Survey finds locals feel really good about downtown, Over-the-Rhine

Business Courier by Lucy May, Senior Staff Reporter

Date: Monday, November 12, 2012, 9:39am EST - Last Modified: Monday, November 12, 2012, 9:52am EST

 

Local residents are feeling better than ever about downtown Cincinnati, according to a recent survey by booster group Downtown Cincinnati Inc., with 90 percent of those polled saying their overall impression of downtown was either extremely or somewhat positive.

 

Those are the best results DCI has ever received for its Downtown Perceptions Survey, said Mindy Rosen, senior vice president of communications and marketing at DCI. The downtown advocacy and marketing group has been conducting the survey on and off for the past 10 years, she said. DCI conducts the survey as part of its commitment to track data that reflects downtown’s economic, business and residential development. The group uses the results to inform its own work plan and performance, too.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/11/12/survey-finds-locals-feel-real-good.html

FirstGroup eyes downtown Cincinnati HQ move

Business Courier by Jon Newberry, Staff Reporter

Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 8:56am EST - Last Modified: Tuesday, November 20, 2012, 9:09am EST

 

 

FirstGroup America, which got a million-dollar tax incentive deal from the city when it moved into the Center at 600 Vine downtown in 2008, is back in the market for office space.

 

David Farrar, who joined the company as director of real estate in the spring, said FirstGroup is looking around again.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/11/20/firstgroup-eyes-downtown-cincinnati-hq.html

Engineering firm to move HQ to downtown Cincinnati

Business Courier by Jon Newberry, Staff Reporter

Date: Monday, December 17, 2012, 8:34am EST - Last Modified: Monday, December 17, 2012, 8:43am EST

 

 

Jedson Engineering has purchased the Centennial Plaza I office building and plans to relocate its headquarters and bring 100 or more new jobs to downtown Cincinnati.

 

Jedson is currently based in Park 50 in Clermont County outside Milford. It provides engineering, procurement, construction management services to customers in paper, chemical, food and beverage, and other industries.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/12/17/engineering-firm-to-move-hq-to.html

^ Using tax incentives to poach from within the region...

City's core home for more than pioneers

Families join influx of residents who are embracing urban living

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20121216/BIZ/312160066/City-s-core-home-more-than-pioneers

 

Don't miss this gallery of the home at W 14th and Pleasant: LINK

^ Using tax incentives to poach from within the region...

Yep, but at least this company is coming into downtown instead of out of it, and with 100+ decent jobs that will benefit this western sector of the CBD.  (However, your previous comment was a valid one and didn't go unnoticed.)

Downtown Cincinnati's Residence Inn wins 2 national awards

Lisa Benson

Managing Editor- Business Courier

 

 

Downtown Cincinnati's Residence Inn received two prestigious awards, both from its own brand and from the national travel website TripAdvisor.com.

 

The Residence Inn Cincinnati Downtown at the Phelps was named the No. 1 hotel in the Residence Inn brand for guest satisfaction, scoring the highest of 621 Residence Inns in the U.S. The survey is done by its parent Marriott International.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/01/30/downtown-cincinnatis-residence-inn.html

Neyer Properties buys Holiday Office Park

Jon Newberry

Staff Reporter- Business Courier

 

 

Neyer Properties acquired the Holiday Office Park in Queensgate and plans to redevelop the 10-acre, three-building complex.

 

The office park’s main tenant currently is Paycor Inc., which is building a new headquarters and will be moving to Norwood in 2014.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/01/30/neyer-properties-buys-holiday-office.html

Both of the Centennial Plaza buildings were bought at auction in December. Jedson Engineering is moving their HQ to Centennial Plaza 1 from Milford.

They picked that building up for next to nothing.

There was a conversation going on about income taxes that I moved here: Cincinnati: Tax Discussion.

ESPN just did a short courtside interview with Western-Southern CEO John Barrett about the tennis tournament, and he threw in a huge compliment to downtown saying how great and alive it is with all the new investment going on. McEnroe then went on to say how great the tennis center is.  Nice props for Cincy!

