mrgmfoster

Cute dog....bring him by the PAC somtime......

I don't think a lack of police presence is the answer to Downtown Cincinnati's issues. The problem is the lack of activity in general...IE no people. Why is there no activity? There is NOTHING to do on the weekends unless there is some kind of an event. For instace, today I was kind of hungry, and wanted to walk to a restaurant for lunch (I live at 818 REEDY St.). My options were pretty much limited to Khaldi's, Penn Station, and McFadden's. Everything else is pretty much closed. I passed by 13 closed restaurants on the way to McFadden's. Why would anyone come downtown during the day (or night for that matter) on a weekend? I often drive up to Hyde Park, Kenwood, or even Deerfield Plaza on the weekends to spend the day. Why? Because there is a lot going on. It's fun. Why do people flock to New York, Chicago, even Indy...because there is a ton to do every weekend. Every restaurant, bar, store (big and small alike) are open for people to come spend money. This change must occur in Downtown Cincinnati. Small business owners can't wait for the people to come and then open. We all need to be open, offer quality goods and services and people WILL come. The people are NOT going to come first. How you may ask? Small business owners tell me all the time that they would love to be open all weekend, but can't afford it. A few months of "waisted" payroll, utilities and time on the weekends would close their doors.....and I believe them. So lets help these small business owners keep there doors open on the weekend so there is something for people to come down here to. Here is a start. Instead of DCI focusing on "Safer & Cleaner" they should focus on business. Almost $2,000,000 was spent this year on the Safer/Cleaner project. Don't get me wrong...I think the project certainly has it's merits. I just think that the police should be responsible for "safer" and the city responsible for "cleaner". I would encourage the DCI private investors to focus on commerce. It is what many of them know best. I think the $2,000,000 spent could have made a great start toward lending a hand to small business owners willing to keep there doors open all weekend long. This would not be a cash bonus, but a way to help pay the bills until the trends start to change. Lets focus on the restaurants, bars and shopping and then work our way out from there. DCI certainly isn't going to change the state of downtown on it's own, but I sincerely believe we must bring the focus back to commerce. We need to offer something to people to come down here for. The safety issue would disappear as the streets fill up...crime is a lot harder to commit when there are people standing around. By the way...I'm not picking on any one group or discrediting anyone's efforts. Just trying to come up with some ideas.

It is already kind of noisy and that is always the big concern with urban based dog parks. We will see how things go.

I used google earth to pin point the location and hear is what I found. Apparently google earth hasn't been updated in a few years because it shows a road through the middle of my dog park. The street is no longer there and this is all a grassy area. The park is to be located in between the two interstates where the picture shows some grassy area and a street running through in the center of the image. Hope this helps...

Would anyone go in for a smaller scale grocery store or is everyone addicted to the "superstore"?

