Tag: developments

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Business Development News Opinion Transportation

Cincinnati’s Wasson Railroad Corridor Should Not Be Converted Into Recreational Trail

In the post-industrial United States cities all across America have been left with an abundance of rail right-of-way that once served industrial properties. Cities have since struggled to find a use for these rail corridors.

In many cases the rail right-of-way either gets built over, or makes room for some other use – most typically a park or trail of some sort. The most famous, and perhaps most unique, example of this is New York City’s Highline which converted an abandoned freight rail corridor into an elevated park. In most cities, however, much simpler trails are developed in order to cater to bicyclists and pedestrians.

These are great projects, but in the cases where rail right-of-way is needed in order to introduce rail transit, they should not be done. The acquisition of right-of-way can be one of the most difficult hurdles to clear when developing rail transit, so if you have a prime corridor intact, you should do everything in your power to preserve it for future rail transit.


Map of the proposed Wasson Way Project.

The reason this is particularly important in Cincinnati right now is because on March 6, advocates of what is being called Wasson Way Project will present their ideas for converting the Wasson Corridor into a bike/ped trail to City Council’s Strategic Growth Committee.

The idea is not a bad one on face value, but should it proceed it would eliminate one of the most valuable rail corridors in the city. A corridor that could connect neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Oakley, Evanston, Norwood, Mt. Lookout, Fairfax and Mariemont with light rail and eventually connect those neighborhoods to the region’s two largest employment centers – uptown and downtown – without much additional track or right-of-way acquisition.

“I know of no example in the United States where a former railway that has been converted to a bike/hike trail has ever been returned to passenger rail service,” explained Cincinnati transit advocate John Schneider (aka “Mr. Transit”). “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Rail corridors that run through areas of limited potential transit ridership like the Oasis Line should be redeveloped into trails. It just makes sense. There is less automobile traffic and the riverfront trail provides a scenic ride for bicyclists and connects its users to a string of riverfront parks.

The Wasson Line, however, is ripe for light rail service with its densely populated neighborhood, vibrant business districts and key attractions along the line. The Oasis Line should become a bike/ped trail, but the Wasson Line should not.

Unfortunately the exact opposite is progressing for both of these lines in Cincinnati. Hamilton County officials continue to explore funding options to turn the Oasis Line into a commuter rail corridor, and a citizen-led group is strongly advocating for the conversion of the Wasson Line into a bike/ped trail.

While UrbanCincy supports conversion of some rail right-of-ways into other uses, we believe it needs to be done in a thoughtful manner that considers the future transit needs of the region. The Wasson Line is too valuable to convert into a bike/ped trail and should be preserved for an urban light rail line.

The upcoming committee meeting is scheduled to take place at 12pm on Tuesday, March 6 at City Hall (map). We would like to urge you to come out and support the future of regional light rail in the Cincinnati region, and request that the Wasson Corridor not be converted into a recreational trail.

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Arts & Entertainment Business Development News

A revitalized Washington Park intends to serve as historical, cultural bridge

This Friday hundreds of people will gather at Memorial Hall to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Cincinnati Streetcar. Appropriately so, the event will take place in the city’s oldest neighborhood and right outside of Washington Park which has long served as a prominent landmark within the region’s urban core.

Cincinnati is changing, and as a city with a prominent history, Cincinnati is working to reconnect with its past during this process. But the people are not the same as they were in the past. There are new faces and a new culture.

At the center of this change is the redevelopment of Over-the-Rhine. From the remodeling of Italianate brownstones to the renovation of Music Hall this change can be seen everywhere. However, no change has been as significant, both in scale and in reconnecting with the significance of the past as the $48 million renovation of Washington Park.


Cincinnati’s majestic Music Hall overlooks Washington Park. Photograph by Randy A. Simes for UrbanCincy.

In 1888, Washington Park hosted the Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States. With the newly created Music Hall illustriously lining Elm Street, Washington Park, only 33 years old at the time, showcased progress the Northwest Territory and city of Cincinnati had made in a century’s time. The exposition presented the urban development of a thriving city, and the economic and social progress of the United States, to the rest of the nation.

It has been a long time since 1888, and in 2010 the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) began upgrading Washington Park to meet the needs of a changing urban core. The park’s historical significance has been on the mind of the developers since the very beginning.

