crimeinal

Was recently in Chandler and the Ocotillo site is really impressive in person when I was running along Dobson. Felt massive. It's in a surprising area, extremely close to fairly dense single-family home residential. But the streetscaping and cleanliness of the area was stellar (at least when I was there in March). I have family that have lived in Chandler for decades, and the development and money flowing into the area are massive. One can only hope something similar or better for Central Ohio; I think it's almost a given when you look at the sheer amount of development and buildup that must be done.

Sure, or integrate it into the area better. Plenty of hospitals with libraries either on their grounds (e.g. academic medical centers) or very nearby. Grant did a disservice with the face the hospital presents to the library. A parking garage and a cut-rate entrance to a hospital which has featured on TV shows, no attempt at trying to streetscape even.

Mayo has multiple areas of this "superblock" effect where it interrupts 3rd St SW, 1st St SW, 1st St NW, 2nd Ave NW, and 2nd Ave SW. May have better ground-level engagement, sure, but the superblock isn't the bugaboo it's made out to be... if done well.

I moved out of Columbus to Dallas, and live now in University Park. They call it "The Bubble". It's very, very similar to Bexley, totally different from it's surroundings (except North Dallas/Preston Hollow to the north/northwest).

IMO if they keep this curved-facade building (picture 1) with the sculptural pieces in front, and build around that, I think it has potential to be a nice centerpiece. I personally think that they need to do something that I see a lot more of "organically" in some medium-sized cities Europe, and that is the presence of longer stretches of more major attractions separated but with connecting alleys or promenades which are pedestrian-only, that are home to very small shops, restaurants, cafes. In this case, with the curved-facade building in the front, I think that to the sides and towards the back ought to be the focus for more attractions, like bars and more high-end shops, and there should be pedestrian-friendly (even pedestrian-exclusive) access to those areas from the main park/sculptural area. In picture 2, for instance, instead of having that open staircase building in the front and right, maybe have it towards the back more, and build a little plaza with a fountain in the middle. Then leave the first floor of the areas lining those walkways open for small businesses and such. In such a way, you encourage walking, develop a more neighborhood feel, and I think make it seem nicer. But that's just my opinion. I really much prefer the quaint walkability of Vieille Ville in Nice, or the Walkplatz in Trier, or Montmartre in France to the high-rise absurdity of Manhattan or Brickell.

I drive by the new construction every week. Gotta say it is really cool to drive through a nice, quaint downtown Dublin, and come across the bridge on 161 and see this modern development. Looks really cool, and doesn't feel at all suburban, somehow.

Could be, they're definitely not the only project that has stalled. It seems metalworkers and concrete finishers are where we are lacking. Also I wonder where steel demand is and if that's stalling some projects. Most major cities are going through a construction boom in some way shape or form so I wouldn't be surprised if that is an issue for a lot of these projects. Too bad the government couldn't forsee that 20-35 years ago when they put the American steel industry on the chopping block with some of these trade deals. Those trade deals cheapened the cost of steel. I'm not sure that has anything to do with the supply issue. Sure, it killed some low-wage steel-working jobs, but it helped the bottom line of the companies building, which should enable the more-wealthy corporations to hire more people, right?

Everything I've heard suggests terrible quality. I'm not huge on all things modern anyway, but I still value something that's going to last longer than a year or two. And you can get cheap, modern stuff pretty much anywhere. I don't get the obsession/hype. We've have a living room TV stand and matching bookshelves and coffee table that have lasted 7 years and still look really nice, even with a 4 year old and an infant running around the house. We also have two armchairs which are hella comfortable and have also lasted better than the sofa we bought from a far more expensive place. That's not even scratching the surface of the storage uses we've gotten out of them, also with minimal expense. It's not that they're the cheapest, or the best-looking, or the longest-lasting. It's that they're almost the cheapest, almost the best looking, and they last a decent while. Being good at several things has been a chief reason we bought from them over spending more at a dedicated furniture store, or less at Walmart or Target.

I've always had a poor opinion of these extended-stay hotels, which is probably affected deeply by the bad ones (that is, the more visible ones). Can anyone elaborate on the quality, or just in general the market forces that might place one of these in what looks to be a high-end development with more distant access to an interstate highway?

I figured that the company was way too profit-oriented to only be set up in a canal winchester cornfield. Fixed it for ya.

Since Ohio State sold rights to parking to CampusParc, is CampusParc going to be funding the new garages? Or is Ohio State footing the bill, only to let CampusParc reap the benefits?

The latest in "don't take their word for it." Really, no expectations should be made unless things are written, in great detail, on paper, in contractual form.

When it comes to Downtown, I don't think NIMBYism is at play. In the Short North, neighborhood commissions are the ones that are typically requesting height reductions, along with the local resident population who don't seem to understand that they live in an urban neighborhood that is changing rapidly. That is not the case Downtown. The Downtown Commission encourages height and density, and there is really no organized resident component against those things. The problem seems to be with the developers. Whether it is because they are too small to make the financials work for larger projects, or just aren't comfortable with larger scale, almost all proposals have been undersized for their locations. 10+ stories is a start, but it's still not where things need to be. There have been only 2 projects in the last decade or so that I thought were pushing the established envelope, and they are the Millennial Tower and the recently announced mixed-use project at 500 W. Broad. The latter project has an amazing number of really cool, unique features that I've never seen in another Columbus project, and the former only because it breaks from the pack on height and is not a typical design you'd see in the city. I think it's definitely possible that developers have soured on the high end condo market. The Miranova disaster (originally sold for 500,000-1 million, now going for <500,000 for the most part) while the rest of the market was inflating was definitely something I always remind myself of when I wonder why there aren't bigger residential/condo developments.

Sounds like the new multi-lane roundabout at 161 and Riverside (Rt. 33) is off to a rough start: - So traffic/news says there is an accident in the roundabout at 161 and 33 in Dublin and the whole intersection is shut down at rush hour: I imagine a multi-lane roundabout is a little tougher to swallow. On Hilton Head Island it can be a disaster, though far better than the signaled intersections to be honest. When they installed the Alkire-Demorest it made a huge difference in traffic backup - there are never more than 4-5 cars waiting to get into the roundabout. Massively better. I have to imagine as roundabouts become more commonplace - and they should - things will smooth out.

Like it a lot! Adds a lot of depth to the area while maintaining character. Any plans for the lots between Spruce and Vine? Seems like this is an area ripe for the development train, similar to The Gulch in Nashville.