JYP

Everyone knows the housing stock in Clifton Heights is hit or miss and that there's drug activity, but unfortunately that has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

For just a minute but I refreshed it and it was fine again.

I didn't get a chance to snap a shot on my way to class today but its a very disappointing view looking west on Calhoun. The brown vinyl siding and trim is something right out of the 1970's/80's. It looks cheaply done. Very unfortunate.

Vacant 6th St. restaurants may see new life Written by Laura Baverman [email protected] City Council's finance committee approved two measures Monday that would subsidize the $15 million redevelopment of three East Sixth Street buildings that once held the Maisonette, La Normandie, Barleycorn's and an Indian restaurant. The buildings have been vacant more than five years. Chef David Falk, the owner of Boca and nada restaurants, has named the Maisonette building as one of four sites in which he could open his third restaurant. Four Entertainment Group plans to open a nightclub and bar in 16,000 square feet of the Barleycorn's building. The buildings' owner, Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., hasn't yet named tenants. The announcements will be timed with the start of construction late in June, said Chad Munitz, 3CDC's executive vice president of development and operations.

^ Looks like its from some time last fall. Still a great picture!!

Casino developers, builders sign NAACP agreement Business Courier - by Lucy May, Courier Senior Staff Reporter Date: Monday, May 16, 2011, 12:17pm EDT - Last Modified: Monday, May 16, 2011, 1:21pm EDT The developers and builders of Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati signed the Cincinnati NAACP Construction Partnership Agreement today, pledging to abide by an economic inclusion pact developed last year by the NAACP and a dozen local construction companies. As the Business Courier reported in its Friday edition, this marked the first time project owners have signed the agreement. Rock Ohio Caesars had three top officials on hand to sign. The agreement also was signed by Cincinnati NAACP President Christopher Smitherman and representatives of Messer Construction Co. and Pendleton Construction Group, a joint venture of three local minority-owned firms.

We know. Same person posted those messages on this forum and were removed.

^Yep. Construction has started! 21c Museum Hotels begin work on Metropole Work is officially under way to transform the former Metropole Hotel apartment building on Walnut Street downtown into a 90-room boutique hotel operated by 21c Museum Hotels. Dubbed The 21c Cincinnati, the hotel is slated to open in late 2012 and will include a contemporary art museum and restaurant modeled after the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville. Cincinnati-based Messer Construction is managing the 18-month project, officials said Wednesday. In November 2009, non-profit developer Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. purchased the Metropole and announced plans to renovate it from low-income housing into a hotel. Over the last two years the developer has worked to relocate more than 200 residents into new housing. To oversee the relocations, 3CDC tapped Brickstone Property Management.

When we reverted the forum, the new posts in the VBulletin Forum were lost.

Just another thing the governor is probably killing: Casino opening pushed back to 2013 Written by Alexander Coolidge DOWNTOWN - Gamblers won't be making bets at Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati next year after all. The opening of the incoming casino at Broadway Commons has been delayed until sometime in 2013 - and ultimately could be scaled back, developers said Wednesday. Officials with Rock Gaming said they had to delay a key steel order because of an ongoing impasse with Gov. John Kasich over casino taxes and fees. Until they know how much in taxes and fees they might be required to pay, they said they are slowing down the $400 million project. Kasich says he needs time to study the taxes and fees to make sure taxpayers are getting the best deal possible. A spokesman said late Wednesday that the governor would not be rushed in deciding his tax policy.

It's probably going to be harder for 3CDC to acquire properties with perceptions of OTR changing. Maybe it's time for them to start aggressively buying north of Liberty?

^More than likely. If you think about it, Kenwood is at capacity and without the completion of KTP, commercial developers will look elsewhere to satisfy demand.

Another reason why Cincinnati needs to aggressively pursue Form Base Codes. I don't understand the mentality of a city that settles for "good enough" instead of working on creating something with a real sense of place and character.

^What better way to seal the coffin on any rail transit than prevent the City from doing anything about it for ten years? While they're at it, why don't they circulate a ballot initiative limiting gas prices to $1.00 a gallon for ten years too!

Kentucky pols continuously wonder why the Brent Spence Bridge is not a priority for Cincinnati. As if Cincinnati would support a project that allows more people to bypass the city and go to Kentucky. Ugh!

This forum is for constructive debate on the Cincinnati Streetcar project regardless of whatever it's fate is. And until there is something from an official source (The City of Cincinnati) saying it's over, there is no reason to rename or relocate this thread. Anyone trolling around with accusatory remarks and no constructive contribution to this forum will be banned! Thanks The Moderators

^And Toby Keith's hasn't even opened up yet!

Open Houses for East Side Commuter Rail The first of three open houses for the Oasis Commuter Rail study will be held this evening from 5 P.M.-8 P.M. at the LeBlond Recreation Center, 2335 Riverside Drive in the East End. The Ohio Department of Transportation study will explore the feasibility of incorporating commuter rail service along a 17-mile-long line from Downtown's Riverfront Transit Center to the I-275/U.S. 50 interchange in Milford. The idea emerged in 2006 from the Eastern Corridor Study's Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision (ROD) as one of four long-term solutions to address mobility and connectivity concerns in a 165-square-mile area from approximately Downtown Cincinnati eastward to the I-275 corridor in Clermont County. "Our goal right now is to take an in-depth look at the commuter rail option and determine its feasibility in terms of function, constructability and affordability," said ODOT project manager Andy Fluegemann. "We will examine possible alignments and station locations, and evaluate which rail technologies would best meet the region's needs. We also will be looking at estimated costs and the projected return on investment for the region."

