5 hours ago, taestell said:

Platform's tap room at 1200 Main will be having a soft opening this weekend, 4pm to Midnight on Saturday.

 

 

 

Why do you say "soft" opening? Isn't a "soft" opening usually reserved for friends/family/invitees, as opposed to the "grand" opening that welcomes all of the public? Don't mean to be pedantic... just curious. 

I usually see the phrase "soft opening" associated with a place being open to the general public but not heavily advertised, and running somewhat limited hours, before the "grand opening" which is more heavily advertised and usually when full hours begin.

 

With that being said, I just noticed that Platform is actually referring to this as the "grand opening" in their post.

On ‎1‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 7:35 PM, Chas Wiederhold said:

The Art Academy owns 1217-1225 Walnut Street. That's a 9,000 SF site. If they built as tall as the building they are remodeling, they could add somewhere around 54,000 SF. Their existing property might be around 120,000 SF. So, on their existing site they could accommodate ~174,000 SF. That's not insignificant. As a comparison, the entire DAA-Alms-Aronoff-Wolfson complex is 295,000 SF. 

As for housing the students, I feel like they could build a dormitory or lease out a building anywhere two blocks from the streetcar and justify it as student housing.

 

Do they also own the lot at the SE corner of Jackson & 13th?

 

15 hours ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

Do they also own the lot at the SE corner of Jackson & 13th?

 

 

They own a quarter circle at the corner where the art bike rack is, but the remainder of the lot is owned by "Jackson Street Interests LLC"

I took a walk through OTR yesterday afternoon (Sunday) and it was the first time I’ve seen this residential parking plan in action. I was a little shocked. There were open spots, sometimes several, on every block (even 14th Street across from the park.) Also it looked like only about 75% of the parked cars had the OTR parking permit sticker displayed in the windshield so it looks like there’s a long ways to go towards full compliance (I only saw one or two tickets on windshields.) 

 

There will be consequences from this policy, good or bad I can’t tell yet and also probably some effects that no one can conceive of right now and aren’t on anybody’s radar. I wonder if the number of passes distributed are anywhere near whatever projections they had.

 

I hope that it gives developers confidence to build without off street parking included in their projects.  But also, if was still a resident there I’d consider canceling my $100 per month spot in the garage and trying street parking which is not the intent  of the policy I’m sure. 

^yeah, I don't think they've started to enforce the parking stickers yet.  Haven't seen a single ticket.  

 

Also, I think they plan on installing meters on 12th and south side of Liberty, but neither has been done, so parking is still free there without a sticker.

51 minutes ago, thebillshark said:

But also, if was still a resident there I’d consider canceling my $100 per month spot in the garage and trying street parking which is not the intent  of the policy I’m sure. 

 

That's definitely an issue. 

I'm not sure a Sunday afternoon is the best time to judge this, especially Superbowl Sunday.  At night would be when the most amount of people are home.  

1 hour ago, Cincy513 said:

I'm not sure a Sunday afternoon is the best time to judge this, especially Superbowl Sunday.  At night would be when the most amount of people are home.  

 

I agree. Alot of my friends who live in otr were traveling to party at different bars or friends houses to watcht the big game.

They are ticketing now. I would be curious to know how many residential parking passes have been sold compared to how many spaces they have dedicated to the program. I also see empty spaces at various times of the day. It's probably too soon to start making changes, but if this continues to be the case, it might make sense to tweak the program to reduce the number of reserved spaces by converting some of them back to metered or maybe looking at what Columbus did with their Short North parking permit program, where non-residents can still park in those zones at certain times.

2 hours ago, thebillshark said:

But also, if was still a resident there I’d consider canceling my $100 per month spot in the garage and trying street parking which is not the intent  of the policy I’m sure. 

 

And right on cue, I just got an email informing me that the Ziegler Park rate is going up to $100/month starting in March.

1 hour ago, taestell said:

They are ticketing now. I would be curious to know how many residential parking passes have been sold compared to how many spaces they have dedicated to the program. I also see empty spaces at various times of the day. It's probably too soon to start making changes, but if this continues to be the case, it might make sense to tweak the program to reduce the number of reserved spaces by converting some of them back to metered or maybe looking at what Columbus did with their Short North parking permit program, where non-residents can still park in those zones at certain times.

