January 18, 200817 yr It really is a great sign. I wonder if the Museum was planning this as a political move to show the public, "Hey we're here as part of the community and we are all for the progress of the community.".
January 18, 200817 yr "If it becomes a governmentally managed entity, then the potential for major mistakes is greatly increased," Bortz said. "I think the biggest mistake we could make is not really ensuring that City Council members and county commissioners aren't directly involved in the management of the project." I think Bortz is right about keeping this from outside the Port's purview, but the above statement is stupid. There are plenty of non-governmental organizations that make major mistakes. How much money did Morgan Stanley lose in the latest mortgage debacle?
January 18, 200817 yr ^ I'd argue that the government created the mortgage crisis. When the fed was offering 1% interest rates, its chairman (Alan Greenspan) was actively encouraging adjustable rate mortgage in speeches to banks and credit unions. At this time, the banks were flooded with loanable monies. The natural reaction of a bank is to loan the money at a rate that the market will bear. So, if the federal reserve would not have taken such drastic and reactionary measures following 9-11, none of this would have ever happened. Couple that with the national push of the 90s and 00s to encourage home ownership and you have a perfect storm. I know that it is arguing semantics at this point, but I think it is an important point none the less. I do agree with Bortz that the government should not be managing the property. An independent entity would take a lot of pressure off the management team and would maximize efficiency. One of the reasons that it has taken so long to get the project underway is that the government has been inconsistent and difficult to work with.
January 18, 200817 yr Freedom Center gives land BY JESSICA BROWN | [email protected] The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will give up development rights to a disputed piece of land - for free. The non-profit Freedom Center had earlier asked Cincinnati and Hamilton County governments for $500,000 each for the land, which developers want to use for restaurants in the Banks riverfront development. The request generated a firestorm of criticism and resentment toward the Freedom Center from some elected officials and some members of the public... www.enquirer.com
January 18, 200817 yr I understand completely where the Freedom Center reps are coming from on this. It wasn't their fault that someone made a bad deal...or that someone else suggessted that they receive something for their property. It also seemed like an attack waiting to happen in this scenario...it's unfortunate that the museum has had to go through so much of this nonsense, in such a very short existance, so far.
January 19, 200817 yr ^ I'd argue that the government created the mortgage crisis. When the fed was offering 1% interest rates, its chairman (Alan Greenspan) was actively encouraging adjustable rate mortgage in speeches to banks and credit unions. At this time, the banks were flooded with loanable monies. The natural reaction of a bank is to loan the money at a rate that the market will bear. So, if the federal reserve would not have taken such drastic and reactionary measures following 9-11, none of this would have ever happened. Really? So when a private corporation makes a bad investment, it's the governments fault, but when they make a good investment, then that's the market system paying off, right? You're basically arguing that the government creates and maintains the conditions for the market. I agree with you completely but you can' take the chain of responsibility all the way back to the government as first cause when the system breaks down and not do it when it works. There are thousands of individuals thinking only of their private interests in the chain, and they are the ones examining the actual empirical investment data. They certainly hold a place of responsibility. I think it makes more sense to put most responsibility on the individuals who made the bad loans and then resold them to institutional investors who, once again, should have known better since, after all, that's their job. Mildly heartfelt apologies for veering off topic.
January 19, 200817 yr I think this thread is a lot like the Banks. A big hole where everyone's deepest darkest musings and hopes go to settle and very dirt actually gets moved.
January 21, 200817 yr The Cincinnati Beacon is usually good for a laugh. This story is no exception. The rendering that they provide is absolutely hilarious. In fact, I think it is a joke. :laugh: Gaia Foundation releases plans for “Sky Gardens” to replace The Banks Project Saturday, January 19, 2008 Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati The Gaia Foundation has released early drawings of its plans for “Sky Gardens,” which it characterizes as an ecological alternative to the current plans for developing The Banks—Cincinnati’s prime river-front real estate. “This is an alternative to the current ugly and non-sustainable design on the Banks,” explained Molak. “I have been working on the details of the concept for the last 3 years...it combines the European hill town and Himalayan terraces for growing food...
January 21, 200817 yr I tried to post a comment on that site, and the "re-type these letters" thing was the most absurd thing I've ever encountered. I literally could not read the thing at all. I'm sure that this is a joke.
