RiverViewer

As I said above, pure seething hatred would be enough to motivate me. Though for love of the city, I might see selling if it was a deal like this: take the $200K for the house, plus attorney's fees; then require they donate half a million dollars to an Eminent Domain Abuse legal defense fund/lobbying group.

Wow...[bows in worship]

That's very cool. I'm sure I won't be going to any games next year, but I want to ride the shuttle anyway!

I think in the end I agree, but to them, the "team" just literally detroyed their neighborhood. I don't know about you, but if someone did that to my neighborhood, I would never forgive the sons of bitches. I would take that hate to my grave with me.

If you look back through this thread, Nick's listed loads of specific actions the city could take. Off the top of my head, they included moving various social services, cracking down on blight, cracking down on property owners who let their buildings be used for crime, increased patrols, etc. But please don't just take that as a verbatim list - you're best off looking upthread to see a more thorough list along with the reasoning.

So let me get this straight, public dollars are suppose to be used for your backyard because you were dumb enough to move next to an interstate? HA In her case, it looks like she's been in that house since 1970 (here's a link to what I assume is her property - not sure how long the link will be good, but you can check 11735 Elkwood Drive). But I doubt even that predates the highway construction - according to Jake's site, construction began in 1958, and finished in 1979, with some of the last work the hilly sections in KY and the bridge over the Ohio between KY and IN. Regardless, the point hold for most folks who buy places next to interstates, then seem surprised by the noise...

What's a 400IH'er? I don't know near enough about football...I understood "WR" though!

You've mentioned investigating/writing about the mob in Cleveland before, haven't you? That could certainly make for marketable book - assuming you didn't get "taken care of" in the process, of course!

I certainly can't speak for Nick, but I'd imagine that if Alchemize were right next to campus, it would become a complete college bar - and I'm guessing that's not exactly what his demographic is. College students in the mix, no doubt, but post-college as well - which he'd probably lose if it became a straight-up college bar. Just my guess...I'm just hoping it doesn't just evaporate though! It would really suck to have a "best of" venue disappear from the region entirely...

^I don't know...if I were these owners, I imagine I'd do everything in my earthly power to bend the developers over. They destroyed the neighborhood - literally destroyed it. Years spent in court, years spent being strong-armed by outsiders and by your own municipal government? If I could make the developers who paid millions and millions of dollars sell the land at what, 20 cents on the dollar, if that, just to get a little cash back out of it? Man, I'd be really, really tempted... As a Cincinnatian, I hope you're right - I hope the homeowners sell out for some large figures, and that Rookwood Exchange can proceed apace. But I can understand if they're tempted simply to move back in and watch the neighborhood fill back up with housing...

Here's a post upthread I had regarding what I thought were the legal arguments in play here: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2694.msg31253#msg31253 So an Interstate constructed in the 1970's is suddenly deteriorating the area...and then you develop around the area, which deteriorates it...I took 30 feet of your front lawn, so therefore your property is deteriorating. Let me take the rest of it now! So it seems like the Supreme Court said that "deteriorating" is inadequate to qualify as an "urban renewal" basis for eminent domain. Which I applaud. But maybe Norwood added "economic improvement" to their arguments once Kelo had come down?

I've tried to follow all the articles on this case, and I can't remember anyone with the Norwood government or their attorneys ever arguing that the eminent domain should be permitted due to increased economic value for the community. And the reason that hasn't been argued in court (as far as I've seen - please, correct me if I'm wrong) is because economic impact is already not a permitted reason to exercise eminent domain in this state. Now, I agree with them striking down "deteriorating" as a basis for using eminent domain - that's an ambiguous standard, and gives too much power to the state, seems to me. Not sure why that isn't a legislative issue, but whatever, I'm fine with it. And I agree with the due process violation argument. That seems like a no-brainer. But how does this have a diddly-god-damn to do with Kelo? Was Norwood ever arguing it should be permitted based on economic impact? Did I completely miss that? (BTW, I love the Chateaus at Rookwood Exchange...)

Here's a skyline shot avatar from last night:

Just to put the impact interest rates have on purchasing power in perspective...if you have $1200/month to spend on your mortgage, and get a fixed 30-year mortgage, that will get you: $200,150 at 6.000% $186,445 at 6.675% $180,369 at 7.000% $163,540 at 8.000% I think rates around 6.675% for low-down-payment/no points is probably about in line with the market right now (please, correct me if I'm wrong!)...so that's definitely impacted purchasing power. Of course, that doesn't mean the market isn't soft - just that the impact on its softness can't be laid all at the feet of downtown...

No, I believe that's Rockside at I-77. What's that, Independence?

How on earth was it almost silent? That's tremendously huge!

What in the f*** are you talking about? First, dude, please stop posting when you're drunk. Second, Nick's business was paying loads of taxes and fees and payroll taxes and god knows what all else. In exchange for that, he should be able to expect at least minimal services, like, oh, I don't know, frickin' police responding to emergency calls. That doesn't make him a communist - and unless you think folks should stand outside of their burning home with their checkbook to pay the fire department, you'll probably agree when you're sober. Third, do you honestly think it's wise policy for the city of Cincinnati to impose, in effect, a security tax on businesses that try to operate in OTR? Security within the club, sure - bouncers are a cost of doing business. But outside, where customers get accosted on the street, their cars busted into, drugs and prostitution across the street, Nick himself being stalked and assaulted? Which leads to: Fourth, how large should The Nick Force's jurisdiction extend? Does his private security force patrol the streets for a couple blocks or something?

...with a gorgeous park on top of that hill too. Alms is probably my second favorite park in the city... Thank you for the thread - very nice stuff!

Wow, that's cool. I wonder how they look... Nice, affordable housing just up the street from downtown! It doesn't have a river view, but it does have a skyline view! Maybe they should rename the places Stevedore's Windings or something, make it all Towne Properties-sounding...

Kinda funny...our victory that day (and our victory on Lake Champlain) definitely helped pave the way to the disarmed border - but probably of greater effect was us getting our asses handed to us all through 1812 and 1813, both out west and up around Niagara. We couldn't do anything right in all our attempts to invade Canada, and that impotence, and the general stalemate, and economics, all combined to end that war and pretty much dash any hopes we had of expanding into Canada - at least in the east... I think Americans often take too dim a view of our history, but the War of 1812 is a major exception. We are so chauvanistic about that one, it's almost funny...

A tour with Dan Hurley would be pretty frickin' cool...that guy rocks.

I've never had any trouble, but then I'm not looking to catch a cab after last call, so maybe it's not as busy a time...

Ach, loverly Boston...delightful!

It's amazing that having half your facade be a frickin' garage door can look attractive to people...just an aesthetic that I don't understand... Thanks for the update, as always!

^Oh, too bad you can't stay for the game - we've got Joe Mays on the mound, which means you'd be likely to leave the game happy... Yes, that dirt pile is where Riverfront used to be. It's to be developed into a mixed-use development called The Banks, if local government can ever get things together. There's been a number of positive developments, so I think most folks are hopeful that things are finally on the right track. Very exciting. Hopefully you'll get to come back and enjoy a longer stay next time!