At the most recent OTR Community Council meeting, somebody from the City said that ~425 (I forget the exact number) permits have been sold, with ~15% purchased by families who qualify for the low-income, subsidized rate. 

I wonder how many people have monthly garage passes AND street parking permits. The street parking permits are so cheap that it might be worth having for convenience’s sake for when you don’t want to drive all the way into the bowels of the garage to park 

^or to give a friend your garage parking space and you park on the street when they come to visit

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/02/07/restaurant-owners-say-new-otr-parking-permits-hurt.html?iana=hpmvp_cinci_news_headline

 

Owners of Taft Ale House and Salazar's say new parking restrictions have hurt business. Taft even threatened to move if business continues to dip.

 

That said in the winter business is always slower. Nature of the best. It's been crazy weather with the snow, polar vortex, or constant rain...So I would probably wait to see year over year results to see if the parking restrictions have indeed made an impact. 

Maybe it's a sign that the neighborhood had become too reliant on visitors in the first place. Especially if those visitors expected free street parking. If the economy of OTR is so fragile that businesses are measurably hurt when the city takes away some free on-street parking and asks visitors to pay a meter or park in a garage, that's a sign that we don't have the right mix of businesses in this neighborhood.

10 minutes ago, troeros said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/02/07/restaurant-owners-say-new-otr-parking-permits-hurt.html?iana=hpmvp_cinci_news_headline

 

Owners of Taft Ale House and Salazar's say new parking restrictions have hurt business. Taft even threatened to move if business continues to dip.

 

That said in the winter business is always slower. Nature of the best. It's been crazy weather with the snow, polar vortex, or constant rain...So I would probably wait to see year over year results to see if the parking restrictions have indeed made an impact. 

 

It is true though, that there seems to be a lot of open spaces during the day. Maybe we should consider selling daytime only passes that are good from, say, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. Anyone with a Hamilton County address could get one. It wouldn't solve the problem completely but might help. 

Looks like Cranley has offered something to these people to make a fuss in the press.  Didn't that guy who started Taft's inherit tens of millions?  Poor baby. 

1 minute ago, taestell said:

Maybe it's a sign that the neighborhood had become too reliant on visitors in the first place. If the economy of OTR is so fragile that businesses are measurably hurt when the city takes away some free on-street parking and asks visitors to pay a meter or park in a garage, that's not good.

 

I honestly doubt it's about the business aspect. I think they know that it's slower in the winter regardless....

 

This probably has to do with there employees. These Restaurant workers who aren't making that much as is, simply cannot afford paying 7-8$ for a parking garage on a consistent basis. That's the reality of the situation.

Yeah I find it very hard to believe they could prove the parking is causing them to lose money already.  It's the winter and we've gotten more January snow then we've had in years.  I seriously doubt that many people are deciding to not go out to eat in OTR, where you aren't getting very cheap dinners, because they now have to pay $5 to park.  

1 minute ago, troeros said:

This probably has to do with there employees. These Restaurant workers who aren't making that much as is, simply cannot afford paying 7-8$ for a parking garage on a consistent basis. That's the reality of the situation.

 

Take the bus.  I am amazed by the number of restaurant workers I know who cough up big money to take uber to and from work instead of waiting for the bus that goes right by their house. 

18 minutes ago, jmecklenborg said:

 

Take the bus.  I am amazed by the number of restaurant workers I know who cough up big money to take uber to and from work instead of waiting for the bus that goes right by their house. 

 

It's easy to say, but alot of these folks (I went to highschool with quite a few people who work in restaurants in otr) either live in the suburbs (Montgomery, Mason, Maderia). They don't live near bus lines or have never rode the bus in there life. 

Still, those are exactly the type of people who should NOT be parking on the street because they leave their cars for so long without any turnover. 

I genuinely don't understand why someone from Mason would drive all the way to OTR to work as a server or bartender when there are many other restaurant jobs available that are closer to home and have free parking. Are they doing it because they make more money working at OTR restaurants compared to a restaurant in Oakley or Loveland?

 

I also don't understand how the owners of OTR restaurants and bars didn't anticipate this a long time ago. It has been incredibly obvious for at least 7-8 years that OTR is going to continue to grow and street parking will continue to get harder. Even without the residential parking program, there is more and more competition for spaces with all of the visitors coming to the neighborhood. Did Taft's previously tell their employees to hope and pray they would find free street parking, or did they make an effort to tell their employees to find alternative modes of transportation? Taft's building was developed by 3CDC. Did they attempt to make a deal with 3CDC for discounted parking passes in the Washington Park garage for their employees?

