TroyEros

How much would the tunnel even cost?

Should it be billed as a street car extension, or as a light rail extension? Assuming were going with the plan to bore a tunnel and use light rail vehicles still... Only because I could see quite a few more people jump on board with the concept of a fast connector to uptown via a tunnel and light rail, opposed to a street car that has to climb the hill to clifton, and will have multiple stops along the way.

Has anyone here been in Montreal? If so, tell me I'm crazy but do you also notice the similarities between Montreal and Cincinnati? When I visited Montreal for the first time I was amazed by how much it reminded me of Cincinnati (granted the Old part of Montreal is a world of it's own). It wasn't just the abundance of Italianate architecture that both cities seem to share, but I also think it's do to the similarities of both having very hilly regions, and rivers.

I've got to think that it's due to businesses thinking that the Banks is still, "unproven" so to speak. Smaller places such as a coffee/brunch place need that constant clientele to stay afloat. I imagine there afraid of the lull when the reds and bengals aren't playing, in Jan/Feb/March and are afraid of the potential of low traffic. I'm sure once GE opens, the Hotel opens, The Grocery store opens (which I hear is coming next summer and is a natural food store) then you'll see more spaces being filled up.

It's critical for the long term success of OTR in my opinion. Connecting the Northern and Southern Liberties division, and hopefully spurring more development in the North, and making it a more attractive, walk-able urban destination. I honestly feel like the long term success of OTR is a essentially a catalyst for the long term success for Cincinnati's urban core in general.

Thanks for sharing those sections of Philly. Really cool architecture... That said, it's still different than what I'm describing with OTR. I still remember my first time ever in OTR (which was last october I believe), and felt like I was in a different world. Seeing music hall for the first time, and washington park, and the cool buildings on Vine, I was like holy crap, am I still in Cincinnati? I literally felt like I was transplanted into a different time, and a different place. I still haven't been able to shake that feeling, of crossing a few streets over, and literally feel like your in a whole different place that feels so detached from everything else. I try to evoke that same feeling in many places I go to, and its just hard I guess to replicate that sudden "shift" so to speak.

I was going to add except for Pittsburgh, though I wasn't sure if that fit within my 150 mile radius statement. Still Pitt doesn't have any thing that's quite comparable to OTR, the mexican war streets come close, but nothing that's was as historically dense. (I also didn't state anything over 150 because I wanted to avoid including Chicago in that radius). Parts of Old Louisville have somewhat of a Cincy vibe but still generally not as impressive. Im looking at these locations on Google Maps, like Mexican War Street, and the area looks cool, but I'm always disappointed by the size of the district. It's literally just a few blocks. I wish there were more OTR sized locations in other cities, but most of the time it's just a few blocks, with maybe a few restaurants and bars scattered about. Nothing really "meaty" which you can spend a whole day, if not 2 days just really explore the hell out of it, and really explore the history. That's what I love about OTR, every street is different. Main Street is different then Clay. Clay is different than Walnut, Walnut is different than Vine, Vine is different than Race, and Race is different than Elm. They each have there own character and identity. Especially if you go into the Northern Liberties of OTR which has this more grungier, industrial feel, compared to south of liberty which is more picturesque. That's what I wish there was more of in America. Don't get me wrong, I love the North End in Boston, and New Orleans French Quarter, and SoHo/Tribeca in NYC. But I just wish there were more places like OTR where it still feels "intact". Where it still feels like it's in a time capsule so to speak. Where it doesn't feel touristy, or fake. Where you can spend the whole day just exploring and still have that itch for more. All those places I mentioned above or either to small, or just filled with shops and restaurants and bars that you forget about the history. That said, I can see maybe spending 2-3 hours top for those type of neighborhoods in Pitsburgh.

Guess I didn't venture far enough.

Pittsburgh has some really cool architecture though..granted it's not as diverse compared to Cincinnati, and is more tied within the bounds of it's CBD, and not much elsewhere.

