Quote:
Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor
I agree that large-scale projects take time -- the issue I have with the Banks is what Cincinnati got for the almost 2-decades of planning and construction:
1. A football stadium and baseball stadium
2. A redesigned road
3. A museum no one goes to
4. Apartments that price-out a large number of young professionals
5. 2 Bars and a Brewhaus
6. 3 restaurants and a Johnny Rockets Sports Bar
That's underwhelming. It's not unique or different and it lacks any kind of style. The Banks was an opportunity for Cincinnati to do something that would give itself a "showplace" location for tourist dollars and an attractive location to draw residents back to the city -- instead of knocking it out of the park, Cincinnati settled for bunt single down the line.
But really, that's what Cincinnati's been doing for decades. It took 15 years for the area right across the street from the Aronoff Center to finally start developing. The big plans for Fountain Square ended being a collection of chain restaurants, an ugly parking garage, and a random jumbotron, and now the Banks is just a vanilla spot on the on the map.
Nobody thinks big in this city, but that's part of it's charm I suppose.
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1. A football stadium and baseball stadium - Over a billion dollars worth of sports stadiums. That's hardly like throwing up an Olive Garden in the suburbs.
2. A redesigned road - Which has the potential to, and likely eventually will, be a tunnel as caps are placed over Fort Washington Way. When that happens, it will create some very unique downtown space
3. A museum no one goes to - Perhaps the concept is wrong and it will be different in the future. The building itself is quite interesting.
4. Apartments that price-out a large number of young professionals - Disagree. Have you seen what young professionals pay to live in the equivalent of this space in other downtowns?
5. 2 Bars and a Brewhaus - The project is barely getting started announcing tennants and there is plenty more room for what you apparently aren't getting in the already announced tennants.
6. 3 restaurants and a Johnny Rockets Sports Bar - Again, let's let this thing breathe first. Let's let some establishments get their legs under them so we can see what works/doesn't work. What, exactly, don't you like about the coming tenants? For years, all we heard was "make it unique to Cincinnati" or "no Hard Rock Cafes please." Then we get the Christian Moerlein Lager House (exclusive to the Banks), Holy Grail (exclusive to Cincinnati), three New Orleans establishments that aren't anywhere remotely close to Cincinnati, a new sports concept for Johnny Rockets (the first of its kind anywhere), and Toby Keith's I Love this Bar and Grill (which, although definitely NOT a country music fan, can attest to its popularity having been to the one in Denver multiple times ... and there is no other TK's anywhere near Cincinnati). Despite all this, surprise, people in never-happy Cincinnati find reason to complain. What should be built here? The Arc de Triumph? Space Needle? Sears Tower? The Sphinx?
I get the distinct impression that whatever would have signed on - anything at all - it would have had its detractors.
As for Fountain Square ... again, I think the primary objective was to get people to start coming back downtown from the suburbs. And it's worked. Every time I'm downtown, Fountain Square has healthy crowds, as do the bars and restaurants surrounding it. Retail continues to be a problem, but in what American downtown besides NYC and Chicago is retail thriving? How many cities actually still have 2 downtown department stores? Cleveland - none. Columbus - none. As for restaurants, Blackfinn is always packed at nights, as are the places along Walnut Street across from the Aronoff. And rarely are tables going unused at Rock Bottom, M&S and other square-area restaurants. Remember, the goal was to bring people back downtown from the plastic burbs. It's beginning to work.
As for Newport's Levee ... maybe it's a good thing Cincinnati didn't rush and end up with what Newport has. Because if you don't like chains, I'm not sure where at the Levee you'd go. The Levee itself is half-empty and has absolutely nothing you couldn't find anywhere else. And the movie theaters are notorious for being overrun by rowdy teens who have no interest in keeping quiet or off their phones so you can actually pay attention. I love the aquarium and hofbrauhaus, and will always take visitors. But among the best things they have going for them is their view - of downtown Cincinnati.