Tag: over-the-rhine

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Business News Politics

Cincinnati Expands, Streamlines Mobile Food Vending Zone Program

Last month Cincinnati City Council approved changes to the city’s Mobile Food Vending Program, which oversees food truck operators choosing to take advantage of mobile food vending zones throughout the city.

According to city officials, two new mobile food vending zones will be added in Over-the-Rhine. The changes were approved 8-1 by city council, with Councilmember Christopher Smitherman (I) casting the lone opposition vote.

The first is at Washington Park and will accommodate up to three food trucks at any given time. This location, officials say, will be open to mobile food vendors from 6am to 3pm, and will be open during evening hours based on agreements between the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) and those vendors who are in the program.

Cincinnati Food Truck at Court Street

The second Over-the-Rhine location will be at Twelfth and Clay Streets, and is the result of much negotiation with nearby restaurants that had been wary of a mobile food vending zone near their establishments. This location will accommodate up to two food trucks at a time, and unlike the Washington Park zone, will allow vendors to operate between 6pm and 3:30am.

The new Over-the-Rhine mobile food vending zones add to the other six locations in place throughout the city. According to Councilmember Laure Quinlivan (D), who first proposed legislation to create the mobile food vending program in 2010, those who would like to see mobile food vending zones established elsewhere throughout the city can contact her office at laure.quinlivan@cincinnati-oh.gov.

City officials say that all of the following official mobile food vending zones are open seven days a week, and are available to operators with mobile food vending licenses on a first come, first serve basis.

  • 12th/Clay Streets (6pm to 3:30am)
  • Court Street Market (6am -3pm)
  • Fountain Square/North Vine Street (6pm-3:30am)
  • Fountain Square/North Fifth Street (6am to 3:30am)
  • Fountain Square/South Fifth Street (6am to 3:30am)
  • Purple People Bridge (6am to 3:30am)
  • University Hospital (6am to 3:30am)
  • Washington Park zone (6am to 3pm)

“If you have additional mobile food vending zones you’d like to see created, please contact me to learn how to get it done,” Quinlivan stated. “The bottom line is that you need to get support for the new zone from nearby property owners.”

Cincinnati Food Truck Zones

Food truck operators interested in getting a mobile food vending license will not see their annual fees change from the current $600 for a six-month license or $1,000 for a full year. But, according to city officials, they will now apply through the Cincinnati Health Department in an effort to streamline the application and licensing process since the health department also must issue a health license for the food trucks.

Other approved changes include the elimination of the non-refundable $25 application fee, and structural changes for the mobile food vendor zone at the foot of the Purple People Bridge to allow for more consistent space availability for food truck operators.

Due to the court-issued restraining order on the City of Cincinnati, the changes could not take effect immediately, and will finally go into effect this Friday, May 17 following the required 30-day waiting period.

To celebrate, the Cincinnati Food Truck Association, Quinlivan and community leaders will gather at Washington Park this Friday at 11:30am to celebrate the new food truck zones.

“I’m excited our program has created jobs and livened up city streets,” Quinlivan stated. “I’m told we now have 28 mobile food trucks in Cincinnati and we hope all of them participate in our program.”

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Business News Politics

Cincinnati’s Recommended Budget Calls for 201 Layoffs, Program Eliminations

Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney released his recommended budget that makes a large number of cuts to fill the $35 million budget gap left behind following the State of Ohio’s reduction of $26 million in funding to the City of Cincinnati.

The original budget proposal from Dohoney included $25.8 million from an upfront payment included in the parking lease and modernization plan, which would have also included $3 million in annual payments thereafter. This proposal was approved 5-4 by City Council, but was put on hold by a local court until opponents were able to file petitions and get the proposal put on this November’s ballot for public vote.

“Though a legal victory is being vigorously pursued, the ultimate resolution is not assured in time to affect what must be in place by June 1 to take effect July 1, 2013,” Dohoney explained. “Should a final legal victory be realized after July 1, the Administration would presume to move expeditiously to reverse some of the impacts of the cuts contained within the recommended budget.”

