nati streets

Its funny Northside was the first step solution that I landed on when briefly thinking about it last night. Though I began to wonder if entire route would not be better run as a single line, from Downtown through to Northside (Knowlton's Corner) and up Ludlow. This has many benefits really...Operated as a V this would make stops at the old subway terminals underground up to Northside and then work its way up Ludlow as a Streetcar in a dedicated lane. This move would obviously open up the brewery district, and could work in infrastructure efforts to provide better access to the West End from Central Parkway. -Most importantly though (for this conversation) such a move would set up Northside at the forefront of Light Rail talk. A multi-modal transit stop could be planned, converging two light rail lines- roughly along the 74 and 75 corridors, a dedicated lane streetcar line, and a bike center connecting into a Spring Grove bike boulevard. It would also: -be very quick as I recall that the Streetcars to be purchased could get up to 40 or 45 mph -work within peoples' familiarity with the streetcars and as a result is more likely to be successful -give people two transit line interchange points Central Prkwy and Zoo/UC Med helping to create a connected streetcar system -set up this Central Parkway interchange as a hub from which a line to Union Terminal could start construction -provide a slim profile vehicle for the old tubes to carry and

I want to be happy trust me, and I have been all day but just the very idea of ANOTHER ballot measure makes me sick to my stomach. IMO Cincinnati has historically had a small group of people (pessimistic and without vision) who act as a constant thorn in its side. Recently these people have continued to abuse the media and electoral system, beating fellow residents over the head with propaganda after propaganda, and vote after vote. Luckily they have not been more successful in elections but unfortunately they have been very successful in casting doubt. In 2009 I worked on NO on 9, I have since moved, and unfortunately 48 received one less NO vote as a result of my move. But these people will not relocate, they can only be overcome by a massive influx of new voices (which could come from recruiting efforts of progressive companies etc) or by the shear popularity and logic of a regional transit plan. For pro-transit Cincinnatians, I think NOW is the time to go on the offensive. Now is the time to REWORK the "Re-Envision Cincinnati" plan that has been circulating for years now. Many people seem to have voted NO on 48 for reasons of light rail of inclines etc.... If they want another fight in 2012, we should bring it to them instead, with a version of "MetroMoves lite" if you will. There is council support for better transit, 2012 is a presidential election year, I say we get started next week and we don't wait for the local election cycle to kick in next August. We use the networks (official and casual) that have been established to combat both 9 and 48 to really push an issue we can say yes to. Now is the time to yell until COAST cannot be heard any more. Just my opinion.

Cygnus- Thanks for the pics. I have come to really enjoy those update videos, even with their bad music. I would like them to to a video sequence of your entry to the park, maybe this spring... so that you can really see how it grows out of the Banks.

Interesting to see (in the video) that despite the efforts of the Pendelton neighborhood any and all retail finds its way away from Reading Road and burried adjacent to the parking structure. I just don't see the logic in that. I would think you would want the retail as a buffer for light into the casino in classic casino time-warp fashion. This thinking would have also fit with the neighborhood's desires but right now they have high stakes along the perimeter- so I guess we can expect opaque glass "windows" all along Reading Rd?

I believe the casino limitation is tied directly to the end of their construction/starting operation, it should read 5 years from the end of construction/opening operation of the casino.

My point is the rebuild should be the significant thing- it seems very short sighted as is. Decking is not yet necessary.

In my humble opinion Queensgate is primed for cheap biotech to the north, dense pharmaceutical or even bio-material research around Union Terminal, and a ribbon of dense (10-15 story) Residential by the riverfront. The city should reclaim 8th Street between the research and the residential working on a Mill Creet retention area that could look similar to the current South Fairmont project. Down the N to S centerline of this new Queensgate a bike boulevard and express bus service (which to the north would connect to UC's Med Campus); along Ezzard Charles a streetcar line that would connect West End OTR and Downtown. In short the UT district should be a bustling work-day area, 10-12 stories at its Ezzard Charles core and have direct connections to Downtown and Uptown (cheap collegiate researchers). Its association with a science center could push dynamic ventures between established companies and research startups, and its placement in a city focused on the arts could make it very different and could lead to a unique scientific niche. The idea of a little community around UT is depressing, completely misses the area's potential for growth, and does little to help the regional job and resident growth goals. It is a recycled development idea which falls short of what this city deserves.

