Year: 2011

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Top bartenders rally at Neon’s Unplugged for leadership cause

Molly Wellmann and Leadership Northern Kentucky have partnered with Neon’s Unplugged and Covington’s Homeward Bound Runaway Shelter to host an event March 31 from 6pm to 9pm at the Famous Neon’s Unplugged. This night highlights the efforts and works of Cincinnati’s premier mixologists.

Wellmann, who is opening her own bar this summer, explains, “Bartending used to be such a respected occupation. It’s kind of fallen away from that, but we’re trying to bring that back.”

Wellmann, a Colerain High School graduate, got her start in cocktail mixlogy by convincing the owner of Chalk Food + Wine in Covington, that she could make classic and craft cocktails. “I totally fibbed,” she says. “I had no idea. I guess it was one of those ‘fake it until you make it’ things. I had to go home and Google ‘craft cocktails.’”

She was soon immersed in the world of cocktail mixology, surrounding herself with the history and lure of the once noble profession, which she now extols to many of her patrons. “I love to introduce new drinks for people to want,” she says. “That’s my favorite thing to do. I love to tell them the story behind their cocktail and give them an experience besides just getting a drink. After they’re done with the drink, they can take the story with them.”

The desire to introduce new things for people to want is what led Wellmann to Leadership Northern Kentucky (LNK), a group of 40 emerging regional leaders deeply immersed in a fundraising project to furnish the Homeward Bound Runaway Shelter in Covington. The leadership group, a program of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, approached Wellmann about helping out with a fundraising event. She ran with it, rallying some of the region’s top bartenders and mixologists to the cause.

Wellmann’s Molly’s Rose-Covered Pectorals is highlighted, as are original creations by Joshua Laichas of Milton’s Prospect Hill Tavern; Chris Blagg of The Famous Neon’s Unplugged; Bret Schulte of Down Under Tavern; Stuart MacKenzie of Mayday; Rom Wells of Rookwood Bar and Restaurant; Adrian Bakie of The Comet; K.K. Keller of The Lackman Bar; Kim Denzler of Mainstay Rock Bar; Sam Ginocchio of the soon-to-open A Tavola; and Julie Paul of Maribelle’s Tavern.

A book will be available at a March 31 public kick-off party at Neon’s (208 E. 12th Street). The cost will be $5, and thanks to the generosity of B+P+T Communication Solutions, xpedx, Lucky Rabbit Studio and photographer Tiffani Fisher, 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit Homeward Bound.

Additionally, from 6pm to 9pm on March 31, Neon’s will donate $2 for each of the book’s classic cocktails sold. And for the entire month of April, each of the businesses highlighted in the book will donate $2 for each of the featured cocktails it sells.

“What makes this project special is that, at its core, it’s about building community and making connections,” said Jody Robinson, a member of Leadership Northern Kentucky and chair of the March 31 event. “People are doing inspiring things everywhere. We only have to be willing to look, share and appreciate. Doing the same old thing – where’s the leadership in that?”

Molly Wellmann photograph by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.

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Business News

Taco Azul to finally hit Cincinnati’s streets in time for Reds Opening Day

A new California-style food truck will bring authentic Mexican fare to Cincinnati’s streets just in time for Reds Opening Day this Thursday. The food truck, long anticipated by Cincinnati’s street food connoisseurs, will feature a special al pastor available on tacos, burritos, tortas and gringas – a style of quesadilla from northern Mexico.

Taco Azul owner and operator, Gary Sims, says that he has been very excited to begin operations in his hometown after living in Los Angeles for years.

“When I moved back to Cincinnati I was surprised at how much had changed, especially in our urban core. Younger people were staying in the city and couples were moving back into downtown and Over-the-Rhine,” Sims told UrbanCincy in an exclusive interview. “There was also a culinary rejuvenation here. I could actually find good sushi in Cincinnati, and I just felt that with all of this, the timing was perfect for a Cincinnati taco truck.”

Since Sims has been back in Cincinnati he says that he has also been encouraged by the work of City Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan who led the effort to create food truck parking locations throughout the Central Business District. But he does hope that more can be done to further accommodate the burgeoning food truck industry.

“Maybe in the future we could have some temporary spots for food trucks during special events like ball games, concerts or festivals. But as I said, I cannot imagine a more welcoming city council than ours here in Cincinnati.”

