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Newport is one of the region's most historic communities.  Founded in 1795, the city currently boasts six national historic districts, with 1,000 to 2,000 historic properties in each.

These numbers may soon change as the new Courthouse Square National Register Historic District moves forward.  Two weeks ago the Newport Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend the proposal for the new historic district.

The approval is an important step as the historic district moves towards reality.  Next it will have to gain the approval of the Newport Board of Commissioners, then the Kentucky Review Committee, and finally the National Park Service where its qualifications will be examined.

The movement to create the historic district comes at a time when Newport is experiencing a surge in investment in historic properties, according to Emily Jarzen, with the City of Newport.

"There have been lots of commercial rehabs along Monmouth Street in recent years," said Jarzen.  "Hopefully as time moves forward more areas (will) see reinvestment similar to areas like Monmouth and the East Row neighborhood."

In 2008, the East Row Historic Foundation started the Newport Historic Plaque Program which is available to the entire city.  The program allows residents to get introduced to the history of their home so they can learn its story.

"Once people know a little more about their house, it becomes more real to them," said Jarzen, who says that the Newport program currently only has a handful of people participating, while a similar program in Covington has a 90 percent participation rate.

"Basically all of Newport is historic, and we would love to see more people get involved with the program across the city," said Jarzen.

For more information about the Newport Historic Plaque Program, please contact Emily Jarzen at (859) 292-3637 or by email at ejarzen@newportky.gov.  Act soon: the cost of plaques is currently $97, but will be going up to $106 in January due to inflation.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

Six years ago the City of Covington and residents of the city's East End neighborhood saw a variety of problems that they wanted to address.  Historic buildings were deteriorating, occupancy rates were declining, and the area was feeling less safe.

The neighborhood is still very much dominated by the Jacob Price housing development from the mid-Twentieth Century, but with the help of The Model Group, the neighborhood has experienced a dramatic turnaround.

"We knew that Jacob Price was going to take much longer to address, so we decided to take a scattered redevelopment approach of vacant properties in the area," said Robert Maly, Vice President of Development, The Model Group.

One of the first projects The Model Group took on was the redevelopment of the historic 5th District School building.  The $4 million project created 26 affordable senior housing units and restored a historic structure that had sat empty for 25 years.

"We knew this would be an extremely expensive and difficult project," said Maly.  "When we hosted the open house we had people there who had gone to the school and were thrilled to see it preserved."

The scattered redevelopment approach has continued for The Model Group.  Since 2004, they have invested close to $30 million into 45 different historic buildings and have created around 100 new units of housing for the once struggling neighborhood.

According to Maly, the City of Covington is still working towards redeveloping the Jacob Price housing site which Maly considers to be "functionally obsolete."

The Model Group says that many of the historic rehabilitations were made possible through state and federal historic tax credits, and that the majority of the 100 units The Model Group has developed have remained affordable to low- and moderate-income households.

"We're looking at some other development projects in the area, but right now we're focused on completing the difficult work we started in the East End neighborhood several years ago," said Maly.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

With 17 locations across the Midwest including Columbus and Indianapolis, it was only a matter of time before popular Brothers Bar & Grill entered the Cincinnati market. Their newest location is at Newport on the Levee.

Founded in 1990, Brothers Bar & Grill is known for its entertaining restaurant/bar atmosphere that caters to a younger demographic between the ages of 21 and 35 years. As a result, many of Brothers' locations are in cities and towns with a strong college population like La Crosse, Wisconsin, where Brothers was founded and where the University of Wisconsin has a satellite campus.

What sets Brothers apart from other restaurants/bars is their unique and innovative approach to operating the business in addition to their "over-the-top special events." In 2002, Brothers was given the award for "Best Independent Beverage Program in America" at the Cheers Beverage Conference, and received the "Innovator of the Year" award at the Nightclub and Bar Tradeshow in 2004.

Located on the exterior Riverwalk Level of Newport on the Levee, Brothers Bar & Grill will boast a sports bar atmosphere with sweeping views of downtown Cincinnati and the Ohio River and feature live music, special events, and outdoor seating complete with fire pit.

Brothers Bar & Grill is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

First generation immigrant Suree Christine and her husband have moved their five-year-old Siam Orchid restaurant to Bellevue as a way to improve their location and reduce overhead costs during a tough economy.

"The previous location on Alexandria Pike was over 3,000 square feet," said Christine.  "The new location is around 1,100 square feet including the kitchen, and seats 50 people."

The new location at 511 Fairfield Avenue (map) employs 11 people including Suree and her husband, and opened on October 31.

Christine said that the move made sense for a variety of reasons, but that her love for Thai cooking and sharing that love with others is still the same.


