Agreed.

My class had a presentation from one of the people at CityLink and we asked exactly that question. That and why there were two attempts at Italianate row house facades on the building. His response, which wasn't really all that helpful, was that the parking and drop off circle were for those 'just-in-case' times when someone handicapped needs to be dropped off right at the door. He was happy to take our criticisms, but obviously they weren't going to mean anything when it came to the design of this building. I too just wish it wasn't so suburban in design. I like its goal, but very much dislike its building.

Meanwhile, 3CDC helped City Gospel Mission get this final product to be built in Queensgate:

 

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/02/02/judge-rules-in-citys-favor-in.html

FYI: news in my hood (I live on Central Ave) is that CityLink is acquiring/looking to acquire all of the existing structures on Central Ave on the side of the street where CityLink is being built from their development to the intersection of Freeman & Central Ave. Word is that CityLink wants to demolish all of those buildings except for the one at the corner of Freeman & Central.

Given that most of their users probably don't own automobiles, and the building's location within a neighborhood in the urban core, it would have been nice to get a more urban design that engages the street instead of some drop-off circle and parking lot.

 

Rando - agreed

FYI: news in my hood (I live on Central Ave) is that CityLink is acquiring/looking to acquire all of the existing structures on Central Ave on the side of the street where CityLink is being built from their development to the intersection of Freeman & Central Ave. Word is that CityLink wants to demolish all of those buildings except for the one at the corner of Freeman & Central.

 

That's disturbing..

Given that most of their users probably don't own automobiles, and the building's location within a neighborhood in the urban core, it would have been nice to get a more urban design that engages the street instead of some drop-off circle and parking lot.

I think you are underestimating the wealth of America's "working poor".

But walking across a big parking lot out front is going to really demoralize peds. Shoulda put it around back.

FYI: news in my hood (I live on Central Ave) is that CityLink is acquiring/looking to acquire all of the existing structures on Central Ave on the side of the street where CityLink is being built from their development to the intersection of Freeman & Central Ave. Word is that CityLink wants to demolish all of those buildings except for the one at the corner of Freeman & Central.

The old firehouse?

A goth/alternate music place, Rakes End,  is in that area now - next to Hartke.

Alternative music has such a hard time in this "city that sings".

I understand that one of the problems is people needing services need to be conveniently located relative to where the services are offered. So is there a plan to locate shelters, etc. in the vicinity of this operation?

The scope of the operation has changed dramatically.  They are now focused primarily on poverty and the working poor and less on homelessness.  I do agree the building is pretty poorly designed for that location. 

 

Here is a map of all social service agencies nearby. 

 

Green dots are any agency that helps poor or homeless people.  Including Shelters, transitional housing, food banks, pharmacies, job training, etc.

Red dots are the new planned & under construction locations of agencies- These include YWCA on Reading, CGM & Lords Gym/Pantry sites on Dalton, the Dennison Hotel (Model & Talbert House) on Main in Downtown & CityLink on Bank St.

Blue dots are the former locations of CGM & Lords Gym/Pantry.

Yellow is the Drop Inn Center which has yet to find a new location.

FYI: news in my hood (I live on Central Ave) is that CityLink is acquiring/looking to acquire all of the existing structures on Central Ave on the side of the street where CityLink is being built from their development to the intersection of Freeman & Central Ave. Word is that CityLink wants to demolish all of those buildings except for the one at the corner of Freeman & Central.

The old firehouse?

A goth/alternate music place, Rakes End,  is in that area now - next to Hartke.

Alternative music has such a hard time in this "city that sings".

 

Oooh, my mistake on the street names. So CityLink is bounded (roughly) by Linn Street, Bank Street to the south, Baymiller to the West, and Central Ave to the north. What I have heard is that CityLink is looking to acquire everything on Central Ave up to the intersection of Central & Baymiller, which includes the old Brush Manufactuary building on the southside of Central Ave at the corner of Central Ave & Baymiller. Freeman is the next cross street on Central, and that firehouse at the corner of Freeman & Central Ave is not being looked at by CityLink, and neither is anything else in the block of Central Ave that spans from Central & Baymiller to Central Ave and Freeman.

 

Off topic but The Rake is great by the way! 2141 Central Ave - my landlord owns the building and spent the past 6-8 months renovating the space where The Rake is now. It was amazing to watch the transformation of the space — formerly the location was home to the Detroiot Highwaymens Motorcycle club, the interior of the bar was completed coated floor to ceiling in black paint, there was an 8' acoustic tile drop ceiling, etc. My landlord gutted the interior, removed the drop ceiling, exposed the original soaring ceiling with original tin, repainted everything, etc. It looks great. The brick facade has also been removed and replaced with glass — during the day the glass is covered/protected with plywood, but the plywood is taken down each night the bar opens.

 

The first night The Rake was open was Dec 31st 2011 and it has been open every Saturday night since then, and has opened up for planned events (a poetry reading, a DIY goth/industrial night, the Brewery District's monthly meeting last week, etc) on several other occasions as well. I work there quite frequently tending bar and am so glad that Brighton now has this public gathering space, especially since the public venue space at the Mockbee building across the way on Central Parkway (2260 Central Parkway) was shut down by the City due to building code issues.

The scope of the operation has changed dramatically.  They are now focused primarily on poverty and the working poor and less on homelessness.  I do agree the building is pretty poorly designed for that location. 

 

Here is a map of all social service agencies nearby. 

 

Green dots are any agency that helps poor or homeless people.  Including Shelters, transitional housing, food banks, pharmacies, job training, etc.

Red dots are the new planned & under construction locations of agencies- These include YWCA on Reading, CGM & Lords Gym/Pantry sites on Dalton, the Dennison Hotel (Model & Talbert House) on Main in Downtown & CityLink on Bank St.

Blue dots are the former locations of CGM & Lords Gym/Pantry.

Yellow is the Drop Inn Center which has yet to find a new location.

 

Sorry to hijack - but the Drop Inn Center is definitely moving? I have yet to hear confirmation/exact plans from anyone affiliated with the shelter but everything I'm reading in the news is pointing to that.

The Drop Inn Center Had plans drawn up to design their ideal campus around 2007. They have said they are Packed and need A larger facility. They want to stay in the urban core, but have said their current spot is too small.  It's considered a certainty that they will move. Where doesn't seem to have yet been determined.

CityLink set to open. Still sounds like they are in hopey changey mode. The article is odd, too, citing their responsibility in neighbors painting their homes.

That they claim to be set to open and still say:

"Up to 600 volunteers will be needed."

doesn't instill much confidence.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20121112/NEWS01/311120143/