Mt. Adams : Development News

The City of Cincinnati has taken out the back-and-forth that can occur when residents try to reach them to report issues in their neighborhoods. At the Neighborhood Summit on Feb. 16, Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls announced that the Cincinnati City Hall mobile app is available to the public.
 
With the app, residents can look up trash, recycling and street sweeping days, and set reminders; locate and report problems by address; bookmark locations for quick reporting; and track the status of reports. City Hall mobile also has GPS, so users can report issues, even without an address. There’s even a searchable map with property owner information, which enables residents to see if a property is occupied or vacant.
 
A few years ago, residents had to use the Yellow Pages to look up the number for city departments to file complaints, says Kevin Wright, executive director of Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation. The city then implemented a hotline for all complaints, but residents never knew the status of their reports.
 
“It’s amazing how comprehensive the app is,” Wright says. “If you see a broken window, pothole, graffiti, hanging gutter or anything else that is physically wrong with your neighborhood, street or community, you can report it in an instant. It’s a great tool for neighborhood redevelopment.”
 
The app can also be used as a community-organizing tool, Wright says. For example, if there is a property owner who historically hasn’t taken care of his or her property, social media can help organize a community and target the property to enforce codes until the property is fixed, which is what neighborhood councils and organizations like WHRF do.
 
“We’re really putting power in the hands of the citizens of the neighborhoods,” he says.
 
As with most tech programs, the app has room to grow, too. In the future, it could be linked with Facebook or Twitter, so your friends and followers will know who reported problems and where they are.
 
Cincinnati residents can download the app in the Apple App Store or download it through Google Play.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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More cosmetic changes will be coming to Cincinnati’s Central Business District in the opening months of 2013.
 
3CDC was awarded $1.8 million in Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits to redevelop three buildings at the intersection of Third and Main streets. The Heister Building (308 Main), the Brockman Building (312 Main) and the Clark Machine Company Building (316 Main) have been vacant for quite some time. They were once planned for demolition for new-build office space, but those plans fell through.
 
Early in 2012, 3CDC acquired the three buildings and began to draw up plans for their future. The new project will include 10 to 15 condos and 5,000 to 10,000-square-feet of street-level commercial space, says Anastasia Mileham, VP of communications for 3CDC.
 
“The tax credit program is a wonderful program that allows us to do projects that we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise,” Mileham says.
 
The 3CDC development is one of seven preservation projects in the Cincinnati area. The projects were awarded a total of $9 million in tax credits from the Ohio Development Services Agency through the state’s historic preservation program. The Cincinnati projects received about 25 percent of the total $35.9 million of tax credit money that was distributed to projects throughout the state in the program’s ninth round of funding.
 
The other Cincinnati projects include Losantiville Apartments, Abington Flats and Pendleton Apartments in OTR; the conversion of Eden Park’s pump station into a tap room and brewery; the redevelopment of three historic buildings in Walnut Hills; and the renovation of Hamilton’s, old newspaper building, which will become a multi-use education center.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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The City of Cincinnati Economic Development Division and Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United (CNBDU) recently allocated $1.65 million to 13 projects for the 2013 Neighborhood Business District Improvement Program.
 
John Price, then-president of the Clifton Business Association, started CNBDU in 1992. He gathered all of the business association presidents in Cincinnati because he wanted to figure out a way to get funding for those neighborhoods that weren’t downtown, says Mike Wagner, president of CNBDU.
 
Over the years, CNBDU has appropriated about $33 million between federal and city money, and leveraged more $350 million in private money, to support non-downtown neighborhood projects.
 
CNBDU awards money annually to Cincinnati neighborhoods through the NBDIP, which receives federal money from the City’s Community Development Block Grant and city capital funds. Neighborhoods can use the money for a variety of capital improvements and other uses to promote economic development in their business districts.
 
Each neighborhood is allowed to apply for one major and one minor ask, says Bill Fischer, division manager of economic development for the City. The maximum amount for a minor ask is $30,000; there isn’t a maximum amount for a major ask. There are generally more minor-ask projects accepted because more projects can get done.
 
This year's process began in June when 29 neighborhoods submitted their initial proposals, which totaled $3.1 million in requests. A 28-member peer advisory group of community members who had submitted proposals and representatives from neighborhood business districts reviewed the proposals. In September, the reviewers took a bus tour of the project sites.
 
“There wasn’t much to look at when we first started CNBDU,” says Wagner. “But now we can see what has been accomplished in the past 17 years.”
 
