Tag: over-the-rhine

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Business News

Taco Azul to finally hit Cincinnati’s streets in time for Reds Opening Day

A new California-style food truck will bring authentic Mexican fare to Cincinnati’s streets just in time for Reds Opening Day this Thursday. The food truck, long anticipated by Cincinnati’s street food connoisseurs, will feature a special al pastor available on tacos, burritos, tortas and gringas – a style of quesadilla from northern Mexico.

Taco Azul owner and operator, Gary Sims, says that he has been very excited to begin operations in his hometown after living in Los Angeles for years.

“When I moved back to Cincinnati I was surprised at how much had changed, especially in our urban core. Younger people were staying in the city and couples were moving back into downtown and Over-the-Rhine,” Sims told UrbanCincy in an exclusive interview. “There was also a culinary rejuvenation here. I could actually find good sushi in Cincinnati, and I just felt that with all of this, the timing was perfect for a Cincinnati taco truck.”

Since Sims has been back in Cincinnati he says that he has also been encouraged by the work of City Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan who led the effort to create food truck parking locations throughout the Central Business District. But he does hope that more can be done to further accommodate the burgeoning food truck industry.

“Maybe in the future we could have some temporary spots for food trucks during special events like ball games, concerts or festivals. But as I said, I cannot imagine a more welcoming city council than ours here in Cincinnati.”

The desire for special event parking locations has been echoed by other food truck operators including Café de Wheels. Both food truck operators have recently expressed interest in being more closely located to Great American Ball Park for Reds Opening Day, and other special events taking place at The Banks.

“I grew up in Cincinnati, and even as a kid I can remember Opening Day being the biggest day of the year for this city,” Sims explained. “The Reds have such a great history here in Cincinnati. It is our unofficial start to spring.”

After Reds Opening Day, Sims says that customers will be able to find Taco Azul for late night food between 11pm and 2:30am in Over-the-Rhine, Northside, Mt. Adams or Downtown. He says that their lunch schedule will vary, but encourages customers to follow Taco Azul’s Twitter and Facebook accounts for live updates.

To ensure no confusion, Sims notes that Taco Azul stands out from the other local food trucks (stay up-to-date on all of Cincinnati’s food trucks through UrbanCincy’s comprehensive Twitter stream) because it is the only place to find “authentic Mexican street food,” and that food is self-contained and cooked-to-order on the truck. As the truck matures he experts to also offer specials, breakfast and try other food fusions with Latino fare.

“I love Café de Wheels and the other trucks here in Cincinnati. I think we will compliment each other and bring this city variety, and a new street cuisine that is hard to find outside of a few major cities.”

Taco Azul photograph by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.

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Business Development News Politics Transportation

New report confirms potential economic impacts of the Cincinnati Streetcar

A new report released by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development finds that transit investments like the Cincinnati Streetcar are winning economic winners. The report studied the three most recently opened light rail lines in the United States and discovered that urban portions of the lines were most successful at spurring economic activity and ridership.

Contrary to popular belief that rail transit is only successful in liberal bastions like Portland, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia or Seattle, the report looked at three modest cities in terms of political affections: Charlotte, Denver and Minneapolis.

Rails to Real Estate: Development Patterns along Three New Transit Lines also identified Charlotte’s Blue Line as the most successful despite being the having the least number of years studied of the three and being the smallest of the three transit lines. The economic patterns were consistent though, with each transit line experiencing anywhere from six to ten million square feet of new development since they opened. The report attributes the success is to five main considerations:

  1. Proximity to downtowns and other major employment centers
  2. The location and extent of vacant or “underutilized” property that might offer opportunities for development or redevelopment
  3. Block patterns that influence “walkability”
  4. Transit connectivity
  5. Household incomes

“We need to make transit investments that unlock the potential for TOD, but we need to make them in the right places,” said the director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Sam Zimbabwe.

Cincinnati’s modern streetcar system has recently been challenged by Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) in regards to its ability to generate economic investments and create jobs. This challenge goes against economic studies performed by HDR Economics and confirmed by the University of Cincinnati’s award-winning economist George Vredeveld. When applying the key findings of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development’s recent report Cincinnati’s streetcar system looks to be an even bigger winner than expected by the OKI Regional Council of Governments (OKI) and Ohio Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) which have both enthusiastically supported the project.

The Cincinnati Streetcar meets all five of the reports key considerations for economic success along transit lines. The system runs through downtown Cincinnati and connects the regions two largest employment centers, and serves areas that include vacant and underutilized properties that offer opportunities for development or redevelopment. The Cincinnati Streetcar also connects with the region’s focal point for bus transit, serves a block pattern that is extremely walkable, and includes a diverse range of household incomes.

And while the report shows Charlotte as the big winner, its findings show that the Cincinnati Streetcar could be even more successful than the Blue Line’s approximately 9.8 million square feet worth of real estate investment between 2005 and 2009. The main reason is, of course, location.

