The article in today's Enquirer:  I did not know that complete financing had not been approved until now!

From the City Manager's Budget Comments:

 

"Downtown – Queen City Square Tower broke ground July ’08 with 2,500 retained

jobs."

Port Authority OKs bonds for Queen City Square

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/11/17/daily59.html

That article says there will be a 11 story parking garage, which should be concrete.  Given that, we shouldn't see steel rising for at least a year.

Crews Install Crane Downtown

 

 

Web produced by: Selena Reder

 

Crews are beginning to assemble a crane at the corner of Third and Sycamore Streets in downtown Cincinnati.

 

The crane will be used for the construction of the Great American Tower at Queen City Square.

 

The tower will be Cincinnati's newest and tallest skyscraper.

 

The crane will grow in height as the construction progresses, and will be almost 736 feet tall by the time it reaches its maximum altitude.

 

On Sunday, November 23 the horizontal arm will be installed.

 

When it is complete, the Queen City Square Tower will house an office, parking and retail development. 

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b42f11dc-afaf-4d7a-8859-e5b494bd71b4

Im curious as to the position of said crane.  It seems like its right in the middle of what will be the footprint of the tower.  Maybe because of the angle looking down from 3rd street it appears closer to the street than it actually is. 

Crews Install Crane Downtown

 

 

Web produced by: Selena Reder

 

Crews are beginning to assemble a crane at the corner of Third and Sycamore Streets in downtown Cincinnati.

 

The crane will be used for the construction of the Great American Tower at Queen City Square.

 

The tower will be Cincinnati's newest and tallest skyscraper.

 

The crane will grow in height as the construction progresses, and will be almost 736 feet tall by the time it reaches its maximum altitude.

 

On Sunday, November 23 the horizontal arm will be installed.

 

When it is complete, the Queen City Square Tower will house an office, parking and retail development.

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b42f11dc-afaf-4d7a-8859-e5b494bd71b4

 

 

WTF??? That's the image I created!

oh my.  that rendering sure makes me nervous.  its too bulky. 

oh my. that rendering sure makes me nervous. its too bulky.

 

I wouldn't worry about it, that is a sh!tty rendering that I threw together.

If you click the image from the article, you can clearly see the cincy images watermark.

If you click the image from the article, you can clearly see the cincy images watermark.

 

Yeah, he posted it in his 3rd party images folder. I wonder if they asked him for it?

Crews Install Crane Downtown

 

 

Web produced by: Selena Reder

 

Crews are beginning to assemble a crane at the corner of Third and Sycamore Streets in downtown Cincinnati.

 

The crane will be used for the construction of the Great American Tower at Queen City Square.

 

The tower will be Cincinnati's newest and tallest skyscraper.

 

The crane will grow in height as the construction progresses, and will be almost 736 feet tall by the time it reaches its maximum altitude.

 

On Sunday, November 23 the horizontal arm will be installed.

 

When it is complete, the Queen City Square Tower will house an office, parking and retail development. 

 

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b42f11dc-afaf-4d7a-8859-e5b494bd71b4

 

 

WTF??? That's the image I created!

 

 

Yea, WCPO likes to do that. We should team up and demand some royalties or something. Or at least a front page spot!  :lol:

Port critical in financing for Great American Tower

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/portqcs1202.aspx

 

The board of directors of the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority approved bonds for what will be Cincinnati's tallest skyscraper, the Great American Tower at Queen City Square.

 

Bonds for the project have been financed and refinanced to include both the new building and 303 Broadway – the project's first phase – with a maximum authorized principal amount of $64 million in tax increment financing (TIF) revenue bonds and $259 million in lease revenue bonds.

 

The City of Cincinnati will add $3.75 million in funding for infrastructure upgrades and site improvements.

 

The financing plan is a public/private partnership between the Port, the city, and developer Eagle Realty Group, an affiliate of Western & Southern Financial Group.

 

"There is no question that our involvement with the historic Great American Tower at Queen City Square project raises the profile of the Port Authority," says Kim Satzger, president of the Port.  "This project is a great example of just what an Ohio port authority can do to make an impact.  But, it’s not about the Port Authority.  It is about using the unique financing tools available to Ohio port authorities to forge the public-private partnerships that are needed to grow our regional economy."

 

Satzger says that the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County recently agreed to expand the Port Authority’s power and authority, giving it a greater ability to impact on our regional economy.

 

"So long as we have the capacity to meet the demand in our community, the Port Authority can make a very real difference, but only in collaboration with other communities and companies," she says.

 

The 41-story Great American Tower will include an 11-story, 1,700-space parking garage, 800,000 square feet of office space, and a 25,000-square-foot promenade and retail arcade.

 

Occupancy is scheduled for early 2011.

If you click the image from the article, you can clearly see the cincy images watermark.

 

Yeah, he posted it in his 3rd party images folder. I wonder if they asked him for it?

 

NO, they didn't ask me for it!  The local media around here doesn't seem to hesitate to pull an image without permission.

I know a lawyer you can talk to

Who took that photo?

Who took that photo?

 

LMAO

Sue the bastards!

 

Since the rendering wasn't officially released, I'd imagine the developers are equally p!ssed off.

Who took that photo?

 

I took that photo, I wouldn't put my watermark on a photo if I didn't take it.

If you sue them, I want compensation for when they used mine last year! I could use a new computer! :lol:

 

Anyway, the least they could do is give credit to us for making those renderings. Sheesh!

If you click the image from the article, you can clearly see the cincy images watermark.

 

Yeah, he posted it in his 3rd party images folder. I wonder if they asked him for it?

 

NO, they didn't ask me for it! The local media around here doesn't seem to hesitate to pull an image without permission.

