Cygnus

Other than that AAC logo, Nippert looks fantastic!

Want to commute without a car? New app will show you where the bus is Chris Wetterich - Cincinnati Business Courier At long last, Cincinnati bus riders will be able to look at their smartphones to know where the bus they’re trying to catch is located. Metro and local software development consultancy Gaslight will launch the Bus Detective app on Thursday at Fountain Square. The app is available for download on iPhone or Android smartphones or on the app website. Real-time data also will be available on another widely-used app called Transit App, which is available on iPhones and Android. Transit App will also show the locations of Cincy Red Bike stations, said spokesman Joe MacNeil. Cont

I'm not 100% certain has it was dark and raining but it appears the East End Cafe has been demolished.

Take a look at the $6M upgrade planned for Lytle Park Tom Demeropolis - Cincinnati Business Courier The Cincinnati Parks Department plans to make major upgrades to Lytle Park. Steve Schuckman, superintendent with the parks’ division of planning and design, gave an update on plans for the downtown park Tuesday night at the Guilford Building. The original master plan for Lytle Park was completed in November 2008, but with the Ohio Department of Transportation installing new vents in the park for Interstate 71 and plans for a hotel and restaurant at the former Anna Louise Inn, the parks department wanted to update its plan. “This is a concept plan,” Schuckman told the crowd on Tuesday night. “There is a lot of work to do.” Cont

ODOT's work in Lytle Park:

Yep - Photo Provided by City of Cincinnati

New thread created in Southwest Ohio Projects & Construction: Cincinnati: Downtown: Grand Bohemian Hotel Cincinnati (299 E. Sixth Street)

The buildings current website: http://www.sycamorebuilding299.com/ If this project indeed happens, it'll be interesting to see if the elevated walkway (not part of The SkyWalk) comes down.

Curb rebuilds are happening in several places downtown. Walnut Street as part of the Streetcar project; also in other places like 5th Street, Pete Rose Way. Another crew is going around and repairing the old brick paver sidewalks that have deteriorated since the last All-Star Game.

Polly Campbell: Santo Graal doesn't freshen mix at The Banks

Noticed this week that the remaining tan light posts, mostly along 2nd & 3rd Streets, are finally being painted black. Most all in the CBD were painted just before the World Choir Games.

I'm no traffic engineer but this seems like missed cost savings. Why does a two lane street need three stoplights? Especially if the third light needs its own pole with giant arm and doesn't actually hang over a lane. Feels unnecessary...

Yea, that list is very odd. Not sure why they would exclude so many especially since the numbers for Cincinnati area breweries was printed earlier this year: Bad Tom Brewing: 2013: 80 barrels; 2014: 220 barrels; 2015: 350 barrels Blank Slate Brewing: 2013: 394 barrels; 2014: 635 barrels; 2015: 1,000 barrels Braxton Brewing (Covington, KY): 2015 (opened March 27): 2,000 barrels Cellar Dweller Craft Beers: 2013: 271.15 barrels; 2014: 386.75 barrels; 2015: 600 barrels Christian Moerlein Brewing Co.: Production numbers not released. DogBerry Brewing: 2015: 180-200 barrels Ei8ht Ball Brewery (Bellevue, KY): 2013 (opened in November): 44 barrels; 2014: 444 barrels; 2015: 1,444 barrels Fifty West Brewing Company: 2013: 800 barrels; 2014: 1,000 barrels; 2015: 1,250 barrels Hofbräuhaus (Newport, KY): 2013: 2,000 barrels; 2014: 2,000 barrels; 2015: 2,000 barrels Listermann/Triple Digit Brewing Company: 2013: 600; 2014: 860; 2015: 1,200 MadTree Brewing Company: 2013 (opened late January): 2,850 barrels; 2014: 11,000 barrels; 2015: 20,000 barrels Mt. Carmel Brewing Company: Does not release production numbers. Rhinegeist: 2013 (opened in June): under 2,000 barrels; 2014: 11,000 barrels; 2015: 30,000 barrels Rivertown: 2013: 6,000 barrels; 2014: 10,000 barrels; 2015: 13,000 barrels Rock Bottom Brewery: 2013: 1,154 barrels; 2014: 1,110 barrels; 2015: 1,100 barrels Old Firehouse Brewery: 2014 (opened in September): 285 barrels; 2015: 1,200-1,400 barrels Samuel Adams (still craft according to The Brewers Association): Does not release production numbers. The Cincinnati brewery is the largest of three for the company. Taft's Ale House: 2015 (opened April 6): 3,000-6,000 barrels Tap & Screw Brewery: 2014 (opened Dec. 19): 56 barrels; 2015: 1,000 barrels *2015 numbers are projected production

American Financial Group consolidated from six buildings to three. The primary driver was to vacate the 580 Building (where the lease was up) and place all the Property & Casualty employees in one location, something none of the six buildings could do. And yes, there were large chunks of land at their disposal in the northern suburbs.

