Alabama ExPat

:-) Personally, I'm very excited about the prospect of yet another development in the area around Lytle Park / Sawyer Point. If both this and the Rivercrossing project succeed, then that adds another 217 condo units to the area on top of the 114 at Park Place. :? However, I have to admit that it sort of has that "Next" development feel to it.

For completeness, here's some information that I posted over in the Random Developments thread a few days back. The model I mention below appears to be unit 503 or 603 (floorplan C). The original posting can be found here: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=333.msg116119#msg116119 From the Rumor Mill I was in Cincinnati for the weekend, and picked up a couple thinks from the rumor mill. I can't speak to the accuracy of either of these. (unrelated information removed) Someone is considering adding several floors (I think I heard 6) to the existing building bounded by Butler, Culvert, and Third street for loft style condos. I heard that they have even done a model within the building on one of the existing floors. I drove by this morning. On the east side entrance, there is a sign that says "The Edge Sales Office" (this could be unrelated). Driving down butler, you can see what looks a loft unit that has been created out of two existing floors of windows up on the North West corner of the building. You can clearly see what looks like new double height windows that are obviously newer than the rest of the building, and what looks like finished space inside. I've included a map image for reference:

Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but late tax payments implies no money / cash flow problems. It's not something businesses "forget" to do.

I'm not really sure. Punch list stuff I guess. Maybe one or two of the units still have some work going on. The common areas are all finished out. There were plenyt of workment in the elevators on Friday, bit I could never figure out where they were heading.

One of my neighbors with a view of the location said that there was a crane on site recently with a platform for taking pictures. It appears that they are following the same approach as both the Ascent and the South Shore projects to provide pictures of the views for the various units. Also, it appears that Miller-Valentine and Griewe Development may not be starting pre-sales until after they close out the Park Place at Lytle development. The start date for Rivercrossing seems to be moving month to month with the expected completion of the Park Place project.

I'm starting to get a bad impression of Cincinnati Taxi service. Last evening (Saturday) we decided to go out for dinner. Because of the heat, we decided to call a taxi instead of walking (there's nothing worse than "working up a sweat" walking across town before a nice dinner). I called 4 different companies (two rang into the same dispatcher that kept putting me on hold), and either got a busy signal, no answer, or put on hold for 5 minutes before hanging up. We ended up walking (fortunately the walk turned out to be fine). Given the number of taxis sitting around downtown, I couldn't believe how difficult it was to get a dispatcher on the phone to schedule a pick up. I guess I need to start getting cards from drivers and call them directly.

From the Rumor Mill I was in Cincinnati for the weekend, and picked up a couple thinks from the rumor mill. I can't speak to the accuracy of either of these. The first: Someone may be considering putting an Italian restaurant in the Lytle Park area. The most recent location I had heard for this was the old police precinct building on the 300 block of Broadway (down the street from the University club). A had also heard a similar rumor on an earlier trip, where the location being considered was on the building at 550 fourth st. The second: Someone is considering adding several floors (I think I heard 6) to the existing building bounded by Butler, Culvert, and Third street for loft style condos. I heard that they have even done a model within the building on one of the existing floors. I drove by this morning. On the east side entrance, there is a sign that says "The Edge Sales Office" (this could be unrelated). Driving down butler, you can see what looks a loft unit that has been created out of two existing floors of windows up on the North West corner of the building. You can clearly see what looks like new double height windows that are obviously newer than the rest of the building, and what looks like finished space inside. I've included a map image for reference:

I predict it will be closed this time next year.

Here's a link to the Maker's Mark Bourbon House and Lounge in Louisville: http://www.makerslounge.com/homepage.php From the web site, there are also links to McFaddens and Sully's. They don't list the McFaddens in Cincinnati, but the Cincinnati web site uses a common logo to the one's linked from the Maker's Lounge page.

I bit of information from a general article on upscale condo projects (posted over in City Discussion). It looks like they're getting ready to change the name.

