Randy is an award-winning urban planner who founded UrbanCincy in May 2007. He grew up on Cincinnati’s west side in Covedale, and graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s nationally acclaimed School of Planning in June 2009. In addition to maintaining ownership and serving as the managing editor for UrbanCincy, Randy has worked professionally as a planning consultant throughout the United States, Korea and the Middle East. After brief stints in Atlanta and Chicago, he currently lives in the Daechi neighborhood of Seoul’s Gangnam district.
It’s Opening Day. That means many of you may be “staying home sick” from work or school today in order to “rest up.” We get that. In fact, two of our writers took the day off their normal routines in order to be able to participate in Opening Day festivities.
In any case, this break from our normal schedules gives us a good opportunity to look at something we should get back in the habit of doing once we collectively recover later this evening. That something is walking. And for those of you with children, that means having your children walk to school.
Just a few short decades ago, it was estimated that almost half of all children walked to school each day. That’s a great thing. It means more independence, more physical activity, more bonding with other neighborhood children, and a stronger relationship with one’s city. It also means less congestion on our roadways and fewer emissions. All in all it’s one of those rare win-win-win-win-win-wins.
Unfortunately, it is now estimated that only 10% of children walk to school today. Ten percent.
American policymakers have tried to combat this in recent years with the Safe Routes to School Program. Instead of it encouraging parents to have their children walk to school. SRTS merely attempts to fix decades of investment that have focused almost entirely on accommodating people driving cars. This has left most all communities built over the past 30 years inhospitable to anyone who wants to walk to get to their destination.
“Kids need to learn about a healthy lifestyle in school; and they need to learn how to integrate activity into their day,” said Dr. Elizabeth Joy, University of Utah, in the two-minute KCET City Walk film. “When it’s possible, kids need to walk to school, so that they learn about active transportation, and that when you have to go two, three, four blocks it doesn’t mean you get in the car. You can actually walk.”
Over the past several years the idea of taking a new approach toward designing our public streets has been gaining traction. For many decades roads were built almost exclusively for people driving cars. But historically speaking, streets have always been much more egalitarian – accommodating all modes of transportation of the time.
While the idea of designing streets for all users has gained attention, it has not always gained supporters. This includes Cincinnati where a Complete Streets policy has yet to be realized. More from Streetsblog USA:
Redesigning streets to make room for people is a no brainer. “Complete streets” projects that calm traffic and provide safe space for walking and biking save money, reduce crashes and injuries, and improve economic outcomes. Need further convincing? Smart Growth America has done some number crunching, looking at the impact of 37 complete streets projects from communities across the country.
The Banks development team is close to finally securing a hotel at the multi-billion dollar development, according to multiple sources close to the project. After years of failed starts and negotiations, UrbanCincy has learned that AC Hotels by Marriott is the hotel now being eyed for the prominent central riverfront location.
The news is yet to be officially announced or confirmed by The Banks development team, but UrbanCincy has confirmed the information over the last week with individuals who have requested to remain anonymous due to the ongoing negotiations taking place.
The understanding is that construction could begin prior to the All-Star Game in July.
AC Hotel Madrid [Provided]
AC Hotel in Nice [Provided]
AC Hotel Work Space [Provided]
AC Lounge New Orleans [Provided]
The news comes after AC Hotels backed out of a deal at the former School for Creative and Performing Arts in Pendleton. Had that deal moved forward, it would have put it on track to be one of the boutique hotel’s first locations in North America, after establishing itself as a household name in Europe.
According to those sources close to the project, the AC Hotel at The Banks would be a seven-story structure with a rooftop bar named AC Lounge. Once open the hotel, which is expected to have between 150 to 200 rooms, would be managed by Cincinnati-based Winegardner & Hammons, which has close relationships with Marriott and Western & Southern, and has overseen the development of numerous hotels in the region.
According to Winegardner & Hammons’ most recent company report, they also recently signed a contract to manage an AC Hotel in Louisville that is scheduled to break ground in August of this year.
AC Hotels announced their aggressive North American expansion plans in 2013, and opened their first hotel in New Orleans in December 2014. After plans were scuttled for the SCPA project, developers at the $350 million Liberty Center announced that a 130-room AC Hotel would open there in late 2015.
Senior management at Marriott International says that AC Hotels is one of their select-service brands and targets a young clientele seeking a “design-led sensibility.” Overall, Marriott’s president and CEO, Arne Sorenson, says that AC Hotels has some 50 development deals signed nationwide, with dozens more in the works.
