Category: Opinion

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News Opinion Transportation

Would carpool incentives be cheaper than a new Brent Spence Bridge?

When official planning for a new Brent Spence Bridgebegan in 2002, we were told that the existing bridge would be demolished and replaced by a new landmark structure. Total project cost was projected at $750 million to $1 billion and construction was expected to begin in 2008.

Fast-forward to 2011, and the existing bridge – which we were told ten years ago was in imminent danger of collapse – is now planned to be rehabilitated and presumably will remain in place for at least another generation. Meanwhile, the cost of the design and construction of a new parallel bridge and its approaches has soared to $3 billion.

This tripling of the bridge project’s cost in an era of gloomy peak oil predictions has been met with zero scrutiny by the local media. Instead, calls to improve the region’s public transportation, especially the City of Cincinnati’s streetcar project, have been relentlessly harassed.

What incentives could be introduced that would avoid the necessity of a new bridge? The argument for the bridge project rests on the assumption that daily vehicular crossings will increase from approximately 160,000 to 240,000 vehicles by 2030. Most of these 80,000 new vehicles will be single-occupancy vehicles.

Instead of spending $3 billion to build a new ten-lane bridge next to our existing eight-lane bridge, what if we instead paid commuters tens of millions annually to car pool?

Recent history has told us that carpooling will never be popular under current economic conditions. If people are annoyed by strangers on the bus or train, they are annoyed much more by their carpool companions. Disputes over smoking, radio stations, and stops for coffee have killed off countless carpooling arrangements. The cost savings afforded by carpooling have not to date offset those interpersonal problems, nor have the added incentives of HOV lanes or toll waivers in those areas where they exist.

So at what price would people in the Cincinnati area start tolerating the annoyances that come with carpooling? Honestly, I do not know, so why don’t we allow the market decide?

If we assume that the new Brent Spence Bridge will stand for 100 years – perhaps from 2020 to 2120 — that its initial capital cost will be $3 billion, and maintenance of the new bridge over those 100 years will be another $3 billion, then we can hypothetically budget $60 million per year toward carpooling for 100 years.

How would that $60 million be divided?

I propose that this sum be divided equally by the total number of carpoolers. So if just one vehicle were to carpool over the Brent Spence Bridge for the entire year, those two commuters would split between themselves the entire $60 million. But if the 200,000+ single-occupancy vehicles predicted by OKI by 2035 were replaced by 100,000 high-occupancy vehicles, then each car would receive $600 annually, or approximately $2.50 per vehicle, per work day.

The real number would be anywhere between 1 and 100,000, meaning the opportunity to earn more than $10 per vehicle per day seems likely. The carpooling payouts could be made much greater if tolls were implemented only to single-occupancy vehicles and that collection directed entirely toward high-occupancy vehicles.

How could such a plan be implemented?

The recent popularization of smart phones make implementation of such a plan much more feasible. Coordinated with something resembling an EZ-Pass transmitter, carpoolers could tap their phones to the transmitter when they begin their commutes and a credit would be transmitted instantly to their phone as they cross the bridge. The value of this credit would be determined at midnight by the total number of carpoolers who utilized the service each day. In addition to automobiles, the incentive program could be extended to those who own vans, and could motivate the establishment of unofficial bus services for those who commute between Northern Kentucky and Butler or Warren Counties.

Why will the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and ODOT never pay people to carpool?

State and local governments will never pay their citizens to carpool in the way I have proposed because the highway lobby will never allow them to. It should be obvious to anyone who has followed the development of the Brent Spence Bridge replacement project that the proposal, as it exists currently, is well out of proportion for what is necessary. This project is not so much an effort to reduce traffic congestion and encourage economic development as it is a payout to those who are being paid to design and build it.

Some predict gasoline to approach $10 per gallon by 2020, and such a price in 2011 dollars seems to be a certainty by 2035. High gasoline prices might by themselves be enough to motivate people to carpool in large numbers independent of what I have proposed here. But if that is proven to be true, then by 2035 relatively few vehicles will cross our pair of Brent Spence Bridges, and the whole project will be proven to be – get ready for it – an expensive boondoggle.

Brent Spence redesign rendering provided by the office of Roxanne Qualls.

Categories
Development News Opinion

Mercer Commons: A history of 1314 Vine

1300 block of Vine, photo by Chris Cousins

Seth Schott writes and runs OTR Matters, a blog centered on the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood in Cincinnati. For more OTR-centric musings, check out the Over-the-Rhine blog, as well as OTR Matters on Facebook and Twitter.

Yesterday, OTR-resident and blogger CityKin wrote a post about 1314 Vine Street titled “Does this building stay or go“. The thoughts and its comments are an informative read and a good introduction to the subject of this post.