"I love to cook, and I like to meet new people," said Christine who moved to Cincinnati almost ten years ago.

The Christines recommend their homemade noodles, shrimp pattae, red and green curries, sate chicken, or coconut soup - all of which are very popular.

The daily lunch special goes for $6.50, and dinners range in price from $9 to $16.  Siam Orchid is open for lunch Monday through Sunday from 11am to 3pm; dinner Monday through Thursday from 4pm to 9pm; and Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 9:30pm.

Siam Orchid currently offers dine-in and carry out options, but may soon offer delivery to other businesses.  To place an order, call (859) 694-7700.



Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

On Friday, November 13, the former Pike Street Art Gallery at 30 W. Pike Street officially reopened as The BLDG. The gallery features new brow art often referred to as "mongrel art," described as an evolution of street art by the directors/founders of The BLDG.

"It's gallery art in a street art fashion," said The BLDG director/founder Roman Titus.

The former tobacco warehouse has The BLDG's print shop and studio on the second floor and a 2,000 square-foot gallery space on the first level.  Due to the warehouse configuration, the first floor gallery space is very much a blank canvas and what eventually inspired the gallery's name.
 
"As long as Mike (Amann) has owned the building we just referred to it as "the building," and it just kind of stuck," said Titus.  "The building is really defined by what's inside the space."

Amann bought the building shortly after graduating from Western Kentucky University.  Having grown up in the area, he decided to start his own graphic design firm in the space.

Titus, on the other hand, comes into The BLDG with years of experience working as an indie music photographer.  Both Titus and Amann were driven to the new style of art that takes a professional design approach to a different level.

"You don't need an art degree to understand this kind of art," said Titus.

The BLDG is open 1pm to 6pm daily and until 8pm on Thursdays. 


Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

Cities like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Newport and Louisville all developed where they are because of the Ohio River.  Historically the Ohio River has proven to be incredibly important to the development of the nation's inland cities - something that still holds true to this day.

To make sure that this resource is properly recognized, United States Representatives Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Steve Driehaus (D-OH) have established the Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus to address critical economic, infrastructure, agricultural, environmental, and community issues within the entire Ohio River Basin and watershed.

"The Ohio River Valley has long been a critical economic pipeline that connects manufacturers, farmers and other businesses to markets across our nation and around the world," said Rep. Capito.

In regards to Cincinnati, Rep. Driehaus sees the new caucus as a way to rally support behind important projects that might otherwise be overlooked by members of Congress.

"Having the caucus will allow us to mobilize our members behind district-level projects," said Rep. Driehaus.  "We need to be looking at balanced development and commerce along the river, we need to look at securing our water facilities, and we need to look at improving water quality."

Rep. Driehaus discussed the importance of working with the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) to improve water quality and address concerns surrounding combined sewer overflows.  At the same time, Rep. Driehaus also sees this as a great opportunity to help secure much needed funding to replace the Brent Spence Bridge and improve the locks and dams along the river.

"The Ohio River is our most valuable asset, and I feel that for too long it has been underutilized and underappreciated," said Rep. Driehaus.  "We need to be looking at the Ohio River in terms of intermodal transportation that benefits the larger region."

The new Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus could potentially include as many as 55 congressional members whose districts fall within the Ohio River basin, and stretch over 14 states covering 203,940 square miles.  More than 25 million people also live within the river basin.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

A new program funded by a $130,000 grant from Preserve America may appear to be just a run of the mill cultural heritage tour, but Covington leaders view the new Experience Covington program to be much more than that.

"This is a living history of the city told by the residents of its many neighborhoods," said organizers of the new program which aims to capitalize on the ever-growing heritage tourism industry.

While Covington is the largest city in Northern Kentucky, it also boasts the second largest number of historic structures with the larger city of Louisville holding the top spot.  Combining its number of structures with a strong preservation ethic and the lack of any real heritage tourism program before made Covington a perfect candidate for the Preserve America grant.

Jean St. John, director of Community Arts Initiatives said that, "Kathie Hickey and I had been looking at the Preserve America grant for some time.  She had previously gone through the process of making Covington a Preserve America City, and the City of Covington had embarked on a strategic plan process that identified that one of the City's greatest assets is the preservation of the historic housing stock, our arts and cultural heritage sites and landmarks."

The actual tour has been a work in progress for more than a year. Dr. Rebecca Bailey from Northern Kentucky University's Public History program led four classes to develop a prototype tour, website, oral history classes and an educational component for the tour.  Additional training for the oral history program was provided by the Kentucky Folklife Program and the Kentucky Oral History Commission.

