buildingcincinnati Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 I caught this in the Business section of the Enquirer on Saturday. No dates have been set yet, but I plan on attending the ones in Colerain and College Hill: Wanted: Ideas for Fountain Square Designer's goal is to make it friendly By Ken Alltucker The Cincinnati Enquirer The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. on May 3 will open a weeklong series of public meetings to discuss its vision and gather ideas for a revamped Fountain Square. The May 3 meeting at City Council's community development committee will be the first of seven public meetings through May 11 coordinated by the private development group. Dates and times are not firm, but meeting locations are expected to include Colerain Township, College Hill, Madisonville and downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiNYC Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 i'm definitely going to try to make one of the downtown meetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendall Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 More green and fewer sharp corners and lines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 JohnOSU99 posted dates and times on SSP: The first meeting will be May 4, 6 p.m., at the Colerain Township Senior/Community Center at 4200 Springdale Road. It will follow a review before Cincinnati City Council's Community Development Committee on May 3. The other phase-one meetings are as follows: May 5, 6 p.m. at the College Hill Recreation Center, 5545 Belmont Ave. May 6, noon, at the Christ Church Cathedral Undercroft, 318 E. Fourth St. May 6, 6 p.m., at the Carthage Recreation Center, 19 E. 72nd St. May 10, 6 p.m., at the Madisonville Recreation Center, 5320 Stewart Road May 11, 6 p.m., at the Westin Hotel Atrium Terrace, Fifth & Vine streets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napier1 Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 well today is the day when 3cdc revils the new fountain square project..... Fountain Square to get makeover -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New look to be shown today By Ken Alltucker Enquirer staff writer The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. today will unveil a long-anticipated plan to overhaul Fountain Square that aims to create unique pedestrian-friendly spaces and trigger revitalization of the area. The goal is to attract new shops, restaurants and entertainment attractions on the square and its surrounding blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Anyone see the plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napier1 Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Plans for Fountain Square redesign unveiled Dan Monk Courier Senior Staff Reporter The Tyler Davidson Fountain would move north and be flanked by three new groves of trees, under a conceptual design unveiled at Cincinnati's City Hall this morning. The changes would give Fountain Square a more park-like appearance, bring new focus to the fountain as the centerpiece of the square itself and enhance prospects for new retail and entertainment tenants in the blocks around the square, said Steve Leeper, executive director of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 He also provided no details on 3CDC's leasing efforts, but described a tenant mix that included a three to four-screen movie theater, a large bookstore and a grocery and toy store. If this part happens, I will dance a naked jig in the middle of the square. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richNcincy Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 He also provided no details on 3CDC's leasing efforts' date=' but described a tenant mix that included a three to four-screen movie theater, a large bookstore and a grocery and toy store. [/quote'] If this part happens, I will dance a naked jig in the middle of the square. We'll hold you up to that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted June 28, 2004 Author Share Posted June 28, 2004 Doesn't Fifth already "dogleg right"? I guess they mean "dogleg MORE right". I like trees, so that's good. When the planters weren't there it looked like Soviet Russia. But if they're going to get rid of the stage and replace it with trees, are they making any provisions for at least a temporary stage for major celebrations? I'd definitlely like to see a downtown movie theater--not some over-the-top IMAX but just something normal. A grocery would be great too. They can go ahead an reduce the width of the sidewalk in front of the Westin. While they're at it, they can go ahead and reduce (delete) the Westin atrium because it serves absolutely no purpose. Put those shops along the street and not hidden off of some godforsaken atrium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColDayMan Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 I'd love to see another small grocery store (ala mini-Kroger), a wonderful movie complex, a nice set of "chain" restaurants (downtown has plenty of local restaurants already), etc. That sounds like a fantastic plan. Also, adding trees = pleasant surroundings. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendall Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 The renderings are up on the Enquirer web page. It will look really nice in 30 years when the trees are as mature as those depicted. I like semi circular benches surrounding the fountain. That skywalk will be missed. I work downtown at 525 Vine and use it regularly, along with lots of other people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Cincinnati_Kid Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 Here are some renderings.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richNcincy Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 I dont think it is much of an improvement. They just move the fountain, add trees and tear the stage down. It may grow on me, but I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 I think I'm one of the few people who actually like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cincinnatus Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 It won't come as a surprise that I don't like the plan at all. It is a large waste of resources and may well have the opposite effect from the one intended. One won't be able to see the fountain for the trees so to speak. As many know, I live on Garfield Place next to Piatt Park which has very nice trees of similar size to those proposed for Fountain Square. The whole block of Piatt Park from Elm St. to Race St. is currently coated with a thick layer of bird crap. Every evening thousands of starlings swoop in on unfortunate Piatt Park and use it as their toilet. It is unbelievable what a mess it is. The scene as they fly in and out looks literally like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. They will love the new Fountain Square if it is built as proposed. I don't like the idea of tearing down the skywalk. I think it is stupid to relocate the fountain and 5th st. I don't see how either will encourage new businesses or more visitors. In fact, there will no longer be a real downtown meeting place such as Fountain Square is now. There are already plenty of parks and, if it