into the next election as a more viable candidate. If they finished in 11th, it would be easier to fundraise then if they finished in 17th. One would think! and I think this is the mentality behind the Democrats continuous, foolish endorsement of 9 candidates each time, however history suggests otherwise: In 2005, 4 democrats didn't win, placing 12th, 13th and 14th. The 12th and 14th placed candidates never ran again, the 13th placed candidate (Wendell Young) ran in 2007. In 2007, 4 democrats didn't win, placing 11th, 15, 17 and 18th. The 11th placed candidate didn't run again, the 15, 17 and 18 (Harris, Young & Garry) ran again. In 2009, 5 democrats didn't win, placing 10, 11, 14, 15 & 16. The 10th & 11th placed candidates are not running 2011, the 14 and 16th placed candidates are. As you see, in three consecutive city council elections, the highest placing democrat(s) DON'T run again, but the most out of reach democrats run again, lose again, but STILL get the party endorsement, and waste money that could go to stronger candidates, use democratic energy, resources, and split the volunteers. 1999 was even worse, where not a single of the 4 losing dems ran again, ever (They placed 12, 13, 14 and 15). There is no grooming for the next time, there is no standard on electability, feasibility, etc. They endorse simply on ideals and then say, good luck! I am almost certain there have never been 6 democrats on City Council (certain there haven't been 6 in the last 20 years) and yet the party continues to endorse 9 people. Very frustrating for democrats in Cincinnati!

FINALLY- you hit the nail on the head. Replace "ballpark at Broadway Commons" with "Streetcar System". Unless you're going to provide me with some alternative streetcar map that has 0 sewer lines underneath it and still connects Findlay Market, Fountain Square, The banks, The hospitals, and the Zoo, I'm going to continue believing that you're just saying things to be confrontational, simply for the fun of it, and not because there is any sort of feasible alternative to anything you're criticizing.

Uhhhh really?? So please, enlighten us. What major street in downtown has NO sewer, water mains, utility, etc. Your posts are becoming more and more ridiculous.

^ actually I disagree here- Voting for 9 doesn't necessarily do anything better than voting for 4 strong candidates you agree with. Take Nicholas Hollan for example. Great guy, good ideas, but he has 0% chance of winning- He will probably place 15th, he raised less than almost anyone, has no commercials, minimal yard signs, etc. Just to make sure you vote for 9, adding a vote for him does not prevent people like Smitherman from squeaking in. Voting for 4 or 5 strong, competitive candidates who actually have a shot is just as good as voting for 9 candidates, half of which have a shot, half of which have no shot.

I think a Water main break would be CWW, not MSD. But I get your concept and I can't wait to see their reaction the first time they have to do it all themselves- especially when they had the opportunity to upgrade the whole system for 50% off (paid for by the Streetcar budget).

^ ya, considering 3CDC is now funding a major expansion and construction of a new building (of which the City Gospel Mission leaders are thrilled) they doing more than most groups to help the homeless. Blasphemous, I know.

More!! haha Love it.

^ I'm confused. What was this post about.

Consider the possibility that the county commissioners authorize the sewer work but the streetcar never gets built. Headline: MSD wastes $6 million on failed project. Of course 8th and state makes a statement like this. This is money spent on a sewer project that is going to HAVE to be upgraded in the next few years anyway! It has to, by federal mandate, be upgraded before 2018.

^ Just curious- How does that work if there is a manhole in the middle of the streetcar track. Honest question-

Great event- great mix of people. Regarding politicians, all current democratic council members were there, and non-incumbents included Chris Seelbach & Kevin Flynn.

Is 107 Amberley Village?

All of the above.

MUCH Better. Now I think this venue might be good! At first it seemed that there would be TWO country venues in 1 block of the Banks and that was just overkill.

STREETCARS!