35 sites were identified through surveys and interviews, and 48 oral history interviews were conducted as part of the project. The Kenton County Public Library (map) was selected as the home of the program and will add a new kiosk, playaways and maps by the end of the month.

On Friday, October 2 the City of Covington and the Center for Great Neighborhoods officially launched Experience Covington.  Visitors and residents will now be able to go to the Kenton County Public Library and pick up printed copies of driving maps and neighborhood walking tours, theme-based audio tours, or visit the new Experience Covington website at the kiosk. 

The best part: it's all free and open to the public.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

Joe Barta has always had a dream to open up a candy store like the old neighborhood style he remembers as a child.  On Labor Day weekend Barta's dream came true when he opened The Candy Bar in Covington's Mainstrasse Village.

While the business has always been a dream of Barta's, he had always thought it might be a retirement venture until the struggling job market fast-tracked his plans earlier this year.  After tossing the idea around with his family, Barta then took his general business plan to Northern Kentucky University's Small Business Development Center where they refined his plan and determined that his business venture was indeed a good one.

The Small Business Development Center was a "tremendous help" according to Barta who was unsure whether it was the right time to open such an establishment.  "Fortunately we were able to get the traffic from the UK/Miami football game, Riverfest, and Oktoberfest celebrations on Mainstrasse," said Barta.

The 300 square-foot store located between the fountain and clocktower on Mainstrasse is in a spot that Barta loves.  "It's family friendly, there is a park immediately across the street, and has access to lots of festivals," he says. 

"I would love to buy the building and move my family upstairs while running the store out of the retail space on the first level," said Barta.

The Candy Bar currently offers around 250 different types of candy; some of which date back more than 100 years.  The types of available candy is still growing - as a unique feature the store offers a board at the front of the shop where customers can request a particular candy that they may remember from their childhood.

Barta notes that candy bars sell for around $1, and several candies are sold as two or three for a quarter.  "Candy is a treat and you don't need the supersize me mentality when it comes to buying candy."  The Candy Bar does not sell a lot of bulk sizes.

The store is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 9pm, Sunday from 1pm to 8pm and is closed on Mondays.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Amber Kersely
Stay connected and follow Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

The City of Covington has hired Larisa Sims, who served most recently as the Regional Planning Manager for the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana (OKI) Regional Council of Governments, to fill its Assistant City Manager position. The position has been vacant since Larry Klein was promoted to City Manager in July 2009.

While at OKI, Sims worked as a senior planner on comprehensive planning efforts and implementation strategies for OKI's Strategic Regional Policy Plan.  During that time, Sims also managed and directed planning, preparation and implementation of regional planning project policies related to land use, greenspace, water quality and transportation.

Sims has six years of planning experience in Northern Kentucky with the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission (NKAPC) and worked on projects that included the Madison Pike Corridor Land Use and Economic Development Study for the City of Fort Wright.  Her focus and relevant experience has the former Covington Assistant City Manager excited about his replacement.

"Ms. Sims has a strong planning background in Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati, and with management experience in those roles," said Klein.

"Mayor Bowman and the City Commissioners have expressed a desire to obtain a professional planner for Covington.  I agree whole-heartedly.  Covington will benefit greatly now and in the future from long-term planning at the highest levels of City management."

Sims' Northern Kentucky connections also include membership with the Kenton Conservancy, researching conservation easements, land trusts, and policies related to donated land.  She currently resides in Cold Springs.

"It is an honor to be selected to serve the citizens of Covington," said Sims.  "I am excited to work alongside Mr. Klein, city staff, Mayor Bowman and the Commissioners to implement the vision for the City.  Exciting things are happening, and I look forward to being a part of them."

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

The offices of a sanitation district may not be the first place you would think to look for an innovative green roof, but maybe they should be.  The headquarters of the Northern Kentucky Sanitation District feature a 2003 expansion that incorporates an outdoor environmental education center and an innovative vegetated (green) roof.

The expansion also featured a number of other green features including a wetland classroom, storm water garden, watershed plaza, oil/water separator, porous pavements, technology lab, and an urban forest.

The 5,200 square-foot green roof that was incorporated on the expansion received the Green Roof Award of Excellence by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities in 2007 in the extensive institutional category. When the building opened in 2003 it received the Kentucky Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects' (KYASLA) Award of Honor with excellence.

The green roof was designed by Cincinnati-based landscape architecture firm Human Nature, and was installed by Roofscapes, Inc., a "full-service green roof installation firm."

Roofscapes Inc. used an unirrigated 4-inch thick green roof profile that included a variety of plants like Sedum, Allium and Bouteloua.  The green roof project was planned and developed with the intent of reducing rainfall runoff and improving overall water quality.  The Northern Kentucky Sanitation District has continued to monitor the project since its completion in the summer of 2003.

