CMH_Downtown

Okay gildone, I was going to let your first post or two slide, but it's gotten way out of hand now. And this is not money well spent? Do you have any idea how many aircraft, be them commercial, private, charter, or business in the air at any one time. While I am typing this response, there are 5,088 planes in U.S. airspace, not including military aircraft. Do you realize just how complex the system is, with dozens of centers, hundreds of towered airports, and thousands of air fields all operating simultaneously? Do you realize there are still towers in this country that rely on technology from the cold war era to move airplanes through the air? Do you honestly think control a metal tube traveling at 530 mph and 36,000 ft with 240 souls on board should be delegated to someone who is willing to work minimum wage? Honestly, given the size and scope of the air traffic control system in the United States, it's no wonder any equally large amount of money is appropriated to its bottom line. Okay, then let's take, for example, Amtrak's prized Acela high-speed train service, which connects the business centers of Boston, New York, and Washington D.C., which are all under 500 miles from each other, the criteria of a short-haul segment. In addition to a multitude of air service between said cities, two airlines, Delta Air Lines and USAirways operate dedicated shuttle service between these business centers, and make money off it. In fact, both airlines' shuttle products have long been sought after by other carriers, and are worth tens of millions of dollars. Yet, apparently, Amtrak can't even make that route work. The public has voted with their wallet, and obviously the airlines offer the best product for the money compared to the train. There are pleanty of other examples as well, such as the intra-California and intra-Florida markets, where air service remains a very viable means of transport. Warren Buffet has and currently does invest in an airline company. Buffet is a majority owner of NetJets, a fractional ownership airline with a fleet of over 500 aircraft. Short-haul flights are not the current goal. Again, as I previosly mentioned, with Spirit, flights would likely operate between Youngstown and Ft. Lauderdale, the airline's main base. From there, connections would be available to a variety of destination in the Caribbean and Mexico, again, which cannot logistically be afforded through rail travel. As for your assertion that rail will be more beneficial to Youngstown that increased air service, I'd like to see some actual numbers and their sources before even considering that. That is a HUGE stretch, my friend. Not only are we talking about an extremely minority here, but only the most orthodox Amish have qualms about air travel in the first place. Mennonites and other sects have absolutely no moral objections to air travel, as I have seen them numerous times flying from Port Columbus in full garb and everything. While I have absolutely no opposition to plans to create a regional rail network in Ohio and the surrounding region (in fact, I fully support it) the blatant disregard to the importance and influence of the airline industry is absurd.

Preach it, AmrapinVA! :banger: Regional rail will only be good for that; regional travel. Spirit would be able to take people to Florida and points beyond such as San Juan, Cancun, and Montego Bay in mere hours. Trying to deminish the importance of proper air service for a train to Cleveland is absolute nonsense.

^Couldn't agree more. The automated baggage system for United at DIA was a complete disaster. Bags were sped down belts that would lead to nowhere, bags would get crushed by battering rams meant to separate luggage, and half the time they would end up in the small package delivery sort instead of the bag rooms. United ended up returning to the more conventional style of baggage sort and delivery because it ended up being more cost-effective and reliable. If it were such a good idea, every major hub would have adopted automated baggage sorts years ago, since the technology is already more than available. CVG will be in for a world of hurt if they decide to go through with this project.

What needs to be created is something that generates revenue while at the same time being something iconic that can add to the character of the city. What is the largest event held at Vets Memorial? The Arnold Fitness Expo. The event was born at Vets Memorial and the trademark event, The Arnold Classic, is still held within its walls. So why not build on that? I propose that Franklin County lets go of Vets Memorial to a private firm that can create a museum and pro hall of fame for Arnold Schwarzenegger and the sport of bodybuilding. After looking it up, apparently there is no official hall of fame for the sport, so this could be a great chance to increase tourism and create further interest in the area, as well as solidify the city's ties with the Arnold Classic, which is one of the largest events held in the city. The new musuem/hall of fame could also partner with COSI and their "Life" exhibit, which features the intricate workings of the human body. Keeping the auditorium space would also allow other related events to be held in the facility, creating a niche market that larger spaces such as the convention center or the Schottenstien center couldn't cater to. I truly think this could work and would create another excellent source of revenue and recognition to the City of Columbus.

The problem isn't that the planned expansion will increase the amount of property the airport owns, rather the relocated runway will put the new approach path over several existing homes. The relocated path would and the homes' proximity to the runway would create an environment unsuitable for living. I believe the homes in question lie directly east of the airport.