Cincinnati fights its way back into hearts of hip and trendy (photo gallery)

 

Published: Saturday, June 02, 2012, 9:00 AM

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer By Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2012/06/two_days_in_the_city_cincinnat.html

^Wow!  I wish the people writing for the Enquirer thought as highly of Cincinnati as she does.

Here is an article by the Urbanophile

 

Cincinnati, like most older cities, has experienced a long period of population and economic decline, especially relative to its overall region (i.e., sprawl). Looking at recent trends in the city, Ive been prompted to ask whether or not it has hit an inflection point where decline has been halted and a new growth cycle of sorts is underway...

 

...Last time I was there I just generally got the feeling that the wind was back in the citys sails. Time will tell if this is the start of a real trend or whether it is just a bump created by unsustainable public investment and a change in national trends. Given the high quality bones of the city, Cincinnati is one of the place Id be watching to see if post-industrial cities can really pull off a turnaround.

Pure Romance picks downtown Cincinnati HQ site: EXCLUSIVE

Chris Wetterich Staff reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

   

 

Citing downtown and Over-the-Rhine’s revitalization, Pure Romance Inc. expects to move its headquarters into Delta Air Lines' reservations center at 655 Plum St., said CEO Chris Cicchinelli in an interview.

 

“We’ve found a location that we like,” Cicchinelli said. “We’re excited about what’s happening with all of the movement at The Banks and OTR.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/09/06/pure-romance-picks-downtown-cincinnati.html

^ So it's like Avon for sex toys, lube, etc.?

It's more like Tupperware parties, where one lady has her friends come over and invites a PR sales person.  It turns out that if you make them feel comfortable, middle-aged suburban women will totally buy all sorts of sex toys.

I infiltrated one once because I had to drop something off at some girl's place in college and nobody told me it was happening. And one time I went to an open mic in Milford where one was going on upstairs. I don't think I played at that one or else I probably would have said "hey dildo chicks" into the PA.

^Sing your songs in German, then suddenly switch to "conversational english":

Haha, that's the kinda song where if you covered it the bar owner or open mic host would be like, "You know, that song was kind of blunt and weird, especially the part with the flanger." Then you'd tell him it was a Frank Zappa song and he'd be like "Oh, OK that's cool then."

 

This is a great letter from David Falk, owner of Boca Restaurant Group regarding Cincinnati...

 

Love Letters: Cincinnati

Posted: 10/23/2013 7:40 am

 

Chef David Falk, who owns and operates three restaurants as part of his Boca Restaurant Group, has lived and honed his craft at restaurants in Chicago, Rome and Florence. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Falk moved home to Cincinnati in September 2001 and opened Boca, his first restaurant. Falk lives perched above downtown in the historic Prospect Hill neighborhood.

 

 

Italianate: an architectural style familiar to Cincinnatians, to me, this word means history, it means culture and the effect of row after row of rooftops overlooking the city I have called my home for so many years now. In the mid 19th century, you were the third largest city in America teeming with breweries, meat packing plants, and soap making facilities, yarn-spinners, potters, drunks, millionaires, future presidents, and every kind of immigrant imaginable. This is the kind of city I wanted to find when I left for New York, Chicago and later Rome. I wanted to be among the romantics, the artists, the students of the good life. I spent ten years searching for something I found almost immediately upon returning. Sometimes moving forward requires going back.

 

I am a chef. I am a restaurateur. It's what I do and I love doing it. I believe the same things that make a great restaurant make a great city: the connection between a vision and the people that carry it out, the structures that seem to rise from the mind to the sky and the progress of those who create them. Cincinnati, you are a city of creators. Restaurants, like cities, would not exist without the tireless ones, the ones that spend every ounce of energy toiling to make them great because they believe in the vision of visionaries.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/love-letters/love-letters-cincinnati_b_4017680.html

Moved the Metrobot discussion here: Cincinnati: Return of the Metrobot

Cincinnati receives rave review in National Geographic

A story from the April 2014 issue of National Geographic raves about the clash of history and excitement of change that’s on the rise in Cincinnati.

Erin Caproni Digital Producer- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

From the historic breweries to the beauty of Smale Riverfront Park and back to the revitalized Over-the-Rhine, a National Geographic traveler was blown away by Cincinnati during his visit, and now he’s telling the world about it.

