While city leaders would prefer to have the construction of the $400 million Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati further along, many are pleased with its current breakneck pace of work.
The development is beginning to fill up the notorious 22-acre Broadway Commons site that Jim Tarbell (D) had once envisioned to become the home of the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds eventually landed on the riverfront at the Great American Ball Park, and Broadway Commons continued to sit underutilized as a crumbling surface parking lot.
Developers of the new casino have thus far exceeded minority inclusion goals, and appear to be satisfying the desires of the surrounding community. Some of those efforts include not building a hotel on-site for the time being, and facing restaurants out towards the street instead of inward towards the casino floor.
The City of Cincinnati has been working with Bridging Broadway to ensure that the development leverages the best possible outcome for historic Over-the-Rhine, Pendleton and central business district. Recent efforts by city leaders include the approval of $27 million for streetscape enhancements in the immediate vicinity of the new casino.
Published author and UrbanCincy photographer Jake Mecklenborg visited the site in recent weeks in order to provide readers with an exclusive look at the progress taking place to transform one of the urban core’s most beleaguered sites into a vibrant destination expected to attract six million visitors annually.
The 47.3 million dollar renovation currently undergoing Washington Park is progressing at a fantastic clip. Though all the general public normally sees is a green construction fence, make no mistake: improvements are happening, and it is already amazing to see what 3CDC has accomplished since closing the park last year.
UrbanCincy had the opportunity to join a private tour of the park with the ArchNATI 2011 week. The updated park includes classic elements of the original greenspace that opened in 1855 – the bandstand is being restored, the original monuments are still intact, and a majority of the old trees stand tall – two of which will be highlighted and decorated in the winter months instead of bringing in a new tree a la Fountain Square.
There are several green features incorporated into the park. “We (3CDC and the Parks Department) wanted to be cutting edge with our sustainable elements of the space,” said Jeff Martin, project manager and the tour guide for the event. “These features will save us money over time, and help the city as well.” Located in four locations of the park are “dry wells” – storage containers for excess rain water that will keep two million gallons of storm runoff out of the MSD system. The public restrooms are spacious and incorporate natural lighting with solar tubes – circular skylights that go through the roof and use reflective metal to bring sunlight into the space. All the new buildings in the park will have green roofs.
The garage at Washington Park has been designed with light and safety in mind.
The 450-space parking garage has been designed with light and safety in mind. The three exits from the garage serve as light wells into the space, and are built twice as wide as normal stairwell allowances, encased in storefront glass to bring as much sunlight into the two level garage as possible. The bays of the structure inside are designed so that cars park at the level with the supporting columns, not next to them (like the Newport Levy garage) which creates better views for drivers and passengers getting out of their cars.
New features of the park are progressing as well. The playground area has been designed specifically for the park, with play towers representing the water tower in Eden Park, and taking other cues from the historical architecture of the city. The dog park on the western end of the space incorporates special “pup-pea” gravel that will allow pups to do their business and keep the space looking and smelling fresh – there is also a small trough that runs through, allowing dogs to play and drink potable water.
The football-field sized green space will soon have specialized sod laid down. The grass initially incorporates a synthetic structure in order for the root system to grow strong and remain springy for the public to run and play. It is the same system that the Cincinnati Reds use in their outfield, according to Martin.
“It’s great to see how much detail and attention was paid to the material selection,” said John Back, local designer and co-chair of the Young Architects and Interns branch of the Cincinnati American Institute of Architects, who assembled the ArchiNATI week and subsequent tour. “When [Washington Park] is finished, it’s going to be an incredible asset to the entire community. I can’t wait.”
Check out the rest of the pictures below, and for more construction updates, you can follow the progress on the 3CDC website.
Washington Park pictures by Jenny Kessler for UrbanCincy.
The new 45-acre Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park is making tremendous progress just south of The Banks development along the Ohio River. Phase 1 of the $120 million project is now visually recognizable and the final pieces will soon come together in order to reach its projected completion date in spring 2012.
One of the most anticipated elements of phase one is the Moerlein Lager House. Once complete, the 15,000-square-foot establishment will become the region’s largest brew pub ahead of the Hofbrauhaus just across the river.
In this latest round of updates, Christian Moerlein owner Greg Hardman discusses the inspiration for the dramatic mural that will greet customers as they enter the Moerlein Lager House.
