Tag: economic

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Business Development News

The Lackman to open Friday in the Gateway Quarter of historic Over-the-Rhine

Over-the-Rhine residents, workers, and visitors alike will have a new neighborhood watering hole to visit when The Lackman celebrates its grand opening on Friday in the Gateway Quarter at 13th and Vine streets.

The bar is named for the German brewer Herman Lackman who started brewing beer in Cincinnati in the 1800s and made this building into a saloon serving only Lackman brews. According to the new owners, The Lackman will once again be serving up beer, but with a much larger menu that will include 14 beers on tap and more than 30 additional bottled beers.

Inside the cozy 900 square-foot bar, early soft-opening patrons have already been treated to the restored interiors that feature original tile flooring and exposed brick. The historic features of the space, owners say, will be complimented by modern conveniences like flat-screen televisions, custom handmade chandeliers, large plush leather bar stools, and a jukebox.

“The goal of The Lackman is to create a stylish but casual neighborhood bar reflecting the resurgence of Over-the-Rhine,” owner Bob Deck explained in a prepared release. “With a friendly staff, eclectic music and large draft beer selection, we feel that customers will feel right at home.”

Deck is also a partner in the Cincinnati-based Four Entertainment Group (4EG) which operates eight local establishments including the popular Righteous Room in downtown Cincinnati just seven blocks away.

The Lackman (map) will be open from 7pm to 2am on Friday and Saturday this weekend. Following the grand opening weekend, owners say that the establishment will be open at 4pm every day, and will open earlier on Saturdays and Sundays during football season.

Photography contributed by 5chw4r7z.

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Neighborhood-wide home tour to showcase Price Hill’s comeback story

West side residents and community leaders are gearing up for the fall Price Hill Showcase of Homes that will take place on Saturday, September 18 from 11am to 3pm. The neighborhood-wide open house will include close to four dozen homes that highlight what the historic neighborhood has to offer.

Matt Strauss, director of Marketing and Neighborhood Promotion at Price Hill Will, says that this will be the neighborhood’s first showcase of homes since the end of the first-time home buyer tax credit. At the same time, Strauss is excited to show off what Price Hill has to offer in the new real estate landscape that is emerging nationwide.

One of the homes on this year’s tour is located at 918 Elberon Avenue, and homeowner Lorain Mendleson says that she and her husband will look back on their eight years living there fondly.

“The neighborhood has a variety of architectural styles, including some beautiful churches, and it is great to have such a close proximity to downtown and several bus lines,” Mendleson explained. “We’ve been able to walk to the library, grocery store, convenience store, and the Corner BLOC coffee shop.”

The Mendlesons say that as their family has matured that they no longer need the space their 105-year-old house currently provides. They believe that whoever ends up buying their home could take advantage of its space by potentially renting out the first floor while still keeping a three-bedroom house for themselves upstairs. The couple also believes that the next owners will be able to take advantage of the positive momentum the neighborhood is experiencing.

“In the eight years we’ve lived here, this street has greatly improved. When we moved in there were several abandoned houses, and now most have been renovated and occupied,” Mendleson stated. “People wave and say hello to each other, and it’s easy to get involved and invested in this community. It is going to be difficult to move away.”

Much of that progress the couple attributes to the hard work of organizations like Price Hill Will and the East Price Hill Improvement Association, saying that they do not know where the neighborhood would be today without their tireless work.

Those attending the Price Hill Showcase of Homes are encouraged to stop by the Price Hill Housing Resource Center at 3724 St. Lawrence Avenue to pick up a map of participating homes. Organizers state that refreshments will also be available at the office. For more information, please contact Matt Strauss at (513) 251-3800 or Matt@PriceHillWill.org.

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Business News

FUEL Cincinnati to provide technical assistance and funding for creative young professionals

On Thursday, September 16, Give Back Cincinnati will host an event to showcase Cincinnati’s newest young professional retention tool called FUEL Cincinnati. FUEL provides technical assistance, volunteers, capital funds, and directional assistance to individuals who are looking for the means to start a new business in Cincinnati.

