December 16, 200519 yr Cirque du Soleil coming to The Banks By Kimball Perry Enquirer staff writer The area that Hamilton County officials hope will be the site of a $600 million project in the future will be the site of an avant-garde circus next summer, Commissioner Todd Portune said Thursday. "Cirque du Soleil is coming," Portune said. Portune said the Montreal-based troupe is expected to set up its Grand Chapiteau - "Big Top" to non-French-speakers - on the riverfront site between the two sports stadiums in the area known as The Banks. "It would be a pretty neat thing with that sort of framed against Cincinnati's skyline," he said. Portune did not have more details. Cirque du Soleil officials could not be reached for comment. Read Full Article Here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051216/NEWS01/512160416/1056
December 16, 200519 yr http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/cirquedusoleil/default.htm Cirque du Soleil's "Mystere" show in Las Vegas is good. That would be cool if they came to Cincy.
December 16, 200519 yr I saw the show several years ago in Denver and they set up in a similar near downtown location there. Close to downtown and a large open parking area.
December 18, 200519 yr Sounds like Portune kind of shot his mouth off, because the deal isn't really done for Cirque du Soleil.
December 18, 200519 yr From the 12/18/05 Enquirer: The Banks project is still alive Site preparation expected to begin in January By Kimball Perry Enquirer staff writer The Banks project is proceeding despite the pull-out of one of the developers, Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich told an economic development task force that he helped form. The task force makes recommendations to commissioners to spur growth and to help stop an exodus of jobs and residents from Hamilton County. The Banks project envisions a $600 million residential, commercial and retail development on the riverfront. But on Dec. 5, Corporex Cos., one of two firms chosen to negotiate with Hamilton County to become the exclusive developers, announced it was pulling out. The other company is Vandercar Holdings. "We were disappointed," Heimlich told the task force Wednesday. But in some ways, the project may be in better shape, Heimlich claimed. "I'm not just putting a smile on this. I'm being straight," Heimlich said. Corporex initially promised to put $10 million of its own money into The Banks. Then, it pulled out after Hamilton County declined its request for an extra $30 million. "That was just more than we can afford," Heimlich said. Despite the Corporex exit, county officials insist the project will proceed. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/NEWS01/512180384/1056/rss02
December 19, 200519 yr Doesn't Cincinnati already have a circus? (Insert city council, reds, UC sports, county admin, etc. joke here)
December 19, 200519 yr Doesn't Cincinnati already have a circus? (Insert city council, reds, UC sports, county admin, etc. joke here) Yeah, they are known as the "Hamilton County Commisioners." ;)
December 21, 200519 yr While many residents fustrations about "The Banks" are warranted, I thought I would post this here to show you what the St. Louis riverfront looked like for almost 30 years while they received funding for the Gateway Arch: Can you imagine waiting for your showcase along the riverfront for that long? Yikes In 1935 the St. Louis riverfront was selected as the site for construction of a monument to commemorate the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century. An area of 40 city blocks was purchased and all buildings were cleared, but because of World War II, progress on the Memorial was halted. In 1947 the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association, a group of public-spirited citizens, held a nationwide competition to obtain an appropriate design for the Memorial. The winner in the competition was architect Eero Saarinen whose idea of a giant stainless steel arch in the shape of an inverted catenary curve is a complex engineering feat. In 1963, construction began on The Arch and was completed in 1965. http://www.explorestlouis.com/factSheets/fact_arch.asp?PageType=4
January 6, 200619 yr Yeah, I actually don't think we should be in as great a hurry as we are...the site WILL get developed eventually, and I'd rather have it done right and finished in 7 years than shitty and done by 2008
January 6, 200619 yr Vandercar is still one of the developers, right? to me, that's scary given what they did out in Oakley
January 6, 200619 yr Vandercar is still one of the developers, right? to me, that's scary given what they did out in Oakley I believe once Butler walked, their joint contract with the coutny was voided. I know they are trying to find a new partner to team with and try to get another shot at it.