The desire for special event parking locations has been echoed by other food truck operators including Café de Wheels. Both food truck operators have recently expressed interest in being more closely located to Great American Ball Park for Reds Opening Day, and other special events taking place at The Banks.

“I grew up in Cincinnati, and even as a kid I can remember Opening Day being the biggest day of the year for this city,” Sims explained. “The Reds have such a great history here in Cincinnati. It is our unofficial start to spring.”

After Reds Opening Day, Sims says that customers will be able to find Taco Azul for late night food between 11pm and 2:30am in Over-the-Rhine, Northside, Mt. Adams or Downtown. He says that their lunch schedule will vary, but encourages customers to follow Taco Azul’s Twitter and Facebook accounts for live updates.

To ensure no confusion, Sims notes that Taco Azul stands out from the other local food trucks (stay up-to-date on all of Cincinnati’s food trucks through UrbanCincy’s comprehensive Twitter stream) because it is the only place to find “authentic Mexican street food,” and that food is self-contained and cooked-to-order on the truck. As the truck matures he experts to also offer specials, breakfast and try other food fusions with Latino fare.

“I love Café de Wheels and the other trucks here in Cincinnati. I think we will compliment each other and bring this city variety, and a new street cuisine that is hard to find outside of a few major cities.”

Taco Azul photograph by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.

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Arts & Entertainment Business Development News

Get sneak peek of nearly completed first phase of The Banks tomorrow

As the Cincinnati Enquirer so often likes to remind us, The Banks has been decades in the making, and after much political infighting, the project is finally coming to fruition. The massive mixed-use riverfront development project saw its first business open on St. Patrick’s Day and will soon start welcoming hundreds of new residents.

Developers have decided to invite those interested along for a tour of the $90 million first phase (map) that is nearing completion on Wednesday, March 30. The event is free, but reservations are required in order to participate in one of the two tours.

Tours will meet in from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and will begin at 4:15pm and 4:30pm. Following the tours, there will be happy hour drink specials and light appetizers at the Holy Grail Tavern & Grille. Those who wish to attend one of the tours are asked to contact Mary Kathryn Kennon at mkennon@carterusa.com (please indicate preferred tour time in RSVP email).

For fun, you can also RSVP to the event’s TwtVite page brought to you by UrbanCincy and The Banks Master Development Team.

The Banks phase one photograph by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.

Categories
Business Development News Politics Transportation

New report confirms potential economic impacts of the Cincinnati Streetcar

A new report released by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development finds that transit investments like the Cincinnati Streetcar are winning economic winners. The report studied the three most recently opened light rail lines in the United States and discovered that urban portions of the lines were most successful at spurring economic activity and ridership.

Contrary to popular belief that rail transit is only successful in liberal bastions like Portland, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia or Seattle, the report looked at three modest cities in terms of political affections: Charlotte, Denver and Minneapolis.

Rails to Real Estate: Development Patterns along Three New Transit Lines also identified Charlotte’s Blue Line as the most successful despite being the having the least number of years studied of the three and being the smallest of the three transit lines. The economic patterns were consistent though, with each transit line experiencing anywhere from six to ten million square feet of new development since they opened. The report attributes the success is to five main considerations:

  1. Proximity to downtowns and other major employment centers
  2. The location and extent of vacant or “underutilized” property that might offer opportunities for development or redevelopment
  3. Block patterns that influence “walkability”
  4. Transit connectivity
  5. Household incomes

“We need to make transit investments that unlock the potential for TOD, but we need to make them in the right places,” said the director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Sam Zimbabwe.

Cincinnati’s modern streetcar system has recently been challenged by Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) in regards to its ability to generate economic investments and create jobs. This challenge goes against economic studies performed by HDR Economics and confirmed by the University of Cincinnati’s award-winning economist George Vredeveld. When applying the key findings of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development’s recent report Cincinnati’s streetcar system looks to be an even bigger winner than expected by the OKI Regional Council of Governments (OKI) and Ohio Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) which have both enthusiastically supported the project.

The Cincinnati Streetcar meets all five of the reports key considerations for economic success along transit lines. The system runs through downtown Cincinnati and connects the regions two largest employment centers, and serves areas that include vacant and underutilized properties that offer opportunities for development or redevelopment. The Cincinnati Streetcar also connects with the region’s focal point for bus transit, serves a block pattern that is extremely walkable, and includes a diverse range of household incomes.

