Unless the article is ignoring some important piece of information, look for a quick summary judgement in favor of the county. What on earth is this company thinking?

 

 

The fixed tower crane at the Banks is now beginning to rise. 

Amquip withdraws motion in Banks lawsuit

Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk Senior Staff Reporter

 

You’d think a guy who runs a crane company would be more willing to use leverage. And yet, Frank Bardonaro passed on a chance to halt the Banks riverfront development project this week by withdrawing his request for a court order canceling a “hoisting contract” to his competitor.

 

Full story text is available at

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/08/daily37.html

“I didn’t file a suit to get Amquip paid,” explained Bardonaro, president and chief operating officer of Amquip Crane Rental LLC. “I filed the suit to find out why commissioners were wasting money.”

 

No I think you filed the lawsuit to get some free publicity for your company.  The lawsuit had no merit and was dead from the start.  The only thing it could have ever accomplished it did...and that was to stir up the local media on a story that they would love to cover.  Mission accomplished.

^ I seriously doubt they filed the lawsuit for media attention.  I dont think this company wanted to be in the paper.  It only makes them look litigious in a business where it isnt good to be litigious; and incompetent for apparently not filing the proper paperwork.  It was probably the unwelcolmed media attention that got them to withdraw the suit.

 

It is much more likely that they filed the suit because a) they are legitimately pissed off that they were the low bidder and didnt get the job, or b) the person that screwed up the paper work is trying to save face by placing the blame for not winning the bid on the developers.

i think it's important to note that the suit will continue there just isn't a temporary restraining order so work can continue

 

http://207.250.90.73/mjpg/video.mjpg

 

 

Just figured I would repost this so that we don't have to keep going back and looking for it.

the Banks tower crane is getting substantially bigger (if you can see it through the snow).  Also, I can see concrete poured in a large SW quadrant of the QCSII site. 

they are beginning to build the support columns for the two east/west streets between Main and Walnut....

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

 

It is pretty awesome, but some construction equipment like this would trump all the cranes in the world right now...

http://walker.columbusunderground.com/?p=619

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

 

It is pretty awesome, but some construction equipment like this would trump all the cranes in the world right now...

http://walker.columbusunderground.com/?p=619

 

Oh shit, did Cbus start streetcar construction?!

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

Any chance that someone get a good picture showing all the cranes?

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

Any chance that someone get a good picture showing all the cranes?

 

I'll try this evening for ya!

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

 

It is pretty awesome, but some construction equipment like this would trump all the cranes in the world right now...

http://walker.columbusunderground.com/?p=619

 

Oh shit, did Cbus start streetcar construction?!

 

No...those are pictures from elsewhere.

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

Any chance that someone get a good picture showing all the cranes?

 

I'll try this evening for ya!

Thanks Cincinnatus! Looking forward to the images.

Do you guys realize there are about 7 or 8 cranes DT now, just in between 3rd St. and the river? It looks awesome.

Any chance that someone get a good picture showing all the cranes?

 

I'll try this evening for ya!

Thanks Cincinnatus! Looking forward to the images.

 

Crap ... it was too dark to even take them. Sorry man, I'll try tomorrow.

Here are some from December 20, 2008:

 

 

 

 

Cool shots jm! Thanks! :clap:

edit

Banks riverfront project ahead of inclusion goals

Business Courier of Cincinnati

 

Developers in charge of the Banks riverfront project say they are exceeding their goals for small-business participation, with 34 percent of all contracts awarded to date now in the hands of small-business contractors.

 

That is 4 percentage points over the project’s small-business inclusion goal of 30 percent. Banks bidders have won a combined $11.1 million in contracts to date.

 

Full story text is available at

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/22/daily27.html

 

^Great news.

Saw the couple of cranes and drills this weekend.............and I must say!    It's starting to look mighty sexy down along the banks.  QC2's contribution just makes it that much more sexy (Angelina Jolie-ish!)

Does anyone know if they are going to incorporate the tracks for the streetcar into the contruction of the streetgrid around the Banks.  I would think they would want to do that now and not later when it would cause disruption and be more expensive etc.

