July 16, 200816 yr Speaking of 4th, that lot at 4th and plum needs to go. They could fit a monster of a skyscraper there. Not to veer too much off topic, but you'll never see a monster skyscraper at 4th & Plum due to the nature of historic W. 4th Street. The most you can hope to see there is something closer to 10 stories.
July 16, 200816 yr >From my understanding the garage was VERY close to the end of its life. It was going to need major work done (see Fountain Square garage) in order to stay operational. Well considering the stubborn time it is giving not one but a pair of wrecking balls, with steady repairs I'd bet it could have survived another 50 years. It's amazing to watch wrecking balls hit the vertical surfaces 5-10 times before there's any sign of damage. For purely academic reasons, I'll like to see what WWII era bombing would do a big concrete reinforced structure like this, and my guess is not much. I'd bet after the all-clear you could still park on the 6th or 7th floor!
July 17, 200816 yr ^ Depending on which bombs they used! But if their intent was to destroy that particular target...they had an arsenal very capable.
July 18, 200816 yr Thanks for occasionally showing pictures of the demolition. Living north of Dayton, I don't fequently get downtown.
July 18, 200816 yr Just to let everyone know, I'm going to take a dynamic aerial view of downtown Cincy and do a sci-fi environment of Cincy 2 hundred years in the future. If anyone has some awesome shots showing all of downtown, post them here and I'll snatch them up!
July 18, 200816 yr taking down this thing is a mangled mess. I just looked from our 29th floor balcony at Atrium II....just a twisted wreckage of concrete and steel. ugh. I measure progress on how many parking spaces they have taken out. At this point, it's around 5 to 8 spaces (depending on whether you're looking at the east side or the west side.
July 21, 200816 yr It doesnt seem as though they have made any progress over the weekend. Because of the ballgames?
July 21, 200816 yr The local media of course tried to make a negative out of it. They interviewed some whiny fans from the Reds-Mets game this weekend complaining about the view from Great American Ballpark and the view ruining their beer drinking experience. Some of the people in this town can't come to grips that Cincinnati is actually a great place to live and unfortunately many of them seem to work in the media.
July 21, 200816 yr People who work in the media are jaded from their businesses run by close-minded people who are frightened about change. QCS will be an awesome sight regardless of what some alcoholic says.
July 22, 200816 yr The local media of course tried to make a negative out of it. They interviewed some whiny fans from the Reds-Mets game this weekend complaining about the view from Great American Ballpark and the view ruining their beer drinking experience. Some of the people in this town can't come to grips that Cincinnati is actually a great place to live and unfortunately many of them seem to work in the media. What view?
July 22, 200816 yr judging progress, they have gouged a strip of about 3 more spaces out on the east edge of the interior, and 3 more on west wall. They are also delicately taking down the wall closest to the adjacent new building to the east with bobcat/jackhammers etc. To minimize the potential for falling debris damaging that building. Like I said, this type of demo is a tedious and messy process. Not to mention the fact that all of that stuff has to be hauled away. I think it looks pretty cool, regardless of what some yayhoo at the Reds game thinks.
July 22, 200816 yr Like I said, this type of demo is a tedious and messy process. Not to mention the fact that all of that stuff has to be hauled away. I was actually already wondering what will happen to all of that debris. It's not like you can just drive it up to Mt. Rumpke and dump it. What do they do with the debris from major demolitions, anyway?
July 22, 200816 yr It must be a paint in the butt right now for them. With so little of the garage cleared they barely have any room to work. They probably spend more time making sure they aren't about to hit something than actual demo.
July 22, 200816 yr Could have been much easier if Western Southern just built it at the same time as phase 1, then they wouldn't have to worry about damage to 303 Broadway. ;)
July 22, 200816 yr They interviewed some whiny fans from the Reds-Mets game this weekend complaining about the view from Great American Ballpark and the view ruining their beer drinking experience Probably from a cookie cutter Mcmansion in West Chester.
