Nightmare On Vine Street

The grand re-opening of Fountain Square is Saturday. This picture, snapped on a cell phone, doesn't do justice to the sight I witnessed today in downtown Cincinnati:

There are huge stacks of shrink-wrapped marble tile scattered everywhere. Most of these, I've noticed, have been there for a weeks. The buildings consist of little more than steel frames - and equipment is spilling over into all of the streets nearby, making any driving near the Square a very frustrating experience. An email to 3CDC - the redevelopment firm in charge of this ambitious city project - confirms that the Square will be ready, but there will be a "punchlist of things to do" after this Saturday.

I've been involved in projects that come together at the last minute, but this seems like a spin job. At this rate there seems like a real possibility that the ceremony will take place at a construction site. Let's hope soon it looks like $42 million bucks.

Tags: Cincinnati, Fountain Square