 

A story from the April 2014 issue of the publication tells about the clash of history and excitement of change that’s on the rise in Cincinnati. Writer Andrew Nelson vividly described the sights and sounds of the Queen City and made a case for travelers to give it a try.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2014/02/cincinnati-receives-rave-review-in.html

Cincinnati receives rave review in National Geographic

A story from the April 2014 issue of National Geographic raves about the clash of history and excitement of change thats on the rise in Cincinnati.

Erin Caproni Digital Producer- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

From the historic breweries to the beauty of Smale Riverfront Park and back to the revitalized Over-the-Rhine, a National Geographic traveler was blown away by Cincinnati during his visit, and now hes telling the world about it.

 

A story from the April 2014 issue of the publication tells about the clash of history and excitement of change thats on the rise in Cincinnati. Writer Andrew Nelson vividly described the sights and sounds of the Queen City and made a case for travelers to give it a try.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2014/02/cincinnati-receives-rave-review-in.html

 

I spent most of an afternoon with this reporter.  We went around to various bad parts of town like the West End and we cruised McMicken St.  He was from New Orleans so he wasn't spooked.  Really nice and enthusiastic guy. 

 

Jake - was this the author's first visit to Cincinnati?

 

 

I can't remember, but definitely his first visit in at least 15-20 years.  He was about 50 years old.  He told me he was going to come up and visit a second time before he finished the article but I don't know if he did or not. 

 

He was baffled by the lack of redevelopment of the 19th century homes that remain in dilapidated condition in the West End.  He asked me how much they were selling for and when I told him "that one over there is probably $40,000" he didn't believe me.  The realtor sign had one of those things you can scan with your phone and sure enough the listing was almost dead-on at $40,000.  I told him he was the 999th writer to visit Cincinnati since the 1970s who walked away with the exact same impressions. 

I can't remember, but definitely his first visit in at least 15-20 years.  He was about 50 years old.  He told me he was going to come up and visit a second time before he finished the article but I don't know if he did or not. 

 

He was baffled by the lack of redevelopment of the 19th century homes that remain in dilapidated condition in the West End.  He asked me how much they were selling for and when I told him "that one over there is probably $40,000" he didn't believe me.  The realtor sign had one of those things you can scan with your phone and sure enough the listing was almost dead-on at $40,000.  I told him he was the 999th writer to visit Cincinnati since the 1970s who walked away with the exact same impressions. 

some of those homes in bad shape might lag in redevelopment due to the pretty large city west development. That is a sizable development.

And now with all of the OTR options there is competition. I think the success in OTR has kept pricing in check in Mt. Adams. Anyway good job John.

Did the writer find you from your website?

I'm telling you, the West End is in a prime spot if redevelopment ever gets going there.  Amazing housing stock.  It's a shame that it's probably being lost as we speak. 

I'm telling you, the West End is in a prime spot if redevelopment ever gets going there.  Amazing housing stock.  It's a shame that it's probably being lost as we speak. 

 

I've thought more than once about buying a $5,000 empty lot somewhere over there in case it ever does get hot.  The property tax on something valued under $10,000 is negligible. 

 

 

If I had the money to do that kind of thing, I definitely would. 

The trouble with the West End in my opinion, at least nearer to Central Parkway and north of Liberty, is the marginal industrial uses that pepper the neighborhood.  I have no objection to the mixture of uses, but the problem here is that there's a number of newer (i.e. post-war) concrete block boxes and scruffy lots with chain-link fences.  The preponderance of ugly buildings, loading docks, unkempt storage yards, and tractor trailer storage makes it more difficult to try to build or redevelop residential uses.  It's by no means impossible, but OTR is low-hanging fruit in comparison.  West of Linn Street the building stock is more intact and actually quite lovely, but noise from proximity to I-75 becomes a problem.  Again, not insurmountable, but a tough sell when much of OTR is still ripe for redevelopment without those problems to deal with. 