Cincinnati Mounted Patrol
Cincinnati’s mounted patrol would be cut entirely if City Council passes the recommended budget. Photograph by Randy Simes for UrbanCincy.

The end result of these cuts includes the elimination of 66 police officers, 71 fire fighters, 64 city employees, and the elimination of 60 vacant positions. The recommended budget will also eliminate funding for the following items:

  • Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance ($150,000)
  • Urban Agricultural Program ($65,000)
  • Heritage Events Subsidy – Opening Day Parade, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Black Family Reunion, Juneteenth ($36,000)
  • Camp Washington, Fairview, Filson, Spring Grove Village, and Ziegler Pools ($167,650)
  • Bush Recreation Center in Walnut Hills ($127,710)
  • Energy Management Program ($100,010)
  • Mounted Patrol ($95,000)
  • Community Prosecution Program ($83,857)
  • Delinquent Accounts/Receivables Program ($75,460)
  • Claims Program ($55,680)
  • Tire Collection Program ($30,880)

In addition to the elimination of these programs, no funding is budgeted for either 2014 or 2015 as a result of limited General Fund resources.

Furloughs for City Management staff will also take place, and the City of Cincinnati would also use a larger amount of projected casino revenues to balance this budget, even though Dohoney has recommended against that in the past due to the unpredictability of these funds.

“While balancing a budget deficit with mostly cuts is not preferred, the timing of the new fiscal year coupled with the timing of the litigation over the parking deal makes it the only real option with a number this large,” Dohoney stated in a prepared release. “Our goal is going to be to recall staff as soon as possible and provide the best customer service we can deliver for the citizens in the meantime.”

A number of other measures are taken in the recommended budget to help close the budget gap, but the large amount of savings is realized through personnel layoffs. Dohoney has also recommended that the property tax millage increase from 5.7 mills to its maximum allowed 6.1 mills to raise an additional $1.3 million annually.

To help engage the public in this budget process, Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls (C) has scheduled three public hearings. The first will take place at the Duke Energy Convention Center on Thursday, May 16 at 6:30pm, the second will occur on Monday, May 20 at 6:30pm at the College Hill Recreation Center, and the final meeting will take place at the Madisonville Recreation Center on Wednesday, May 22 at 6:30pm.

“My priority for the FY 2014 city operating budget is to make sure that all Cincinnati’s neighborhoods are safe and that we continue to attack blight that breeds crime,” Qualls stated. “As chair of the Budget and Finance Committee I will work to further reduce the number of layoffs for police, fire and health department personnel, to ensure that we keep all our neighborhoods safe and clean.”

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Via Vite to Open New Rooftop Piazza Today

Via Vite PiazzaVia Vite will host a grand opening party for their new rooftop bar and dining space overlooking Fountain Square. The new space, referred to as a piazza, features an outdoor bar and unobstructed views of Fountain Square and video board.

The piazza will naturally expand the outdoor dining options Via Vite has been adding in between its main entrance and the Fountain Square Garage headhouse, and follows the same general design concepts used on the existing Via Vite structure.

Managers say that the new space can handle approximately 40 to 50 people, and guests will be able to get both drinks and light food served there. Management also says that the piazza can be reserved for special events.

Via Vite opened in 2007 following the $49 million renovation of Fountain Square and its underground garage.

The restaurant sits directly above the parking garage entrance along Vine Street, and was opened by the son of Nicola Pietoso who continues to run the acclaimed Nicola’s Ristorante Italiano in Over-the-Rhine.

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Business News

Mimi’s Gourmet Egg Rolls & Curry Bowls to Open at Findlay Market this May

Mimi's Gourmet Egg Rolls & Curry Bowls
Ashley, Mimi, Sithi, and Alicia Assanuvat outside of Findlay Market. Photograph by Randy Simes for UrbanCincy.

Findlay Market will welcome a new vendor this May when Mimi’s Gourmet Egg Rolls & Curry Bowls opens inside the market house in between Mama Lo Hizo and Bean Haus.

