Thank you tlb919 for being cautious in your posts.  We always appreciate "insider information" but we don't want you to risk your job either!

 

True here and I agree. I appreciate what he was able to tell us-gives me enough info about what I asked. 

There is a downtown commission meeting tomorrow morning. Unfortunately the agenda has not yet been posted, but I wonder if the new version might be going in front of the commission and we might get some solid info on the start date.

There is a downtown commission meeting tomorrow morning. Unfortunately the agenda has not yet been posted, but I wonder if the new version might be going in front of the commission and we might get some solid info on the start date.

It's not on the agenda.

There is a downtown commission meeting tomorrow morning. Unfortunately the agenda has not yet been posted, but I wonder if the new version might be going in front of the commission and we might get some solid info on the start date.

It's not on the agenda.

 

Where are you seeing the agenda? I don't see it up on the website.

^I saw the printed agenda. You could probably email the commission's urban design manager.

^I saw the printed agenda. You could probably email the commission's urban design manager.

 

Ah gotcha. Anything noteworthy on the agenda for tomorrow?

^I saw the printed agenda. You could probably email the commission's urban design manager.

 

Ah gotcha. Anything noteworthy on the agenda for tomorrow?

 

Nothing earth shattering. A couple of parking garages.

Walker Evans, the czar of all Columbus Underground comment sections, is claiming that tlb919 is wrong about Market Tower in the comment section of this article: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-calls-for-demolition-of-four-story-building-bw1#disqus_thread

Walker Evans, the czar of all Columbus Underground comment sections, is claiming that tlb919 is wrong about Market Tower in the comment section of this article: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-calls-for-demolition-of-four-story-building-bw1#disqus_thread

 

Hm, interesting.

 

Wether he is referring to my statements or not, it's not a hill I am willing to die on.

 

I know what I am involved with and he is free to claim otherwise if he would like.

Kind of just is what it is. 

Popcorn ready?

Walker Evans, the czar of all Columbus Underground comment sections, is claiming that tlb919 is wrong about Market Tower in the comment section of this article: https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-plan-calls-for-demolition-of-four-story-building-bw1#disqus_thread

 

Hm, interesting. Eh, not my debate to fight.

 

Wasn't trying to rope you into any debates, I just stumbled across it and thought it was kind of funny. I think agree with the Bob guy who Walker is debating with when he says that you and Walker can both be correct at the same time.

Walker has such an attitude with anyone who dares to comment at CU anymore it's unbelievable. No wonder practically all discussion over there has totally died...

Walker has such an attitude with anyone who dares to comment at CU anymore it's unbelievable. No wonder practically all discussion over there has totally died...

 

This is so true. He comes across as so arrogant and defensive.

 

Also, I can’t believe he did away with the message boards a few years back. I understand it was costly but he’s wasting money paying people to write articles that nobody cares about reading. He should have just focused on urban development.

I noticed they pulled the new renderings from the site here - https://www.schooleycaldwell.com/market-tower-columbus/

 

So either the rendering was mistake, or they pulled the trigger too early. Seem likely it's the latter - crossing fingers!

Walker has such an attitude with anyone who dares to comment at CU anymore it's unbelievable. No wonder practically all discussion over there has totally died...

 

This is so true. He comes across as so arrogant and defensive.

 

Also, I can’t believe he did away with the message boards a few years back. I understand it was costly but he’s wasting money paying people to write articles that nobody cares about reading. He should have just focused on urban development.

 

Agreed.  Columbus Underground used to be interesting but now it's full of badly written articles and attitude from Walker on what exists of the comment boards.

 

I will hope for 40 floors for NMT.

I noticed they pulled the new renderings from the site here - https://www.schooleycaldwell.com/market-tower-columbus/

 

So either the rendering was mistake, or they pulled the trigger too early. Seem likely it's the latter - crossing fingers!

 

I think the latter is the only possibility that makes sense. The most likely scenario is they refined their plan (which they said they were doing way back in January I think), and then someone got their wires crossed and accidentally dropped it into the webpage too soon.

Also, I cant believe he did away with the message boards a few years back. I understand it was costly but hes wasting money paying people to write articles that nobody cares about reading. He should have just focused on urban development.

 

I didn't think it was that costly?

 

I joined UO precisely because they killed the forums over there.  Should have done it sooner.

Also, I can’t believe he did away with the message boards a few years back. I understand it was costly but he’s wasting money paying people to write articles that nobody cares about reading. He should have just focused on urban development.

 

I didn't think it was that costly?

 

I joined UO precisely because they killed the forums over there.  Should have done it sooner.

 

Cost was the reason he gave for shutting it down.

The reasoning given in the announcement didn't seem convincing.  If it truly was slowing down the performance of the rest of their server or costing them more than 10-20$ a month to hold on to archives then they were doing it wrong.  There are so many options to deal with a situation like that.  Maybe they don't know their options as far as services they can utilize or maybe there are other motivations, but taking away the mainstay of interaction on that site seems shortsighted.

Comments sections are vastly inferior to forums.

