If you haven't been to Cincinnati, it is impossible to imagine how beloved chili is here. The city has its own unique and distinctive chili style reflected mainly in several regional chains like Empress, which claims to have started it all in 1922. Read the full story here.
What do art installations, European-inspired cuisine and rooftop bars have in common? They are amenities in new boutique hotels coming to downtown Cincinnati. Boutique hotels – which tend to be smaller, offer unique rooms and specialized services - have long been a European mainstay and have increased in popularity in large metropolitan cities like New York, Chicago and Boston. In Cincinnati, three historic buildings have been or will be renovated into boutique hotels to provide more rooms, more retail space and more culinary choices for both out-of-town travelers and local residents who choose to stay closer to home and “staycation,” officials say. Last week, the City of Cincinnati approved a deal that would convert the former Cincinnati Enquirer building at 617 Vine St. into a $27 million hotel. SREE Hotels LLC of North Carolina said it plans to open the 238-room hotel and 12,000 feet of retail space on the street level by the end of 2014. Full details of hotel amenities have not been disclosed. The company operates 30 hotels in four states and is franchised with Marriott International, Hilton Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels and Starwood Hotels. The hotel would add 35 full-time and 20 part-time employees. “It is always great when we can preserve and restore one of our historic, old buildings in Cincinnati,” Mayor Mark Mallory says. “The deal also illustrates the increasing demand for more hotel rooms in Cincinnati. We have been focused on creating providing a great visitor experience for all of our guests, and that is paying off with increased tourism and convention business.” The 21c Museum Hotel, on schedule to open by the end of this year, will add 156 hotel rooms and suites to the former Hotel Metropole as well as an 8,000-square-foot contemporary art museum. The hotel will also feature a rooftop bar and spa. The restaurant and bar, which will be named Metropole, will emphasize Cincinnati’s Germanic beginning and will use local ingredients. ? The Neoclassical-styled Metropole, which first opened in 1912, was added to the National Register of Historic Place in June 2009. The hotel recently began accepting reservations online at www.21cmuseumHotels.com beginning in January 2013 and beyond, says Molly Swyers, spokeswoman for Louisville-based 21 C Museum Hotels. “In our minds, there isn't a more ideal location for 21c than in the heart of a city's cultural district, and so we are thrilled to have the Contemporary Art Center next door, the Aronoff Center across the street, Fountain Square just a block away, and many other cultural institutions nearby,’’ Swyers says. “We are very excited to do our part to contribute to the growing vibrancy of downtown Cincinnati.” She says the company anticipates hosting job fairs in September. The Eagle Realty Group renovated the historic Phelps Apartment building, across from Lytle Park on East Fourth Street, into a 134-room Residence Inn, which opened in March 2011. The Phelps runs at about more than 80 percent occupancy and is among the top-ranked Residence Inn extended stay hotels in their system, Eagle Realty officials say. The Phelps bar offers craft cocktails and small bites. It was the first new hotel in downtown Cincinnati in 30 years. Across downtown and tucked away is the Symphony Hotel Bed and Breakfast, which is likely more known locally for its nightly five-course dinners. The hotel, across the street from Music Hall, is a restored mansion that offers just four rooms, all of which are named after composers. Rooms are decorated with antiques and have a European flair. While each hotel will have unique offerings, they all will showcase a slice of Cincinnati’s rich history, architecture and influence – which just may be the true definition of boutique. By Chris Graves Chris Graves, is the assistant vice president of digital and social media at the Powers Agency, and would love to know of other Boutique hotels in the city. (Follow her on Twitter)
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
Brew River Gastropub. The name alone prompts stirrings in the hearts and bellies of Cincinnati foodies. Joby Bowman, Christian Babani and chef Michael Shields, along with a silent partner, have been developing their casual-meets-gourmet concept for more than two years, while their combined experience spans decades, numerous cuisine styles and geographical locations, from NYC to NOLA. Brew River soft-opened in July and plans a series of grand opening events later this month. So far, the response from the community has been enthusiastic, a testament to the collaborators’ passion. “We’re all extremely particular and detail-oriented,” says Bowman. “It shows in everything from the décor, which we’ve done entirely ourselves, to the atmosphere and recipes. People have told us it’s clear there’s a lot of love in every detail.” When it come to the menus, it’s like Brew River’s answering machine claims: “Local is our focus; libations are our passion.” Chief among the local ingredients used in their cooking are their house brews—the products of an exclusive partnership with Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora, IN. “We had all been [home brewing] for quite a while,” says Bowman. That’s why early in their quest for the perfect location, the group toured—or, as she puts it, “spelunked”—many of the storied former breweries on McMicken Ave. Soon after, they learned that Maribelle’s would not be renewing their East End lease, and, says Bowman, “Everything just sort of came together from there.” Well, almost everything. The Riverside Drive location allows the partners—who Bowman describes as “sort of obsessed with water”—to weave in Cincinnati’s rivertown history. One upside to the building’s non-conforming use zoning? You won’t see copycat bars and restaurants cropping up nearby. The lease, however, does not allow for on-site brewing—a minor setback that Bowman and crew hope to eventually remedy by housing that part of the operation in a vacant church just across the street. In the meantime, the pub’s entrepreneurs are more than happy with their Great Crescent partnership. Patrons seem content, too, imbibing specialty blends like Island Queen Blonde Ale and Ubiquitous Coconut Porter by the pint. By Hannah Purnell Follow Hannah on Twitter.