In October, the peer group made recommendations to the City’s Economic Development Division after hearing presentations from the different neighborhoods. Neighborhood groups were notified at the end of November if their proposals would be turned into a project through NBDIP.
 
“Each neighborhood has a different approach to the project proposals,” says Fischer. “Some are looking to maintain what’s already there, whereas others are looking to create new business.”  
 
CNBDU funding is in addition to the Focus 52 program, a combination of bond and casino revenues, which will create a pool of $54 million for neighborhood projects throughout the city.
 
The neighborhood projects that were awarded money through the NBDIP are:

• Walnut Hills: Park-Kemper Streetscape Design, $30,000
• West Price Hill: Covedale Center Marquee/Community Message Board, $79,145
• Roselawn: Business District Feasibility Study, $30,000
• Clifton: Ludlow Avenue Storefront Improvement Program, $77,500
• Westwood: Parking Lot Renovation, $30,000
• Northside: Hoffner St. Garden, $80,000
• Northside: Dhonau Garden, $30,000
• Corryville: Façade Improvement Program (continuation), $236,397
• Bond Hill: Bond Hill Identity Project, $30,000
• East Price Hill: St. Lawrence Corner Public Square, $107,500
• Pleasant Ridge: 6025 Montgomery Acquisition & Redevelopment, $150,000
• Avondale: Reading, Rockdale & Forest Streetscape, $400,000
• Mt. Adams: Streetscape Completion, $375,000

By Caitlin Koenig
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On Nov. 8, Cincinnati Public Schools auctioned 13 school buildings and four land parcels, valued at more than $27 million, according to the county auditor's office. Eleven of the buildings sold, along with one piece of land. Bidding opened on Nov. 5 at $50,000; at the close of the auction, CPS made $3.5 million, which was more than enough to complete the district's Facilities Master Plan.
 
The FMP was part of a bond levy that was passed in spring 2003 that combined state and other funds for a $1 billion build-out of the district. In the next 18 months, every school currently in use by CPS will either have been renovated or rebuilt to create a better environment for students, faculty and staff.
 
As part of the FMP, many of the schools that were sold at auction were “swing” schools, which means they were used for classes while other schools were being renovated. After renovations, CPS no longer had a need for the schools, but wanted the buildings to have second lives.
 
“As part of the plan, we knew we couldn’t overbuild, and we didn’t want to under-build,” says Janet Walsh, director of public affairs for CPS. “The consequence of that was that there were some beautiful buildings that we weren’t able to use as school buildings, but could be used by the community in other ways.”

The district's approach, as it has been before, was to put the buildings up for auction.
 
CPS held a successful auction about three years ago, but this one included more buildings and raised more money than expected, says Eve Bolton, board president of CPS. Some of the schools that didn’t sell in the 2009 auction sold this time around.
 
“The reality is that the economic upturn in this region and the interest in Greater Cincinnati leaves a stock of historic, well-built schools empty,” says Bolton. “We want to see our buildings reused and recycled so that they can be beneficial to the neighborhoods they are a part of.”
 
State law allows CPS to auction off unused buildings, but only after they have first been offered to local charter schools. Those left after auction can be sold on the public market as pieces of real estate. Buyers have no legal restrictions regarding what the school buildings can be used as—some of the buildings will become other schools, residential housing or office buildings; others will be torn down and something else will be built in their places.
 
CPS schools and land included in the Nov. 8 auction:

• Burton Elementary School, 876 Glenwood Street, North Avondale: sold for $305,000; built in 1966, last class in 2008
• Central Fairmount Elementary School, 2475 White Street, South Fairmount: sold for $310,000; built in 1900, last class in 2012
• Heberle Elementary School, 2015 Freeman Avenue, West End: sold for $60,000; built in 1929, last class in 2007
• Hoffman Elementary School, 3060 Durrell Avenue, Evanston: sold for $200,000; built in 1922, last class in 2011
• Kirby Road Elementary School, 1710 Bruce Avenue, Northside: sold for $230,000; built in 1910, last class in 2005
• Lafayette Bloom Middle School, 1941 Baymiller Street, West End: sold for $60,000; built in 1915, last class in 2006
• Linwood Fundamental Academy, 4900 Eastern Avenue, Linwood: sold for $75,000; built in 1927-29, last class in 2005
• Losantiville Elementary School, 6701 Elbrook Avenue, Amberley Village: sold for $525,000; built in 1954, last class in 2008
• Old SCPA, 1310 Sycamore Street, Pendleton: sold for $1.3 million; built in 1910, last class in 2010
• Old Shroder Junior High School, 3500 Lumford Place, Kennedy Heights: sold for $150,000; built in 1956, last class unknown
• Paradrome Street parcel, Mount Adams: sold for $135,000
• Winton Montessori School, 4750 Winton Road, Winton Place: sold for $265,000; closed in early Nov. 2012
• George F. Sands School, 940 Poplar Street, West End: not sold, valued at $1.89 million; built in 1912, last class in 2007
• North Fairmount Elementary School, 2001 Baltimore Avenue, North Fairmount: not sold, valued at $2.2 million; built in 1954, last class unknown
• E. Apple Street parcel, Winton Hills: not sold, valued at $485,628
• Terry Street parcel, East Price Hill: not sold, valued at $13,400
• Site of old Millvale school building, 3277 Beekman Street, Millvale: not sold, valued at $135,550

