Cygnus

Sorry, Kroger's 50% stake in the joint venture with dunnhumby isn't enough to end any speculation on the retail portion of this project. DunnhumbyUSA is getting $12M in city incentives and $13M in tax credits from the state. I can't see the city also agreeing to a stipulation on what retailers can be approached for the site. While they will own their headquarters building, the city would own the parking garage, 3CDC the retail space, and the to-be-named residential developer would own, lease, and manage the apartment tower.

Council members concerned about project near UC Some Cincinnati Council Members have serious problems with the subcontractors working on a major economic development project near the University of Cincinnati campus. Cecil Thomas and Wendell Young visited the USquare at the Loop construction site last week and talked to some of the workers. The council members alleged some of the subcontractors are not paying workers the state mandated prevailing wage and the employees are not paying city income taxes. Cont

Paycor finalizing new HQ in Norwood Norwood council to vote on deal for four-story Linden Pointe site Business Courier by Jon Newberry, Staff Reporter Norwood City Council is expected to vote by the end of the month on a proposed incentive package for a new headquarters facility for Paycor Inc. at Linden Pointe on the Lateral office park. Site plans already approved by the city’s planning commission and council call for a four-story, 154,000-square-foot office building on a 12-acre parcel next to the recently completed headquarters for The Urology Group. The office park is now owned by developer Al Neyer Inc. and is located along the Norwood Lateral. The plans do not identify Paycor as the occupant of the proposed building. But Bob Coughlin, ... Cont (Premium Article)

What's with the surprise? People hear things, they come to UO and discuss.

Polly Campbell's review of Mahogany's is out. Link and discussion over on the Cincinnati: Restaurant News & Info thread.

Polly Campbell gives it 2 stars out of 4. Based on my experiences, her review is spot on. I'm hopeful it's just growing pains and things continue to improve. Mahogany's cuisine lacks creative soul Locally owned Banks restaurant needs more sophisticated southern dishes on its menu Mahogany’s, the new soul food restaurant on The Banks, is one of just a couple in the riverfront development that are locally owned. That gives some welcome balance to the lineup of chain restaurants. It’s a beautiful new place, with its rich earth-color walls, hanging lamps of twisted wood and a red walkway that curves past the wine locker to the restrooms. I love the sophisticated gold wallpaper in the women’s room, the gold chairs, the blue back-lit bar. It’s a backdrop fit for drinking brandy or flirting or making business decisions. This new location is much higher profile than the original Mahogany’s in Hamilton, and it’s billed as “upscale Southern cuisine.” While the atmosphere fits that description, the food, sorry to say, just doesn’t. Cont

Detroit's 4.2 million in incentives resulted in a 20,000 square foot store. From what I've read, the 38,000 sq ft store under construction in downtown Minneapolis did not receive any incentives from the city. Whole Foods will be the ground-floor retail anchor of 222 Hennepin, a $70M, 580,000 sq ft complex with 286 luxury apartments. Not sure how many parking spaces in total it'll have, but 145 spaces will be reserved for grocer.

Conversation was strictly on groceries. Kroger was mentioned when the original news of this development broke. Evidently they wanted too much incentives and the city declined. Ditto. While I trust the parties involved, who knows how many cocktails they had. :lol: I'll believe when I see an official announcement.

Not usually one to fuel the rumor mill, but my source is credible. City/3CDC said to be finalizing deal with Whole Foods.

Heard on the radio this morning that the city is looking to improve pedestrian movement in and around The Banks. Today they'll host contractors on walking tour and have $5M to spend on a project. Not able to find any other details atm.

Was that a Texas Roadhouse maybe? It was in an odd location by itself and never seemed to have anyone in it. I think I went there once when I lived in Oakley. It was in an odd location all by itself. It's funny that a couple dozen of the same caliber chain places will be going in across the street now. It was originally a Ponderosa Steakhouse and then a Roadhouse Grill.