January 21, 200817 yr I met Vlasta a few years ago. She is a good person and has had some great ideas for her properties near Findlay Market in OTR. The alternative Banks Project and Rothenberg idea is a little bit over the top but I give her credit for coming up with ideas that are different. I think she should stick to her smaller OTR projects. I tried to post a comment on that site, and the "re-type these letters" thing was the most absurd thing I've ever encountered. I literally could not read the thing at all. I'm sure that this is a joke. Nope she is serious!! Here is a bit of her bio.. Dr. Vlasta Molak is a recognized national and international expert in risk analysis, risk management, environmental quality issues, and sustainable energy development, as well as deeply involved in the preservation of quality of life in her community in Greater Cincinnati for over twenty-two years. In 1999, Dr. Molak worked on the Kyoto Protocol as an Environmental Congressional Fellow for the Hon. Dennis Kucinich(OH-10), who wrote the forward for her book on FUNDAMENTALS OF RISK ANALYSIS AND RISK MANAGEMENT, published by the CRC Press in 1997. She was a Secretary and International Coordinator of the International Society for Risk Analysis. Dr. Molak has an interdisciplinary training with an Engineer in Physics (equivalent to B.S. in Physics) from the University of Zagreb in Croatia, M.S. in Chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from SUNY's Downstate Medical Center in New York City with postdoctoral training in Molecular Genetics. Dr. Molak is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. She has worked as a risk analyst at the US Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and for a private consulting company in a cleanup of a nuclear feed facility at Fernald, working with Departments of Energy, Defense, OSHA and FDA. She was also a founder of the Biotechnology Forum, which was organizing workshops and lecture series pertaining to biotechnology and thus enabled the members to be at the forefront of biotechnology developments in the late eighties and early nineties. One of the first methods for evaluating the danger of release of genetically modified organisms was the work of Dr. Molak. She also organized a workshop on the problems of oil spills in the marine environments, resulting in a book of proceedings titled A Comprehensive Approach to Problems With Oil Spills in Marine Environments (Proceedings of): TheAlaska Story Dr. Molak has taught courses on Sustainable Development and Risk Analysis at the UN's Division for Sustainable Development in New York City and at the University of Sao Paulo and Quiaba in Brazil. Dr. Molak is the founder and President and CEO of GAIA UNLIMITED, Inc. (since 1993) an environmental consulting company that uses risk analysis and risk management techniques in solving environmental problems. Also, she is a founder of GAIA FOUNDATION, Inc., a non-for-profit educational and research organization involved in broad issues of promoting a wide variety of sustainable development activities. One of the major projects is sustainable development of the inner city of Cincinnati (SEARCH), an area with empty houses and many homeless people. Dr. Molak has participated in major community projects, such as chairing the Subcommittee for Technical Interpretation (STI) of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, chairing the environmental committee of the Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister City Project, being a part of the Planning Committee for the Environmental Priorities Project in Hamilton County, participating in the Comparative Risk Analysis for the State of Ohio etc...As a Chair of the STI, she has initiated and saw a completion of the Hazard Analysis of Toxic Chemicals in Hamilton County, and has performed evaluations of industrial wastewaters by analyzing toxic release inventories for the Metropolitan Sewer District. In the end of 2004 and first four months of 2005, Dr. Molak has spent in Nepal and India, studying their systems of food production and energy production (Nepal's electric energy is entirely hydroelectric from Himalayas and their agriculture is sustainable) performing environmental audit of energy consumption and material flows in a Buddhist monastery.
January 21, 200817 yr The whole thing sounds like a joke, from the drawing to her credentials! I wonder what the University of Croatia fight song is?
January 21, 200817 yr I think she was at the AIA design charette for 'Greening The Gap", and she was talking about her design ideas for the Banks. Pretty much everyone thinking she was a little off her rocker. That design that took three years is pretty comical. I don't think she was kidding either. Her ideas are way too extreme especially in a conservative city like Cincinnati.
January 21, 200817 yr I can't wait until the new developments of W. Rainbow Falls, West Rainbow Town, E. Rainbow Town, and E. Rainbow Falls flank the freedom center. WTF does that even mean? Will the architecture of these buildings look like the crudely drawn circles that represent them? These ideas are not 'too extreme'. These are not even ideas. Anyone could come up with something this simple and abstract in about thirty minutes.
January 21, 200817 yr Her association with Kuchinich alone, not to mention the ridiculousness of her comments should make everyone happy we are so conservative here in Hamilton County!!
January 21, 200817 yr Her association with Kuchinich alone, not to mention the ridiculousness of her comments should make everyone happy we are so conservative here in Hamilton County!! Are you intentionally abrasive, or is it just your nature?
