Cygnus

From the Business Courier: Banks signs hotel tenant

Is the runway finally clearing for JetBlue at CVG? Could this be the year discount darling JetBlue Airways arrives at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport? It's believed JetBlue is the airline Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber boss Brian Carley was referring to in an Enquirer story on Sunday, when he said CVG could land a new carrier later this year. A deal is not imminent, but CVG could be closer than ever to landing JetBlue. CVG has aggressively pursued JetBlue for nearly three years and talks recently heated up about the low-cost carrier starting nonstop flights to Boston, The Enquirer has learned. Several Cincinnati companies – many that have long lobbied for more nonstop flights to Boston – have been involved in the ongoing efforts to lure New York-based JetBlue. Cont

The ones I saw at the 3rd base and left field gates were bolted to the concrete.

There has been a lot of construction activity at the GABP during recent Reds road series. Permanent metal detectors are up at each gate. (I don't recall this being the case at Opening Day) Minor cosmetic fixes in various areas including fixing cracked curbs, painting, power washing, etc. They've replaced the extremely worn banners that had Reds historical facts with boring All-Star / FOX banners.

Eagle Realty looking to raise cash for their planned Lytle Park projects? We know last year they announced the sale of minority shares in Queen City Square.

Cranley is 100% behind Ray Schneider's plan and said during today's Council meeting that he would place the ordinance in another Committee in order to get it to a full Council vote.

@JohnCranley: My first veto: I am vetoing the inadequate OTR parking plan passed by City Council today in a 5-4 vote @JohnCranley: Veto: We need a better parking plan than the poorly devised one OK'd by City Council today #veto #parking

Enquirer sues SORTA over streetcar information The Enquirer filed a Wednesday lawsuit asking the Ohio Supreme Court to force the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority to provide the public with access to documents regarding the operation of Cincinnati's streetcar. The suit accuses SORTA, a transportation entity in charge of deciding which company will operate the controversial streetcar project, of violating Ohio's Open Records laws by refusing to provide Enquirer reporter Jason Williams with the documents when asked in a March 30 letter. Williams filed his request asking to review documents submitted by companies responding to a SORTA request to bid on the estimated $4 million per year contract to maintain and operate the 3.6-mile, $148 million streetcar. Bidding is done in an attempt to encourage competition to control costs. Cont

Murray did not vote for it. @ChrisSeelbach: Mayor says he will issue statement after Council meeting regarding the Residential Parking Permit program just passed by 5 city-wide Dems.

Seelbach, Murray urge parking ticket reform Cincinnati City Council members Chris Seelbach and Amy Murray have a message for anyone who can't pay their parking ticket within a week: "We're here to help." Parking tickets currently cost $45 – and they double if they're not paid within seven days. The council members are proposing charging $55 after 14 days and $90 after 21 days. A review of nearby big cities shows only Detroit charges as much as Cincinnati. In Cleveland and Columbus, parking tickets cost $25 and don't increase for at least two weeks. Seelbach and Murray say data shows more people will actually pay their ticket if they have enough time to pay the original lower cost. Cont

More shenanigans... Enquirer's Jason Williams fails to mention the "reporter" (him?) that was booted. Banks committee boots reporter from meeting The public-appointed group that drives major decisions on The Banks riverfront development project closed its meeting to a reporter Tuesday afternoon. "It's supposed to be open," Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann said of the session. But that wasn't the case at Great American Ball Park, where the county-appointed attorney on the project told an Enquirer reporter to leave before a meeting of the high-powered Joint Banks Steering Committee. Tom Gabelman later told The Enquirer that the meeting was strictly to receive updated information on the progress of several parts of the project. No votes were taken, he said. Cont

The Dennison Hotel is in the 700 block of Main Street. How would any development in this area impact Atrium 1 or 2 which is in the 300 block of Main? Brutus_buckeye[/member], are you talking about the structures at 308-316 Main?

