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The Cincinnati Beacon
Fountain Square’s New Corporate Logo
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
Whenever we offer criticisms about 3CDC’s corporate revision of our City’s central space, status-quo defenders are quick to assert that the new (and still unfinished) Fountain Square is a great success due to the people who attend the programs offered. But the old Square never had this kind of programming, so for all we know the old Square could have been this successful with some programming, too. The issue is not about the popularity of programming, but a look at the corporate backstory that no one wants to talk about. And another chapter in this corporate backstory came this week as 5/3 bank branded the Square with their new logo.
Photo courtesy of .
We have been predicting this for some time. This is going to look great on 5/3’s corporate brochures. What a deal the revision of Fountain Square brought the bank!
Firstly, 5/3 has a conventional mortgage for millions of dollars on part of the renovation. That is a nice revenue stream secured through that one loan for whoever worked the deal. (Yes, 5/3 had representation on the 3CDC board when that deal got developed.)
Next, 5/3 got to renovate the front of one of their buildings without paying to remove the Skywalk, as the City footed that portion of the bill.
When all this happened, 5/3 coincidentally decided to mount a corporate rebranding scheme with a new logo.
Shortly after the new logo was introduced, their new building facade got finished, and the new Square was ready to have the Genius of Water standing with her arms outstretched, right in front of the building. What a great photo-op!
I continue to maintain that the new placement of the Fountain benefits 5/3 and the private restaurant built on public space than it does the people of Cincinnati.
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