Tag: public policy

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Cincinnati celebrates start of Midwest’s largest RecycleBank program

City officials and business partners met this morning at Annwood Park in East Walnut Hills to officially kick-off the largest RecycleBank program in the Midwest.

City officials say that the incentive program is geared to encourage community members to recycle by measuring and recording the amount of material they recycle, then translate that participation into points that are redeemable at local and national retailers, much like a frequent flier program.

As an added bonus, Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble has partnered with RecycleBank in rewarding residents for their green actions as part of their new Future Friendly initiative. This means that community members who register for the new RecycleBank program will receive a $5-off reward toward the purchase of any Future Friendly product from the P&G eStore while supplies last.

At today’s ceremony, Office of Environmental Quality director Larry Falkin shared the excitement felt by many in the crowd.

“We [at the city] are really happy about this new program. There’s so much potential to make something useful and profitable from things we’re getting rid of anyway,” Falkin stated. “Even the guys who own the landfill are in on it. Jeff Rumpke knows he’s missing out on an opportunity by letting all those recyclables in the landfill.”

Another component of the city’s new recycling program includes new 96-gallon recycling bins that can hold u pto five normal-sized bins worth of recyclables. City officials say that this will allow them to cut back on recycling pick-ups to once every two weeks, thus saving the city money.

The new larger carts also allow the city to implement the new RecycleBank program and automate lifting operations of the bins.

“If possible, residents should separate their trash bins from the new recycling bins,” said a Rumpke worker who explained that keeping the bins out from underneath power lines and trees will allow the truck’s robotic arm to work with ease.

The enhanced recycling program is being rolled out in four phases, with rewards and pick-up beginning this week in some neighborhoods. The roll out will continue through February 2011, and any Cincinnati resident who lives in a single- or multi-family home with existing curbside trash pickup is eligible to take advantage of this new program.

“The biggest benefit to the RecycleBank rewards system is the versatility in how residents will be able to use their points,” explained Christian Huelsman, the RecycleBank community outreach intern. “Not only are there national retailers participating like Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy, but local retailers liek Deweys and Park+Vine are as well. And those who do not want to encourage more consumption can choose to donate their points to local schools to help with after-school programs and supplies. You can even trade in certain electronics to increase your points.”

Those interested in taking advantage of the new RecycleBank rewards program are required to register online or by calling 1-866-563-0114.

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Business Development News Politics

A strategic residential plan for Cincinnati’s center city

There are increasingly fewer and fewer development sites remaining inside Cincinnati’s central business district. There are small surface lots scattered about the CBD, and some larger collections near City Hall and the Hamilton County Courthouse, but outside of that there is not much land left to be built upon.

This makes the things we do build on those sites even more important. The Banks seems like it will end up being successful in an urban design context, as well as an urban vibrancy context with its inclusion of so much residential in addition to office, retail and entertainment space. The recent Procter & Gamble daycare facility on Broadway Street, not so much.

What has long held back Cincinnati has not been a lack of tourists, commerce, or entertainment, but rather it has been the lack of a critical mass of residents. The lack of this critical mass is what has prevented the CBD from attracting everyday retailers, groceries, affordable dining, and later evening hours for all of the above.

According to a 2009 Downtown Cincinnati Inc. report, there are 9,000 residents living in the greater downtown area which primarily includes the CBD and Over-the-Rhine. According to the same DCI report, that number of downtown residents is expected to grow to 12,500 by 2012 largely in part to the opening of the initial phase of The Banks. Even while this growth is encouraging, if Cincinnati wants its center city to be truly vibrant around the clock, more needs to be done.

Cincinnati leaders should identify residential focus areas and work with developers on a comprehensive plan that would strategically place residents throughout the center city in the most economically feasible, and beneficial ways. Based on Cincinnati’s current central business district buildout, its surrounding neighborhoods, and potential opportunities I have developed a general plan for two residential focus areas for which Cincinnati leaders should develop.

Core High-Rise:
Within the CBD itself there are several real opportunities to not only add to the urban context, but its vibrancy. Surface lots at Fifth & Race, Seventh & Vine, Fourth & Plum, and Third & Race offer the greatest potential of them all. These sites could all potentially host high-rise residential living which could finally put Cincinnati’s center city over the top.

Affordable and successful residential high-rises can be done. Many cities around the country have experienced this first-hand. In Atlanta, 30- to 40-story residential towers have sprung up throughout Midtown and Buckhead like weeds, and were often built in an almost cookie cutter way that was sure to deliver profits for the developer. The same has happened in Charlotte, Miami, Austin, Portland, Seattle, Philadelphia, Denver, San Diego, Chicago, and elsewhere.

These efforts should not exist on their own, but rather also work with potential residential conversions of aging office structures nearby. This will remove antiquated office space from the market, and add critical new housing opportunities within the center city.

Mid-Rise Community:
Another great opportunity for the CBD is a collection of low- to mid-rise residential structures near City Hall on approximately four city blocks of available surface parking lots. The area is bounded by Over-the-Rhine to the north, the Betts-Longworth Historic District to the west, Ninth Street Historic District to the south, and the Court Street district to the east. All of these surrounding areas are made up of three to five story structures which would make a three to five story residential community ideal in this area.

It would make sense to include townhouses/rowhouses along Ninth Street and Central Avenue to help create a natural blend with the surrounding areas, but also provide a greater mix of residential offerings. The rest of the residential focus area would be made up of multi-unit mid-rises similar to those being built at The Banks right now. This addition of residential activity would inject new life into arguably the most lifeless part of the CBD, and it would create a tangible connection from the CBD to Over-the-Rhine and the West End.