1314 Vine Street; photo credit: CityKin

The current Mercer Commons plan

The time is now to discuss the fate of 1314 Vine Street and the current design of the planned Mercer Commons development by the public-private Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) in the Gateway Quarter.

Mercer Commons is a planned development of new construction urban infill and historic restorations in the area surrounding Mercer Street in Over-the-Rhine. The development is bounded by Vine Street to the west, Walnut Street to the east, 14th Street to the north and the northern half of the 1300 blocks of Vine and Walnut Streets. It is an exciting opportunity to turn another corner (excuse the cliché) in OTR’s revitalization.

Footprint of Mercer Commons showing position of 1314 Vine Street in yellow box

In the footprint rendering above, one can see the position of 1314 Vine Street highlighted by the yellow square. If you look closely, you can see the driveway entrance to the parking garage (gray boxes in the middle of that block) lines up directly with 1314 Vine Street.

Other renderings (perhaps older or newer?) shows the following:

Mercer Commons looking east with Vine Street in foreground. Fate of 1314 Vine Street unknown.

It appears that 3CDC is not planning to save 1314 Vine Street, despite that the building has a historic facade and unique and beautiful stone cornice.

The History of 1314 Vine Street

According to the Hamilton County Auditor’s website, 1314 Vine St. was built in 1880 though the date is probably a best guess. The property was transferred from Cincinnati Public Schools to OTR Holdings Inc, a subsidiary of 3CDC, on August 11, 2008. It is a two story structure with what appears to be a cast iron storefront and a beautiful cornice. The original brick exterior has been covered in Dryvit or stucco and painted an odious shade of mauve, which apparently manifested itself during the structures days as a dance club in the recent past. The current configuration of front windows is not original as will be explained later with an examination of the 1904 Sanborn insurance maps.

The peaked roof is topped by raised glass skylights that run the length of the building, see image from Bing Maps below.

Bird

The Sanborn Map Company’s insurance maps of Cincinnati from 1904 show this building. They reveal some interesting facts:

Overview of the east side of the 1300 block of Vine and the west side of the 1300 block of Walnut
A closer view
1314 Vine Street according to 1904 Sanborn Insurance Map with illustration of raised glass roof

In the last Sanborn Map image, you can see the bay windows on the front of the building facing Vine Street. The inclusion of the “CITY MISSION” label is puzzling, but may point some ardent historian toward another chapter of this building’s history.

In 1919, volume 31 of The Machinists’ Monthly Journal, Official Organ of the International Association of Machinists shows 1314 Vine Street as the “District Lodge of the Grand Lodge of the International Association of Machinists”.

The issues

There are two issues at play in the fate of 1314 Vine Street. The first is the fate of the building itself at 1314 Vine Street. The second issue is larger and concerns the role historic preservation plays in the redevelopment of Over-the-Rhine. How important is each stitch in OTR’s historic fabric? It’d be enlightening to hear the opinions on these issues from 3CDC, the Over-the-Rhine Foundation, the Cincinnati Preservation Association, individual citizens, and others.

3CDC is to be lauded for its successes, and Mercer Commons could be a true triumph for OTR. However, if 3CDC chooses to demolish 1314 Vine Street by way of a “special exemption“, it will become in no small measure, but a part of the problem it purportedly seeks to remedy. Determining the fate of 1314 Vine Street would be better addressed sooner rather than later.

****

Editor’s note: The Enquirer posted an article delving into more detail about the project, which is an interesting read. There seem to be two sides to the argument: one – every historic building is worth saving, and as much as possible should be done to preserve the fabric, no matter the cost. two – sometimes sacrifices need to be made.

The National Historic Registry has been contacted – I’m interested in finding out exactly what it means for OTR’s historic registry status with continued property demolitions and whether or not more demolitions truly threaten the status. Will update with more information as it is received.

So, Mercer Commons: an unacceptable demolition or a necessary evil for the greater good of the neighborhood? We welcome your thoughts.

Categories
News Opinion

Is East Walnut Hills the next big thing in Cincinnati neighborhoods?

Over the past several decades Cincinnati has seen its core neighborhoods change. Some of these changes have been negative while others have been very positive. The positives started with neighborhoods like Clifton and Mt. Adams, continued on to Northside and Oakley, and then onto Downtown and Over-the-Rhine (twice).

While progress continues to be made in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown, the question remains: Which inner-city neighborhood might be next on the revival block? Some business and property owners in East Walnut Hills believe their beloved neighborhood is indeed the next one in line. This could be true for several reasons. The first being, location, location, location.


DeSales Corner in East Walnut Hills

East Walnut Hill’s DeSales Corner was historically Cincinnati’s second most prominent business district outside of the Central Business District downtown. The neighborhood’s central and nearby location to downtown made that true historically. In addition to these still relevant truths, the addition of I-71, one of the city’s most prominent east/west bike routes, and the prospect of a modern streetcar line running through its heart make the neighborhood’s location even better today as people and business return to cities.

