Tag: downtown

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Arts & Entertainment Business Development News

The NEW Downtown Cincinnati

Downtown has managed to turn the corner relatively quickly. People who once used to think of downtown as a tired/boring place are now frequenting the new restaurants, clubs, bars and events. New residents are everywhere and visitors are welcomed by something new almost every other week. It’s just past the half way point in 2007 and Downtown Cincinnati has seen the opening of 4 new bars/clubs, 3 restaurants and more events on Fountain Square than you can count.

It’s wonderful to see everything coming together and this is just the beginning. The majority of the tenants in the redone 5/3 building have yet to open, another few restaurants will be opening shortly, and another couple bars/clubs are on the way. This is all before the ball drops for 2008. If you want to think about 3-4 years down the road, then you’ll really be blown away with what Downtown Cincinnati will be like.

3-4 years puts the streetcar in place and the first phase of The Banks. The Banks will most likely attract tenants like ESPN Zone, Hard Rock Cafe, House of Blues, countless restaurants, bars/clubs. Combine that with the activity that the streetcar system will be shuffling around and you have yourself a VERY strong/vibrant urban core. Thousands of new residents and tons of new attractions. The streetcar system will most likely help give the retail scene downtown a kick in the pants…if that doesn’t do it, the thousands of new residents should.

Check out what’s going on in the NEW Downtown Cincinnati!

Need more to eat… MORE RESTAURANTS!!!
Like to shop… MORE RETAIL!!!
Want to be entertained… MORE ENTERTAINMENT!!!

Some more developments (just to name a few):

Now, downtown hasn’t gotten ‘there’ yet, but it is certainly on its way…and picking up speed.

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News

Fountain Square Progress

I must reiterate how much I love the new Fountain Square! It is more open, engaging, and personable. The trees offer an oasis of shade for those lounging on the square, and the water wall/spray features offer something for families. Overall the area is looking great!

Via Vite is progressing quite nicely and should be a great feature on the square. The re-cladding, on the south side, of the 5/3 building is nearing completion as well. I might add that it’s also looking quite nice. Now the north side of the building is another question.

They have put in these colored beams as the source of re-cladding. I’m not a big fan to say the least, but on the bright side it seems to compliment the Cadillac suspended above the entrance to the new Cadillac Ranch Bar & Grill. I don’t know what they were thinking when whoever drew up these designs, but I guess it’s just nice to see more investment in the inner-city. Maybe it’s a good thing I’m getting picky…


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News

Is Cincinnati ready to take that next step?

If you have a pulse you can notice the major changes occurring in/around Downtown Cincinnati. There are new restaurants, clubs, retailers, residents and overall just more activity at all times of the day. Now I’m not sure if city government should receive all of the credit for this, but it certainly deserves some. While all of this has been well and good; Downtown Cincinnati is still not where it could be…or where it used to be. Who is going to step up and take downtown and its surrounding areas to the next level?

I challenge city government to take this one by the horns and put downtown over the top. Downtown needs more everyday retailers, affordable shops, more affordable housing, and improved cleanliness/image. These are the items, the City of Cincinnati, should be focusing on in order to make downtown a truly great place to live, work, and play. Here are my suggestions:

1. Sell downtown to potential retailers that have been hesitant, in the past, to invest in downtown while making sure these retailers represent the people that you are trying to serve (urban dwellers…NOT SUBURBANITES).

2. Encourage middle-class housing development, by incentivising those developments that serve that segment of society. Push for better transit options (like the streetcar proposal) to help reduce overhead costs for new housing developments.

3. Finally, don’t be afraid to be positive…tell everyone/anyone about the great things happening downtown, and that they too can be a part of the change! Let everyone know that it’s not just a select group of people making a lot of noise, but rather a collective mass taking hold.

I hope our leadership can help the inner-city thrive once again; leaders like Jim Tarbell are a rare breed, and we must demand accountability from our other city leaders to make the city GREAT once again…we’re certainly on our way.

Categories
News Politics Transportation

Same news…two stories

The Cincinnati Streetcar Study was presented to City Council yesterday. There was little to no media attention giving the meeting publicity, but the media outlets were quick to report on the presentation after it happened. Interestingly enough the Cincinnati Business Courier and Cincinnati Enquirer had notably different takes/spins on the same story.

The most noticeable was the difference in headlines. The Enquirer’s read “Streetcar Price Tag: $100 million”…while the Business Courier’s headline read: “Study: Downtown streetcar could have $1.9B impact.” But nothing new with that…the Cincinnati Enquirer has had a consistently negative stance on events occurring within the inner-city.

However the differences do not stop there. The Enquirer cited that the total cost of build out would be $100 million; while the Business Courier wrote that it would cost $88 million. So, who’s right?? Well the Enquirer could have been rounding the $88 million up, but that would be a stretch even for the lousy Enquirer. The most likely explanation is that the Enquirer was using the higher of the two estimates. Most likely the system will only cost $88 million to build, but there is a chance that the price tag balloon to $100 million. The study put that in there to be safe and make sure they covered all of their bases…well it’s refreshing to see that the Enquirer choose the more negative spin on a positive story going on in the inner-city!

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Taste of Cincinnati has some new digs!

The Taste of Cincinnati is this weekend and I personally can not wait! The Taste has always been a great event for the city and for those who attend, but it will be even better this year. You may ask why…well it’s because of the all important move from Central Parkway to Fifth Street. This move presents a whole slew of benefits for the event.

First of all, shadows from the building will help shade the event and offer a slightly cooler atmosphere for everyone. Secondly, it is in the heart of downtown and in the midst of the up-and-coming Fountain Square District. There is shopping, dining, lodging, and entertainment all within a stones throw from the event this year. This has to bode well for neighboring businesses, more so than previous events held nearly 6 blocks away.

3CDC has certainly been criticized for the issues with the Fountain Square work. Whether it is warranted or not is another issue, but one thing is for sure…The heart of downtown is looking/feeling stronger than ever. Well done!