Some might say that the City of Cincinnati gets more beautiful every day, what with the continued development of its urban core and riverfront, an ever-expanding “green” construction movement and a treasure trove of amazing parks and public spaces. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB) works to ensure that the surrounding environment keeps pace by creating innovative and award-winning programs that encourage recycling and conservation practices among schoolchildren, and make it easier for folks to save the old VCR in the basement from a landfill. KCB earned notable recognition in July when Keep America Beautiful recognized the organization’s Sustainability in Action and One Stop Drop programs at its annual assembly of Ohio affiliates in Columbus. While many public schools strive to set environmentally friendly “green” goals, KCB noticed that schools struggle to meet them. “There is a misperception out there that ‘green’ programs create more work for school staff and faculty,” says Brooke Romaniw, KCB public awareness and volunteer coordinator. “We wanted to find a way to reverse this perception and help Cincinnati Public Schools educate both students and adults.” As a result, Sustainability in Action (SIA) was born. Funded by partners including P&G, Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District and the City of Cincinnati Office of Environmental Quality, SIA is a three-year program that engages students in hands-on activities that work to forge “green” habits. Launched in January 2012, the SIA program focused first on waste reduction in school lunchrooms. Each day at lunch, students were taught to sort the waste on their trays, identifying items that could be recycled or composted. Students at Dater High School, Rees E. Price Academy, Roselawn Condon, Rockdale Academy and Silverton Paideia were part of the pilot year. “The students saved tons of waste from landfills during the pilot and benefitted from hands-on experience,” says Romaniw. Some students took it a step further by creating their own compost bins and gardens. As the recipient of Keep America Beautiful’s Civic/Nonprofit Award, SIA is set to begin its second phase, focusing on energy conservation during the upcoming school year. The idea is that by year three, participating schools should be ready to take over the programs themselves. “We’ve found that schools really see the value in this program,” says Romaniw. “It is exciting to see children building sustainable habits that have the potential to change the future for the better.” KCB won more national recognition for its One Stop Drop event, which launched in November 2011. It won the America Recycles Day Award from Keep America Beautiful. Romaniw spearheaded the development of One Stop Drop to make recycling unusual items convenient. While curbside recycling saves many items from the landfill, it does not accept things like electronics and number 5 plastics. During the One Stop Drop, you can drop off these types of items, drive-thru style, with free refreshments available. By partnering with 2TRG, the Cincinnati Zoo, Hamilton County, the City of Cincinnati and Whole Foods, the One Stop Drop program reached hundreds of people in just a few hours. Items like old cell phones, batteries, dried-out pens and markers, plastic bags and number 5 plastics were collected. “We are pioneering the way for schools and our community, and are proud to lead the pack,” says Romaniw. What are you doing to keep Cincinnati beautiful? Do Good: • Help students learn to sort recycling in the Sustainability in Action program. Email Brooke Romaniw. • Mark your calendar for the 2012 One Stop Drop coming in November. • Find out what Keep Cincinnati Beautiful has in the works; like the group on Facebook. By Deidra Wiley Necco
Ask Greg Edwards what made the downtown branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County the busiest in North America last year and you might think you were talking to a large retailer. He refers to library patrons as customers and books and other materials as the library’s product. He talks frequently of using library data to anticipate trends, primarily in the exploding digital world. “We haven’t cut our materials as some libraries have done to cut costs. We’ve made every effort to keep our product on our shelves,’’ says Edwards, library services director. “It makes sense to us to provide what our customers need and want. “We listen to customer demand.” The Public Library Association survey ranked the Cincinnati Library’s downtown branch, at 800 Vine St., the busiest in terms of materials borrowed in 2011. About 6 million books and other materials – or about 34 percent of the system’s 17.6 million items - were borrowed from the downtown branch alone. The total system was ranked the eighth busiest in terms of circulation in North America, Edwards says. The Cincinnati Library was compared with 1,300 public libraries that included the largest in the United States and Canada. Last year was the busiest year in terms of circulation since the library’s founding in 1853, and circulation was up 8 percent year over year, Edwards says. “This shows us that people value the library and this particular library branch,’’ Edwards says. “This demonstrates the support, trust and the need people have for their library … It makes you feel good.” Continual changes and upgrades to products and services the main branch offers also helped fuel the high circulation. Consider: • Just last week, the Library launched a new “Google-like” catalogue system that allows users to search and find exactly the materials they are seeking for. The system also lets users both leave and read reviews and recommendations. • In February, the Library launched a robust mobile app that lets smartphone owners check their account, search the catalog, download eBooks and audiobooks and use their phones to search barcodes on books to see if the Library