Here are a few examples of the kinds of parks i am talking about. The concepts are the same, but not necessarily the rules, layouts etc. http://www.stldogparks.org/pages/open_u_city.html http://www.piersonbarkparks.com/ http://www.quietwatersdogpark.com/ Howard County Ellicott City Off-Leash Area at Worthington Park on Hillsborough Road, Ellicott City. Hours: dawn to dusk daily except closed Thursdays Fenced, trees, parking $30 annual permit or $4 daily permit required. http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/cityparks/dogs.htm http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/books/us2006/0971874255_int04.pdf http://www.annarbordog.com/parks.cfm http://www.clintontownship-mi.gov/Default.aspx?alias=www.clintontownship-mi.gov/recreation http://www.oakgov.com/parksrec/activities/dogpark.html http://www.ci.northville.mi.us/Community/ParksAndFacilities/DogPark.htm PLEASANT RIDGE Directions: Take I-696 to Woodward, go south on Woodward to first turnaround, then head north on Woodward to Sylvan. Turn right on Sylvan, then left on Indiana and take until it deadends. Area is about a half mile long by 150 feet wide. Benches, limited parking, water fountain. Registration for park pass card and fee required. Yearly fee is $25 for residents, $50 for non-residents, with proof of a current rabies vaccination, valid for remainder of year. http://www.westbloomfieldparks.org/parks/wb_park_kf.shtml http://www.shaggypines.com/ Here are just a few examples. The idea is not that the dog park is private, but instead that it is safe from aggressive dogs and unvaccinated dogs. The fee cover maintenance of the park and organization of all the records. The space we are considering is actually on Eggleston under the Gilbert Ave. overpass and the I-71 overpass. It is shaped like a very long piece of pizza. The land needs some work...bushhogging and leveling, but will work very well. I got the zoning approval yesterday and I am about to start working on the lease from the city. My goal is a 99 year lease for $1. A couple of my friends set this up on another piece of property, and it has been great. The downside to this land....2/3 belongs to the city, and 1/3 the state. The city seems pretty cool with the idea (especially since they don't have to pay for it), but I can't get a feel for the states attitude. I can't imagine why they would care. I will start my proposal to the state this weekend. The process in Cincinnati is long, but no so complicated. I will send the proposal to Tom Klumb, and he will verify that the proposal is accurate. The proposal is then forwarded on to the city council and then voted on. I met with David Crowley yesterday and got him on board so I think my odds are good at the city level. Anyway, if anyone wants more info please let me know. Our goal is to be open by May 1st so the city can enjoy the park all summer long! Mic

I am working on opening a dog park in downtown Cincinnati on Eggleston. There is an area of city owned property between the overpass of Gilbert and I-71. It appears to be about 2 acres (maybe more). Once this is approved (hopefully in April) the area will need to be mowed(bushhogged), landscaped, fenced, plumbed, waste receptacles installed, benches installed, shade structures erected, and a few other odds and ends. Hopefully finished by May. The plan is to make this a membership based dog park as other major cities have. The purpose of the membership is cover upkeep, and verification of proper vaccinations for each pet participating. The cost will be between $40-$50 per year. If anyone is interested in helping me generate funding for the project, or would like to volunteer in another capacity that would be great. Let me know. Mic Foster The Pet Athletic Club 513-621-1300

We are not originally from Mason, but did live out there for about 3.5 years. We now live in downtown. My wife and I built a loft above The PAC so my commute to work is about 20 steps. That has been awesome. Why do you guys think it is so hard to get a descent grocery store down here? Is it the perceived lack of people? I think that even those that just worked downtown might use it if the store was conveniently located and there was ample parking. Does anyone remember why it didn't fly when an attempt was made to put a grocery store in Broadway Commons?

We had a record setting day yesterday....who says a business cant thrive in Downtown Cincinnati. When I started this venture everyone said I was crazy and that downtown was moving in the wrong direction....both of those things may be true, but The PAC is doing well so far.

Sorry about posting in the wrong section. Thanks for the help Jayson. Edited for spelling correction of my name ;)

We love Lingo....he really enjoys himself here. He plays ALL day...his girlfriend Lulu is always excited to see him. Is there a contact person at Sycamore Place I should speak with directly? Thanks

In an effort to bring new services to Downtown Cincinnati, I have opened a pet services business called The Pet Athletic Club. We offer cage free boarding, PACtivity (our daily care program), training, grooming, pet taxi, dog walking, pet sitting, dog food delivery, and pet selection services. The PAC also offers 10 webcams so you can check on your dog all day, and The PAC is open 24/7/365. So our clients can pick up and drop off there dog any time of the day ANY day of the year. Our focus is on solving behavior problems and increasing quality of life through exercise. The PAC offers programs not available anywhere else in the country. We have been open for 7 weeks now and have a total of 40 clients. We are pleased with our growth up to this point, and have really felt welcomed to the city. I would like to invite folks to stop by and say hi. My wife and I also moved to downtown, and are interested in meeting new people. If you can think of any other needs that dog owners in Downtown Cincy may have please share them with us. You can give us a call at 513-621-1300 to set up an evaluation for your dog or a tour of the facility. We are located at 818 Reedy St. in between Eggleston and Court next to Broadway Commons. Thanks Mic Foster Owner The Pet Athletic Club