Cygnus

Jake... it was on Fox 19 in Cincinnati and Fox 45 in Dayton.

This project is underway as Lytle Park has been mostly fenced off. Cincinnati's Lytle Park Renovation Project Breaks Ground Nov 7, 2022 The Cincinnati Board of Park Commissioners is excited to announce that the long-planned renovation of Lytle Park is set to break ground on November 7, 2022. This restoration project will bring new life to the underutilized park at the southeast corner of Downtown. Earlier this year, Cincinnati Parks re-bid the project within the City’s procurement guidelines and regulations. The impact of rapidly rising construction costs added $2 Million to the project since it was originally bid in 2018-2019. Western & Southern Financial Fund, which originally provided $1.6 Million toward the project, has agreed to provide additional contributions of almost $1.6 Million, for a total of $3.2 Million. The Board of Park Commissioners also agreed to use $400,000 in Park Board funding to help bridge the gap. The total cost of the project is expected to be $4.7 million. “As frustrating as the project delays have been, we want to express our deep appreciation for the lasting commitment and funding Western & Southern has given to ensure this public park will be completely renovated for the enjoyment of generations of park neighbors, residents and visitors. They never wavered, and on behalf of all those who use and rely on our parks, we remain grateful to have their continued support,” said Jim Goetz, President of the Cincinnati Board of Park Commissioners. ”We are honored to be involved and appreciate the Park Board’s commitment to the Lytle Park neighborhood,” said Paul Silva, President of Eagle Realty Group, Western & Southern’s real estate investment subsidiary. “It is one of the best green spaces in the city, and we look forward to seeing more area residents, businesses and visitors re-discover the space.” Cincinnati Parks Director Jason Barron added, “Restoring the highway tunnel has left Lytle Park a little bland. Well, that is about to change in a big way. We are excited to bring Lytle Park back to life and create an amazing public space where generations of Cincinnatians will get to have fun. The restoration of Lytle Park is another example of how Cincinnati is fortunate to have corporate partners like Western & Southern to help make big things happen.” Completion is slated for fall 2023. Visit www.cincinnatiparks.com or @cincyparks on social media platforms for project updates.  About the Project In January 2019, after a community engagement effort and collaboration with the project funding partner Western & Southern, the Board of Park Commissioners approved plans for the renovation and restoration of Lytle Park originally established as a Cincinnati Park in 1905. This renovation project became necessary due to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Lytle Tunnel ventilation project completed in 2017. The project includes new hardscape with several plazas and brick walkways, a decorative fountain, a running track, new landscape, lighting, a boche ball court and benches (see images below for project rendering and site picture). The new park is made possible thanks to the generosity of Western & Southern Financial Group who, in addition to donating funds to renovate the park, have committed $40,000 annually to support ongoing maintenance. An additional $1.1 Million in funds received from ODOT as a result of the 2017 tunnel project will also be used.

So who's on the short list to fill Greg Landsman's seat?

Unfortunate that Broadway isn't included.

Thanks for the pics of Riverside, my original home.

I so loved Skylab. Looking forward to this new version.

This outdoor space has been open at least a month and the bar really perplexes me. For its size, it only has a 4 tap kegerator and a fridge with some of their canned beer and misc. seltzers. Not well thought out IMO.

Columbia Tusculum's Streetside Brewery unveils expanded patio area, outdoor bar A craft brewery on Cincinnati's East Side is doubling the number of people it can serve with a new expansion. Columbia Tusculum's Streetside Brewery at 4003 Eastern Ave. just debuted a $500,000 overhaul of its outdoor space that adds a new patio, outdoor taproom, TVs, bathrooms and a new home for its in-house food truck. The addition of the outdoor taproom and patio traces its origins to 2019 and a decision that likely saved the brewery from potentially having to shutter. At that point in time, brewery founder Kathie Hickey told me, Streetside was choosing between constructing an outdoor patio or buying a canning line to package its beer. It went with the canning line, and that came in just one month before Covid-19 halted all in-person bar and dining activity. "Delivering beer and carryout in cans saved us," she said. Cont

Sawyer Point Pickleball Courts were painted August 11/12th. I believe they still have some touchup work to do as well as to paint the lines for the tennis courts.

I was in Mariemont recently and was surprised to learn they have a small DORA at their Square. 4000 Plainville Rd, Mariemont Bounded by Wooster Pike, Oak Street, Murray Avenue and Madisonville Road. Monday-Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday-Sunday noon to midnight

15th & Race, Saturday just after 11PM Streetcar had a dozen plus passengers, mostly FCC fans. A supervisor showed up and permitted them to disembark. The truck's driver eventually ran up and took off. Not sure where he was coming from but he wasn't actively delivering goods.

