"Mom and Dad - can we go on vacation to Newport, Kentucky?!"

-Said no kid ever

 

[sorry to sound harsh. I don't mean to beat up on Newport because I actually think it has a lot going for it as a neighborhood.]

 

I agree with your sentiment, and am hesitant to endorse the project for all the reasons listed above. But at the same time, it would be one more thing to do in the greater downtown area, which can't be a bad thing.

 

Plus, how many people say they want to vacation in Cincinnati, Ohio? Yet I have a friend who volunteers with the underground lagering tunnel tours and has told me that they get visitors from other countries, in town on vacation. So the market is there; it just has to be sold appropriately.

 

^I totally agree... and I'm supportive of efforts to make the region more attractive to potential visitors! And as I said, I truly hope the SkyWheel succeeds.

 

The difference between underground lagering tours and the SkyWheel is the capital investment and the high visibility a 235' tall wheel on the riverfront. When somebody wants to spend $10 million on something so visible, we should make sure there's a solid plan for keeping it something that will be positive for the region. What happens if Koch goes bankrupt and nobody else has the money to operate it? It'll either be a regional draw or a regional embarrassment. No such thing as a quiet failure here. If the operating costs are not excessive, maybe it's a no-brainer. I really don't know anything about these kinds of things. I'm just basing my skepticism on the fact that this company only has 2 other locations, and those locations are so different from Cincinnati.

I like this better than the ill fated bridge climb on the purple people bridge they had a few years back.

I think that calling this an attraction and expecting it to be a draw on its own is unfair.  It's something to do while you happen to be visiting Cincinnati (or if you live in Cincinnati, when you take your kid to Newport Aquarium).  We're obviously very different from Myrtle Beach and Panama City, but don't London and a bunch of other cities outside of the US already have similar ferris wheels?  It's the kind of thing that I think is hokey, but people will probably enjoy.  It belongs in Newport because the whole point is to get a great view of the city and surrounding area, which is better accomplished from across the river.  Also, it will be a cool addition to the eastern edge of the skyline (as viewed from the cut in the hill).

http://www.fox19.com/story/29166644/cincinnati-among-top-staycation-spots

 

The takeaway is that the Skywheel will be something else to do for out-of-town visitors coming to the area. It's uniqueness alone will help it be successful.

The location on the river, across from one of the nation's most scenic skylines is ideal.

Cincinnati is considered a "family friendly" area. This will be attractive to them and kids will be asking to ride it. And yes, from a purely photographic perspective, another nice addition to the skyline. Plus the new 25-story Cincinnati Skyhouse building coming soon across the river from Newport will only enhance our wonderful skyline.

I don't understand the negativity...sorry. However, this is a forum that's opinion-based so....that's great.

 

 

^ Yeah, I don't really understand the negativity, or the point of trying to do a rough hashing of the business plan for the ferris wheel.  I also don't think this necessarily has to rely on out of town visitors to be successful.  How many of us here have gone on top of the Carew Tower to take photos or to simply enjoy the view?  I think this fits in really nicely with the rest of Newport on the Levee, and it will be just another fun thing to do in the greater downtown area.

 

Side note:  I find Myrtle Beach absolutely disgusting, so I don't really understand the appeal of it as a vacation destination, but I have to think it has very little to do with the presence of the ferris wheel.  I do think, however, it could be a little challenging to draw crowds in the winter months, but that will be up to the management company and the owners of the Levee to figure out. I predict this will be very successful, though.

I disagree about its popularity in the winter months. Unlike Chicago and some other city's Ferris wheels this will be a climate controlled cabin so the outside temperature won't be a big deal. Also in the summer people like being down on the riverfront, but in cold weather that is harder to do, which is why this and the Smale carousel make sense to be climate controlled so it gives a family something to do along the river even when the weather is crappy. Also this having its entrance facing the plaza in front of the aquarium is very smart and should piggy back well of those customers (and the aquarium also does well in the winter because unlike the zoo it's all indoors).

$10M Newport Skywheel put on hold

 

 

Plans to build a 235-foot-tall observation wheel on Newport’s riverfront are on hold, WLWT reports.

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said plans for the Newport on the Levee Skywheel are a “public safety issue.”

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/08/09/10m-newport-skywheel-put-on-hold.html

Thanks Obama

How do giant concrete piers make an earthen levee with a concrete parking garage behind it less flood proof? The levee we see is just up against a giant concrete base under NOTL anyway, so I don't see how this would undermine that system at all. I think the Army Corps is being overly conservative on this and are they also slowing down the new boat dock at Smale park or is that in the parks department's hands now? If it requires a move in location I have a feeling it will never happen, which is disappointing because I think this would've been a unique attraction for the region and would've helped to increase the family friendly tourism at NOTL. Hopefully they can revise the foundation/pier details in some way to appease the corps.

Agreed, adding piers to a simple earthen berm should strengthen it.  At Manhattan Harbor we were told the Corps has no problem with them cutting into the levee to put in buildings, though that doesn't mean it wasn't some hand-waving going on.  Surely that's a worse compromise of the levee's integrity than adding piers though.  Something about this smells fishy.

