Cygnus

The property manager.

Western & Southern clears first step to reshape Lytle Park district Western & Southern Financial Group’s plans to reshape the Lytle Park Historic District moved forward Friday morning, as the Cincinnati Planning Commission approved a change to the district’s boundaries. The step brings Western & Southern closer to being able to demolish and redevelop properties around Lytle Park for a possible expansion of its headquarters. “We’re running out of space, we’re tight,” Mario San Marco, president of Western & Southern’s real estate arm Eagle Realty Group, told me after the meeting. “We know that we have to begin thinking and planning for more space.” Cont

I believe the only site work done to date has been under Walnut St. Here is the view of Court St. from Google Maps:

Construction activity resumes at The Banks Construction work begins on the next phase of The Banks riverfront development and officials are planning to host a groundbreaking ceremony next week. Construction on the next phase of development projects at The Banks started Monday and city and county officials are planning to host a groundbreaking ceremony next week. Despite the wet weather, crews started below street-level work to prepare for above-ground construction, said Libby Korosec, a spokesman for The Banks' development team. This week, site activity is expected to include mobilizing work crews, installing fences and conducting select demolition. A joint venture of two Atlanta-based companies Carter and the Dawson Co. serves at The Banks' master developer. Activity is being done as part of what developers are calling "Phase IIA" on the block bounded by Rosa Parks to Race Street and between Freedom Way and Second Street. The project calls for building a nine-story building featuring 291, one- and two-bedroom apartments with about 20,000 square feet of lower level retail space. Cont

^From dallasnews.com: Toyota's Plano move to bring 4,000 jobs from California, New York and Kentucky

Toyota closing NKY headquarters; 1,600 jobs lost Toyota is closing its Erlanger headquarters and moving almost 1,600 jobs out of Northern Kentucky as part of a nationwide consolidation of the company's operations. Company officials gathered employees at its Erlanger offices Monday afternoon to tell them the news. All workers there will be offered jobs either at Toyota's new headquarters in Plano, Texas, or at an expanded technical center in Michigan. A few hundred engineers also may move to the company's manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Ky., where more than 7,000 people now work. Cont

EXCLUSIVE: Streetcar could open in time for a 2016 GOP convention Cincinnati's streetcar could be open to riders up to two months earlier than expected if the city lands the 2016 Republican National Convention. "It's certainly possible," said John Deatrick, head of the streetcar project. "If all goes well, it could be done quicker than the time we've laid out." The $133 million streetcar currently is scheduled to open on Sept. 15, 2016, but project leaders have started looking at whether they can open it in time for the convention – most likely in July or August. Cont

On the 4th Street sidewalk modernization project, this update came out this morning: "The construction on the paver project is delayed as we are awaiting final determination from the city regarding the light poles and the associated power located in the concrete slab. Until we have this, we will not be able to proceed. Construction will resume as soon as we receive resolution from the city."

^ I've not heard what is going on here. I do know that the garage on the ground floor (entrance off Ogden Alley) has been closed to parkers and replaced with construction dumpsters. Could they be turning this space into additional parking?

This stretch in their schedule is plain silly. In 18 days they have 13 home games, 3 days off (back to back Mondays), with two games in the middle @Boston.

Central Parkway island at Race Street:

^ This

I've yet to stop by The Brass Tap. Went to the WOB in Columbus on a Saturday afternoon (non-game day). Good selection and service. Really curious where they set-up shop. With a Q4 opening, it'll be in an existing structure.

Craft beer tavern chain World of Beer coming here World of Beer, a chain of craft beer taverns with 57 locations in 17 states, is expanding to the Cincinnati area. A spokesperson for the company said that an opening is scheduled for late in the fourth quarter of this year, but other details, including the location, have not yet been released. World of Beer (WOB) was founded in 2007 in Tampa by Scott Zepp and Matt LaFon, best friends who loved craft beer, and expanded from there. Tavern locations now include three in Ohio: in the Brewery District and at Easton in Columbus, and in Lakewood, near Cleveland. Cont