Yes and unfortunately it seems like this is a common mind set. Not sure why, maybe it's because historic american architecture isn't as extravagant as say Historic European Architecture, but for whatever reason when I go down to OTR with my friends they will always be more impressed by new modern Mercer building, compared to the architecture that's already there. I've even had a friend call the Italianate architecture, "old and shitty". Just no appreciation for architecture whatsoever unless it's new, modern and bland.

They would if many of these areas weren't full of blight and abandoned buildings. The quicker these neighborhoods can go through gentrification, and the blight can be cleaned up, the more you will have Mason tourists visiting downtown and taking note of what we have. At the present time, there still reluctant to go down to OTR, and at best frequent The Banks or Newport. And that tells you all you need to know about architecture in Cincinnati if your basing it off those locations.

Yvette Simpson apparently wants to make it her goal to make the streetcar not just a part of Uptown's future, but apparently extend it completely to make it regional light rail. If this is the case, and she stands by it, (and assuming she will run for mayor in 2017) then she has my vote already.

So what was discussed at the meeting?

Is it not possible to narrow the street, and use the new open space as potential land for new construction development?

Cincinnati isn't a big or high enough profile place for an attack. New York, DC or San Francisco are much more vulnerable. I honestly would disagree. Attacking a high profile city where security alert is already at it's brim, or do you present a Trojan Horse, and attack a mid size city that no one would expect (like a Cincinnati/Portland/St.Louis/Cleveland, etc). Isis isn't stupid. They realize that everyone expects them to attack a Large city, like a New York City, or a Chicago, or a Seatttle...But a smaller city? Where you wouldn't really expect that? To me that would be prime picking grounds. A city that was completely off everyone's radar, but still manage to commit mass casualties. And yet they attacked Paris, even shortly after the Hedo attacks, when Paris was already on higher alert (and Paris is about as high profile a place as they come) check. Also linking this, we cannot live in constant fear, there is a higher statistical chance of being killed by lightening in a thunderstorm, or way higher for getting in an automobile accident than getting killed by Terrorists: http://www.decodedc.com/105/ They attacked Paris for quite a few reasons besides it being a "major" city. There's been bad blood between Isis and France for a quite a while, and it has only be escalating till this recent tipping point. It's pretty clear Isis goal is to do more of the same across the country. That said, I just feel like if I was the leader of Isis whose goal was to coordinate these attacks, I would be idiotic to focus on a major city, when you can achieve just as much damage if not more in a smaller unsuspecting city. The only thing Isis cares about is body counts, and you can achieve more body count where you expect it the least (and have your guard down more or less)

Cincinnati isn't a big or high enough profile place for an attack. New York, DC or San Francisco are much more vulnerable. I honestly would disagree. Attacking a high profile city where security alert is already at it's brim, or do you present a Trojan Horse, and attack a mid size city that no one would expect (like a Cincinnati/Portland/St.Louis/Cleveland, etc). Isis isn't stupid. They realize that everyone expects them to attack a Large city, like a New York City, or a Chicago, or a Seatttle...But a smaller city? Where you wouldn't really expect that? To me that would be prime picking grounds. A city that was completely off everyone's radar, but still manage to commit mass casualties.

And I hate to be the one to point this out, but it's also prime grounds for a potential terrorist attack similar to that of Paris. You essentially have thousands upon thousands of people in a tight crowded space, essentially packed like sardines. Granted you could say that about any big event, but Octoberfest, like mentioned above, is claustrophobic and these tight streets cause so much bottle-necking, that in case a catastrophe does happen, you really have no where to run.

Any known updates? Construction still hasn't started and I'm curious as to what the hold up is :/

Does anyone have more details? Was the building in process of stabilization? Or did this just happen on it's own randomly?

These buildings are so fragile.

Hadn't heard anything on the news about a collapse. And your right the plans never called for any demolition (there was for the parking garage plan though). But maybe it always looked like that?

Why not build it along phase 2 of smale riverfront park?

Frameri is testing out a retail location on Vine in OTR: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/11/13/frameri-opens-up-shop-in-otr.html

Could the Banks get a concert venue? http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/11/13/could-the-banks-get-a-concert-venue.html

Is it possible for that available space on the freedom center lawn to be used as a potential site for a Grocery store? Or is it mandatory for that space be a restaurant?