By Caitlin Koenig
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As many areas of Cincinnati are being rejuvenated, including OTR and Washington Park, the City of Cincinnati approved a comprehensive approach to focus on development in the city as a whole, not just targeted neighborhoods. 

Last Friday, the City Planning Commission approved and adopted Plan Cincinnati, which was designed with input from residents. The Plan is an opportunity to strengthen what people love about the city, what works and what needs more attention, says Katherine Keough-Jurs, senior city planner and project manager.
 
The idea is to re-urbanize suburbanized Cincinnati; in a sense, to return to the strengths of the city's beginnings. Cincinnati was established just after the American Revolution in 1788 and grew into an industrial center in the 19^th century. Many of those industries no longer exist in the city, which is part of why Cincinnati has become more suburbanized in the past 50 years. One of the long-term goals of the Plan is to bring new industries to Cincinnati.
 
With a new approach to revitalization, Cincinnati is blazing the trail for other cities. With a focus on building on existing strengths rather than tearing down structures and creating new ones, the Plan aims to capitalize on the city's “good bones” and good infrastructure.
 
Cinicinnatians had a huge role in developing the Plan. The first public meeting for the Plan was held in September 2009, when residents offered their insights into “what makes a great city?" and "what would make Cincinnati a great city?” A steering committee of 40 people representing businesses, nonprofits, community groups, local institutions, residents and City Council helped develop the Plan.

The Plan also got support from a grant from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which the City received in 2010. The grant allotted $2.4 million over three years to support the Land Development Code, which combines and simplifies Cincinnati's codes, reviews the development process, implements Form-based Codes and considers more creative uses for land. The grant allowed the city to start implementing some of the ideas voiced in public meetings.
 
Visionaries included youth, too. City staff worked with community centers and Cincinnati Public Schools to develop an art project for children. They were given clay pots and asked to paint their fears for the city on the inside and their dreams for the city on the outside. The children saw the big issue was quality of life, just like the adults did.
 
“It was an interesting way to get the kids involved and thinking about the future,” Keough-Jurs says.
 
The Plan aims to strengthen neighborhood centers—the neighborhoods’ business districts. It maps out areas that people need to get to on a daily basis and found that most are within about a half-mile of the business districts. But in some neighborhoods, residents can’t access their neighborhood centers. 

The accessibility of a neighborhood center is based on walkability—not just for pedestrians, but also about how structures address walking. For exampke, if a pedestrian can walk from one end of the neighborhood center to the other without breaking his or her pattern (the window shopping effect), the area is walkable; if he or she has been stopped by a parking lot or vacancies, it’s not walkable, Keough-Jurs says.
 
The neighborhood centers are classified in one of three ways in the Plan: maintain, evolve or transform. Some neighborhoods have goals to maintain levels of walkability, whereas others need to gradually change or evolve. Still others need to completely transform in order to strengthen their business districts.
 
“Cincinnati is at the heart of the region,” Keough-Jurs says. “If we strengthen Cincinnati, we strengthen a region.”

The next step for the Plan is to go before the Cincinnati City Council, specifically the Livable Communities Committee, which is chaired by Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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A 19th-century Water Works pump station could soon become a brewery, if a local father-and-son duo gets its way. Bryon and Jack Martin of Cincinnati Beer Company have put together a plan to purchase and transform the Eden Park Pump Station, a red brick, Samuel Hannaford-designed building near the Krohn Conservatory, into a microbrewery, complete with a taproom and biergarten.  

“We would like to serve restaurants and bars in the tri-state area,” Jack Martin says.