Dusty has signed for two more. http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/sports/baseball/reds/dusty-baker-signs-2-year-contract-extension-with-reds

Nice shots, but I consider any album of Rochester, MN without a picture of the Ear of Corn Water Tower to be incomplete.

Some shots from the Yard House construction site:

I'm guessing it will be a planting strip as well. The south side is, albeit only 5-6 spots from what I can tell. Funny that you mention highway as the posted speed limit along this stretch is 25 MPH. They had a SMART (Speed Monitoring Awareness Radar Trailer) on that stretch a couple weeks ago. Not that it did any good. I've noticed several crosswalk cutouts on the south side. Besides the two at the stop lights at Eggleston & Reading and 12th & Reading, there are two at Pendleton St. and another near Leapfrog Interactive. Unless there is a new stop light installed or in-pavement flashers installed, I can't see anyone trying to cross at these three.

Pic from yesterday:

Tin Roof opened today.

That would be a competent owner.

Nice Jake! A recent flight home allowed me to snap these using my iPhone:

Listened to this via podcast today and Finney stated that COAST would be filing a lawsuit next week over the Blue Ash airport sale. Didn't the all the transactions between Cincinnati and Blue Ash to undo/redo the sale occur on Wednesday the 29th?

WLW back on the rampage. Darryl Parks in for Scott Sloan: Calling City Hall and streetcar supporters thugs for going after Duke. Did say they agreed to the 3' but still insisting it'll cost $20M according to sources. Dan Carrol in for Bill Cunningham: Chris Finney on at 1:06PM.

People need to be careful watching out for bikers Andrew Gast was out on his daily bike ride when he was hit and killed early Tuesday, his family said today. The 27-year-old was an investment management and trust asset manager at Fifth Third Bank’s headquarters downtown and just moved to a Main Street apartment from West Chester Township in March to be closer to his job and to enjoy urban life. “He loved to bicycle,” said his father, Richard Gast, 57, of North Ridgeville, which is west of Cleveland. “He walked to work and loved to bike ride. He was very energetic. He could have lived outside the city but he enjoyed the downtown lifestyle.” Cont

Duke to city: OK operating deal, then we'll talk costs Business Courier Cincinnati officials broke ground on the streetcar project in February. Duke Energy Corp. wants the city of Cincinnati to approve a streetcar operating agreement before deciding who will pay to relocate the utility’s underground infrastructure to make way for the $110 million streetcar project. Such an agreement would include a set of “unbreakable rules” that govern when the system could be stopped for maintenance and emergency repairs, said Blair Schroeder, a spokesman for Duke Energy. The agreement also is needed to determine how far the company’s infrastructure must be moved from the streetcar line, he said. Cont

City OKs Anna Louise zoning application Western & Southern will continue efforts to acquire inn DOWNTOWN — In its ongoing battle against insurance giant Western & Southern Financial Group, the Anna Louise Inn has scored another victory. The city’s Historic Conservation Board on Monday granted a conditional use zoning application for Cincinnati Union Bethel, the nonprofit that operates Anna Louise. Union Bethel needs the designation to renovate the inn into 85 efficiency apartments and to not exceed a limit of 25 women in its Off the Streets recovery program for prostitutes. “This ruling puts to rest whether we are zoned properly or not, and we may now proceed with our planned renovations,” said Stephen MacConnell, Union Bethel’s president and chief executive. Cont

Bicyclist struck, killed in East End EAST END — A bicyclist who was struck and critically injured at Kellogg and Wilmer avenues near Lunken Airport died this morning at University Hospital, according to Cincinnati police. The man suffered fatal head injuries when he was hit at about 6:15 a.m., reports state. Police are having difficulty identifying the bicyclist. He was not carrying identification, reports state. Wilmer Avenue at Lunken Park Drive has been shut down until further notice. There is a bike path in the area where the crash occurred, but police have not said yet today where the bicyclist was when he was struck. Cont