You've got to be kidding me. Obviously Mr. Leichtman has no idea how this industry works. How can they be pricing themselves out of the market when they OWN over 80% of it!? Also, Delta isn't "jacking up these airfares." Flights out of CVG have been priced at a premium for years. With market domination comes the ability to fix prices at a certain level and, while it might be bad for the average consumer, it equates to very strong revenue for the dominant corporation. The high yields Delta commands from CVG more than makes up for whatever loss in local passengers they may experience, making it one of the most financially sound hubs in the region. Believe me, Delta won't be abandoning their CVG hub anytime soon.

Oh, my tirade wasn't meant to be directed squarely at you. Your post just happened to be the one to conveniently set off the little trigger in the back of my mind that said "set phasers from stun to kill." My appologies for creating that feeling of being singled out, like Columbus always gets :wink:. So, ummm, yeah...back to the topic at hand. Surface parking sucks.

No worries at all. I just did the same in a thread in a different forum category! Most definitely. The Cleveland market and the constituents that serve it have a lot going for them; here's hoping outside sources play in their favor. Ah yes, this is true! Believe it or not, but ground transportation has become very imperative in providing effective and successful air transportation. The Red Line is a huge asset to Hopkins and Cleveland, one that should really be marketed much better (CAK can't boast that!).

I vote we tear down the Ohio Theater. It was slated for demolition anyways, and it would be perfectly suited for surface lots for Fifth Third Bank employees next door. Survey finds Columbus parking relatively cheap Business First of Columbus - 1:30 PM EDT Tuesday by Matt Burns Business First Downtown Columbus employees paying $130 a month for reserved parking spaces should count themselves lucky. A survey by real estate firm Colliers International shows Columbus ranks well below the $181 national average for monthly parking rates. The city's average for monthly unreserved parking at $95 a day also falls below the national average of $153. Unreserved monthly parking in midtown Manhattan has hit $574, the fifth-highest rate in the world. The survey found Columbus is tied with Dallas with an average of $9 for daily parking, putting both cities among the 10 least-expensive. Daily rates ranged from $6 in Memphis to $40 in midtown Manhattan. Parking costs nationwide have increased for the third year in a row, with reserved and unreserved monthly rates climbing 3.8 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, while daily parking fees shot up 10.1 percent last year. Colliers researchers attributed the rise to a thriving office market. More at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/

^Whoa, a voice of reason! Go David! Go David! Go David! Oh c'mon. I'm just encouraging lively discussion with a well-balanced yet horribly snide rant :laugh:.

Believe me, I completely agree with all of the points you mentioned. I have no doubt that Cleveland COULD be a large international connection point; the base is there, you have an established worldwide carrier, and there's already a large hub and spoke network to build off of. I truly think it's all part of the crazy game that the airlines play and, sadly, Cleveland gets the short end of the stick. For example, you mentioned Continental's continued push to funnel everyone through Newark, despite the horrible delays. United does the same thing through Chicago. They have a glimmering, massive facility in Denver capable of handling thousands of flights in all sorts of weather, yet they choose to continue shoving everyone through ORD. Connections are most certainly available through Denver as they are through Cleveland, however not to the same extent as Chicago. Granted, Denver and Cleveland are very different markets, but their general purpose for United and Continental respectively is somewhat similar in that the local traffic is of much higher value than the connecting traffic. As far as CVG goes, the next 5 years should definitely be interesting. There have been tons of rumors concerning what just might happen to Comair and its effect on the Cincinnati operations. The cuts put in place from last year seem to have stabalized the traffic make-up at CVG, and Delta has added new markets from the airport, including Anchorage and Cancun. But again, like you mentioned, the only reason CVG has these nonstop in the first place is because of the large amounts of feed flowed into the hub, made possible by the fact that the airport is extremely well suited for being a large transfer facility. I understand where you're coming from as far as comparing CLE to CVG, but personally, I would much prefer the current situation in CLE as opposed to CVG. While CVG has the bragging rights of having more commercial flights than all of Ohio's other airports combined and international service to several destinations, essentially no one outside the rich or the business community can use them. Cleveland has the advantage of excellent connectivity to over 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada, service to London, and a healthy amount of low fare service that helps keep fares reasonable, especially compared to CVG. I don't doubt that more could be done, and more SHOULD be done, but the current state of air travel in greater Cleveland can be envied by many cities across the country.