The pair already has support from a range of community groups, including the Cincinnati Park Board.   Steve Schuckman, the superintendent of the Cincinnati Park Board’s Division of Planning and Design, says the board likes the idea.  “It would benefit the park by returning a vacant and deteriorating building to productive use,” he says.

The building has a varied history. Since 1907, when it ceased operation as a reservoir pumphouse, it was used by the fire department, then the police as a dispatch station. But in recent years, it has been left to incur serious water damage and other structural problems.

The Martins have already worked with the administration and several city departments, including the Cincinnati Water Works, to gain approval. There were some negotiations, but “every condition that was raised, we met,” Jack Martin says.

Cincinnati City Council’s Strategic Growth Committee viewed a presentation by the company last week, but did not discuss the proposal at length. Later this month, the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee will meet with the developers.  

“Ultimately, City Council has to sign off on the project,” Jack Martin says.

By Emily Schneider

What do the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, California’s Gold Country and Cincinnati have in common? All made the Lonely Planet’s top 10 U.S. travel destinations list, published online Dec. 20.
 
Lonely Planet, a travel guide and information website that garners millions of monthly visitors, listed Cincinnati in between the Hudson River Valley and the Four Corners Region, but ahead of locations such as Chicago, Yellowstone and Boulder. The 145-word review touts Findlay Market, The Art Museum, OTR and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center as places to visit.
 
Freedom Center workers were grateful for the international exposure. With a financial deficit and talks of closing the doors, the center, which opened in 2004, has cut spending and is on the hunt for public funding. As an institution that has received national, and even international acclaim, staying open, especially with the soon-to-be-finished Banks Project, is a must.
 
“The mention couldn’t’ have come at a better time for us,” says Stephanie Creech, external relations manager at the NURFC. “We are working hard to close our financial gap and keep this important institution open for the people of Cincinnati. We also hope it helps show the tri-state area what a national treasure the center is.”
 
Findlay Market, the oldest continuous outdoor market in Ohio and a location on the National Register of Historic Places, was an obvious choice as a place for Lonely Planet to highlight, but as one of the cornerstones of the revitalization of OTR, the mention may help to bring more visitors to the market.
 
“I think people are really starting to realize the historical value of Findlay Market,” says Barb Cooper, owner of Daisy Mae’s Market, a vendor at Findlay Market. “If Findlay Market can be what the rest of the city spurs off of, it will really turn around. We need to be positive about what we have in the city.”

By Evan Wallis
 
 

Instead of sitting vacant and filled with cobwebs and ghosts like many historical buildings in Cincinnati, the old Art Academy is being restored to hold staff offices and a library for its neighbor, the Cincinnati Art Museum.

When the Art Academy moved from Eden Park to its downtown warehouse space in OTR in 2005, the CAM acquired the building. Under the previous CAM director, the building was marked for demolition. Aaron Betsky, current director of the Art Museum, asked Neutelings Riedijk Architects of Rotterdam to update the master plan. The new vision plan included renovation of the vacant section. The environmentally focused AEC Emersion Joint Venture was selected to design the renovation and the building is now on track for LEED Gold certification and a spring 2013 opening. Danis Building Construction is the Construction Contractor.

The first two floors of the old site will be offices to consolidate staff offices and free up more space for public exhibitions. The third floor will be a public museum library; complete with a west-facing terrace overlooking downtown.

Along with preserving the historical integrity of the first two stories of stone walls, Emersion plans to incorporate plywood from previous exhibits to furnish the offices with bookshelves, cutting up and repurposing fake historic wainscoting to create abstract wall patterns and sound absorbing walls. The designers are also reusing old Plexiglass display cases to create new shelving and screens. The Art Museum is also partnering with Building Value to salvage additional items from the old academy and repurpose them for the new offices.

“We are going for a more artful approach to the renovation and sustainability,” says James Cheng, lead designer at Emersion. “We are trying to take things from the execution of their mission and reuse the material that would otherwise be thrown away.”

By Evan Wallis

Three business districts of Cincinnati neighborhoods, Mt. Lookout, Mt. Adams, and Northside, will be undergoing redevelopment construction with help from the City. Councilmember Laure Quinlivan worked for $800,000 of unused capital funds for "shovel-ready projects" in these three neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods compete each year through a peer-ranking process run by Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United (CNBDU), which distribute $2 million in city funding to neighborhoods seeking business district redevelopment. But this year, Quinlivan assisted more neighborhoods gain money faster by finding funds for the three additional projects.

"This additional funding opens three more slots for next year's funding because we cleared three more off the competitive list," Quinlivan said. "Other neighborhoods now have a better chance for complete renovation at a faster pace."