Its a bit more complicated than that. Including the University lending money to two different developer groups to finance something happening on the site, then one group folding, not to mention relatively bad public reaction to the demolition of the area, and three different university presidents who have different priorities/views about what is important to the university.

Despite their MASSIVE importance, it takes a really good campaign manager to win you votes based on park support, but not firing ANY police officers now that is an easy but ILLOGICAL way to win an election... so exit Greg Harris re-enter Winburn, entrench Monzel & Ghiz. I hope Milton's gamble pays off and we get some private money behind this but i don't know if it will be corporate money whereas it some is already flowing to the fountain square concert series. Really I would like people to start being responsible with their cities and realizing that if they want to be proud of where the live they need to invest in where they live (ie taxes, garbage fees, etc).

So when it says "won't open" is that indefinitely? *on a side note: GD people listen to Milton and charge a freakin trash collection fee, its minimal and it does WONDERS for the budget

I have to disagree. The difference in speed & accessibility & efficiency is not aided by another stop at this location. John, while I know you have a lot of experience with this I would defer to the planning of the DC H Street streetcar (currently still in progress), and existing lines internationally etc: Streetcars are not like local buses with regards to stops as well meaning that the tracks and understanding of the system (sight of tracks and notability of stops) allows the stops to be effective/present while not being immediately accessible (meaning every block) . (ie 1 stop every 2 blocks = a system 50% slower than one stop every 3 blocks while also allowing the identification of the stop location to be 50% more notable)

ProkNo5 has it right design wise... whereas the contrast of style often compliments if not brings attention to the historic in ways that a faux structure can not. I hope to see the glass front of the Horseshoe Cincy expanded upon (mainly for color and pattern contributions) but i have a feeling that the design has gone more in the design direction of Milwaukee. The Reading Road space planning is nice and fitting for the neighborhood and I commend the developers for at least getting that part right... but it would be ideal for it to not be wrapped generically.

kinda sad to see that the developer gets more time. I would like to see the area split among a few developers with the city guiding a master plan. IMO the Ovation master plan is horrid, as are the example street-scapes...

Its just weird that Sherman would be interested in having the financially cheaper versus local firm do the job. This is a clear problem with basing the monetary value system directly on a single form of capital. I am using capital to refer to the multiple value systems which are invested in human, manufactured, financial, and natural. That said. My main point is that the contract should definitely come with restrictions, whether those be on a mere % of ethnicity, or locality would have to be brokered based upon regional economic performance. But they have to exist and they do so in order to better benefit the Cincinnati region. Sherman, especially the locality issue which just seems obvious for purposes of seeing a regional financial return on your investment, and a regional quality of life (human) return on investment. On a side note the "free market" which is claimed in the above post does not exist. It arguably never has. And due to the extensive economic mechanisms in place globally and locally it cannot/should not exist without check.

WHOA! I cannot tell you how much I disagree with the above statement concerning the state of the City. But to keep things on track it would seem that you would advocate the concentration of all persons you deem necessary to a singular neighborhood- when in fact the dispersal of persons from such conditions has been shown to be highly beneficial to so called "behavior problems" as well improving a persons' state of mind. Studies by urban research firms continue to show that ease of mobility and a diversity of neighborhood incomes and positively affect the psychological state of residents. The problem with the the West End continues to be one of diversity and mobility, until then it will seem as though they are purposefully concentrated (ghettoized) as your statement seems to suggest. And despite the contemporary use of the term, ghettos start from concentration of persons not from their behavior or "roughness"

The way I read it they do not want to demolish, they want to rehab with something that "fits" what they believe should be next to their HQ. They understand that proper renovation only helps property values and they want as exclusive a neighborhood around their HQ as possible. I could never imagine a downtown without places like Anna Louise or the Drop Inn but the powers that be have been really good at being social bullies this past year.

