With poverty in Cincinnati hovering at almost double the national average, CityLink Center, which celebrates its one-year anniversary this week, is helping residents become self-sustaining through a holistic approach that includes educational services, financial education and employment assistance.
Did you know that in the state of Ohio, bicycles are considered vehicles and are supposed be treated as such? Or that cyclists can be given tickets for riding on the sidewalk, and are urged, for safety reasons, to take up the entire lane while riding? As Cincinnati's bicycle infrastructure grows, it's more important than ever for everyone on the road to know how to share it safely. Soapbox cyclist-in-chief Evan Wallis shares some basic tips.
The City of Cincinnati Economic Development Center, led by newly appointed director Odis Jones, is trying to bring more jobs to Cincinnati. As a result, two long-time Cincinnati companies, Rough Brothers Greenhouses and Meyer Tool Inc., are moving some of their business inside the city limits. Rough Brothers, a greenhouse design and manufacturing firm, has been in the Cincinnati area since 1932, but is now relocating its worldwide headquarters to Cincinnati's Bond Hill. Rough Brothers has agreed to purchase 20.5 acres of vacant land at the southwest corner of Paddock Road and Regina Graeter Way from the city for $1.3 million. With the construction of the new headquarters, Rough Brothers is expected to create 120 jobs inside the city within three years, creating $1.2 million in new net tax revenue. The company has committed to remaining in Cincinnati for 10 years. The company's new headquarters will include a 150,000-square-foot office and manufacturing facility that will be built to LEED standards. Construction of the new facility is estimated to cost $4 million, while the project as a whole will cost $13.3 million. "The Rough Brothers relocation is a perfect example of Cincinnati’s GO Cincinnati initiative being put to work," says City of Cincinnati Economic Development Director Odis Jones. "The site the company chose is located in an area that we have been working to grow." Another company is bringing more jobs and development to another targeted area of Cincinnati that Jones and his team are working to develop. Meyer Tool, Inc. is a high-tech manufacturing company that has been in the area since 1951 and is now building a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Camp Washington. Meyer Tool will also expand its Colerain facility, adding 50 news jobs. "This project represents new investment in the Camp Washington community. The property tax incentive will help the company create new jobs," Jones says. By Evan Wallis
A small pharmaceutical development company is in the process of developing a new ADHD drug, which could net over $1 billion per year, if it makes it to market. P2D Bioscience was started in 2005 by a former University of Cincinnati psychiatry professor, Dr. Frank Zemlan. P2D partnered with Advinus, a drug discovery company based in Bangalore, India. The two companies are working on developing a drug, which was once used for cocaine addiction, to treat ADHD, but with fewer side affects and no addiction liability. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children, with symptoms continuing into adulthood in up to 50 percent of cases. Recent estimates show that approximately 4.7 percent of American adults live with ADHD. In the U.S. alone, the rate has grown from 12 per 1,000 children in the 1970s to 34 per 1,000 in the 1990s. "This drug has a big advantage over similar drugs," says Zemlan, CEO of P2D. "Without the risk of addiction liability, there is potential for a huge market." The drug was designed not to be addictive because it had been used for cocaine addicts. The drug has passed the first round of pre-clinical testing, and Zemlan says it will be able to begin testing on humans in eight to 12 months, if all goes as planned. Currently, the drug is undergoing safety tests. "It's a big boom for Cincinnati to have drug development company based here," Zemlan says. "It gives a lot of opportunity for hiring high-tech and highly skilled employees." In its short existence, P2D has had great success and already has patents around the globe. Much of the work is through a partnership with the National Institute of Health, which is where P2D obtains many of its grants for research. "This year alone we have received $4.5 million in grants from the NIH," Zemlan says. "We hope to keep growing." By Evan Wallis