One such business owner is Chef Josh Campbell who knows World Food Bar in Over-the-Rhine, Mayberry and Mayberry Foodstuffs in Downtown, and the recently opened Skinny Pig restaurant in East Walnut Hills.

“In this area you have Blue Cross Blue Shield, St. Ursula Academy with students who can go off campus for lunch, and several doctor’s offices filled with people looking for healthy, flavorful food options,” Campbell explained to UrbanCincy in April 2011.

In addition to businesses and students, East Walnut Hills also is situated between investment expanding east from Uptown and west from Hyde Park and Oakley.

Campbell’s not the only one thinking East Walnut Hills is the next big thing when it comes to Cincinnati neighborhoods though. In April 2011 Cincy Coworks tripled its size and relocated to 2400 Gilbert Avenue nearby in Walnut Hills based on its location and affordability.

There are also hundreds of new residents living at The Residences at DeSales Plaza and the recently completed DeSales Flats development. Within the past year the City of Cincinnati has also invested in new streetscaping to clean up the business district and hopefully spur additional investment in the area.

While East Walnut Hills appears to be sitting pretty, it certainly is not the only neighborhood poised and ready for a renaissance. Other contenders include Mt. Auburn, Clifton Heights, North Avondale, East End, Pendleton, Corryville and West Price Hill. Which of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods do you think will become the next big thing?

Categories
Business News Opinion

Cincinnati’s urban Kroger stores face a unique design opportunity

It is no secret to Cincinnati residents that less than four blocks away from the Kroger world headquarters sits one of the most neglected stores in the city, if not the region. The Kroger store at the 1400 block of Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine has long sat forgotten while the rest of the urban core continues to gain steam, revitalize and grow.

Less than a 10 minute drive away sits Vine Street’s newest sister store, the 128,000 square foot store built as a new development off highway 471 in Newport, Kentucky. The darling of big box grocery stores houses a Starbucks, a jewelry store, full clinic and pharmacy, furniture selection, and expansive grocery section including natural foods and a sushi station.

There is something of stigma surrounding the Vine Street store that hangs over the place, encouraging unfamiliar potential customers to avoid it at all costs. I set out on a mission to break down the rumors and cut through to the core differences and to hypothesize how the Kroger Company can capitalize on their greatest and most under-utilized asset.

Prices:
Rumor has it that the company marks up its prices in the center city, forcing poor residents and dumb yuppies to pay more than their suburban counterparts. This is not true. From California Pizza Kitchen ($5.79) to Jif Creamy Peanut Butter ($2.40) to Roma tomatoes ($1.19 per lb), the price point at the two Krogers is identical.

Expiration Dates:
After only one visit, it is hard to say whether or not the company consistently ships food that will expire sooner to their urban location. Multiple visits will confirm the pattern. At this time, comparing eggs, milk, produce and meat, the expiration dates for the Newport store were consistently further out than Vine Street’s. The VSK had expiration dates on milk of 6/12-6/17, and eggs from 6/7 to 6/24. Newport, in comparison, dated expired milk at 6/20-6/22, and eggs at 6/24-6/30. Every bagged green at 1400 Vine (including spring mix, spinach, kale, and salad mix) was on manager’s special – preparing to go bad with 6/6 expiration dates. The expansive selection of bagged greens in Kentucky (only 3 bags of which were of collard/kale greens) expired from 6/7-6/14.

However, the rest of the produce section was filled with vibrant, ripe fruits and veggies that one could find just as easily at Findlay Market. Red strawberries, taut and plump cucumbers, pears, peaches, fresh smelling blueberries and leafy (unpackaged) greens. In fact, the tomatoes at Vine Street were in better shape than the ones at Newport (see the pictures above)


Compare and Contrast: Over-the-Rhine [LEFT] and Newport [RIGHT] stores.

Selection:
The stark difference in size and footprint of the two stores obviously allows for a great disparity in food selection. The question that remains: is the food that IS available in the smaller footprinted store as good a quality as the bigger store? The answer: yes and no.

The Vine Street Kroger has a range and variety of items for sale – one can purchase cat food and cream cheese; pomegranate juice and pancake mix; the necessities are all there- and at the same price as any other Kroger in the city. Is there a need for a jewelry store, cheesemonger, or 15 types of lint rollers in a smaller market? Of course not. Other successful urban stores carry only one or two styles of an item in order to maximize room for a wider variety of merchandise.

A big disappointment I encountered was in the meat aisle. Instead of a traditional deli there is a “hot counter” with fried chicken and other breaded delicacies shoved under a heat lamp, approximately 4.5 feet wide. The fresh meat section is very limited.

