Cygnus

Blue Ash could rescind purchase of airport, rework deal with Cincinnati Business Courier by Kevin LeMaster, Editor and Publisher of Building Cincinnati The city of Blue Ash is considering a proposal by the city of Cincinnati to rescind a purchase and sales agreement for 130 acres of land at the Blue Ash Airport, which Cincinnati says it needs to free up money for its streetcar project. In late 2006, Blue Ash agreed to buy the property at Glendale-Milford and Plainfield roads from Cincinnati for $37.5 million, to be paid over 30 years, for construction of a signature “central” park. Cincinnati agreed to relocate airport operations onto an adjacent 98 acres, remediate the former airport site, and transfer it to Blue Ash by Aug. 31, 2012. The agreement also required Cincinnati to apply for a $10 million Federal Aviation Administration grant to perform that work. Cont

Mahogany's is now open.

COAST's blog is now using Reddit as their investigative reporting arm: "We have received further reports that Mr. Seelbach started drinking on Sunday at about 7 pm and was actually cut off at one establishment before making his way to Mainstay."

Historic Enquirer building will have two Hilton brand hotels Business Courier by Jon Newberry, Staff Reporter The proposed hotel to be developed in the former Enquirer building at 617 Vine St. in downtown Cincinnati will be a dual-brand facility featuring two Hilton limited-service hotels, according to the project’s developer. Parag Patel, chief finance and development officer for Charlotte, N.C.-based SREE Hotels LLC, said the Enquirer building project will feature two of three Hilton brands among Hampton, Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn. It will be the group’s first historic renovation and first hotel in the region, he said. As the Business Courier reported earlier, a tax abatement deal was approved by Cincinnati City Council’s budget and finance committee on Monday and goes before the full council on Wednesday. The 75 percent abatement equates to about $7 million over 12 years. Cont

On this topic, anyone going tomorrow? PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT MEETINGS - OASIS RAIL TRANSIT Wednesday, August 1, 2012 LeBlond Recreation Center 2335 Riverside Drive Cincinnati, OH 45202 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Q&A Session: 7 p.m.

No- It's been around for maybe a year

Correct... it will move west in phases. I've just not seen how far west.

Is it known how far west this will continue? I'm curious about parking in the area by Montgomery Inn. It's common here to see no parking available on the north side of the street. So much so that people regularly park in front of hydrants and in the bus stop zones. Move a little further west and you've got parking meters in front of Adams Place. And the speeding in this area, especially when it's two lanes in the morning, is ridiculous. Not sure how bikers do it...

This appears to be proceeding. On the evening of 07/16, a construction vehicle was out grinding up the double yellow line and white lane markers from the Delta Ave. intersection west to Pittsburg St. I was on that stretch again yesterday and there are a lot of temporary lines that would indicate a two lane road with a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side. There is a sign up indicating one lane of traffic in each direction begins August 7th. That very well could be. With the remains of the lines that were removed, temporary lane markers, and the markings for the future lanes, it's really hard to get a sense of what's to come.

The Enquirer's piece on today's vote: City moving money in place for streetcar

Banks developers to host info session on next bid package Business Courier by Kevin LeMaster, Editor and Publisher of Building Cincinnati The Banks Public Partnership is holding an information session for construction contractors interested in working on the project Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, located at 1740 Langdon Farm Road in Bond Hill. The partnership will provide a construction update, detail upcoming bid packages and discuss the process by which contractors can become certified as a disadvantaged business enterprise. Part two of the next bid package, Bid Package No. 12, will be out for bid later this fall. Continuing the infrastructure improvements, elements will include a John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge pedestrian connector, extension of the river walk along Mehring Way, and a pedestrian bridge at Broadway and East Pete Rose Way. Cont

Let's hope Coco pulls it together for the 4 game weekend series.

This appears to be proceeding. On the evening of 07/16, a construction vehicle was out grinding up the double yellow line and white lane markers from the Delta Ave. intersection west to Pittsburg St. I was on that stretch again yesterday and there are a lot of temporary lines that would indicate a two lane road with a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side.

Hearing ahead on streetcar bids Appeal seeks public disclosure A three-month legal battle over public access to Cincinnati streetcar bid documents could be resolved soon when an appeals court hears the case. The Ohio 1st District Court of Appeals has scheduled a Wednesday hearing in a trial triggered by The Enquirer’s April request to review the bids of companies seeking to build five sleek, European-style streetcars for the $110 million-plus line. After City Hall selected CAF USA to build the vehicles for the initial Downtown riverfront-to-Over-the-Rhine route, CAF and losing bidders sought in court to at least temporarily prevent release of the bid documents. The firms argue that the bids include trade secrets that, if disclosed, could place them at a competitive disadvantage in the future. Cont

There are a total of eight of these poles. Two on each street that borders Washington Park. Elm currently only has one installed, but the base for the second one is in place. It does look as if they are meant to hold banners like the ones already found on poles in the park. As for the top though?

