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The Cincinnati Beacon
CityBeat: Time to Dump the Banks?
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
I have long wondered why I should care if some rich people have a condo on the river, and further why I should be compelled to believe my tax dollars should fund such real estate development. (In fact, it seems to me that the banks are literally the only institutions set to profit off The Banks!) And now CityBeat is asking for input, about whether or not this real estate development project really matters to regular citizens. Is a groundswell against this project mounting?
I’m split when I hear people talking about a park at the location. I mean, I do recognize that we have plenty of park space along the river, from the International Friendship Park west of Montgomery Inn all the way down through Serpentine Wall. I’m not certain how many miles of park is sustainable. But I certainly appreciate the sentiment. I would personally have more use for a Ferris Wheel and a carousel at that location than I would for some stranger living in a condo. I can’t really see packing up the kids to look at condos, but a carousel can actually be a lot of fun!
I remember our family vacation this summer to Put-In-Bay. My son loved riding the carousel each morning. Now, I understand that Put-In-Bay is totally different from Downtown Cincinnati, but it’s just a minor comparison. My overall point is that I’d personally rather have stuff to enjoy with my family than tax abated living space for rich people who get a special streetcar installed at my expense so they don’t need to drive to their cubicles.
I remember running into Jim Tarbell months ago, back when the circus was pitched on that location. He said he’d rather see a circus permanently installed at The Banks. It’s a similar sentiment to having a Ferris Wheel—something fun at The Banks for everyone to enjoy, as opposed to some cookie cutter franchise sports bars and upscale living space for the favored few.
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