January 21, 200817 yr OK if you guys love her Banks plan you might get a kick out of her Rothenburg plan. The project is to transform Rothenberg High School, which is a beautiful building on the corner of Liberty and Main, into an Empower Academy for those non-violent prisoners who are now crowding our jails. The Academy can accommodate ~700 people and thus we can close the Queens gate and use money to run this Empower Academy. We can retrain sheriff's deputies to become guardians and teachers instead of jailers (it they want to do it). I have already spoken to the retired police officers who now manage the complaint office at the City Hall under the cooperative agreement. They loved the idea of Empower Academy and had given me several names of retired police officers who can work with us and provide a role model for those young people. We would take the ages from 15-35. The goal is to enable them to learn how to live well legally in the society, and train them for various jobs, so that they become employable in other fields, rather then flipping hamburgers. This all could be paid from the money that they are currently spending locking them up. We will also employ these "students of life" with our various projects in renovating dilapidated houses (which may need a lead clean up), and help them become homeowners according to our SEARCH project. I am waiting to hear from Lou Strigari, and will try to get an appointment with the Prosecutor and a few judges to convince them to apply alternative sentencing. I believe that they will all endorse the project and we can start after Christmas. For those who do not live in the area, we will have dormitories...At this point there is a building available that can accommodate up to 500 people. We can do all this with very little money, and keep those young people in school and otherwise busy from 7 am to 9 pm so that they do not have time or energy to get into trouble. Also, I would make a city wide appeal for citizens to become role models to individuals, so that we can reinforce the positive behaviors and discover the gifts of those who are now in jail. I am sure that among 700 people we will find all kinds of talents that need to be discovered and developed, so that they would not be wasting their lives in jails and on the streets. Stay well, V.
January 21, 200817 yr Her association with Kuchinich alone, not to mention the ridiculousness of her comments should make everyone happy we are so conservative here in Hamilton County!! Oh give me a break. What she was wanting was development that was more sustainable, more eco-friendly, etc. Not a bad vision and one that should be applauded, but it is probably a bit too far into the process to do any major changes. I'm not in agreement with scrapping The Banks and starting over, but its ideas like hers that is propelling the future -- not energy-wasting 3,000 sq. ft. homes in subdivisions, reliances on automobiles, coal-fired/NG power plants, etc. You should be thankful there are liberals and treehuggers, like myself, out there. I'd be afraid of what would happen to the checks and balances if we ceased to exist.
January 21, 200817 yr Some of you guys really need to lighten up and laugh a little. Why do you take everything so seriously?
January 21, 200817 yr ^There's actually quite a few conservatives on this forum, most of them are pro-sustainability and all that stuff. I just don't see a point in turning it into a conservative vs. liberal thing.
January 21, 200817 yr Some of you guys really need to lighten up and laugh a little. Why do you take everything so seriously? Spare me your lecture.
January 21, 200817 yr Nice try, hardly the same. I was replying to your lame attempt to connect the jail with the trolley. You should have posted the entire response. This was nothing like a tongue in cheek response to conservatism in hamilton county!
January 21, 200817 yr its not a trolley. ugh. i know db stands for dan b..., but it seems more and more apparent that it also stands for douche bag. :-D
January 21, 200817 yr see, I can take a joke!!! I guess if they call it a trolley, you guys don't want it and won't ride it!!!!! :-D
January 21, 200817 yr You 2 play nice or you will be put in a corner...with boxing gloves...and a bell...and ColDayMan will referee! :-D
January 21, 200817 yr New Banks deadline looms BY KEITH T. REED | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER January 21, 2008 DOWNTOWN - The developers of The Banks might miss their deadline to secure money to build the project’s initial $74 million phase and will likely ask for an extension. Carter & Associates Commercial Services LLC and the Dawson Co. had 60 days from the date of their development contract with Cincinnati and Hamilton County to prove that they had locked in financial commitments for the project. That agreement went into effect Oct. 23, making Tuesday a crucial deadline...
January 22, 200817 yr Work on the garage might still be possible even if the developers don’t secure their financing, since that is being funded by the city and county. But it is more likely construction won’t begin until the developers’ money comes in. The parking garage is being built, in part, so residences and shops will stand above the Ohio River’s flood plain. Without money to build those shops and apartments, there would be little need for the garage. I hope they decide to move forward on the garage regardless of the developer's funding. The garage and flood plain are the biggest reasons this project has been so difficult. Even if the developer flakes out and can't get the funding together, having the garge built would remove a major obstacle and make it vastly easier to select another developer. It would also accelerate construction of the rest of the project when they finally do get the funding straightened out.
