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Development News

Cincinnati finally in compliance with 1997 federal air regulations

The Cincinnati-Hamilton Metropolitan Statistical Area has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for finally meeting 1997 federal air quality standards. The achievement by Hamilton, Butler, Clermont and Warren counties now puts all of Ohio in compliance with the 1997 federal ozone standard for the first time.

“Today we celebrate that the entire state of Ohio, for the first time, is meeting the 1997 ozone standard,” said Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski. “Air quality in the Cincinnati area and throughout the state has improved, but our work is not done.”

The U.S. EPA first proposed the redesignation in March, 2010 that also included Dearborn County in Indiana. The Cincinnati MSA had to undergo air quality tests between 2007 and 2009, and prove it can maintain that status for 10 years in order to earn the redesignation from the U.S. EPA. But while all of Ohio and Cincinnati’s MSA are now meeting the 1997 standard, this is not the case for newly proposed ozone standards that are more stringent and will be enforced starting in 2011.

“Ohio has achieved this milestone through sound air quality planning and effective pollution control programs,” explained Bharat Mathur, EPA Acting Regional Administrator. “With this accomplishment, Ohio has helped to ensure that its residents are breathing cleaner air.”

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Arts & Entertainment News

Seasonal market returns to Fountain Square May 4th

The third annual Market on the Square returns to Cincinnati’s central gathering point this Tuesday, May 4th. The seasonal market attracts hundreds of shoppers and visitors to Fountain Square every Tuesday afternoon through the summer months.

The Fountain Square Management Group has announced that this year’s Strauss & Troy Market on the Square will include 20 different vendors and has been extended four weeks running from Tuesday, May 4 through Tuesday, September 28 between 11am and 2pm. This year’s vendors will be selling produce, bakery goods, ready-to-eat foods, flowers/plants, jewelry and some other select items.

Fountain Square (map) is easily accessible by bike, Metro bus service (plan your trip) and automobile with daily parking available directly underneath the square in the Fountain Square Parking Garage.

Market on the Square photo by Thadd Fiala.

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Development News

New renderings, details released on $46M Washington Park renovation

A $46.2 million renovation and expansion of Washington Park is shaping up as one of those transformational projects that help push a neighborhood on the rebound even further. Throughout the first decade of the 21st Century, Cincinnati has seen just this happen with the renovation of Fountain Square downtown. Now as Over-the-Rhine continues to open new residences and businesses, projects like the Cincinnati Streetcar and the renovation and expansion of Washington Park may finally push the long-troubled neighborhood into wide-reaching prosperity.

The Washington Park project will include a $21.6 million, two-level underground parking garage that will lie beneath a 2-acre expansion of the park to 14th Street. The completed 500-space underground parking garage will mirror designs often found in dense European cities and that found at Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati where an underground garage is integrated underneath the public space.

One of the major sticking points with the overall project has circled around the financing to make it happen. At the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation’s (3CDC) OTR Work Group meeting last week, officials secured nearly $21 million of the total $46.2 million needed to complete the project, with the remaining $25.2 million identified and pending approval.


Music Hall Plaza sits in front of the new Civic Green at the expanded Washington Park [TOP]. The new interactive water feature integrates a new element to the historic park in place of the pool that once sat next to the elementary school [BOTTOM]. Images provided.

The renovation of Washington Park will also create a central gathering space directly across the street from Music Hall’s main entrance on Elm Street called the Music Hall Plaza. Music Hall Plaza will then flow directly east into a newly created civic lawn space that will cover roughly the size of a football field. On the south side of the Civic Lawn a new water feature will be created that will lead all the way to the park’s historic bandstand.

The historic bandstand centrally located in Washington Park will be restored and “modernized for contemporary use” according to officials at 3CDC. Those enhancements will include audio/visual upgrades and the addition of a dramatic new lighting canopy encompassing the area surrounding the bandstand.

The historic bandstand will be upgraded and include a dramatic new lighting scheme [LEFT]. The $46M project will transform and expand one of Cincinnati’s oldest parks [RIGHT]. Images provided.

One of the more anticipated features of the newly renovated Washington Park is a roughly 1/4-acre dog park to be located immediately west of the historic bandstand along Elm Street. The dog park will add a second dog park to Cincinnati’s under-served urban core that has been experiencing tremendous population growth over recent years in both people and dogs.

Officials are finalizing the financing components and designs now and hope to begin construction work by summer 2010. Should construction begin at that point, a fall 2011 completion date is targeted.

