Yes

Good, thank you!  I would hate to see that facing GABP.

^ See the tall building against nuxhall in this image:

 

 

Also- any word on when they may begin to construct the townhouses that line the event lawn?

^ I was just going to ask the same thing.  I noticed yesterday that theve started hanging some of the balcony railings.  They should hopefully add a nice level of detail to the buildings. Also, i really hope the hotel doesnt end up looking like that.

Some of those are faux balconies...

Those are actually "french balconies", I believe there are a lot of them on the Polk Building residences at Lytle Park as well.

 

Interesting, I've always used the term Juliet balcony in my Architecture classes.  I actually really like Juliet/French balconies when they're done right.  Those recessed ones are terrible though.

UGH- sometimes I get so anxious and want to fast forward to 2018 when the entire banks & riverfront park development will be one!

The City of Cincinnati and First Financial Bank will be holding a press conference outside of City Hall tomorrow at 10am to announce a "major downtown development."

 

Stay tuned for more information, but there may be a possibility that First Financial will be moving their HQ into The Banks (or somewhere else downtown).

Awesome!

That sounds promising.  It's been a bad week for news, let's keep the good news pumping.

 

Off-topic: I have a major issue with proper nouns that aren't capitalized.  "hamton inn" has been driving me crazy for years.  But what is with First Financial Bank!?!  Lowercase "f", ambiguously lowercase "i", then a capital "RST"  WHAT!?!

 

Back on topic: Any chance this is a Fifth and Race development?

Back on topic: Any chance this is a Fifth and Race development?

 

I would say with almost 100% certainty, no. City officials and leaders really want residential at 5th & Race.

^ and 3CDC has on their website that they are developing 5th&Race

First Financial is a local company located in Norwood right? Simply moving their headquarters is nothing really to celebrate imo.  If it was an out of state company moving to Cincinnati, then that would be exciting.  I guess there is the benefit of having more workers downtown, but is that really something to hold a press conference about? I guess we'll just see what the news is tomorrow.  God knows we could use some good news this week.

They moved headquarters downtown last year with the intention to close their Norwood offices in the near future.

First Financial is a local company located in Norwood right? Simply moving their headquarters is nothing really to celebrate imo.  If it was an out of state company moving to Cincinnati, then that would be exciting.  I guess there is the benefit of having more workers downtown, but is that really something to hold a press conference about? I guess we'll just see what the news is tomorrow.  God knows we could use some good news this week.

 

If it means the construction of a new office tower then it will be news to talk about. And that is exactly what I presume we'll hear.

I was at the First Financial press conference this morning...they DID NOT announce a lease in an existing or new building, only that they are committed to downtown Cincinnati.  They presently only rent 45,000 sq feet and have 90 employees.  They will double their rented space and increase staff as part of their upcoming move.  Even if they increase to 100,000 sq feet, they will not occupy much space in the anticipated new tower on the banks. 

I seriously doubt they will be doing anything but taking space in an existing building.  My money is on Atrium or the 580 Building.

 

I actually saw completed drawings a few months ago for them to take space at the Pictoria Tower up off of 275 near Springdale.  Not sure what happened there unless it is for a different department of the bank.

 

I think FTPS (5/3 Processing) was the last shot at finding an "easy" tenant to get 180 Walnut built.  That space and the hotel will be a hole for quite some time. 

 

First Financial is still chartered in Hamilton and I believe they said that they still have some staff up there but I wasn't listening closely.  Whatever that office is in Hamilton could conceivably move to Springdale, so that might have been what you were seeing. 

The First Financial location in Springdale/Pictoria is relocated staff from Middletown.

 

First Financial Bank remains headquartered in Downtown Hamilton. First Financial Bancorp (the bank's holding company) is now in Downtown Cincinnati and expanding.

So...what was the purpose of the press conference again?

^The Bancorp is reaffirming their committment to downtown and adding 150 employees.

^^ Exactly.

 

Non-news.

^The Bancorp is reaffirming their committment to downtown and adding 150 employees.

 

And the City is giving 75% of the tax collected on the payroll of those 150 and refunding it to the corporation.  I wonder if First Financial will in turn refund it to those 150 employees?  If so, I hope the City keeps the tax it collects on those checks.

^ Exactly.

 

Non-news.

 

Can't tell if you're being serious or not, but I really do think this is very small news.  They aren't adding 150 workers, they're adding 55 over the course of 3 years...that is hardly anything.  Additionally, the city gave huge tax breaks, and won't even be seeing too much of an economic gain from this.  Celebrating minor news like this with press conferences makes Cincinnati seem awfully backwater, imo.  And giving out massive incentives just for one company to add like 17 employees a year for 3 years sets a bad precedent for what other companies think they can expect from the city. 

^ Exactly.

 

Non-news.

 

Can't tell if you're being serious or not, but I really do think this is very small news.  They aren't adding 150 workers, they're adding 55 over the course of 3 years...that is hardly anything.  Additionally, the city gave huge tax breaks, and won't even be seeing too much of an economic gain from this.  Celebrating minor news like this with press conferences makes Cincinnati seem awfully backwater, imo.  And giving out massive incentives just for one company to add like 17 employees a year for 3 years sets a bad precedent for what other companies think they can expect from the city. 

 

ink snuck in there; I was replying to you. And I was serious, and agreeing with you.

This is all non-Banks news and more Cincinnati: General Business & Economic News  :-P

^ Exactly.

 

Non-news.