July 23, 200816 yr I worked out at the Carlisle/Maxim crane site (Licking Pike in Wilder, KY) when Riverfront's garage was being demo'd. They brought it there and crushed the concrete, separated the steel and recycled both. vEDIT: It was! What a mountain of aggregate it created! Our best guess was that the steel was just being taken up the road to the Newport Recycling yards and the cement was being used for the realignment of Licking Pike. The big paddlewheel on the riverfront was stored there for several months about that time too.
July 29, 200816 yr Cool photo - there is at least some progress. I must say that I am pretty excited with this building going up as well as the new hyper-coaster going in at Kings Island (official details August 6th). It is fun when projects that make a statement are being done, even when one is just a roller coaster.
July 29, 200816 yr Although I'm incredibly excited about this building, but I wish it was going to fill a surface lot rather than knocking down a structure to put up a new one
July 29, 200816 yr they have made pretty good progress the past couple days. what you are seeing in the middle of the destruction is the helix beginning to show through. they have pretty much finished the helix off as of this afternoon.
July 29, 200816 yr Maybe I missed it, but has anyone given reasoning why this isn't a case for implosion? Is it too close to phase I? Is it a cost issue?
July 29, 200816 yr Maybe I missed it, but has anyone given reasoning why this isn't a case for implosion? Is it too close to phase I? Is it a cost issue? Are you kidding me?
July 29, 200816 yr Wow. And such is the reason that I rarely post around here. Thanks a lot, Cincinnatus. That's right on par with most of the crap I read from the know-it-alls around here. I'll not make that mistake again.
July 29, 200816 yr Wow. And such is the reason that I rarely post around here. Thanks a lot, Cincinnatus. That's right on par with most of the crap I read from the know-it-alls around here. I'll not make that mistake again. lol ... hold on one sec, AddisonJM! We don't want you to stop posting around here. I'm sorry for being an asshole, don't take it personal. I just thought about a big glass high-rise sitting to the east, an in-use busy street sitting to the south, and an in-use street sitting to the west, with current structures across the street to the west. That's all. I'm surprised they're moving as fast as they are now, especially trying to contain the broken down debris with already limited space ... just think about how an implosion would go over!
July 30, 200816 yr Maybe I missed it, but has anyone given reasoning why this isn't a case for implosion? Is it too close to phase I? Is it a cost issue? I was talking to someone on the site the day they started wrecking the garage. He mentioned that an implosion would have been cool, but another point is Great American Ball Park. Image having to wipe dust off 40,000+ seats.
August 2, 200816 yr Nice pics. You HAVE to save that last one for a before and after in 5 years. The difference will be surreal, I'm sure.
August 2, 200816 yr A buddy of mine in the construction business told me that he had heard a worker on QCS was drilling up some sidewalk recently when he noticed a crack, but didn't think much of it. So he continued cutting through the sidewalk and it collapsed down about 8 feet. So when they investigated it, they found a matrix of tunnels that weren't in any plan of the area and took everybody by surprise. So now they have to figure out where all the tunnels are bc apparently they wouldn't be able to sustain the weight of a crane - good thing they found them when they did. But sure to slow the project a little and add a bit of a cost
August 3, 200816 yr Nice pics. You HAVE to save that last one for a before and after in 5 years. The difference will be surreal, I'm sure. Surreal indeed! With the Banks development, you will probably be able to get that same shot from street level. Great pic, keep em coming.
August 3, 200816 yr The police blocked off 3rd st at broadway today and are currently smashing away at the building.
