It sits roughly five stories above the ground.  Way too high in my opinion.  Maybe I'm being picky and maybe I was expecting something more like in the Reds or Bengals stadium but I thought 3CDC could've done better. 

 

 

After viewing how the screen fits into the context of the square/surrounding buildings/Macy's, it just seems too small. I don't think that you will be able to se it well from many portions of the square. Raising it up above the "notch", allows for it to be seen above the trees that are to be planted. But, i hope that they do something below the screen. If it stays the way it is i will be very disappointed. Hopefully they do something cool under the scree (i.e. news/stock tickers/ small advertisements/ branding image/ similar banners that will go on the 5/3 building. I just hope they cover up the beams somehow.

 

Also, UncleRando, we expected something like the stadiums because that is how the screen was described many times. It seems as though everytime 3CDC talked about the screen they compared it to the reds/bengals stadium. Also, the rendering showed a MUCH larger screen.

 

^I had always taken those references in terms of the type of videoboard as opposed to the size.  I thought that they were distinguishing it from the lightbulb type boards.  IDK

* A large video-display board' date=' or LED screen, will be installed atop the Macy's building at Fifth and Vine streets. Leeper said 3CDC is exploring "all kinds of possibilities" for the LED board, including "constant programming" supplied by local arts and cultural institutions that want to promote their events.[/quote']

 

It was also specifically identified as being: 24 x 42

 

So I believe what you are seeing is not the entire board...rather a portion of it.  If you notice in the pic, the brace/supports for the board span between the two raised elements of the bldg.  According to previous renderings/illustrations the board looked to span that entire distance (same as the supports in place).  If I were a gambling man, I would say that the current portion is a little more than 1/3 the final size.

 

Just a thought.....

Hope you're right...  I also think it looks kinda goofy at the moment.

When my co-workers and I were looking at it yesterday we were talking about how large it looked, this was because there was a grown man standing all the way to the right of the panel to the far right. He was exactly about the same height of one panel and it would take about 5-6 grown men to make up one panel in width. If they have 4 panels from top to bottom, that would be about 24', assuming he is 6' ft. tall.

 

I think that this was the size that was planned, right?

Can't you guys just wait until their finished and then make judgements? I mean jeez, you've got almost a whole page discussing and complaining about a video board that noone is sure how the finished product will look like. So let's just wait and see and then you can bitch and complain.

More images:

Can't you guys just wait until their finished and then make judgements? I mean jeez, you've got almost a whole page discussing and complaining about a video board that noone is sure how the finished product will look like. So let's just wait and see and then you can bitch and complain.

 

Sooorrryy....but they started it :x

I just said it currently looks goofy, and I stand by that statement :). 

I agree it looks really weird RIGHT NOW.

I'm just saying, before I start being a critic, I'm going to wait to see what the entire project, including the finished Square, looks like. The video Board might look small now , but when the entire Square is finished, it might fit right on in.

I'm just frustrated in the fact that nothing and I mean nothing positive can happen in Cincinnati without people putting negative spins on it.

Like the $3 parking thing. OMG come on. If you can afford a computer to post your messages on here, then you can afford to pay $3 for parking.( Unless your at work, then my bad.)

It gets old I tell ya. And there's nowhere you can go in this city to get away from it.

 

 

I think the 200% increase in night and weekend cost is a bigger deal than others, apparently.  Lawyers use a phrase called "de minimis."  It means "so small it doesn't matter."  $1 parking is de minimis.  Someone considering going downtown is going to think nothing of paying that to park.  $3 is not de minimis for most people.  Besides, it's not a matter of affordability, it's a matter of whether someone subconsciously considers downtown parking cheap or expensive, which will influence their decision to come downtown for dinner or go to Rookwood, where they can park for free.

^If Cincinnati had decent mass transit, it wouldn't be that much of an issue. $3 isn't bad at all if you spend a good amount of time there, which is probably what they want people to do. Whether or not that is how it works out, we'll see. I'd personally probably spend more time there to get my money's worth, but I live in Columbus. What about you guys?

^Kendall, you are right about people's perceptions or the price being important, which is why I don't think $3 is an issue. I would think that most people are exposed to downtown via events, sports, theater, etc.. Sports especially, you have to park decently far away to get anything as cheap as $3, with most in the $5 to $10 range. $3 will sound cheap in comparison.

Surprise! Fountain returning to square today

It was removed for renovations

 

By Joe Wessels

Post contributor

 

JIM OSBORN/The Post

 

The Tyler-Davidson Fountain returns to its reconfigured home on Fountain Square on Saturday.

