Friday, June 06, 2008

Show me the money!  The cost to the City for 3CDC’s Square

Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

Why is it so difficult to determine the actual amount of money the City of Cincinnati spent on 3CDC’s “revitalized” Fountain Square?  A few years ago, when the original plan got presented, the City boasted that it would only need to pay $4 million to get a totally renovated Square.  At the time, we wondered why no one counted the lost garage revenues for the next four decades in that cost.  But now we are getting a bigger picture about the actual costs to the City—and by extension to the taxpayers—than originally promised.

It’s starting to look like the City of Cincinnati paid to construct the building for the Via Vite restaurant.  So that takes the total, if we believe the original rhetoric, from $4 million to $6.5 million.  But if the City paid for the Via Vite building, should we wonder at other structures on the Square?

Who paid for the public bathrooms, for example?  Who paid for the glass entranceway where the elevators hit the Square? 

Not to mention the lost garage revenue for 40 years, as well as the lost money on prime real estate due to giving 3CDC a sweetheart deal on the lease for the property housing Via Vite.

Why is it so difficult to get an actual number here?  How much did we really spend on the new Square?

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Rocco says:
06 Jun 2008  at  03:24 pm | #

Its where all of the promised money to the neighborhoods went, and they are about to spend more of the promised money on vine st, red light camaras, trolley cars, and other bells and whistles all over downtown and everyone will keep asking the question Where is the Money they promised me? They set up the LLC’s to create this confusion because they dont want us to know where our money is going!

Dominique says:
06 Jun 2008  at  07:56 pm | #

Rocco,
Are these the funds from the airport sale at Blue Ash that Mallory heralded in his election promises?

Were there not other promises made during that campaign that have not been kept?

anon says:
07 Jun 2008  at  10:46 am | #

Has anyone from the Beacon actually been downtown in the last year? Please explain how the thousands and thousands of new people down there visiting, spending money, shopping, eating, dining are a bad thing. Please explain how 3CDC screwed up the City so badly that now there are tons of people down there all the time. Please explain why the crime rate in district 1 is the lowest out of all the districts. Is it possible that the building for Via Vite was atually part of the originally planned 42 million square? Early plans did show a building in the top left corner.

says:
07 Jun 2008  at  11:00 am | #

Has anyone from the Beacon actually been downtown in the last year?

Yes.

Please explain how the thousands and thousands of new people down there visiting, spending money, shopping, eating, dining are a bad thing.

I never said it was.

Please explain how 3CDC screwed up the City so badly that now there are tons of people down there all the time.

Show me where I made that claim.

Please explain why the crime rate in district 1 is the lowest out of all the districts.

I would guess it is because less crime happens there.

Is it possible that the building for Via Vite was atually part of the originally planned 42 million square?

Of course.  But that has nothing to do with who paid for it.

Any other questions?

Rocco says:
07 Jun 2008  at  12:19 pm | #

Many Promises were made to the cities first neighborhoods to give them money just like westwood was given and noone has yet seen the money after many many years. They have made downtown a priority and are screwing the neighborhoods. This all started with Charles in Charge.

says:
07 Jun 2008  at  12:53 pm | #

Please explain why the crime rate in district 1 is the lowest out of all the districts.—from anon (#3)

District 1 comprises much more than the Central Business District (CBD).  If one looks at the number of Part I crimes for 2007, the total number is relatively high with 1,405 of the city’s total 24,678 Part I crimes occurring in the CBD and Riverfront district.  The police break down the crime reports into over 50 different districts and the CBD/Riverfront one is pretty high on the chart. 

These data can be found at http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov.  Click on Departments, click on Cincinnati Police, and then click on statistics.

R says:
08 Jun 2008  at  02:48 pm | #

1,000’s of more people down there?

Really?  We actually sat there after biz hours as people were leaving, by 6:30 it was dead. 2:30 in the afternoon Dead.  Last sunday, eaving the reds game, we actually sat on the square, to see how many people came up that way.  we counted 63 people on the square right after and a hour after the game .  Most of them were sleeping.  The thousands and thousamds that left the game at the same time we did, the WHOLE big group of people, got to the parking garage and got in their cars and left.  Out of the thousands that left with us, we were the ONLY ones that went as far as the square.  Give me a break.

you consider that a success?  I have friends with Restaunts down there.  if soooo many people are visiting and staying down there, why are their revenues way down?  Economy, would be of some thought, no interest would be a bigger thought. Many times we have sat there, watch them run out to their cars, and leave.  so that is delusional.

You can paint it, put’s some shiney lights up etc etc, and that still has done nothing about the PERCEPTION of downtown that has existed since our good friend Mike B was shot and killed on mainstreet.  I did she one of the old Mainstreet , I called them cats, outside the Macy’s building last week, at least he is hanging in there.  He likes the square, but wonders if you could put a cushion on the chairs for him. better sleeping.

I am down there every sngle day, and have yet to see “the thousands and thousands of people down there all the time”

Maybe the Street car will be the answer.  running out of options dude.  One thing I do see, is more police officers, other than that I see less people than 5 years ago.

R says:
08 Jun 2008  at  02:53 pm | #

You got it Rocco.  That’s what the LLC’s are for.  I would LOVE to see the books on all of them going back for a year.  Be a whole bunch of answers in there, that I am sure alot of people are going to be VERY unhappy about. What was said is not what was done.

Show us the books, and the numbers 3cdc person ( not you Rocco, the Annon guy) .  If there is nothing to hide, whats the worry? 

It will take some time to get them, but they can be had.  Alot of people looking into that box .