TroyEros

But that would be clear manipulation of the building. There has been countless photos taken of the condition of the dennision. Surely the board can't be that idiotic to realize that the state of the dennision couldn't deteriorate that quickly without manipulation. Also, the Josephs are facing imprisionment. Imagine if the building collapses due to them trying to manipulate the stability of the structure, and people in the street below end up getting killed by debris. Shouldn't any attempted manipulation of a historic building, especially one that threatens it's stability, be considered a crime? Could we potentially get the joseph family arrested and imprisioned?

Does anyone want to perhaps photo document the building to keep track on what's going on? Maybe install a video camera that's facing the dennison across the street to document any suspicious behavior?

Probably because even in it's current lack luster state, the chances of us actually replacing the empty lot (assuming it becomes demolished) will probably take decades knowing the rate of our city. Also, the infill that replaces it will probably look 10x worse, than the current product. The quality of infill Architecture, especially in our core, is god awful. Also a giant, colorful, art mural on one side of the wall, and a video screen that's time square like, with news updates/etc can really take those 2 blank walls and really make that building so much more inviting.

It makes me wonder why there hasn't been much demand for a live/play/shop lifestyle in the CBD. It's coming together OTR, slowly, but it's coming together, but in the CBD? Nada. Are people just to much attatched to there suburban lifestyle? Are we still a city that's pretty much unknown, thus not gathering outsiders to move into the core. What's the issue? I'm just trying to piece together why... I hate to say it, but I know alot of people (at least in rich part of montgomery) are "secretly" racist. They won't say they dislike african americans to your face, but at the same time, they tend to avoid them and say backhanded remarks in secret. Again, I'm not lumping every person in this category, but I'm across ALOT of wealthy people in the suburb of montgomery/indian hill, etc who would never consider living downtown because of, "blacks". I'm wondering if Cincinnati is just a generally racist state (especially it's wealthy, dominated white suburbs) , where people avoid living downtown because they like there enclave of wealthy white surbanites, who all drive mercedes/bmw's, etc, while dining in the same resturaunts.

It's confusing to me why OTR is working so well with retail and night life, but CBD is struggling so much. Then again, I know alot of people who want to live in OTR, and could care less about the CBD. Maybe it has to do with the atmosphere of OTR, and the night life there. It's pretty special, and is a draw for alot of young mellenials such as myself. There's really no, "draw" to want to go and trek anywhere else downtown honestly. But for alot of people my age group, OTR is honestly the only reason why we love Cincinnati as much as we do in the first place (this is coming from someone who thought that cincinnati was the worst place ever and wanted to move so badly. When my friend took me to OTR I instantly fell in love, and literally felt like I was taken to a hollywood studios theater, shooting a movie in the 20's. I was in aww, and it's what made me want to stay and live in cincinnati. It wasn't for OTR, I could really care less about this city. I'm sorry, it sounds harsh, but that's just how special OTR is for me alot of people my age. It's the heart and soul of cincinnati for alot of us.)

Very confused as to why there is a need to demolish that building. You would think they would be able to rehab it and convert it to condos? Would that not be cheaper, than to pay for the demolition costs, and build a completely new building :/

I really hope that down the road there is a Market Square Phase 3 where they take the Findley Market parking lot and perhaps take that space and turn it into an extension of Findley. I'm thinking something along the lines of this; Vendors and food stalls along the perimeter of the lot, while the middle space be dedicated to long communal tables for families and friends to eat together. A parking garage could be built underneath for findley visitors.

Any clue on which street this, "new building" will be at?

Does anyone get the sense that Cincinnati neighborhoods are such islands? For instance, to walk to walnut hills it either involves a steep incline from the eden park are, or crossing a massive pedestrian highway bridge from Clifton. There's a huge gap, and just makes walnut hills feel very isolated, and not very pedestrian friendly to physically walk to. For instance, I could see maybe my friends walking down from the UC campus to OTR, but walking to Walnut Hills (which wouldn't necessarily be a problem) seems so less friendly to casually walk to.