August 5, 200816 yr Be in the Know: Great American Building at Queen City Square ULI - Young Leaders Group Great American Building at Queen City Square The University Club of Cincinnati 401 East 4th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Thursday, August 28, 2008 (4:00pm - 7:00pm) Questions? Call 1-800-321-5011 513-706-1415 Program | Online Registration | Registration Form (PDF) Great American Building at Queen City Square The tallest building in Cincinnati... Redefining the skyline with its spectacular design and dramatic tiara... First high-rise office tower built downtown since the early 1990s... You are cordially invited to join the ULI – Young Leaders Group in learning about the latest phase of the master-planned Queen City Square complex, the Great American Building at Queen City Square. Named after its anchor tenant, Great American Insurance Company, this landmark will rise 40-stories above Third Street, and contain 800,000+ square feet of office space over a 1,700-car parking garage. This signature office building is the latest development under construction in downtown Cincinnati. Come be in-the-know with the ULI – Young Leaders Group. For further project information, visit www.queencitysquare.com. Presenters: * Rob Alpern – Eagle Realty Group * Bob Grace – Turner Construction Company * Susan Thomas – Port Authority of Greater Cincinnati Register Now! Go online or call 800-321-5011 and mention meeting code 8107-0903. To register http://www.uli.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=District_Councils1&Template=/Security/Login.cfm
August 10, 200816 yr I met a friend after the Reds game a few weeks ago and just from looking at the site, this building will be massive. You don't really realize it until you stand next to phase 1
August 11, 200816 yr I'm constantly looking at the site, closing one eye, and adding 2 1/2 more phase one buildings with my fingers on top of it trying to visualize it. It's going to completely change that side of downtown.
August 13, 200816 yr This came from the horse's mouth but the demo crew has a 14 week contract and isn't scheduled to have the lot cleared and footers removed until...October. Also, this garage is the toughest thing O'Rourke has ever demo'd because this garage was originally built to support an office building above. That's the first I'd heard of that but it actually makes sense given the location and large elevator bank.
August 13, 200816 yr Clearly it wasn't going to fall down, but I guess it just looked too 70s to be reused.
August 13, 200816 yr I love the spinning clock on the garage East of it but that garage needs to be trashed too....keep the clock though;) it's too hokey and cool not to.
August 13, 200816 yr It seems to be coming down nice and easy at this point. They have made it all the way up to the northern face.
August 13, 200816 yr This came from the horse's mouth but the demo crew has a 14 week contract and isn't scheduled to have the lot cleared and footers removed until...October. Also, this garage is the toughest thing O'Rourke has ever demo'd because this garage was originally built to support an office building above. That's the first I'd heard of that but it actually makes sense given the location and large elevator bank. Too bad they couldn't just reface the existing structure and start from there. But then, I suppose that might ruin the look of QCS2.
August 13, 200816 yr Does anyone know if by 2010 when it open and it's 100% leased will there be a QCS3?
August 13, 200816 yr ^I asked it a year ago but what is going to happen to W-S's current offices? I can't imagine a condo conversion of that building.
August 13, 200816 yr QCS3? I got it, just demolish the parking garage with the rotating clock, build a 75 story tower and put the clock on top LOL. That woould be friggin' hilarious. At least pilots could tell the time while flying over Cincy hahaha.
August 13, 200816 yr Does anyone know if by 2010 when it open and it's 100% leased will there be a QCS3? It's not in the plans (as phase 2 was in the original Queen City Square plan). I would also find it very doubtful considering there will be a couple office buildings will be going up at The Banks. BTW, W&S is not occupying the new tower...Great American Insurance is. That leaves the possibility of W&S consolidating their operations into one building and allowing their numerous buildings to be potentially converted to residential uses over in that eastern portion of Downtown. It's doubtful that would happen, but there's always a chance I guess.
August 13, 200816 yr That leaves the possibility of W&S consolidating their operations into one building and allowing their numerous buildings to be potentially converted to residential uses over in that eastern portion of Downtown. It's doubtful that would happen, but there's always a chance I guess. Wouldn't that be nice...
August 13, 200816 yr I think some of their buildings have the potential to be decent residential and with their proximity to Lytle park and the riverfront you'd think they would be in demand. In the day and age of corporate consolidation, which i believe is a good thing, you would think that there is always the chance that some of their properties might free up.
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