February 1, 201015 yr Detroit's six major avenues suffer from a lack of traffic signals, meaning people have to hang out in the chicken lane waiting for gaps. There are many 1/4 mile stretches on these avenues where there are no traffic lights. What's so stupid about it is that all six avenues are paralleled by expressways, which makes the pursuit of speed on these big streets totally redundant from a traffic engineering perspective and a disaster from the perspective of pedestrians: Not good: This one really shows how horrible these avenues are: Knowing the effects that automobile-oriented development has had on American cities, isn't it more than a little bit ironic that the city that brought the world the automobile was killed by it? Sorry for being off topic, but the karma is unavoidable. Off topic: It's kind of sick, and while that's NOT the reason I don't own a car (there are many other reasons) it IS the reason I refuse to accept rides from people in GM automobiles. On topic: I kind of like the way the current Kroger terminates Vine St. The new plan will kind of ruin that bookend. Is the Vine St connection completely out of the question?
February 1, 201015 yr Pre-war hotels served more purposes that many hotels do today. The late-Terrace Hilton and the Netherland Omni/Hilton should probably be considered transitional hotels from the Sinton and even Alms model to the more contemporary style. People don't like at the hotel anymore, salesman don't take up semi-permanent residence. The Stouffer Towers actually represent the most important transformation in the Cincy area in terms of ownership and the like. In travels around Europe, we stayed in a number of places that would roughly equate to something they are thinking of with St. George's and the other boutiques/inns. It was far more pleasant than our stays in the various American-branded hotels we're stuck with in the U.S..
February 2, 201015 yr I think you guys have somewhat inaccurate view of what type of boutique property would occupy this space, if this does happen. The whole boutique 'concept' has really been snatched up by major hotel chains and each one either has or is in the process of developing their own. These properties usually offer some quirkiness and special design/service characteristics, with the familiarly and accessibility of a national brand. More than likely, it will be a property that is tied to a major chain. Due to the large amount of business travel in this area, this is just what makes sense. Boutique brands such as Hotel Indigo (Holiday Inn), aloft (Starwood/Shearton), EDITION (Marriott) are examples of this. I don't see Kimpton doing any development here until they complete a downtown property first. The Hampton Inn at Vine/MLK will likely be a very successful property. It's the only value-oriented, limited-service hotel within walking distance of UC and the hospitals, the only Hilton family hotel in the area, and Hampton Inns are favorites for their high quality and good bang for the buck. I'm not really sure why anyone would call this the next roach motel...there is a legitimate need for a property like this. Families and business travelers are way more likely to choose a Hampton Inn over a more expensive, less predictable boutique hotel.
February 4, 201015 yr I'll say right now that what's planned for Old St. George is not a boutique hotel tied to a chain. In fact, it's going to be one run by an in-state Ohio company. That's all I can really say right now, unless I find out I can disclose it tonight.
February 18, 201015 yr There was some work going on inside the old "Hard Ta Knock Shop" space at Hughes Corner today. Not sure if they have a new tenant or if they're just cleaning up the space and tearing out the old shelving units and such.
February 18, 201015 yr ^Lance's is moving there the week of UC's spring break. Just found that out when I was there a few hours ago.
February 23, 201015 yr ^Lance's is moving there the week of UC's spring break. Just found that out when I was there a few hours ago. Lance's doesn't exist anymore. Do you mean Plaza Art Supplies (or whatever it's called)?
February 23, 201015 yr It used to be Lance's and was owned by Wilson Art Stores, they had a store in Clifton, Downtown, and up in Kenwood. Plaza bought out all three and re-branded them under their name.
February 24, 201015 yr ^^Yeah sorry, habit. Everyone still calls it Lance's and I often forget it's Plaza whatever now. But yes, that store is moving to that shop.
February 25, 201015 yr I hate how Plaza's logo is butt ugly, and they got rid of the cool "Lances" mural on the side of the building. Jergoffs.
February 25, 201015 yr ^...Unless they did that within the last few days, the Lance's mural is still on the side of the building...
March 3, 201015 yr It looks like Uptown has reached the saturation point for sandwich shops. Jersey Mike's has closed down. (Actually, I don't know how long it's been closed, but I just noticed when I walked by this morning.)
March 4, 201015 yr I'll say right now that what's planned for Old St. George is not a boutique hotel tied to a chain. In fact, it's going to be one run by an in-state Ohio company. That's all I can really say right now, unless I find out I can disclose it tonight. It's out for bid now, but still not a 100% certainty to be built.
March 31, 201015 yr Plaza Artist Materials has moved from the former Lance's location around the corner to the former Hard Ta Knock Shop location. Both properties are owned by the same person, and the new space allows Plaza to expand. I also wonder if this might set the table for the potential infill building rumored to be coming for that tiny parking lot next to Lance's.
April 6, 201015 yr My sense of that place was that it was a small guy probably from the 'burbs and this was his try at getting rich. It never felt particularly smoothly run and the owner always seemed to trying too hard.
April 6, 201015 yr Or taking a bite out of their profits. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 15, 201015 yr Uptown Commons waiting for funding Slow economy brings progress to standstill for Clifton development plan http://www.newsrecord.org/news/uptown-commons-waiting-for-funding-1.2218951
April 15, 201015 yr Jersey Mike's > Jimmy John's > Subway "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
May 6, 201015 yr When is street scape work on McMillan slated to begin? Do they plan on burying utilities?
