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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Development News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati wins $25M Urban Circulator grant for modern streetcar project

Cincinnati’s modern streetcar project has won a $25 million federal grant through the Urban Circulator Systems program. The grant was announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff as they awarded $293 million in federal funding for 53 transit projects nationwide.

The $24,990,000 amount awarded to Cincinnati virtually matches the city’s full $25 million request, and the $25 million maximum that could be awarded to any one project through this program. The additional money brings the total project funding to $114.5 million out of the total $128 million needed. Project officials and city leaders believe that enough money is now in place to begin initial utility relocation and construction work in fall 2010, with a potential opening of the modern streetcar system in spring 2013.

“This announcement illustrates the broad-based support for the streetcar at all levels of government,” said Brad Thomas, Founder, CincyStreetcar.com. “Transportation experts at the city, regional, state and federal level have all examined the Cincinnati Streetcar and have come to the same conclusion – it is a worthwhile project that they support.”

The Urban Circulator funding was awarded to bus, streetcar, and trolley projects that help improve circulation within urban environments while also improving livability in those areas. The projects were assessed on four primary elements:

  1. Livability
  2. Sustainability
  3. Economic Development
  4. Leveraging of Public & Private Investments

“Streetcars are making a comeback because cities across America are recognizing that they can restore economic development downtown – giving citizens the choice to move between home, shopping and entertainment without ever looking for a parking space,” said Rogoff. “These streetcar and bus livability projects will not only create construction jobs now, they will aid our recovery by creating communities that are more prosperous and less congested.”

St. Louis, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Chicago, Dallas and Ft. Worth were the six successful Urban Circulator proposals out of more than 65 applications totaling more than $1 billion in requests. Urban Circulator applications in Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Seattle were left out, and the 47 successful bus projects included in the funding were among 281 applications totaling over $2 billion in requests.

“This federal award will create jobs in Cincinnati, link our largest employment centers and improve the quality of life for Cincinnatians by reducing air pollution and providing new transportation options for Cincinnatians,” Thomas emphasized. “The increased tax revenues from the business and new residents along the line will provide additional resources for our city that can be used to benefit all of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods.”

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Arts & Entertainment News

Venue 222 to show The Maltese Falcon – 7/11

Venue 222 will be hosting its second movie night on Sunday, July 11 from 6pm to 10pm. The urban event space will be showing the 1941 adaptation of The Maltese Falcon which is based on the detective novel written by Dashiell Hammett. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time.

To compliment the film, Fork Heart Knife will be preparing 1940’s style food that will include Bacon Wrapped, Manchego Stuffed Dates; Chimichurri Chicken Skewers; Peppadew Deviled Eggs; Bloody Mary Gazpacho; Blueberry Lavender Jello Mold; and Mini-Brown Butter Sugar Cookies.

The film showing will take place at Venue 222 (map) and does require reservations as space is limited. The event costs $6 per person and reservations can be made online.

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Business Development News

Great American Tower rises triumphantly above downtown Cincinnati

Crews from Turner Construction Company continue to work on the finishing touches of Cincinnati’s new tallest skyscraper that will house a variety of companies including Great American Insurance for which the Great American Tower gets its name.  The $322 million office tower boasts more than 800,000 square feet of office space and is scheduled to welcome its first tenants in spring 2011.

The Great American Tower is part of the larger Queen City Square development which includes the 303 Broadway office tower next door.  The two towers share a 2,200-space parking facility and exterior design features.

The new tower has reached its highest point at 665 feet above Third Street with its majestic “Tiara” atop the structure’s 41st floor.  UrbanCincy photographer Jake Mecklenborg was invited to tour the new tower as crews finish the structure’s crowning design feature.  Mecklenborg’s photographs capture dramatic views from the top of the tower of Over-the-Rhine, Downtown, The Banks and the Cincinnati Riverfront Park.  He also captures crews hard at work throughout the project.

Eagle Realty is currently working on leasing the final 175,000 square feet of office space at the Great American Tower on floors 28, 29, and 35 through 38.  Once complete, the tower will house thousands of business workers, new retail offerings, and a dramatic new architectural feature to downtown Cincinnati that will eclipse historic Carew Tower as the tallest structure in the Ohio River Valley.

Categories
Business Development News

CPA event to highlight Bellevue’s preservation success story

Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) and the City of Bellevue, KY will host a tour of the small Bellevue community along the Ohio River on Friday, July 9 from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

Bellevue has been recognized for its successful preservation techniques that have worked to revitalize the city’s neighborhoods and historic commercial district along Fairfield Avenue. Those attending the tour will have the opportunity to learn about the city’s innovative programs that have gotten it where it is today. Such programs include Bellevue’s local historic district and ongoing form-based code initiative.

The event will take place at the Callahan Community Center (map) and is free and open to the public. CPA is asking that those interested RSVP by calling (513) 721-4506 or emailing info@cincinnatipreservation.org.

UPDATE: Due to timing issues, the tour of Bellevue originally scheduled for Friday, July 9th has been canceled.  CPA officials say that the event will be rescheduled for a later date.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Business Development News

Traffic revisited ten years later in Cincinnati

The last major motion picture to be filmed in Cincinnati was the 2000 box office hit Traffic which highlighted America’s relationship with drugs.  In the movie, a conservative politician from Cincinnati was appointed as U.S. Drug Czar all while his young daughter deals with a drug addiction of her own.  The wealthy politician, and his family, lived in the extraordinarily affluent Indian Hill neighborhood, and his daughter would travel into Cincinnati’s inner city to support her drug habits.

The movie focuses on the wide reach of drugs in contemporary American society and illustrates the role both wealthy and poor individuals play in the drug trade.  The movie portrayed the inner city as a place of decay where the dirty elements of the drug trade take place.

Filmmakers chose Over-the-Rhine because of its urban form and its state of decay that helped tell the story at the time the movie was filmed.  Since that time a dramatic revitalization has occurred throughout Cincinnati’s inner city that has included the renaissance taking place in Over-the-Rhine that has netted hundreds of new residents, dozens of new businesses, and plummeting crime rates.

Soapbox takes a look the locations used in Traffic ten years after the movie first entertained audiences.  The video, produced by 7/79 ltd, shows that most all of the locations have been rejuvenated over that time, and those involved with the film say that Over-the-Rhine continues to be a draw for filmmakers as it provides an affordable alternative to filming in New York while providing a similar urban form to use.

“A big part of their decision to come to Cincinnati was Over-the-Rhine.  They just fell in love with that whole area, and felt that it had a wealth of opportunities and architectural detail to offer the film,” said Deidre Costa, Location Manager for Traffic.  “I would say hands down that the biggest selling point of Cincinnati has been Over-the-Rhine.”