Parker Flats, because bigger isn't better. Better is better.

Cincinnati's Cultural Revolution?

This story in The Enquirer got me really excited about the future of Cincinnati; Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell says;

Details are being ironed out, but the basic idea is that any building project that gets an assist from the city would commit 1 to 2 percent of the cost to public art.

The story makes a small case for tourism, but I think it needs to be done for the people already here. Cincinnati is slowly doing everything right with the developments over the last few years. Now they need to start working on the intangible “cool” things to attract and keep people here. Cleveland, a place I’ve spent much time, has a program like this and it produced an incredible work of art in front of the Carl B. Stokes federal Court house in Cleveland. Love it or hate it, the Cleveland Venus wouldn’t exist without this program. And of course the controversial Free Stamp sculpture, which does what art should, engage the imagination and encourage discussion.

Parker Flats: Design Center

I'm disappointed in these pictures; I took some night pictures over the weekend and never changed the settings back. I’ll take some better ones the next chance I get. It was nice to finally see some of what they have in mind for the project and I met a few more neighbors.

These pictures just lead me to another thought, although this space is 6' to 8' narrower than my unit is going to be, how are they going to fit the steps in? I'll have two walls of glass and that really only leaves one other wall which the kitchen will occupy.

Tags:Parker Flats Cincinnati Ohio

Parker Flats: Design Center

I walked past the design center for Parker Flats and it looks to be all but finished, they've made headway since last week when I thought maybe they would have a tough time pulling it all together. It will be interesting to see if they bring in equipment for the weekend to help give the impression of big things happening.
I'll be there after the Bengals game, unless they are beating the Steelers by at least 20 points. I hear they are going to have a TV setup so we can catch the rest of the game there if needed.

Tags:Parker Flats Cincinnati Ohio

Parker Flats: Downtown Life

I know I'm preaching to the choir in saying that the downtown is the only place to be.
This was just the craziest weekend. Friday was the Bengals Backstage Bash, followed by a party at The Know Theater and then the wildest rooftop party on top of the Dobb's condo with Who Dey and Palmer, their miniature Dobermans which somehow I didn't get pictures of. Then I thought of the most awesome blog ever but we went to Shanghai Mamas and I got home with a splitting headache and the next morning I couldn't remember any of it so now you're stuck with this.
Oh yea, there was this little Oktoberfest thing going on and the Bengals - Browns game. I'm not claiming to be a genius because anyone could of guessed this but Chad did the chicken dance after his touchdown.
Click through for the photo album.

Tags:Parker Flats Cincinnati Ohio Oktoberfest Chad Johnson

Fourth St. Rising

According to the Austin Business Journal Middle Earth Developers Inc. is planning the next phase of West Fourth Street's renaissance, a $40 million project that will add 120 apartments and condos, 25,000 square feet of commercial space and 300 parking spots to downtown's southwest district.

The developer is negotiating with the two owners of a parking lot on West Fourth Street, nestled between Plum and Elm Streets and adjacent to the Duke Energy Center. As people have moved into the neighborhood -- population sits at 400, up from 220 in 2000 -- the need for retail has become greater. Middle Earth recently signed on Jay Fagel, a broker with Grubb & Ellis, to lease the street level of Kinsey Flats, which could house up to five retailers.
You can read the whole story of this development in theAustin Business Journal. Hopefully this does not distract them from Parker Flats.

This is also promising, according to the Enquirer, a developer, AIG/Carter, has been chosen to lead the development of The Banks. They faced many of the same hurdles building Atlantic Station that they'll face in The Banks project. The best news is that AIG thinks that after the garages are built that they can do the rest of the development without public money which up to now has been the biggest stumbling block.