Stopped by today and I am very impressed with the speed of the drilling.

^ Thats what she sa..  It is exciting to see all the activity in that quadrant of town.

The Banks and QSC II will really shift the focus of downtown south and east.  Fortunately the streetcar should help connect that quadrant to the rest of downtown/otr/uptown

Take a look at this!  Even when positive things happen in this town people still complain about it!  THANKS CHANNEL 5 NEWS...ANOTHER WASTE OF TIME STORY!!!

 

Downtown Workers Call Banks 'Pile Of Mud'

 

The much-anticipated Banks Project is under way but one City Council member is saying that progress is too slow and already behind schedule.

 

Many workers who walk by the project everyday told News 5 that the project is nothing but a big mud pit.

 

Full story text is available at

http://www.wlwt.com/news/18434753/detail.html

Considering QCS has been designed for decades, and the Banks needed to be designed, engineered, and drawn all AFTER QCS was groundbroken, people need to get their heads out of their !@#$.  While HGTV and the like have been great in raising design awareness, people seem to have lost all patience and respect for the profession of late.  All projects seem to be rush projects where the "silly architect" and his "silly ideas" need to get compromised due to poor scheduling and leed times. 

[/rant]

 

That being said, I was at the Banks site yesterday and the concrete and rebar is starting to creep up to second street level.  Not a building or a platform yet, but exciting nevertheless.

Not a building or a platform yet, but exciting nevertheless.

 

It's on it's way!!!!!

Take a look at this!  Even when positive things happen in this town people still complain about it!  THANKS CHANNEL 5 NEWS...ANOTHER WASTE OF TIME STORY!!!

 

Most people don't understand the complexity of designing/building a modern building, let alone an entire complex of buildings.  This is to be expected though, I see it quite a bit.  There are a myraid of issues that come up between architect/contractor/client that slow things down (although these things are usually alloted time for within schedule, so the project shouldn't ever fall too behind).  Although I do remember the quote about how we'd be eating at the Banks by opening day, and I remember laughing at the time.

I wouldn't be surprise if they aren't being very deliberate with construction. There is a recession going on. It's probably very tricky figuring out when to finish phase 1 and having residents renting and companies leasing.

 

I understand the steel industry is hurting. I can only hope the Banks and QCSII are capitalizing on what should be a buyers market for steel.

Folks, bid day for the garage decks and slabs was only this past Tuesday.  It's coming along fine!  People just need to be patient!  MOST people don't even know what kind of logistics go into a project of this size.  They wouldn't know where to begin, yet when they speak about it, they are all of the sudden an expert engineer.

 

%&*@ the media in this town!!!  They will NEVER be satisfied with the final product.........even if it is a major success.

Hey...not all media.

 

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/47soapdish.aspx

I ignore Soapbox because it ignores my 'hood. Bellevue is in the center of their neighborhood map yet they refuse to include it. I've worn out my email trying to convince them otherwise.

 

In all seriousness it's good to have some pro-urban alternative media.

^ Bellevue? What, where's that at?

I think it's the one next door to glorious Dayton!

 

Seriously, not much happens in Bellevue. Here and there, but I have seen some coverage by Soapbox.

Bellevue has my favorite NBD in Nky.

Bellevue has my favorite NBD in Nky.

 

Yea, it always blows me away when I go through it.  Its so long.  It ranks up there as one of the best nbd's in the region, hands down.  stiff competition though. 

Folks, bid day for the garage decks and slabs was only this past Tuesday.   It's coming along fine! People just need to be patient!   MOST people don't even know what kind of logistics go into a project of this size.   They wouldn't know where to begin, yet when they speak about it, they are all of the sudden an expert engineer.

 

%&*@ the media in this town!!! They will NEVER be satisfied with the final product.........even if it is a major success.

 

It isn't as though the Banks is slab on grade construction. Given its location on alluvium with a water table four feet down I imagine the piles to support the structures are ridiculously deep. Deep foundations just don't get done quickly. It's better for stupidly deep foundations than to create shallow foundations and worry about inconsistent subsidence on the level of several inches. Now that just wouldn't be good for a structure.

