Right now the Cincinnati music scene is producing some great bands. I thought I would share a few of my favorites
The Growth & Opportunities Survey for the City of Cincinnati (aka GoCincinnati) has finally been released – all 98 pages of it. I will venture to say that the majority of people will not read the report, and if you do, it will probably consist of skimming…so I have taken the liberty of reading it for you, and here is my report on GoCincinnati.
The report seems to offer a two-fold solution. First, the City should focus on its strengths (i.e. walkable communities, urban areas, culture, etc) for mid/long-term growth strategies. Secondly, the City needs to eliminate the edge that currently exists for suburban communities over the city in attracting office/retail/residential growth.
The analysis is overall not flattering, but does report a stable industrial market that is holding strong against regional competition…and that with a little more attention could easily establish itself as the premier industrial market for a couple of categories (i.e. Flex/R&D space and Green Industrial Parks). There are currently only 18 green industrial parks in the nation, and the potential of turning Queensgate into one poses possibly the greatest opportunity, and the ability to position Cincinnati as, “a global leader in ‘green development’ via the rehabilitation of these spaces.” (pg. 34)
The report also places a large emphasis on creating a multi-modal transportation system…which can be started with the streetcar proposal. The report states, “It is strongly recommended that the streetcar line be completed between Downtown, Uptown, and OTR in the 1st phase of its construction. There is probably no infrastructure investment that will have more long-term tax generation and economic development benefit to the city than this streetcar line.” (pg. 40)
Another key area of emphasis is on converting obsolete office space, in the CBD, into non-office uses…primarily in the form of residential spaces. This would allow for rates to creep up and possibly create demand for new speculative office construction, additionally it would inject even more people into the center city.
One final key note of mine was the recommendation of a joint Cincinnati and Hamilton County development authority. The report proposes that it be called the Cincinnati USA Development Authority (CUDA). It is recommended that the operations of the Port Authority be expanded to include all of the city/county. It also noted that this expansion, of the Port Authority, has already begun during this report process.
For any more information you’ll just have to read the report yourself…it’s good for you. All in all, I find this to be fantastically informative and well done. This is something that Cincinnati should really embrace and attempt to position itself strategically for economic and population growth.
Image Credit:
www.cincystreetcar.com
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s probably best that you are prepared for the “big day.” You’re in luck, because UrbanCincy has the perfect evening for you. May we recommend a trip to the Ensemble Theatre…it is a very intimate theatre that hosts great productions and will be something unique and fun to do with your significant other. Mary’s Wedding by Stephan Massicotte (Feb 6-24) will be going on during the Valentine’s time-frame and should definitely make for a romantic evening.
You could make a night of it by grabbing some of the city’s best Italian at Nicola’s just a few blocks away. Take a lovely stroll from dinner to the show…If dinner gets out a little early you could always do some browsing through the many great businesses in the Gateway Quarter.
After the show, take a stroll down to Lytle Park and take in the night with that special person.
As with many other things in Cincinnati lately…things are starting to heat up for a “major film festival” in Cincinnati. CityBeat had a fantastic article about this very subject last week, and it has since stirred some interest on the topic.
Mayor Mark Mallory has commented on the issue and said, “Let me tell you, I am very interested in that concept. We have a very rich film industry in the city of Cincinnati, considering we are not L.A., Chicago or New York.” He goes on to say that CityBeat’s reference of it only costing $120,ooo, “doesn’t seem like a lot of money to me.”
So what do you think…is Cincinnati capable of hosting a major film festival here? CityBeat highlighted the many niche film festivals that are already prevalent in Cincinnati. It seems as though our arts community is capable enough, but do we have that extra umph to make it happen? Furthermore, what could a marque event like this do for
Cincinnati’s image nationwide? Sure we’ve got fantastics arts here, and they are supported well…but it doesn’t seem like all that many people know it. Could an event like this put Cincy on the radar of young professionals, and thus enlighten them to everything else Cincinnati has to offer?
External Links:
Cincinnati World Cinema
Cincinnati Film Commission
There is one thing that I really wish would change in Cincinnati, and it is something that many people around here notice. It is that so many locals are so negative about our city. When you go out and see other places and then compare them to Cincinnati our city fares quite well, and many outsiders would tell you that this is quite a nice place.
Our Downtown has more activity than most, we have two professional sports teams, Broadway shows, Opera/Ballet/Orchestra, great museums, great neighborhoods, good schools, relatively low crime, fantastic scenery and it is all very affordable.
But it seems as though people go out of their way to put down our city/region. As a wise man once said, if we start thinking we’re a world-class city we’ll soon be one. Don’t trash the ‘Nati.