January 22, 200817 yr The previous developers seemed to have difficulties getting the money to work, and the national economic situation is only worse now. I asked earlier: if only one were possible, which would you have the city build, The Banks or the streetcar? That question might be creeping out of the realm of the hypothetical. I recognize the necessity of raising the area out of the flood plain for the type of development we've been hoping for, and that building a parking garage is an effective way of doing so and accommodating our dominant transport mode. But to build it without any attendant development strikes me immediately as a waste of money that could be put elsewhere — like in rail.
January 22, 200817 yr Money is really hard to get right now. It may take time and I imagine the Working Group knows that.
January 22, 200817 yr ^^ I'd build The Streetcar before The Banks, no question. I'm really glad we don't have to choose though, because I think that they're both important projects that will fuel development in and around downtown. Also, I don't think that building the garages would be a waste of money. That land will be developed eventually, and every year we wait makes the construction more expensive. If that land wasn't in the flood plain, it would already be developed, so it's a good bet that having the garages in place would help to spur the development along. Thankfully, that's not a problem we have yet. I was just sort of speculating.
January 22, 200817 yr I don't really care much about the Banks, kinda gave up on it a long time ago. Cool if it would happen but it isnt even neccesary. The streetcar is 10 times more important to me. I think the streetcar could actually get the Banks started.
January 22, 200817 yr I asked earlier: if only one were possible, which would you have the city build, The Banks or the streetcar? That question might be creeping out of the realm of the hypothetical. They county has much of the money for garages/related infrastructure secured. From there you can then build the streetcar in The Banks portion of the route...but until those streets and garages get built you can't run the line down there. Furthermore, the streetcar's money is separate from that of what is being used for The Banks infrastructure. The money that is hard to come by is the money for the developers...you can still build the related infrastructure (which I'm quite sure they'll end up doing in either scenario) and then wait for something else to happen. Once again though, I don't think it will come to that...I have all the faith in the world that phase 1 will have people living in it by 2010. If not, the infrastructure will be a huge boost for anyone else should they break it up into chunks...plus the location of a streetcar line through the project will only further the site's developability.
January 22, 200817 yr I understand the public financing situation. But I think that some of that money that is secured could find it's way out of the project if it's viability becomes questionable. Here's hoping push doesn't come to shove.
January 22, 200817 yr I understand the public financing situation. But I think that some of that money that is secured could find it's way out of the project if it's viability becomes questionable. Here's hoping push doesn't come to shove. It has been my understanding that the majority of the grants, the county has received, have come in the variety of infrastructure and even environmental related grants. I don't believe that these are at all tied to the project's perceived viability...therefore I feel that the publicly financed portions are still on VERY solid ground. Please do correct me though if I am wrong.
January 22, 200817 yr Well, I don't recall the specifics, but I know that the State threatened to remove some of their funding if progress wasn't made. $10 mil I believe. The congestion mitigation grant might be as well, IIRC.
January 22, 200817 yr Progress made on the infrastructure improvements the grant is set to pay for...or progress made on the entire project?
January 23, 200817 yr More time for Banks money BY KEITH T. REED | [email protected] The developers of The Banks now have an extra month to secure financing for the $74 million first phase of the central riverfront project, even though they already received funding promises from three lenders. Carter & Associates Commercial Services LLC and the Dawson Co. have until Feb. 29 to raise the cash under a deal reached between the developers, Cincinnati and Hamilton County leaders late today... www.enquirer.com
January 23, 200817 yr Easy guys...they've got 3 financiers ready to back the project, they just need to dot the i's and cross the t's. Negativity breeds negativity...and this city sure as hell as enough of that.
January 23, 200817 yr just when i couldnt get more down, rando and his awe inspiring optimism saves the day. :cry: :oops: :-( :-) :-D :drunk:
January 23, 200817 yr Nky doesn't need my "vicious optimism"...the media/general public seems to be always ready, willing, and able. On a side note, I wonder how Ovation is coming along...don't seem to hear much about that anymore.
January 23, 200817 yr I haven't checked the local papers lately. I just got ahold of The Lane Report's wrap up on developments in the Louisville metro region (its thick, and is $12.95!) but has a nice summary on what's going on. Since The Lane Report has covered Lexington and Cincinnati's development before, I wonder if they will put out a publication for those cities...
January 23, 200817 yr Banks gets extra time Financing still being secured BY KEITH T. REED | [email protected] The developers of The Banks now have an extra month to secure financing for the $74 million first phase of the central riverfront project, even as they already received funding promises from three lenders. Carter & Associates Commercial Services LLC and the Dawson Co. have until Feb. 29 to raise the cash under a deal reached Tuesday between the developers and Cincinnati and Hamilton County leaders...
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