 

Taking your time on piles will only save you money in the long run. Too bad it looks like nothing's happening though because it takes time to drive piles. People need to take a chill pill.

yo know what would be awesome? for the people running the show to come out and say some of these things so the only news isn't asking a passerby what the big dirt lot in front of them looks like and having an official comment of we're on schedule.

Remember one of the rationales for remaking the riverfront all those years ago, was that Riverfront Stadium had been built somewhat poorly at the below ground levels. The parking decks were supposedly going bad quickly. If we are about to build a new neighborhood for a century or so, I'd rather they do it right than have to go back and do an expensive fix in 30 or 40 years (like Fountain Square).

yo know what would be awesome? for the people running the show to come out and say some of these things so the only news isn't asking a passerby what the big dirt lot in front of them looks like and having an official comment of we're on schedule.

 

It would be great if they just had large renderings surrounding the construction site so that unfamiliar out-of-towners know what is going on.

 

It would be great if they just had large renderings surrounding the construction site so that unfamiliar out-of-towners know what is going on.

 

It would be great if they published a schedule too.  Is there one available anywhere?  I haven't been able to find it.  I'm about to graduate from UC for architecture, and I've co-op'd at quite a few companies so I'm very familiar with the process.  Usually there is a calendar planned out, and any part of the job that doesn't get done within the timeframe bid upon incurs penalties(certain issues like weather, etc. permitting).  The calendar is avialable to all the clients/contractors.  In this case the city is the client, so it'd be nice if some of the info was made public somewhere.

 

I'm not saying it's behind schedule at all, I have no idea.  I'd just like to know what to expect and when.

 

It would be great if they published a schedule too. Is there one available anywhere? I haven't been able to find it. I'm about to graduate from UC for architecture, and I've co-op'd at quite a few companies so I'm very familiar with the process. Usually there is a calendar planned out, and any part of the job that doesn't get done within the timeframe bid upon incurs penalties(certain issues like weather, etc. permitting). The calendar is avialable to all the clients/contractors. In this case the city is the client, so it'd be nice if some of the info was made public somewhere.

 

I'm not saying it's behind schedule at all, I have no idea. I'd just like to know what to expect and when.

 

The schedule supplied for all phases for the Banks RFQ were borderline ridiculous, and I am sure all the firms that interviewed told the developers that.  While there is an ideal timeline that all will try to adhere to, I believe it is being kept hush hush so that when things do go wrong or get delayed (inevitably) the project doesnt get MORE bad press.

 

That being said, when the platforms do get poured, most of the buildings will shoot right up.  My suspicion is that the low buildings will be stick built, which means faster build time, lighter weight, and more flexibility.  The high rises (office, hotel and residential) will be slower to progress, and be more carefuly planned.  I would not doubt the concrete supports poured now take this into account...

take a look now....the framing for the second level platform is being built, moving west from the Reds HOF...and moving more rapidly I might add.  Adds a more tangible sign of progress than drillig 2,000 holes in the ground (not that those holes aren't necessary, but it's just difficult for the typical Channel 5 "ignorant rube on the street" to grasp the significance of structural support in a 20 second soundbite interview.

I think it's the one next door to glorious Dayton!

 

I only know of one Dayton and it is located north of Cincinnati.

Dayton,Ky. That's east of  Bellevue, Ky.

It is my professional opinion that the Banks is not moving as fast as it could, but that doesn't mean they aren't on schedule or are somehow lying to the public. That said, it is also my professional opinion that occupancy 16 months from now is something you would probably only see in China.

 

The comment about QCS having a decade-long advantage in design and engineering is not accurate. Nobody at QCS was going to pay for 30, 60, 90% CD's before the project had a funding direction.

I agree with you regarding the nearly impossible timeline.  Unfortunately many of the uninformed will consider it yet another unfulfilled promise.

 

Considering there were bid sets out far before Great American became the name tenant, I will disagree with you there.  Design and CDs of some form, although they may not represent the exact final building, were there for quite some time.