Also, I can’t believe he did away with the message boards a few years back. I understand it was costly but he’s wasting money paying people to write articles that nobody cares about reading. He should have just focused on urban development.

 

I didn't think it was that costly?

 

I joined UO precisely because they killed the forums over there.  Should have done it sooner.

 

I posted there and at city-data.  I still do on both but much, much less.  Too much boring “lifestyles” stuff now on CU and too much trolling on the Ohio C-D forum.  Oh, and the politics forum there is like Stormfront or something. 

Also, I cant believe he did away with the message boards a few years back. I understand it was costly but hes wasting money paying people to write articles that nobody cares about reading. He should have just focused on urban development.

 

I didn't think it was that costly?

 

I joined UO precisely because they killed the forums over there.  Should have done it sooner.

That's when I joined UO.

Walker has such an attitude with anyone who dares to comment at CU anymore it's unbelievable. No wonder practically all discussion over there has totally died...

How dare you question the authority of the almighty Walker!

While I appreciate the UO love, I also love CU as well.  Soooooo...let's get back on topic.

Figured I'd make an account and chime in since my username was brought up and this seems like a neat place.  Not sure who this Walker dude on CU is, but I don't know how he "fact-checked this information and confirmed that it's false".  Who did he fact check with? Clearly not folks bidding on this project.  Attached the screenshot I received from someone bidding on this work before commenting on my reddit thread.

Figured I'd make an account and chime in since my username was brought up and this seems like a neat place.  Not sure who this Walker dude on CU is, but I don't know how he "fact-checked this information and confirmed that it's false".  Who did he fact check with? Clearly not folks bidding on this project.  Attached the screenshot I received from someone bidding on this work before commenting on my reddit thread.

 

 

Interesting...thanks for posting!

 

This is obviously completely different than the rendering that was recently uncovered on the project's website and subsequently removed. I wish we could just figure out exactly what's happening and then get this project underway.

Welcome!  So now I'm confused...is THAT the newest rendering or the other one posted earlier?

Yeah I really hope that’s not the latest.  It’s the worst of them all so far.

^It looks way different than the original rendering, and very different from the "updated" or "leaked" rendering from a few weeks ago that appeared to have added height.  That one appears to be no more than 25 stories.

Yeah I really hope that’s not the latest.  It’s the worst of them all so far.

 

Agreed. It also looks to be only about 25-stories. This rendering actually looks like one of the proposals that was not chosen.

This is also the first I'm seeing of Rockbridge Capital, unless I missed them in previous reports.

... and then of course, there's these, but what do I know.

cont.

cont.

cont.

cont.

cont.

cont.

cont.

cont.

cont.

cont.

My bad on the duplicates. Anyway, hope that holds you over for a bit.  It's not like there's 200-300 more just sitting around...

My bad on the duplicates. Anyway, hope that holds you over for a bit.  It's not like there's 200-300 more just sitting around...

 

So I'm kind of getting the feeling that this is the design they are going with....is that correct?

Honestly I'm not sure, but I can say that there's entire blueprints of this design, including every floor, and this is what is being handed out to folks bidding on the work. I'm really not interested in sharing out all of those details, but wanted to put something of substance out there in response to the CU comments.

So they got rid of the garage being connected to the Vine St garage, making a curb cut necessary on Wall St. They also lowered the height by 10 floors. As long as density remains that's fine. The atrium they got state funding for appears gone, too. Changed significantly at least.

 

This is also much uglier than the errantly released rendering. In a completely different way it's just as ugly as the original; if not more.

 

The addition of the hotel and office is nice, but about the only thing I like in this revision.

So they got rid of the garage being connected to the Vine St garage, making a curb cut necessary on Wall St. They also lowered the height by 10 floors. As long as density remains that's fine. The atrium they got state funding for appears gone, too. Changed significantly at least.

 

This is also much uglier than the errantly released rendering. In a completely different way it's just as ugly as the original; if not more.

 

The addition of the hotel and office is nice, but about the only thing I like in this revision.

 

I'm not going to pretend to have any knowledge of how these projects work, so I can't confirm or deny anything you said.  Maybe these views are created for a specific audience and omit some of the features you mentioned, no idea... All I can say is that these are out there in the ether and certainly not "fake news".

I hope this is not it. Ugly as sin and shorter too.

 

This will just feed the chorus we so often hear about "everything being reduced in height in Cbus". I am beginning to think they are on to something.

And damn this looks like a bunch of crap like some assorted unrelated blocks thrown together by a five year old.

 

Also these images are a jumble as many do not seem to have any of the same design elements, colors, etc. as the others(the first image presented compared to the "embrace the market" image.) All together the different images do not coalesce or make a coherent whole-I will wait for official word I think.

Not time to panic just yet when no design has been confirmed, but even after assurances that there would be no height reduction down the line, etc., it would likely surprise no one that something like this would happen.  It is so very typical of Columbus development- size reduction and gradually worse design with every version- that I would actually suggest it’s the most likely outcome.

I don't usually weigh in on Columbus project threads but ugh - you deserve so much better than a mashup of the convention center Hilton and 250 South High.