The trouble with the West End in my opinion, at least nearer to Central Parkway and north of Liberty, is the marginal industrial uses that pepper the neighborhood.  I have no objection to the mixture of uses, but the problem here is that there's a number of newer (i.e. post-war) concrete block boxes and scruffy lots with chain-link fences.  The preponderance of ugly buildings, loading docks, unkempt storage yards, and tractor trailer storage makes it more difficult to try to build or redevelop residential uses.  It's by no means impossible, but OTR is low-hanging fruit in comparison.  West of Linn Street the building stock is more intact and actually quite lovely, but noise from proximity to I-75 becomes a problem.  Again, not insurmountable, but a tough sell when much of OTR is still ripe for redevelopment without those problems to deal with. 

 

If you want to go over there and start building single family homes there's nothing stopping you.  The problem is that a new home hasn't been built in that area in about 120 years so it would be very difficult to sell the first one but not the 20th one if you've already sold 19.  Someone with the money to float construction of 20 homes knows there are a lot easier ways to make money with that money. 

 

^ Right but even if you built 20 homes, unless you do it in a tight-knit cluster and luck out with your lot selection (certainly possible, just difficult) then many if not most of those houses are going to be facing an auto parts lot, some gravel parking lot, or other unsightly use.  It's easy to infill when the built environment is mostly intact, or there's an understandable rhythm in place.  Even different industrial-type buildings aren't a problem so much when they have windows that aren't bricked up and the building addresses the street in a similar manner to the houses. 

 

The problem is when you have stuff like this on the other side of the street or next to your property:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.118165,-84.524854,3a,75y,179.78h,72.17t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sC7a0z6wMERQDAEWoya76CA!2e0

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.114722,-84.52502,3a,75y,2.89h,76.8t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6vtLZ9A3yLNHL3bWglbjwg!2e0

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.11699,-84.525125,3a,75y,217.58h,82.88t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sNjiBco0JUN6c8RF1avg9pQ!2e0

 

Again, it's not insurmountable in the long run, but there's a chicken and egg problem.  It's hard to be a pioneer when you'll be living in what is basically a low-value industrial wasteland.  On the other hand, if nobody pioneers that area, then those low-value uses will persist. 

But there are plenty of low-value industrial wastelands that have long attracted hipsters/yuppies.  Think LIC or Greenspoint in New York; the emergence of Franklinton in Columbus or the area immediately east of downtown Cleveland; Los Angeles' "Arts District" (which is far more hidious than anything in the West End); Fort Worth's Montgomery Ward area; or more bluntly, most southern cities' up-and-coming yuppie areas that are filled with former factories, endless parking lots, and a Bojangles drive-thru.  I don't think it's chicken-and-the-egg as that has long past; I think it's about who wants to invest first.

But there are plenty of low-value industrial wastelands that have long attracted hipsters/yuppies.  Think LIC or Greenspoint in New York; the emergence of Franklinton in Columbus or the area immediately east of downtown Cleveland; Los Angeles' "Arts District" (which is far more hidious than anything in the West End); Fort Worth's Montgomery Ward area; or more bluntly, most southern cities' up-and-coming yuppie areas that are filled with former factories, endless parking lots, and a Bojangles drive-thru.  I don't think it's chicken-and-the-egg as that has long past; I think it's about who wants to invest first.

 

I agree, but I think Camp Washington is poised to benefit from this before the West End. Especially when you consider the West End is likely to redevelop from OTR overflow, versus Camp Washington likely to redevelop from Northside overflow. Northside hipsters are more likely to embrace the aesthetic than OTR yupsters. Additionally, I think CW doesn't suffer from the levels of crime the West End does, and (while WE does have a lot of vacant lots) you can get further in CW before worrying about displacement of lower income residents.

^ I agree about Camp Washington.  While it's not without its problems, it at least has some cool enough old industrial buildings that can be repurposed, and actually some pretty cute and surprisingly quiet residential streets.  OTR has a handful of nice old brewery buildings as well that can be reused for just about anything.  The West End seems to be saddled with mostly newer industrial crap that's not so great for retrofitting.  The exceptions are a handful of buildings near I-75 where the housing stock is more intact too, and the two great old school buildings. 

Tech company moves from suburbs to Over-the-Rhine

Chris Wetterich Staff reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

Neo.com is moving from Sharonville to the Hanke Building in Over-the-Rhine, a move the building’s owner hailed as another example of Cincinnati’s reurbanization.