January 25, 200619 yr Hamilton Co. to seek new Banks proposals THE ENQUIRER Hamilton County officials expect to issue a request for qualifications within a week from developers interested in completing the $600 million Banks project. The move will be the first step in restarting the process of developing the residential, commercial and retail neighborhood on the Ohio River banks between the two sports stadiums. The process of creating what county and Cincinnati officials insist is the most important development in a generation was halted in December when one of the developers given exclusive rights to negotiate a deal for the site, Covington-based Corporex Cos., dropped out. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060124/BIZ01/301240011/1002/rss01
January 27, 200619 yr Excellent, Cirque will be in Cincy just in time for the purple people bridge climbers dressed up like clowns! What a great way to tie two downtown events together! :laugh:
February 2, 200619 yr I just heard something on WLW this morning about a "Mall of America" developer interested in developing the Cincinnati riverfront. Did anyone hear anything about this? I never got the scoop and can't find anything in the local media or blog community.
February 2, 200619 yr I checked out the WLW website, and they had a story in the news section: Hamilton County continues looking at developers for the $600 million Banks riverfront project. By 700WLW News Thursday, February 2, 2006 Hamilton County and Cincinnati leaders have been searching for eight years for a company to take over the Banks riverfront project and a decision is expected next month. Commissioner Todd Portune says he is ready to accept a deal from Verdi Construction. The Minnesota developers are offering to put up $10 million of their own money and $50 million in financing for exclusive rights to the project. Portune is now asking leaders to table plans to get other developers involved. Covington-based Corporex Cos. was given exclusive rights to the project last year, but pulled out in December. Other leaders say they want to be cautious and avoid a repeat mistake. http://www.700wlw.com/pages/localNews.html?feed=119585&article=390009 Here is a ChannelCincinnati.com story: Mall Of America Developer Interested In Banks Project POSTED: 5:42 pm EST February 1, 2006 UPDATED: 6:06 pm EST February 1, 2006 CINCINNATI -- A high-profile national developer has expressed interest in developing Cincinnati's riverfront. Members of the team that built the $650-million Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis were in town this week to talk with local leaders about the Banks. Plans to redevelop the stretch of land between Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ballpark were first proposed in 1998, but the project has been mired in delays over the past eight years. In December, Covington-based Corporex pulled out as the Banks' master developer, citing high construction costs. But Verdi Construction, part of the Mall of America team, said it would front $10 million for a parking garage and has made a preliminary commitment of $50 million in equity financing. County commissioners said they're trying to work with city leaders and will pick a new master developer in March. "I don't care how long it takes, you know, and that's what everybody needs to understand," Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell said. "It's the highest and best use." Commissioners Phil Heimlich and Pat DeWine said although they're gratified by the interest from Verdi, they will stick with the current timetable of selection to ensure a fair and competitive process. http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/6659367/detail.html
February 2, 200619 yr well i am glad there is interest from big name developers, I just hope they dont suburbanize the plans. Hopefully they keep it as far away from mall of america as possible.
February 2, 200619 yr Have faith. The Twin Cities is a great area, including Bloomington and the Mall of America. The county is waiting until March to listen to other developers. Early April is when they ok. So the county owns the land and will be building the garages right? Why are the garages not built yet? So then the city has the "Air" rights above that land? Seems like a big mess!
February 2, 200619 yr Why are the garages not built yet? $$$. The tax receipts from the stadium tax is substantially less than predicted, leaving financing of the the garages without adequate funding.
