3 hours ago, Dev said:

State law added the DORAs 5 years ago because of the All-Star Game coming to Cincinnati. Anyone remember why they never set one up, until now? I don't remember anyone on Council being an advocate for it at the time but it seemed like such an obvious move.

 

So from what I've read from articles back when the law was first passed, a city of Cincinnati's population size is only allowed to designate 2 DORA districts. However, there were three neighborhoods that were all front runners for getting a DORA: The Banks, OTR, and Northside. Since one of them was going to lose out and inevitably get mad about it, the city just decided not to implement them at all.

Edited December 16, 20204 yr by OliverHazardPerry

4 minutes ago, OliverHazardPerry said:

 

 

So from what I've read from articles back when the law was first passed, a city of Cincinnati's population size is only allowed to designate 2 DORA districts. However, there were three neighborhoods that were all front runners for getting a DORA: The Banks, OTR, and Northside. Since one of them was going to lose out and inevitably get mad about it, the city just decided not implement them at all.

If you're picking two, the Banks and Short Vine make the most sense. 

2 minutes ago, thomasbw said:

If you're picking two, the Banks and Short Vine make the most sense. 

Short Vine? By the UC campus? I personally hate that idea. I think it would be a huge waste.

Edited December 16, 20204 yr by 646empire

I'm not against Short Vine, but you know they'll say that you shouldn't have one that close to a campus.

Take it nothing is happening currently r.e. development on the still vacant lots?

2 hours ago, OliverHazardPerry said:

Northside.

 

Any more details about what they wanted to do in Northside?

If y'all wanna drink outside so badly, Middletown's DORA is not that far away! 

^Stand out on the street, sip a drink and watch people do legal U-turns all day! Only place in Ohio you can do that!

The Legislature amended the statute to allow four- 

 

"(D) The creation of outdoor refreshment areas is limited as follows:

(1) A municipal corporation or township with a population of more than fifty thousand shall not create more than four outdoor refreshment areas."

Dueling music venues nearing completion in Cincinnati, Newport

 

Both of the indoor/outdoor music venues that are under construction near the Ohio River are expected to be completed soon.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2020/12/16/dueling-music-venues-nearing-completion-in-cincinn.html

 

19 hours ago, snakebite said:

Take it nothing is happening currently r.e. development on the still vacant lots?

Nope.  Hopefully post covid when the music venue is open, the dora is in full swing and Reds games are back at full capacity we can continue to momentum here.  I'll be happily surprised if the new office building next to Ruth's Chris still ends up moving forward.  The lot next to the music venue is the one I really want to see developed.  The parking garage is already in place so let's get some more housing, another hotel or both on that spot. 

Take 12/20.

The 43 year-old owner of Jefferson Social has died of Covid:

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/jefferson-social-owner-jeremy-bowman-dies-of-covid-19-restaurant-says

Pies and pints at the banks has closed.

20 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

Pies and pints at the banks has closed.

Thats a shame. I went to this place back when they opened, the service and pizza was pretty good. They would have gotten a nice chuck of business once the music venue opens and things are a bit normal again.

maybe now they can lure a Giordano's to The Banks like they should have at the beginning.

1 hour ago, 646empire said:

Thats a shame. I went to this place back when they opened, the service and pizza was pretty good. They would have gotten a nice chuck of business once the music venue opens and things are a bit normal again.

 

I believe they closed their downtown loveland location not too long ago as well. 

 

I'm still curious how some of these resturaunts survive, especially with high rents and low traffic during covid restrictions/sport shutdowns. 

 

I imagine these establishments that are still operating are hanging on by a thread at this point. 

18 minutes ago, troeros said:

I'm still curious how some of these resturaunts survive, especially with high rents and low traffic during covid restrictions/sport shutdowns. 

 

 

The unstoppable restaurants own their buildings outright, the restaurant is only one part of the owner's business portfolio, and they had a thriving delivery and carry-out business before the pandemic hit.  

We are going to lose a shocking percentage of restaurants. Governments should have simply paid restaurants to remain closed during the pandemic rather than making them adjust to a new carryout business model, furlough half of their staff, close down any time one of their staff members tested positive ... and many of them still went bankrupt after making all of these adjustments.

