I still haven't been able to find out what they are doing east of the park, be it expansion of the park or housing.  On this topic though, almost all of Sawyer Point and Bicentennial Commons have retaining walls, why they thought they didn't need them here was beyond me.

 

 

 

By Gregory Korte

Enquirer staff writer

 

 

At the Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park along Eastern Avenue, walkways are in danger of falling into the Ohio River.

The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman

 

The Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park - finished in 2003 at a cost of $8 million - is falling into the Ohio River.

 

Walkways just 2 years old are breaking apart, the earth is cracking, and sculptures are leaning.

 

Erosion even threatens the park's centerpiece and one of the park system's "premier facilities" - the Friendship Pavilion, according to city records obtained under the Ohio Public Records Act.

 

The most severe damage is at the eastern end of the park on Eastern Avenue, where the city is spending more than $1.5 million on an emergency project to build retaining walls to keep the park in place.

 

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/

Here's the shots I posted a couple weeks ago in your thread about the mystery grading...

 

 

What a waste.  I liked the park when it first opened.  It's sad to see that those things I liked have already been damaged.

Looks like some money may be going down the toilet, and it's a shame.  From the 3/14/05 Enquirer:

 

 

Engineer on shaky ground?

Firm told city that Berry park site was 'stable'

By Gregory Korte

Enquirer staff writer

 

In retrospect, the first signs of trouble came just four months after the Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park was dedicated in 2003: Between two geological readings 16 days apart, the earth beneath the park had slipped 1/8th of an inch toward the Ohio River.

 

Eighteen months and $1.5 million in emergency repairs later, the city is pointing the finger at H.C. Nutting, the Linwood engineering company that told the city the riverbank was, in the words of a 1998 memo, "stable."

 

City officials say the earth movement at the eastern end of the 4,800-foot-long park puts the city's multi-million dollar investment in jeopardy.

 

And the emergency repairs, including the two retaining walls now under construction, have diverted money that could have been spent on improvements to other parks.

 

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050314/NEWS01/503140409/-1/back01

 

"You have to look at our hillsides around here," said Nutting president Jack Scott. "This is probably one of the most treacherous terrains in the country, one of the most geologically erratic, and the sampling we drill out of the hole is less than 2 inches in diameter. We're looking at a pin-size opening compared to the total area of the park. That's the important thing."

 

THEN TAKE BIGGER SAMPLES!!!  An engineer complaining that the data he collected was insufficient is like a sys admin complaining that he lost his project log because backups weren't working.  Crazy.

Nobody takes responsibility anymore.

 

Just once I'd like to hear someone say, "I FU**ED UP".

city workers never say I fu**ed up

Just once I'd like to hear someone say, "I FU**ED UP".

 

You should sit next to me at work!

"You have to look at our hillsides around here," said Nutting president Jack Scott. "This is probably one of the most treacherous terrains in the country, one of the most geologically erratic, and the sampling we drill out of the hole is less than 2 inches in diameter. We're looking at a pin-size opening compared to the total area of the park. That's the important thing."

 

THEN TAKE BIGGER SAMPLES!!! An engineer complaining that the data he collected was insufficient is like a sys admin complaining that he lost his project log because backups weren't working. Crazy.

 

Cost prohibitive. In order to get every lens of subsurface soil, probably would need to get samples every 10' on a grid covering the whole park

 

Soil Borings are taken as "tubes" since that is a cost effective way to get a sample down to bedrock.

 

"Eighteen months and $1.5 million in emergency repairs later, the city is pointing the finger at H.C. Nutting, the Linwood engineering company that told the city the riverbank was, in the words of a 1998 memo, "stable.""

 

Knowing how Geotech reports are written, I'm sure that there was more than the word "stable" there (e.g. tons of qualifications)

 

Cost prohibitive. In order to get every lens of subsurface soil, probably would need to get samples every 10' on a grid covering the whole park

 

I certainly defer to your knowledge of the subject, but I've got to say, "cost prohibitive" is a pretty unsatisfying explanation when we're talking about $1.5MM in repairs, and the problem isn't even fixed yet.  If you say this is just one of those things, I guess I can accept it, but man, it's a very tough pill to swallow when you see all the other park projects this money could be spent on...

Cost prohibitive. In order to get every lens of subsurface soil, probably would need to get samples every 10' on a grid covering the whole park

 

I certainly defer to your knowledge of the subject, but I've got to say, "cost prohibitive" is a pretty unsatisfying explanation when we're talking about $1.5MM in repairs, and the problem isn't even fixed yet. If you say this is just one of those things, I guess I can accept it, but man, it's a very tough pill to swallow when you see all the other park projects this money could be spent on...