I think the Army Corps is being overly conservative on this and are they also slowing down the new boat dock at Smale park or is that in the parks department's hands now?

 

The boat dock is NOT being slowed down by the Army Corps. It's being slowed down by Cincinnati Parks, finding the last bit of funding.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/smale/2016/05/18/parks-leaders-decide-fate-riverfront-boat-dock/83327006/

I don't know, I am fine by the Army Corps of Engineers being conservative on this one.

 

They are the experts, the engineers, they know the details on the levee, etc.  Just think, if a major flood butting up to the levee happened, and it collapsed around the ferris wheel, holy sh*t that would be absolutely horrific

Also, I'm not an engineer and I don't pretend to know, but this is an earthen levee.  When you pile into a large, earthen levee like this, the points where the earth and cement or steel that is piled in becomes weakened.  If this whole earthen levee is "fill dirt", which I believe it would be, you would first have to dive in very deep below the fill into the bedrock or at least virgin soil, which at some point was even deeper because there were houses and businesses there before the flood of 1937.  Otherwise, the point at the bottom of the foundation of the ferris wheel is compromised by fill dirt which, when under immense pressure from the weight of the water and also the current, could collapse the whole structure.

 

When you talk about the points where the earth and cement are side by side on the earthen levee, these are also "break" areas.  You have to think of this as being on very loose soil once you break the original levee, so now you have broken soil on both sides of the levee.  Those could easily collapse on either side under immense pressure.

 

 

All that matters is the part in bold. 

 

<b>Also, I'm not an engineer and I don't pretend to know</b>, but this is an earthen levee.  When you pile into a large, earthen levee like this, the points where the earth and cement or steel that is piled in becomes weakened.  If this whole earthen levee is "fill dirt", which I believe it would be, you would first have to dive in very deep below the fill into the bedrock or at least virgin soil, which at some point was even deeper because there were houses and businesses there before the flood of 1937.  Otherwise, the point at the bottom of the foundation of the ferris wheel is compromised by fill dirt which, when under immense pressure from the weight of the water and also the current, could collapse the whole structure.

 

When you talk about the points where the earth and cement are side by side on the earthen levee, these are also "break" areas.  You have to think of this as being on very loose soil once you break the original levee, so now you have broken soil on both sides of the levee.  Those could easily collapse on either side under immense pressure.

 

 

haha, I kid.  But none of us even saw the plans.  None of us are engineers.  These guys are professionals.  Maybe the issue is simply that the company sent in shitty unclear plans?  Maybe they will clear it up now and it will be fine.  Maybe they wanted to build a secret villainous lair inside the levy.  We just don't know.

If you want an extreme example of the 'not piled to bedrock' problem, look up the Millennium Tower in San Francisco... 58 story concrete residential tower with piles driven just 80 feet in to landfill (used to be part of the bay), rather than 200' to bedrock. It's sunk 16 inches since it was built a few years ago, and is leaning 15" NW.

 

Judging by the rendering, the problem might be that the structure juts out into the river side of the levee.

...or they could just London Eye it.

Newport officials set new SkyWheel opening date

 

 

Plans for a SkyWheel in Newport were set back following a federal report, but officials committed to the project have set a new opening date for the attraction, WCPO reports.

 

Plans to build a $10 million, 235-foot-tall observation wheel on Newport’s riverfront were first proposed in 2015, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said earlier this year that the proposal would be a public safety issue for the levee.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/09/07/newport-officials-set-new-skywheel-opening-date.html

I'm sure Mitchell’s Fish Market loves that this will ruin the downtown skyline view from their patio.

I'm sure Mitchell’s Fish Market loves that this will ruin the downtown skyline view from their patio.

 

Yep, on the other hand, they may benefit from this drawing more people to the levee. There really isn't a reason for me to go to Newport anymore these days, aside from taking my son to Gameworks, but I'd definitely head over for this!

I'm sure Mitchell’s Fish Market loves that this will ruin the downtown skyline view from their patio.

 

Yep, on the other hand, they may benefit from this drawing more people to the levee. There really isn't a reason for me to go to Newport anymore these days, aside from taking my son to Gameworks, but I'd definitely head over for this!

I wonder what the overlap on the Venn Diagram of Mitchell's Fish Market patrons and giant ferris wheel riders is

More business news than development, but still...

 

Newport on the Levee brings in top real estate firm to fill retail space

 

 

Newport on the Levee selected Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate Inc. as the property’s exclusive retail leasing agent.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/11/30/exclusive-newport-on-the-levee-brings-in-top-real.html

Newport Aquarium plans new attraction, renovation

 

 

Newport Aquarium will debut a new attraction this summer, marking its first major addition since 2015.

 

Stingray Hideaway: Enter their World will open in May and provide an interactive experience for families.

 

More below:

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/10312161/npaqstingrayhideawayconceptart300x200*750xx300-169-0-31.jpg

Newport movie theater to undergo multimillion-dollar renovation

 

 

The AMC Theater at Newport on the Levee will undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation later this year.

 

The AMC Newport 20 will begin an $8 million renovation in fall 2017. The renovation will extend the theater's lease at the Levee through 2032.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/03/09/newport-movie-theater-to-undergo-multimillion.html

When do we get the ferris wheel?