has a copy in its collection. More than 7,000 people have downloaded the app and have run 557,749 queries, Edwards says. • The Library’s Virtual Library lets users download thousands of books, music, magazines and newspaper articles. Last year, there were 470,725 downloads of materials – a 518 percent increase from 2010. Edwards says digital downloads will likely double to more than 800,000 in 2012. • The Library’s Virtual Information Center, which is a team of librarians who answer emails, call or text messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While there is no doubt technology improvements fueled circulation gains, Paula Brehm-Heeger also points to changes made in services and to the physical layout of 542,500-square-foot downtown branch. Brehm-Heeger, library services manager for the central region which includes downtown, credits a two-year project that analyzed how patrons were using the library to make changes to staffing, the layout and programs to more effectively meet patron needs while they were physically inside the main branch. The library branch has added more than 100 computers, increased the services and the space devoted to teenagers, reshaped and expanded the popular library area and created “grab-and-go” displays near the front of the libraries. The library also centralized its call center to allow librarians to interact more with customers and to help them find materials. “It is a very retail model,’’ she says. “We are very customer-focused and very forward-focused.” Do Good: • On the go, check out the Library’s mobile tools. • Got a question about the Library, chat online with a librarian, day or night. • Follow latest library news via RSS. By Chris Graves Chris Graves, assistant vice president for Social and Digital Media at the Powers Agency, uses the Library’s Mobile App at least weekly.
Cincinnati's arts leaders posed a challenge for creative thinkers: how can the city's vibrant arts scene be maximized to attract and retain talent? Twenty-somethings doing something offer an exciting new approach during the GOOD Ideas for Cities event held downtown this fall. Take a listen and see how you can keep the conversation going. Video courtesy The Queen City Project.
What happens when a European designer lands in Cincinnati to create a new breed of Cargo Bike? Farmers, and artists, take note.
Whether you realize it or not, Cincinnati is full of stained glass. It's part of our German heritage, says Gillian Thompson, the proprietor of Gillian Thompson Glass. She meets with property owners throughout the Cincinnati area, restoring old glass designs, repairing age-damaged leading and designing new stained glass projects. Stained glass can encompass either colored or clear designs and projects can be artistically complex or as simple as a clear patterned glass that provides privacy. Repairs to stained glass are typically needed to salvage old pieces or repair cracks. After decades, window bowing, called deflection, can occur as the soft light between glass disintegrates as it is exposed to moisture. Thompson says this deflection can be mistaken for an artistic style; actually, it's just damage. Thompson began her career as an apprentice for Architecture Art Glass in Pleasant Ridge (now located in Milford) and worked her way up, eventually launching her own studio a little more than four years ago, when a Camp Washington studio space opened up. She says the neighborhood's old factory buildings offer her the perfect combination of natural light and space. "My style is all over the place," she says. "I really love traditional styles, but also have fun with contemporary work." Although Thompson took advantage of a SCORE mentor, she raves most about the entrepreneurial support she gained through the SpringBoard program. "Springboard focused me," she says of the ArtWorks-sponsored business development program. "(What) I really got from them, was learning to turn on the knowledge base in my community, just looking around at the people I know. Through friends, I've just got a web developer.” Her next stop, she says, is using that website to grow her client base. By Robin Donovan
Jay Hopper originally got involved in web design through a journalism job in the newspaper business. He eventually left his career as a newsman to join a local startup, Trivantis, as a web editor. He eventually became the company’s vice president of product management. Then, he launched a social network for automotive enthusiasts before finally deciding it was time to get what he calls "a real job." After failing at the traditional avenues, like Monster, CareerBuilder and LinkedIn, and doing some networking, Hopper says, “I just found that process really frustrating. I was looking for companies that would fit my skill set, passion and personality. I just started thinking, ‘Where are all these companies – the agencies, the software companies, the tech companies?’ I wished there was one place I could go and see all that.” He set out to create a website to meet those needs. The result, Gigit Jobs, lists tech, start up, creative and design job openings in the Cincinnati, Dayton Northern Kentucky and tri-state regions. The Gigit team manually reviews jobs that are posted, and while any company will be considered, positions posted must either come from a company that fits Gigit’s criteria or be a good fit in themselves. That means a web design job at the bank could work just as well as a business development position with a creative agency. The site is aggregator-friendly, which means that jobs posted there will also show up in job-search aggregators. The site's landing pages are currently active, with a full launch planned this fall. Hopper says he hopes the site will encourage techies and creatives to stay in Cincinnati rather than flee to stereotypically tech-friendly locales on either coast. By Robin Donovan
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