A former DAAP fashion design professor and current professor of fashion at Ryerson Univeristy in Toronto, Henry Navarro had an idea to make a public piece of art addressing the segregated nature of Cincinnati. His vision has been transformed into a fashion show that addresses the problems of a separated city by envisioning what it can be in the future. Navarro started thinking about the idea two years ago when he was still a professor at UC. He saw a lot of contrast around the city and began looking at maps and census data. After studying the history of Cincinnati neighborhoods and correlating the information to the most recent census maps, Navarro saw a city that needed to be more integrated. The name of his project is Grey Cincinnati, named after a middle ground between the black and white communities. “The premise is to select a location and, in a month, design, develop and produce a fashion show related to the place,” says Navarro. “Participative public artworks like ‘Grey Cincinnati’ are only possible with the collaboration of the local community.” Navarro chose fashion because after doing similar projects in Spain and Italy, he realized that contemporary art doesn't engage a community as well as fashion does. "When you tell someone you are putting together a fashion show about the people and the city they live in, it creates interest, because it isn't something usual," Navarro says. The fashion show will use "real-people," black and white models from various neighborhoods in Cincinnati. The outfits are designed to correspond to famous neighborhoods, iconic buildings and aerial views of the city. "I want to show people what it can look like if everyone, no matter their background or ethnicity, came together," Navarro says. "We are trying to show what that would feel like through fashion." Navarro says now is a perfect time for an event like this because of all the positive things that are going on around Cincinnati. From redevelopment to new development, Navarro sees the city moving forward, but wanted to return to Cincinnati to show that the future can be even better. Grey Cincinnat will take place July 28 at Prairie Gallery in Northside. Navarro expects to fit an audience of 100 indoors, but will project the fashion show on the outside wall. By Evan Wallis
A year ago, Chris Lacey moved from Maderia to the Pendleton District of Over the Rhine to live in one of the six new single-family homes he built on Dandridge Avenue. The town homes sold out within three months of completion and Lacey saw the opportunity to help turn the neighborhood. At the intersection of Pendleton Street and Dandridge, Lacey now owns six other buildings and is in the process of rehabbing them into single-family homes. Some will even have rental units in the building that when rented, will pay the mortgage of the home. The reason for creating single-family houses is to draw homebuyers to Over the Rhine, something that will ultimately help change the neighborhood. "Homebuyers drive change," Lacey says. "Sure, just having people renting in a neighborhood and having a presence helps, but if a momma bear is somewhere, she is going to make sure her and her kids are safe. Families also have necessities they need nearby. If families are around, businesses will come in." Lacey, who has been in development for over 30 years, says that many young professionals that move downtown after college or obtaining a job will likely move out once they have children, looking for better schools and safer neighborhoods. The new homes will have yards, parking, in-home washer and dryers and other amenities that are usual in suburbs, but not as often in urban areas. Adjacent to the buildings Lacey owns is an acre and a half lot he also owns. Right now, the lot is filled with a community garden and the rest is filled with hundreds of sunflowers, which Lacey planted to brighten up the area. "I've done it in other places it really helps liven it up," Lacey says. "I cleaned cars, sofas and tons of garbage out of the lot, now it's pretty much a community park." Lacey plans on building 10 to 12 more homes in the lot within the next year or two. The units that are currently being worked on will open in October and continue through the next months. After all of Lacey's current land is developed, he will have 30 completed units within one block. Before moving downtown, Lacey and his wife contemplated moving out of town, but instead moved downtown and Lacey says they couldn't be more happy about the decision. "It's rewarding to help fix something that is broken," Lacey says. "Both the buildings and the neighborhood are turning around." Lacey says he has his eye on 14 other buildings in the Pendleton District. By Evan Wallis
A trio of Cincinnati's best and most accredited party planners recently combined their collective expertise to create a new party styling service, Stellar Party. The three women, Margot Madison, Nora Martini and Brigid Horne-Nestor all have a particular set of skills that differ slightly. They came together in March to begin their new business. "The beauty of Stellar Party is that all three of us have experience in slightly different areas that all fit together perfectly," Madison says. Horne-Nester has been planning events for more than 20 years and is one of only 60 planners around the world to have obtained credentials from Bridal Consultants, an organization that has been helping recommend planners and services for weddings since 1955. Horne-Nester's expertise is in the big picture of the party, including overall timeline and set-up of events. Martini has experience in movie and photography set design, thus giving her an eye for the tone, theme and flow of an event. Madison is the detail person. As a graphic designer, Madison designs all the printed materials, such as invitations and menus, as well as the centerpieces and other party collateral. All three women have been working in Cincinnati for years, and have occasionally teamed up before. Horne-Nester runs the small bridal boutique, I-Do