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

Craft Beer Series Continues at Findlay Market This Weekend

Elm Street Esplanade

Findlay Market is hosting a monthly craft beer series, focusing on local brewers, this summer at the OTR Biergarten.

The first weekend for the craft beer series took place in May and featured beer from MadTree Brewing Company. The next weekend for the series will occur this June 15-16, and will feature beers from Listerman/Triple Digit.

“Findlay Market is always trying to showcase anything and everything that has to do with ‘local’ Cincinnati,” explained Findlay Market’s public relations intern, Tanner Hinds. “We are a local, non-profit market and most of the business we delve into has some sort of local ties to Cincinnati or Over-the-Rhine.”

Other local brewers to be featured at the Craft Beer Series will include Blank Slate in July, Mt. Carmel in August, and Rivertown in September.

According to Hinds, featured brewers at the Craft Beer Series will be open from 11am to 5pm on Saturdays, and 12pm to 4pm on Sundays when there will also be live music.

In addition to the summer’s Craft Beer Series, the OTR Biergarten is open every weekend at the western entrance to the market house on the Elm Street Esplanade.

Findlay Market officials say that the event will take place every third week of the month until September when the season-long series will wrap up September 21-22.

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Development News Transportation

What’s for Cincinnati to Learn From the Indianapolis Cultural Trail?

Unlike Cincinnati, Indianapolis has wide streets. The streets are so wide that there is room to do some neat things within the right-of-way with regards to non-automobile forms of transportation.

As a result, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (R) made it a priority of his administration to not only support the eight-mile Indianapolis Cultural Trail, but to create a city-wide bicycle network that he hopes will have 200 miles by 2015.

It’s a steep change for a city that had virtually no on-street bike lanes in 2007, and only 70 to 75 miles of on-street bike lanes now.

“It feels different when you’re riding a bike, because of how it’s been built and what’s underneath it,” Mayor Ballard told Clarence Eckerson Jr. from Streetfilms. “It’s the part about connecting up everything that’s really made a dramatic impact and is getting the international attention.”

The $63 million project was largely funded through private contributions, and has now created a physically separated pedestrian and bicycle facility that connects many of the city’s significant attractions and center city neighborhoods.

As Cincinnati works on developing a bicycle network of its own, complete with physically separated facilities like the Cultural Trail, what do you think the Queen City should do the same or do differently?

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Business Development News Politics

Cincinnati Receives Federal Approval for Innovative Green Infrastructure CSO Fix

Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the solution proposed by the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) for fixing its combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Mill Creek.

Cincinnati is one of many cities struggling to fix their CSOs, which are caused by a combination of higher water runoff and sewer systems that were designed to accommodate both stormwater runoff and sewage. What it means in real terms is that when there are heavy rain events, the stormwater fills up the sewers and then mixes with the sewage.

According to the EPA, raw sewage contains pathogens that threaten public health, leading to beach closures and public advisories against fishing and swimming, and is a problem that particularly affects older urban area.

Lick Run Project
MSD’s plan to reduce 1.5 billion gallons of CSOs from the Mill Creek will include the transformative Lick Run project in South Fairmount.

As a result, under a 2010 consent decree, the MSD was required to either construct a deep-tunnel system under Mill Creek, or conduct further analysis and propose an alternative plan. What is unique about Cincinnati’s approved plan is that it deviates from the standard ‘gray’ tunnel solution, and instead proposes using green infrastructure fixes to reduce stormwater runoff.

“We are very excited to move forward with our innovative wet weather solution that not only provides highly cost-effective compliance with our Consent Decree but simultaneously sets the groundwork to enhance our communities,” James A. “Tony” Parrott, MSD’s Executive Director, said in a prepared release.

In addition to the environmental benefits of Cincinnati’s alternative plan, it is also expected to save taxpayers approximately $200 million upfront and remove 1.78 billion gallons of CSOs annually from the Mill Creek.

The savings come from not building a new deep-tunnel system to accommodate the excess stormwater runoff, and instead aiming to reduce the amount of stormwater flowing into the sewer systems during heavy rains.

The green infrastructure solution being pursued by Cincinnati is already being viewed as a national model for other cities looking to clean up their waterways.

Lick Run View (Northwest) Lick Run View (Southwest)
The $192M Lick Run project would create a linear park through South Fairmount along a newly ‘daylighted’ stream. Images provided.

The hallmark feature of the plan is the $192 million Lick Run Project, which will ‘daylight’ the former creek through the heart of South Fairmount and creating a linear park that officials say will convey stormwater and natural drainage to the Mill Creek. This project alone is estimated to reduce overflows into the Mill Creek, from the largest CSO in the system, by 624 million gallons annually.

“This plan is good news for the residents of Cincinnati and for communities along the Ohio River,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Not only will this innovative plan ensure that significant volumes of polluted stormwater and raw sewage are kept out of local waterways, but it will also cost less than more traditional approaches, saving money for ratepayers and the city.”

In addition to the Lick Run Project, MSD’s phase one fixes will also include upgrades to the West Fork, Kings Run, and Bloody Run watersheds that will result in an additional 422 million gallons CSO reduction.

The combined phase one work is planned to take place over the next five years and is estimated to create nearly 1,000 full-time equivalent construction jobs.

MSD officials say that plans for phase two work will be submitted in 2017, and will aim to address CSOs in the Lower Mill Creek watershed. While the plans are not yet finalized, both MSD officials and regulators believe the final remedy will also use an integrated watershed plan approach.

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News Politics Transportation

Support for Public Transit Grows, While Funding Sources Remain Limited

A new survey conducted by the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) reveals that nearly 74% of Americans support the use of their tax dollars for “creating, expanding, and improving public transportation” in their community.