In an interview with Hotel News Now, Sorenson specifically identified North Carolina and the Midwest as opportunity markets.
In perhaps a view into one of the reasons behind the failed deal at the former SCPA in Pendleton, Sorenson also told Hotel News Now that the vast majority of the deals AC Hotels has in the pipeline are new construction. In fact, aside from the New Orleans project, he said that only one other project was a conversion.
AC Hotels include more European design influences and place a focus on sleek, tech-focused accommodations that appeal to Millennials. In addition to the rooftop AC Lounge, the new location at The Banks would likely include a communal working space, two to three meeting spaces, and a mixture of one- and two-bed guest rooms.
One of the company’s standard approaches is to locate in vibrant urban areas where significant activity already exists. Hotel management says this is to encourage guests to go outside of the hotel and patronize area businesses. To help further encourage that, most AC Hotels do not include an in-house restaurant, and instead allocate more area for public spaces where guests can mingle and interact with their surroundings.
It is not yet known where exactly the hotel will be located at The Banks, but it is assumed to be targeted for the long-vacant placeholder site along Main Street across from Great American Ball Park, which also happens to be located directly on the Cincinnati Streetcar‘s starter line.
EDITORIAL NOTE: Representatives with The Banks development team did not respond to UrbanCincy’s request for comment; however, sources say an official announcement is expected within the coming weeks. We will update this story with more information as it becomes available.
Center city residents will soon have a new option for their pet care needs when Petscapes Resort and Spa opens in April.
Located on Garfield Place right on Piatt Park, owner Ashley Roedersheimer says she is excited to open up her business in the heart of the city.
“This location is a perfect choice as it is connected to the Garfield Apartments, which is pet friendly,” Roedersheimer told UrbanCincy.
The west side native said that she was particularly drawn to the downtown area due to the increase in the number of residents living there, and the few offerings of this nature for those residents – many of which have pets of their own.
Petscapes Resort and Spa will take up 1,270 square feet of space for its daycare and grooming operations. The space is split up with most of it in a basement level and the rest of it at street level.
Roedersheimer, a self-described dog person who has grown to like cats more and more as she has gotten older, says that the opening of the store is also the realization of a dream for her, and has been saving money for it since she was 14 years old.
“I want to provide the pet owners of downtown a place where they can confidently drop their pets off during the day while at work, school, or wherever, and they can assure their pet is being properly cared for at a convenient location for a great price.”
While Roedersheimer is the sole owner, she will be joined by Stacy Black who will work as the grooming specialist after having worked in the industry for more than eight years. In the future, once their clientele has been built, they say the plan is to hire additional employees to handle increased grooming demands and walking and bathing duties.
Full service visits at Petscapes Resort and Spa will range from $35 for extra small breeds to $100 for large breeds and include a massage bath with specialty shampoo and conditioner, blow dry and de-shedding treatment, nail clipping, ear cleaning, hair cut of the owner’s choice, and the option of a bow or bandanna and cologne. Touch-up prices will run a bit lower and they say that the cost can fluctuate based on the coat of the animal.
Pet owners will also be able to choose a number of add-on services including flea treatment, medical shampoo treatment, nail grinding, teeth brushing, and more.
One of the major points of emphasis for the new grooming salon and daycare is the comfort of both the animals and their owners. In addition to providing a locker, not a crate or kennel, for each animal that includes food, treats and toys, the pets are also offered walk time to ensure that the animal is getting proper exercise.
“I want the pets and owners to feel a sense of relaxation when visiting Petscapes Resort and Spa,” Roedersheimer explained. “The facility provides separate areas for the dogs that interact better with certain breeds.”
For those owners who want to check in on their pets while they are away, Roedersheimer, who owns a Rottweiler named Killian, says they will be able to login to the website and check in on their animals, and that the lobby area will also include a television with a display of the animals at play downstairs.
While the details have not yet been set, Roedersheimer says that they will host a grand opening event with special pricing on select grooming services and coupons for discounted daycare services. Those interested in attending and taking advantage of the specials are encouraged to connect with Petscapes Resort and Spa on Facebook.
This number can be a bit misleading since it does not include the many more people who have recently lost their home and are now staying with a family member or friend, or are unable to be counted at all.
