You can see it from Cin-Day Rd @ I-75 (along with Carew) pretty clearly.  That's the furthest I've been able to see it.

Talk about making it even easier to give directions. As all Cincinnatians know in their bones their relationship to the river, this will make it easier to share w/ outsiders.

I'm not making this up.  Yesterday while I was out with my dad, we were heading south on SR 747 (Princeton Glendale Road), and after passing through the intersection at Hamilton Mason Road, I saw the QCS tiara (as well as the top of Carew Tower) in the distance!  I wasn't driving, so I was able to get a good look at it to confirm that's what it was.  I never would have thought I'd see it from that far away, but there it was...the white tiara stood out against the gray clouds.  That's a distance of just over 19 miles straight-line.  From that distance, the top of the tiara was definitely higher than the top of CT.

I'm not making this up. Yesterday while I was out with my dad, we were heading south on SR 747 (Princeton Glendale Road), and after passing through the intersection at Hamilton Mason Road, I saw the QCS tiara (as well as the top of Carew Tower) in the distance! I wasn't driving, so I was able to get a good look at it to confirm that's what it was. I never would have thought I'd see it from that far away, but there it was...the white tiara stood out against the gray clouds. That's a distance of just over 19 miles straight-line. From that distance, the top of the tiara was definitely higher than the top of CT.

On route 42 in front of Ell Farm in West Chester you can definitely tell that QCS is taller than Carew...both look great at night and in the early morning.

It is really great to have that sort of visual connection in a region that usually acts and plans things in a very disconnected way.  I would like to see what a 700' + tower would do to the region. 

Over time it will be very interesting to see what this (and hopefully a taller tower) does to peoples responses as far as where they are from.  Do people continue to identify more with their neighborhood or with the city of Cincinnati?  What about people from NKY when they leave the area do they tell people Covington or Cincy? 

In cities without basins that blocks views of downtown towers, the omnipresence of the towers present a strong mental connection to the urban core as a place to which people are a part.  This was especially poignant to observe in London as being able to view 30 Mary Axe replaced being able to view St. Peters in the qualification of Downtown views.  (it also seemed to change the mentality of my neighbors in Zone 2)

In cities without basins that blocks views of downtown towers, the omnipresence of the towers present a strong mental connection to the urban core as a place to which people are a part.

 

That just means we need to make our towers even taller :)

What about people from NKY when they leave the area do they tell people Covington or Cincy? 

 

We say either Kentucky or Cincinnati, because places like Covington are meaningless to someone from outside the area.  I've found that most people from NKY say Kentucky, because Cincinnati implies Ohio, which isn't correct.  But I just say Cincinnati.  Even though it is less accurate, saying Kentucky gives people the impression of rolling hills, white fences, and horses, which is really more like Lexington than NKY.  After all, if the river wasn't there, Covington and Newport would likely be Cincinnati neighborhoods.

After all, if the river wasn't there, Covington and Newport would likely be Cincinnati neighborhoods.

 

Maybe even all the riverside cities.  If everything from Ludlow to Dayton was part of Cincinnati the population would be over 400,000.  It's no wonder we have such an awesome skyline. 

I thought the night views of Cincy shown by the network during the nationally televised Bengals/ Pittsburg football game were very beautiful and impressive! And had to make a positive impresssion on viewers...do you guys agree?

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/developingnow/

 

Ribbon Cutting at 1:11PM on 1/11/11.  I guess they think the Great American Tower is #1? or #11...

Might as well throw this in completed projects.

Not till 1/11/11 at 11:11AM!!

Not till 1/11/11 at 11:11AM!!

 

Don't forget to hold off clicking the button until 11 seconds after that.

I really like this building from the side view, the one where it appears skinnier. Im not sure what I think about the wide view of it... Something just seems off. Overall a nice addition to the Cincinnati Skyline!

They havent even put the friggin sign yet. I'm dissappointed  :?