 

The 135-year-old Tyler Davidson Fountain is returning to Fountain Square today. But we didn't tell you.

 

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060902/NEWS02/609020331

I was down at the square today.  All the panels have been placed on the video board.  That baby doesn't need to be any bigger.

She's baack: Genius returns

 

BY FEOSHIA HENDERSON | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The Genius of Water is back downtown.

 

The statue was returned to Fountain Square around 12:30, with a police escort.

 

She was pulled behind a red truck, accompanied by four motorcycle cops, two in front and two in back.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ab/20060902/NEWS01/60902001/-1/CINCI

 

 

I was down there today while on my way to tape off my area on the serpentine wall for tomorrow's Riverfest.  All I have to say is damn the square looked European with where our Queen is located and I love Europe.  I am even more excited now. 

 

BTW, the jumbotron also looked better in person.

I was down there today while on my way to tape off my area on the serpentine wall for tomorrow's Riverfest.  All I have to say is damn the square looked European with where our Queen is located and I love Europe.  I am even more excited now. 

 

I'm also much more excited about the new location now that I see the fountain in place (most of it anyway).  I've been watching it on the web cam, but you don't realize what a presence it has at it's new location until you see the site in person.

Since the Bengals season is sold out, they should use that new video board to show the Bengals games for those who want to "tailgate" on the square. They could have a pregame party with bands, and beer and food for those going to the game or those who want to party, then after the game they can have post game festivities. Sort of like Heiniegate at OSU but on a bigger scale. That would definitely draw people downtown and encourage them to stay for a while after the game.

I'd love to see that, Brutus...

Since the Bengals season is sold out, they should use that new video board to show the Bengals games for those who want to "tailgate" on the square. They could have a pregame party with bands, and beer and food for those going to the game or those who want to party, then after the game they can have post game festivities. Sort of like Heiniegate at OSU but on a bigger scale. That would definitely draw people downtown and encourage them to stay for a while after the game.

 

Let the people at myfountainsquare.com know about your idea........I like it a lot!!  This is exactly what the square should be used for!!!

That would be really cool. I feel a flooded inbox coming on.

I am kind of mixed on open container on Fountain Square.  While I was 100% behind open container on Main Street since it was a bar/club district, Fountain Square is more of a family atmosphere. 

 

There is open container for Oktoberfest and other occasional events down there. 16 weeks of football cant be that bad if it brings an extra thousand people downtown or keeps them down there longer. Besides, it would not be that expensive for the city to pull off, they could sell sponsorship and naming rights and have a radio station provide the entertainment. In fact, it could be a revenue generator to fund other activities at the square and throughout downtown.

Does Mt. Adams have open conainter laws because I always see people going from bar to bar with beers and drinks in hand, often going right past police officers.

^ I am 90% sure they don't.

>I am kind of mixed on open container on Fountain Square

 

Maybe for Oktoberfest at least they should have beer come out of the fountain.  That would make up for it being dry the rest of the year. 

525 Vine shows off new look

THE ENQUIRER

 

The rebuilt 23-story 525 Vine building near Fountain Square will be unveiled Wednesday.

 

Former Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken will host the ribbon-cutting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. McKnight Development Co. of Pittsburgh has invested $6 million in the office building since buying it two years ago.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060905/NEWS01/609050362/1056

^ I guess Mark Mallory was busy?

If Charlie Luken cuts that ribbon it will go down as one of his greatest accomplishments.

Not to veer off topic, but his push to repeal Article XII would rank near the top, IMO.

^I 2nd that

^ I guess Mark Mallory was busy?

 

I wondered about that, too.

^ I guess Mark Mallory was busy?

 

Well this was a project that started during Luken's reign.  I'm guessing he has some kind of working relationship with: McKnight Development Co. of Pittsburgh

BTW, the jumbotron also looked better in person.

I was down there this weekend and until then, just from looking at pictures I was in the camp that the Jumbotron didn't fufill what I had envisioned, but it looked much better (not to mention bigger) in person. 

^Good to hear....I was around there for the fireworks, but somehow I managed to completely walk around fountain square (got to see Gov't Sq. though...and it was AWESOME).

Looks like everyone will be relieved (I think).

 

I walked by the video board this afternoon and it appears that they have welded brackets onto the horizontal beams. It looks like they are going to be used to mount/hang something across the front of the beams. This would cover up the open space at the bottom.

The typical negative slant from the local media, Channel 5....

 

 

CINCINNATI -- Construction crews are working feverishly to finish the $42 million makeover of Fountain Square. But with just a month left to the grand opening, only two restaurants have signed leases for spots on the square.

