Author: Randy A. Simes

Randy is an award-winning urban planner who founded UrbanCincy in May 2007. He grew up on Cincinnati’s west side in Covedale, and graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s nationally acclaimed School of Planning in June 2009. In addition to maintaining ownership and serving as the managing editor for UrbanCincy, Randy has worked professionally as a planning consultant throughout the United States, Korea and the Middle East. After brief stints in Atlanta and Chicago, he currently lives in the Daechi neighborhood of Seoul’s Gangnam district.

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Business News

Second annual 3E Summit to help local businesses create environmentally sustainable practices

The second annual Energy-Economics-Environment (3E) Summit will be held on Tuesday, September 28 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati. The summit was started last year to help local businesses strengthen their bottom line through energy improvements.

The creation of the annual summit stems from the Green Cincinnati Plan which called for an educational outreach effort among other things.

According to event organizers, some of the nation’s largest companies have shifted focus towards sustainable practices and products in what some industry experts call the “triple bottom line” approach. They say that such changes have occurred because of new consumer habits and demands to do so, but that many small- and medium-sized businesses have been unable to incorporate such practices into their business plan thus far.

“The 3E Summit offers practical guidance on how small- and mid-sized businesses can incorporate sustainable business practices and products into their business plan and increase their bottom line,” event organizers state.

This year’s summit will include top panelists, from around the Cincinnati region, that will host breakout sessions covering topics like energy and water saving techniques, company-wide sustainability programs, green building, and how to engage local sustainability co-op programs among others.

The sustainability event will also feature James L. Turner and Gary Jay Saulson who will talk about how Duke Energy and PNC are leading the way in new energy approaches respectively.  Organizers also say that there will be more than 30 green exhibitors on-hand to discuss sustainable practices and showcase their energy saving products.

The 2010 3E Summit will take place from 7:30am to 2pm at the Duke Energy Convention Center on Tuesday, September 28. Those interested in attending can do so by register in advance for $50 online or by calling (513) 579-3111.  The early registration fee will not only get you into the summit, but also include a continental breakfast and “lunch by the bite.”

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Development News

Mt. Washington unveils new gateway monument, celebrates city’s first NBD recycling program

Mt. Washington community leaders will be joined by Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, representatives from Kroger, and other members of City Council to unveil a new gateway monument at the north end of the neighborhood’s business district.

City leaders say that the monument will also serve as a gateway to, and extension of, the city-owned Stanbery Park.

“The monument will serve as a welcoming feature not only for the business district, but for the park as well,” says Ed Ratterman, Senior Development Officer, City of Cincinnati. “Stanbery Park is a major asset for Mt. Washington and we hope that this will help attract a few more people there.”

The $95,000 monument is being unveiled in combination with approximately $24,000 in streetscaping enhancements throughout the business district that include new benches and 33 planters along Beechmont Avenue. The enhancements also include 10 new recycling receptacles that will serve as the foundation for the first public recycling program in one of Cincinnati’s neighborhood business districts.

“This was something that was very important to the Mt. Washington Business Association, and they wanted to include the recycling receptacles in this project,” Ratterman explained.

What makes the new recycling receptacles even more unique is their design which was created by local artist Edward Casagrande who also designed the new gateway monument for the business district. City officials say that the Office of Environment Quality has assumed the costs for Rumpke pick-up at these recycling receptacles for the first year.

According to Ratterman, the two projects were largely paid for by Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United (CNBDU) which provides approximately $2 million annually for improvements throughout the city’s neighborhood business districts. An additional $7,000 was contributed by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, while the Cincinnati Park Board helped to oversee the design components of the gateway project.

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Business News

Online survey offers chance at $100 Downtown Cincinnati Gift Card

Readers of UrbanCincy.com are some of the most informed people in the region when it comes to Cincinnati’s center city. In the past, these readers have also been some of the most engaged on issues including the Cincinnati Streetcar, food trucks, regional transit and more. Now is the time to share your thoughts about how downtown Cincinnati is doing.

Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI) is conducting a short online survey to gauge how the area is doing, and how people are using downtown. The survey is simple and to the point, and asks participants to share information about what kinds of things they did while downtown, how many times they visited, during what times of day, and how likely you are to return for those types of visits among other things.

Those who complete the survey have the option to have their name entered into a drawing to win a $100 Downtown Cincinnati Gift Card that is valid at more than 125 shopping, dining and entertainment destinations. Once finished, survery participants will also have the option to sign-up for DCI’s weekly e-newsletter that includes all kinds of information about what is happening downtown.

Those interested can take the online survey now!

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Business News

One of world’s most beautiful campuses welcomes UC’s largest student enrollment ever

The University of Cincinnati is welcoming more than new and returning 41,000 students for the 2010-2011 school – its highest enrollment ever – today. Many of those tens of thousands of students will get to enjoy one of the world’s most beautiful campuses, and one of the nation’s most unique urban universities.

UC’s largely car-free campus has virtually no surface parking lots, and in turn boasts award-winning green spaces, architecture, and recreational facilities. It is a campus unlike hardly any other. Buildings twist and turn, almost fighting for space on campus.

One such example is Nippert Stadium where the scoreboard is situated atop the Campus Recreation Center, the Lindner Athletic Center basically cantilevers over the northeast corner of the stadium, a CCM structure forms the southern end to the concourse area, and Tangeman University Center rubs elbows with the stadium’s press boxes.

UC’s internationally acclaimed campus is most known for its blend of historic architecture and stunning new architectural prize pieces. Works by Henry Cobb, Peter Eisenman, Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, George Hargreaves, Thom Mayne, Bernard Tschumi, Buzz Yudell, and more regularly impress crowded tour groups of prospective students and architecture buffs alike.

As a UC alumnus I am proud of my university, and am happy to welcome students back to the university’s Uptown campuses and those throughout the region. Go Bearcats!

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Business News

International Association of Fire Fighters selects Cincinnati for 50th annual convention

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has selected Cincinnati as the host city for its 50th annual convention in 2014. Cincinnati beat out Seattle in the final competitive bidding by earning 947 votes to Seattle’s 490.

Convention officials estimate that the event will attract more than 2,500 attendees, utilize close to 9,000 hotel room nights, and create a $2.6 million economic impact.

In a prepared release, Dan Lincoln, President & CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, stated, “This is another great victory in what has become a long string of significant convention wins for Cincinnati USA. This one is especially gratifying because it was put to a vote of the union delegates and they chose Cincinnati.”

The other significant conventions for which Lincoln speaks include the NAACP and National Baptist conventions held in 2008, the Gospel Music Workshop of America held earlier this summer, League of United Latin American Citizens convention to be held in 2011, World Choir Games in 2012, and the National Fraternal Order of Police National Convention and Exposition in 2013.

Officials say that fire fighters and staff at Cincinnati’s Local 48 worked with the CVB to develop an awareness campaign that was used to educate union delegates about the region and earn a winning vote. One of the compelling elements of Cincinnati’s bid includes the city’s history of establishing the nation’s first full-time, paid fire department in 1853. The ordinance passed by Cincinnati City Council at that time helped to provide the pattern for fire departments all over the country for the next 50-plus years. Then in 1918, Cincinnati’s Local 48 was recognized as one fo the original 55 chartered IAFF locals.

“We are very humbled that the Police and the Fire Fighters – the men and women on the front lines who make our communities safe and vibrant – have selected Cincinnati USA for their conventions,” Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory stated today at an announcement ceremony. “More than 150 years ago, Cincinnati became home to the nation’s first full-time fire department, and we look forward to building on that legacy by helping them deliver an extraordinary convention in 2014.”