February 4, 200619 yr The Enquirer has a link to the 53-page RFQ, which is pretty neat to look at. Be forewarned...it's a PDF and it's 15 MB: http://news.enquirer.com/assets/AB1804322.PDF Here's the story about the RFQ from the 2/3/06 Cincinnati Business Courier: County seeks bids on Banks project Hamilton County has issued a request for qualifications from developers interested in building the Banks riverfront development project, a $600 million package of residential and commercial development planned in an eight-block area on the Cincinnati riverfront. The county is asking bidders to submit information by March 8 on their experience and capacity to complete the project. Plans call for a developer to be selected by April 8, followed by negotiations on the drafting of a preferred developer agreement. This is at least the fifth attempt to get the Banks project rolling. Previous attempts by the Riverfront Advisory Commission, the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. and a joint venture by Corporex Cos. Inc. and Vandercar Holdings failed to produce a workable deal. © 2006 American City Business Journals Inc. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/01/30/daily31.html?from_rss=1
February 4, 200619 yr Wait a minute, what year is this? This is exactly where the Port Authority was several years ago, when the County pulled the rug out from under them. Still one of the biggest bonehead moves in local politics in quite a while, and of course the whole thing blew up in their face.
February 5, 200619 yr City bothered by Banks plan BY MARLA MATZER ROSE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory said Friday that he had hoped Hamilton County would hold off issuing a renewed call for potential developers for the Banks project. The city had concerns about the county's call - specifically whether its request for qualifications protected the size of a planned city park near the Roebling Suspension Bridge, he said. "It wouldn't have been my preference to put the (request for developers qualifications) out right now," Mallory said. "We didn't feel the document best represented what we would have liked to see happening in terms of time frames and some specific issues." The county issued the call Thursday, giving developers a March 8 deadline for submitting their qualifications to build the $600 million project on the central riverfront. The county hopes to pick a developer by April 5. Mallory said city lawyers gave the county a list of concerns before the document was issued. He declined to provide the list, but said one point was about public space. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060204/NEWS01/602040349/1056/rss02
February 5, 200619 yr Yeah, I actually don't think we should be in as great a hurry as we are...the site WILL get developed eventually, and I'd rather have it done right and finished in 7 years than shitty and done by 2008 I think you would need to define having it "done right".
February 6, 200619 yr Of course. But my point is what kind of project would constitute it "not being done right"? Do we want nothing but open park space down there? Or do we want shops, restaurants, condos, office space, hotels? Do we want the inclusion of unique tourist attractions, on par with Newport on the Levee? Do we want some sort of towering monument that becomes a new and more visible symbol of Cincinnati? In short, WHO is going to make that decision? Who SHOULD make that decision - city council alone? Or should the voice of the people be included? "Done right". It's a matter of perspective. What may constitute "done right" to one may not constitute the project being "done right" for another. :wink:
February 6, 200619 yr But my point is what kind of project would constitute it "not being done right"? Anything that resembled the horrid Vandercar project in Oakley would constitute it "not being done right" If they follow this renderings closely, you will find that many of us will be greatly surprised and pleased. BTW, welcome to the forum.
February 6, 200619 yr I can't see there being any surface lots as the whole thing would be built on top of garages...
February 7, 200619 yr See that beautiful Second Empire building to the right? That better be there when this project is done. In fact that who rendering leaves me with so much joy, if only it can be built.
February 7, 200619 yr I can't see there being any surface lots as the whole thing would be built on top of garages... I know but I am saying my definition of a nice urban area is one without surface lots.
February 7, 200619 yr BTW, welcome to the forum. Thanks! I've visited the site off and on for quite a while and until now I've been hiding in the shadows. Like a groundhog, I thought maybe it was time to pop up out of my hole in the ground. :wave: I guess my idea of The Banks being "done right" is anything that generates a return of people to the riverfront for more than just a Reds or Bengals game with the subsequent retreat across the river for entertainment afterwards. If you can give people like myself a reason to come down there, it might also regenerate some interest in downtown. (I live in Fairfield.) But along with that, I'd also like to see something done down there that would become a new and unique symbol of Cincinnati, so that when shown to people throughout the world, they would recognize it was Cincinnati and choose to come here to see it up close and in person. Let's face it, two stadiums alone just doesn't cut it.