In addition to the Moerlein Lager House, phase one updates also include the Walnut Street Fountain & Stairs, Bike Mobility Center and Ohio River Trail.
In 2007, Jean-Francois Flechet was making his dense, sugary waffles in Jean Robert de Cavel’s kitchen. Four years later he is preparing to take over one of the largest retail spaces in the Gateway Quarter of Over-the-Rhine, with a flagship store that marks the first Belgian bistro in the Cincinnati area for quite some time.
The Taste of Belgium Bistro will, fingers crossed, be open for business by then end of this month. Located at the corner of 12th and Vine Streets in the former Gateway Quarter leasing office, Flechet has been very busy preparing the space, leased for 5 years, for his customers.
Initially, the bistro will be open Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm, serving up breakfast and lunch. The brand is already well known for their pastries, macarons, buckwheat crepes, and of course their waffles. All of these and more will be available for purchase.
The goal is to be open seven days a week into the evenings, and serve up authentic Belgian fare and beer for a laid back, comfortable, dinner and drinking experience. “Belgian food is similar to French food,” explains Jean-Francois. “except we cook with beer instead of wine – appropriate for Cincinnati!” General manager and chef Mark Gould has been running operations at Findlay Market for over two years, and was the natural choice for head chef at the new bistro.
Expect traditional Belgian treats like mussels and a variety of frites – both vegan and regular- for the new dinner menu, as well as special dishes like carbonnades flamandes – a version of beef burgundy, made with Belgian ale instead of French wine. There will also be appetizer, entree and dessert variations on the famous waffle – Chicken and waffles? A la mode? We’ll have to wait and find out. There will be several varieties of Belgian brews to try, with an array of glasses complementing each one.
Flechet and his staff have taken the shell of the 2600 square foot space and utilized it to its full potential. There will be seating for around 60, inside and out, and the kitchen and prep space is spacious for their needs. A ten foot by fifteen foot baker’s table with an exquisite antique chandelier commands the majority of the kitchen area, and will be the chef’s table for special dining events later on. Walnut and brushed aluminum make up the counter tops, and the original flooring and tin ceiling in the space have been preserved.
Most of all, Jean-Francois hopes to establish his commissary at the new location. Space adjacent to the new bistro has been rented as the official Taste of Belgium headquarters and office, and a majority of baking and prep for catering and the Findlay Market location will occur in the new space.
“We’re excited to be opening in such a noticeable location,” says Flechet. “With our Findlay Market roots, we wanted to stay in Over-the-Rhine. The neighborhood is growing, and it has more personality than other places.”
Check out the exclusive pictures of the new Taste of Belgium Bistro!
Starting today, earth-friendly corner store Park+Vine will begin offering a variety of lunch time fare during the week as an expansion to their grocery selection and coffee bar. Melissa Cox-Howard, a former chef at Melt, helms the new menu and makes every dish from scratch.
Cox-Howard, or Missy, has a fascinating culinary history that has paved the way to her newest adventure. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Missy became a vegetarian in 1978. A year later, she started cooking.
Vegetarian-friendly fare was something of an anomaly in the restaurant world at the time, so Missy did most of her cooking at home. She made her way down the Mississippi and worked aboard the Mississippi Queen, cooking and serving in restaurants in the South for 5 years.
By 2001 she was cooking and feeding rock bands that came into town to play Southgate House “yummy, energizing food. The kind that gives you energy and hutzpah to get you through the day.” Her band mate Chris Schadler, now of MOTR Pub, loved what she created and encouraged her to share her skills with others.
After working at Melt and meeting Dan Korman, proprietor of Park+Vine, expanding into Over-the-Rhine seemed a natural choice. “I’ll be doing a number of things in one little lunch hour,” explains Missy. “It’s about flavor, supporting local, practicing what you preach, and a good time. The food should do all of those things for you when you eat. Of course it will be vegan (it IS Park+Vine), but it will be so delicious you’ll want to order it again.”
The initial lunch offerings will be available Monday through Friday, 11am to 2pm. The menu for today focuses on the season and weather – light, cold, raw. Barbeque tofu sliders, smoky potato salad, sesame noodles, and cold cucumber salad will be some of the offerings on the new lunch menu. Sampler platters will be available for eight dollars.
“I want to make food like my Grandma Mertie did,” says Missy. “She made it the old-fashioned way, and it tasted delicious. I do that too, but with a vegan, healthier, not so full of fat twist. Good for you does not have to mean tasting terrible!”
