chet_kinkaid

According to the census bureau,the Cincinnati msa includes 4,800 square miles while the columbus msa is 3,169 square miles,the csa for columbus would be close in area to cincy but larger population.The latest estimates project the current msa areas to be cbus around 2.6 million and cincy 2.3 million in 20 years.Now even if the cincy csa includes the depressed counties of Montgomery and possibly Greene,to the csa,Clark county would be added to columbus csa.and cincy would have a huge less densely populated csa,which would still be smaller than the columbus csa in perhaps the next census.We cannot underestimate the growth and importance of the columbus region to ohio,the demographics also will favor central ohio.

i think the 3c rail project was a bad idea..but i am pro rail..the most obvious needd is a columbus link to amtrak,why on earth is columbus excluded from amtrak??ohios most important city needs a link to pittsburgh and then to new york and west to chicago.there is really not that much need for rail between the 3 c's but there would be great demand for rail to nyc and chicago..and also cincinnati needs better service ie times.make train travel attractive and ppl will use it.

i think its an outstanding concept..i hope it goes up without interference from a downtown commission..commissions should stick to basic things like street level appearance of buildiings...ie no loading docks facing the street etc..and no new surface parking etc..but when they get involved with design the outcome is always bad imo..

in reply to kieth..columbus msa dominated the midwest in growth at 13% stronger than any other city including msp ..indy was at 11%..closer to msp numbers..we would all love columbus to reach its potential for a bustling 24 hour downtown..and i know i get frustrated too by columbus lack of ambition..its residents not politicians..the 2 things that have brought ppl to downtown columbus past 5 pm..and the only 2 things that have done that in my 20 + years of living here are the blue jackets and the symphony orchestra..but alot of ppl are so anti corporate that they hate both of those things and want them gone..they want a bustling downtown yet want the corporations like nationwide and aep and jp morgan chase gone too..and of course they want easton and polaris gone too.im looking at downtown columbus and seeing positive things..the scioto mile is a huge success imo..and while im sad about city center..and the columbus commons isnt appealing at all..the beggs building renovation is just ghastly..who okd this??the 5th third center is better but hopefully they can have some major development there..anyway..im rambling but i think the secret is public /private partnerships like scioto mile that creates an attractive environment for commercial and especially residential developement to occur..thers no reason why we cant have a downtown like austin..a state capital with the same population..at least for now..look at all the residential towers being built there