Mr. Anderson

Plans for $225 million Liberty Twp. project stalled By Dave Greber, Staff Writer Thursday, October 30, 2008 LIBERTY TWP. — Plans for Liberty Town Square have been shelved after the lead developer on the $225 million project stepped aside this week, citing tough economic times. Click on link for article. http://www.journal-news.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/10/30/hjn103108townsquare.html

Sadly, this sounds like one local government jumping ship and leaving MSD with the bill. Loveland pulls out of MSD contract By Jeanne Houck • [email protected] • October 30, 2008 The city of Loveland has decided to pull out of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, which is predicting a 40 percent rate hike over the next three years. Loveland agreed in 1985 to allow Hamilton County to operate the city-owned Polk Run Sewer Plant under the auspices of the county's Metropolitan Sewer District. City officials now believe they can operate the plant better and more cheaply - thus saving residents money on their rates - especially since the Metropolitan Sewer District is facing huge costs to comply with environmental standards. A spokesperson for Hamilton County could not be reached for comment. Read full article here: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20081030/NEWS01/810300317/

Cincinnati, Hamilton Co. propose new regional transit system Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter Cincinnati and Hamilton County have reached agreement on a new regional transit agency to replace the parent of Cincinnati’s Metro bus system. The new entity is aimed at drawing board participation – and new funding commitments – from counties surrounding Cincinnati. “This is truly a transformational moment,” said Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory in announcing the Greater Cincinnati Regional Transit Authority, with a 13-member board that will include seven members appointed by the city of Cincinnati and six from Hamilton County. Hamilton County Commission President Todd Portune said three of the county’s six appointees will be selected with input from Warren, Butler and Clermont counties, each of which could gain the right to directly appoint board members if they formally join the new authority. Another key aspect of the organizational structure will be the right of any county to gain a majority of board seats if it contributes more than 50 percent of the new transit authority’s total budget. Read More...

Invigorating!

Fifth Third Bancorp to get about $3.45 bln from Treasury By Sue Chang Last update: 12:37 p.m. EDT Oct. 28, 2008 Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) said Tuesday it will get about $3.45 billion as part of the Treasury Department's plan to invest in the nation's leading banks. Under the deal, the Treasury will get Fifth Third senior preferred stock with a 5% annual dividend for the first five years and 9% thereafter, unless the shares are redeemed. The shares are callable at par after three years and may be repurchased at any time under certain conditions. The Treasury will also get 10-year warrants for common stock. The financial firm said it will continue to evaluate its business but as a result of the the additional funds, sale of non-core assets is no longer a part of its near-term capital planning. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/fifth-third-bancorp-get-about/story.aspx?guid={04E51E6A-79FA-40C9-B0D6-D8877A64A6F0}&dist=TQP_Mod_mktwN

State grants would let communities share costs, effort Some local municipalities consider pooling resources Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Laura Baverman As the cost of running a municipality rises, small communities like Mariemont and Wyoming are looking at ways to share expenses with their neighbors. “The county is struggling. The state is looking at cutting the budget. Municipalities just don’t have the revenue where they are, and people don’t want to be taxed any more,” said Bob Harrison, Wyoming’s city manager. He has brought 15 northern Hamilton County municipalities together to study the possibility of operating one large fire district. The contingent has applied for a new state grant to fund work by a consultant. Read full article here: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/20/story5.html

I think it is about finished - typical suburban office bldg. setback 100+ feet from Montgomery Road with a huge sea of parking in front -

Chabot Re-Election Bid in Ohio May Be His Toughest Yet By Greg Giroux, CQ Staff Republican Rep. Steve Chabot has become accustomed to close campaigns in Ohio’s 1st District, a politically competitive swath of southwestern Ohio that takes in the west side of Cincinnati and some suburbs. And of the congressman’s six re-election campaigns to date, none may be more difficult than his current one, against Democratic state Rep. Steve Driehaus. The Chabot-Driehaus race appears so close, in fact, that the surest prediction CQ Politics can make about the outcome is that the winner will be named “Steve.” CQ Politics is upgrading Democratic prospects in Ohio’s 1st by shifting the rating of the race to “No Clear Favorite” from “Leans Republican.” ... http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002976158

Follow link for additional details. Lincoln exhibit explores his decisions By Lori Kurtzman • [email protected] • October 17, 2008 Yes, you'll see the hat. Two of them, in fact, charcoal black and iconic, preserved beneath temperature-regulated plastic and displayed under muted lighting at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20081017/NEWS01/810170412/

Chabot - master of the ear to ear comb over. Nice pics Ink.

America should stick to what its good at- porn, ice cream, and getting drunk. -C-Dawg

Hudy Delight relaunches in cans Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Jon Newberry Staff Reporter Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 5:00 AM EDT | Modified: Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 5:00 AM Hudepohl Brewing Co. is relaunching Hudy Delight in cans with a limited edition 30th anniversary commemorative can that should hit area beer outlets next week. It marks the first production of beer in cans by Cincinnati’s Christian Moerlein Brewing Co., which bought most of the other Hudepohl-Schoenling brands in 2006 and re-introduced a reformulated Hudy Delight in bottles. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/10/13/daily36.html

Made in Hamilton, Ohio, right?