FUEL is a program of Give Back Cincinnati, which uses a diverse set of resources to enhance neighborhoods through the use of volunteers and leadership development. They are the region’s largest young professional organization.

Thursday’s event lasts from 6pm to 8pm at Northside Tavern, and is free and open to the public.  Reservations are appreciated due to limited space and can be made online. The event will discuss new ideas for the region, will describe the types of programs that FUEL seeks to fund, and will provide insight about how to apply. The event will also feature the opportunity to submit ideas for a $1,000 grant. Free appetizers and drink specials will be available.

Northside Tavern (map) is located in the highly accessible Northside neighborhood. Plenty of on- and off-street parking is available. Northside is served by several bus lines (plan your trip), and was the first neighborhood in the city to install free, on-street bicycle parking in addition to the many bicycle racks found along the neighborhood’s sidewalks.

Read more about FUEL Cincinnati in this week’s issue of Soapbox.

Categories
News Transportation

Metro announces winners of “Tell Your Story” contest

Metro officials have announced the winners of their Tell Your Story contest that asked Metro riders to share their stories about how transit benefits their lives and their community in terms of jobs, the environment, energy independence, and overall quality of life. The transit agency narrowed down the many entries to five finalists for the written and video entries, then opened the contest to public voting which determined the winners of each category.

After hundreds of votes were cast, Teresa Roush of Wilmington and Travis Theiss of Hamilton respectively won the written and video contests. According to Metro officials, both individuals won a year of free rides on Metro and will be featured in the transit agency’s advertising this fall.

Roush’s written entry described her five-day-a-week commute on the 71X from Kings Island to downtown Cincinnati and back. In her story Roush highlighted how she is able to use her time effectively by knitting afghans that she donates to a children’s charity in Clinton County.

Meanwhile, in Theiss’ video entry filmed at the Taste of Cincinnati he described how he uses Metro as an opportunity to catch up on sleep, and he explained how his Metro bus route provides him with easy access to work while also providing a time to take a nap.

“I just gave it a shot and thought it would hopefully entertain people, and I was glad I could share my feelings that Metro is a great option for transportation,” said Theiss of his video entry.

Metro also awarded 96-year-old William Kenny a year of free rides on Metro for his written story on August 21. In his entry Kenny described how he uses Metro to get to and from the Over-the-Rhine soup kitchen where he volunteers five days a week. It is also believed that Kenny is Metro’s oldest regular rider.

Categories
Development News Politics

Cincinnati region awarded $6M through third round of NSP funding

The Cincinnati region was awarded nearly $6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the stabilization of neighborhoods that have been hard hit by the nation’s ongoing foreclosure crisis. In particular, the funds will be used to acquire and rehabilitate existing housing and demolish badly damaged properties.

The money was awarded through the third round of HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program which awarded an additional $1 billion to communities across America this week. The previous two rounds of funding included $3.92 billion in 2008, and $2 billion in late 2009 through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act which included $24 million for seven communities throughout Cincinnati region.

“These grants will support local efforts to reverse the effects these foreclosed properties have on their surrounding neighborhoods,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “We want to make certain that we target these funds to those places with especially high foreclosure activity so we can help turn the tide in our battle against abandonment and blight.”

Winners in the third round of funding were determined by a number of key indicators that match funding to need in the 20 percent most distressed neighborhoods as determined by the number and percentage of home foreclosures, the number and percentage of homes financed by subprime mortgage related loans, and the number and percentage of homes in delinquency. HUD officials also say that housing price declines, increases in unemployment, and neighborhood vacancy problems are also taken into account.

Of the $6 million awarded throughout the Cincinnati region approximately $1.5 million went to Hamilton County, $1.3 million to Butler County, and $3.2 million to the City of Cincinnati.

“This is great news for greater Cincinnati. Our region was hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, and we need to do all we can to help neighborhoods rebuild and recover,” said U.S. Representative Steve Driehaus (D-OH). “The Neighborhood Stabilization Program brings resources into the hardest hit areas, and will make a difference for families and communities as we continue on the path toward recovery.”