Cincinnati’s streetcar line will serve an area better equipped and positioned for transit-oriented development (TOD) when compared to Charlotte’s Blue Line which saw economic investments drop off precipitously after leaving that city’s downtown (Uptown) and adjacent residential neighborhood (South End). When compared to Charlotte, Cincinnati’s downtown and adjacent residential areas (Over-the-Rhine, Clifton Heights, Mt. Auburn, Corryville, University Heights) served by the streetcar line represent significantly greater land area prime for TOD.

Major economic investments are already occurring on and around the Cincinnati Streetcar line in anticipation of its opening in 2013. In Clifton Heights the $70 million U Square at The Loop mixed-use development derives its name from its proximity to the streetcar’s connection to Uptown. In Over-the-Rhine Rookwood Pottery, Christian Moerlein, the $400 million Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati and dozens of small businesses have expressed their hopes for the eventual opening of the modern streetcar system. And in downtown developers of The Banks and other major developments have begun using the Cincinnati Streetcar as a marketing tool.

In addition to the existing positives for Cincinnati’s streetcar system when it comes to TOD, the planned streetcar system also has local planning efforts supporting it. In 2010 Cincinnati City Council passed a measure that will reduce or eliminate parking requirements at residential developments within two blocks of a streetcar stop. The streetcar system will also be managed with the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) which currently operates Metro bus service and plans to coordinate the two systems.

The report noted that while transit improvements were a factor in the real estate investments, that coordination with longer-term efforts to revitalize center cities was greatly important.

“This study marks an important step in understanding the impact of transit investments in three regions, and the implications for other communities looking to transit investments as a source of long-term economic prosperity and competitiveness,” Zimbabwe stated. “Investments in neighborhood infrastructure and amenities are critical for unlocking the potential for TOD.”

When the study examined the differences between the lines in Charlotte, Denver and Minneapolis it showed that the urban portions were most successful at attracting economic investment. Charlotte’s Blue Line (9.6 miles) saw approximately 1,021,000 square feet of development per mile, while Denver’s Southeast Corridor (19.1 miles) and Minneapolis’ Hiawatha Line (12.3 miles) saw 408,000 and 545,000 square feet of development per mile respectively.

The results from this study are clear for transit-oriented development. An urban setting with opportunities for development, close proximity to job centers and transit connectivity are critical for economic success. Suburban areas show diminishing returns in the form of economic activity and real estate investment along transit line. The Cincinnati Streetcar represents all of the key considerations and more, and is exactly why the project has received TRAC’s highest score for two consecutive years out of every transportation project in Ohio.

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Business Development News

Residential development thriving in historic Over-the-Rhine

While Cincinnati deals with the news from the U.S. Census Bureau that the city lost 10 percent of its population over the past decade, there is positive news from the city’s urban core. The Central Business District had a gain of more than 20 percent, while Clifton Heights, University Heights, downtown Covington and Newport, and portions of Over-the-Rhine saws gains of 10-20 percent.

The news is particularly encouraging for Over-the-Rhine which has seen its population decrease from more than 50,000 people at its peak, to roughly 10,000 people today. The most growth in the historic neighborhood occurred in the areas where the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) has focused its energies over the past five years.

“The renaissance of Over-the-Rhine continues block by block and building by building,” says Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. “It is clear that people want to live in our urban core and want to be a part of the rebirth that is happening. We are going to continue to restore this historic neighborhood back to a vibrant and active community.”

The next phases of redevelopment in Over-the-Rhine are just now coming to life along Race Street. On Tuesday, March 29 3CDC will gather with the NorthPointe Group and John Hueber Homes to celebrate the opening of Westfalen Lofts. The three previously vacant buildings have been transformed into nine residential units that include townhomes, flats and a single-family residence.

“This is the first development where we have partnered with John Huber Homes,” stated Chad Munitz, Executive Vice President of Development and Operations at 3CDC. “We feel they bring a new look to the historical residential units that we have not yet seen.”

Since 2005, 3CDC has spearheaded the creation of 234 new residential units. Of those 234 residential units, 74 percent of the 182 condominiums have been sold. Additionally, 100 percent of the 52 rental units, with the 32 units in Parvis Lofts being leased in just ten weeks.

Race Street redevelopment photograph by Jake Mecklenborg for UrbanCincy.

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Business Development News Politics Transportation

New provision to Ohio transportation budget represents “unprecedented attack” on Cincinnati Streetcar

In an unprecedented action, Ohio Senate Transportation Committee Chair Tom Patton allowed a provision to be introduced to the latest amendment of the state’s biennial transportation budget that would “prohibit state or federal funds appropriated by the state from being used for the Cincinnati streetcar project.”

The action comes on the heels of recent news that newly elected Governor John Kasich (R) plans to strip the project of approximately $52 million in state appropriated funds. Such an action would go directly against the state’s laws and proceedings for appropriating state and federal transportation dollars, and could be subject to legal action from the City of Cincinnati.

