Year: 2011

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Keith Haring opening night dance party at the CAC

Opening nights have routinely become huge events at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in downtown Cincinnati. The architectural masterpiece completed at the corner of 6th and Walnut Street allows visitors to enjoy cocktails, DJ entertainment and mingling on the ground-floor level, while enjoying the new and permanent exhibits on the upper levels.

Each new major opening night celebration brings something unique, with the Shepherd Fairey party being one for the record books as thousands poured into the CAC and surrounding areas. On February 25 the CAC welcomed new exhibits by Keith Haring and Jimmy Baker, and the party was yet another big draw for the museum.

One of the features of the opening night party was a video booth where party-goers were welcomed to enter and show off their dance moves. The end result is an entertaining and artistic. The video was edited by David DeWitt, and features “Hello” by Martin Solveig (ft. Dragonette). Enjoy.

 

Categories
Development News Politics

Bellevue completes form-based code adoption

The city of Bellevue, Kentucky has became the first in the Greater Cincinnati region to fully adopt a form-based zoning code. Unlike traditional zoning regulations, which focus mostly on land use type, the form-based code focuses on the overall built environment. Bellevue’s code ensures that new development will fit into the city’s existing pedestrian-friendly urban fabric.

The city formally began the process of adopting the form-based code in early 2010. In February 2010, citizens were invited to participate in a “visualization survey” gauging what types of built environments were preferred. In March, a week-long public input process, or charette, allowed the city and its citizens to collaborate on more of the code’s details.

“People want places that are memorable. Bellevue has that in its historic districts and that’s one of the things that have helped guide this code,” explained Jeff Raser of Glaserworks, an architectural and urban design firm involved in implementing Bellevue’s code.

The final step in implementing the code was the adoption of a map amendment, which occurred on Wednesday, March 16. The amendment applied the new code to two areas of the city that were identified as planning areas during the charette – the riverfront and the shopping plaza area on Donnermeyer Drive.

The form-based code, which was widely supported by residents and business owners in Bellevue, maybe put to good use rather quickly.

“The are projects in the pipeline that will make use of the new form-based code,” said John Yung, zoning administrator for the city.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Business News

New PopShop celebrates Cincinnati crafters in a DIY space

Those passing by 1301 Main Street have noticed cardboard and hot pink ducktape decorating a previously empty storefront. The new space is decked out for this Friday’s PopShop – a new pop up shop coinciding with March’s Final Friday gallery walk that brings visitors into the Pendleton Art Center, down Main Street, and over to Vine via 12th and 13th.

The new space plays host to 11 local entrepreneurs and designers, who will have their handmade and vintage housewares, accessories, clothing, and other assorted intricacies for sale. Selling a wide variety of objects d’art – from bow shaped fanny packs to jewelry designed by women in Over-the-Rhine and everything in between.

The idea for a temporary space that allows pop-culture creativity to bloom was conceived by a trifecta of local women already involved in Over-the-Rhine’s burgeoning arts scene. Jessie Cundiff, a collaborator at MUD studio, Catherine Richards, art director and program manager of the Future Blooms program, and Tamia Stinson, owner and managing editor of StyleSample magazine. After meeting at a Merchants on Main event, the co-founders wanted to open the space as a way for small business owners to try out the Over-the-Rhine location before fully committing to a gallery or retail space.

“This is perfect for us,” said Rosie Kovacs, owner of the Brush Factory. “We want to test the waters down there [OTR].” Combining many retailers into one space, not unlike the popular Holiday Shop on Vine Street in December, decreases the stress of one person paying rent, and makes the new space a one stop shop for visitors to see something new.

The space is still getting some finishing touches, but features window installations, a chandelier made of recycled materials, and furnishings constructed from found objects. The PopShop ladies decided on a deconstructed, Do-it-Yourself theme, emphasizing the pack and go nature of the pop-up shop for the interior of the store. They took inspiration from innovative storefronts like Anthropologie that utilize found and recycled materials to create ethereal, interesting windowscapes.

The PopShop will be open from 5pm to 10pm on Friday, March 25, and features an opening reception with music, treats, and an opportunity for shoppers to get crafty with an interactive DIY area. Saturday, March 26 the PopShop is open from 11am to 6 pm, with vendors on hand demonstrating their art, and a trunk show beginning at 5 pm for Dress for Success from the 4th Street Boutique. All proceeds from the sale of 4th Street Boutique merchandise will go directly to the charitable program that assists low-income women in acquiring appropriate attire for job interviews.

“We’re most excited about the opportunity to collaborate with amazingly creative folks in and around Cincinnati–there’s so much talent that deserves a voice,” said co-founder Tamia Stinson. “Our hope is that PopShop will serve as an introduction between independent entrepreneurs and Over-the-Rhine, and a foot in the door for those wanting to set up their business there.”

The Final Friday PopShop is located at 1301 Main Street and is open on Friday and Saturday, March 25-26. Vendors include Dulcet Design, Hark + Hark, Jessie Cundiff, Carla Rabbit, the Brush Factory, Saint Lexi, Dulcet Design, Katie Ferncez, the Sarah Center, and 4th Street Boutique.

