BigDipper 80

Um, first of all, that’s not Dead Man’s Curve...

Interesting that they only put one black stock person in the rendering...

^Speaking of New Urbanism/lifestyle centers, I was poking around YARD&Company's website, and found these two great masterplan renderings for new "downtowns" for Trotwood and Harrison Township. I love seeing that even the really rough corners of the metro are taking interest in urban planning; these might not get built exactly in this form, but at least local governments are putting ambitious ideas out there that aren't just strip malls.^Speaking of New Urbanism/lifestyle centers, I was poking around YARD&Company's website, and found these two great masterplan renderings for new "downtowns" for Trotwood and Harrison Township. I love seeing that even the really rough corners of the metro are taking interest in urban planning; these might not get built exactly in this form, but at least local governments are putting ambitious ideas out there that aren't just strip malls. Trotwood?! Harrison Township?!

I finished Little Fires Everywhere by Shaker Heights native Celeste Ng a couple of weeks ago. She does a phenomenal, if slightly on-the-nose, job of writing Shaker into the novel as its own character, and the story itself is deeply moving. I'd definitely recommend picking it up.

I'm turning that first photo into a meme.

Most transatlantic flights are wide-body aircraft.

A six-story apartment block means a lot of "new people" taking up the "established residents'" parking spaces. Small condos with garages don't.

In the original rendering it looks like the new brick additions were supposed to match the color of the original brick a lot closer. Wonder what happened there... That porte-cochere is awful, though.

A "lack of a front license plate" was also supposedly why Ray Tensing pulled over Samuel DuBose. Cops like to use a missing front plate as an exucse to pull people over that they deem "suspicious".

I think that @ColDayMan and I might be able to arrange a meetup ? ... once it cools off a little bit outside!

There are SO MANY good examples of old buildings converted into hotels that have happened statewide recently (Hotel LeVeque, Kimpton Schofield, Drury Plaza Cleveland, the Enquirer Building hotel, hell that Residence Inn across the street from ALI) that it blows my mind at how badly this developer is botching this. There are good examples of how to do this all over the place that they could have seen in person to get ideas!

That new fifth floor addition looks ridiculous.

Holy crap! This came out of nowhere, but I'll take it!

The last time this thread was bumped was basically April, and I’m not sure they’ve even made any progress since then. Why exactly did W&S want this property so bad again? Other than so that they wouldn’t have to look at battered women on “their” park again, of course.

Everyone is losing their downtown department stores. Indy lost its Carson's, Pittsburgh lost its Kaufmanns and Saks, Cincinnati lost its Macy's and Macy's is HEADQUARTERED in Cincinnati. They're even starting to close in markets that can theoretically support them, like the high-profile closure of Lord and Taylor in Manhattan recently. It's less to do with leadership and more to do with the fact that department stores everywhere are dying, downtown or otherwise.