Nice pics. Can't wait to follow all the future construction.

Great pics. Indy appears to be on the right track - did they actually remove a vehicular travel lane for this project?

Amberley buys golf course, but can village run one? By Steve Kemme • [email protected] • October 13, 2008 AMBERLEY VILLAGE - After an acrimonious four-year legal battle and countless hours of difficult negotiations, Amberley Village finally controls the fate of the former Crest Hills Country Club. On Friday, the village closed on its $8.75 million purchase of the 133-acre site at Galbraith and Ridge roads from the Ridge Club. Click on link for article. http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081013/NEWS0108/810130338/0/NEWS0107

I grew up in Wilmington NC and it ranked 6 on the list in 2008 and 2nd in 2007 - the area has seen a lot of growth but I wouldn't say it has been quality (smart urban growth) - it's just traffic gridlock, suburban sprawl, and big box retail - and it was podunk prior to I40 which was just completed in the past 15 years or so. The one standout is the downtown area - it has been revitalized but it all pales in comparison to all the suburban sprawl. I'll take it for what it is - just another list.

Yes - the study was of the metro area - even old West Chester couldn't give Cincy a boost. :-D

I hope someone in columbus reads this report - we need a more urban friendly focus at the state level - with all these townships granting tax incentives, etc. to lure businesses from center cities to greenfield sites - it seems almost impossible for cities to complete.

Wow, looking at the first post in this thread - June 2004 - it says after the conclusion of the that the meters should be up in 12-18 months - They mention crash data from year 2000! I'm just curious to know if - as a result of higher gas prices, less driving, etc. if the ramp meters are even needed anymore? If they were really necessary for safety reasons wouldn't ODOT just get the job done in a timely manner like the repairs they made to the I74 bridge over I275 earlier this summer.

You would think that the current situation would cause some serious review (maybe with new admin in Washington??) but by all accounts we're full speed ahead with road projects that have spent years in the planning pipeline.

Follow the link and check out the photo gallery. Complex sets stage for research collaboration 20 medical departments anxious to join efforts: Nine stories of new lab, administrative and recreational space are now home to the next generation of UC lifesavers. by Amanda Hughes The renovated Medical Sciences Building and the new CARE/Crawley facility house some of the most technically advanced laboratory and research space in the nation. The head architect for the building was Erik Sueberkrop, DAAP '72, chairman and founding principal of Studios Achitecture. The firm's CEO is another UC alumnus, Todd De Garmo, DAAP '80. Located in the Academic Health Center, the Center for Academic Research Excellence (CARE)/Crawley Building opened August 2008 after four years of construction and a cost of $134 million. The new building and the neighboring Medical Sciences Building, which has undergone the first of a five-phase renovation, will house more than 20 research departments from the College of Medicine. The two buildings are connected via a glass atrium and together include more than 1 million square feet of space. Forward-thinking designers built research laboratories with enough flexibility so they can easily adapt to new science and technology for years to come. Malak Kotb, chair of UC’s molecular genetics department, says the efficient design of the new laboratories led her to the university for her research. "The flexibility and the design really attracted me because I could just see that people would be able to interact better, be more productive and efficient in their work and be in a very pleasant environment," Kotb says. "We spend most of our lives in labs." The Edith J. Crawley Vision Science Research Laboratory, part of the building, is the result of a $12 million bequest from the estate of Edith Johnson Crawley, A&S ’30, JD ’32, for whom a wing of the facility is named. The gift supports eye-disease research, particularly in the elderly. The renovated MSB building offers areas for scientists and students to mingle and collaborate outside of a lab or classroom setting. In addition to academic spaces, a fitness center, a food-service area, meeting rooms, lounges and a bookstore round out the new facility. "The old building was somewhat claustrophobic," says Greg Braswell, DAAP ’84, MBA ’91, director of planning for the Academic Health Center. "This gives us public gathering space that was lacking before." Together the CARE/Crawley and MSB buildings make up one of the largest health-science research complexes in the country, leaving plenty of breathing room for all. The project features an environmentally friendly design and has been submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) facility. http://www.magazine.uc.edu/0908/medical.htm

Pizza chain readies to build second area location Dayton Business Journal Thursday, September 4, 2008 - 2:19 PM EDT The Dayton area is getting another slice of Dewey’s Pizza this spring. For more info, click the link E-mail [email protected]. Call (937) 528-4427. http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2008/09/01/daily28.html

GM declines Ohio's $56M offer to keep plant open Staff and Wire reports Thursday, August 28, 2008 DAYTON — The Ohio Department of Development says General Motors Corp. has declined a tax credit and grant package worth more than $56 million to keep open its SUV plant in the Dayton suburb of Moraine. Department spokeswoman Kelly Schlissberg said Thursday the state is disappointed and will continue to look for alternate uses for the plant, which employs about 2,400 workers. The automaker has said it plans to close the plant by 2010 or sooner because of a customer shift to smaller vehicles. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/08/29/mj083008vpcandidate.html

Other = Dewey's