 

While never having to deal with that particular site, I recently just got done having to deal with a similar problem. A company used six of my images without permission. I'd send soap box media a bill and a screen shot of the page.

Anyway, the least they could do is give credit to us for making those renderings. Sheesh!

 

I have that happen with content from UrbanCincy from time to time.  There have been instances where they have quoted me, used some of my material and even scooped stories from my site with little to no credit given.  The most they've ever done is mention the title of my "blog" when they quoted me in their politics section one time.  Most times the typical way of doing such a thing would be placing a hyperlink to the source for your information.  That would have given me a boost in traffic and credibility, but no such thing was done.

Jayson, you absolutely have a case of copyright infringement and they should absolutely know better. Find an attorney with experience in intellectual property law and nail 'em!

Honestly, this site has done the same. Any type of link or partial excerpts of an article, can be considered copyright infringement. You could be opening up an unintended bag of worms.

Honestly, this site has done the same. Any type of link or partial excerpts of an article, can be considered copyright infringement. You could be opening up an unintended bag of worms.

 

the difference is profit motive

Honestly, this site has done the same. Any type of link or partial excerpts of an article, can be considered copyright infringement. You could be opening up an unintended bag of worms.

 

I'm not a lawyer but I know that a lot of weight is put on your intent and effect on commercial value. 99% of the time, we post a link to the original site and use it for educational purposes, to critique and discuss the information. Links are given to see the article entirely, to make sure it wasn't taken out of context. I don't see how you can compare the two. CincyImages probably charges a hefty fee for commecial use so he was blatantly screwed out of money.

 

The owners of this site shouldn't be held responsible for someone's post in the same way that an employee at Scripps is responsible for the content they produce for the company.

I am a lawyer.  What this site does would, for the most part, be considered "fair use."  Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows an individual to use otherwise protected (copyright, trademark, right of publicity, etc.) information as long as it goes beyond simple reproduction.  For example, reproducing materials for comment, critique, education, discussion are permissible.

 

Stealing someone's material for pure commercial gain is not permissible. 

Just one other thing. Don't it cost like 750k to copy write something? If it haven't been done it's still public domain.

Just one other thing. Don't it cost like 750k to copy write something? If it haven't been done it's still public domain.

 

you might be thinking patent

You could be right. Im not lawyer. I just heard things over the years. Hopefully WCPO comes to you with some sort of apology and  maybe compensation. 

I am a lawyer.  What this site does would, for the most part, be considered "fair use."  Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows an individual to use otherwise protected (copyright, trademark, right of publicity, etc.) information as long as it goes beyond simple reproduction.  For example, reproducing materials for comment, critique, education, discussion are permissible.

 

Stealing someone's material for pure commercial gain is not permissible. 

 

Okay this is getting way of subject, but are you a copyright lawyer?  My library media specialist partner states that full reproductions of articles can be made for educational comment discussion as long as you have the permission of the author or publisher.  Otherwise, you may use excerpts as long as they are cited to the original author/publication.  I was taught this same rule in graduate school.

 

Now that this infringement topic has been beaten to a dead horse, I want to see some steel going on on this building!!!

I'm just glad the financing got done before this big credit mess. I do think the banks will be stalled.

I'm just glad the financing got done before this big credit mess. I do think the banks will be stalled.

 

I think having a tenant in place helped more than anything.

^---- Most likely, but I wonder if having a tenant still would have helped given the current credit crises?

Keep an eye on AFG and their status among the players less effected by this mess.    I would think that any *possible* hiccups throughout the construction process would only come as a result of a catastrophic error on AFG's part. 

 

A birdie HAD said something to the nature of a third revision?? (on some structural dwgs) coming down, but some talk today leads me to believe they are moving ahead with the latest set and they are needing supplies on-site YESTERDAY!????????????

 

Once the garages are formed, the rest will go up pretty quick and noticeably though.  Personally, I think this one will fly in under the radar and should be completed without any major delays.    TTTTT&iiiiiiiiiiiiii 's  Check!

I'm predicting that they pack it up after finishing the garage. 

On the positive side, I'm predicting you are wrong.

Money is now beginning to "flow" again and as we all know this deal was done just under the wire before the financial crisis hit.

I also firmly believe that Carl Linder would now allow this to happen - for many reasons.

QCS II is a defining moment for Cincinnati - let's focus on that important fact.

I agree that this serves as Carl's last big mark on Cincy and he'll push it through. AFG has been surviving the chaos pretty well so far. Western-Southern isn't publicly traded, but they are notoriously conservative with their investments.

I'm predicting that they pack it up after finishing the garage.

 

Where's the winking smiley?

Here are some views from December 20, 2008:

 

 

 

Thanks for the pictures!!

Thanks Jake!

I counted 7 visible cranes from the corner of 2nd and main

Thats awesome. Thanks! I love the pics.. keep'em comin!!

I got the following from Rob Alporn:

 

A tiny bit of the concrete has already been poured.  The huge continuous pour for the mat footing is scheduled to occur Friday night Jan 16 but may need to get postponed if the temperatures are too cold.  Then the subterranean garage begins to rise from the bottom under the office tower.  Steel will start once the concrete gets to grade-level...in the spring.  Meanwhile the northern garage portion is on a different time schedule and it's concrete will begin later.

 

My apologies to Rob: His last name is Alpern, not Alporn

I just walked by the site yesterday and if you are able, I would really recommend anyone to go see it.  The size of the project is really a site to see

Gah, I wish that guy would post more pictures. I hardly ever make it downtown ( I live way out in Batavia and work even further), so I never go down there.  I've been monitoring the progress through this website.  Seems to be in good shape despite the economy, which is a good thing.

Rob Alpern says he hopes to have up and running a web site devoted exclusively to QCSII by the end of January.

That would be awesome.