The family-owned operation will add to the mix of ready-to-eat food offered at Ohio’s oldest public market, and it will build upon a family bond that has circled around food from the early days.

The mother and father, Mimi and Sithi Assanuvat, are the owners and say that they have signed a two-year lease for their space.

Sithi, an immigrant from Thailand, received his U.S. citizenship last year after living and working in America for decades in the restaurant industry. The family, he says, has been coming to Findlay Market for many years to shop at Saigon Market, and now that he is retired his daughters, Ashley and Alicia, thought it would be the perfect time to open up shop.

“Whenever you come to our house for dinner, you’ll have like five courses,” Ashley explained.

The family says that they have been working on opening the business for about a year, but that they have been waiting for a space to open up inside Findlay Market’s crowded market house.

Sithi says that all of the offerings at Mimi’s Gourmet Egg Rolls & Curry Bowls will be homemade recipes with ingredients sourced from fellow Findlay Market vendors.

The dishes are more than just family approved however. Last month Sithi’s egg rolls won the People’s Choice Award at the Asian Food Fest, and since that time others working at Findlay Market have begun to affectionately refer to Sithi as the Egg Roll Guy.

The family says that egg rolls will cost $1.75 and curry bowls, with a massaman curry style, will cost $4.95 and will include rice. Patrons will also be able to get a combo special which includes an egg roll, curry bowl, and drink for $7. In addition, the daughters, when staffing the space on the weekends, will sell their special Thai Tea.

The items to be offered at the beginning will include beef, chicken and vegetarian options, and in the future the family says that they may also offer a spring roll to appeal to Findlay Market’s many vegan customers.

“We want to be authentic and be environmentally aware,” Ashley emphasized. “We’ll be using reusable curry bowls, using fresh ingredients, and will be composting.”

An exact opening date is not yet set, but the family expects to open by the middle of May. Once open, Mimi’s Gourmet Egg Rolls & Curry Bowls (follow on Twitter @MimisGourmetEgg) will be open from 9am to 6pm Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm on Saturdays, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Those interested in getting a sneak peek at what the Assanuvat family will be offering can come join the kick-off of UrbanCincy’s annual Bikes+Brews ride at the OTR Biergarten on Saturday, May 4 where they will be sampling some of their soon-to-come Thai Tea.

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Arts & Entertainment News Transportation

Start Off National Bike Month With 2013 Bikes+Brews Ride

UrbanCincy is proud to bring back the popular Bikes+Brews ride to help kick off National Bike Month in Cincinnati on Saturday, May 4.

In addition to Bikes+Brews, Cincinnati’s celebration of Bike Month will include dozens of events over the course of the month. Some will focus on teaching people how to maintain and care for their bikes, others will introduce people to biking, and others will look to celebrate the form of transportation through fun activities and events that enhance the experience of existing bicyclists.

As is tradition with the Bikes+Brews ride, the ride will start at the OTR Biergarten and then continue on throughout the center city. This year’s ride will include five stops along a nine-mile route traversing Over-the-Rhine, Downtown, Covington, Newport, and Bellevue before returning to Findlay Market.

The route is fairly level, and should be doable for cyclists of all ages and abilities.

After taking off from the OTR Biergarten at 12pm, riders will head south to the Moerlein Lager House and then across the Roebling Suspension Bridge to Keystone Bar & Grill in Covington. Following that, the group will head east to The Elusive Cow Cafe in Bellevue, then double-back and head north across the Ohio River via the Purple People Bridge.

Once back in Ohio we will stop at Rock Bottom Brewery on Fountain Square, then head north to Mayberry Gastropub before concluding the ride back at Findlay Market at Market Wines.

Those interested in joining the group mid-ride are welcome to do so, and will be able to track the group’s progress by following #bikebrews or @UrbanCincy on Twitter.

Those who do not have their own bike can rent one from the Cincinnati Bike Center (near our first stop on the ride) for the day for $25.

The 2013 Bikes+Brews ride is free and open to anyone who would like to participate, and will take off from the OTR Biergarten around 12pm. The ride is expected to conclude back at Market Wines around 5pm.