While not identified as a focus area due to its small size, the surface lots near Eighth & Sycamore should also be developed with a residential focus to compliment the burgeoning residential district there.

By developing a strategic approach for implementing new residential offerings in Cincinnati’s center city, city leaders and developers will be able to improve the area’s urban framework and its vitality.  New residents will demand new retail offerings that will benefit the thousands already living within the greater downtown area, and more residents will help drive existing businesses to maintain later hours to serve the growing residential base.

The buzz surrounding 21st century planning has often been about creating 24/7 urban communities where people live, work and play.  Cincinnati already has a great set-up for exactly that, its leaders and investors simply need to take advantage of those opportunities and position the center city for even greater success.

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Business News Politics

Cincinnati food trucks to help raise money for United Way at City Hall

Earlier this year Cincinnati City Councilmember Laure Quinlivan introduced a program that was intended to help embrace the city’s growing number of food trucks. Once approved in June 2010, the Mobile Food & Beverage Truck Vending Pilot Program created reserved, city-owned spaces for those food trucks to park at in the congested downtown area.

The pilot program received an initial surge of food truck operators looking to take advantage of the new program, and now, the City has issued the twentieth Revocable Street Privilege (RSP) to allow the sale of food and beverage from trucks at the three designated areas downtown at 5th & Race, along Court Street, and at Sawyer Point. This means that the program is now operating at 100 percent capacity.

This rise in popularity for food trucks in Cincinnati is similar to a national movement that has been underway for several years. To help celebrate the success of Cincinnati’s innovative program that embraces the movement, six participating food trucks will be at City Hall tomorrow to help raise money for the United Way of Greater Cincinnati.

Event organizers say that hungry guests will be able to get everything from gourmet burgers to Cajun food, barbecue ribs, tacos, ice cream, coffee, and smoothies from the participating vendors. They say that each donation made to the United Way will help support the City’s United Way fund raising goal, and will earn you a discount at the food truck vendors on-hand. Those vendors will reportedly include Taste of New Orleans, Cafe de Wheels, Just Q’in Barbecue, Senor Roy’s Taco Patrol, Coldstone Creamery, and The Coffee Guy.

The food trucks will be parked on the north side of City Hall along 9th Street (map) beginning at 10:30am on Thursday, September 23. There will be a Department of Community Development staff member on hand from the City that will be selling the tickets that will get you your discount at the food trucks and support the United Way.

Stay up-to-speed on the whereabouts of Cincinnati’s growing number of food trucks by following UrbanCincy’s comprehensive Twitter list.

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News Politics

City looking for public input on selection of next police chief

Cincinnati’s long-time police chief, Thomas Streicher, has announced his planned retirement in 2011. As a result, the City of Cincinnati Administration has begun planning the recruitment process for his replacement, and they would like some community input.

In a prepared release, City Manager Milton Dohoney said that the City is looking to better understand what kind of attributes citizens most desire in their next police chief.

In terms of the City’s desired traits Dohoney said, “We can all agree that the individual we are looking to hire as our next Police Chief must possess unquestionable integrity. This person must also have the ability to communicate and interact fairly and impartially with members of our community – regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity or race.”

Cincinnati residents are invited to share their thoughts on the matter between now and Saturday, October 4 through an online survey. In the survey participants are asked to assess a list of 10 attributes, while also being able to add their own attributes to the list.

City officials say that the public input will help to guide the selection of the next police chief so that the new leader “will be ideally suited for the challenge of leading an urban police force in working with residents to improve public safety in the 52 neighborhoods of Cincinnati.”

Once on the job the new chief will be tasked with reducing crime and improving safety within the 78 square-mile city that currently uses a police force of 1,057 sworn officers and 281 civilian employees.

“Cincinnati Police work with the community every day to tackle public safety issues through community-oriented policing and creative problem solving. I am confident we will be more successful in this search if we listen to community residents before we establish the qualities and accomplishments the next Chief must demonstrate,” Dohoney concluded.

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Development News Politics

Cincinnati region awarded $6M through third round of NSP funding

The Cincinnati region was awarded nearly $6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the stabilization of neighborhoods that have been hard hit by the nation’s ongoing foreclosure crisis. In particular, the funds will be used to acquire and rehabilitate existing housing and demolish badly damaged properties.

The money was awarded through the third round of HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program which awarded an additional $1 billion to communities across America this week. The previous two rounds of funding included $3.92 billion in 2008, and $2 billion in late 2009 through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act which included $24 million for seven communities throughout Cincinnati region.

“These grants will support local efforts to reverse the effects these foreclosed properties have on their surrounding neighborhoods,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “We want to make certain that we target these funds to those places with especially high foreclosure activity so we can help turn the tide in our battle against abandonment and blight.”

Winners in the third round of funding were determined by a number of key indicators that match funding to need in the 20 percent most distressed neighborhoods as determined by the number and percentage of home foreclosures, the number and percentage of homes financed by subprime mortgage related loans, and the number and percentage of homes in delinquency. HUD officials also say that housing price declines, increases in unemployment, and neighborhood vacancy problems are also taken into account.

Of the $6 million awarded throughout the Cincinnati region approximately $1.5 million went to Hamilton County, $1.3 million to Butler County, and $3.2 million to the City of Cincinnati.

“This is great news for greater Cincinnati. Our region was hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, and we need to do all we can to help neighborhoods rebuild and recover,” said U.S. Representative Steve Driehaus (D-OH). “The Neighborhood Stabilization Program brings resources into the hardest hit areas, and will make a difference for families and communities as we continue on the path toward recovery.”