Say it CincySal, tell us what you've heard.  No one will hurt you!  Who is it that the residents resent?

 

I'm not sure what you are going for here.  The residents resent the people committing the crimes.

 

Who were you thinking?  The same people who are going to ride the streetcar?

^ That's all I was asking.  I didn't know there was an increase in crime in Lawrenceburg.  People tend to throw out the phrase "riffraff" to mean different things. 

^ That's all I was asking. I didn't know there was an increase in crime in Lawrenceburg. People tend to throw out the phrase "riffraff" to mean different things.

 

I don't know the statistics but it is just what the people I know live there say about it.  They were hoping the Ohio issue passed so it would take some traffic away from the Indiana casinos.

Pittsburgh just built a casino downtown....I wonder how it is doing and how the surrounding area has been changed?

An expanded article from earlier:

 

Work on casino design, rules to start quickly

No temporary casinos likely before 2012 openings

By Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, November 4, 2009

 

With Ohio voters approving four casinos across the state – including one in downtown Cincinnati – lawmakers now have six months to enact regulations that will govern how they are run.

 

Ohio becomes the 13th state to permit full-blown casinos after voters were promised 34,000 new jobs amid recession and more than $650 million in annual tax revenue. Neither of those promises can happen until regulations are hammered out and licenses issued to casino operators.

Pittsburgh just built a casino downtown....I wonder how it is doing and how the surrounding area has been changed?

 

Pittsburgh's casino is new, and quite a distance from Downtown.  It seems isolated to me, though the football stadium is close.  It would be a mile walk to the edge of Downtown proper.

I saw a headline today that said the casino owner is planning to speak at broadway commons today, but didn't have a chance to read the article..any word on that?

I think it started at 4.

 

I just missed it... was running late from work.

Casino Construction Due in 12 Months

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091110/BIZ01/911110360

It never showed up on WCPO...stupid Katherine Nero...

This article has some good quotes and more detail....

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/11/09/daily25.html

 

Gilbert details plans for Broadway Commons casino

Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter

 

 

Casino developer Dan Gilbert said he hopes to break ground by the middle of next year on a $500 million gaming facility at Broadway Commons and be open for business within 30 months.

 

At a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Gilbert outlined plans for assembling a design and urban-planning team within 120 days and recruiting a casino management company to operate the facility within 90 days. They reaffirmed commitments to hire 90 percent of their employees from the Cincinnati region and pay prevailing wage rates during construction.

 

 

All sorts of nice things in there, hope he can produce

Chavez's bet paid off.  He's an inspiration for slumlords everywhere. 

Long time to wait for his horse to come in, hasn't he owned that land since the early 80s?  I am sure he has made a ton off of parking in the last 30 years.

I wish I could peek forward in time and see how many of these urban planning buzzwords that got dropped in this speech actually come to fruition. I'm not saying they're blowing smoke up the city's ass, but it will be an interesting project.

None.  He's under no legal obligation to do so because the state amendment explicitly says the casinos will not be subject to local zoning laws, review boards, etc. 

Would some sort of new BC transit center (built similar to Charlotte's) be too redundant in regards to proximity to Government Square and the Riverfront Transit Center?

 

Could it aid in the building of LESS parking garages?   

^Well what would be sick is if a transit center was next door to the casino.  But that won't happen.

rest assured, that casino will have a mammoth, sprawling parking structure attached to it. 

They should temporarily move the Greyhound station to the Riverfront Transit Center, if nothing else than to piss off the boondogglers for their next foray.

I've been thinking they should move the Greyhound Station to 5th and Plum.  The Megabus already stops over there, and it's a straight shot to Government Square.  But now that you mention it, I kind of like the idea of moving it to the RTC.  That would make it the second nicest Greyhound Station in the country though (behind Milwaukee's of course ;) ).  But seriously, how difficult would it be to lease the space to Greyhound and maybe Megabus? 

I've been thinking they should move the Greyhound Station to 5th and Plum. The Megabus already stops over there, and it's a straight shot to Government Square. But now that you mention it, I kind of like the idea of moving it to the RTC. That would make it the second nicest Greyhound Station in the country though (behind Milwaukee's of course ;) ). But seriously, how difficult would it be to lease the space to Greyhound and maybe Megabus?

 

I would think somewhere over by Union Terminal would be a good location, tie in with Amtrak and future rail service.

But now that you mention it, I kind of like the idea of moving it to the RTC. That would make it the second nicest Greyhound Station in the country though (behind Milwaukee's of course ;) ). But seriously, how difficult would it be to lease the space to Greyhound and maybe Megabus?

 

Agreed

I would think somewhere over by Union Terminal would be a good location, tie in with Amtrak and future rail service.

 

Right.  But so long as the 3C rail will be at Lunken, they should see if they can use the Transit Center, because it would connect directly to the streetcar, and undoggle COAST's arguments by showing what a boon good planning is to the City.

