Mariemont

Issue 9 debate engages local businesses one month before the November vote

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful's biggest event of the year takes place on April 25 with a kickoff in College Hill, and the organization could use your help.Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement project with an estimated 2.8 million volunteers, is aimed at boosting the quality of life in neighborhoods by planting flowers and trees, picking up litter, collecting discarded tires, painting façades, landscaping, and recyclingBecause of the massive amount of work to be done, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful program manager Josman Rodriguez says that volunteers are very much needed.Just last year, 8,352 volunteers collected 406,460 pounds of litter and debris; planted 13,500 flowers and bulbs; cleaned 578 miles or roads, streets and highways; and recycled more than 40,000 plastic bottles and more than 2,500 scrap tires."We're expecting 10,000 volunteers beautifying 90 communities, 25 parks, and 30 schools," Rodriguez says.He also says that Give Back Cincinnati, community leaders, and Cincinnati council members plan to participate, and that United Dairy Farmers is serving as a co-sponsor.To volunteer, contact Liz Bowater at (513) 352-4380 or at liz.bowater@cincinnati-oh.gov.Writer: Kevin LeMasterSource: Josman Rodriguez, project manager/public awareness, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful

Mariemont Inn’s multi-million dollar renovation puts new face on MM landmark

The Mariemont icon that is the old tudor Inn in the heart of Cincinnati's oldest planned community has completed a milestone renovation that may very well put the building on the road to receiving "luxury status.""We redid everything from top to bottom, every wire, pipe and wall was replaced and relocated, as discreetly as possible. We started by building a prototype, then went out across the country to find everything we needed," says proprietor, Dan SpinnenweberRenovations were substantial as the owners took the structure down to its s brick walls and foundation. The number of rooms dropped from 60 to 45, allowing the area of each space to expand by one-third. The new décor was meticulously designed with custom furniture, fixtures, moldings, and warm-glow fireplaces.That meticulous design manifests itself in the form of exquisitely decorated rooms, each with its own fireplace, a desk complete with a Herman Miller chair, and a a roll-up tapestry picturing a historic Mariemont scene that hides the large screen television set. "Our goal was to cater to the businessman and the businesswoman, the corporate traveler, primarily, while also making this just a great place for people to come in, relax, unwind and enjoy themselves," said the second-generation of Spinnenweber owner/operators, Spinnenweber's son Bill, now the general manager. "What that guest wants is plenty of room, peace and quiet, and a place to stay that's near the action. We've got it all." Throughout the renovation, the Spinnenwebers were determined to maintain the original character of the building.  "In the final analysis, what we're selling is a great place to come and stay, sleep, and have a comfortable, quite experience," Bill Spinnenweber said. "Everything that's been placed in the rooms is geared to accomplish this. That's why we exist. That's what are guests are paying for."Writer: Jeff Syroney

Hamilton County taxes lower than its peers

A recent Forbes survey finds that Hamilton County's property tax rate is the lowest, as a percentage of income, of Ohio's six largest urban areas, says Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper.In his PepTalk blog, Pepper says that there are misconceptions about the county's tax rate, but that it's actually relatively low when compared to other metropolitan areas against which it competes for jobs, businesses, and talent.The Forbes survey found that Hamilton County's property tax rate as a percentage of income was 26 percent lower than Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), 16 percent lower than Franklin County (Columbus), and 8.5 percent lower than Summit County (Akron).Hamilton County's sales tax was also the lowest of the top six urban counties, tied with Summit County.Read the blog post here.

Spohr appointed to direct SW Ohio workforce development

Jennifer Spohr has been appointed as the regional workforce director of the Ohio Department of Development's (ODOD) Southwest Ohio office.In her new role, Spohr will serve as a liaison to state government, local business leaders, elected officials, and economic and workforce development entities to meet the training and talent development needs of businesses throughout Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties.Spohr joined ODOD in 2005 as coordinator for the Ohio Investment in Training Program and is currently on the Greater Cincinnati Workforce Network's Hard-2-Hire Workforce subcommittee.This year, she received from Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory the 2009 Super Award from the Workforce One Investment Board of Southwest Ohio in recognition for her work with the SuperJobs Center.Read the full release here.

Ohio’s 10 best-kept secrets

Following a year and a half of talking to Ohio's business leaders and executives, the Ohio Business Development Coalition has compiled a list of the ten best-kept secrets about doing business in Ohio.Everybody knows about the relatively low cost of living and the advantageous location, but what other advantages does Ohio have?I'm not going to give it all away here!You'll have to read the full article here.

New and improved CincySites makes site selection easy

The new and improved Cincinnati Commercial Site Portfolio, joint effort of the Economic Development Office of the Hamilton County Development Co. (HCDC) and the City of Cincinnati, has moved to cincysites.com.The online database is a comprehensive inventory of Hamilton County sites available for redevelopment, including industrial, retail, office, warehouse, and vacant land.The database also serves as a central source of information for those who might want to invest in the community, with layers of detailing population and workforce demographics, spending data, and information on nearby businesses.CincySites is a cut above the average economic development website because it utilizes geographic information system (GIS) technology, allowing users to create maps and reports that would normally take weeks –and dollars – to collect.Because more than 90 percent of initial site selection screening is now done using the Internet, it is hoped that the depth and ease of use of CincySites will help attract new business and promote economic development in Hamilton County.Writer: Kevin LeMasterSource:

Cincinnati in top 30 most wired cities

Cincinnati has ranked as the 28th most wired city in the United States, according to an annual evaluation conducted by Forbes.com.Forbes measured cities' "wired quotient" by computing the percentage of Internet users with high-speed connections, the number of companies providing high-speed Internet, and the number of public Wi-Fi hotspots.Placing between Philadelphia and Columbus, Cincinnati received top 20 marks for broadband adoption and Wi-Fi hotspots, but lost ground due to the number of service providers available. Ohio has invested heavily in providing 100 percent broadband access throughout the state, and the Obama administration and House Democrats have proposed including $6 billion for broadband infrastructure as part of the economic stimulus package.Read the full article here.

Soapdish: 52 Card Pickup

Cincinnati is the home of 52 individual and unique neighborhoods that, some say, serve as the the "key to city's success." But how did we come to have such a rich, quilted patchwork of localities and how will these 52 different personalities work to create a charged and united region? Soapdisher turned explorer, Casey Coston takes us on a quick tour...

Coalition formed to apply for up to $1M in brownfields funds