A lease for a replacement has already been signed? Interesting. Can anyone get us the basic details in the article? Don’t have a subscription. Also didn’t E+O open a place at 7 and Walnut??

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/01/19/new-restaurant-signed-for-shuttered-pies-pints.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_6&cx_artPos=4#cxrecs_s

The gist is:

 

Quote

A representative of E+O declined to comment on the Banks location, saying that the restaurant group has not decided what it plans to do with the space, whether to open a E+O or a new concept.

 

I would be surprised if they opened another E+O location given that they just finished building out the one in the CBD.

34 minutes ago, 646empire said:

A lease for a replacement has already been signed? Interesting. Can anyone get us the basic details in the article? Don’t have a subscription. Also didn’t E+O open a place at 7 and Walnut??

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/01/19/new-restaurant-signed-for-shuttered-pies-pints.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_6&cx_artPos=4#cxrecs_s

 

Pies and Pints opened well before December 2019 I'm sure. The article claims that's when they opened. It's been around for years

4 minutes ago, ryanlammi said:

 

Pies and Pints opened well before December 2019 I'm sure. The article claims that's when they opened. It's been around for years

Definitely, below is a statement from their company president:

 

“Our Banks location opened over four years ago and depended heavily on the proximity to PBS, GAB, arenas, and large offices. Pies & Pints was well received and we had our best year in 2019 increasing sales by almost 10%. We were looking forward to another great year in 2020 with positive sales until Covid hit. Covid virtually shut down all of our sources of traffic including offices and events. We made the difficult decision to close after consulting with our landlords. All associates and our management team have been offered similar positions at our Kenwood and Liberty locations. We are heartbroken that Covid forced the closing of our Banks location, but with no end in sight to the pandemic, we felt this was the best decision. All gift cards will be honored at any Pies & Pints location.”

19 hours ago, taestell said:

We are going to lose a shocking percentage of restaurants. Governments should have simply paid restaurants to remain closed during the pandemic rather than making them adjust to a new carryout business model, furlough half of their staff, close down any time one of their staff members tested positive ... and many of them still went bankrupt after making all of these adjustments.

 

Sixty percent of restaurants don’t make it past their first year and 80 percent go out of business within five years. Paying them to stay open for a year or even longer would be a waste since most of them would have closed regardless.

3 minutes ago, Ram23 said:

 

Sixty percent of restaurants don’t make it past their first year and 80 percent go out of business within five years. Paying them to stay open for a year or even longer would be a waste since most of them would have closed regardless.

 

What percentage of restaurants are in their first year? What percentage of restaurants are in their first five years? These statistics mean nothing if 90%+ of restaurants are older than 5 years at any given moment. 

I'm still not in love with the metal panels, but this building has a really nice form and for Cincinnati is definitely some interesting architecture. The signage is already up on the parking garage, but none of the brown sandstone has been installed to cover up the concrete to make it match the East half of the park. They are putting down drainage mat and look ready to start filling in the lawn with soil which means the park portion should be ready by this summer, even if indoor concerts aren't. 

 

 

https://www.cincinnati.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincinnati.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2F2021%2F01%2F26%2Fskystar-return-hamilton-county-told-giant-ferris-wheel-banks-hold%2F4264677001%2F
 

I highly doubt it will get built sadly. 

^ I saw that too ... Jeez, cincy had so much momentum before covid. 

It's restricted for me to read..any details as to why it's on hold?

1 hour ago, troeros said:

It's restricted for me to read..any details as to why it's on hold?

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2021/01/27/future-of-the-skystar-ferris-wheel-uncertain.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_6&cx_artPos=4#cxrecs_s
 

Here is the business couriers article on it. I would assume it’s mostly due to the pandemic, but there could be other factors that were not mentioned in the article. 

On 10/23/2020 at 5:52 PM, Cincy513 said:

 

I don't think there will be any seats at ICON, all just standing room so it can fit a lot more people.

 

Seat Installation for the upper balconies at least. 1,036 are being put in to be exact. 

On 1/29/2021 at 12:43 PM, 646empire said:

Seat Installation for the upper balconies at least. 1,036 are being put in to be exact. 