 

McCormick & Schmick's is set to open inside the Westin in November, and Brazilian steakhouse Boi Na Braza will occupy a space at Fifth and Vine streets.

 

But the others -- including Morton's, Nicola's Italian Bistro, Dewey's Pizza -- haven't yet signed on the dotted line.

 

"You're going to have a lot of people down here, and they're going to want to spend the day maybe grab something to eat. If it's not ready to go, I think people are going to be disappointed," one downtown worker said.

 

http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/9798959/detail.html

Why am I not surprised?

I know that in the case of at least one of the non-signed restaurants, they can't sign a lease until the paperwork between 5/3rd and 3CDC is finalized.  3CDC can't lease space until they hold the rights to do so.  From what I understand, that still hasn't happened, but the restaurant is extremely eager to get the project moving forward, to announce it publicly, etc., etc...

 

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe 3CDC is all ready to move forward and everyone's balking, but that sure as hell ain't what I've heard...

^But why would the Enquirer waste their time to tell/investigate the whole story.  This story falls right into the storyline that they have been telling about downtown for sometime.

^Indeed...I always wonder if it's bias, ignorance or sloth.  Probably a mix of the three, but in this case, I'm guessing it's mostly sloth.

 

Or, who knows, maybe the prospect of having marquee restaurants in the single most premier location in the city just isn't tripping the trigger of the assorted restauranteers and corporations...

 

Yes, they seem to definitely be hanging something below the board ... I wonder what it is ...

^Indeed...I always wonder if it's bias, ignorance or sloth.  Probably a mix of the three, but in this case, I'm guessing it's mostly sloth.

 

Or, who knows, maybe the prospect of having marquee restaurants in the single most premier location in the city just isn't tripping the trigger of the assorted restauranteers and corporations...

 

 

The staff at the Enquirer have an attitude no different than the majority of other metro-cincinnatians. To turn Cincinnati into something way more positive would take a concious effort from soooo many people and I often wonder if it's at the point of no return. A negative attitude usually breeds more negativity. It seems like it would be extremely hard to reverse it. I honestly don't know many people that have a lot of faith in the future of this city. When I went to the fireworks and took the bus, a female student said "you know wer'e like one of few major cities without some form of rapid transit system?" and some guy next to her was like "yeah and its a great economic tool..." It's so interesting how there's so many people that know what the problems are, yet nothing ever gets done. The Enquirer will talk about OTR making a come back, and other positive things but it gets canceled out by "NEWPORT ANSWERS TO THE BANKS WITH 600M DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT making front page news. I think a lot of people subconciously get a lot of satisfaction out of complaining about stuff. I just wish we were able to put our criticism into more constructive use.

I think a lot of people subconciously get a lot of satisfaction out of complaining about stuff. I just wish we were able to put our criticism into more constructive use.

 

I agree

That headline in the Enquirer or Post the other day that characterized Ovation as a response to the Banks made me want to puke.  That is most certainly not the motivation that Newport leaders have had in mind.  They wanted to make better use of their prime riverfront parcel, that's all.  I swear the fishwraps in this town read like second-rate tabloids some times.

That headline in the Enquirer or Post the other day that characterized Ovation as a response to the Banks made me want to puke.  That is most certainly not the motivation that Newport leaders have had in mind.  They wanted to make better use of their prime riverfront parcel, that's all.  I swear the fishwraps in this town read like second-rate tabloids some times.

 

The same thing happened to me! I was standing in line at Starbucks, looked down and there it was! I couldn't believe what I read. Does anyone know the editors' email address and the title? I want to send them a piece of my mind.

 

I'm dead serious, rest assured that you are not wasting your time. Hell, we all need to email him/her.

I took these on Labor Day.

 

Looking north with the Genius under plastic.

 

The video board above Macy's.

 

This is supposed to be the location of a water wall.

 

 

Facade improvements.

 

There's supposed to be a restaurant here.

 

Actually, here.

 

i really like the modifications to 525.  the new restaurant should be really cool too.  its a very slick metal and glass box looking structure.  i wonder how long it is going to take them to start the facade improvements to the banking center.  seems they shouldnt be too far off if they displayed those mockups a few months ago.  it would be great if they played bengals games on the video board...the square would be packed..especially if they allowed alcohol.

 

they already have the infill panels installed below the video board.  kind of weak but i dont care

I was on the third floor of Macy's today.  They've closed of a very large section of the store that looks over Fountain Square.  Basically, it would be the area of the store that used to sit over Palomino's and the escalator area.  Has anyone heard any plans for this space?  It would be a great location given its view of the square.