Bengals, county agreement could pave way for GE The Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County leaders are negotiating a deal that would make significant upgrades to Paul Brown Stadium – including the long-discussed new scoreboard – in exchange for waiving height restrictions at The Banks. That’s crucial to clearing the way for a new General Electric building – and up to 2,000 new jobs – at The Banks. It would also allow for construction to start on a new apartment building there. A source told The Enquirer securing the height restriction waiver is a vital part of the bid package to bring GE to The Banks, a proposal that is due to GE on Friday. Commissioners are competing against Oakley and Mason to land the company at the riverfront development, which is jointly owned by the city and county. Two county commissioners – Democrat Todd Portune and Republican Greg Hartmann – could vote on a deal with the Bengals as soon as Thursday. Cont

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Mahogany's owner, Smitherman battle over business plan Mahogany's owner Liz Rogers was so protective of her business plan she threatened to take the matter to court rather than release it to the Cincinnati city councilman who wanted to review it. In the end, the owner of The Banks restaurant shared it, imploring that Cincinnati City Councilman Christopher Smitherman not share it with the public in order to protect business secrets, records obtained by the Enquirer show. Smitherman wanted the plan because Rogers is $23,000 behind on her loan payments to the city and he's concerned she won't be able to repay taxpayers. He has not yet reviewed the plan; the Enquirer is seeking a copy of the plan. Cont

Per this Business Courier article yesterday on the Brent Spence replacement: U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx was in town Monday to visit the Siemens facility in Norwood, which is building parts for state-of-the-art Amtrak trains and he addressed the Cincinnati streetcar, saying the city’s investment will pay off, but dodged a question as to whether future phases should be built. "Cincinnati has a bold vision for transportation,” Foxx said. "And what we’ve seen in other parts of the country with streetcars is when they’re put in place, they attract dense development, new businesses, new opportunity for communities and in many cases bring revitalization to areas that have historically been underserved."

Turtle lights dimming, destined for extinction QUESTION: "I've often wondered what those little yellow light poles are in the islands and medians around Cincinnati. It seems to be something pretty unique to the city and they usually still have an incandescent bulb in them." – Dave Paprocki, Downtown ANSWER: "They used to designate streetcar stops," said Tom McNamara, co-founder of the Cincinnati Transit Historical Association. "They're on traffic islands in the middle of wide streets," said Roy Jones of Cincinnati's Traffic Engineering Department. "They're called 'turtle lights.' " Cont

Streetcar stop at Elm & 14th:

The Fourth & Walnut Centre installed new pavers last summer/fall. And I'd expect the Marriott Renaissance (old Bartlett Building) to update their sidewalk before opening. Hopefully this will continue in the area as the sidewalk on the east side of Walnut between 4th & 5th streets is some of the worst downtown.

A 4th Street sidewalk modernization project, between Vine and Walnut Streets, began on Monday, April 7th. Construction is cheduled M-F 7-4 and is divided into 7 separate phases, each at 4 – 5 weeks. It will start at Vine Street (Phase 1) and move east to Walnut Street (Phase 6), in that order. During phase 4, 5, and 7, construction is broken down into an A and B phase allowing for a portion of the sidewalk to remain open at all times. Phase 7 is the main staging area during the project and will be the last phase to be complete. The park area, Phase 7, will be closed to pedestrians for the majority of the project. Building entrances and entrances into the retail stores and banks will remain accessible to the public.

What is up with the wood utility pole seen in this pic? Also one at the Main St. intersection. Unusual for downtown...

Here’s how much the December streetcar pause cost in time and money: EXCLUSIVE December’s pause in the streetcar project – while officials considered whether to cancel it – cost the city about $1 million, but it will not push back the date on which people will be able to ride it for the first time. The pause will cost the city $987,108, according to a draft copy of a presentation project leaders will present to the Cincinnati City Council’s transportation committee this afternoon. The delay in the $133 million project won’t ultimately mean moving back the start date for service. The streetcar is expected to be finished on Sept. 15, 2016. That's the same date as before the pause. Cont

Just noticed this place the other day... apparently they opened back in October. Same owners as Omalley's In The Alley. Weird that they appear to only be open two hours before & after all Bengals games. http://omalleyslockerroom.com