This has been suggested more than once. Greyhound cant just use the space- they have to "fit-out" the space for their needs... Driver services, offices, tele-data rooms, etc. RTC was not constructed with these extra spaces in mind so even if Greyhound can streamline their bus services to fit into the RTC space the question becomes who pays for the fit-out, especially if it is temporary, because Greyhound won't want to pay twice, and will counter the suggestion with a response that the City should pay for it because Greyhound provides a tourism service for the city as well as a PR service in using space that the City has under-utilized... The City does not have the money to bend over backwards for Greyhound and modify a public service center which could see a lot more use in the coming year as SORTA/METRO aim to open proper neighborhood bus stations.

Funny I live at Kenyon and 14th in Columbia Heights one block from this building. Say what you will... it is nice in massing etc... but the website makes it look so much better than it is in person by virtue of the B&W image. The transformation of Columbia Heights has been crazy I just moved at the end of Nov. but have had family in the neighborhood for 6 years. It is not like living in OTR or Clifton almost all retail is chain related and the lease-able space is rather devoid of "character" or history. Yet as with The Banks you had a situation where a city was trying to do a major neighborhood renovation in less than a decade. In this case you have large plots of land given to singular developers, because they are the people with the money to make it happen and fast. (don't go down the "the banks has been in the works for 20 years road" - because the development contracts have only been in place for 4 years...) In this case the developer is trying to maximize their profit and space and will not subdivide their own lots. In the case of The Banks we will have to wait 40 years for the development group to sell parts and for those parts to change hands to a redeveloper who wants to split the property etc etc. For now it is a bit stale but it is straight-off-the-shelf, if you will, and it just needs some time. That said on an urban scale it is impressive to open 9 new blocks in short order.

If you are interested "My Two Sense's" last photo is the Westin Bonaventure, in LA. While those are good examples of the principle the greatest outdoor elevator sequence and architectural detailing belongs to Richard Rodgers's Lloyds Building in London. The elevators are complete glass except for the doors and floor. The ceiling of the cab is glass and the corner joints are held together 4 small interior angle clamps about 1" high and 5" corner to corner. The view is needless to say completely un-obstructed, and phenomenal. You can google search images for the building and see what I mean (plus it saves me downsizing all my shots). Or just go to this shot http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2159362870083335073RereCW

a mechanical parking lift and you could fit 12 cars into the space just to the south of the building... of course you would need high demand but if the scale of redevelopment happens which we hope, then it could be feasible.

^ I agree that would be best--- those who don't like it can easily divert to take W Clifton up the hill.

Supposedly this sort of venue is to have more live music than a Hard Rock soooooooo at least there is that. (unfortunately that music is country but- to each their own- I'll be at Moerlein anyway)

It is really great to have that sort of visual connection in a region that usually acts and plans things in a very disconnected way. I would like to see what a 700' + tower would do to the region. Over time it will be very interesting to see what this (and hopefully a taller tower) does to peoples responses as far as where they are from. Do people continue to identify more with their neighborhood or with the city of Cincinnati? What about people from NKY when they leave the area do they tell people Covington or Cincy? In cities without basins that blocks views of downtown towers, the omnipresence of the towers present a strong mental connection to the urban core as a place to which people are a part. This was especially poignant to observe in London as being able to view 30 Mary Axe replaced being able to view St. Peters in the qualification of Downtown views. (it also seemed to change the mentality of my neighbors in Zone 2)

The great thing is that it is not a problem if it is out of business in 5 years... The success of the The Banks will stem from venues like this not being the stand alone structures pictured above and thus when/if it goes out of business the neighborhood will continue on without completely vacant structures. Eventually the area will become known by retailers and the storefront windows will only be vacant temporarily as urban neighborhood turnover takes its course.

Brookings Institute provides a not so dumb interactive map sortable by commute, education, population etc... pretty nice if you have patience to wait for the applet to process http://www.brookings.edu/metro/StateOfMetroAmerica/Map.aspx#/?subject=4&ind=29&dist=1_0&data=Percent&year=2009&geo=metro&zoom=0&x=0&y=0