Street has been reopened. They've moved on 12th into Pendleton. All that appears to have been done is asphalt sawing for a trench in the middle of the street. Water or gas line replacement.

Legal meter running on Blue Ash Airport sale Business Courier by Dan Monk The city of Cincinnati has racked up more than $200,000 in legal bills to challenge a Federal Aviation Administration ban against using Blue Ash Airport land sale proceeds to help fund the downtown streetcar. In 2006, Cincinnati sold 130 acres at the Pfeiffer Road airport, for almost $37.5 million, to the city of Blue Ash, which wants to build a park there. (Cincinnati bought it in the 1940s, thinking it might turn it into the Tri-State’s major airport.) That sale is a key piece of the city’s streetcar financing plan, which calls for the issuance of $64 million in bonds, ... Cont (Premium Article)

Some times to note for Saturday: Bunbury Festival: 12PM - 11PM Sawyer Point & Yeatman's Cove Reds vs. Cardinals: 4:05PM GABP World Choir Games: Awards 10AM USB Arena, Concert 2PM Music hall, Closing Ceremony 7PM USB Arena Parking rates at the Banks Garage and surface lots on/near the riverfront will be $20-$30. Another parking option would be Mt. Adams. Not normally difficult to find street parking there in the early afternoon. You can either walk the steps down to Riverside Drive and on to GABP (you'll be able to hear some music from the Bunbury Festival this way) or you can have a few drinks at Monk's Bar and they have a shuttle to GABP.

The did discuss it, but Willie didn't at all grill her. She was on a speaker phone so I'm sure a lawyer or two was in the room with her. Question on why Duke thought it was necessary to raise the average electric bill by more than $6 a month and the average natural gas bill by more than $8 for residential customers in southwest Ohio. Her response was the same as that has been in the papers, millions spent on upgrades to lines and hardware. Then went on to say energy bills have been lower the past several years. Several communities have a choice where to get their electric. We could start a drinking game for the number of times she said "we keep the lights on." And then she breezed over his question on the $44M CEO payout by saying she's just a midwest girl and doesn't get involved in things outside this area.

Before Chabot he had on Johnna Reeder to talk about Duke's request for a electric & gas rate increase. It was all a bunch of fluff, much like when she was on to discuss moving utilities for the streetcar. Oddly enough, Willie didn't ask one question about the ongoing negotiations with the city.

No mention of where it's going to be. I think one downtown would be successful... Buffalo Wild Wings opening 1st redesigned restaurant in Cincinnati Business Courier Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. unveiled a new logo Wednesday and said it is redesigning its restaurants. The first redesigned restaurant will open in Cincinnati in late 2012, the second will open in San Diego. Most of the new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants opening in 2013 and many remodels will feature the new design. There are 18 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in Greater Cincinnati. The new logo is not dramatically different. The colors are the same, and a winged buffalo is still the centerpiece. Cont

Hidden by a garage door on the lowest level, facing Main at corner of Mehring.

Bravo!

Lavomatic to Close for Remodel Wine Me Dine Me reports: This just crossed my email… “Lavomatic will close just temporarily. To ensure the restaurant remains open to World Choir Games guests, Lavomatic has timed its temporary closing to coincide with the closing of the World Choir Games. Beginning Sunday, July 15 – and for twelve days only — Lavomatic will close just long enough to undergo a total re-design. Expect an entirely new atmosphere: new floors, lighting and furniture. Even the bar is getting a make-over. Cont

Excellent Opinion piece by our own John Schneider. Excellent work, sir! :clap: Why we love living Downtown John Schneider and his wife, April, have lived Downtown for 33 years. When I’m asked, “What do you most like about living Downtown?” I’m kind of stumped. I’ve lived here so long, Downtown’s resurgence no longer seems remarkable. These days, it’s just home. But I can reduce it to one word: convenience. First things first: April and I were married in Arnold’s courtyard – across the street from our home of 33 years. The morning of our wedding, Jim Tarbell installed garlands of colored lights criss-crossing the courtyard. They’re still there. We can also walk across Main Street and get a pizza at Donato’s, a handy thing. Or venture further to a growing number of great restaurants; so many new ones we’ll probably never visit all of them. Cont