The way in which local organizations are handling this situation is different today than it was decades ago. In the past the trend was to provide what experts refer to as site-based units. This has changed over the years to a model more akin to Section 8 housing vouchers, where subsidies are provided for people to go find housing out on the open market.
City Gospel Mission [Provided]
Drop Inn Center Women’s Shelter [Provided]
Drop Inn Center Women’s Shelter [Provided]
According to the Strategies to End Homelessness, approximately 97% of the 3,300 people in permanent housing in Cincinnati are in these scattered sites. Part of the reason for the change is due to changing funding priorities, while another large factor is that many people reject the idea of having supportive housing built in their neighborhood.
This has caused problems for local leaders who view the Homeless to Homes plan, which includes the construction of five new shelters, as part of a long-term solution. While the shelters are new and improved, they also typically include an overall reduction in total units provided. So with the total number of units and the number of homeless remaining constant, some are wondering what the ultimate solution is.
Salt Lake City has recently received national praise for their homelessness program where they simply have built and provided housing units for every homeless person in their community. It is a nod to past techniques, but one that appears to be getting results.
While it has received the attention, not everyone is convinced that Salt Lake City’s approach is all that unique, or all that comprehensive.
“It’s about giving people housing,” Kevin Finn, President and CEO of Strategies to End Homelessness, told UrbanCincy. “If homelessness is the problem, then providing housing is the solution.”
The problem, Finn continued, is that the vast majority of the funds that are provided by the Federal government has strings attached and almost never allows for prevention programs. And with homelessness typically being what Finn calls a short-term crisis, a strong investment in prevention might actually be more effective and economically sustainable.
“Somewhere around 80% of people who become homeless end up getting out of homelessness on their own,” noted Finn. “Unfortunately, we seem to be discouraged from even using the money that could be used for prevention on prevention.”
While Finn acknowledges that simply providing housing to those who truly need it is more effective than anything else, he also is quick to note that taking preventative measures can be far more cost-effective.
In Hamilton County, for example, it costs approximately $3,300 per year to provide supportive housing to someone. At the same time, it costs around $1,300 per year to shelter a person on a temporary basis, and just $1,100 annually to prevent someone from becoming homeless.
“I would agree that Salt Lake City has the right model for those that are homeless, but I would say that prevention is even more effective than that,” Finn emphasized. “The real challenge is to figure out what the right solution is for each individual person.”
Further complicating the prevention approach is its inconsistent funding levels from the Federal government. According to Strategies to End Homelessness, virtually no funding was provided for prevention prior to 2009, but then the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act infused local agencies with around $2.2 million annually over the next three years. At its peak in 2011, it resulted in the prevention of 2,800 people from becoming homeless.
When the stimulus program wound down, those funds went away with it; and those numbers have been in rapid decline ever since. Such inconsistencies make developing long-term plans and strategies next to impossible.
“The issue we struggle with is trying to reduce homelessness when the landscape of the resources is constantly changing,” said Finn. “From 2012 to 2013 homelessness increased in Hamilton County; but it was less than 1%, and considering our resources had been decimated it was a bit of a moral victory.”
Beyond just the funding issues, understanding the problem and recognizing the actual need for each person could yield even greater performance and savings.
First and foremost, Finn says the goal should be to determine who is close to homelessness, but can be prevented from reaching it. From there he says that it is important to figure out who has recently become homeless, and what level of assistance they need – short- or long-term. Not doing so could create the risk of providing the funds for someone to have long-term support, even though short-term support is all that is needed.
In order to tackle each case appropriately, local leaders are developing an early stage approach that is in line with nationally recognized assessment process for determining these details that can often be difficult to uncover.
Further assisting those efforts are the already established programs operating county-wide, including the Central Access Point hotline that allows for people to call and give notification that they are at risk.
Even with all of the challenges, Finn remains optimistic about the future. The City of Cincinnati has recently increased its amount of funding for human services, and has designated reducing homelessness as a priority for those funds. In addition to that, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati is now providing $150,000 per year for prevention efforts.
New data is scheduled to be released in the near future with updated figures on the region’s homeless population. While it is not yet public what those numbers are, it is expected that they will be along a similar trajectory as recent years. The hope, however, is that this trajectory starts to change sooner rather than later.
“Ultimately if we can prevent people from ever coming in, then we can save a lot of money and save that household the trauma of becoming homeless,” Finn concluded.
![Ashley Roedersheimer with Killian [Travis Estell]](https://urbancincy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Ashley-Roedersheimer.jpg)