This may be a dumb question, but where in the casino amendment language did it say that two casinos will be owned by Dan Gilbert's group and two will be owned by Penn Gaming?  I guess I don't understand how it essentially assumed (by the media, citizens and these two groups) that these two groups are automatically the "casino owners" when legislation hasn't even been proposed, let alone passed.  Further, the casino commission (who is in charge of casino operator licenses) hasn't even been formed.

 

I understand under-the-table agreements, politics, etc. are in play, but how are these two groups already the "casino owners" or "casino operators?"  Why couldn't MGM, for example, come in a try to obtain the Cincinnati license?

 

I'm not trying to be difficult..just trying to understand the assumption of who will own the casinos.

Wow it's just nice to sit back and actually know whats going in this space now.  No more speculation and wishful thinking.  This fills in such a huge gap downtown.

At the very least large fuel tanks and an enclosed waiting area with restrooms would need to be installed if Greyhound were to occupy the Transit Center.  I do think it's an interesting idea to pursue, even if potential lease revenue is minimal.   

This may be a dumb question, but where in the casino amendment language did it say that two casinos will be owned by Dan Gilbert's group and two will be owned by Penn Gaming? I guess I don't understand how it essentially assumed (by the media, citizens and these two groups) that these two groups are automatically the "casino owners" when legislation hasn't even been proposed, let alone passed. Further, the casino commission (who is in charge of casino operator licenses) hasn't even been formed.

 

I understand under-the-table agreements, politics, etc. are in play, but how are these two groups already the "casino owners" or "casino operators?" Why couldn't MGM, for example, come in a try to obtain the Cincinnati license?

 

I'm not trying to be difficult..just trying to understand the assumption of who will own the casinos.

 

That's a good question. Does anyone know the answer? Ohio could have made some extra cash auctioning off the licenses, perhaps.

At the very least large fuel tanks and an enclosed waiting area with restrooms would need to be installed if Greyhound were to occupy the Transit Center. I do think it's an interesting idea to pursue, even if potential lease revenue is minimal.  

 

The problem I see is that if you encourage Greyhound to vacate their current building for RTC, what happens when we want to use RTC for another use (light rail or others)?  Would Greyhound then be out to dry, wasting the building that they currently have?  In my opinion, that would make it prone to demolition.

I have taken greyhound several times before MegaBus started, and the depot in Cincinnati could actually get pretty full with people who were just sitting around. If you have never taken Greyhound before, it's actually quite fascinating, it's like the airline of some shadowy alternate reality. I don't think the RTC was designed for lots of long-term queues. Jmecklenborg you aren't sitting on some blueprints for the RTC, by chance?

 

 

Couldn't a portion of the future garages on the south wall of the RTC be used to build a Greyhound terminal?

Well Blueline, I have a feeling RTC won't be big enough if and when we get the rail.  Union Terminal is ideal and I think people see the significance of using that.  I have a feeling that when we do get rail, it will completely bypass the riverfront with the exception of 1 stop for the train.  The potential in developing the entire area surrounding UT is too much to overlook.

Oh, believe me.  I think that there should already be concentrated development around UT.  I was only speaking about RTC in terms of a light rail stop in the future...because I see that is being the only other use for that thing, other than what we've been discussing for Greyhound.  Not sure if this is corollary, but the Greyhound terminal where it is could be an asset when/if the casino is built at BC.  A streetcar connection at BC would also create an interesting linkage.  Either there or at RTC, which is already going to happen with Phase I.  So, either way.

Alrighty this one's wandering off topic. I'm partly to blame. We can start a thread about relocating the Greyhound station if people are really that into it.

I think we should all give a toast to BC becoming a complete madhouse;) let the fun begin!

Alrighty this one's wandering off topic. I'm partly to blame. We can start a thread about relocating the Greyhound station if people are really that into it.

 

I believe I actually mentioned how it would enhance the casino site...

Alrighty this one's wandering off topic. I'm partly to blame. We can start a thread about relocating the Greyhound station if people are really that into it.

 

I believe I actually mentioned how it would enhance the casino site...

 

The Mohegan Sun Casino on Connecticut  has an onsite arena where their WNBA team plays,

Alrighty this one's wandering off topic. I'm partly to blame. We can start a thread about relocating the Greyhound station if people are really that into it.

 

I believe I actually mentioned how it would enhance the casino site...

 

The Mohegan Sun Casino on Connecticut  has an onsite arena where their WNBA team plays,

 

The Cincy casino would really benefit from a new arena. I believe the MGM Grand in Vegas also has an arena since Bon Jovi was going to be there when I was in Vegas this summer. Build a new 15-18,000 seat arena with the casino and tear down US Bank arena for more development. I think the casino owners could recoup their investment.

Why build something the same size as current?

Luxury boxes.  It varies from league to league, but teams typically share revenue from general seating and some media deals but teams get to keep 100% of their own luxury box revenue. The leagues did this on purpose to have leverage to force municipalities to build them new stadiums and get new, much more lucrative leases. 

