2010 – Page 87 of 90

Lawyers Title Building looking to sing a new tune

By Newsroom

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January 19, 2010

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Regional consortium lands $24M to clean up neighborhoods

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 19, 2010

The Cincinnati-Hamilton County NSP2 Consortium (CHCHC) has landed more than $24 million for neighborhood stabilization efforts in seven different communities throughout Hamilton County. The awarded money is a result of a successful grant proposal put together by the consortium this past summer and is part of the second round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding. Made up of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County and The Model Group; the consortium works together with the purpose of redeveloping specific neighborhoods and communities within Hamilton County. Within city of Cincinnati Avondale, East Price Hill, Evanston and the Northside neighborhoods will receive funding while Golf Manor, Lincoln Heights, and Mt. Healthy receive funding elsewhere throughout Hamilton County. Some see the use of these funds as a threat to historic properties that make Cincinnati unique, and that it could cost the region down the road. As part of the application, CHCHC has committed to not exceeding a 10 percent threshold for demolition activities, but has proposed demolition of blighted structures in all seven of the targeted areas. According to the CHCHC, the targeted communities have lower economic indicators that result in higher numbers of homes that end up vacant. This in combination with overwhelmed local code enforcement agencies has led to homes becoming blighted that work as a destabilization factor in the neighborhoods. Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper sees the $24 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a great opportunity for communities throughout Hamilton County that have been hit hard during the housing crisis saying that, "this competitive grant will allow us to clean up vacant, blighted and abandoned properties in some of our hardest hit communities." "Those funds are going to help us have a big impact on Cincinnati neighborhoods," Mayor Mark Mallory said. "We will be taking properties that are dragging down our communities and turn them into new housing opportunities that will strengthen our city."Writer: Randy A. SimesStay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

Metro adds capacity to heaviest traveled corridors with new articulated buses

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 19, 2010

Articulated buses have arrived in Cincinnati and will be used along Metro's highest capacity corridors to add capacity and improve productivity. Each of the five new articulated buses has a capacity in excess of 100 people (62 seated, 50+ standing) which represents a 50 percent increase over normal bus capacity. “The articulated buses are workhorses. They will allow us to carry more customers per bus and increase the efficiency on routes that are frequently crowded,” said Marilyn Shazor, Metro’s CEO. “This is especially important now as we try to stretch every dollar to serve as many customers as possible with a smaller budget.” Each of the new buses cost just over $611,000 and were paid for primarily with federal Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) funds that were made available through the Ohio Department of Transportation and the OKI Regional Council of Governments. The new 24-ton articulated buses are being deployed along Metro's heavily used 43, 45, and 47 bus routes along the Reading Road corridor, and are replacing existing buses that were beyond their useful life according to Metro officials. Financially these buses represent a potential gain for Metro through the additional capacity added while maintaining the same labor costs with only one bus driver. Future articulated buses are being investigated and might even be hybrid like many of Metro's newer buses. Writer: Randy A. Simes Photography by Scott Beseler Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy

Senate to open in Over-the-Rhine’s Gateway Quarter this February

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 19, 2010

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10 Things to Watch in 2010

By Sean Rhiney

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General

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January 19, 2010

The first Downtown skyscraper in 20 years gets her crown, a contemporary theatre group creates Cincinnati's first LGBT Theatre Festival, a pioneering vegetarian eatery gets a new life and the completion of the nation's first K-12 arts school are just some of the things Soapbox will be watching in 2010.

New Greener Stock retail shop supplies Green building projects

By Newsroom

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Environment + Sustainability

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January 19, 2010

Mt. Washington architect Heather Curless often has a hard time finding the environmentally sustainable building products she needs for the growing number of Green building projects her clients request. That's why she decided to open her own retail shop, Greener Stock, which opens this week at 3528 Columbia Parkway, near Delta, in Columbia Tusculum. "I became LEED certified last year, and realized the whole Green building process is becoming more popular. Many products aren't easily available in Cincinnati, and I thought it was good timing to bring them together for people to purchase," Curless said. Greener Stock will sell a variety of home and commercial products in a 1,200 sq. ft. space including: Finished countertops made from recycled glass and paper Bamboo plywood and flooring Cork and recycled rubber flooring Recycled content cabinetry Non-toxic paints and sealers Recycled Denim Insulation Rain Barrels and more Curless originally is from South Carolina, but moved to Cincinnati with her husband, who's a native, in 2001. In addition to retail, she and an interior contractor will also provide design, building and consulting services. "We'll be working with homeowners, contractors and building architects," Curless said. Initially many products will be available by special order, but the shop is located in a building where it could expand if customer demand grows, Curless said. Greener Stock will be open Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Writer: Feoshia Henderson Source: Heather Curless, owner Greener Stock

Alltop.com’s Guy Kawasaki gives virtual keynote at NKU’s first business plan contest

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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January 19, 2010