“So if you suddenly don’t like the process established by law that has worked well for 14 years under Democrats and Republicans, you change the process,” said Ken Prendergast, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. “This is like saying we didn’t like who won the Super Bowl, so we’re going to re-write the record books.”

Provision SC-0257-1 was approved out of committee Tuesday evening as part of an omnibus amendment, and will then go to the full Senate and House. The omnibus amendment, according to Prendergast, could then either be accepted as is, or be assigned to a conference committee if the House finds the bill substantially different from the version it passed last week that did not include the anti-streetcar provision.

The unprecedented attack against the Cincinnati Streetcar, the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) highest-ranking transportation project pending anywhere in the state, further exemplifies the cavalier attitude of the newly elected governor and Ohio General Assembly.

Prendergast notes that the Cincinnati Streetcar was ranked as the state’s top transportation project based on economic development, cost-effectiveness and environmental impact criteria by the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC), a non-political review board established by state law in 1997. The TRAC, he says, was created, urged in part by then and current ODOT Director Jerry Wray, to remove politics from the state’s transportation project selection process.

Previous actions by the TRAC include unanimous votes in support of the funding appropriations for the $128 million Cincinnati Streetcar project.

“These are not state funds, but state-administered transportation funds. If they don’t go to the streetcar, they will go to a lower-ranking road project,” Prendergast emphasized. “If state officials really want to save taxpayers’ money, they should cut from the bottom-ranked projects, not from the top.”

Prendergast went on to say that in his nearly 30 years of transportation advocacy that he has never seen such a blatant attempt to discriminate against rail projects in such a manner. And he points to a November 2009 vote in Cincinnati that defeated a measure that would have singled out rail projects for public votes by 55 to 45 percent.

“As young Ohioans flee to vibrant cities that offer transportation choices, as Baby Boomers face a future of house arrest without options to cars, and as all Ohioans face immobility from worsening global petroleum constraints, this amendment by the Ohio General Assembly to punish a very specific transportation project is worse than counter-intuitive. It’s downright mean.”

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Arts & Entertainment News

Dogfish Head beer tasting at The Lackman tonight

The Dogfish Head Brewing Company will have their Midwest representative visit Over-the-Rhine tonight, from 6pm to 10pm, for a beer tasting event at The Lackman.  The event is part of The Lackman’s monthly tastings which previously have featured the beers of the Bell’s Brewery and Stone Brewing Company. The events have been well attended, so come early if you hope to grab spot at the bar or a table.

The Lackman’s manager, Tabb Harrison, says that he hopes to provide patrons the opportunity to sample a selection of beers from a featured microbrewery in one night during these monthly tastings. While it may be possible to try some of these beers individually on occasion throughout the city, it is certainly not possible to try all of the limited releases and rarities on-hand in a single night.

The following five Dogfish Head “off-centered ales for off-centered people” (as the company’s motto goes) will be the featured beers on tap for this month’s tasting event along with an additional surprise.

  • Palo Santo Marron- 12% abv, highly roasty, and malty brown ale aged on the Palo Santo wood.
  • Red n White- 10% abv, belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice.
  • My Antonia- 7.5% abv, continually-hopped imperial pilsner.
  • Burton Baton- 10% abv, two ‘threads’ of beer: an English-style Old Ale and an Imperial IPA, a blend of the citrus notes from Northwestern hops melding with woody, vanilla notes from the oak.
  • 90 Minute Imperial IPA- 9% abv, A big beer with a great malt backbone that stands up to the extreme hopping rate.

Organizers of the Dogfish Head tasting event also say that there will be an additional surprise this month. It has not been confirmed, but a reliable source has alluded to a special animal, commonly affiliated with Dogfish Head, making a guest appearance. For those connoisseurs, and regular beer enjoyers like myself, not content to simply taste the beers will be treated to discussions with Dogfish Midwest representative Don Bichsel and Cavalier Distributing representative Brandon Hagedorn.

According to Harrison, pints of the featured Dogfish Head beers will run between $6 and $8, depending on the rarity of the brew.  Additionally, there is a possibility that a tasting flight of the brews will be available (this is TBD). The Lackman drink menus set up at each table and along the bar will be augmented with information about each of the featured brews.  Bottle opener key chains in the shape of Dogfish Head’s logo will be given out with pint purchases for free while supplies last.  Additionally, Dogfish t-shirts, hats, and pint glasses will be available for purchase.

Gourmet pretzels from Yankee Doodle Deli in Covington will be available, and both Senate and Lavomatic are immediately nearby ready to cure your post-delicious beer munchies (neighborhood insider tip: send a group ambassador to put your name in at your restaurant of choice as these tasting events have been known to correspond with busy nights at both neighborhood restaurants).

Future tastings at The Lackman (map) will typically take place during the last week of each month, and include no cover charge.

The Lackman photograph by Andrew Oehlerking