Dayton has had incredible momentum in its downtown core in the past couple of years, but it rarely gets recognized regionally or nationally for the huge strides the city has made recently. I've tried to capture all of the exciting new projects that are slowly filling up downtown and making it a lively district once again. IMG_9702 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Greetings, Dayton! IMG_9703 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr New wayfinding signs are starting to appear along the Great Miami trails. Bike trails are Dayton's bread and butter and are the backbone of the region's extensive outdoor activity network. IMG_9700 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Speaking of outdoor activities, the kayak spillways are as popular as ever. IMG_9709 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr We'll do a quick meander through McPherson Town before crossing the bridge into Downtown. IMG_9710 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9711 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The tapas bar (foreground) and Dayton Grand Aparments (background) are both new as of 2019. IMG_9716 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The Fairfiled Inn at Riverscape Park was the first new hotel downtown in decades. IMG_9717 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The Declo Lofts opened last year. This whole project came together spectacularly. Lock 27 Brewery in the base of the building is always popular. IMG_9719 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Centerfield Lofts are rapidly rising next to the ballpark. They appear to be faced with real brick, not cheap-looking brick veneer. I'm excited to see how these turn out. IMG_9721 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Plus they'll have great views into the ballpark! IMG_9723 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr This cool building is owned by a graphic design firm, who also own the coffe shop/bar/makerspace Proto Buildbar, in the background. IMG_9726 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr These townhomes are a few years old now. IMG_9727 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The Dayton Motorcar Company Building is currently being converted into apartments. IMG_9729 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr This entire block is being redeveloped by Woodard Developments out of Columbus. The Steam Plant Events Center is already up and running, as is the office space in the Avant Garde building. IMG_9730 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Woodard is currently renovating the building on the left into a hotel. It's great to see firms from outside the region taking interest in Dayton. IMG_9731 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The Avant Garde is Class A office space. Woodard did a great job with this project. IMG_9734 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr They also bought this nondescript warehouse, but I'm not sure what their plans are for it yet. IMG_9735 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9737 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The library is looking sharp as ever. IMG_9738 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr This relatively boring suburban-looking office building just got a new coat of paint to jazz it up. IMG_9740 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9742 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr More new townhomes. These things sell out the moment they get announced. There's clearly a lot of pent-up demand for downtown living in the Miami Valley. IMG_9745 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The Wheelhouse has been open for just over a year now. The Troll Pub(e) has proven to be a smash hit, always attracting long waits. IMG_9746 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr This old service station is now... what else, a dispensary. IMG_9747 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Dayton's best cocktail bar just opened in this building a year ago. IMG_9748 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Reza's Roast is a Turkish-style coffee joint, and is the newest addition to the Wayne Avenue Coffee District. IMG_9750 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Crafted and Cured has been open for a little while now, but they still have one of the coolest spaces in the state. Great vibe, great beer, great charcuterie! IMG_9753 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The dining room. IMG_9756 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Branch and Bone offers primarily sour ales. They brew a lot of funky beers, including a pretzel beer made with pretzels from the nearby Smale's Pretzel Bakery. IMG_9757 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The infamous location of Limp Bizkit's free concert. IMG_9758 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr It looks closed, but you won't find a better deal on pita anywhere else! IMG_9759 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9761 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9762 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Houses in various states of restoration in the South Park neighborhood. IMG_9763 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr People aren't afraid to be a little outlandish with their color choices here. IMG_9767 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9769 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr This is phase 1 of a 3-phase project. Phase 2 includes condos in a similar-looking building, and phase 3 will be townhouses. IMG_9771 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Some bizarre new residential infill going up in South Park. IMG_9772 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9773 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Dayton is known for its bike trails, but it has greatly stepped up its game when it comes to on-street paths and road diets. This tricky area is filled with highway on-ramps and lane changes, but the highly-visible green bike lane makes it a breeze to navigate on two wheels. IMG_9774 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9777 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr With Dayton being the second-oldest major city in Ohio (after Cincinnati), you'll find a variety of architecture spanning from antebellum to Victorian. IMG_9778 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Because of its age, Dayton still feels like a frontier trading post in a number of neighborhoods instead of giving off your typical Rust Belt blue-collar vibe. IMG_9779 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr This corner store is now an architecture firm. IMG_9781 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9782 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9786 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Those Germans sure did love their stonework. Great craftsmen. IMG_9788 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr It may look like a church... IMG_9789 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr But it's actually a rock climbing gym! Dayton has done a lot of adaptive reuse to its old churches. Many of them were converted into condos in the 80s. IMG_9790 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9791 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr You can't really read the plaque, but this house was built in 1849. IMG_9793 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9794 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9795 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9797 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9798 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9800 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Salar (foreground) suffered a massive fire two years ago, but they're back in business and more popular than ever! IMG_9801 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The Neon started out as the first new Cinerama theatre in decades, and it inspired construction of similar Cineramas in LA and Seattle. Today it's been converted into two standard theaters. IMG_9803 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9806 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The Levitt Pavilion opened last fall and has proven immensely popular. The building in the background has also been purchased by Woodard from Columbus and is awaiting redevelopment into residential. IMG_9808 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr These buildings are part of the massive Fire Blocks District project. The apartments in the red Elks Building are nearing completion, and the ever-popular Century Bar is expanding into the terracotta DP&L Building. IMG_9810 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr IMG_9811 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The building in the middle is being renovated as part of the Fire Blocks. IMG_9812 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr As are all of these buildings. IMG_9813 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr CareSource's second office building just opened up last fall. IMG_9815 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The building in the foreground has been purchased by the Columbus firm that converted the LeVeque Tower, and they are currently gutting it and turning it into a hotel. In the midground is the late Cesar Pelli's Performance Place tower. IMG_9816 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr The black 111 Building in the background has just completed renovations and is now home to Taylor Communications. IMG_9817 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Digital signage giant Stratacache has purchased the Kettering Tower. They're currently at work installing a rooftop bar on top of the lower podium portion of the building. IMG_9820 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Dayton Chamber of Commerce is moving into the I.M. Pei-designed building in the foreground. IMG_9823 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Last but not least is the Dayton Arcade, which is FINALLY moving forward after years of securing financing. Also, the vacant skyscraper in the background was recently bought, but there has been no word yet on what the developer has planned for it. _31_0569 by Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr Both of these buildings are just one component of the project, which spans some 5+ buildings comprising nearly an entire city block. The goal is to get phase 1 complete by early 2020. This photo is a bit older than the rest - they've made some progress on the exterior since I took this shot. (Not my photo - https://ww)w.daytondailynews.com/news/local/demolition-work-finally-begins-inside-dayton-arcade/ROhLD1RpPqs0mkat7Mm1QN/) I can't wait to see how this project turns out! It's ambitious to say the least, but it has the ability to completely revitalize the western half of downtown. Thanks for coming along on this tour! I hope it opened your eyes to all of the cool things happening in the Gem City.