 

Can't tell if you're being serious or not, but I really do think this is very small news.  They aren't adding 150 workers, they're adding 55 over the course of 3 years...that is hardly anything.  Additionally, the city gave huge tax breaks, and won't even be seeing too much of an economic gain from this.  Celebrating minor news like this with press conferences makes Cincinnati seem awfully backwater, imo.  And giving out massive incentives just for one company to add like 17 employees a year for 3 years sets a bad precedent for what other companies think they can expect from the city. 

 

I agree about the news being quite minor. I spoke with a rep with First Financial after they hosted the press conference and was told that there will be another announcement in the future. This announcement was to reaffirm their committment to downtown, and that they are looking at ways to significantly expand their presence in the CBD. I still think this may lead to office tower construction, or them becoming the primary tenant of an existing building downtown and moving other office users around.

http://soapboxmedia.com/devnews/0315bankspublicprivatepartnership.aspx

Holy Grail opens TOMORROW at the Banks, with a beer tapping at 10:30 AM, and lunch being served starting at 11 AM. Food prices are reasonable and cheap. Come out and support :)

I'll be there!

Beer is being delivered and inside/outside clean-up is underway!

For all of those who thought this day would never come, well, here you go:

 

Holy Grail opens at Banks Thursday

7:18 PM, Mar. 16, 2011 

 

After a decade of debate and nearly three years of construction, The Banks riverfront development will see its first retailer open today - sports bar Holy Grail Tavern & Grille.

 

Jim Moehring, one of four partners that own the restaurant, said construction of the 6,000-square-foot eatery was the fastest of his career. To get it done in time to open on St. Patrick's Day, he pounded several hundred of the some 11,000 nails that secure the bar's dark wood finish.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110316/BIZ01/103170321/Holy-Grail-opens-Banks-Thursday?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

There were pretty nice crowds at Holy Grail last Thursday and Friday.  They are going to do extremely well once the Reds' season begins. 

^They may need a few more TVs.

^They still probably have more HDTV's than the suites down at the Jungle.

Big article on the Banks in the Enquirer:

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110327/NEWS01/103270388/The-Banks-comes-alive?odyssey=tab

Another project that has been belittled for years is now being seen in positive light. Fight tooth and nail to not support something, then once it finally happens you sit back and say, "huh this isn't so bad after all".

 

Funny how not one person had a quote about the streetcar running through this development. I'm sure that even if one of the numerous people said anything about it, the Enquirer wouldn't stoop so low as to omit it right?  :wink:

The Banks is not being dependent on the streetcar for its success.

^But it would help connect the Banks to the rest of the city. The biggest fear reflected in the fishwrap article was that the new neighborhood's retail would turn into an island. This likely won't happen because their will be people living at the Banks but a streetcar would still be convenient for trips into the city w/out having to rely on a car (Bus service is limited and the streetcar route is a direct connection to Findlay Market, Uptown, 12th & Main, etc.) and to the Banks retail establishments.

Holy Grail signage is up:

The Banks is not being dependent on the streetcar for its success.

 

I don't disagree with that statement, but I definitely think it would help the development. I was commenting more on the fact that not one of those  interviewed, including the mayor, were quoted about the streetcar project running through the development. Now maybe no one in fact did say anything about the streetcar, but unfortunately the Enquirer does not have the benefit of the doubt in any mention of the streetcar and I am highly skeptical that if it was in fact mentioned that they would put it in print. I'm sure I am not alone in this thought.

I know a couple of Forumers were at the Tweet Up last Wednesday. Any links to your pictures?

 

Also, people tend to talk after a few drinks... so I asked about the four retail spaces that are "Under Negotiation". I was told that if you like steak, there is the potential of both a national and a local presence. Details by summer. 

 

I could see a Shula's Steak & Sport's working well. As for local, I can't see Ruby opening yet another location in the downtown area.

Steak and Shake? :P

The Banks is not being dependent on the streetcar for its success.

 

I don't disagree with that statement, but I definitely think it would help the development. I was commenting more on the fact that not one of those  interviewed, including the mayor, were quoted about the streetcar project running through the development. Now maybe no one in fact did say anything about the streetcar, but unfortunately the Enquirer does not have the benefit of the doubt in any mention of the streetcar and I am highly skeptical that if it was in fact mentioned that they would put it in print. I'm sure I am not alone in this thought.

I know first hand that the streetcar was touted in interviews for the story, i.e. how it would tie everything together, etc.  It was edited out. Not surprising given the naked bias at the Enquirer. The new editor is a lapdog-lackey for Mags Buchanan. 

^ Ridiculous. Grrr.

I could see a Shula's Steak & Sport's working well. As for local, I can't see Ruby opening yet another location in the downtown area.

 

I've heard that Ruby is considering closing The Waterfront in Covington, which is similar to what happened with Tropicana in Newport when he was working on Bootsy's.  That's all rumor and conjecture at this point, but such a move would keep him at the same number of restaurants, with only a minor shift northward in presence.

I know a couple of Forumers were at the Tweet Up last Wednesday. Any links to your pictures?

 

I almost didn't make it, but got there at the last minute. Photos here: http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2011/03/building-banks.html

 

As for local, I can't see Ruby opening yet another location in the downtown area.

He has to get his boat under control first, haha.

I worked on barges and one coming loose spontaneously in the way that this restaurant did is extremely suspicious.  That stuff doesn't *just* happen.  In a situation like this they are not secured with just one wire at each corner timberhead, but probably two at each.  That the restaurant was kept from floating away by just one cable illustrates a) how strong these cables are and b) if the upstream wire didn't break, how exactly did it become detached?  There's basically only one way: the ratchet was kicked open.  Usually in permanent installations like this, there is a lock on the ratchet.  But if it's unlocked, anyone who knows how to can flip over the ratchet dog, give it a few cranks, then kick it loose.  It takes 5 seconds.