By far one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Ohio if not the Midwest. Such a European flair, especially with the small narrow streets. I still daydream about about the potential those empty sycamore lots hold, and imagine new shops, restaurants, and lofts. Will be such a great way to intertwine OTR and Pendelton into one large neighborhood. Right now, that huge empty lot is making those 2 neighborhoods so divided. Equivalent to OTR North, and OTR South if you ask me.

For some reason that demolition of that block a few years back didn't really matter much to me. Yes, I would have preferred it to be preserved, and turned into retail and apartments above. But honestly, I feel like the historic fabric already had a huge gaping dent in it. The Kroger building, the various fast food spots are quite deterring. Walnut Hills lost it's fabric a while ago IMO. That's why I feel that a demolition of a block in OTR is so much more impactful compared to walnut hills at that stage. OTR still has fabric, that transports you to a time and place. I feel like Walnut Hills lost that fabric quite a while ago with the development of the kroger, and the fast food joints. So ultimately, yes it was sad to see that block go. But, it didn't neccesarrily kill walnuts hill character. As long as we preserve what we have left, and cross our fingers for some decent infill the neighborhood will still draw people in (Just Q'in, and Gomez will be pretty big draws I'm sure).Unique Restaurant + Bars + Retail + A microbrewery + Neighborhood Festivals/Concert Series(?) is the formula IMO for short term to potentially long term success. Lets continue to preserve what we have left in that area (considering some of those buildings are quite gorgeous), and hopefully some decent infill will take over those grassy lots.

Cincy by the Slice is officially closing there doors this weekend. This joins, Happy Belly on Vine, and Original Thoughts Required to close in the past month. It's a bit concerning, especially when you have 3 businesses all close within the same month. Is the rent simply increasing OTR, or is business slowing down in OTR? Or is it that cincy by the slice had an inferior product, and too much competition next door. I know Main St is scheduled to get a slew of new businesses within the next few months, but I still can't help but feel that the magic that has occurred on Vine St, is really not occurring on Main St for whatever reason. I feel that ultimately, that people who visit OTR are, "constricted" so to speak. The majority of people who visit OTR are families from the suburbs who come for dinner at Tafts Ale House, or The Eagle, and go home. I think that alot of families have this perception that OTR is essentially Washington Park, Music Hall, and Vine St. I think that most families don't really explore OTR, whether because they still feel a little uneasy about the general safety of OTR, or there is no reason (like say a major restaurant) for them to be on other streets like Main. I truly feel that the traffic is less on Main St because it simply doesn't have the retail presence that 3cdc has created with Vine St. Main St is bumping during the night time with it's bars, but is simply dead during the day time. The only retail shops you have consist of small knick-knack stores like a frame shop, or an art store. There's a cafe here and there, and the macron bar and park+ vine, but there's really no huge DRAW (like say The Eagle, or The Taft Ale house). Until we create a mini restaurant row on Main St, that's akin to Vine St, I feel like Main ST will always struggle with it's retail presence, and will always ultimately feel dead. Also, on another note, I really hate to wish anything ill will on a business, but every time I see that pizza shop, Venice on Vine (on the 1200 block of Vine ST), I can't help but wish it would go out of business. The pizza is incredibly mediocre, and the real estate is anything but. It's such a large building, and Venice on Vine is hardly taking advantage of the entire space. It's never really that crowded compared to the other Vine St restaurants, and the entire building could easily host 2, "Class A" quality restaurants as I like to call them, in that entire building space.

I noticed Source 3 development, the project team for the Elm St (north of liberty) project has taken down all the renderings that were previously up for that block. I'm wondering if there being reworked. An, correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe they have yet to get an approval from the HCB regardings there designs as well?

Maybe Plesantry on Pleasant St. in OTR. Though the meals aren't exactly inexpensive. But they do hit all of those notes you mentioned, and the food is incredibly tasty.