The Environmental Analysis document is out and available for comment here: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/noncms/projects/streetcar/environmental/index.cfm

I'm pretty sure they are sticking with the Oasis Line. Edit: See below for some excellent analysis of this project from Urban Cincy Breaking down Cincinnati’s Eastern Corridor passenger rail plan By: Jake Mecklenborg August 11, 2010 – 7:00 am The Eastern Corridor project, a multi-modal highway and commuter rail plan for eastern Hamilton County, is back in the news. Two weeks ago Cincinnati City Council voted against endorsing a TIGER II grant application seeking funds for the plan’s 17-mile commuter rail component. The local media predictably turned this event into another city-county dispute, and insinuated that the TIGER II grant might alone fund construction of the entire Milford commuter rail line, which in 2003 was estimated to cost $420 million. There is no possibility of this happening, as Milford commuter rail would need to be awarded approximately two-thirds of the entire $600 million sum to be dispersed nationwide by the TIGER II program. The media also ignored the Eastern Corridor plan’s central feature – four miles of the Milford commuter rail line is planned to be built parallel to a new $500 million U.S. 32 expressway between Red Bank Road and a point east of Newtown. The 1990’s cost estimate for Milford commuter rail included the savings associated with building a combined highway and rail project, including a new shared eight-lane bridge over the Little Miami River. The cost of building the commuter line first without provision for the future highway has not been studied. $809M identified for extension of I-74 through Hamilton County By: Jake Mecklenborg January 3, 2011 – 7:30 am The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) published its 2011-2015 Major New Construction Program List on December 9. The list included six funding allocations totaling more than $809 million of expressway work that will set the stage for the long-envisioned extension of I-74 through Cincinnati. The money is being allocated through the veil of the controversial Eastern Corridor Project. $115 million has been budgeted for reconstruction of the US 32 – I-275 cloverleaf, grade separation of US 32 near this interchange, and modifications to Red Bank Road that anticipate its reconstruction as a fully grade separated expressway. Another $13.8 million has also been budgeted for the long-planned $366 million US 32 bypass and Little Miami River bridge between Red Bank Road and Interstate 275. This partial funding of all segments of the Eastern Corridor Project on ODOT’s current Program List illustrates that the project is still very much on the table, and that ODOT will likely turn its full attention and funding toward the project after the reconstruction and widening of Interstate 75 is completed later this decade.

They would only want it only if the Cincinnati phase happens. NKY doesn't have the buy-in to build their own w/out the Cincinnati streetcar up and running, and producing results. Also if you think convincing Ohioans in Cincinnati is a tough sell, try Kentuckians who constantly point to Florence and Boone County as idealistic examples of preferred future growth. Edit: Oh yea, Newport and Covington both passed resolutions of support for the Cincinnati Streetcar back in 2009/2010 but that's as far as it got. I was at a meeting a few weeks ago with some big NKY players who wondered why the Brent Spence Bridge was not a "priority" for Cincinnati when Cincy leaders were talking to DC a few weeks back. Then they scoffed at the mention of the streetcar project.

So the streetcar that connects two job centers is a boondoggle but the train to nowhere is salvation? Only in Ohio: One rail project may still be a go Both the proposed high-speed rail between major cities in Ohio and the streetcar project in Cincinnati have faltered, but the $411 million commuter rail for eastern Greater Cincinnati is moving forward. Residents in the eastern suburbs are being asked this week where they want 10 future rail stations to be located for a commuter rail system from downtown Cincinnati to Milford that is designed to ease traffic congestion. The setbacks dealt to higher-profile rail projects occurred when Ohio yanked pivotal funding. But the proposed Oasis Commuter Rail differs from those projects in one critical way: The project has bipartisan backing.

Speechless. These pictures capture the very essence of what is great about Cincinnati. LOVE THIS!

Soapdish: Take Up Arms, Cincinnati Under Attack! Casey Coston | Tuesday, March 29, 2011 Attention dear Soapbox readers: we hereby interrupt our carefully cultivated content of innovation, sustainability, diversity, talent, unicorns and all things cutting edge and wonderful to bring you the following important message - Cincinnati is under attack! Yes, that's right…attack. But this attack comes not from the far reaches of the galaxy nor the shadowy terrorist cells of abroad. No this attack originates in the cozy confines of our capitol city of Columbus, with an able assist from our regional "partner" to the north, Dayton. In just the past week, our recently elected governor, John Kasich, executed a naked, two-tiered power grab that would make even Machiavelli blush. While yes, the ostensible target was the Cincinnati streetcar project (and we'll get to that later), anyone who cares a whit about Cincinnati should be outraged at what occurred in Columbus last Wednesday, regardless of your respective position on the streetcar.

Judge orders new management at City West housing By Dan Monk A Hamilton County magistrate has ordered a management change at City West, a 686-unit apartment community in the West End. City West is a $200 million mixed-income community where market-rate housing and retail space has failed to attract tenants. The Business Courier has been reporting on problems facing the 10-year-old community since early November. News of the order came in a weekly update for board members at Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, which has been trying to oust The Community Builders as property manager at City West. Interim CMHA Director Ted Bergh said a court hearing on Wednesday led to an order for Towne Properties LLC to act as receiver for “three phases of City West.”