That won't be finished until the end of February:

 

 

Great American Tower preps for opening

By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn • [email protected] • January 3, 2011

 

 

DOWNTOWN - Moving Day is fast approaching for the first new occupants of Great American Tower at Queen City Square - the region's newest, tallest skyscraper.

 

By mid-January, Great American Insurance Co. expects to begin moving the first of 2,500 employees into the 41-story tower, which is nearing completion after more than two years of construction.

 

The $320 million skyscraper is the largest construction project downtown since the Bengals and Reds stadiums were built in 2000 and 2003.

 

"It's a huge undertaking," said Keith Jensen, chief financial officer of Great American Insurance Co. and executive vice president of parent company American Financial Group. "There's certainly a lot of anticipation. I think our people are excited, especially those who have seen this building rise and change the skyline."

The building was financed with $225 million in bonds (debt financing) from the Port Authority (a city government agency).  Where is COAST!? Why aren't they standing up demanding that parts of the building be sold off as scrap metal to fund the police & fire unions overtime budgets? 

 

Clearly they aren't really worried about debt or debt financing.  Those $225 million in bonds put the $64 million for the streetcar to shame! I'm glad they mentioned the funding, I had no idea.

Wasteful spending for a tower that will cause office vacancy rates to increase in downtown!

Wasteful spending for a tower that will cause office vacancy rates to increase in downtown!

 

Maybe in the immediate short term, but it's a perfect example of densification.  More downtown office space now means the rest will become cheaper and and thus more accessible to other businesses.  Supply and demand.

He was joking.

I forgot to put one of these  :-P after that.  :-(

What about people from NKY when they leave the area do they tell people Covington or Cincy? 

 

We say either Kentucky or Cincinnati, because places like Covington are meaningless to someone from outside the area.  I've found that most people from NKY say Kentucky, because Cincinnati implies Ohio, which isn't correct.  But I just say Cincinnati.  Even though it is less accurate, saying Kentucky gives people the impression of rolling hills, white fences, and horses, which is really more like Lexington than NKY.  After all, if the river wasn't there, Covington and Newport would likely be Cincinnati neighborhoods.

 

Be honest, saying Kentucky gives people another impression. :)

its pathetic they don't have the signage completed. 

its pathetic they don't have the signage completed.

 

They've got 4 days, 1 hour, and 4 minutes. 

its pathetic they don't have the signage completed.

 

They've got 4 days, 1 hour, and 4 minutes.

 

Better get moving quick! They only have 4 days 1 hour and 2 minutes left now! :O

Again... that won't be complete until February per this article: Great American Tower preps for opening

Again... that won't be complete until February per this article: Great American Tower preps for opening

 

I know and its terrible

Region's tallest tower opens Tuesday

American Financial, Western & Southern worked to build 41-story Great American Tower

By Lisa Bernard-Kuhn • [email protected] • January 10, 2011

 

 

When a ribbon is broken Tuesday for Cincinnati's newest and tallest skyscraper, executives of two Fortune 500 firms will share pride in a project that even a historic recession couldn't stop.

 

Leaders of insurance giant American Financial Group Inc. and developer Western & Southern Financial Group have worked for more than five years to bring the 41-story Great American Tower at Queen City Square out of the ground.

 

The waiting ends Tuesday, 1/11/11 at 1:11 p.m., when up to 250 of Cincinnati's top business and government leaders gather at the corner of Fourth and Sycamore streets to officially open the $320 million tower. Nationwide, it's the largest office tower scheduled to open this year.

 

cont.

Follow-up article with information on a new tenant

 

 

 

Great American Tower now open for business

By Mike Boyer • [email protected] • January 11, 2011

 

Cincinnati's tallest building, the 665-foot Great American Tower at Queen City Square was officially opened shortly after 1:11 p.m. Thursday, an event developers and the city hope will help spur an economic renaissance downtown.

