Month: September 2010

Categories
Development News Transportation

Cincinnati officials select Vine Street route for uptown streetcar connection

City officials have announced that Vine Street has been chosen as the path for the Cincinnati Streetcar to reach the uptown area. The decision comes after a comprehensive study was conducted to determine which route would best connect downtown with uptown, while also best managing the steep hillsides there.

“Our direction from city council has always been to ‘connect the dots,’ but to do so in a way that was fiscally responsible,” stated Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney in a prepared release. “The Vine Street route accomplishes that.”

The Vine Street route is estimated to cost $20 million less in capital costs, offer $250,000 in savings annually in operations, pose fewer engineering challenges, and also offer greater options for future expansions than the West Clifton Avenue alternative. According to City officials, Vine Street and West Clifton Avenue stakeholders have been meeting to discuss the alternatives for months, and that the group had been informed of the final decision yesterday.

One of the primary objectives of the study was to determine how to best navigate the steep hillside leading to and from the uptown area. In this case, Vine Street’s maximum 6.7 percent grade scored much better than West Clifton Avenue’s maximum 8.9 percent grade. The project team said that while United Streetcar/Oregon Iron Works, Siemens, Inekon, Kinkisharyo, and Bombardier all could build modern streetcars to handle such grades, the preference was for engineering simplicity.

In addition to the engineering aspects, many streetcar supporters believe the selected route to get uptown will present greater opportunities long-term.

“The Vine Street route will offer the fastest service between Cincinnati’s two largest employment centers,” said Brad Thomas, Founder, CincyStreetcar.com. “The route also presents the greatest opportunity for future expansions including extensions west to Clifton Heights, north to Avondale and Corryville, or east to Walnut Hills.”

To date, the city has secured $114.5 million out of the total $128 million to build the entire first phase running from Cincinnati’s central riverfront to its uptown neighborhoods. The modern streetcar system will be the first of its kind in the Midwest and one of only three like systems in the United States. The first construction is expected to begin fall 2010 with the first passengers riding in early 2013.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Business News

Brewery District to host three new Oktoberfest tours next weekend

What does September mean in Cincinnati? Oktoberfest of course! One of the area’s favorite festivals, in all of its German heritage, food and beer splendor, returns downtown September 18-19. In addition to the traditional consumption of bratwurst, märzen lagers, and chicken dances, the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District is teaming, once again, with the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company to host a series of tours focusing on Cincinnati’s rich brewing history. The three separate, but intermingling, tours will be offered at various times on both Saturday and Sunday and all three will begin and end at the future home of Christian Moerlein brewing operations (located at 1621 Moore Street in OTR).

The first is the popular Prohibition Resistance Tour which is run by the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District every year during Bockfest in March, and now during Oktoberfest as well. This two-and-a-half hour tour begins with a historical overview of the brewing in Cincinnati, followed by stops at six different breweries including descending 30 feet underground into abandoned lagering cellars for an authentic glimpse of Cincinnati’s brewing past. This particular tour has typically sold out quickly and OTR Brewery District executive director Steve Hampton says that tickets have been selling just as fast this time around. The tour includes a beer ticket and costs just $30, so make your reservations soon.

A second tour will highlight the release of Mike Morgan’s new book entitled Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King. This new tour will take participants along the length of Vine Street through Over-the-Rhine, allowing them to travel through both the Crown and Kauffman breweries while also learning about OTR’s early history and politics from the author himself. Tour organizers say that Morgan’s tour will only be offered at two times this weekend: Saturday at 3:10pm and Sunday at 3:20pm. Each tour will last approximately two-and-a-half hours and include the requisite beer ticket. Tickets cost $35, however $45 gets you a ticket for the tour as well as a signed copy of Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King.

The third and final tour is much more informal, free, and included in both of the aforementioned tours. Throughout the weekend people are encouraged to stop by the former Husman Potato Chip plant to check out the future home of Christian Moerlein brewing operations and get a look at the the planned brewery layout, future equipment placement, and renderings of the new Christian Moerlein Lager House taking shape on Cincinnati’s central riverfront. The tour will be offered approximately every 40 minutes.

As a special early kick-off for these tours, please join the OTR Brewery District this coming Thursday, September 9 at 10am, as volunteers Reconnect the Kauffman. During this “open to the public” event a wall, sealed during prohibition and blocking an underground tunnel, will be ceremoniously torn down to reconnect 2 buildings of the Kauffman Brewery, which at its height was the 4th largest in the city.

For those interested in being more involved with the Brewery Districts efforts, or just more involved with beer in general, volunteers are still needed both for the tours, and for serving beer through out the weekend at the future Christian Moerlein Brewery in OTR. Get your tickets soon and please sign up to be part of this great Cincinnati weekend. Cheers!

Categories
Business News

UrbanCincy to be back to regular publishing schedule tomorrow

Please excuse the infrequency of content lately.  The UrbanCincy team has been hard at work lining up new stories and features we hope you will all find quite enjoyable.  On top of that, I have been in San Francisco for the past five days.  The trip to the bay area will certainly provide content down the road as I was able to learn a lot about their transit systems, urban design, and overall city functions during my visit.

While in San Francisco I got to see virtually all of the tourist destinations but also the city’s first parklet, their new bus stops, ride a bike down Lombard Street and across the Golden Gate Bridge to Saulsalito, try out one of San Francisco’s best taco trucks while enjoying Aztec dancing in the Mission District, enjoy some of the most walkable neighborhoods in the United States, and learn a lot about the region’s transit system thanks to Jeff Wood from Reconnecting America.  I took hundreds of photographs documenting the entire journey, but in the mean time enjoy these sub-par camera phone pictures.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

‘Around Cincy’ video shows off Cincinnati’s vibrant Fountain Square

First and foremost, happy Labor Day.  Hopefully everyone enjoyed the fireworks and festivities on the Ohio River this year, and hopefully everyone is recovering from extended weekend celebrations so that they can get right back to work tomorrow morning.

To keep things light, check out this intriguing video put together of scenes from downtown Cincinnati.  The videographer says he decided to put the video together out of unused work, but the final product here is pretty darn good.  The video primarily stays on and around the vibrant Fountain Square.

‘Around Cincy’ lasts a brief 1:49.  If anyone is able to identify the song, please share that information in the comment section.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

East Price Hill to kick off free jazz series at Mt. Echo Park

The East Price Hill Improvement Association (EPHIA) will kick off their annual jazz series at Mt. Echo Park this Saturday, September 4. The live jazz series is being supported by Cincinnati Parks and the nearby Primavista restaurant.

The first free jazz concert will take place from 3pm to 6pm this Saturday, and include performances by the Wade Baker Jazz Collaboration and the Young Jazz Messengers. Events organizers say that Wade Baker is a native of Indiana and graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s prestigious College Conservatory of Music. The Young Jazz Messengers, on the other hand, is an ensemble of musicians from Cincinnati’s School for Creative & Performing Arts.

“This event celebrates the diverse community of East Price Hill through America’s finest original art form – Jazz,” said event organizer Ray Busche.  He went on to say that Cafe de Wheels will be on-site serving food during the event, but picnic baskets and coolers are also welcome for those looking to bring their own treats.

The annual jazz series presented by EPHIA is free and open to the public. Free automobile and bicycle parking is available at Mt. Echo Park (map), and the event can be accessed by Metro bus service (plan your trip).