Defensive, or just observant of the absolutely blatant detest for anything in the central part of this state? The image posted is of a standard suburban mall built in the latter half of the 20th century; of which similar types can be found in large cities across the nation. Your posts have the sentiment that this is an epedemic strictly confined to Columbus, and that whatever recent strides in creating more suitable land uses are apparently irrelevant due to remaining mistakes of the past. Oh! What a magnanimous statement! You deserve one of them nobel peacy prizes for finding and so elloquently chastising the pure embodiment that is Columbus: our absolute disrespect for Mother Earth by our continued wanton distruction of the environment, as evident by a satellite photo of Eastland Mall. Yes, you heard it here folks: Columbus is the root of all evil! Leave now for the oasises in the Northern and Southern sections of the state, where you can enjoy a life of rainbows and butterflies amongst the most pure urban landscapes completely devoid of surface parking and cul-de-sacs as far as the eye can see! I love it!

Uhhhh, not quite. That's Eastland Mall (which, ironically, sits on the far southeast side, close to Route 33, not immediately east of downtown). If you know Eastland Mall, you know it's not the most fashionable retail area in Central Ohio. You all know that during business hours (8AM-5:30PM), the mall doesn't have many shoppers at all. Also, depending on when the satellite image was taken, one of the anchors was closed/under renovation. Yeah, it's underutilized at times. It's a mall.

If anyone wants to see the 36-page feature article from United's Hemispheres Magazine, it is available in PDF format here: http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/insight/pdfs/Columbus/Cover-135.pdf

Dining on the fly Port Columbus will offer greater variety of food options by end of 2007 Tuesday, July 25, 2006 Barnet D . Wolf THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH If Ellen Shevlin’s flight hadn’t been canceled three times Thursday morning, she and her fellow workers wouldn’t have been dining at the Max & Erma’s near Port Columbus’ Concourse B. Full Story: http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/25/20060725-B1-01.html

While an attempt at increasing the amount of connecting traffic transfering through CLE would possibly create the need for larger aircraft on trunk routes, it would not be in Continental's best interests to do so. Quite frankly, the region is still overhubbed, even with the closure of America West's Columbus hub, and American and USAirways' parring of the St. Louis and Pittsburgh hubs, respectively (while the latter two might not be considered major hubs, both maintain close to or over 200 daily flights, comparable to Continental's Cleveland ops). In addition, you still have the monstrosity that is O'Hare in Chicago for American and United, Northwest in Detroit and Delta in Cincinnati. Also, in a time when returning to profitability is critical, Continental will not dillute their Cleveland yield by adding more connecting traffic. Delta's cutting of over 125 flights a day from Cincinnati in an attempt to boost yields by shortening the disparity between local traffic and connecting traffic is a very good example of this trend. Continental's Cleveland hub already has a strong local base, so an attempt to increase connecting traffic through the hub would likely be more detrimental than beneficial. Also, in regards to the whole population numbers game, the figure we're looking for here is Cleveland's catchment area; or the geographical hinterland that gravitates towards CLE as the main choice in air travel. Cleveland's catchment area most closely resembles the figure posted by AmrapinVA of 5 million. Cincinnati's catchment area is actually likely smaller than Cleveland's, since many choose alternate airports as opposed to CVG due to the incredibly high fares. However, the corporate crowd and their deep pockets keep CVG thriving, especially those nonstop international routes. Many local companies have travel agreements with Delta, so many of those flights are constantly filled with high-paying business passengers hungry for SkyMiles. If Cleveland wishes to attain more international flights, I think more has to be done to persuade local companies to choose Continental on a very consistant basis as well as create some sort of promise of guaranteed revenue if Continental were to provide a new international nonstop destination.

As far as Continental pulling CLE-LGW is concerned, the quotes by Continental officials from the PD article only reiterates what I've been saying all along: the route is a marginal performer. The fact that Continental apparently still believes this to be the case leads me to believe that the rumored expansion of the London route to year-round service could be dead in its tracks. It seems to me, like AmrapinVA mentioned, that Continental is looking for an excuse to terminate the route without pissing off the Cleveland community. For, Mr. Messing's example of why the CLE-LGW would not longer be viable at all doesn't exactly hold water: An Open Skies agreement wouldn't necessarily open Heathrow up to new entrants, since the airport is slot controlled, meaning that airlines currently holding flights into LHR essentially own the rights to fly there. BAA Heathrow can allow slot exceptions, which possibly could be granted in an Open Skies environment. However such a scenario isn't likely, which means a direct flight from, say, Detroit to Heathrow on Northwest, isn't a really possible. Also, as of now, the only U.S. carriers with slots at LHR are United and American, both of which provide seamless connections from all the cities Mr. Messing mentioned and more to Heathrow through hubs in Chicago and New York. I personally think an Open Skies treaty between the U.S. and the E.U. is a good idea, for the reasons AmrapinVA mentioned and others, however more needs to be done to address the situation at high-demand airports like LHR and CDG, so that communities here at home don't loose out in the process.