 

I thought this was a Serpentine Wall pic at first, or at least a scale model of it until i read the caption.

https://www.klhengrs.com/projects/180-walnut/
 

Snooping around today on the new office tower slated for the Banks (Other than The district at Clifton Heights) this is one that I am looking most forward to as it will change our skyline from the front (not a lot but still better than nothing).
 

This company put this project on their website and are the engineers of record. Hopefully a summer start date commences like they originally announced. 

Updated look at ICON seat install, facility is looking very nice!

2 hours ago, 646empire said:

Updated look at ICON seat install, facility is looking very nice!

 

I'm confused. I thought@jmecklenborg said there were going to be "zero seats" in this facility. 

 

It is a seats in the upper bowl, standing only in the lower area situation? 

4 hours ago, thomasbw said:

It is a seats in the upper bowl, standing only in the lower area situation? 

 

Looks like we're going to find out together. 

 

Those seats look 2-3" wider than a traditional arena seat. 

 

 

Floor heights for 180 Walnut.

Roughly 230' isn't too bad for the banks!

53 minutes ago, richNcincy said:

Roughly 230' isn't too bad for the banks!

Basically the height of Encore apartments. They had once stated 250 but maybe that was just a rough estimate. Thankfully we aren’t hearing anyone “cough cough” Bengals, complain about the height. 

Edited February 25, 20214 yr by Ucgrad2015

15 minutes ago, Ucgrad2015 said:

Basically the height of Encore apartments. They had once stated 250 but maybe that was just a rough estimate. Thankfully we aren’t hearing anyone “cough cough” Bengals, complain about the height. 

I think this building is to far away from PBS for the Bengals to have any say.  The stupidly have a say in the development that occurs right next to their stadium.  They also had to give approval for the GE building as it went over the banks height limitations. 

 

How much taller will this be then the existing apartments there?  I'm hoping this building sticks up high enough that it adds something to the skyline view from KY. 

3 hours ago, Cincy513 said:

How much taller will this be then the existing apartments there?  I'm hoping this building sticks up high enough that it adds something to the skyline view from KY. 

You can see the existing apartments on the section labeled as "bldg beyond", and it's only 5 stories facing Freedom Way, 6 stories on the 3rd street side. This will stick 120-130 feet higher than the neighboring apartments depending on which side of the block your on. 

Icon update. There's a lot of space between the building and the street corner, in the renderings the corner gets built up to the upper park level but it seems like with the stairs down and current setup the corner might stay at street level. I will be interested to see what if anything the parks department is doing at the corner. 

 

 

Yeah I don't understand why they didn't put the music venue all the way down to that corner.  What is ever going to go there now?  Is that officially park land or can be be developed? 

Edited February 26, 20214 yr by Cincy513

8 minutes ago, Cincy513 said:

Yeah I don't understand why they didn't put the music venue all the way down to that corner.  What is ever going to go there now?  Is that officially park land or can be be developed? 

It has to be elevated out of the flood zone... and I think the geometry of the corner probably made it impractical to extend all the way out to the corner. 

Edited February 26, 20214 yr by jwulsin

But if it's park space, and it's obviously not being used as part of the outdoor concert space due to the layout of the site, then does it need to be elevated out of the flood zone? I mean the rest of Smale would just be underwater anyway so if its just a plaza/trees/seating area then maybe they VE'd that portion of the podium out of the design, especially since it wouldn't' be connected to the parking garage anyway. We'll see if it stays fenced off with gravel like the restaurant site opposite Yard House for future development, or if it gets sod/plantings as part of the park space this spring I guess. 

From an Enquirer article when Cranley forcibly renegotiated the Banks agreement in the fall of 2019:

 

Quote

 

Residential zoning is also slated to be eliminated from Lot 28, which is supposed to be a park anyway. And that did concern Gabelman.
 

The city's proposed zoning adds bar and restaurant zoning to most areas [including lot 28].

 

Lot 28 is owned by the County.

 

FWIW, the current rendering by the Banks Steering Committee is not helpful either:

2 hours ago, Cincy513 said:

What is ever going to go there now?  Is that officially park land or can be be developed? 

an air gondola to the Covington IRS development 

Good place for a few surface parking spots for tailgating!