May 12, 201015 yr When is street scape work on McMillan slated to begin? Do they plan on burying utilities? This should answer all of your questions: http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/04/cincinnati-kicks-off-uptown-street-rehabilitation-projects/
May 13, 201015 yr It does not appear that they plan to bury any utilities. The $2.3 million that's cited for all the projects wouldn't be nearly enough if you included burying utilities. Most Europeans find it baffling that we go through the trouble of digging open the ground to run pipes, but then just hang power lines from wooden poles like animals, especially right downtown in our biggest cities. But they do it in Canada and Australia, too, so it's not just a "stupid American" thing.
August 28, 201014 yr Looks like this finally moving forward: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100827/BIZ01/8280343/-68M-development-planned-near-UC
August 28, 201014 yr This seems somewhat downsized, but I think they are trying to get in front of the recovery. I imagine the streetcar route willl have some impact on this.
August 29, 201014 yr Well back in 03-04 right when this site started I argued against this whole project because I sensed it was too big to be pulled off in one phase and they inexplicably tore down historic structures and family-owned businesses while keeping the Shell gas station. I was hissed at. Now we're getting McMillan Manor West.
August 29, 201014 yr I don't know if I was around then, but it sure did seem like they were biting off more than they could chew there.
August 30, 201014 yr I am sure that most will disagree, but whenever I am in Uptown I always think that if they built a structure in the grassy area between McMillan and Calhoun that is very similar to the building on the North side of Calhoun (the building with the Five Guys in it) it would really work. It may be an ugly, generic building, but it has the right height, comes right to the sidewalk and the parking is hidden. That area has so much great architecture, that new generic buildings don't do much damage.
August 30, 201014 yr Well... by tearing out the old historic structures, the ruined the fabric of that area. Anything they build there will be out of place/scale from the neighborhood. However, the scale they should try to match at this point are the existing building on the north side of Calhoun. If they build something similar, with maybe a few additional details, it may actually look like a cohesive development. The prob they are going to have, however, is leasing the retail space. They are still have trouble leasing storefronts in the University Park buildings.
August 30, 201014 yr What they need to do is break down the block into individual plots and let them be developed naturally, like the rest of the historic neighborhood was. These mega-blocks like UPA (building across Calhoun), the McMillan Manor a few blocks east, and even the Banks are just whacky and out of scale. The model should be the block of McMillan/Calhoun between Clifton and E. Clifton. The love affair between urban planners and super-block developments needs to come to an end.
August 30, 201014 yr What they need to do is break down the block into individual plots and let them be developed naturally, like the rest of the historic neighborhood was. These mega-blocks like UPA (building across Calhoun), the McMillan Manor a few blocks east, and even the Banks are just whacky and out of scale. The model should be the block of McMillan/Calhoun between Clifton and E. Clifton. The love affair between urban planners and super-block developments needs to come to an end. totally agree.
August 30, 201014 yr Not to defend the history of this development, but the argument they used for the initial agglomeration of land was that it needed a massive parking garage to support the rest of the development in the area.
September 10, 201014 yr What they need to do is break down the block into individual plots and let them be developed naturally, like the rest of the historic neighborhood was. These mega-blocks like UPA (building across Calhoun), the McMillan Manor a few blocks east, and even the Banks are just whacky and out of scale. The model should be the block of McMillan/Calhoun between Clifton and E. Clifton. The love affair between urban planners and super-block developments needs to come to an end. Completely agree. The only thing the City or Uptown Consortium or whomever should do in this case is help encourage higher density, multi-stories and decent facades through tax breaks or subsidies. This plan became outdated before it even came out.
September 10, 201014 yr Saw a guy in his 70s or 80s holding a paper sign, reading, "Put a public park here." It was pretty sad, honestly. I also didn't really agree with him. We have enough public parks.
September 10, 201014 yr Saw a guy in his 70s or 80s holding a paper sign, reading, "Put a public park here." It was pretty sad, honestly. I also didn't really agree with him. We have enough public parks. It wasn’t the nutjob that used to stand out there every Friday and hold up “Impeach Bush” signs was it? He was always on the corner of McMillan and Clifton, by the bus stop, with really crappy poster board signs in big plastic bags.
September 11, 201014 yr ^^Nah. Just an old man by himself with a paper sign. It wasn't even properly stenciled like the Impeach Bush signs. Don't think it's the same guy either. Looks like he just scribbled it down.
October 19, 201014 yr Today, a poll was opened to UC students on our student interface... Would you like to have input on what stores will be located between Calhoun Street and West McMillan Street? Yes 147 / 91.88% No 13 / 8.13% Answer: Towne Properties and Al. Neyer, Inc. are developing the grassy piece of land between Calhoun and McMillan. The vibrant mixed-use project will be called U Square at the Loop. It will include 155 apartments, 2 parking garages totaling 750 parking spaces and commercial space containing retail and restaurants. In order to provide retail tenants that will fulfill the needs of the student body, we are looking for YOUR input on the non-restaurant stores to attract to the project. Fill out the survey and be entered in a chance to win great prizes! We will be giving away one iPad and five $50 Bearcat Campus Card credits. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/helpushelpyouusquare
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