You can find Dylan Tennison's rainbow chard, French breakfast and cherry belle radishes, six varieties of lettuces, arugula, fresh garlic and Tot soy—all grown in a plot in Over the Rhine—in groceries, markets and restaurants throughout the city. The Cincinnati native bikes and harvests his way to a sustainable, and inspiring, life filled with delicious benefits.
A 19th-century Water Works pump station could soon become a brewery, if a local father-and-son duo gets its way. Bryon and Jack Martin of Cincinnati Beer Company have put together a plan to purchase and transform the Eden Park Pump Station, a red brick, Samuel Hannaford-designed building near the Krohn Conservatory, into a microbrewery, complete with a taproom and biergarten. “We would like to serve restaurants and bars in the tri-state area,” says Jack Martin. The pair already has support from a range of community groups, including the Cincinnati Park Board. Steve Schuckman, the superintendent of the Cincinnati Park Board’s Division of Planning and Design, says the board likes the idea. “It would benefit the park by returning a vacant and deteriorating building to productive use,” he says. The building has a varied history. Since 1907, when it ceased operation as a reservoir pumphouse, it was used by the fire department, then the police as a dispatch station. But in recent years, it has been left to incur serious water damage and other structural problems. The Martins have already worked with the administration and several city departments, including the Cincinnati Water Works, to gain approval. There were some negotiations, but “every condition that was raised, we met,” Jack Martin says. Cincinnati City Council’s Strategic Growth Committee viewed a presentation by the company last week, but did not discuss the proposal at length. Later this month, the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee will meet with the developers. “Ultimately, City Council has to sign off on the project,” says Jack Martin. By Emily Schneider
??When Stephanie Heeston and Emily Heeston-Chopelas leased their space on Hamilton Avenue—a consignment/designer/vintage goods hybrid called Market Side Mercantile—the native Cincinnatians didn’t know what to expect.?? “We knew [Northside] was eclectic,” says Heeston-Chopelas, noting that “the population fits” the pair’s funky sense of style and wide variety of handmade wares. But the mother-daughter team says the immediate community support has been a pleasant surprise. Right away, neighborhood residents streamed into the one-room shop, praising their choice to bring business to Northside and double-checking, “You guys are going to stay, right?” ??Already, the two have grown their business from five to 46 consigners, a diverse group that includes “a man in Indiana who strips old barns” as well as a custom jewelry designer who makes earrings in the shape of boomerangs, or “boomearrings.” There’s no sign of stopping soon. Currently, they have a more items waiting in reserve than they know what to do with. (Seriously. The surplus is so great that they’ve had to waitlist prospective consigners for now.)?? The merchandise they sell is one of a kind. With help from Heeston-Chopelas’ husband, they do much of the furniture restoration themselves, reviving unique and slightly distressed pieces with fresh, fun layers of paint and swatches of vibrant, repurposed fabrics. Craftily recycled stationery, designer shopping bags and an assortment of Mason-jar creations punctuate carefully repurposed larger pieces, making for an inviting, upscale-yet-affordable feel. “Keep it out of the landfill,” is Heeston-Chopelas’ mantra. She adds, “We’re not antique, and we’re not a thrift store. We just like what we like.”?? Their unique style is making an impression, with newfound “regulars” stopping in several times a week to check out the shop’s almost daily deliveries. “The store is completely different every time I go in,” says Clifton resident and frequent shopper Susie Kent. “The store is welcoming and unpretentious. The owners…share ideas, inspiration, and even tips on how to go home and repurpose things you already have.” ??Heeston has ideas for future events to help celebrate the neighborhood and cement the Market Side Mercantile as a fixture, but for now she says the best thing folks can do to support the shop is to like them on Facebook and—of course—visit.?? Store hours are Weds-Fri 12-6 pm; Sat-Sun 11 am-4 pm. Call 513-967-2026 for more info. By Hannah Purnell Follow Hannah on Twitter.
For Towne Properties, the right market has been the Cincinnati area, and its best-selling amenity has been a “sense of community.” The firm got its start in Mt. Adams—a hilltop neighborhood with views of the city, the Ohio River. Read the full story here.
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
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