 

Agree...I have a sneaking suspision that the preliminary plan for the park was laid out for budgeting purposes and didn't include walls.  Don't want to spend the money on final detailed design until the grants come in. The geotech came along during final design, said maybe the wall would be a good idea, but the money wasn't there....Its a tough site to build on

Anyone still have the picture of the 80+ ft. tower/sculpture they're putting in the park?

This is the only image I could find.  The ghetto-ass Cincinnati Enquirer just started charging $1.99 for searches older than seven days, what a bunch of crap!  Anyway, it has been a while since I saw the design and it was something similar to this, but if anyone remembers the artist's name, we could look it up that way as well.

 

Thanks for the post. I had a friend interested in seeing it.

Photos:

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/misc/zoom.pbs&Site=AB&Date=20051101&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=511010349&Ref=AR

Artist Susan Ewing holds the gold-leaf topper to the 90-foot tall Crystalline Tower as she prepares to deliver it to installers on Monday. Ewing and Czech artist Vratislav Novak designed the stainless steel, mica and titanium structure.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=AB&Dato=20051031&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=1031002&Ref=PH

 

Art project finally sees the light

 

By Sara Pearce

Enquirer staff writer

 

Four years after being selected as the winner in an international sculpture competition and two years after it was supposed to be installed, the 83-foot high Crystalline Tower was lowered into place Monday morning on the eastern tip of Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park.

 

The triangular titanium, mica and stainless steel tower glistened in the morning sun as it dangled from three cables on a crane. Suddenly, the slender column rotated and the side with mica panels shone silvery-white.

 

Susan Ewing gasped and reached for her camera. "I missed it," she said. "Wow, just look at it."

 

She stood still for a moment, staring up at the jewel-like sculpture that she and Czech artist Vratislav Novak designed.

 

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051101/NEWS01/511010349

About time! I'm going to check it this weekend. They kind of shortchanged it. You can't walk inside and there isn't a bridge or water feature. It still looks interesting

Its great to see this project moving on to completion, its been such a long wait.

 

I studied under Susan @ Miami, this thing has been in the works for a long time. I met Novak once on one of his frequent visits to Miami

I checked out the Crystalline Tower, which I believe is the final piece of art to be added to Friendship Park. They still have some work to do. Very cool overall.

 

 

Each side is a different texture of metal

 

There is a bridge, maybe there will still be water.

 

 

This side is mesh. You can see the spiral staircase inside. It's a shame the public won't be able to go inside and up.

 

This is the third and final side. Metal squares with a pattern on them

 

In case your wondering what that thing on top is.

Very cool...I wanted to get down to see it today, but the wife and I slacked today...thanks for the pictures!

This side is mesh. You can see the spiral staircase inside. It's a shame the public won't be able to go inside and up.

 

Is that a dare?

Just drove past it this morning on Eastern (er...sorry, on Riverside Drive), and it's cool that it's so prominent, sticking up above the trees.  I'll have to pay attention, see if it's visible from Columbia Parkway, or if Twain's Point gets too much in the way.

I saw it from Eden Park today.  I was like "What the f....", and then I remembered what it was.

A crappy photo taken over the weekend:

 

You can see definitely the top of it westbound on 50, but I haven't picked it out eastbound on 50 yet because of Twain's Point...

 

Are there any plans to light it up at night?  That would look pretty cool...

I'd recommend the dedication just for the steel drum band, they are much better than you'd imagine. A Miami University News Release:

 

Crystalline Tower by Susan Ewing to be dedicated in Cincinnati Sept. 17

09/11/2006

 

The Crystalline Tower, a monument to freedom and friendship at Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park, will be dedicated at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. The sculpture was designed by Susan R. Ewing (art) and noted Czech sculptor Vratislav K. Novak for the park on the Cincinnati riverfront.

 

Cincinnati officials and other speakers will be on hand for the dedication, which is free and open to the public. Ewing and Novak will attend. The Miami University Steel Band, under the direction of senior Justin Jodrey, will perform.

 

Ewing and graduate students installed the tower last October. More than 80-feet tall, the steel structure with titanium and mica elements is topped with a kinetic, rotating gold-leafed star.

 

 

http://www.miami.muohio.edu/news/article/view/235

Sounds wonderful...wish I could be there - sounds very cool.

 

Sorry to be picky but......This thread should probably be moved to Completed and......the title should probably be changed to something reguarding Crystalline Tower.

 

Just some food for thought, but anywho

 

I love the sculpture, and think that it is a wonderful part of the riverfront park landscape!