I was through the area Saturday night around 11:30 PM and there was a portable spotlight at 13th & Main St. The vehicular traffic was unbelievable. Basically at a standstill on Main & Clay (northbound) streets as well as 12th & 13th streets. Walnut and Sycamore streets weren't much better. The line for Goodfellas was probably 50 people. Lucky Dog across the street had no line. Great cheese coneys!

From July 26th Enquirer (subscriber) article available for free via the Library: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2695077914 "A grand opening date has been set for Aug. 12, Lessis said. The courts will have a soft opening sometime before that depending on weather and when the work can get done."

Good question. It started raining the afternoon of the 26th and the site hasn't had any activity since.

Original completion date of this project was July 15th. Asphalt grinding and repaving was completed the week before Memorial Day. New lighting was installed in early June. Unfortunately, they stopped at the tennis courts and didn't replace the four lights on the volleyball courts. All was quiet until last week when it appears some sealant was applied to the asphalt. This week they are supposed to be installing the pickleball courts.

University of Cincinnati details $6M renovation of Fifth Third Arena ahead of Big 12 Conference debut University of Cincinnati is looking for a firm to help design a multimillion-dollar renovation at Fifth Third Arena as preps for its upgrade to the Big 12 Conference in 2023. UC sent out a request for qualifications Monday for architects/engineers to renovate and expand its existing locker room and related facilities for the women’s and men’s basketball programs. Construction cost is expected to be $4 million, with a total project cost of $6 million to complete. The expenditure was approved by UC’s board of trustees in June. The project will include approximately 10,000 square feet of existing interior space. In the document, UC said renovations will upgrade “team hype rooms,” new state-of-the-art locker rooms, plunge pools and athlete lounges including multi-purpose rooms, team dining and related functions. Cont

GE Aviation to change name ahead of General Electric split Evendale-based GE Aviation will change its name when its parent company General Electric splits into three publicly traded companies. When General Electric (NYSE: GE) spins off its health care and energy companies into their own businesses, a process that will wrap up by 2024, its remaining aviation business will be rebranded as GE Aerospace, officials announced Monday. GE CEO Larry Culp Jr., who was named CEO of GE Aviation at the end of June, said in a video announcing the change the decision to retain the GE name as part of the new company was the result of thousands of interviews with customers, employees and shareholders. Cont

I've heard that Taft's has dropped out of this development and that Fifty West might be interested.

Still no Gold Star downtown... Restaurant Frankie's Sips & Savories opens downtown in tribute to Frank Daoud, Gold Star Chili co-founder Frankie's Sips & Savories quietly opened mid-June at 14 Garfield Place. The children of one of the founders of Cincinnati staple Gold Star Chili just opened a new downtown bar and restaurant in tribute to their father. Frankie's was opened in honor of Fahid "Frank" Daoud, one of four brothers who bought a Mount Washington restaurant that became Gold Star Chili. Frank Daoud died in May 2020 at 83 years old. Daoud's four children – brothers Sami and Samir Daoud and their sisters Sama Daoud and Muna Naber – opened Frankie's to honor Frank Daoud's love of travel, food, friends and hosting. "One of the most memorable things about dad is he was known as the greatest host that ever lived, and I think that is what we reflect to everyone that comes into this place," Sami Daoud told me. The walls of the entrance are covered with Frank Daoud's popular quotable sayings, and then throughout the restaurant are family photos from Frank Daoud's travels around the world, each with a story. Cont

Judge rules on who will testify at P.G. Sittenfeld's public corruption trial Former councilman Kevin Flynn will be a witness A federal judge made an expansive ruling late Friday on exactly who can testify at the upcoming public corruption trial of former Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, and what evidence jurors will be allowed to see. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Cole ‘s 47-page order sets the parameters for the trial, which begins with jury selection on Tuesday. Sittenfeld, who has maintained his innocence, was a rising political star and the front-runner to be the next mayor of Cincinnati before FBI agents arrested him for allegedly promising support and “official acts,” to help the development of Convention Place downtown in exchange for $40,000 in donations to his political action fund. He faces six charges related to public corruption at trial, which is expected to last two weeks. Cont

Lotus Thai & Sushi is opening downtown in Dixie Terminal sometime this summer. They had a location in Crestview Hills Town Center but it appears to have closed during the pandemic.

After 10 years, Simply Grand Cafe on the 3rd Street side of Great American Tower will permanently close on June 30th.

Almost ready...

100% agreed! The tent is only up from ~April through ~October. When its not up you'll regularly see hockey (roller skate & bicycle) being played on good weather days. Roller skaters still use the rink even with the tent up. The park board doesn't maintain the landscaping in this area nearly as well as the rest of the park. It's a dumping ground for the old solar garbage cans and rocks/dirt/mulch to be used throughout the rest of the park.