Boutique, in O'Bryonville, Madison runs her party service company, Margot Madison Creative, and Martini does mostly freelance work. Each will continue to run their own businesses while collaborating when contracted for events through Stellar Party. "We have worked mostly with wedding and bat and bar mitzvahs, but saw an opportunity to team up for more events," Madison says. "From corporate events to private parties that aren't weddings." Instead of taking work from one another, Madison says forming Stellar Party will create more opportunities for everyone. "We add to each other," Madison says. "I have a high-level of skill in the graphic side of things, but I wouldn't want to plan an entire event in a million years. When we were talking about the business, it just became apparent that things each of us don't like doing, someone does." By Evan Wallis
When a Northside couple, Ramsey Ford and Kate Hanisian, started Design Impact, they wanted to create a social design company that creates lasting change in low-income communities around the world. As they investigated existing social design companies, Hanisian and Ford learned that most similar non-profits do their work and then leave communities. They spend short periods of time on the ground and often create solutions that don’t take community needs and cultures into account. “If you’re designing the next Pantene bottle, our culture is similar enough that a lot of the assumptions made will be correct,” Hanisian says. “When you’re crossing economic and geographic borders, assumptions can be wrong, and it can alienate the community from the process.” Hanisian and Ford charted a new path for Design Impact. They wouldn’t arrive in a community with a pre-fabricated plan to “fix” it; instead, they would become a part of the community. By living and working with community members, they would find the best ways to help create deep and lasting change. The mission began with the couple spending 16 months in India and then sending six fellows into communities around India. Each community will be served in three phases and after six months, Anisha Shankar, has developed her plan to improve health for malnourished children. The solution is Ladoo, a low-cost snack packed with nutrition. Currently, Design Impact is running a fundraiser on indiegogo.com, a crowd-sourced fundraising website. The goal is to raise $10,000 to assist in phase two of the fellowship program. The next fellow will spend 10 months in Pune, India, creating a business plan to help local women create a sustainable business making the Ladoos, while simultaneously helping solve the problem of malnourishment. The long-term goal is to create a sustainable business model based around the ladoo and expand it exponentially with the goal of helping lower childhood malnourishment not just in Pune, India, but everywhere. Do Good: • Donate to the indiegogo campaign and help Design Impact raise $10,000. • Donate to Design Impact as a whole organization and help fund other programs. • Visit Design Impact's website and learn about the programs and help spread awareness. By Evan Wallis
From specialty pizzas to "HearPlugs," the musicians of The All Night Party know lots more than creative music promotion. With their help, local bands navigate the business of music in fresh, innovative ways.
Since the beginning of the year, Jack Heekin and his business partner, Tom O'Brian, have been steering their Pedal Wagon around Cincinnati, putting smiles on the faces of their customers and bringing business into local bars. The 15-person, pedal powered machine, has been booked with four pub crawls on Friday and Saturday nights as well as several on weekdays. With business continuing to grow, Heekin and O'Brian are adding a second Pedal Wagon to their fleet. The second wagon will allow for more tours and new promotions, including a deal with the Cincinnati Reds. Heekin contacted the Reds about collaborating on a home game promotion that will sell group tickets to Pedal Wagon riders and give them a five-stop pub crawl before the baseball game. Heekin notes that some Reds fans may already have season tickets and still be interested in the Pedal Wagon pub crawl, so it will also be available without the discounted Reds tickets. "It's just another way to get people downtown and into local businesses," Heekin says. "That was our goal from the start." Heekin hopes the partnership will also bring a more festive atmosphere to the Banks during home games and will also give Pedal Wagon riders discounts at the selected stops. "All the businesses we've worked with so far have been very thankful for the business we bring, and we feel the same way," Heekin says. "This will help us do more of that." Heekin and O'Brian hope to have three pedal wagons on the streets of Cincinnati by the end of the year, and their second one will be on the streets in three to four weeks. Another goal the pair has, to obtain an open container license for the Pedal Wagons, will have to wait for the winter months. "As much fun as it would be to get the license, we don't want that to be the focus," Heekin says. "We really just want to get people out to enjoy the city. The more wagons we have, the more we can do that." By Evan Wallis
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