“Everything we do is greatly influenced by history,” 3CDC Vice President of Communication, Anastasia Mileham, told UrbanCincy. From Civil War cannons to head plaques from the Presbyterian cemetery that once occupied the site; the renovated park will be filled with artifacts and reminders of the past.

Project officials say that the changes taking place at Washington Park are about more than just nostalgia, however, and will serve to help advance the urban revitalization taking place in Over-the-Rhine.


Construction work progresses at Washington Park in November 2011. Photograph by Randy A. Simes for UrbanCincy.

“This will be a great civic space similar to Fountain Square,” Mileham explained. “Once finished, the park will have the potential to be the heart of the community as it once was.”

The people who make up Cincinnati have also changed greatly over the past 124 years. Today Over-the-Rhine is the definition of a multigenerational and multiethnic district. With a two-acre expansion, an underground parking garage, an interactive water fountain, and a grand performance stage, the new Washington Park will seemingly be a place for individuals and families alike – a reflection of the changing neighborhood.

“If you want to stroll through the park, walk your dog in the fenced in dog park, or listen to the CSO perform on a Sunday evening, then Washington Park is for you,” Mileham said, “It has features for everyone, and will make a mixed neighborhood in every sense of the word.”

As Cincinnati changes, so too does our understanding of its history. Washington Park is in part a monument to the past. It is a monument to what Cincinnati once was. But as the city takes on new shapes and sizes, and becomes increasingly diversified, Washington Park will also serve as a bridge. A cultural connection and a monument to what Cincinnati has become.

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Business Development News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati to break ground on streetcar project next week with Ray LaHood

Councilmembers Christopher Smitherman (I) and Charlie Winburn (R) called a special city council hearing today to discuss the finances of the $110 million Cincinnati Streetcar project. The hearing had a specific focus on utility relocation agreements due to the current impasse between the City and Duke Energy.

City officials stated unequivocally that the project will move forward, and that it is common for projects of this scale to have ongoing issues needing to be resolved even once ground has been broken. Both Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney stated that an agreement will eventually be made with Duke Energy, but that the engineering disagreements between the two parties needs to be resolved first.


Rendering of the streetcar along Walnut Street in downtown Cincinnati.

The biggest question at hand, with Duke Energy, is that the City has looked at existing streetcar projects around the United States and come up with a standoff they believe is workable. Duke Energy, meanwhile, has disagreed with those statements and believes that a much greater standoff is needed.

Duke Energy estimates that the relocation work, based on their engineering, would cost approximately $18 million. The City, on the other hand, believes it should only cost $6 million based on the work of their engineers.

“Utilities are issues in every transportation project, not just rail but roadway projects as well,” a representative from Parsons Brinckerhoff told UrbanCincy immediately following the meeting. “This is true for every single project, and they get worked out, and moved forward.”

At a press conference held earlier this week, City Manager Dohoney stated that City of Cincinnati should not be responsible for subsidizing the modernization of Duke Energy’s utility assets, and that the two parties will remain at an impasse until the engineering is validated.

The big news came in the final statement of the meeting when Mayor Mallory announced the groundbreaking for the Cincinnati Streetcar will take place at 1pm on Friday, February 17 outside of Memorial Hall (map). Mayor Mallory also stated that city and project officials will be joined by the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood at the groundbreaking.

Jenny Kessler and John Yung contributed to this story.

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Business News Politics Transportation

Duke Energy announces they will leave streetcar negotiations, city fires back

Yesterday was a tumultuous day for Cincinnati’s modern streetcar project. With virtually all other issues resolved, and construction forthcoming, Duke Energy made the announcement that they would walk away from negotiations with the City of Cincinnati about the relocation of their utilities.

The impasse comes over cost. Based on other similar projects, the City believes the utilities only need to be relocated three feet, but Duke Energy has stated an eight-food clearance is needed. That five-foot difference roughly equates to an $11 million funding gap.

The Duke Energy announcement seemed to take project and city officials by surprise. But the strong stance by Duke Energy does come at the same time as the City of Cincinnati is aggressively pursuing a new energy aggregation agreement that has the potential to cost Duke Energy significant business.


Future Cincinnati Streetcar stop at Sixth and Walnut Street. Photograph by Randy A. Simes for UrbanCincy.