 

These are "big city" problems and Cincinnati will continue to have more problems like this as our urban core transitions from a sleepy 9-5 office park into 24/7 live/work/play neighborhood. People need to stop complaining and start finding solutions.

9 minutes ago, taestell said:

I genuinely don't understand why someone from Mason would drive all the way to OTR to work as a server or bartender when there are many other restaurant jobs available that are close to home and have free parking. Are they doing it because they make more money working at OTR restaurants compared to a restaurant in Oakley or Loveland?

 

I also don't understand how the owners of OTR restaurants and bars didn't anticipate this a long time ago. It has been incredibly obvious for at least 7-8 years that OTR is going to continue to grow and street parking will continue to get harder. Even without the residential parking program, there is more and more competition for spaces with all of the visitors coming to the neighborhood. Did Taft's previously tell their employees to hope and pray they would find free street parking, or did they make an effort to tell their employees to find alternative modes of transportation? Taft's building was developed by 3CDC. Did they attempt to make a deal with 3CDC for discounted parking passes in the Washington Park garage for their employees?

 

These are "big city" problems and Cincinnati will continue to have more problems like this as our urban core transitions from a sleepy 9-5 office park into 24/7 live/work/play neighborhood. People need to stop complaining and start finding solutions.

If only there was some sort of pedestrian circulator that could transport these people from free parking north of Liberty Street to their restaurant workplaces...

^ Novel idea!  ?

1 hour ago, troeros said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/02/07/restaurant-owners-say-new-otr-parking-permits-hurt.html?iana=hpmvp_cinci_news_headline

 

Owners of Taft Ale House and Salazar's say new parking restrictions have hurt business. Taft even threatened to move if business continues to dip.

 

That said in the winter business is always slower. Nature of the best. It's been crazy weather with the snow, polar vortex, or constant rain...So I would probably wait to see year over year results to see if the parking restrictions have indeed made an impact. 

 

Oh, they're going to move out of their beautiful, expensively renovated church because their servers have to pay to park now? Ok, let's see it. People go to Tafts for the building and the location, certainly not for their mediocre food. Sounds like a hollow threat. 

29 minutes ago, edale said:

 

Oh, they're going to move out of their beautiful, expensively renovated church because their servers have to pay to park now? Ok, let's see it. People go to Tafts for the building and the location, certainly not for their mediocre food. Sounds like a hollow threat. 

 

@troerosmisquoted the ariticle, it was not Taft threatening to move. 

 

““The meters in that area do cost more than surrounding areas. We want to stay in the neighborhood. If it doesn’t come down, we won’t be able to because it has impacted our livelihood,” Salazar told the Cincinnati City Council on Wednesday night.”

3 minutes ago, thebillshark said:

 

@troerosmisquoted the ariticle, it was not Taft threatening to move. 

 

““The meters in that area do cost more than surrounding areas. We want to stay in the neighborhood. If it doesn’t come down, we won’t be able to because it has impacted our livelihood,” Salazar told the Cincinnati City Council on Wednesday night.”

 

I don't buy that either though. Salazar does way better in OTR than they would in any other neighborhood. They can move, but business will suffer. It would be penny wise and pound foolish, imo. 

12 minutes ago, DEPACincy said:

 

I don't buy that either though. Salazar does way better in OTR than they would in any other neighborhood. They can move, but business will suffer. It would be penny wise and pound foolish, imo. 

 

Plus why would he agree to create his 2nd otr restaurant, announced just weeks ago...

1 hour ago, taestell said:

I genuinely don't understand why someone from Mason would drive all the way to OTR to work as a server or bartender when there are many other restaurant jobs available that are close to home and have free parking. Are they doing it because they make more money working at OTR restaurants compared to a restaurant in Oakley or Loveland?

 

People often have bizarre reasons for working where they do.  I used to work at a Kroger video store in Bellevue, TN [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kroger/@36.0732118,-86.9201024,278m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x8864883fb2ae46df:0xa015b031fef26ba8!8m2!3d36.0735603!4d-86.9196485] and there was woman I worked with who drove from...Kentucky.  Yes, she drove over an hour each way to make $5.50/hr at a video store in a Kroger.  I seem to recall that she and her husband moved and she simply kept working at the same store, despite the huge drive.  This was in the 90s when gas cost 88 cents. 