When deciding between chicken at Vine Street I was presented with two options: one style of Tyson all natural chicken thighs (no breast meat or tenderloin) at 3.99 per lb, and a 10 lb bag of cheap skin-on chicken drumsticks for 6 dollars with an expiration date of 6/14. I have been told that there is usually Kroger brand skinless chicken breast – they may have been out today. Obviously the selection at Newport Kroger is much wider.

Design:
The biggest hurdle that faces the Vine Street Kroger is its outdated and dingy design. The store is poorly lit, with outdated signage, low ceilings, and worn tile on the floor. The physical layout of the food selection is not well thought out. Entering the store puts the shopper smack in the middle of the processed bread and Hostess snack aisle. Conventional healthy shopping wisdom that dictates shopping around the perimeter of the store- it does not work in this case, as Aisle One is candy and sugary cereals.

The Newport Kroger, in sharp contrast, has stained concrete floors, tall ceilings, modern signage, and skylights that bring daylighting into the expansive space. Much attention and detail has been put into the displays, with vignettes on the wall indicating dairy, produce, bread, and meat sections.

What’s the solution?
The Kroger company is at a crossroads. They are the biggest grocery chain in the nation, yet are allowing a key future growth opportunity to slip out from under them: the urban market. Stores like Aldi, Target, Safeway and Whole Foods have already established urban stores with smaller footprints and a more limited selection that are clean, well designed, and offer an attractive selection for urban residents.

Kroger should seize this opportunity to place pride in their most central store. In this formally trained interior designer’s opinion, the best thing that Kroger could do would be to renovate the Vine Street store as a flagship model for urban Kroger markets across the country in other major downtown districts, and to open a second location in the Banks development or Tower Place Mall.

Reduce the barrier to the street by modifying the parking lot – behind the building or eliminating it all together. Bring the same successful elements from the Newport store into the smaller design – modern colors, skylights, ample lighting, polished concrete floors, easy to read and well designed signage, and improve the quality (and shelf life) of the selection that is available.

Questions arise about improving the neighborhood – will a nicer store price current residents out? It’s already been established that the price points of both the newest and most run-down Kroger in the region are identical. The only difference is the physical store itself. Improving the most central and urban store will only attract more shoppers to the store, resulting in gained revenue. No matter one’s skin color, annual income, or place of residence, affordable, quality food that is readily accessible in the neighborhood is something everyone deserves.

I encourage Over-the-Rhine residents to utilize the Vine Street Kroger for their grocery needs in addition to gems like Findlay Market. The staff there is incredibly friendly and welcoming, and if we want the status quo to change, we need to show the company that our pocketbooks are willing to support something new.

Categories
News Opinion

Restructuring positions UrbanCincy for further, long-term growth

Since UrbanCincy’s founding in May 2007 much has changed with the website, the city and its people. What began as a humble outlet to share my personal thoughts about the city with whomever chose to read it has become so much more. UrbanCincy now features exclusive and original content, publishes eight to ten times each week, runs a seasonal kickball league, organizes events throughout the year like Bikes + Brews, and has become the place for people to get their news on Cincinnati’s urban core.

For the third time in four years, UrbanCincy has been honored to be voted as one of the best blogs in Cincinnati. This year UrbanCincy was chosen along with Wine Me, Dine Me and 365 Things to do in Cincinnati. Each year I have been honored to even have UrbanCincy considered worthy of such recognition, but it was even more satisfying this year following a great deal of transition internally at UrbanCincy.

Over the past six months UrbanCincy has successfully begun a transition that is shifting more responsibility to Jenny Kessler, who is now Operations Manager for the site. We have also restructured the contributing team to best reflect time commitments and professional capabilities. Additionally, in fall 2010 UrbanCincy entered into an innovative content sharing agreement with the Cincinnati Business Courier which will further stregthen both entities. These moves allow me to take on a greater leadership role, while also maintaining leadership continuity at UrbanCincy when I am traveling domestically or overseas with work.

This transition was not easy. At the end of 2010 the website saw a significant drop in readership when compared to previous growth trends. This was, in large part, due to less content being published on the site. We have, I believe, solved those issues and have reaffirmed UrbanCincy’s long-term position within the Cincinnati community.

The bottom line is that UrbanCincy, while still a labor of love, is better positioned today and healthier than ever. And the team of writers (Andrew Oehlerking, Dave Rolfes, Emily Schneider, Jake Mecklenborg, Jenny Kessler, Nathaniel Hammitt), photographers (Jake Mecklenborg, Thadd Fiala) and general contributors (Bryon Martin, David Ben, Kevin Wright, Travis Estell) at UrbanCincy has you, the readers, to thank for this.

I hope that UrbanCincy can continue to grow and become an even more integral part of the conversation in Cincinnati in years to come. Please let us know how we might be able to do that by contacting us at UrbanCincy@gmail.com. Thank you, and please continue to support Cincinnati’s urban core.