Too many luxury condos? The mad downtown riverfont rush has slowed BY JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER After setting a sizzling pace for much of last year, sales at some riverfront and downtown condominium projects have slowed to a comparative trickle in 2006. Rising mortgage interest rates, which are crimping housing sales in general, may account for a bit of the slowdown. But there are other factors also at play in what had been the booming "urban condo" market in and around downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's riverfront. "I think it's cooled a bit in the last six months. Anybody who tells you otherwise is not telling you the truth," said Arn Bortz, a partner at Mount Adams-based Towne Properties. Besides interest rates, the increased number and variety of condos now available are also having an impact because buyers have more choices and feel less urgency to put their money down, Bortz said. "There's a tremendous amount of supply coming on line," he said. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/BIZ01/607300331/1076/BIZ

Bourbon maker eyeing Fountain Square Cincinnati Business Courier - 2:51 PM EDT Friday Maker's Mark, the Louisville bourbon distillery, is looking at opening a restaurant and lounge concept at Fountain Square, according to a downtown development source. It would be the second Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge in the country, following the opening of its flagship location in its hometown of Louisville in 2004. That lounge, part of the Fourth Street Live complex, seats nearly 250 people in a sophisticated, though casual, setting. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/07/24/daily67.html

I belive all it takes is some wording in the sales contract about it being contingent upon the aquisition of the property required by the project (or something to that effect).

Maybe a few more emails to Citybeat on the subject from others might help.

Maybe it's time to call some young, aspiring editor over at City Beat for the big expose. I'm sure that would get MED's attention.

Personally, I think the mobile ratings for restaurants are a joke (I can't say I've really paid attention to their hotel ratings). They put to much emphasis on thinks like the shape of ice cubes over the quality or inspiration put into food preparation. I've never looked into the details for AAA, but I've always viewed them about the same. I agree completely agree with mrnyc, the Zagat guides are terrible. All of the reviews are just snippets of "quotes" pulled from various submissions, but there is no way of knowing the background or perspective of the individuals providing the quotes cited in the review (I "also find" all of the "quoted phrases" "strung together" really "annoying"). The only thing I've found consistent in the U.S. similar to the European Michelin ratings is the Relais & Chateaux listing. Every place I've ever visited in the U.S, Europe, or Africa listed in the Relais & Chateaux guide was always a memorable experience (in a good way). P.S I just checked. Jean Robert at Pigall's is listed.

Ha! Thats funny. So was I!

I'm far from an expert, but it seems like it is time for the owners association to find an attorney and file a law suit.

Hmm. I think someone has removed a couple of posts that were here a few days ago. Anyway... It looks like they have taken care of the weird slope/grade on the square that ran toward 5th street. It had me worried for a while. I was afraid it was going to be a permanent feature.

The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston is a 10 lane cable-stayed bridge. I always thought it looked good. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakim_Bunker_Hill_Bridge

History helps explain Cincinnati's population drop By Dan Hurley Post columnist Two weeks ago the U.S. Census Bureau issued a report about demographic shifts over the past five years in the cities with populations over 100,000. Cincinnati came out at the bottom, number 254, with a loss of an estimated 22,555 residents, 6.8 percent of its population. It never feels good to be at the bottom of this kind of list, but even a cursory glance at the total table quickly reveals that Cincinnati is part of two long-established trends - the shift of population from the Northeast to the states of the South and Southwest, and from the center cities to the suburbs. It may be popular to think that city leaders in the past were wise and that current leaders are bunglers, but the city's fate, in good times and bad, has always been tied to larger trends, which defined the limits within which human decision-making mattered. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060707/LIFE/607070343/1005

Downtown Cincy is on the upswing David Ginsburg As a partner with hundreds of individuals, businesses and civic organizations who are working for downtown progress every day, Downtown Cincinnati Inc. wants to provide a downtown perspective on the U.S. Census Bureau estimates making local headlines. Importantly, the recent estimate released by the Census Bureau is not surprising. In fact, the reported 2000-05 population decline for the city of Cincinnati is trend data that inspired local leadership to take a hard look in the mirror more than five years ago and proceed with many of the major initiatives that are currently under way. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060702/EDIT02/607020304/1021/EDIT

Entice 'critical mass' to live downtown BY RICH LUFTIG The current news about Cincinnati hemorrhaging people to other communities should not be surprising. A recent article published by the Cincinnati Historical Society states that in the 1960s cities such as Cincinnati, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh made calculated decisions away from downtowns as livable places to downtowns as attractions for suburbanites. Urban planning research makes clear recommendations on how to save cities. Planners must simultaneously envision downtowns as places to live and visit. Other city neighborhoods must become viable places to reside. The key variable is "critical mass," getting enough people on the streets and patronizing businesses. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060708/EDIT02/607080372/1090/EDIT

It was that way back in 1980. Some of us skipped school one day and headed downtown. A good part of the day was walking through the galleries on 4th. Not quite Ferris Beuller, but we had a good time.

Very nice! I like your shots from the top of the Polk (Park Place) building. What's the optical zoom on that camera of yours?