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory is currently in Washington D.C. at the Community Streetcar Coalition’s annual Streetcar Summit representing the City and discussing best practices with other cities that are building, or have built, streetcar systems.

“I am calling on Duke Energy to be reasonable and work with the City on a plan that will be best for both citizens and their customers. These issues will be resolved one way or another, just as we have resolved previous issues facing the project,” Mayor Mallory stated in a prepared release. “The best thing for everyone involved is if Duke is a part of that resolution. Walking away does not help to move our community forward.”

The mayor’s comments were then followed by an official press conference called by City Manager Milton Dohoney who elaborated on the mayor’s statements and went on to say that Duke Energy has yet to provide engineering documents to support their claims.

City Manager Dohoney began the press conference by stating that the Cincinnati Streetcar project will unequivocally be moving forward. He also stated that the City of Cincinnati should not be responsible for subsidizing the modernization of Duke Energy’s aging utility assets.

In the end, it appears as though the city has the leverage in the matter. A view expressed by city spokeswoman Meg Olberding who stated, “They’re our streets. This project is moving forward, and we intend to use our streets.”

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Business Development News Opinion

Downtown Cincinnati to get another new office tower, but is it an opportunity missed?

On Monday dunnhumbyUSA announced that they had found a location for their new expanded headquarters. The consumer analytics company will build a new office tower at Fifth and Race in downtown Cincinnati.

The embattled property had long been seen as a site for a tower by city leaders. Development plans, at some point or another, had called for a department store, theater, condo tower, office tower, or some combination thereof. Both Eagle Realty and Towne Properties had failed at developing the site beyond the surface parking lot currently located there.

As one of the most ardent supporters of Cincinnati’s urban core, I am here to say that I am disappointed by this news. Yes, it is exciting that Cincinnati will be getting yet another tower built in its urban core as so much other investment takes place. And yes, it is terrific that a young company is flourishing in Cincinnati. The problem, however, is more complex.


A new office tower will soon rise from the center-left of this vantage point as dunnhumbyUSA builds its new headquarters in downtown Cincinnati. Photograph by Randy A. Simes for UrbanCincy.

As the renaissance continues to progress in Cincinnati’s urban core, the city must seize every opportunity to inject life where life has long since been vacant. The activity that follows should be thought about in a logical manner. What kinds of activities are found in what parts of the center city, and what is needed?

In the case of the notorious Fifth and Race location, what is needed is after-hours street life. It is currently an area vibrant during the business day, but struggles to support businesses and street activity into the evenings and weekends. The development of a new office tower there does not address either of those issues.

Yes, the new dunnhumbyUSA tower will be a boon for city coffers and develop a long underutilized piece of property just a block from Fountain Square. But the central business district needs more residents if it ever wants to support the likes of a grocery store, theater or other service retail. And there are very few sites well-suited for a high-rise residential tower beyond the Fifth and Race location that will now be occupied by a shiny new office tower.

The alternate location for dunnhumbyUSA’s new tower would have been at The Banks where an office tower has been proposed at the corner of Second and Walnut streets. This is an area that is, infact, in need of daytime activity. Unlike the rest of the central business district, The Banks is primarily made up of high density residential and other entertainment that fills the streets into the evenings. What The Banks does not have is daytime business activity, and dunnhumbyUSA would have provided just that.

Furthermore, a location at The Banks would guarantee increased parking revenues at the county-owned garages sitting beneath the development. This, in turn, would help to pay off the stadium debt that is crippling Hamilton County.

If you are to look at things in order of sparking additional development, The Banks location also comes out on top. As most industry insiders are aware, it is difficult to make money on residential development, but office development makes money hand over fist if you can lease it. Such a tower at The Banks would have almost assuredly helped either pay off debts on the first phase, or finance the second phase of development there.

Unless the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) uses the profits to leverage additional development in Over-the-Rhine or in the central business district, the Fifth and Race location will not have the same ripple effect that would have been seen at The Banks.

In my opinion, city officials should have been patient and sat on the Fifth and Race site until a deal came to pass that would have developed the site into a 20 to 30-story residential tower. Cincinnati may only have one or two sites well-suited to accommodate such a tower in its central business district now, but it could probably use three times that many to achieve the vibrancy that is needed.

Let’s hope that the development plan for the Fifth and Race site includes some residential component to help offset this situation. Until then, chalk this one up as good news, but an opportunity missed.