That homeless shelter has to be moved on Main ST. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be "anti-homeless". But it's a pretty depressing picture when you see a pile of homeless men and women huddled together, sleeping on cardboard boxes, while right across the street people are spending money on drinks like it's candy. Also, there's alot of kids that walk along main st with there families, and I've consistently seen public indecency, in where there will be a drunk home less man, with his pants almost completely down, peeing along the wall. I'm not against the homeless, or homeless shelters. But seeing stuff like that, especially when there are families and small children involved, give a really bad impression for OTR. It's so situated on Main St especially, because the homeless huddle together there and wait for the shelter to open the following day. Alot of them are very kind people. Some of them are aggressive, especially when there drunk, but most of them are nice and don't bother anyone. That said, it sucks. Especially when there whipping out there junk in front of little kids to urinate.

I feel like what your saying is jmicha is true. That said, it doesn't necessarily change the fact that you have countless large cities in America that are able to sustain urban fast food options, and are able to sustain retail corridors. Again, there's no doubt that the business climate is changing for retail, and fast food. That said, they still remain open in countless other cities, but close in Cincinnati. I think the biggest issue why retail in general is hard for Cincinnati to sustain is because of the poverty level. Out of the 16,000 people who live in OTR/Downtown how many are living below the poverty line? How many, are actually spending money at these various retail shops and resturaunts? I'm guessing not many. To me, that's the biggest issue with our current city situation. Yes, we may have 16,000 people living downtown, but how many of them actually have the spending power to be a vital cog in the economic climate, and how many of those 16,000 are barely scraping by?

I also think that lack of actual residents living in the CBD doesn't help either. These businesses can't survive on lunch traffic alone, and by dinner time it's dead. To much effort has gone to repopulating OTR, but not enough has occured yet to repopulating the CBD. Just drive around 9-10pm. Aside from a few restaurants, the streets are like a ghost town, and have been that way for decades. ' Losing Wendys is sad. Any healthy urban business climate with have some type of fast food chains. Go to whatever large city from Boston, NYC, SF, Toronto, Chicago etc and you'll see countless food chains on various blocks. Yes, it might be a sign that business is shifting in general for these fast food chains, especially with better options opening up, but many cities have been able to sustain countless fast food options, and we barely can sustain at least one. It's a little sad, and to me is a sign that our business climate still has a way to go even with all the progress we've made in the last decade.

You guys are acting like the lots are in suburban park in mason. The lots will be filled with people, and the backdrop will be beautiful churches and historic architecture everywhere. I don't see the issue honestly, at least the atmosphere comment. Yes it's a lot, but the backdrop will still be beautiful regardless.

That format wasn't sustainable in the long run, and the ticket prices needed a price hike for this to be a worth while venture. All music festivals essentially take place in a big empty space. The lots, while not as unique, make sense. At the end of the day, the popularity of Midpoint won't be based on the various locations (while cool, it's not the reason why people will travel down all the way from say Chicago, St.Louis, Florida, NYC, etc...It's the quality of the music acts. Whose performing means everything to these music festivals. So far the lineup seems quite a bit of a step up compared to last years.

21st Century Modern OTR. Is there any urban historic district with a large amount of 21st century inspired italianate.

Distillery-brewery coming to Over-the-Rhine http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/06/02/distillery-brewery-coming-to-over-the-rhine.html

They're going to say exactly what people say now: wow hand-built things with pre-industrial materials are way more interesting than things that were designed in autocad and snapped together on-site. Yes, but then those buildings will be, "historic". :wink:

Any word on what's going on with the Weilert building? (the green one)

15th and Vine project has begun today.

The saddest part is that people who aren't from Cincinnati will be like, "Whhhaaaaat that's Cincinnati?" I thought it was some $hithole in the south. Even in the trailer it's clear that Cincinnati is like a mix of Chicago and Brooklyn.