Ohio's Civil War history runs deep, as the abolitionist movement began here, and Ohio was a major stop on the Underground Railroad due to its position between the South and Detroit, which was the main going-off point for slaves fleeing to Canada. There is a Railroad stop in Springfield, a half hour from Columbus, and Cincinnati is home to Harriet Beecher Stowe's house. And Abraham Lincoln's birthplace is ~ 4 hours south of Columbus, somewhat near Mammoth Cave National Park (which is another great place to go on a weekend trip!). Also of note is Johnson's Island in Lake Erie, which was used as a Confederate prison and cemetery during the Civil War.

The people living in a place as dull as West Chester Township would never move into a city anywhere, regardless of if the National Guard showed up. The people moving to cities generally have at least some idea of what they’re getting into - if they didn’t, everyone would have left cities like New Orleans decades ago, which has waaaaaay worse problems than Cincinnati does.

Let's just go all-in and build this on the Ohio River:

A couple of notes on this bill: -"$150 million [from this fee] would go to the state's two nuclear plants and the other $20 million would be directed to existing solar farms." -"The bill, which has seen many drafts since being introduced, keeps renewable standards around until 2026. The standards require utilities to put a certain amount of renewable energy into their portfolio. The final benchmark would mandate that 8.5% of energy on a utility's portfolio come from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) says the efficiency standard will remain at 17.5% by 2020, which means the utilities must achieve 17.5% in saved energy. But Wilson says, "When they reach the 17.5%, then energy efficiency [standard] ceases.”" https://www.wyso.org/post/senate-nuclear-subsidies-plan-ends-energy-efficiency-requirements

I hate mega-Krogers. When I worked in NKY I pretty much exclusively shopped at the Fort Mitchell Kroger, which had an intuitive layout and was a manageable size. I went in the Oakley Kroger exactly one time and wanted to scream. Who buys jewelry at a grocery store? I've still not been in the CUF Kroger.

16 Bit and Pins Mechanical also jump to mind. Not to mention Aladdin and Platform, which are from Cleveland.

^His restaurant at Disney World is some sort of bizarre Flavortown-induced fever dream: We could even have a Skystar appetizer wheel of flavor!

$45M autonomous vehicle testing center opens EAST LIBERTY — Everything about the intersection at the new autonomous vehicle testing center looks ordinary — asphalt, traffic lights, road signs, two sedans, an SUV and a bus — until a fake car wrapped in foam and canvas runs a red light and nearly gets t-boned by a speeding Tesla. The Tesla automatically brakes, swerves and avoids a collision. The 20-second demonstration was part of a grand opening event Wednesday to show off a new SMART Center, a 540-acre autonomous vehicle test site on the grounds of the 4,500-acre Transportation Research Center. More below: https://www.whio.com/news/45m-autonomous-vehicle-testing-center-opens/FjBmjHZGx0LFR8E6Fzp65N/?fbclid=IwAR2vJjUpvkETwzrB67pV40C-dJfdGJ00pXU062iQyX6v4xct1oQQXsrWj6g

What's funny is you actually do hear a lot of other cities where these chains are opening lament the death of the uniqueness of their "OTR-like" districts. I know the "Basicfield" in Indy gets a lot of hate for the type of crowds and subsequent change of character it brought to Mass Ave. But Cincy has always worshipped homegrown success stories, and honestly I'd bet a lot of Cincinnatians don't even realize these places have been cloned.