Tag: over-the-rhine

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Development News Transportation

Cincinnati officials select Vine Street route for uptown streetcar connection

City officials have announced that Vine Street has been chosen as the path for the Cincinnati Streetcar to reach the uptown area. The decision comes after a comprehensive study was conducted to determine which route would best connect downtown with uptown, while also best managing the steep hillsides there.

“Our direction from city council has always been to ‘connect the dots,’ but to do so in a way that was fiscally responsible,” stated Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney in a prepared release. “The Vine Street route accomplishes that.”

The Vine Street route is estimated to cost $20 million less in capital costs, offer $250,000 in savings annually in operations, pose fewer engineering challenges, and also offer greater options for future expansions than the West Clifton Avenue alternative. According to City officials, Vine Street and West Clifton Avenue stakeholders have been meeting to discuss the alternatives for months, and that the group had been informed of the final decision yesterday.

One of the primary objectives of the study was to determine how to best navigate the steep hillside leading to and from the uptown area. In this case, Vine Street’s maximum 6.7 percent grade scored much better than West Clifton Avenue’s maximum 8.9 percent grade. The project team said that while United Streetcar/Oregon Iron Works, Siemens, Inekon, Kinkisharyo, and Bombardier all could build modern streetcars to handle such grades, the preference was for engineering simplicity.

In addition to the engineering aspects, many streetcar supporters believe the selected route to get uptown will present greater opportunities long-term.

“The Vine Street route will offer the fastest service between Cincinnati’s two largest employment centers,” said Brad Thomas, Founder, CincyStreetcar.com. “The route also presents the greatest opportunity for future expansions including extensions west to Clifton Heights, north to Avondale and Corryville, or east to Walnut Hills.”

To date, the city has secured $114.5 million out of the total $128 million to build the entire first phase running from Cincinnati’s central riverfront to its uptown neighborhoods. The modern streetcar system will be the first of its kind in the Midwest and one of only three like systems in the United States. The first construction is expected to begin fall 2010 with the first passengers riding in early 2013.

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Brewery District to host three new Oktoberfest tours next weekend

What does September mean in Cincinnati? Oktoberfest of course! One of the area’s favorite festivals, in all of its German heritage, food and beer splendor, returns downtown September 18-19. In addition to the traditional consumption of bratwurst, märzen lagers, and chicken dances, the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District is teaming, once again, with the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company to host a series of tours focusing on Cincinnati’s rich brewing history. The three separate, but intermingling, tours will be offered at various times on both Saturday and Sunday and all three will begin and end at the future home of Christian Moerlein brewing operations (located at 1621 Moore Street in OTR).

The first is the popular Prohibition Resistance Tour which is run by the Over-the-Rhine Brewery District every year during Bockfest in March, and now during Oktoberfest as well. This two-and-a-half hour tour begins with a historical overview of the brewing in Cincinnati, followed by stops at six different breweries including descending 30 feet underground into abandoned lagering cellars for an authentic glimpse of Cincinnati’s brewing past. This particular tour has typically sold out quickly and OTR Brewery District executive director Steve Hampton says that tickets have been selling just as fast this time around. The tour includes a beer ticket and costs just $30, so make your reservations soon.

A second tour will highlight the release of Mike Morgan’s new book entitled Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King. This new tour will take participants along the length of Vine Street through Over-the-Rhine, allowing them to travel through both the Crown and Kauffman breweries while also learning about OTR’s early history and politics from the author himself. Tour organizers say that Morgan’s tour will only be offered at two times this weekend: Saturday at 3:10pm and Sunday at 3:20pm. Each tour will last approximately two-and-a-half hours and include the requisite beer ticket. Tickets cost $35, however $45 gets you a ticket for the tour as well as a signed copy of Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King.

The third and final tour is much more informal, free, and included in both of the aforementioned tours. Throughout the weekend people are encouraged to stop by the former Husman Potato Chip plant to check out the future home of Christian Moerlein brewing operations and get a look at the the planned brewery layout, future equipment placement, and renderings of the new Christian Moerlein Lager House taking shape on Cincinnati’s central riverfront. The tour will be offered approximately every 40 minutes.

As a special early kick-off for these tours, please join the OTR Brewery District this coming Thursday, September 9 at 10am, as volunteers Reconnect the Kauffman. During this “open to the public” event a wall, sealed during prohibition and blocking an underground tunnel, will be ceremoniously torn down to reconnect 2 buildings of the Kauffman Brewery, which at its height was the 4th largest in the city.

For those interested in being more involved with the Brewery Districts efforts, or just more involved with beer in general, volunteers are still needed both for the tours, and for serving beer through out the weekend at the future Christian Moerlein Brewery in OTR. Get your tickets soon and please sign up to be part of this great Cincinnati weekend. Cheers!