Undergrads from Northern Kentucky University, University of Cincinnati, Xavier, University of Dayton and Miami will compete in the first ever NKU business plan competition.The "Reality Check" Undergraduate Business Plan Competition will pit eight teams against each other for $10,000 in prizes. The first-place team will get an invite to the prestigious national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Celebration in June."Building entrepreneurial culture is critical to the health of our regional economy and all of the universities involved have collaborated to promote a spirit of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in our collective programs," said Bill Cunningham, director of the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute at Northern Kentucky University.In keeping with the "Reality Check" theme of the contest, well-known in the web, tech, and social media worlds, Alltop.com founder Guy Kawasaki will give the keynote - via SKYPE - on the realites of launching a startup in the current economy. Alltop.com is a new sharing and aggregation site.The competition has been funded by the Griggs Family Foundation, in Union, to encourage entrepreneurship at NKU and in the region.First prize is $5,000, second prize is $2,500 and third prize is $1,000. There's also a $1,000 elevator pitch prize. Prize money will be divided among the students.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Bill Cunningham, director of the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute at Northern Kentucky University.

Women’s Idea Network Plans Big Expansion in 2010

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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January 19, 2010

Three years ago, Debbie Christy McCurry founded Women’s Idea Network with one simple question in mind: “How do you find the courage to start your own business?” The answer started McCurry on her own journey to entrepreneurship. WIN’s networking luncheons have taken off in West Chester, and are attended by female business owners from every field. In 2010, McCurry plans to expand WIN to eleven additional Tri-State communities.As a commercial real estate manager, McCurry saw a need to bring together the women who rented business space in her buildings. When she organized a luncheon to share ideas, several women asked if they could bring a friend. To her surprise, 29 women showed up for the first meeting and Women’s Idea Network was off and running. The format for a WIN meeting is simple. During two networking rounds, groups of ten trade business cards, seek solutions to problems and get to know each other. “It’s a soft structure - no pressure,” says McCurry.McCurry builds WIN around the needs of her clients. “I’m not going to sell you a blue dress if you don’t need one,” she quips. Early meetings featured speakers, but McCurry found that her attendees preferred talking about their own businesses. McCurry’s vision for the future of WIN includes a magazine and a large annual meeting for all chapters.WIN’s charter West Chester meeting takes place at the Beckett Ridge Country Club, 11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M., the third Wednesday of each month. One hundred fifty local women are members; average attendance at a WIN luncheon ranges from eighty to one hundred fifty. Women pay $15 to attend a luncheon, and can attend their first with no obligation to join the organization. Reservations are due the Friday before the event.Right now, McCurry is laying the groundwork for a simultaneous launch of the 11 additional WIN locations; partners are helping her scout locations, secure staff, and market the meetings. Another company has approached McCurry about launching WIN-style events in Indianapolis and Columbus, but McCurry has these plans on hold until the Cincinnati events are well underway. Amid the scope of her business plan, McCurry keeps the needs of individual business owners first on her list. She describes WIN as “a business sisterhood…as much about the personal side of our lives as about the businesses. Sometimes, you just need someone to come alongside you and say, ‘Hey, you can do it.’”Written by: Elena StevensonSource: Debbie Christy McCurry, Founder and President, Women’s Idea Network

Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity to open ReStore shop

By Newsroom

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General

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January 19, 2010

To help a needy family build a home, you can give your time, your money…or your tile. Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity is currently accepting donations for the city’s first ReStore - a retail outlet whose profits directly benefit Habitat’s building projects. Each of the 638 North American ReStores receives donated goods from retailers, contractors, and community residents. ReStore customers enjoy getting a deal on building supplies, furniture, appliances and home accessories, and donors may receive a tax deduction. ReStores also have green appeal by reselling materials that might have been discarded, reducing landfill volume. Plus, Habitat saves money by getting building materials from its own ReStore warehouse. "We are confident that the ReStore will be a tremendous asset to our community," said Casey Huber, ReStore Director. "We will actually be saving (donors) money that they'd have to pay to take the supplies to a dump. Plus, we offer a great deal for consumers who are trying to save money on home improvement projects." Tom Salzbrun, Executive Director of Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, is equally enthusiastic about the ReStore’s strategy. "With the ReStore, we're developing a new revenue stream that will allow all charitable donations made to CHFH to be applied toward building construction. This will help us reach our goal of eliminating substandard housing and improving lives and transforming neighborhoods in Cincinnati." Cincinnati Habitat’s ReStore is currently accepting donations at its 35,000-square-foot building at 4910 Para Drive in Bond Hill. Habitat has leased the space, with an option to buy; plans include offices and training facilities. The ReStore will be open for business this spring. Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity has been building homes with donations and volunteer labor since 1986. Written by: Elena Stevenson Source: Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity

My Ten Year Old Tour Guide

By Virginia Baker

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Architecture + Design

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January 19, 2010

Ever wonder what the big city looks like through the eyes of a child? Not surprisingly, Cincinnati's urban landscape with its big campuses and open green spaces can be a veritable amusement park for kids offering up playful architecture and fun discoveries around every turn.