User:ProperPen/Cincinnati skywalk

A section of the Cincinnati Skywalk inside the Mercantile Building near E. 4th St. and Main St.

The Cincinnati Skywalk is a series of walkways, primarily indoors and elevated, which allows pedestrians to traverse downtown.

Built in segments starting in 1971, the 1.3-mile skywalk was completed in 1997 at a total cost of more than $16 million. Since then, some city leaders have begun to see the skywalk as a barrier to economic development, as it decreases street-level and sidewalk pedestrian traffic. Some segments of the skywalk have been removed and future demolitions are expected.

As of March 2015, the Skywalk exists as two disconnected segments: one from W. 6th St. near Central Ave. to an area near E. 5th St. and Walnut St., and another from Government Place and Walnut St. to the area of E. 4th St. near Sycamore.

Creation

In 1957, Cincinnati Director of Planning Herbert W. Stevens introduced the idea of "elevated skywalks" as a way to keep pedestrians safe from cars driving through downtown. The concept developed further in the 1960s as part of an urban renewal effort, hoping to make downtown easier to navigate and enjoy at a time when indoor, climate-controlled suburban shopping malls were growing in popularity.

When the federal government agreed to provide urban-renewal funds to help pay for the sidewalk, Cincinnati city's council decided to move forward with the Skywalk. The first link opened in 1971, connecting the Cincinnati Convention Center to Fountain Square.

More segments were added through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It was officially finished in 1997 at a total cost of more than $16 million.

Changing Attitudes

Cincinnati's "2002 Center City Plan" emphasized downtown economic development, and stated the Skywalk allowed pedestrians to bypass the street and led people to believe downtown was abandoned. The report stated that increasing street-level pedestrian traffic would increase economic activity downtown.

Safety and maintenance were also becoming a growing concern. Cincinnati signed dozens of agreements with private property owners for upkeep, which made it confusing to determine who's responsible for making fixes and providing security.

In 2005, then-mayor Charlie Luken told the New York Times the Skywalk is "ugly" and the space underneath is "yucky."

Removing Segments

In 2002, five years after it was considered complete, pieces of the Skywalk started to come down. Crews tore out a segment connecting Riverfront Stadium to the Atrium I and II office buildings while configuring Fort Washington Way.

In 2005, as part of the redevelopment of Fountain Square, the city ripped out a segment from the Fifth Third Tower to Vine Street and a pedestrian bridge over 5th St.

In 2007, a segment connecting Saks Fifth Avenue to an office tower at 5th and Race Streets was demolished.

In 2012, the city removed an open-air segment of the Skywalk over Elm St. and Rusconi Place.

Maps

A research team at UrbanCincy.com has created this current map of the Cincinnati Skywalk using Google Maps, which it updates as sections are removed. The map shows that as of March 2015, the Skywalk exists in two isolated segments, separated by Fountain Square.

The Cincinnati Enquirer published this map of the Skywalk in 2003, showing the Skywalk as a fully connected system that stretched and wound from W. 6th St. near Central Ave., east and south to the area of E. 4th St. near Sycamore.