 

 

21 hours ago, troeros said:

 

I honestly doubt it's about the business aspect. I think they know that it's slower in the winter regardless....

 

This probably has to do with there their employees. These Restaurant workers who aren't making that much as is, simply cannot afford paying 7-8$ for a parking garage on a consistent basis. That's the reality of the situation.

Somehow the wait staff at the 4th & Sycamore Skyline can afford the $2.75 an hour parking meters between 10:30 AM & 1:30 PM every weekday. 

Is the Market Square Phase II development done already? It's been too long since I've gone over to check out that block of Elm Street.

 

18 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

Social OTR, Findlay Market's newest restaurant, is opening. Here's a look inside

 

 

Findlay Market's newest restaurant aims to promote a shared experience among its diners but also has the dual goal of training up a new crop of cooks to fill the critical shortage in Cincinnati's restaurant industry.

 

Social OTR opens to the public on Feb. 7 at 1819 Elm St. in Over-the-Rhine, just up the street from the historic Findlay Market. Flip through the photos above for a look inside.

 

"Our small plates menu I call American tapas: it's a melting pot, just like the rest of the country," general manager Anthony Berin told me. "If you bring them together properly, it's clear, its concise, it's not confusing and it makes up a well-rounded menu."

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/02/07/social-otr-findlay-markets-newest-restaurant-is.html

^Mostly finished, but not fully occupied yet.

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/02/08/otr-s-strietmann-center-adds-tenants-existing.html?iana=hpmvp_cinci_news_headline

 

Even more high paid office workers coming to OTR!

 

Parker Williams is opening there 2nd US Location, Everything But the House is moving there HQ, and Saatchi & Saatchi X is already expanding there office space! This is all in the Streitmann building btw.

 

 

Edited February 8, 20196 yr by troeros

On 1/15/2019 at 10:21 PM, mcmicken said:

 

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2019/02/08/sundry-vice-co-founder-opening-retro-style-bar-in.html

 

The recently rennovated stafford building done by 3cdc is gaining a new tenant...it's a new bar from the co-owner of sundry and vice.

 

I literally counted, theres about give and take about 40-45 bars in South of liberty alone. I'm also not taking into account restaurants that function as both. Im talking 40 plus bars, in such a packed dense distance.

 

I'm amazed how the majority of these bars are successful, even when the majority of there business is dead on weekdays and solely rely on weekends to make there bulk money.

 

I also imagine otr commercial lease rates are still somewhat affordable I guess which helps. 

OTR Community Housing starting a campaign to raise funds to expand there current center on 14th St as well as new adjacent infill building

 

Seen in this Facebook post.

 

https://www.facebook.com/272727967861/posts/10156470866537862/

 

 

5 hours ago, troeros said:

OTR Community Housing starting a campaign to raise funds to expand there current center on 14th St as well as new adjacent infill building

 

Seen in this Facebook post.

 

https://www.facebook.com/272727967861/posts/10156470866537862/

 

 

 

^ and ^^:   "Their", not "there."  I don't mean to be the grammar police, but the repeated misuse is driving me crazy, lol.

Edited February 12, 20196 yr by jeremyck01

Surprised this wasn't posted by business courier, but it appears Google has leased a space in OTR

 

https://m.facebook.com/549930772/posts/10156151649255773?sfns=mo

6 hours ago, troeros said:

Surprised this wasn't posted by business courier, but it appears Google has leased a space in OTR

 

https://m.facebook.com/549930772/posts/10156151649255773?sfns=mo

 

Whaaat!? As in actual Google, not a warehouse for servers? Interesting. Could this be the strike on the matchbox that lights up Cincinnati's tech scene? Cincinnati's built environment is truly a haven for tech companies, small business, and start-up/new work offices. Those kind of employers and their employees LOVE old warehouse, factories, and open-space buildings. 

I doubt that Google is doing any software development in that office. It's probably staff working on things like ad sales.

On 1/10/2019 at 9:58 AM, Jimmy Skinner said:

Does anyone know how much the proposed tax increase will be for property owners in OTR for the SID that 3CDC is proposing?  Also, what are the proposed boundaries?

