Which space are you guys talking about?

its gonna be a martini bar. I popped my head in there a few days ago and checked out the construction. i asked the construction guys.

 

How far along are they?  Did they say when they expect to be open?

Which space are you guys talking about?

 

Anyone?

In between Rock Bottom and the Fifth Third Banking Center.

Does anyone know the rules for gathering signatures on Fountain Square?  There were at least seven people collecting for what appeared to be the anti-passenger rail petition circling the fountain and interrupting people eating lunch.

Police are opening a mini-station on Fountain Square in a small space next to Chipotle. Should be an announcement tomorrow.

Police are opening a mini-station on Fountain Square in a small space next to Chipotle. Should be an announcement tomorrow.

 

That would be great.  I would definitely sign up for more Citizens on Patrol tours downtown if I didn't need to walk to District 1 first.

Fountain Square to be smoke-free

City to put up signs before Choir Games

 

Fountain Square smokers will soon be told to butt out.

 

3CDC, which operates the square, and Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney are working out the details of a ban on smoking in downtown Cincinnati’s iconic park, citing the health risks of cigarette smoke. They’re aiming to put it in place before the start of the World Choir Games next week.

 

“It’s for health,” said Chad Munitz, 3CDC’s executive vice president of development and operations. “It’s something we’re committed to and the city is committed to. To have the city’s premier public space nonsmoking is good public policy.”

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20120628/NEWS/306280065/Fountain-Square-smoke-free?odyssey=obinsite

Good.  I don't mind smoking on city sidewalks because either the smoker's moving or you are, but it's harder to get away from smoke on the square.  And smokers can just move to the sidewalk to have their nicotine, then come right back to the square.

 

(Recent ex-smoker here)

Good.  I don't mind smoking on city sidewalks because either the smoker's moving or you are, but it's harder to get away from smoke on the square.  And smokers can just move to the sidewalk to have their nicotine, then come right back to the square.

 

(Recent ex-smoker here)

 

Agreed.

Via Vite will expand outdoor dining to the top of the restroom building.  The exterior staircase will be modified to create a walkway over to the roof. 

Shouldn't this thread be in Completed Projects?

This is a general thread about Fountain Square (and adjacent areas) news.  Sure, the Square has been completed but there's always change going around it.  For example, the long rumoured Cheesecake Factory!!!  ... okay, that was a lie but I can always hope ... for not that ... but for ... D'LISH!!!

This is a general thread about Fountain Square (and adjacent areas) news.  Sure, the Square has been completed but there's always change going around it.  For example, the long rumoured Cheesecake Factory!!!  ... okay, that was a lie but I can always hope ... for not that ... but for ... D'LISH!!!

 

I'll take it!

I knew you would.

There is work going on right now. Ripping up the old drains and putting new ones in. Due to leaks in the 5/3 building.

Sorry to stir up an old thread. I was just curious if anyone heard anything about the old flower stand or knows if it will ever come out of storage? Maybe they could put it to use during summer concerts, etc...

I drove by tonight and it looks like the Booksellers that is going in where Brooks Brothers was has signage up.

I noticed last night that the Tyler Davidson Fountain now has color-changing lights. Has anyone seen or heard anything about this in the news or from 3CDC?

I noticed last night that the Tyler Davidson Fountain now has color-changing lights. Has anyone seen or heard anything about this in the news or from 3CDC?

 

 

I noticed the lights the other day. I think it's because of the All-Star Game

I saw the LED's on the Fountain as well.  They look great.  My guess is that it's a permanent install - similar to the ones used in Smale.  I also noticed yesterday that the LED's on the 5/3 parking garage were not on.  Hopefully there's a good reason, I always enjoyed those. I noticed a skylift, so hopefully they're making some improvements before the ASG.  That's the first time I've ever noticed them not on for an extended period of time.

From: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/09/16/3cdc-s-leeper-washington-park-is-the-most.html

 

Fountain Square was bringing in $650,000 to the city when 3CDC took over the garage and management of the space. It will bring in about $2.7 million in revenue this year there, Leeper said.

 

I wonder what the total costs of programming/maintenance/etc are for Fountain Square. Like Washington Park, Fountain Square is probably meant to operate as a loss-leader for 3CDC, so I wouldn't be surprised if their Fountain Square costs are more than $2.7 million. I'd also be curious what the net operating loss was before 3CDC took over (how much did the City have to support it?).

My band played on Fountain Square on a Tuesday night and I was blown away by how much staff they had working on a weeknight. Three guys running sound, at least 4 people running the bar, several people on custodial detail, a cameraman, etc. There's no way they're making a profit on weeknights.

I forgot that the Port Authority manages the garage at Fountain Square... so 3CDC's $2.7 million in revenue for Fountain Square does not come from the parking garage... which makes me wonder... where does 3CDC get that $2.7 from?

 

Here's an article from today about how the Port is managing revenue from the garage: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2015/09/fountain-square-parking-garage-rakes-in-more.html

Port officials said Wednesday the 396-space garage generated $433,800 in parking revenue from May to July. That beat its original expectation of $412,500. It cost $163,000 to operate the garage during the three-month period, which was less than budgeted.