Opening late January... Freshii restaurant will bring fast, fresh, customized meals to downtown diners Blue Ash native Robbie Sosna is bringing Freshii, a Toronto-based chain focused on fast, fresh, customized meals, to Greater Cincinnati. The first local Freshii is under construction on the ground floor of the U.S. Bank Tower, 425 Walnut St., opposite J. Gumbo’s in the space that was Fruities. Sosna said he expects to open the 1183-square-foot restaurant, which will seat up to 30 people, in late January. He plans to be open for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays, but he may experiment with weekend or dinner hours, depending on the response. The idea to open a “fast, fresh” concept restaurant was sparked when Sosna moved to New York City to work for the David Letterman Show after college. Cont They opened today. With the seating arrangement, I don't think I'd ever dine-in. Too small with the food and drink lines constantly moving around you. With that said, the food was delicious! Freshii restaurant opens downtown Freshii, a fast-casual chain serving customizable soups, salads, wraps and rice bowls, opened its downtown outpost Tuesday. It’s in the U.S. Bank Tower at 425 Walnut St., in the 1,183-square-foot space that was previously Fruities. Breakfast and lunch are served from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays. Diners can choose from 50 different ingredients with which to customize their meals, which average about $8. The restaurant seats about 30, offers WiFi and uses environmentally friendly packaging and utensils. Cont Sadly, Freshii has closed... Great location downtown but terrible physical space. I had noticed their business dropping off. Food was still good though.

The Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards loves the online version of USA Today... Cincinnati.com named best news website in Ohio "Cincinnati.com was the clear winner in this category," the judges wrote. "The tile design is very efficient and clean, and the use of photos is graphically attractive. The side labels make it easy to navigate the categories. The entire page, not just the top half, is attractive." :roll:

Interesting that BrewDog chose Ohio. They have a lot of higher ABV beers, including Tokio (18.2%) which I purchased yesterday in Kentucky. Guess those will still be shipped from Scotland. I remember when BrewDog arrived in 2009 and they brought their beers to Nicholson's in downtown Cincinnati. I was able to sample a Tactical Nuclear Penguin smuggled in as it was well over 30% ABV. Potent!

EXCLUSIVE: Cranley issues new streetcar veto threat, likely clearing way for operator decision Chris Wetterich - Cincinnati Business Courier The political fog over how much it will cost to operate the streetcar started to clear on Tuesday after Mayor John Cranley pledged to veto any ordinance that instructs the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority to hire a private company and its employees to operate the streetcar. The so-called turnkey option, at a $4 million cost, is the only option sent by SORTA to the city that falls within the maximum $4.2 million, first-year streetcar budget approved by council. But even with the mayor’s veto threat, it appears the turnkey option will be the one the streetcar operates under during its first year in operation starting in September 2016. “That would be my prediction,” Cranley told the Business Courier when asked how he sees the endgame to a long political debate. Cont

He is also reporting that Two Bits is expected to open in August. I find it amazing that this space will be under construction during the MLB All-Star game.

They have strung lights up on these wires. Phil Castellini is currently presenting to a City Council Committee and we should start getting a lot more details over the next 10 days. One highlight so far is a free concert at PBS w/performer(s) to be announced.

Wrap-up of the weekend from the Enquirer... Bunbury shows Cincinnati is 'growing up' Attendance: "Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, it was announced that the three-day total attendance was 60,000 as patrons came to see acts such as twenty one pilots, Akron-based blues rockers The Black Keys, alt-country stars The Avett Brothers and rapper Snoop Dogg. The attendance number is a record for the festival." Not sure how this could be as Bunbury's daily capacity is 20,000. They would had to have sold out all three nights. From what I witnessed, they definitely hit 20,000 Friday but I don't believe they were anywhere close to that on Sunday. Couldn't speak to Saturday as I wasn't there. Noise: "All of the larger stages also had video screens for the first time. Those were enjoyed Saturday night as The Avett Brothers played about 15 minutes after an 11 p.m. curfew. But city of Cincinnati spokesman Rocky Merz said there were no complaints, so the city's noise ordinance was not triggered." But on Sunday... Police: Snoop Dogg's Bunbury performance draws several Hyde Park noise complaints Future: "As to the biggest possible change - the location - both Luther and Donabedian said the festival was perfect for Sawyer Point, but no promises could be made yet." This is concerning... where exactly in the city could this be moved to?

On Wednesday there were around a dozen steel wire lines loosely hung over Freedom Way between Walnut St & Main St. They are bolted to the Current apartment buildings. Unsure what they will be used for but I'm certain it is for All-Star week.

EXCLUSIVE: Towne Properties to build its 1st townhomes in Over-the-Rhine Tom Demeropolis - Cincinnati Business Courier Towne Properties plans to build seven townhomes in Over-the-Rhine, its first such project in the historic neighborhood north of the Central Business District. Chad Munitz, a development expert with the Mount Adams-based real estate company, said Towne is working on plans to build the townhomes on about a half acre at the northwest corner of 15th and Elm streets. The property is located along the Cincinnati streetcar route. Each townhome will be about 2,800 square feet, including a 900-square-foot basement that is partially finished, with two-car detached garages and a private back yard. The three-bedroom homes will likely be priced starting in the $650,000 range. Cont

How do you put a massive mustache and hat on a Cincinnati skyscraper? We're about to find out Erin Caproni - Cincinnati Business Courier Major League Baseball and the Cincinnati Reds are leaving their mark on downtown Cincinnati in a unique way leading up to the All-Star Game. Crews began installing panels on the Scripps Center on the riverfront on Tuesday that will make the building look like it’s wearing a Mr. Redlegs-style pillbox hat and mustache. Installation of the vinyl wrap, which is made of the same material that is often used to put advertisements on buses, is expected to be complete by the end of the week, Mayerson Co. asset manager Bob Luby told me. The decal was designed by Blue Media, a Phoenix-based company that did similar projects for this year's Super Bowl that was hired by the Reds, and it's partnering with American Installs to have the wrap put in place. Cont

Taft's Ale House is working to get it removed before their official opening on Opening Day. The roadblock has returned. Not sure when.