The results were championed by groups like the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) at their annual rail conference being held in Philadelphia.

“We are experiencing this surge in support because citizens can see, touch, and feel the economic impact of investing in public transportation,” said APTA Chair Flora Castillo. “This survey emphasizes that public transit plays a great role in society because it directly touches people’s lives.”

Metro Buses
Ridership and public support for transit has continued to grow in Cincinnati, despite consistent attacks from the Kasich administration. Photograph by Randy Simes for UrbanCincy.

The survey comes as many transit agencies around the United States are experiencing gains in ridership, including an additional 200,000 riders on Metro bus service in 2012. The news also comes on the heels of the approval of Ohio’s budget which includes a provision that bans students in grades K-5 from using transit buses for their transportation to or from school.

“A provision like this would be devastating to these students’ ability to get to school,” Roseanne Canfora, spokeswoman for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in May.

Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) also utilizes Metro bus service to get students to and from school. While Metro’s contract with CPS does not include students in grades K-5, the state-level changes reflect a growing anti-transit sentiment from the statehouse in recent years.

While ridership on transit and support for taxes going towards transit increases throughout Ohio and the United States, the State of Ohio continues to invest in almost exclusively roads. In the recommended 2014-2015 Transportation Budget, Governor John Kasich (R) and ODOT Director Jerry Wray call for a mere 1.9% of the $3.1 billion budget to go towards public transportation.

The newly released study championed by APTA focuses on national policy, however, and shows that the non-profit advocacy group aims to arm themselves with the results.

“We look forward to sharing these great results with Congress,” said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy. “In most political circles, receiving nearly 74 percent in favor of increased investment would be considered a landslide.”

The MTI-conducted survey also found that 66% of Americans believe that Congress should increase its spending for public transportation.

Locally in Cincinnati, meanwhile, funding levels for Metro continue to stagnate as the City of Cincinnati has remained as the sole regional financial contributor to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) since its creation in 1973.

SORTA officials have attempted to grow support from regional partners by restructuring its board, as recently as 2009, to include more regional representation from Butler, Warren and Clermont Counties. The efforts, however, have not yet changed the funding equation.

“Any change to the current funding system is a matter for consideration by Cincinnati and Hamilton County elected officials, and voters in this region,” explained SORTA Board chair, Suzanne Burke. “We are unaware of any changes being considered, and additional public funding from Clermont, Warren or Butler counties is for their citizens and elected officials to consider.”

With no additional funding partners or public taxes envisioned for the near future, SORTA officials are working to continue to grow and restructure its service that is reflective of the changes in the city and region over the past 40 years – something that has not, and will not be easy to do.

“Metro is pleased with the recent news released by APTA,” Burke concluded. “We believe this region’s changes since 1973, when our system was formed, require us to consider possible improvements in public transportation. Public transit is a key job connector and a huge factor in the improved quality of life in our region.”

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Business Development News

Downtown Cincinnati Continues to See Annual Population, Tourism Gains

Backstage Entertainment DistrictCincinnati’s center city continued to experience gains in residents, employees, visitors, and safety in 2012, according to a new report released by Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI).

The newly released report is the annual compilation of facts and figures covering the Central Business District, Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton neighborhoods, and utilizes information gathered from industry and trade reports.

While the overall message of the 2012 State of Downtown Report was positive, growth in residential units and number of people living in the area began to level-off following years of strong growth.

In 2012, the report shows that the three neighborhoods added only 146 residential units last year. More than $100 million in residential projects, however, are either under construction or in pre-development stages, and will add hundreds of additional housing units to the center city over the coming years.

Transportation was another key element of the newly released report. The number of available parking spaces increased in 2012, and the cost of parking downtown decreased. Meanwhile, Metro continued the modernization of its bus fleet, but the Cincinnati Streetcar has seen continued delays.

“Cincinnati has become more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, but we still have work to do,” David Ginsburg, President/CEO of DCI, told the audience at the International Downtown Association Midwest Urban District Forum in Evanston, IL on May 21.

Two areas where the three neighborhoods showed particular strength were retail and hospitality. The downtown area added 59 businesses in 2012, bringing the retail occupancy rate to 96.2%. According to CBRE, the downtown area now has approximately three million square feet of retail space, which averages $89.49 in sales per square-foot.

Continuing on successes in recent years, the hospitality industry continued to post gains on its already impressive standing compared to other regional and national markets. The Central Business District, Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton now have 2,969 hotel rooms with the addition of 152 at the 21c Museum Hotel which opened this past November.

Downtown Population Trends
CBD Crime Statistics
The number of residential units downtown continues to grow, but at a slower pace than usual [TOP]. At the same time, crime rates have continued on their decade-long downward trajectory [BOTTOM].

According to the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, these rooms boast a revenue per available room (RevPAR) of $77.37 – notably higher than the $65.17 RevPAR nationally. Downtown’s hotel rooms also had a better occupancy rate than anywhere else in the Cincinnati region, and matched the national average at just over 61%.

As a result of this hotel success, there are a handful of hotels either under construction or in the pre-development phases for this part of town, which would add hundreds of additional rooms. The realization of all of these plans may, however, put some existing hotels, like the aging 872-room Millennium Hotel, at risk due to the extra competition.

The 2012 State of Downtown report also noted a continued drop in all crime, with a 10% drop in violent crimes (Part 1) and a more than 8% drop in Part 2 crimes.

Ginsburg believes that the safety improvements come, in part, due to more activity taking place, and says that DCI stakeholders are working to continue those efforts.

“We’re turning pretty much everything downtown into a piece of art, and it’s putting feet on the streets.”