Tag: downtown

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Business Development News

I’ve got your Downtown grocery right here

With the growing residential population Downtown and the new activity being seen on a daily basis…the talks of a full-scale grocery store for Downtown have heated up again. I think it is BS when people say the demographics aren’t right, or that a location isn’t there that meets their needs. I won’t bore you with demographic talk, but I will dive into the location part of the discussion.

I’ve got a couple locations that I think would be great for a nice full-scale grocery Downtown. The first one is 7th & Vine. This is about as close to the center of the population (for the center city) as you can get. There are currently two surface lots there and is located 2 blocks from Fountain Square and 1 block from the proposed streetcar line.

Sunflower Market a natural foods grocery in Columbus – highstreetart.blogspot.com

My second option would be at Tower Place Mall along 4th Street. The street-level would have to be completely reworked to have direct access, but this could prove to be the rejuvenation that Tower Place needs. This is just 1 block from Fountain Square and about 1.5 blocks from the proposed streetcar line.

Finally there is always the massive surface lots near St. Xavier Church at 7th/8th & Sycamore. This location is in a rapidly growing residential area, and offers lots of readily available land just waiting to be built on. This location though is slightly further away from being central, but is smack dab on the streetcar line.

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News

Downtown Office Trends

QCS II will pour 825,000 square-feet of new Class A office space into the Downtown office market. That’s great only if the market can handle it, and some think that the relocation of one company Downtown (AFG) into it isn’t necessarily the best scenario. Well to some extent they’re right, but the whole issue isn’t a negative thing either.

AFG currently occupies office space in a variety of older office buildings Downtown (580 Building, 525 Vine), and will be occupying 22 floors of QCS II for a total of 530,000 square-feet. By leaving these spaces and consolidating into one newer space it allows for those older and thus more affordable spaces to be freed up for smaller companies that can not afford the leases at a building like QCS II.

It is essentially all part of a larger office market cycle that occurs. Older spaces become less desirable and are either replaced by newer spaces and taken off the market (via apartment conversions and what not) or are then filled by smaller companies that can not afford the Class A office space.

So while it isn’t great news to hear that QCS II won’t be filled by a new company to the region…it certainly isn’t bad news that the Downtown market is able to fill another 800,000+ square-feet of office space. On a side note, the most recent State of Downtown quarterly report says that Downtown Cincinnati actually lowered its vacancy rate by nearly 3% in the 3Q.

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News

Experience the holidays Downtown

Well there’s tons to do Downtown this holiday season as there is every year. There is the ice rink, the best Santa in the region, train display, free horse-drawn carriage rides, free trolley rides, live music all over the place and TONS of great restaurants. There is also a new Downtown Visitors Center set up in the lobby adjacent to Joseph A. Banks.

In addition to the new information center, there are a couple of other new things this holiday season. There is the new Downtown Gift Card which is valid at over 100 places Downtown. This can be purchased online (at DCI’s website) or at the new Visitors Center. There is also a new Rookwood Pottery Commemorative Plaque. This too can be purchased at the Visitors Center or at Macy’s Fountain Place. You can find more information HERE regarding both items and the details for each.

There is also a great Holiday Guide for everything going on Downtown this holiday season. It includes specific details for everything you’ll want to cover this year. You can also find a list, with details, of all the highlights of things going on Downtown…and if you’re visiting and need something to do; check out some of the Downtown Itineraries.

External Links:
Downtown Cincinnati Inc.
Fountain Square
Downtown Holiday Photos (by me)

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News

Downtown is the best nightspot in Cincinnati – Reader’s Choice


So the results are in…and from the extremely scientific polling methods of UrbanCincy it appears that Downtown is the favorite nightlife area in Cincinnati. There was essentially a tie for second between Mt. Adams and Northside; with Newport on the Levee, Mainstrasse and Main Street (OTR) bringing up the rear.

I must say that I am pleasantly surprised with the results. I did not think that Downtown would finish first even though I think it is a great spot for nightlife. I was expecting Mt. Adams, but it should be interesting to hear the explanations from everyone on how they voted the way they did.

I personally voted for Mt. Adams, because I think it is the best spot to bar hop in the city. Although the area is lacking some night clubs, the bars there are second to none.

Photo Credit:
www.wkrq.zipscene.com

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News

Keep the movies rolling


Citykin just recently was discussing how Fountain Square will be showing some Halloween type family movies this Saturday (10/27). This is due in part to the great turnout they saw over the summer and the somewhat mild weather we are experiencing.

Personally I love the idea of movie nights on the square. It is a really neat thing for families to do and it’s free. Not to mention the unique social interaction opportunities the children have. But I have been wondering this since the summer was drawing to a close. Why is it that we have to stop showing these movies regularly after Labor Day? Sure this marks the end of summer, but the weather doesn’t start to get all that bad here until about mid-November. I also think they should start earlier in the year than the typical Memorial Day weekend start.

I think it should be a week-to-week decision following Labor Day and before Memorial Day. This would allow the great movie nights, on the square, to continue. Lets really capitalize on this great activity on the square. Keep the movies rolling.

Photo credit:
www.cincyimages.com