And while the report shows Charlotte as the big winner, its findings show that the Cincinnati Streetcar could be even more successful than the Blue Line’s approximately 9.8 million square feet worth of real estate investment between 2005 and 2009. The main reason is, of course, location.

Cincinnati’s streetcar line will serve an area better equipped and positioned for transit-oriented development (TOD) when compared to Charlotte’s Blue Line which saw economic investments drop off precipitously after leaving that city’s downtown (Uptown) and adjacent residential neighborhood (South End). When compared to Charlotte, Cincinnati’s downtown and adjacent residential areas (Over-the-Rhine, Clifton Heights, Mt. Auburn, Corryville, University Heights) served by the streetcar line represent significantly greater land area prime for TOD.

Major economic investments are already occurring on and around the Cincinnati Streetcar line in anticipation of its opening in 2013. In Clifton Heights the $70 million U Square at The Loop mixed-use development derives its name from its proximity to the streetcar’s connection to Uptown. In Over-the-Rhine Rookwood Pottery, Christian Moerlein, the $400 million Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati and dozens of small businesses have expressed their hopes for the eventual opening of the modern streetcar system. And in downtown developers of The Banks and other major developments have begun using the Cincinnati Streetcar as a marketing tool.

In addition to the existing positives for Cincinnati’s streetcar system when it comes to TOD, the planned streetcar system also has local planning efforts supporting it. In 2010 Cincinnati City Council passed a measure that will reduce or eliminate parking requirements at residential developments within two blocks of a streetcar stop. The streetcar system will also be managed with the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) which currently operates Metro bus service and plans to coordinate the two systems.

The report noted that while transit improvements were a factor in the real estate investments, that coordination with longer-term efforts to revitalize center cities was greatly important.

“This study marks an important step in understanding the impact of transit investments in three regions, and the implications for other communities looking to transit investments as a source of long-term economic prosperity and competitiveness,” Zimbabwe stated. “Investments in neighborhood infrastructure and amenities are critical for unlocking the potential for TOD.”

When the study examined the differences between the lines in Charlotte, Denver and Minneapolis it showed that the urban portions were most successful at attracting economic investment. Charlotte’s Blue Line (9.6 miles) saw approximately 1,021,000 square feet of development per mile, while Denver’s Southeast Corridor (19.1 miles) and Minneapolis’ Hiawatha Line (12.3 miles) saw 408,000 and 545,000 square feet of development per mile respectively.

The results from this study are clear for transit-oriented development. An urban setting with opportunities for development, close proximity to job centers and transit connectivity are critical for economic success. Suburban areas show diminishing returns in the form of economic activity and real estate investment along transit line. The Cincinnati Streetcar represents all of the key considerations and more, and is exactly why the project has received TRAC’s highest score for two consecutive years out of every transportation project in Ohio.

Categories
Business Development News

Residential development thriving in historic Over-the-Rhine

While Cincinnati deals with the news from the U.S. Census Bureau that the city lost 10 percent of its population over the past decade, there is positive news from the city’s urban core. The Central Business District had a gain of more than 20 percent, while Clifton Heights, University Heights, downtown Covington and Newport, and portions of Over-the-Rhine saws gains of 10-20 percent.

The news is particularly encouraging for Over-the-Rhine which has seen its population decrease from more than 50,000 people at its peak, to roughly 10,000 people today. The most growth in the historic neighborhood occurred in the areas where the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) has focused its energies over the past five years.

“The renaissance of Over-the-Rhine continues block by block and building by building,” says Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. “It is clear that people want to live in our urban core and want to be a part of the rebirth that is happening. We are going to continue to restore this historic neighborhood back to a vibrant and active community.”

The next phases of redevelopment in Over-the-Rhine are just now coming to life along Race Street. On Tuesday, March 29 3CDC will gather with the NorthPointe Group and John Hueber Homes to celebrate the opening of Westfalen Lofts. The three previously vacant buildings have been transformed into nine residential units that include townhomes, flats and a single-family residence.

“This is the first development where we have partnered with John Huber Homes,” stated Chad Munitz, Executive Vice President of Development and Operations at 3CDC. “We feel they bring a new look to the historical residential units that we have not yet seen.”

Since 2005, 3CDC has spearheaded the creation of 234 new residential units. Of those 234 residential units, 74 percent of the 182 condominiums have been sold. Additionally, 100 percent of the 52 rental units, with the 32 units in Parvis Lofts being leased in just ten weeks.

Race Street redevelopment photograph by Jake Mecklenborg for UrbanCincy.