Here’s a look at what’s happening around here from a glass-half-empty perspective:
Who Will Save the Kingdom?: You have to admire Ed Hart for his efforts to save Kentucky Kingdom, the amusement park he’s working hard to re-open and the one it seems politicians in the state legislature seem determined to keep from happening.
Hart issued a statement today, after he’s secured $29 million in private funding for the project (mostly from the Al J. Schneider Co.), saying basically that the foot-dragging of government officials has now made it impossible for the park to open next year. Still, Hart says he’s putting up another $1 million to keep the dream alive until the lawmakers meet again in January. If they don’t ante up $20 million then, that could mark the end of project.
“If they don’t, I lose a million dollars—but at least I tried to save the park,” he said.
IF THIS PLACE CAN’T MAKE IT: Did you hear that 732 Social, in the heart of NuLu and one of the hippest places in town, closed its doors Wednesday? It’s hard to believe, given that every time I drove by it seemed to be packed, but as my friend Steve Coomes writes, the problem had little to do with traffic at the restaurant, located in the nationally-acclaimed Green Building.
The dispute that doomed the trendy two-year-old goes back, and I had heard rumors about the battles between the ownership interests since it opened. It’s too bad, especially with the 3rd Annual NuLu Festival coming up Saturday.
Last night, I stopped in at the nearby Garage Bar, which may be the coolest bar in the city. I sure hope that it will enjoy a longer run in NuLu.
THAT OTHER STORY: Today Pres. Obama met with Mayor Greg Fischer (who also intro’d a speaker at this morning Idea Festival) at the Brent Spence Bridge in northern Kentucky. Rep. John Yarmuth and Sen. Rand Paul were aboard Air Force One to attend the speech.
Obama used the speech to criticize Sen. Mitch McConnell and Ohio Rep. John Boehner for standing in the way of this American Jobs Act and keeping bridges like that one, which straddles the two politicians’ home states, from getting fixed.
Tomorrow there’s another big gathering of politicos, including Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, on the Sherman Minton Bridge.
And no, there’s no solution in sight and nothing near the Ohio River is shovel-ready.