City Council committee votes down Madisonville luxury apartment project Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier A Cincinnati City Council committee on Monday blocked a proposed $25 million luxury apartment complex in Madisonville. In a 3-1 vote, council’s Neighborhoods Committee sided with the Madisonville Community Council, voting down an amendment to a planned development agreement that would have allowed developer Ray Schneider to put 246 residential units in three buildings with parking at 5101 Madison Road. Vice Mayor David Mann and council members Yvette Simpson and Wendell Young urged the community council, the Madisonville Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and Schneider to restart negotiations over the development. Councilman Kevin Flynn dissented. Cont

EXCLUSIVE: Kitchenware store to open next to Findlay Market on streetcar line Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier Karen and Brad Hughes fell in love with Over-the-Rhine after they moved to Captain’s Watch condominiums on Riverside Drive and began riding their bikes regularly to the resurgent neighborhood. So, with both at or near retirement from their day jobs and still motivated to work, they started planning to open a small business somewhere in the neighborhood to fill an unmet need and created Artichoke, an 880-square-foot kitchenware store with a demonstration kitchen. The Hughes plan to develop the upper three stories of the building into two, two-bedroom apartments. After looking for five years, they recently closed on a city-owned building at 1824 Elm St. that backs up to one of the Findlay Market parking lots. Already OTR residents, they plan to acquire two other adjoining properties and turn one into a single-family home for themselves. The Artichoke and apartment project at 1824 Elm St. will cost $1.1 million, which the Hughes are personally funding from the proceeds of property they sold in Florida. The store is expected to open in spring 2016 and will likely employ three workers in addition to the Hughes, with one of them being part time. Cont

County administrator removed from economic development duties Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier Hamilton County commissioners removed County Administrator Christian Sigman from his duties overseeing economic development days after Sigman wrote City Manager Harry Black a letter questioning whether to change developers at the Banks. Sigman will be replaced by Assistant County Administrator Jeff Aluotto. Commissioners met in executive session this morning to evaluate Sigman. Cont

When I was by there Friday they were removing two set of windows and adding garage doors. Looked like several more weeks of work on the inside before they could open.

Thanks for the info and welcome to the Forum!

See where Ted Strickland is getting campaign cash The former Ohio governor raised only 3 percent of his money in the first quarter of the year from donors in the Queen City If Cincinnati is P.G. Sittenfeld's cash cow in the U.S. Senate race, it's more of a dry well for Ted Strickland. The former Ohio governor raised only 3 percent of his money in the first quarter of the year from donors in the Queen City, while Sittenfeld raised more than half his money from local supporters, according to an Enquirer analysis of newly available campaign data. The two Democrats are vying for their party's nomination and the chance to face GOP Sen. Rob Portman in the general election. Cont

Downtown residents: Cancel Sunday parking meter enforcement, give us our own parking program, too Chris Wetterich - Staff reporter and columnist - Cincinnati Business Courier Downtown residents want changes to the city’s parking program, including a residential on-street program similar to the one that has been proposed for Over-the-Rhine. In a March 30 letter to City Manager Harry Black, officers of the Downtown Residents Council ask him to do away with enforcing parking meters on Sundays and to establish resident parking zones on the east and west outskirts of downtown. The city instituted Sunday meter hours earlier this year to increase parking revenue to bolster both its general revenue fund and to pay for operations of the Cincinnati Streetcar. The Sunday hours, which run from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., were established in concert with expanded weekday and Saturday hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for both downtown and Over-the-Rhine. It also installed new smart meters capable of taking credit card payments throughout OTR. Cont

Burbs join The Banks in thirsting for open-drink zones Some of our region's largest suburbs are eyeing Cincinnati and already thirsting for their own open-container zones, now allowed under an Ohio law signed last week. Officials in West Chester – the state's most populous township – and fast-growing Liberty Township say they will be watching closely as Cincinnati speeds out front in adopting a new state law allowing alcoholic drinks in public. Watching too are officials in Anderson, Deerfield, Green, Springfield and Union townships, as well as city leaders in Hamilton and Middletown. Cincinnati plans on quickly creating a open-container zone at The Banks. Cont

Last Spring, the sidewalk pavers on the north side of 2nd Street (above the Transit Center) were removed and replaced with concrete. See discussion here. A week ago the same process began on the south side of 3rd Street. As with 2nd Street, this was sorely needed as the entire sidewalk was very uneven. Thankfully the trees are staying.

Noticed the prep for this yesterday. It appears it'll put an end to any vehicular traffic on Wilkymacky Alley. Not that I've ever seen it used much...

Expect to see work beginning very soon.

Upcoming Cincinnati Parks events from Facebook: Saturday, May 9th @ 11:00 AM Grand Opening of Heekin Family/PNC Grow Up Great Adventure Playground in Smale Riverfront Park! Tuesday, May 12th @ 5:30 PM Grand Opening of Pichler Fountains & Plaza in Smale Riverfront Park Thursday, May 14th @ 5:00 PM Grand Opening of Anderson Pavilion in Smale Riverfront Park Saturday, May 16th @ 11:00 AM Grand Opening of Carol Ann's Carousel in Smale Riverfront Park