February 7, 200619 yr I would just like to point out that there are unique attractions downtown and on the riverfront such as the Freedom Center, the Contemporary Arts Center, and the Taft Museum. There are also things downtown that are unique to the region such as Saks, Tiffany's, and Brooks Brothers. We should say the Banks needs to exapand the ammount of unique entities downtown rather then create one because acting like there aren't attractions downtown discredits the fine institutions listed above.
February 8, 200619 yr ^It is true this are fine institutions, but I do not feel any of them scream "Cincinnati" like, for example, the Arch does for St. Louis.
February 8, 200619 yr ^ Oh lord, please don't go there... You should know my issues with St. Louis by now ;) I have many memories of my 5 years in St. Louis and many on top of the Arch believe it or not but I wouldn't trade the gravel field of the Cincinnati Banks for the Arch any day. They can have the Arch. It is "federal" parkland so the city cannot hold functions or rallies on the grounds without permission from the federal government. The park grounds of the Arch are under utilized and I would rather have a Sawyer's Point/Yeatman's Cove over the Arch in a second. We have plenty of riverfront parkland - lets not forget. Those areas are great and the central riverfront park will be a nice addition but I want residential where those gravel fields are now. Some nice multi use low-rise (shoot high-rise would be nice) developments would be great. Skyways that cross over to Kentucky would be nice or even a Ferris Wheel on the riverfront would be a welcomed addition to the plan if they were done right.
February 8, 200619 yr ^ Great suggestions, Monte. How about a skyway network that would connect downtown to the surrounding neighborhoods, like an incline in the sky? Theoretically you could run a tramway up to Mt. Adams, in addtion to Clifton Heights, and other urban neighborhoods. It would certainly change the perception of Downtown.
February 8, 200619 yr ^ Oh lord, please don't go there... You should know my issues with St. Louis by now ;) I have many memories of my 5 years in St. Louis and many on top of the Arch believe it or not but I wouldn't trade the gravel field of the Cincinnati Banks for the Arch any day. They can have the Arch. It is "federal" parkland so the city cannot hold functions or rallies on the grounds without permission from the federal government. The park grounds of the Arch are under utilized and I would rather have a Sawyer's Point/Yeatman's Cove over the Arch in a second. We have plenty of riverfront parkland - lets not forget. Those areas are great and the central riverfront park will be a nice addition but I want residential where those gravel fields are now. Some nice multi use low-rise (shoot high-rise would be nice) developments would be great. Skyways that cross over to Kentucky would be nice or even a Ferris Wheel on the riverfront would be a welcomed addition to the plan if they were done right. I agree. I've been to the arch and it is nice and all, but once you've seen it –you've seen it. I'm sure a lot of the locals can't remember when was the last time they visited the arch. If it is done right, people will continue to go back, no matter if they live in the city or not and this is just not happing in the STL. Also, the "Federal Land" point that Monte brought up is very important to keeping it vibrant. If we want a party in the park or festivals in or around Sawyer Point, then we can have them no questions asked (which both have been very successful).
February 8, 200619 yr Well, the cool thing about the arch, from someone who's only a three-time-visitor (but who fell in love with St. Louis in those cumulative maybe four days total), is that 1) you can see it from all the f*** over the place - like, you may not visit the park, but you can be (seemingly) ten miles away, and it will poke out between buildings. With the bowl Cincinnati sits in, that's really not an option - but it's gotta help tie St. Louisians to the arch... And the other thing about it is that it's impossible to take a bad picture of the arch...every angle is interesting...it's an astonishingly simple and yet complex structure...absolutely gorgeous...
February 8, 200619 yr That is because St. Louis is so flat another thing I didn't like about St. Louis. Probably why Columbus never caught my attention like Cincinnati did. The hills of Cincinnati make this city so much fun to photograph.
February 8, 200619 yr ^I'm 100% with you there...it's why I never plan to leave Cincinnati, but if I had to, I'd pick Chattanooga long before I'd ever pick Chicago...
February 8, 200619 yr It is hard to find a city in a hilly topography with greenery. You either have Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or Seattle. Ironically I love them all...
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