The Mayor’s Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet has put together a short survey on downtown. The results will be used to form recommendations to the Mayor, make decisions about future projects the YPKC may take up, and more. You can take the survey here.
Being a YP myself, I’ve got a few recommendations for the group. First off, get some eateries that are trendy and most importantly affordable! Secondly (staying with the affordable theme), work towards the development of more affordable housing options for those fresh out of college. As for retail, I would suggest trying to land some well known chain stores like H&M, Urban Outfitters, and the like. These types of establishments are a draw and are typically located in urban locations.
A key component to these will be locating them along street-level. This enlivens the street and adds a unique/creative element to the street. This is the first thing you see as you are driving or walking along a street. After hours is where downtown seems to be lacking most, and having more street-level retail will help to enliven those otherwise dead parts of downtown. I would imagine that The Banks will be the poster child for this type of thing in the Cincinnati Metro, but downtown can and needs to take steps forward as well.