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Arts & Entertainment News Transportation

Metro to modify route, increase frequencies on Route 1

Metro officials have announced that route changes will be made to Route 1 in October. Officials state that the changes are intended to better serve local residents and visitors to the Queen City looking to take advantage of the large number of cultural institutions along the route.

The modified service will connect more than 40 cultural institutions throughout Cincinnati’s center city neighborhoods. Changes will include new 30-foot hybrid buses funded by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act that will operate with greater frequency. As a result, riders will benefit from 30 minute bus intervals operating seven days a week.

The new route will also undergo a light-hearted name modification as it is transformed into “Route 1: The One for Fun.”

“The One for Fun will connect the dots of fun in Cincinnati,” said Dave Etienne, Metro’s Marketing Director in a prepared release. “On the Rt. 1, it’s just ten minutes from downtown to Museum Center or from downtown to the Art Museum or Krohn Conservatory. It will be a convenient way to travel to dozens of Cincinnati’s treasures.”

Metro officials will be hosting an open house on Wednesday, September 8 from 3pm to 6pm at the transit agency’s headquarters (12th floor) in downtown Cincinnati. At the open house, current and future riders will have a chance to get an up close look at the forthcoming changes.

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Arts & Entertainment News

Final Friday to offer up usual fun with some unique additions tonight

Tonight in Over-the-Rhine, dozens of artists and art galleries will throw open their doors as they have done on the final Friday of every month since the mid-1990’s. Those who go out to enjoy the art and ambiance of the historic neighborhood are often treated to live music, wine tastings, exhibitions and more as they stroll from one destination to the next.

The best place to start, as always, is the Pendleton Arts Center. First constructed in 1909 for the Krohn-Fecheimer Shoe Company, the Pendleton Arts Center now boasts the largest collection of artists (200-plus) under one roof in the world. Inside, Final Friday-goers will experience the local artwork first-hand while also being treated to unique views of downtown Cincinnati and an overall dynamic artist community.

From there, a quick two-block walk over to Venue 222 will introduce you to a collection of artwork from the Contemporary Arts Center that will be on display from 7pm to 10pm. Once finished at Venue 222, you are in perfect position to work southward down Main Street where there will be a bounty of galleries, shops, and fun along the way.

Follow Main Street all the way south to 12th Street, then head two blocks west to Vine Street where more businesses will be taking part in the Final Friday festivities. Vine Street will also offer some delectable food options for which to enjoy at Senate or Lavomatic Cafe. But while out and about, be on the lookout for one of Cincinnati’s food trucks that may very well be serving up their treats to the crowd.

Final Friday for August 2010 will generally run from 6pm to 11pm throughout the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, with most all galleries and exhibitions free and open to the public. Free bicycle parking is widely available throughout the neighborhood, and several Metro bus routes service the area (plan your trip). For those driving, automobile parking can be found at on-street parking meters, or at several off-street parking lots/garages nearby.

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Business Development News

Mercantile turns to Switch to solve library’s historic lighting problems

One of the major challenges facing the 175-year-old Mercantile Library, as it progressed on renovating its space, was proper lighting of the space. The library space suffered from poor lighting for its users due to a number of issues. To solve such issues, the Mercantile Library tapped Over-the-Rhine-based Switch Lighting & Design.

“The Mercantile’s specific problems had to do with the very high ceilings, the wiring, and the furniture,” said Albert Pyle, Director, Mercantile Library. “Because it’s so difficult to install task lighting here like those cool green shaded table lamps in other libraries, it was necessary to do the whole general lighting job with overhead lights. Everything had to work with the library’s industrial age aesthetic and monumental volume. Tricky, to say the least.”

Library officials say that the new lighting needed to do a variety of things: be warm, bright, and 21st century efficient. The old “schoolhouse globes” were replaced by Wohlert Pendants that provide uniform general diffuse illumination according to Louis Poulson lighting.

“We recommended these lights because they were modern enough to indulge our commitment to modern lighting and traditional enough to maintain the classic feel of this historic library,” explained Switch Lighting & Design co-owner, Bertie Ray III.

The double-stack bookshelf area was particularly problematic. In the past, the double-stack bookshelves had relied on glass floors, to allow minimal light through from the windows below, and small bulbs. The antiquated approach to lighting the stacks was replaced by Zaneen Utah Suspended Lighting T5 that is described as both sleek and modern while also being respectful to historic surroundings.

“The new globes are a better size, cleaner, and make it possible to change the bulbs without dismantling the light,” Pyle stated. “The lighting in the stacks is sleek, self-effacing, and efficient; and allows us for the first time to leave the lights on throughout the day, making the stacks part of the room. Without having gotten the lighting right, nothing else would have worked correctly.”