Hey all, I have to run to a press conference momentarily on the state of Cincinnati restaurant Mahogany’s (I hope there’s food) but here’s a truncated morning news for ya. All the info, none of my usual cheesy jokes, except for that one I just made about food.
UPDATE: Mahogany's owner Liz Rogers announced at the news conference that the restaurant is looking to relocate from The Banks.
“We find that we are in the midst of a climate that is not conducive to successfully executing our business model here at The Banks,” Rogers said. “We have determined that our restaurant model is not a fit for The Banks development and are interested in relocating.”
Rogers said that the media has blown challenges Mahogany’s has faced out of proportion, scaring away customers and investors. The restaurant has faced a number of hurdles, including tens of thousands of dollars in back rent and loan payments and, most recently, a four-day closure due to unpaid Ohio sales taxes. Rogers also said running the restaurant has been difficult because she was told there would be more activity at The Banks to boost business, including a hotel that has not yet been built.
She was mum on where Mahogany's may move, but one possible spot is Over-the-Rhine. Representatives from 3CDC have said they met with Rogers Friday about the restaurant possibly moving there, though the developer said the meeting was just the first step in a long process and that the spaces they have may not fit the restaurant's needs.
• Guess what? Cincinnati's urban core is gentrifying. That itself may not be news, but this UrbanCincy exploration of the city’s gentrification dynamics is pretty informative.
Let me hit you with a quote from the story: “We do know, however, that some housing prices, particularly in the city center where demand is highest, are starting to get out of hand.”
• A local company, General Cable, has been awarded a contract of unspecified value to provide wiring for Cincinnati’s first five streetcars. The company’s products include aluminum, copper and fiber optic wire and are used in many transit systems across the country. The cars themselves aren’t made in Cincinnati, but it’s cool that at least some components will be.
• What’s next for Music Hall after the big icon tax dustup? That’s what the Cultural Facilities Task Force is working on now. They’re exploring a number of options to accomplish the $123 million task of fixing up the 136-year-old landmark, including soliciting increased private donations, asking for more help from the city and even seeking money from outside Cincinnati.
• A Delhi couple who allegedly dealt heroin to a man who subsequently overdosed are being charged with manslaughter. It’s the first time Hamilton County prosecutors have charged a dealer in connection with an overdose death, according to Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters. The region is suffering especially badly from the ongoing heroin crisis, which is playing out in communities across the nation.
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital admitted the most new patients in its history Friday, officials for the hospital say. Those new patients came to the hospital with respiratory symptoms similar to those caused by the enterovirus currently sweeping parts of Missouri, Illinois, Columbus and other parts of the Midwest. Officials with the hospital say the children being admitted aren't any sicker than usual, just that there are many more than usual.
• If you’re looking forward to a debate between Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine and his challenger Democrat David Pepper, well… maybe don’t hold your breath. It’s shaping up like the two may not debate at all before the November election, this Columbus Dispatch story says.
• Finally, admit it. You have friends who are really into Apple products. The company is expected to announce some new goodies today during its big annual media event, for which it has constructed a three-story tower of sorts, because hey, what else are you gonna do with all the money you’ve made from a million iPods? There are breathless guesses about a new and bigger iPhone. There are whispers about wearable devices. The term “phablet” has been uttered in reverent tones. If you’re at a loss because there isn’t currently a device that fills that awkward gap between your iPhone and your iPad, well, today may be your lucky day.