 

Underscoring that theme, John Barrett, chairman and CEO of Western & Southern Financial Group which teamed with American Financial Group to develop the structure, announced the building's newest tenant would be Lafayette Life Insurance Co. - the Western & Southern unit in Lafayette, Ind., which it announced earlier in the day would be consolidated here, bringing about 150 jobs.

 

It will join Great American Insurance Group, the building's main tenant, and the law firm of Frost Brown Todd which will occupy four floors.

 

cont

150 new jobs. That's good news for Cincy...tough for Lafayette.

Queen City parking garage to open Feb. 1

An expanded parking garage at Great American Tower at Queen City Square will begin monthly parking at the start of February.

 

The garage will add more than 1,600 new parking spaces. Ampco System Parking, manager of the parking garage, currently is accepting requests for monthly parking contracts that would start in February.

 

Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2011/01/14/queen-city-parking-garage-to-open-feb-1.html

 

2,200 total parking spaces in Phases I and II, does anyone recall how many spaces the old garage had before it was demolished?

Off hand I think it was around 750 or so.

So... as far as anyone knows, no effort is being made to make the tiara more visible in the daytime? If this is possible, I don't know.

Check out the rendering of QCS at the Current at the Banks website: http://www.currentcinci.com/

 

Loving that shiny tiara...

Check out the rendering of QCS at the Current at the Banks website: http://www.currentcinci.com/

 

Loving that shiny tiara...

 

too bad the tiara will never have that kind of resolution.

Off hand I think it was around 750 or so.

 

It was more than that.  Low end I want to say 1200, but I think it was more like 1600. 

Signage on the north side of the tower is complete and illuminated tonight. Scaffolding still needs to come down...

^Yeah, I can see it right now.  It doesn't look too bad. 

Not sure why they choose to change their logo from "American" being the color blue to it being white...

 

 

Nothing new in this article:

 

Sign shines from tower

 

The first of two signs has been installed atop the Great American Tower at Queen City Square, Cincinnati’s newest and tallest skyscraper.

 

Contractors recently put into place a north-facing logo and the final letters of the Great American Insurance Group sign on the top of the 665-foot tower. A south-facing logo and sign is expected to be completed by the end of March – in time for the Cincinnati Reds opening day game.

 

cont

A story about a sign on the tower...with no photos included. I feel like I'm reading the New Adventures of Mark Twain through a small hole in the wall.

^the actual link to the story on the website features a small pic of the tower with logo.  Gotta love the lazy media in Cincinnati.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BIZ&nav=4

Signage on the north side of the tower is complete and illuminated tonight. Scaffolding still needs to come down...

South facing signage was illuminated tonight. I saw it from 275 crossing the Licking River.  The only thing that stands out at that distance is the red logo. 

Did anybody else notice that they had red lights shining on the building on opening day morning?

^Yup. They were on Wednesday evening as well.

The signage did wonders for the tower.  It feels taller, better proportioned, and at night the sign gives the tiara the look of a glimmering white rainbow as it hangs in the sky.  A dramatic improvement indeed!

 

  So, when is it going to be finished?  :-D

 

  I asked a buddy of mine what he thought of the tower as we were passing by. He told me that he was glad that Cincinnati has a new tower, although it may be too much office space for downtown, and with all that steel exposed it just doesn't look finished.

Vorys will move to new tower

2:49 AM, Jul. 21, 2011

Written by Lisa Bernard-Kuhn

 

DOWNTOWN – The law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease has signed a long-term lease for more than two floors of newly built Great American Tower at Queen City Square.

 

The upcoming move will nearly fill the 1 million-square-foot tower – less than seven months after the city’s newest and tallest skyscraper opened.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110721/BIZ01/307210017/

They are in Atrium 2 right now, right. The vacancy rates in the Atrium buildings must be sky high with Cincy Bell being nearly out of there and Convergys not taking up as much space as they intended.

^ Where is Cincy bell moving to again?