In addition to adding more slots for renovations, the additional funding also speeds up the process of construction. Mt. Lookout had already obtained funds for renovation of Mt. Lookout Square, a project that was scheduled to be completed within three years. Now the additional money will allow the neighborhood to complete the project this summer.

Each neighborhood has a unique plan to improve the appearance and quality of their business districts. The Mt. Adams Business Guild, for example, will improve streetscape infrastructure by fixing damaged sidewalks and adding more trees and lighting.

"I think it will improve the appearance and safety of the neighborhood," Missy Fox, a Mt. Adams representative in CNBDU, said. "It will definitely help attract patrons to the neighborhood businesses and I am very excited for the neighborhood to add to the positive improvements that happened already."

The Northside Business Association plans to buy and stabilize the vacant Landman Building, which will later be rehabbed into a mixed-use commercial & residential development that should help anchor Northside's rejuvenated South Block. This will help the overall appearance, eliminating an eyesore at the core of the business district.

"This program works and we should be funding our best practices as much as we can," Quinlivan said. "It is all about helping the neighborhoods and giving money back to the city."

Writer: Lisa Ensminger
Photography provided.

On December 5, Cincinnati Metro will launch a new route focused on fun. Four brand new 30-foot mini hybrid buses will run a re-routed route 1, now deemed the "One for Fun!" Presented by Hollywood Casino, the vehicles (funded 100% with federal stimulus dollars) will seat approximately 25 people and the route will run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., every 30 minutes, Monday through Sunday, offering around 54 trips a day.

The re-vamped beat will stop at dozens of Cincinnati's best spots for arts and entertainment. The attractions include the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, Music Hall, Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium.

"The One for Fun bus will make it even easier for visitors and people in this region to participate in the unique and special arts & culture of our community - the theater, music, dance, galleries, museums, zoo, and more," said Margy Waller, vice president of ArtsWave. "Our arts make the community vibrant and fun. And here at ArtsWave, we're excited that Metro is making it so easy for everyone to come together through the arts," Waller added.

The route replacing the current Rt. 1 Museum Center-Zoo will improve the route for both local residents and visitors to Cincinnati.

"It's going to be such a convenient route for visitors," said Jill Dunne, public affairs manager at Metro. "If someone is staying at a hotel downtown and their spouse is going to a conference or if they're on vacation, they can hop on Route 1 go to the attractions, get back on and get back without having to call a cab or finding other transportation or parking. It will be the best way to hit all these attractions, making it a great asset to the city."

The Metro, which has been serving the Cincinnati area since 1973, has received positive reactions during an open house held in October. The increased frequency on the route, the new busses wrapped in cool, distinctive designs and the added locations hope to attract more riders who haven't had the chance to get familiar with the Metro system. The route will still service the same neighborhoods and hospitals as the previous route did.

Metro has also partnered with the Cincinnati Park Board to have Eden Park and the Krohn Conservatory on the new One for Fun bus route.

"The Krohn Conservatory is free admission to the public, and adding the direct bus service makes it even more accessible for our citizens," said Julie Horne, chief public information officer for Cincinnati Park Board. The Krohn Conservatory partners with the Cincinnati Zoo and area students on research projects; the new service will improve the ability for students to visit for their projects.

The One for Fun will visit 55 unique attractions and the route is around one hour from end to end. Riders can purchase an unlimited monthly pass for $70, buy tokens at the Mercantile Building in Government Square or pay the standard route price of $1.75 in cash with exact change.

For more information, check out the One for Fun route and Cincinnati Metro.

Writer: Rene Brunelle
Image provided.

 

The Cincinnati Art Museum has selected Emersion Design to lead an architecture and engineering partnership that will renovate its historic Art Academy Building.  While in its early phases, the project is expected to break ground next summer with an organized fund raising campaign scheduled to begin in October 2010.  The renovation work signifies the first phase of the museum's long-term renovation and expansion plans.

According to project manager Jim Cheng, Cincinnati-based Emersion Design will be partnering with Advanced Engineering Consultants out of Columbus on engineering work, and Heapy Engineering from Dayton on electrical work.  Outside of the familiar partnerships, Cheng says that the real joy will be working to improve the historic structure for a world-class institution.

"The Art Academy was built in 1886 for art education purposes, and to bring people the many staff members together whose mission is to do that is really pretty cool," Cheng said. 