is ever built, there is the proposed new park in the Banks project just a few blocks south of Fountain Square. The article about this in today's Cincinnati Enquirer and also the Post quotes Councilman Jim Tarbell as saying the proposal would be a return to the way things were 100 years ago. How absurd! He couldn't be more wrong. Has he ever seen the old Esplanade? (that's a rhetorical question, he is well old enough to have seen the old Espalanade before the current Plaza was created in 1971). It looked nothing like the current proposal and no one in his right mind would want to return to the old Esplanade anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napier1 Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 calm down everybody why are we talking like this is the final design and its under construction there will be a truck load of public meetings cincinnati city council already has directed 3cdc to add a performance stage in the plan so people(cincinnatus) lets be cool the final design will come out in mid-fall then if you dont like that one thats when we can go crazy..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prolix Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 He also provided no details on 3CDC's leasing efforts, but described a tenant mix that included a three to four-screen movie theater, a large bookstore and a grocery and toy store. That would be so great, I'd lvoe to have a nice bookstore and kroger(or similar) within walking distance of my loft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColDayMan Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 As a landscape architect, surrounding the fountain with lush, 20ft. trees is a brilliant idea and I'm baffled why it hasn't been done earlier. In regards to "bird secretion," it is typical and "citylike" to have such happenings, and sometimes can be entertaining (re: Javitz's Plaza, New York). The idea to surround the fountain with a treeline the height of the Tyler Davidson (not to outdo it nor compete with it; but to compliment it) while serving as an immediate Rittenhousesque space surrounded by financial institutions, hotels, etc is a wonderful way to reinvent Fountain Square. If they use paperback maple or even smaller Sycamore trees (which would require heavy maintanence; etc), it would be more effective and would really accentuate the "concrete jungle" vs. "natural space" of the project, which clearly they are trying to symbolize. Again, brilliant. Add some cafes, a bookstore, movie palace(s), and whatnot and bam, you'll have a worthy addition to downtown. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napier1 Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 Bravo ColDayMan i completly agree, in todays news paper a developeer said the cost would be more than 10million but one thing that i told steve leeper is we shuold add a jumbo screen wouldnt that add a huge since of excitment do anybody agree....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColDayMan Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 A jumbo screen would simply deplore the idea of having a meeting space to begin with. Perhaps move your jumbo screen idea to the corner of 6th and Walnut, where there is more "happening" with the Aronoff, CAC, etc. Perhaps a mini-Times Square (hell, the Maisonette might advertise..."Hey! We're still here bitches!" or whatnot). So I like your jumbo idea...but not in Fountain Square. I would destroy it with my magical powers in a heartbeat. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napier1 Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 yeah you are right.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiNYC Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 i have a new makeover wish... how about a new name??? most of us who grew up here really don't think anything of it, but come on. a square with a fountain in it doesn't have to be called "fountain square." sorry, just got the wisdoms pulled. that's the best i can do today. ugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColDayMan Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 Fountain Square as a monikor is simply plain and simple (much like Central Park). But hey, it gets the job done. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted June 30, 2004 Author Share Posted June 30, 2004 Lay off the Vicodin, CiNYC! ;) I like "Fountain Square" because it's one of the few things that isn't named after a person or a corporation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOSU99 Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 Just wait until it's announced that, in order to pay for this project, the name will be changed to "Fountain Square Presented by Korger" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted June 30, 2004 Author Share Posted June 30, 2004 "Fifth Third Bank Presents the George A. Schaefer, Jr. Fountain Square" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 Those renderings portray a very pleasant, almost European space. I'm not that down on the current configuration of Foutain Square, esp that skywalk/elevator thing. Its sort of neat to be up there with an overview of the square, the fountain, and the Carew Tower in the backround. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted June 30, 2004 Author Share Posted June 30, 2004 I'm wondering what they're going to do with the trees. The planting of trees will require them to sacrifice some parking garage space. A rehual of the parking garage will require it to shut down for a period of time. Locals (I mean the idiots--read the user comments within the Enquirer article) are notorious for being impatient. Will they wait around? Probably not. They already complain about how hard it is to park. I guess if you can't pull right up to the door and fucking walk in like at a shopping mall, then you might as well just stay home. Anyone ever hear of paying $1 and walking six blocks? It's not that hard unless you are on crutches. (/rant) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 I'm wondering what they're going to do with the trees. The planting of trees will require them to sacrifice some parking garage space. Yes, good catch!. I was taken in by the image, and forgot about that very usefull bit of infrastructure below. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColDayMan Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 Typically, 20ft. trees do not need a whole lot of topsoil, therefore parking underground is not an issue (re: rooftop gardens). "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyImages Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 I agree, the name is fine. If you change the name it only adds confusion. Come on CiNYC, you strike me as one of the stubborn locals that still call Ronald Reagan Highway, Cross County Highway, am I wrong? I am not sure on the design, it seems like a waste of money to move the fountain. All the plumbing, etc would have to be moved and it seems that it would add the most of the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prolix Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 they can call it whatever they want as far as i care. i just want to see it get off the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoDey Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 ICome on CiNYC' date=' you strike me as one of the stubborn locals that still call Ronald Reagan Highway, Cross County Highway, am I wrong?