 

The port entered a 30-year lease with the city for the facility in 2014, and these are the first numbers reported since it completed months of renovation work inside the garage that runs below the Westin Hotel and U.S. Bank Tower. The port is expected to use net proceeds to initiate economic development projects across the city.

 

The garage is now expected to bring in more than $1.1 million total by the end of the year. Monthly users account for 46 percent of the total, while monthly parkers whose rates increased to $205 following the renovation pay the rest.

I think 3CDC manages the garage under Fountain Square. The one the Port Authority recently started managing is the "Fountain Square South" garage, which as the BS article describes, "runs below the Westin Hotel and U.S. Bank Tower."

Bru burgers opened in November. The second space is under construction and one remaining space of the former Cadillac Ranch/El Coyote is still available for lease.

 

Mynt Martini is closed and will re-open in March with a new name/brand/design. I say good riddance the old design. The old design of Mynt felt phony, like it was trying too hard to be a Miami-style club.

 

Fountain Square deserves a well-run, well-designed bar that might actually attract some "regulars". It sounds like the owners have the right idea and are moving in a better direction:

Mercer described [the new design] as modern with an industrial rustic feel. He said the new space will be warmer and inviting, while the outdoor patio space will have a backyard feel.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/01/30/exclusive-longtime-downtown-bar-restaurant-and.html

That bar is awful. Nothing like having to hear their bulls*@t music at a literally INSANE volume from halfway across the square. Not even sure how people can go in there.

I heard from a martini aficionado that their martinis were terrible. How do you have martini in the name of your establishment if you can't make a good martini?!

 

They should look at The Stretch at The Banks to get some ideas for what the new Mynt space should look like.

I echo what most people are saying.  Glad Mynt is gone and hope they replace it with a more normal bar.

Did Bros and Trixies dig it?

That's the impression that I always got from the place.

They had a couple good trance/techno artists there that I really wanted to see, but every time I googled Mynt, the top search results were always YouTube videos of dudes getting into fistfights.

I hadn't been there since 2010.  Is that where the Cadillac Ranch's mechanical bull ended up?

I heard from a martini aficionado that their martinis were terrible. How do you have martini in the name of your establishment if you can't make a good martini?!

 

I had heard (but never verified) that they didn't even have a true martini on their drink menu, that it was all appletinis and other martiniesque drinks.

^My bartender friends can back that up. Their comments were that their drinks were both bad and not actual martinis.

^Sad.  I'm all for bars making more margin on specialty cocktails, but that should be over and above the classic cocktails that you would expect anywhere, especially when the name of your bar implies that you'd be known for that specific cocktail. 

Oh, "Sad." goes at the end now.

Mynt Martini is closed and will re-open in March with a new name/brand/design.

 

Make Mexico pay for it. 

Make Martini's Great Again!

This photo, taken from the Terrace Plaza, shows a neat rooftop deck on top of the Fifth Third annex building:

https://www.facebook.com/116290788383730/photos/a.761177020561767.1073741829.116290788383730/1762334493779343/?type=3&theater

 

Not sure how long that's been around, but I'm glad to see more creative uses of rooftops in downtown.

Now when will Saks leave?

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/03/macys-to-close-downtown-cincinnati-store.html

Hopefully they can now do something with that prime real estate.  Build some apartments on top of that two level building. 

Now when will Saks leave?

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/01/03/macys-to-close-downtown-cincinnati-store.html

 

Yes Hudson Bay can close at anytime now because there lease agreement is dependent upon other major retail nearby.

Well, something like this is bound to feel bad. But I also remember when the City bowed down to Saks in order to get them to stay, and that was sadder, in the same way that the stadium deals were sad. So I can't be hypocritical. Bottom line is that the city's "retail strategy" should have always been a "housing strategy". If we're going to put any resources toward this Macy's event, it should probably be to help a development like 4th and Race get off the ground.

Well, something like this is bound to feel bad. But I also remember when the City bowed down to Saks in order to get them to stay, and that was sadder, in the same way that the stadium deals were sad. So I can't be hypocritical. Bottom line is that the city's "retail strategy" should have always been a "housing strategy". If we're going to put any resources toward this Macy's event, it should probably be to help a development like 4th and Race get off the ground.

 

Not to mention the long rumored residential tower to be built directly above the store.

Amazon HQ2. 

My guess is 84.51 will take over the space as they grow. Hopefully a residential tower or hotel gets built on top of it and we forget that Macy's was even there to begin with.

I know that the Macy's building was designed to support additional development on top, but with the closing of Macy's, there is really no reason to keep the existing building. The other remaining tenants (Tiffanys, Booksellers, Palomino) could be relocated (temporarily or permanently) while the existing building is demolished and a new one is built. I think we would be better off putting 4th and Race on hold and putting a new mixed use tower right next to Fountain Square.

Between Macy's, 4th and Race, and very likely Saks, there is an opportunity to really reconnect this side of Downtown with proper mixed use development.

 

It's frustrating to see big businesses close, but at the same time the department store model hasn't worked for some time. If it's going to close, might as well be at a time in which it can (hopefully) be easily redeveloped.