The Dassault line of aircraft are corporate jets, very large ones at that. It's not out of the ordinary for CLE, or any other large airport for that matter, to see international arrivals by corporate aircraft. It does sound likely that CLE did serve as an intermediate fuel stop for this particular aircraft, owned by Freescale Semicondoctor Inc. A photo of this exact aircraft can be found here: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0935800/M/

Great news! Hopefully this will help city council memebers realize the emmense benefits of keeping the airport in operation. The proposed flight schedule looks good, and the proposed fares are more than reasonable. Also, the EMB-120 is a great commercial aircraft. Ironically enough, the EMB-120 used to be the workhorse of the Continental Express fleet until they were phased out in favor of the ERJ-135/145 line of jets, which are made by the same company. I can't help but wonder if, provided this venture turns out to be a success, that Continental might return to BKL in one way or another... Photo of an EMB-120 http://www.embraer.com/english/content/home/

Glad this is coming together. The work on Gowdy Field has begun with TimeWarner's new local headquarters going up. It's definitely a great area for this sort of development, especially due to its proximity to downtown and the inner ring suburbs of Grandview Heights and Upper Arlington.

I've been meaning to check out Grill 27; I've heard it's actually a pretty cool place. Good to hear the restaurant scene is doing well in the Gateway and, like gold42 said, hopefully the retail scene sees an equal amount of success. What excites me more is that talk is finally starting to surface about the University District and the Short North finally filling in the no-man's land in between the two neighborhoods. New businesses like American Apparel and High Five have started the process, but more definitely needs to be done. If the Kroger store at High and King would renovate their front entrance to face High St, I think that would be a massive step in the right direction. Here's hoping the good news continues.

The one in Columbus is on Henderson Rd., in between the intersections of Henderson and Reed Rd. and Henderson and Sawmill Rd. It's in the same strip center as Lifestyle Fitness and Sears Hardware and right across the street from, of course, Kroger. I told you all this place is good! :)

500 homes is a lot. If this plan does come to fruition (which I hope it does), I hope they make an attempt to match the newly constructed homes with the ones in the surrounding area. Some of the new home construction in derelict neighborhoods like Linden and King-Lincoln, have been less than ideal and have the M/I Homes prefabricated look. The city recently completed some a subsidized project on 4th Street by Italian Village, and while they made an attempt to construct the buildings to match the older ones surrounding it, they did a pretty bad job. I would like to see homes similar to the ones being built in Harrison Park, but not so large and extravegant; just something that can blend in with the homes in Italian Village and Weinland Park to creat a seamless urban neighborhood.

National City to acquire Florida bank Business First of Columbus - 11:17 AM EDT Tuesday National City Corp. said Tuesday it is acquiring Harbor Florida Bancshares Inc., which will give the company its first retail banking foothold in the Sunshine State. The deal, valued at $1.1 billion, is expected to close during the fourth quarter. National City will acquire all 40 of the Fort Pierce, Fla.-based company's Harbor Federal Savings Bank branches, and $3.2 billion in assets. Senior level executives will maintain their positions at Harbor Florida, although it is too early to speculate whether there will by any other reductions, National City spokeswoman Kelly Wagner Amen said. After the acquisition, Harbor Florida banks will operate under the National City nameplate. The acquisition is subject to regulatory and Harbor Florida stockholder approval. Harbor Florida (NASDAQ:HARB), the holding company for Harbor Federal Bank, posted $188.3 million in 2005 revenue. Cleveland-based National City (NYSE:NCC) provides commercial and retail banking services, as well as consumer finance and asset management. It employs more than 2,000 in Columbus and posted $11 billion in revenue last year.

Business First gives a little more insight into what COTA wishes to do with the bus service if their levy passes (I don't think increased hours warrants an extra $44 million a year): COTA drops plan for light rail Business First of Columbus - 12:18 PM EDT Tuesday by Saleha N. Ghani Business First After failing to receive federal funding for a light-rail transit system, the Central Ohio Transit Authority is going with a simpler alternative to improve public transportation in Columbus. The Federal Transit Authority rejected the funding request for light rail because COTA's plans did not fit with its cost effectiveness index, which measures the benefits of the system against cost. ... http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/07/10/daily12.html