Christ Hospital and their idiotic overflow lot (Cincinnati: purchase, upkeep)

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by rrtechno

I am not personally familiar with the area discussed by the OP, but I am reminded of a discussion I was in with several architects who specialize in historic restorations. The conclusion was that "Just because it's OLD doesn't necessarily make it HISTORIC. And just because it's old and possibly historic doesn't necessarily make it VIABLE for renovating or repurposing.

And WTF does that have to do with leveling a block or two for a stupid parking lot?

[abr7rmj]

Originally Posted by rrtechno

I am not personally familiar with the area discussed by the OP, but I am reminded of a discussion I was in with several architects who specialize in historic restorations. The conclusion was that "Just because it's OLD doesn't necessarily make it HISTORIC. And just because it's old and possibly historic doesn't necessarily make it VIABLE for renovating or repurposing.

That's fine and I'll agree in some instances. But demolishing an attractive, viable, old apartment building for a surface parking lot, not even a garage, is unacceptable.

There was a very old building that used to stand at the corner of Sixth and Walnut (and was home to Batsakes hat shop for decades). It was demolished to make way for the modern CAC and few people had any problem with that. There was a century-old building in OTR that was recently torn down for the new Mercer Commons development now under construction and that's fine too. But if the plan was to just tear those buildings down and replace them with boring surface parking lots, there would be an outcry.

Not many people are going to complain about razing a building for legitimate reasons. But doing so to pave it over with a slab of asphalt so a couple of cars can park there or, in the case of the Gamble House, for no reason at all, is where the criticisms begin. These buildings aren't replaceable - when they're gone they're gone. And each one that's removed takes a little bit of Cincinnati's history with it.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

And WTF does that have to do with leveling a block or two for a stupid parking lot?

Parking lots are only stupid to those not looking for parking. As the remaining hospitals on Pill Hill expand to meet the need, they will either provide parking for both patients and visitors or before they know it the suburban hospitals will be taking all of their customers. Those who do not think the suburban hospitals are having an influence should take you own advice and get out of the City once in awhile and see what these suburban hospitals are performing. And that includes St Elizabeth in NKY. My daughter had a procedure performed there earlier this year, I was impressed with their facility, and I did not have to park in tim-buck-two to take her there or pick her up.

Just contact about any specialist in any discipline and see where their offices are. They have multiple offices spread out in the suburbs next to the hospitals. These doctors are not stupid, they know what convenience means to their patients. Keep your blinders on and the next thing you know Pill Hill will be a distant memory. 2 million in the metro versus 300K in the City. Where do you think most of those people are going for their medical treatment?

[Sarah Perry]

I don't have an opinion about whether the building is worth saving. Certainly hospitals and universities have historically been a couple of the worst offenders when it comes to insensitivity to historic structures and their preservation. However, I would hazard a guess that no one posting here knows what the hospital's long-range plan is and whether that plan is limited to surface parking.

I think we're seeing an evolution in terms of hospitals. The major central facilities like the hospital under discussion here are not going anywhere. Smaller hospitals are obviously going to be more and more dispersed geographically.

I recently had major surgery in an outlying suburb of the Columbus area, where the surgeon's office was attached by a short enclosed walkway to a 60-bed surgical hospital. Big choice of convenient nearby places for my husband to stay, groceries and restaurants, and no traffic or parking hassles. The 'burbs still equal convenience in situations like this.

[CarpathianPeasant]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

Your generation scrapped public transportation. Christ would not be tearing down that neighborhood for parking if everyone could get there on a bus or train. In the late 90s' they did preliminary enginnering on a subway tunnel under Mt. Auburn with a station for the hospital. All the old people voted against Metro Moves so it didn't happen. Now Christ Hospital wants the streetcar line extended to their hospital, again possibly with a tunnel.




Your generation is full of excuses for avoiding the city. You pride yourselves on winning the war and now you grumble about parking garages with pillars that are too close or whatever.

I think you got your generations confused. Public transportation lost favor when gas rationing ended at the end of WWII. Think 1946. And, I doubt if the generation referred to was the one that won "the" war -- more like the one that went to the moon.

[CarpathianPeasant]

Originally Posted by rrtechno

I am not personally familiar with the area discussed by the OP, but I am reminded of a discussion I was in with several architects who specialize in historic restorations. The conclusion was that "Just because it's OLD doesn't necessarily make it HISTORIC. And just because it's old and possibly historic doesn't necessarily make it VIABLE for renovating or repurposing.

It is also worth noting that there are different levels of "historic." It can be historic and more or less "unattended." It can be historic and in the care and preservation of some organization out to preserve it. And, it can be "officially" historic, that is, a U.S. national Landmark, such as the Taft House.

If it's a Landmark, it's in the hands of the U.S. government, but even that can be undone if need be.

[CarpathianPeasant]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

Hey, you will be invalidted because you are not walking the party line. There is no deviation. If you deviate you will be ostracised. There is no room for constructive criticsm, in fact no room for criticism at all. Once you understand that you will be in tune with what this forum is all about. Until then you will be the minority. Nevermind the majority is still what the majority in the suburbs think.

Snobbishness is the biggest problem with suburbia. ...Which is amazing since there is so little to be snobbish about....

[CarpathianPeasant]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

And WTF does that have to do with leveling a block or two for a stupid parking lot?

Presumably it also can't be used for what it was used for in the first place.

[CarpathianPeasant]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

Parking lots are only stupid to those not looking for parking. As the remaining hospitals on Pill Hill expand to meet the need, they will either provide parking for both patients and visitors or before they know it the suburban hospitals will be taking all of their customers. Those who do not think the suburban hospitals are having an influence should take you own advice and get out of the City once in awhile and see what these suburban hospitals are performing. And that includes St Elizabeth in NKY. My daughter had a procedure performed there earlier this year, I was impressed with their facility, and I did not have to park in tim-buck-two to take her there or pick her up.

Just contact about any specialist in any discipline and see where their offices are. They have multiple offices spread out in the suburbs next to the hospitals. These doctors are not stupid, they know what convenience means to their patients. Keep your blinders on and the next thing you know Pill Hill will be a distant memory. 2 million in the metro versus 300K in the City. Where do you think most of those people are going for their medical treatment?

Parking lots are the biggest eyesores on the landscape. Given real estate that consists of a house and a garage, they are the garage.

[CarpathianPeasant]

Originally Posted by Sarah Perry

I don't have an opinion about whether the building is worth saving. Certainly hospitals and universities have historically been a couple of the worst offenders when it comes to insensitivity to historic structures and their preservation. However, I would hazard a guess that no one posting here knows what the hospital's long-range plan is and whether that plan is limited to surface parking.

I think we're seeing an evolution in terms of hospitals. The major central facilities like the hospital under discussion here are not going anywhere. Smaller hospitals are obviously going to be more and more dispersed geographically.

I recently had major surgery in an outlying suburb of the Columbus area, where the surgeon's office was attached by a short enclosed walkway to a 60-bed surgical hospital. Big choice of convenient nearby places for my husband to stay, groceries and restaurants, and no traffic or parking hassles. The 'burbs still equal convenience in situations like this.

I'm of the understanding that Christ hospital has space where relatives might stay.