The renovation will result in the consolidation of more than 180 CAM staff members currently working in spaces throughout the building.  Project officials anticipate that this consolidation will create an opportunity for even more renovation work down the road.  Once complete, the CAM expects to benefit from an additional 15,000 square feet of exhibition space.

"We are pleased to begin work on this project which has been in the planning phases for many years," said CAM Director Aaron Betsky.  "Partnering with them [Emersion] now will allow us to be sensitive both to the legacy of the Art Academy building’s past and the present need for environmentally sensitive design and construction as well as improved staff work spaces."

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

The Cincinnati Park Board is adding four hybrid vehicles to its fleet thanks to a $122,000 grant from Clean Fuels Ohio.  The new vehicles were obtained in partnership with the City of Cincinnati Department of Public Services, Fleet Management Division.

According to city officials, the new Toyota Prius hybrid cars are replacing four sport utility vehicles that were at the end of their serviceable life cycle.

"We evaluated the benefits of the SUV versus their operational cost, and found that the winter benefits could not justify the much higher costs," explained Gerald Checco, Superintendent, Cincinnati Park Board.  "The upkeep and gas costs associated with the sport utility vehicles could not be justified by the five to ten days of snow conditions annually."

Beyond the $3,000 of annual cost savings, the new hybrid vehicles are expected to make a considerable environmental improvement over the previous vehicles.  City officials estimate that a Toyota Prius emits an average of 3.4 tons-equivalent of CO2 annually, compared to 7.5 tons emitted by the previous sport utility vehicles.  The environmental benefit, officials say, is the clean air equivalent to planting a six-acre forest.

"Our research found the Prius is especially liked because of its stellar fuel economy, relatively uncompromised driving and acceleration characteristics and reasonable price," said Checco who went on to say that the vehicles will be used by administrative staff.

The new vehicles for the Cincinnati Park Board join a growing hybrid fleet for the City of Cincinnati.  Most recently, the City added six hybrid Toyota Highlanders to the Police Department's fleet, and another four hybrid vehicles for its Public Services division.  City officials are also now researching the use of hybrid aerial boom trucks.

Park Board officials state that eight trucks powered by propane fuel will be added later this year to further incorporate "green" initiatives outlined in Mayor Mallory's Green Cincinnati Plan.  To date, the Cincinnati Park Board has installed solar-powered trash cans, rain gardens, geothermal units, and 28 other "green" park projects.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

A taste of Los Angeles' famous taco trucks will hit Cincinnati's streets this spring according to Taco Azul owner and Cincinnati native Gary Sims.

Sims said that the plan was to open in time for the Cincinnati Reds' Opening Day, but due to unforeseen difficulties associated with their truck purchase, the start-up date has been pushed back several weeks to late April or early May.

Once open, those hungry for authentic Mexican fare will be able to find Taco Azul during the work week downtown at Vine and Court streets between 11am and 2pm.  The truck will also be operating around town serving popular nightlife hot spots and special events.

"We wanted to work around Madonnas and the BlackFinn area on 7th Street, but we don't want to have a taco war, so we might go somewhere else downtown or in Northside," Sims detailed.

The "taco war" Sims mentions is in reference to downtown's other popular taco truck - Senor Roy's Taco Patrol - which is regularly found around the 7th Street nightlife area.

"I think there is room for both of us here," said Sims who also plans to get the appropriate permits and approvals to operate in Northern Kentucky destinations like MainStrasse and near Newport on the Levee.  "I thought an authentic Mexican food truck was extremely needed in Cincinnati."

"I would come back for the Flying Pig and could never find any street food other than a hot dog cart," said Sims.  "A friend of mine told me that once I came back to Cincinnati that I had to bring a Los Angeles business with me back to Cincinnati."

The fare served from the Taco Azul (follow them on Twitter @TacoAzulCincy) truck will include a variety of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, sopes and tortas all channeling the Los Angeles taco truck spirit.  Sims stated that they will also be serving the sweet rice-based milk horchata and menudo soup.

"The menudo will be served on Saturdays and Sundays - the soup is considered to be a hangover cure which makes it great for those going out on the weekends," explained Sims.  "We'll also have lengua which is served at every legit truck in California that's worth its weight in gold."

The food will be made using local produce and free range meats as much as possible.  Prices will range from $2 for tacos to $5 for a burrito, torta or quesadilla.  The truck will also have the customary salsa bar and include rice, beans and chips to bolster the culinary experience.

"Part of eating off the street is getting outside and flipping your tie back and sitting on a bench or curb while enjoying some great food."

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography provided by Taco Azul
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy