Evan Wallis

Evan Wallis's Latest Articles

Pedal Wagon doubles fleet, adds Reds to tour partner list

By Evan Wallis

●

Arts + Culture

●

July 10, 2012

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

Design challenge yields implementable ideas

By Evan Wallis

●

Architecture + Design

●

June 26, 2012

In April, MSA Architects launched The Five Design Challenge, and now, after sorting through more than 40 entries, from as far away as China and Portland, Oregon, the winners have been chosen.  The challenge was to choose one of five unused spaces around Cincinnati and come up with an idea to transform the space into something useful. The spaces ranged from empty lots to a space underneath a highway. The entires were judged by Tamara Harkavy of ArtWorks, Chad Munitz of 3CDC, Leah Spurrier of High Street, William Williams of DAAP and City Council member Wendell Young. Nick Dewald and Chris Rohs, employees at MSA, say all the judges picked ideas realistic and implementable.  "We don't push the judges in any way," Rohs says. "All the judges seemed to be more interested in the ideas that could actually happen, instead of the pie-in-the-sky sort of stuff."  The top prize was split among three entrants: • SEED, Sustained Employment & Entrepreneurship Developmen,t was a proposal for a small business incubator with short-term lease spaces and start-up support services. It used several of the under-utilized spaces in Over-the-Rhine: vacant lots, empty buildings and alleyways. These stereotypically ‘bad’ spaces are reinterpreted to create a 24-hour mixed-use building that serves as a catalyst for the neighborhood, creating local jobs, promoting a start-up culture, and improving perceptions of safety.  • Loop Cincy took all five sites and connected them with a bike path and to Cincinnati landmarks and attractions to create a more connected city. The five sites were designed into an outdoor gym, a small park and even a small concert space. • 4Hostel created a hostel on one one of the spaces, which was an empty lot, providing low-cost accommodations for travelers. MSA plans on hosting the competition each year, but changing the theme.  "We want to keep the theme pretty broad," Dewald says. "Instead of focusing on one building, like many architectural challenges do, we want to focus on improving Cincinnati in a more general way."  By Evan Wallis

Columbus’ clothing store expands to OTR

By Evan Wallis

●

Arts + Culture

●

June 26, 2012

What started as a web-based clothing store out of a Tennessee home is now opening its second location at 1435 Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.  Substance, the clothing store started by Christina Getachew, was founded in 2002 online. When her husband's job took her from Tennessee to Columbus, Ohio, she decided to open up a storefront in the Short North District in 2006.  Substance is a women's clothing store that focuses on sustainable and organically manufactured clothing with a mission to show that substance and style can go hand in hand. Substance carries both in-house designed products as well as product lines that have the same sustainable mindset. Getachew and her team even design some products in the store's design lab where they repurpose out-of-season garments.  "It's all about repurposing. We use garments from previous years and turn them into something new," Getachew says. "It's a small collection, but we like people to see the creative process so they can appreciate it." Three years ago, Getachew began to think about expanding her business, and when another move landed her in Cincinnati, she began to look for a second storefront. Getachew says that a creative atmosphere is a must for her stores and that Over-the-Rhine reminded her of what the Short North District was like when she opened her first store. She also found the creative, supportive atmosphere she was familiar with in Over-the-Rhine.  "It was difficult to find places where business owners understand that the more businesses, the better for everyone," Getachew says. "Main Street was the complete opposite. It was inviting and it seems like the businesses really collaborate and help each other out."  Getachew plans on growing her business through franchises once she gets her second store up and running. Substance will have a soft opening June 29, but will plan a bigger grand opening with the introduction of fall products in August.  By Evan Wallis

Newport citizens fundraise for dog park

By Evan Wallis

●

Development News

●

June 26, 2012

When Ryan Mitchell moved to Newport six years ago, the first place he met people was at a park area with his dog. That area has become somewhat of an unofficial dog park. But with some hard work, Mitchell and his wife Sarah have led a group of Newport residents to raise money for a fence to make the dog park safer for the animals.  It's been over a year and half, but after several fundraisers and canvasing the community for donations, they have raised almost $15,000 and plan to have the fence constructed by the end of summer.  The dog park, on Fourth Street and Providence Way, is in the heart of the Newport Historic District, so if fencing was to go up, it had to be a decorative fence to match the area. The group has held fundraisers at local businesses and contacted businesses about donating money and services to get the fence built. The grassroots effort has been led by Mitchell and his wife, along with a group of about 15 other citizens who meet to plan fundraisers and find bids for construction. On top of the money raised for the fence, the group has also raised nearly $10,000 worth of material donations for the dog park.  "Everybody in the community has been very supportive of the idea," Mitchell says. "We've kept everybody informed, and it's brought the community together."  Mitchell says the need for the dog park comes from the small yards that many of the homes have, but it will also create a more vibrant social center for the area. The dog park will be right next to a garden club, which works on projects to beautify the neighborhood, and a pool club that is packed with children from the area, both which have created social centers for the tight-knit, walkable neighborhood.  "This area was the first place I looked to meet people when I moved here," Mitchell says. "The dog park can help make it more attractive. It's nice to know the community has a place where they know they can gather."  Contact Mitchell about the dog park here.  By Evan Wallis 

Brandery lures young, coastal talents to Cincinnati

By Evan Wallis

●

Architecture + Design

●

June 19, 2012

What do a former Indian national tennis champion, a former metal band drummer, the founder of DUMBO start-up lab in Brooklyn and three teenagers on leave from MIT, Harvard and Princeton have in common?   They’ll all be sharing space at The Brandery in Over-the-Rhine, where they’ll begin 14 weeks of classes, mentoring and accelerated business development this summer.   The new Brandery class is more about people than specific ideas, according to Brandery General Manager Mike Bott. He expects their business designs to evolve and clarify through their work in Over-the-Rhine.   In all, the class of 11 new start-ups includes entrepreneurs from Chicago, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle and Cleveland. They bring experience from Google/You Tube, Goldman Sachs and Beerology. Go ahead, look it up.   Like other Brandery newbies, they’ll get $20,000 and 14 weeks of support, guidance and access to mentors. After they, they’ll have a chance to pitch their business ideas to a room full of investors at Demo Day.   Stay tuned for more stories from this new Brandery crew in the weeks and months to come.

Segway store expands downtown

By Evan Wallis

●

Development News

●

June 19, 2012

Shawn Jenkins opened Segway of Cincinnati on Reds Opening Day in 2008. Jenkins had already been offering Segway Tours in Eden Park for about a year and decided to set up shop on Central Parkway and Vine Street to be able to do more downtown tours, as well as sell and service Segways.  After adding electric bikes, several models of Segways, motorized skateboards and other equipment, the small showroom grew cluttered, so Jenkins decided to expand into an adjacent space and offer bike repairs and other services.  "We were losing the showroom feel," Jenkins says. "Our hand was kind of forced to get more space, but looking back, I don't know how we managed to run everything out of one space."  The new space, The Garage OTR, is next door to the Segway Shop and will repair both electric and traditional bicycles, as well as all Segways. The additional space allows Jenkins to sell more bike and Segway accessories, including locks, helmets and lights, in the showroom, meeting a growing customer demand. Jenkins says without any advertising, the shop has already been busy with bike repairs. "We're not trying to be a bike shop," Jenkins says. "But there are so many bikes in this city right now, we are flying through tubes. We're happy to be here to help the community."  While he opened up shop to highlight the Segway as a low-energy transportation option that reduces riders' carbon footprints and is especially practical for urban residents.  "Seventy percent of American's trips are three miles or less, and 70 percent of those are one mile or less," Jenkins says. "So if you use any of these types of transportation, in lieu of a car, it can be a big change."  By Evan Wallis 

New Pet Wants location lets owners shop for, dine with pets

By Evan Wallis

●

Architecture + Design

●

June 19, 2012

Pet Wants opened in Findlay Market two years ago and now sell 15,000 pounds of their own gluten-free formula pet food each month. On Final Friday, June 29, the owners open a new storefront at 1409 Vine Street.  Amanda Broughton and Michele Hobbs, both OTR residents, developed their own dog food after they discovered their dog, Jackson, has severe allergies. After looking around and only finding expensive alternatives and rarely purchased dog food options, Hobbs and Broughton knew they could develop a better recipe.  "We wanted something that was manufactured every month and could give people a fresh alternative to all the expensive pet foods," Hobbs says. "Business has been great. Finding out Jackson had allergies turned out to be a pretty good thing." To get a little help building out their new Vine Street store, Hobbs contacted UC about using engineer students to help as part of a class project. She eventually got three UC engineering graduate students to help. The students helped plan and build two storage and dispenser devices which hold three different types of food each. The devices have turn-cranks to dispense food by the pound. Pet Wants is the only company in the area to sell dog food by the pound. "We're all about using local everything," Hobbs says. "We even make sure our drivers use Ohio trucks so we know they will contribute to the state's economy." "Findlay Market has a sort of tourist vibe, but we have a lot of local support," Hobbs says. "So to support the community and revitalization coming in down here, we are moving in, too." The Vine Street store will sell Pet Wants dog and cat food, as well as all-natural snacks like jerky and Pet Wants' signature 'Pawsicles,' a popsicle-like dog treat.  "We're going to have some tables outside so you can bring some food from down the street and have menus for the dogs," Hobbs says. "You'll be able to come and order a fresh Pawsicle for your dog while you eat dinner." By Evan Wallis 

Freestore Foodbank pairs with Cincy State to create new academy

By Evan Wallis

●

Education + Learning

●

June 12, 2012

Cincinnati Cooks has been giving low-income Cincinnati residents opportunities to get back in the workforce since 2001. This week, Cincinnati Cooks announced a partnership with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College to create the Urban Accelerated Skills Training Academy (UASTA). Cincinnati Cooks is a free, 10-week program that prepares students looking for work in the food-service industry, as well as help students with their personal lives. The UASTA will help extend that goal by giving graduates of Cincinnati Cooks an opportunity to attend classes at Cincinnati Sate. The academy is geared toward unemployed, underemployed or low-wage individuals who have graduated from the Cincinnati Cooks job development program, or are recommended to participate by food service businesses or organizations. It has three main components:  • Applied Skills Training, which is offered through Cincinnati State’s Workforce Development Center that will include Team Building, Customer Service, Computer Basics, Effective Communication and Financial Wellness.  • Kitchen Management Certificate, a credit-bearing certificate offered through Cincinnati State with hands-on skills in Budgeting, Sanitation, Inventory Control, Scheduling, Cost Management, Labor Relations and Personnel Management.  • National Career Readiness Certificate, an industry-recognized, evidence-based credential that certifies essential skills needed for workplace success. This will be offered through the recently-established Pathway to Employment Center. The PTEC is essentially a “one-stop” career assessment, planning and placement center, operated by Cincinnati State and funded by private contributions, government grants and the College’s own funds. The academy's initial $65,000 grant from the state of Ohio through the Department of Jobs and Family Services will fund its first year of operation. The first class will last three months and include 20 participants.  “This is a program that fits Gov. Kasich’s vision for a tightly focused training and employment readiness program,” says Cincinnati State President O'Dell Owens. “The Freestore Foodbank and Cincinnati State have proven the concept works. Now we want to expand it.” Do Good: Volunteer: At the Freestore Foodbank in many different ways. Donate: both money and surplus food to the Freestore Foodbank. By Evan Wallis

Rise of the cool kids in Cincinnati

By Evan Wallis

●

Architecture + Design

●

June 12, 2012

Nathan Hurst founded Cincinnati Fashion Week in 2010, and as it rolls into its third year, more and more people are getting involved.  One Cincinnati resident, who has worked with Fashion Week before, pitched an idea to Hurst about highlighting the young, adventurous and energetic street fashion scene growing in Cincinnati. That person, who wants to keep his name a secret for now, is creating a team to help him develop the event, "Rise of the Cool Kids." "I don't want people to associate a person with this, but rather a movement or a kind of person," says the Cincinnatus Kidd, a moniker that has been created to promote the event.  Street fashion at the event shows that all fashion doesn't have to be expensive and unattainable; it should be more of a personal expression. "When people use the word fashion, they use it in reference to the highest forms of fashion, but fashion is an everyday thing," Kidd says. "There is a pretty good understanding now that art used to be a painting in a frame, but now it can be anything, including street art. I don't think that same idea has come across to fashion." The event will be held Oct. 6, tentatively on the roof of a parking garage, and will highlight local boutiques in a runway fashion show. The parking garage will be transformed into a streetscape, complete with street signs, scale models of OTR buildings and even shoes hanging over wires highlighting some of the brands being showcased. There will be local DJs, hip-hop artists, visual artists, dancers and skateboarders on site. Rise of the Cool Kids will also team with Original Thought Required, Corporate and Flow, all local clothing shops, to create preview events at each store.  "Street fashion is getting noticed more around here, and it's time to recognize it," Kidd says. "This has been a very mall-driven city, but now people are expressing themselves differently." By Evan Wallis 

Night market to provide late night NOMs

By Evan Wallis

●

Arts + Culture

●

June 12, 2012

Over the Rhine is about to get some new late night food options, in the form of a night market, Night Owl Market (NOM), set up in the parking lot at the corner of Central Parkway and Main Street. Nadia Laabs and Sally Yoon, two Procter & Gamble employees, turned their late-night frustration into a new business opportunity. When they were out late one night and could find nowhere to eat, they saw a hunger to fill a gaping hole in the downtown food market. So, they decided to try to fill it themselves.  The two first looked at the alley on Walnut Street adjacent to Nicholson's Pub, but the space was being used for the construction of the new 21c Museum Hotel. So they finally settled on the OTR location.  "At first, Sally suggested parking lots, and I hadn't really thought about it," Laabs says. "But they turned out to be the best option because they are private property, and there are a lot less regulations and permits."  After securing the parking lot for Final Friday in July, Yoon and Laabs began talking to organizers of events like the City Flea, Second Sundays on Main and the Asian Food Fest to get an idea of how to plan for the NOM. Next, they sent out surveys to test interest in the idea. After good feedback and requests for specific types of food, Laabs and Yoon began contacting vendors.  NOM is currently ranked in the top 10 for the Cincinnati Innovates contest based on public voting. If they win, Yoon and Laabs would use the money for NOM start-up costs.  NOM will be open from 10 pm - 3 am and feature up to 11 vendors, including food trucks and booths from local restaurants, complete with tables and chairs, live music and even security.  "If it's successful, we'd like to do it every weekend," Laabs says. "We definitely think there is a need and interest." NOM is tentatively planned for every Final Friday from July until November, based on vendor interest and overall business. Check the website for the latest news. By Evan Wallis