 

Speaking of which, US Bank arena was a privately built and still is a privately owned building just like Cincinnati Gardens.  Cincinnati is not getting an NBA or NHL team until the metro attracts another 500,000-1 million residents, which won't be for another generation, if ever.   

 

 

^ But most do not have MLB or NFL, which are the two most popular sports in the U.S. What, Cleveland is the only city on that list that has NBA, *NFL, and MLB, with a small(er) metro.

 

*I guess you could not count the Browns. ;)

 

Cbus and Indy will never get MLB because of Cincinnati and Indy may hurt our chances of NBA. Cbus could hurt our chances of getting NHL, but even the Bluejackets are struggling in Cbus.

 

Personally, and I've said it before, if we had to choose between NBA or NHL - I'd pick NHL hands down. There's more respect for NHL players and this city seems to appreciate that. (when I say respect, I mean how hard the players play/the $$$ they make)

People don't seem to understand that there is a limited amount of money in any particular area, commensurate with that area's major companies and population.  Most companies that can afford a luxury box are only going to buy one or two, not one for both stadiums and a new arena.

 

As for general attendance, I think we're already seeing that the growth of UC's program is hurting Bengals ticket sales.  Obviously the games aren't on the same days, but UC is a lot cheaper to see. 

No offense to Columbus here, but the Blue Jackets are the only NHL team in the state, located in the state capitol, and have the state flag as the team's logo

Change your name to the Ohio Blue Jackets and broaden your fan base by 9 million people

^ Sh!t, I'd love for the Blue Jackets to come to Cincy, to try their financial luck here! ;)

 

Btw, do you really think the name change would have that large of an impact?

^ You've never lived on the west side have you? ;) ... During the Reggie Miller dynasty, there were Pacer jerseys on every man, woman, and child.

^ But most do not have MLB or NFL, which are the two most popular sports in the U.S. What, Cleveland is the only city on that list that has NBA, *NFL, and MLB, with a small(er) metro.

 

*I guess you could not count the Browns. ;)

 

Cbus and Indy will never get MLB because of Cincinnati and Indy may hurt our chances of NBA. Cbus could hurt our chances of getting NHL, but even the Bluejackets are struggling in Cbus.

 

Personally, and I've said it before, if we had to choose between NBA or NHL - I'd pick NHL hands down. There's more respect for NHL players and this city seems to appreciate that. (when I say respect, I mean how hard the players play/the $$$ they make)

 

I agree that Indy will probably never see professional baseball b/c it is sandwiched between so many other existing teams; Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati. I'm not sure how much of a market the Pacers have in Cincinnati, though. In fact, I don't think the city has any NBA allegiance whatsoever. The Bearcats and Musketeers apparently fill that void. From that standpoint the NHL probably would be a better fit. From the sounds of it, there are several NHL teams that are in a world of financial hurt. If it ever became abundantly clear that a team was available, it'd be interesting to see if Cincy (or Cleveland) would make a play at them. I don't think the Bluejackets have much interest outside of Central Ohio but I could be wrong.

 

I think the Cyclones fever gets stronger and stronger since they blew it up on the AHL scene, that coupled with the hustlin-not-paid-as-much sport, it would be a success here.

No offense to Columbus here, but the Blue Jackets are the only NHL team in the state, located in the state capitol, and have the state flag as the team's logo

Change your name to the Ohio Blue Jackets and broaden your fan base by 9 million people

 

I think that Columbus really wanted to put themselves on the map as a major city when they got their NHL team.  Big cities have major sports teams.  That's why they went with "Columbus" instead of "Ohio."  I bet if they went with "Ohio" they would get a lot more attention in Cincy and Cleveland.

^ Sh!t, I'd love for the Blue Jackets to come to Cincy, to try their financial luck here! ;)

 

Btw, do you really think the name change would have that large of an impact?

 

I don't think the name change could hurt.  I can't imagine anyone in Columbus saying "Well I was a Columbus Blue Jackets fan but an Ohio Blue Jackets fan? NO WAY"  but I could imagine hockey fans around the state with no particular allegiance to Columbus supporting the Ohio Blue Jackets

I will predict that the "acts", if any, that this casino books will be pretty low level trivial stuff.  These guys aren't looking to build a Vegas casino.  It's a regional draw and will oeprate like one.  Even the Detroit casinos, which are considerably larger than what will go in Broadway Commons, never really ventured into the "big entertainment" realm, opting instead for DJ's and cheesey bar bands playing in lounges.  Windsor has an auditorium but the acts were always lame.  I believe Motor City has a club which books stuff like Brian Setzer Orchestra and dreck like the Goo Goo Dolls et al.  That is as big as it gets.  MGM Grand has overpriced nightclubs...Greektown is the same.

 

In order to integrate the casino in the community, the draw will be for people to go elsewhere to see bands and entertainment.  That is at it should be. You don't want a casino sucking up all of the entertainment draw downtown, even if they wanted to (which they don't).  In Vegas, it's a totally different equation.