[/quote']Hey now, nothing wrong with being one of those people... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiNYC Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 If you change the name it only adds confusion. Come on CiNYC' date=' you strike me as one of the stubborn locals that still call Ronald Reagan Highway, Cross County Highway, am I wrong?[/quote'] hehe, nope, i call it ronald reagan on the rare occasion that i reference it. i don't really care either way about the name. i was in a grumpy mood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyImages Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 ^ LOL - my bad... After all I do call the "Daniel Carter Beard" bridge, the "Big Mac", but that is more of a nickname like "Purple People" Anyway back to the topic at hand... I am against moving the fountain, because of the cost involved. I think it is an incredible waste of money. It is not like you can slide the fountain over. They thing is very heavy with all that plumbing underneath. I would suspect millions alone just to move the thing. I like the trees but then again it seems like a big waste of money to bring the square down to street level. Can't they just replace the tiles add some trees and totally redo the stage? Use the extra money to rework the US Bank atrium that is a big waste of space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColDayMan Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 You are starting to sound like a cynical Cincinnatian, Monte. Welcome home. Regardless, moving the fountain to centralize it should've been done in the first place instead of focusing on site-lines from 5th St. Waste of money that could potentially bring more people downtown...a gamble the city can FINALLY take? I'm in all support of it (seeing how the only gambling going on in Cincinnati is in Indiana). Bringing the Square to streetlevel will only enhance the importance (and intimacy) of the Square and will finally be a public square that could develop moreso (or influence of) into a mini-Rittenhouse or (hopefully :D) Union Square. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted July 8, 2004 Author Share Posted July 8, 2004 I'd like to elevate the square and put it on the top level of a 1000-ft. skyscraper. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted July 13, 2004 Author Share Posted July 13, 2004 Hey--I saw video of the first of the second round of public meetings held yesterday. There were about 2 dozen people there and it looked like the average age of the attendees was about 55. Does this concern anyone else except me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napier1 Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Im not sure grasscat should we be concerned, I know today it was more than 100 people at the aronoff center for that meeting maybe diffrent locations will have diffrent turnouts what do you think....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohr37 Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 This is my first opinion on the new Square and I am very pleased at the prelimenary sketches. The new Square has some of the qualities that many well-used parks through out the world have: movable chairs, playful sculptures, touchable water features, and small cafes. These amenities support human use and encourage it. The best thing I saw in those sketches, even though many would say it's just a small thing, is the the movable chair. Movable chairs allow people to choose where and with whom they want to sit, giving them a sense of freedom. People feel more at ease in places that give them such choices, and they will choose to use those places again and again. The new Square does not seem to have the qualities of parks that are never used such as trying to achieve excellence in architecture and public space. Many of the new parks seem to care more about "design as art" instead of the people which make the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cincinnatizach Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 cafes are always good to have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted July 14, 2004 Author Share Posted July 14, 2004 Im not sure grasscat should we be concerned' date=' I know today it was more than 100 people at the aronoff center for that meeting maybe diffrent locations will have diffrent turnouts what do you think.......[/quote']Hopefully. I was really just more concerned with the age of the people. They were literally all 50 or older. Where were the young people (no, I couldn't attend). I don't mean to sound crass, but do we really want to leave our future to people who will be dead soon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyImages Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Problem is that many "young" people work during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted July 14, 2004 Author Share Posted July 14, 2004 ^ They are held in the evening (usually at 7 PM) except for one which was held yesterday at noon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 Here's an article I found in the 7/23/04 Enquirer about the pain in the ass it would be to move the Tyler Davidson Fountain. Why do it?: Blue McDonald's company, McDonald Meg-A-Lift Industrial Contractors Inc., lifted the Tyler Davidson Fountain during renovation in 2000. The Enquirer/SARAH CONARD How do you move a 109-ton fountain? Experts say piece-by-piece dismantling would be tricky - and fraught with risk By Cliff Radel Enquirer staff writer DOWNTOWN - The Tyler Davidson Fountain weighs heavily on Fountain Square, literally and figuratively. The 109 tons of stone and bronze has for 133 years anchored the heart of Cincinnati. For those reasons, members of the team that restored the fountain in 2000 say any plan to move it should not be taken lightly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cincinnatizach Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 moving the square is a waste of money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 So is moving the fountain. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cincinnatizach Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 ^ooops thats what i ment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildingcincinnati Posted September 24, 2004 Author Share Posted September 24, 2004 This thing is getting a lukewarm reception, at best. From the 9/23/04 Cincinnati Post: Square plans receive a mixed reaction By Kevin Osborne Post staff reporter Echoing many of the comments heard from area residents at public hearings this summer, the city of Cincinnati's design experts gave a mixed reaction Wednesday to initial plans for revamping Fountain Square. In its first chance to comment on the plan, the city's Urban Design Review Board generally liked proposals to add more trees and shrubbery to Fountain Square, as well as lowering the public plaza to street level. http://www.cincypost.com/2004/09/23/square092304.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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