 

CityBeat has more information on the proposed SID. The boundaries would be Central Parkway on the south and west, Liberty Street on the north, and Broadway Street on the east. So that's a little bit odd because it would cover more than half of Pendleton, but less than half of OTR, and we're still calling it the "OTR SID".

 

Also, it is technically not 3CDC that is leading the effort, but "a volunteer working group made up of representatives from Model Group, Neyer Construction, Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, Urban Sites, Mortar, the Over-the-Rhine Chamber, 4EG, Over-the-Rhine Community Council and Findlay Market".

 

The tax that a property owner would pay for the SID is "$2.03 per linear front foot a property occupies plus $1.20 per $1,000 of auditor-assessed value". I have no idea how the frontage is calculated for multi-story buildings. For example, my condo has 35 feet of frontage onto Main Street but it's a three story building with a total of 4 units sharing that frontage. So would I pay for 35 feet or 1/3 of that 35 feet?

3CDC and the OTR Chamber currently spend "about $250,000 a year to pay for litter and graffiti removal, streetscape improvements, snow shoveling, safety initiatives and other services, some provided by 13 paid street ambassadors" but the proposed SID would raise about $650,000 a year. I would be curious to see where the additional money would go. If some of the extra money could go towards streetscape improvements like sidewalk bump-outs and utility burial, I would 100% support this.

^Travis, my guess is you would pay 9.3% of the 35 feet. 

12 minutes ago, taestell said:

3CDC and the OTR Chamber currently spend "about $250,000 a year to pay for litter and graffiti removal, streetscape improvements, snow shoveling, safety initiatives and other services, some provided by 13 paid street ambassadors" but the proposed SID would raise about $650,000 a year. I would be curious to see where the additional money would go. If some of the extra money could go towards streetscape improvements like sidewalk bump-outs and utility burial, I would 100% support this.

 

I seriously doubt the extra money would go toward capital projects.  $400k would evaporate quickly on any project and other parts of the neighborhood would be unhappy if money was spent on improvements nowhere near them.

^^ My expectation would be that the condo board would decide how to carve up the $71.05 (=35ft*$2.03) among members.

Edited February 13, 20196 yr by Robuu

21 minutes ago, taestell said:

CityBeat has more information on the proposed SID. The boundaries would be Central Parkway on the south and west, Liberty Street on the north, and Broadway Street on the east. So that's a little bit odd because it would cover more than half of Pendleton, but less than half of OTR, and we're still calling it the "OTR SID".

 

It's interesting/surprising that Findlay Market is involved in this, yet the (initial) SID wouldn't even include Findlay Market. Frankly, I think the area that would benefit most from the SID is north of Liberty, to help with litter clean up and making the area safer for continuing to fill empty buildings. The article says " The group says it would eventually like to consider expanding the district throughout OTR."... but it doesn't explain the rationale for starting with a smaller area. 

You need 60% of the street frontage to agree to pass the SID, so the boundaries were probably chosen to maximize the likelihood of passing. The article says 35 percent of the frontage is owned by 3CDC, CPS, or the City of Cincinnati, all of whom would probably vote in favor. Urban Sites and Model Group also own a good percentage. What's sad is that the owners of the massive parking lots in Pendleton will have a huge say in whether or not this district gets created. The two lots owned by the Levine family have 700 feet of street frontage so their vote will count for 60x as much as my vote.

16 minutes ago, taestell said:

You need 60% of the street frontage to agree to pass the SID, so the boundaries were probably chosen to maximize the likelihood of passing. The article says 35 percent of the frontage is owned by 3CDC, CPS, or the City of Cincinnati, all of whom would probably vote in favor. Urban Sites and Model Group also own a good percentage. 

That makes sense

48 minutes ago, taestell said:

3CDC and the OTR Chamber currently spend "about $250,000 a year to pay for litter and graffiti removal, streetscape improvements, snow shoveling, safety initiatives and other services, some provided by 13 paid street ambassadors" but the proposed SID would raise about $650,000 a year. I would be curious to see where the additional money would go. If some of the extra money could go towards streetscape improvements like sidewalk bump-outs and utility burial, I would 100% support this.

The $250,000 is currently spent in a smaller area, mainly around Vine Street and Washington Park.  They will need the $650,000 to provide these additional services on all the streets in the new proposal.