Categories
Business Development News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati region, transit projects take overwhelming brunt of recommended transportation cuts

Ohio’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) met today in Columbus and was greeted by 32 Cincinnati Streetcar supporters, ranging from families to young professionals, small business owners, CEOs and VPs of corporations, and city staff. The council and Ohio Department of Transportation staff members, according to UrbanCincy writer Jenny Kessler who was one of those in attendance, appeared surprised at the turnout.

The TRAC held a working meeting at 10 am with the ODOT staff (as the director of ODOT, Jerry Wright is the chairman of the TRAC) to hear the staff’s drafted recommendations for which projects to cut and keep in the 2011-2015 Major Project List . The result was a recommendation of $98 million in cuts. UrbanCincy research reveals that the way in which those cuts were administered in particularly shocking.

  • 52% of all cuts came from the state’s highest-rated project – The Cincinnati Streetcar – which is positioned to now lose 100% of all funds originally recommended for the project.
  • The Cincinnati region got hit the hardest in Ohio. 82% of all cuts recommended by the TRAC are from the Cincinnati region and account for roughly $80 million.
  • $1 million was taken from upgrades to the Queensgate rail yard that would have relieved freight rail traffic.
  • Two highway projects, from Governor John Kasich‘s (R) district, totalling $7.7 million were added to the TRAC’s listed of recommended funding.
  • Non-highway investments now only make up 26% of the TRAC’s recommended transportation projects in terms of overall funding ($18.2M) and number of projects (4).

Kessler reported that Kasich’s staff advised the TRAC to reallocate $15 million from the Cincinnati Streetcar to a bus corridor project in Canton, and $35 million from the Cincinnati Streetcar to the $3 billion Brent Spence Bridge project. What many transportation experts now seemed to be concerned about is the process in which the TRAC is being advised to cut.

“There is no legitimate reason why the TRAC should cut from the top rather than the bottom,” said All Aboard Ohio executive director Ken Prendergast. “If the TRAC ignores its own scoring process, then I’m not sure why Director Wray urged the TRAC’s creation in 1997 as a useful way to limit political influence on selecting transportation projects for funding.”

Evidently several TRAC members feel the same way. As the meeting progressed, William Brennan verbally expressed concern over the state’s top-rated project shouldering the load.

“The number one rated project is recommended to take the brunt of the cuts…that’s a problem for me,” said the Toledo native. As Brennan made the statement, several other members nodded in agreement including Antoinette Maddox, Raymond DiRossi and Patrick Darrow.

Antoinette Maddox (D), the council’s only woman and African American member, spoke several times and expressed her concern for the extreme cuts made to the streetcar project.
Maddox suggested other options, such as sunsetting all new projects or making cuts to the lower ranked Tier-2 projects. These were shot down by the ODOT staff members.

It was evident to those in attendance that the real detractors to the streetcar project were not the TRAC members who had been working together in 2010, but the newly appointed “asphalt sheriff” Jerry Wray and his staff members, Jennifer Townley and Ed Kagel. Townley, who did most of the speaking during the meeting, cited the reasons for reallocating the streetcar funding to lower ranking projects “due to fiscal balancing.”

What Townley and her colleagues failed to mention was that the TRAC funding in question is federal money being reallocated through state governments. Pulling the money for the streetcar does not help to solve the budget crisis Governor Kasich is facing, it simply moves it around to much less worthy projects. The other members of the TRAC noticed this right away and voiced their concern.

When pressed for more reasons behind cutting streetcar funding for Cincinnati, Townley later replied, “because there is already a bus system in place in Cincinnati that services the same area, we don’t see why rail is really necessary.” If you would like to inform Ms. Townley as to why Cincinnati needs rail as well as a bus system, please drop her an email at Jennifer.Townley@dot.state.oh.us.

The numerous streetcar supporters in attendance were able to submit written statements, but as it was a working session where the TRAC did not make a vote, only listened to recommendations, no citizens were permitted to speak.

The council is scheduled to hold a private conference call that may or may not be legal on Friday, March 25 to discuss the recommendations further before they develop a final list on April 10 and hold a final vote and public hearing on Tuesday, April 12 in Columbus.

The underlying question still exists – if greater emphasis is going to be placed on political patronage and gubernatorial intimidation, then why does the TRAC even exist?

Operations Manager Jenny Kessler contributed to this article.

Categories
News Transportation

Make Cincinnati’s Frequent Transit Map a reality by donating online

In January, Nathan Wessel debuted a new transit map for Cincinnati’s Metro bus service. Wessel developed the map to simplify transit ridership and hopefully encourage new riders to utilize the system. Now he is looking to take the map to the next level and actually get the thing produced by raising money through Kickstarter.

Kickstarter claims to be the “largest funding platform for creative projects in the world” and helps raise millions of dollars through tens of thousands of donations every month. The micro-fundraising strategy is one first popularized and mastered during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

The website only works though if the project raises its fundraising goal within its allotted time. If the goal is not reached then no money exchanges hands. In the case of Wessel’s Frequent Transit Map for Cincinnati, he is looking to raise $1,200 which will produce more than 30,000 copies of the 3.7-inch squared carrying map.

People like those featured in the video, produced by Wessel, who would like to see his product become reality can pledge money online through Kickstarter. Individuals who pledge more than $5 will get a copy of the produced map. Additional tokens of appreciation will be given to those who contribute more, and are explained in detail on the project’s fundraising page. All pledges must be made by Wendesday, April 20 at 3:15pm.