Plans for Newport’s giant SkyWheel move forward

 

 

The Newport SkyWheel plan is inching forward, WCPO reports.

 

The city of Newport and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have agreed on a new design for the giant viewing wheel planned at Newport on the Levee, City Manager Tom Fromme said.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/06/plans-for-newport-s-giant-skywheel-move-forward.html

Drop that on top of the Purple People Bridge. Now that would be unique!

 

From the archives:

 

 

Yes, that is the Roebling Bridge.

Plans for Newport’s giant SkyWheel move forward

 

 

The Newport SkyWheel plan is inching forward, WCPO reports.

 

The city of Newport and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have agreed on a new design for the giant viewing wheel planned at Newport on the Levee, City Manager Tom Fromme said.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/06/plans-for-newport-s-giant-skywheel-move-forward.html

 

Is that the American flag in the middle? It looks so out of place...

how else would you know it's in America?

If it rotates with the wheel it will be upside down 1/4 of the time.

Is that the American flag in the middle? It looks so out of place...

 

At least it's not a confederate flag. It is KY after all.

Is that the American flag in the middle? It looks so out of place...

 

At least it's not a confederate flag. It is KY after all.

 

Kentucky wasn't a member of the Confederacy... and I see as many confederate flags flying in Millville, Hamilton, or Batavia as I do anywhere in KY.

It seems like more people are flying confederate flags than ever before.  I never saw one when I lived in Tennessee 1997-2001 but now I see them there and in Kentucky all the time.  There was someone flying one across from Norwood's post office two years ago...it might still be there.  I see 2-3 regularly in Bellevue and Dayton, KY. 

And the "Confederate flag" wasn't even the flag of the CSA despite popular belief.

And the "Confederate flag" wasn't even the flag of the CSA despite popular belief.

 

Right, it was fairly obscure during the actual Civil War (the actual confederate flag is pretty boring), but it was adopted by the Klan immediately afterward and during its 1920s resurgence.  It is more the flag of the KKK than it is the Confederacy. 

If it rotates with the wheel it will be upside down 1/4 of the time.

 

I think its an LED display....so it's like an arena scoreboard American flag. She waves without wind!

So you're saying it can be hacked?

So you're saying it can be hacked?

 

May i offer a suggestion then? http://thenewswheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/bus.png

 

Oh the stories that will be told......

 

 

More importantly to me is this sentence, "the SkyWheel’s base is expected to be built on Riverboat Row closer to the Ohio River with a base that will withstand flooding and a 50-foot pier". Does that mean a pier reaching out into/over the river, or a pier reaching back over Riverboat Row connecting to the plaza in front of the Aquarium?

 

Also if it's that close to the river, can they stick a big paddle wheel in the river to power the Skywheel?

More importantly to me is this sentence, "the SkyWheel’s base is expected to be built on Riverboat Row closer to the Ohio River with a base that will withstand flooding and a 50-foot pier". Does that mean a pier reaching out into/over the river, or a pier reaching back over Riverboat Row connecting to the plaza in front of the Aquarium?

 

Also if it's that close to the river, can they stick a big paddle wheel in the river to power the Skywheel?

 

I too was intrigued by the pier. I doubt it's into the river though...barges and all.

More importantly to me is this sentence, "the SkyWheel’s base is expected to be built on Riverboat Row closer to the Ohio River with a base that will withstand flooding and a 50-foot pier". Does that mean a pier reaching out into/over the river, or a pier reaching back over Riverboat Row connecting to the plaza in front of the Aquarium?

 

Also if it's that close to the river, can they stick a big paddle wheel in the river to power the Skywheel?

 

Depends on the river level i guess. When there is a high river stage it will definitely be out over the water, which would be pretty cool actually.

 

a 50' pier is not very long at all. So even if it extended "into" the river, it wouldn't go very far at all. That's shorter than the ramps to the floating restaurants.

From channel 9, this view explains the pier better. Over the parking lot most of the time and water if the river gets high enough.

Wow that's a lot bulkier than I was picturing. It definetly will affect the festivals, such as goetta fest and italian fest, that happen down there as well as affect the master plan for turning that area into a park space.

Yeah I hope there is a little more consideration to the base. It has the same look as the underside of a highway overpass and the only people who like to spend time in those places are usually homeless and not there by choice exactly.

Wow that's a lot bulkier than I was picturing. It definetly will affect the festivals, such as goetta fest and italian fest, that happen down there as well as affect the master plan for turning that area into a park space.

 

but think of the views you'll have of the great inland seafood festival

This was the Newport Riverfront plan I was referring to, sorry for the crappy quality.

I know they gave up on the previous plan which modified the flood wall, but couldn't they float it over top of the flood wall without having to cantilever it over towards the river so far?

Newport on the Levee bowling alley expands

 

A Greater Cincinnati bowling entertainment center is expanding.

 

Axis Alley at Newport on the Levee is expanding into the neighboring Redondo Taqueria space, which closed in March.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/04/07/newport-on-the-levee-bowling-alley-expands.html