 

Neo.com is an international technology company focused on customized computer programming and development and user-interface design. It has offices in San Francisco, New York, Columbus, Edinburgh, Singapore and Uruguay.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/04/14/tech-company-moves-from-suburbs-to-over-the-rhine.html

While the article didn't mention the number of jobs, their website shows 10 employees in the Cincinnati office.

 

http://www.neo.com/offices/cincinnati

Website coming to help workers, residents navigate downtown construction

Chris Wetterich Staff reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

With seemingly every part of downtown Cincinnati under construction, the city will launch a new website soon to help guide people through it all.

 

RoadmapCincy.com is not live yet, but will be in the next week or so.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/04/17/website-coming-to-help-workers-residents-navigate.html

^Is it just me, or does the hassle of road construction get blown way out of proportion? It honestly isn't that bad...

i would agree... People get so mad if it takes an additional 3 minutes to get on the highway than it would normally.  DunnHumby and the hotel on 4th decrease traffic by one lane, which would likely be taken up by parked cars anyway... so really its a net 0.  Just something to complain about.

 

And traffic congestion is Cranleys "number 1 priority" right now so at least we have that going for us.

 

For developments sake, lets hope these construction "problems" continue for years to come..

I don't normally drive based on my home/office proximity, but yesterday I had to leave the basin for an appointment mid-day. When I returned, I foolishly hopped on to Walnut street and proceeded to sit for about 20 minutes. I think an app would be pretty helpful, since most of the streets are fine.

^Walnut is the worst with this construction.  Not only does seemingly every bus in the city converge on Walnut, it's also a major feeder to 71, and goes right by the Aronoff (always a cluster**** around show time), 21C (which removed a lane for their drop-off/pick up area), and later the ballpark.  It's a disaster if there's an event going on at the CAC as well.

City orders removal of Carew's corroded flagpole

CIN 7:40 p.m. EDT April 25, 2014

 

 

Two city building inspectors visited the Carew Tower's observation deck Friday morning.

 

They weren't sightseeing.

 

They went to the 49th floor of the National Historic Landmark to inspect the tower's original 83-year-old flagpole.

 

The Enquirer's new Need to Know feature on April 20 showed the pole's poor condition.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/your-watchdog/2014/04/25/city-orders-removal-carews-corroded-flagpole/8174559/

EXCLUSIVE: PwC to relocate downtown Cincinnati operations

Tom Demeropolis Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, one of the largest accounting firms in Greater Cincinnati, is moving its more than 200 employees to PNC Center in the heart of the central business district from the Sawyer Point Building along Pete Rose Way.

 

PwC signed a nearly 11-year lease for more than 29,400 square feet of space in PNC Center. PwC is taking the entire 23rd floor and three quarters of the 24th floor, space formerly leased by Frost Brown Todd. The accounting firm will be the second-largest tenant in the building, behind namesake PNC.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/05/05/exclusive-pwc-to-relocate-downtown-cincinnati.html

 

Landscape architects trade West Chester for Downtown

Erin Caproni Digital Producer- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

 

The Kleingers Group moved its landscape architecture studio into its downtown Cincinnati office from West Chester.

 

Business development director Jay Stewart said the department’s move from the suburbs to a loft-like space at 652 Main St. has been a smooth transition.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/05/23/landscape-architects-trade-west-chester-for.html

 

Cool Places: Go inside Pure Romance's stylish new downtown headquarters

Lisa Benson Managing Editor- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

Stepping inside the lobby of Pure Romance, you could easily imagine being inside the living room of a really stylish girlfriend.

 

The entry way, as well as the entire office, is decorated in a palette of cool greys, fuschia and crystal.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/07/24/cool-places-go-inside-pure-romances-stylish-new.html

A couple photos from the top of Carew Tower from last week.

Saw a tweet from Downtown Cincinnati (DowntownCincy[/member]) saying that construction is underway to put Metrobot backup by the Contemporary Arts Center.

Tech company moves from suburbs to Over-the-Rhine

Chris Wetterich Staff reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/04/14/tech-company-moves-from-suburbs-to-over-the-rhine.html

 

Rumor is this move is off as Neo.com has decided to close the Cincinnati office.