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Business Development News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati selects streetcar development team

Mayor Mark Mallory and City Manager Milton Dohoney announced that the City has selected the Cincinnati Streetcar Development Partners as the team that will help finance, plan, design, construct, operate and maintain Cincinnati’s modern streetcar system.

The announcement was made at the new Rookwood Pottery headquarters in historic Over-the-Rhine. The location is at what will be the northern end of the Downtown/OTR circulator which will then head Uptown from there. Rookwood Pottery is an “enthusiastic” supporter of the Cincinnati Streetcar project and was more than happy to welcome the couple hundred people that showed up to hear the news.

City Manager Dohoney with some of the crowd on hand

The crowd (see crowd pictures here) was not only robust, but diverse as well. Representatives from the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, various City of Cincinnati departments, Model Group, Cincinnati Beer Company, Metro, Cincy Energy Alliance, Mercantile Library, Hodges Law Group, Downtown Cincinnati Inc. and a slew of local business owners and investors.

The excitement was notable as Mayor Mallory and City Manager Dohoney arrived. The crowd was buzzing in anticipation of what was to be announced. This excitement continued as a large group of attendees walked over to Market Wines at Findlay Market to continue the conversation.

Development Team:
Cincinnati Streetcar Development Partners is made up of 12 companies that each specialize in a different aspect that will help lead to the successful implementation of the streetcar system. The team is made up of local and non-local companies that have been involved with roughly 80% of all recent streetcar and light rail projects in the United States, including projects in San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, Portland, Seattle and Cleveland.

Members of the team have also been involved with local projects like Great American Ballpark, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the restructuring of Fort Washington Way that came in on time and under budget.

Cincinnati Streetcar Development Partners

One of the companies is Stacy and Witbeck Inc. (SWI) who is considered to be the “premier streetcar and passenger transit rail construction company in the United States.” Their involvement in the Cincinnati Streetcar project will be their first in the Midwest. As a result, SWI will be opening a new office downtown and will be relocating their executives to Cincinnati specifically for this project.

The team will also consist of local companies like Jostin Concrete Construction, DNK Architects, Megan Construction Company, Property Advisors, Wordsworth Communications and G.J. Berding Inc. The Cincinnati Streetcar Development Partners will be led by Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. (PB) who will also serve as the project manager. PB has led several local transit projects in the past and has a sterling record.

Funding:
The City currently has $78 million in requests to the federal government, who City Manager Dohoney says will be absolutely necessary in the implementation of the Cincinnati Streetcar system.

Explore Cincinnati reported in April that millions of private dollars have been raised thus far. According to the City’s Budget Director, Explore Cincinnati also found out that several organizations have been raising private funds that have not yet been deposited into the City’s account for the project.

This revised funding strategy is a response to the national economic downturn say City officials. The City has also established a new and more comprehensive website for the Cincinnati Streetcar that also includes an online location where streetcar supporters can make private contributions to the project.

What’s Next:
The selection of the team that will design, build and operate the Cincinnati Streetcar system is a major step forward for the project.

“The leaders of this city are taking this city’s future seriously,” says program manager Fred Craig who continues, “we are seeing a new generation working to make Cincinnati a better place.”

Craig went on to say that he and the development team welcome community input and emphasized that this is a project that should be driven by the community. Craig went as far as to say that if you have any suggestions regarding the project that you should call him personally and let him know (513-639-2100 – still trying to track down direct phone line).

Mayor Mallory addressing the crowd
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News

THIS JUST IN: Downtown Cincinnati is an exciting, fun, lively place to experience

I often give people tours of Cincinnati. People that are both from Cincinnati and from out of town. The common thing that I hear is how “shocked” they are that there is so much activity and life in our center city.

This is no shock to the people who spend the majority of their lives there, but I often wonder about these 9-5er’s who claim superior knowledge of the place given their location there five days a week for eight hour a day.

These people are just as “shocked” when they come down on the weekend or in the evening for the occasional show or sporting event. But why is it they feel the place “dies” when they leave? Is it just because they only spend the 9-5 there and they assume that everyone else does as well?

Likewise, how many times does it take for a “shocking” experience to no longer be considered a “shock?” Some of these people I have brought into our downtown and beyond make the statement every time. I wonder if it takes five, seven or maybe twenty-two times of experiencing the same scenario to no longer be shocked.

Over time these people will learn and eventually learn that our center city is viable and is an exciting place to not only work, but live and play as well. If you don’t believe me ask one of the thousands of downtown residents, or the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of visitors that come downtown for entertainment each year.

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News

This Week In Soapbox 6/9

This Week In Soapbox (TWIS) you can read about the opening of several new restaurants including World Food Bar at historic Findlay Market, Pergola Restaurant & Bakery in Fort Thomas and the return of Hamburger Mary’s to its previous downtown location. Also in this week’s Development News section you can read about Norwood’s first community garden and the $100 million Kenwood Towers project.

If you’re interested in staying in touch with some of the latest development news in Cincinnati please check out this week’s stories and sign up for the weekly E-Zine sent out by Soapbox Cincinnati.

TWIS 6/9:

  • World Food Bar opening at historic Findlay Marketfull article
  • Hamburger Mary’s is back, babyfull article
  • Pergola Restaurant & Bakery bringing fresh and local food concept to Ft. Thomasfull article
  • Community garden sprouts in Norwood at Linden Pointe on the Lateralfull article
  • Residents work for zone change for $100M Kenwood Towers projectfull article
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Arts & Entertainment News

Jazz great at Blue Wisp tonight

Cincinnati jazz fans have an opportunity to see a legend tonight on the Blue Wisp stage. Joey DeFrancesco, arguably the world’s top jazz organist, will be taking the stage for two shows: one at 7pm and another at 9:15.

When DeFrancesco was just 17 years old, he was invited to join Miles Davis’ band. He toured Europe and recorded an album with Davis. He went on to play with fusion guitar legend “Mahavishnu” John McLaughlin.

Today, DeFrancesco is constantly on the road, playing shows around 200 nights a year. He is also credited with repopularizing the Hammond B3 organ.

Tickets start at $20 to attend one show, or $30 to attend both. Each show consists of two sets. Reservations are recommended, as his last show in Cincinnati sold out, even with a huge snowstorm that day! Call 513-241-9477 for reservations.

Photo is courtesy of Flickr user lorenzofrizzera.

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Arts & Entertainment News Politics Transportation

‘Complete Streets’ discussion at the Mercantile Library

Cincinnati is like many other American cities in the fact that much of our transportation spending goes towards the creation and maintenance of streets. The streets that are built often ignore every kind of transportation option other than an automobile.

Rarely do you find a dedicated bike lane, sidewalks are often hard to come by and it is quite rare that streets are designed with buses, streetcars or light rail in mind.

This not only makes our streets unpalatable for these other modes of transportation, but it makes the streets unsafe for those looking to move about in something other than 1,000 lbs of glass and steel.

On Tuesday, June 9th you can learn about the Complete Streets movement and efforts to implement them in Cincinnati. City Council Member and Urban Planner, Roxanne Qualls and the Principal of Kinzelman Kline Gossman, Clete Benken will help lead the discussion.

The event will take place at Cincinnati’s historic Mercantile Library located at 414 Walnut Street downtown. The doors will open at 5:30pm with the program beginning at 6pm. It is requested that you RSVP by June 5th at (513) 621-0717 or at mercantileinfo@mercantilelibrary.com (reservations are required).

The program is $8 for Mercantile Library and Architectural Foundation members; $10 for others. Reservations required.