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Arts & Entertainment News

UrbanCincy Visual Showcase tonight in OTR!

Tonight Final Friday takes place throughout historic Over-the-Rhine. There will be dozens of galleries and businesses to visit, wine, food music and more. As part of this month’s Final Friday gallery hop, UrbanCincy has organized the first-ever UrbanCincy Visual Showcase that will run from approximately 6pm to 10pm in the former A Lucky Step showroom on Vine Street (map).

Participating in the showcase are Jake Mecklenborg, Jeremy Mosher and Allister Sears. Together they will be displaying a variety of print and video pieces that highlight Cincinnati’s urban core and city life in general.

Mecklenborg will be debuting a video that features a bike ride from Cincinnati’s Fountain Square to the Ohio State Capital Building in Columbus. Sped up to roughly 600mph, or about the speed of sound, the video takes viewers along the network of bike trails that connect the two cities highlight the scenery along the way in addition to the gaps found in the trail system. Jake will also be showing his photography work of the Cincinnati Subway he has put together for a book he is currently writing on the rapid transit system’s history that will be published later this year.

Mosher will be showcasing his unique Cincinnati cityscape collection through his critically acclaimed videography tonight. He will be joined by Allister who will be participating in his first gallery exhibition that will showcase his cityscape photography with a particular social perspective.

All of the participating artists will have prints available for purchase either on-site, or have ordering forms ready to be filled out in case you are interested. There will also be light refreshments and music at the gallery space – making it a perfect stop before or after a trip to Lavomatic or Senate. The gallery is free and open to the public, so be sure to come out and support local artists and businesses tonight in Over-the-Rhine for Final Friday.

Walnut Street photograph by Jake Mecklenborg

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

WNKU celebrates 25th Anniversary, plans for bright future

Thursday, April 29 marked the official 25th anniversary for local radio station 89.7 WNKU. WNKU serves as a strong force in the local community and will be engaging in some terrific things they have planned to celebrate this special milestone.

First though, a little perspective on the station and my experiences with it might be useful. In the early 1990s, my brother-in-law started telling me about WNKU and I would tune in on occasion. Things were much different then at the station than they are today. While they did play good music, it was secondary to the news offering and it was hard to even know when music was going to be played. Oh, and the signal, the major complaint for years, was awful which made it hard to pick up the station.

Around 2000, I started to listen to the station more as I had moved back into Cincinnati from college and things had become a little more musical. From that point I have had an ongoing and interactive relationship with the station. This involvement included volunteering for fund drives (they are a public station, you know, which means you can become a member here), helping at events, and even recycling my Christmas Tree with them. Needless to say, the station holds a special place in my heart. Forget Clear Channel, WNKU even with its warts, is the one radio station for me in Cincinnati. As for that signal? Well it is significantly better now than it was two decades ago, though it is still imperfect. Oh, and did I mention that I won the contest for the Top 89 of 2006 (yes that is me in the picture)?

Aside from community involvement such as presenting this weekend’s Spring Pottery Fair, WNKU does play some great and diverse music. Just a few of the artists played earlier this week in a one hour stretch on Michael Grayson’s Morning Music include Widespread Panic, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Brazilian Girls, The Avett Brothers and Norah Jones. There is a little something for everyone, and WNKU is bound to introduce some new artists to us as well.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary WNKU will be hosting a concert series of course! In talking through plans with Director of Development Aaron Sharpe earlier this week, there is palpable excitement over some of the shows they are helping to bring to town. It all starts tonight with a special show featuring Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $20, or in advance online or by calling (859) 572-6700 – $15 for members and $18 for non-members.

If you are unable to make it to the show tonight at Highlands High School (map), there will be plenty of other shows in the series for you to attend. Most of these are in the traditional venues around town, but Aaron did say that the station is hoping to organize a special blowout concert towards the end of the summer as the grand finale, so stay tuned for details.

The anniversary party they hosted was at last night’s final Tunes & Blooms show which featured a live broadcast and had about 3,200 people show up to catch Jake Speed as well as The Turkeys.

As WNKU embarks on the next 25 years, I asked Aaron what the future held. There were a few things he mentioned including offering a second station on their HD broadcast, and acquiring other frequencies to help with distribution as they recently did with 94.5FM in West Chester. Additionally, the station just hired its first full time sales position as things continue to grow and change.

Whatever the future may hold, we do not know. But what we do know is how great a community partner WNKU is today. Happy anniversary WNKU! You have risen from humble beginnings to places that nobody dreamed of, and we all look forward to seeing what is up your sleeve for the next 25 years.