The green roof is also designed to accommodate access by Sanitation District staff and visitors, and includes a paved elevated walkway for tours.  The commonly cited and well-known Chicago City Hall green roof used a similar design approach that was also installed by Roofscapes, Inc.

If you or your group would like to tour the Northern Kentucky Sanitation District's green roof, you can do so Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4pm.  Tours are available if scheduled in advance: Call Jamie Edgemeyer at (859) 578-6764 before visiting the site at 1045 Eaton Drive in Fort Wright, Kentucky.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Image provided by Green Roofs
Stay connected and follow Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

Expanding into Northern Kentucky  Henkle Schueler  purchased a 130-acre industrial park in Boone County, Ky. in August. The Lebanon, Ohio-based, real estate company plans to create 20 lots for new manufacturing facilities at their first Northern Kentucky project. 

"The site has all utilities located in the fastest-growing county in Kentucky with very low tax rates to encourage business development,” said Jeff Eichhorn, the Henkle Schueler agent who managed the acquisition. “We look forward to partnering with Boone County and the Tri-County Economic Development Commission (Tri-ED) to bring new industrial businesses to Northern Kentucky.”

The park will be known as Lakeland Business Center, named for investor Lakeland Farms, LLC, who partnered with Henkle Schueler in the purchase. Situated between I-71, I-75 and I-275, it’s one of only a few Boone County industrial sites with zoning completed, and gas, electric, and water already accessible. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is Lakeland’s eastern neighbor, providing businesses with an advantageous location.

Low local tax rates provide an additional advantage. Dan Tobergte, president and CEO of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, extends a warm welcome to Henkle Schueler. “We look forward to more businesses and jobs [for] Boone County.”

Writer: Elena Stevenson
Source: Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Commission (Tri-ED)

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce named Gary Beatrice its new Chairman of the Board on August 28.

“Gary has been actively engaged and serving in leadership positions in our organization for more than 16 years. He has a strong interest in….the continued economic recovery of our region and brings a wealth of experience to one of the highest priority areas of our members—healthcare,”
said Steve Stevens, president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber.

Beatrice is president of Ft. Mitchell-based Business Benefits, a consultancy that helps local employers secure cost-effective group insurance plans. For the past 15 years, he’s advised Kentucky government and business leaders on health insurance and healthcare reform. But sustainable benefits are just one aspect of Beatrice’s vision for the Northern Kentucky Chamber.

“I see the Chamber fulfilling the role of problem solver in the business community. That seems appropriate in light of today’s economic environment,” said Beatrice. The three priorities he has set for the Northern Kentucky Chamber stem from organic needs he has observed.

“First, we should be a resource for entrepreneurs. We have a board member who recently started a business, and knew his field, but still needed help with licensure and equipment.” Beatrice would like to see the Chamber build its reputation as a hub for practical resources. His plans also include a summit on innovative opportunities in Northern Kentucky, and resources targeted to the needs of women entrepreneurs.

Beatrice recognizes the critical role of passion in getting things done. “A few years ago, the Chamber was part of a Northern Kentucky Education Summit, and many of those projects are still active today.” He looks forward to collaborating with regional organizations on both sides of the river toward common goals: growth, jobs, and business solutions.

Writer: Elena Stevenson
Source: Gary Beatrice, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, www.businessbenefits.com

Covington's 19 neighborhood associations and roughly 2,000 members have been growing and expanding their reach over recent years.  The groups have been collaborating to make the best use of limited funds that they receive for their neighborhoods.  Rachel Hastings, director of Neighborhood and Housing Initiatives with the Center for Great Neighborhoods, says that more can be done though.

"Folks from all over Covington are looking for ways to come together, celebrate successes, and learn from one another," said Hastings.  The Covington Neighborhood Summit intends to do just that and perhaps a little more.

Early successes from the neighborhood associations include the Covington Resident Handbook that is used heavily by realtors and produces about 10,000 copies every two years.  Their somewhat regular meetings have also led to the cross-pollination of ideas among different neighborhood associations.

"Neighborhood associations will be able to learn how to get new members, learn new leadership practices, and how to make the best use of scarce resources," said Hastings about the opportunities that will be available at the upcoming summit.

The Summit is currently in the planning stages, but is scheduled to take place in mid-January 2010 at the old St. Elizabeth North building.  The first planning meeting is taking place today at 5:30pm with more to come down the road.

"We hope to create a social gathering that is a lot of fun," said Hastings.  "It's all about fostering that great community spirit that exists here in Covington."

Hastings notes that a Facebook Page is currently being developed and that event organizers are working with the Covington Youth Commission to get young people involved in the Summit.  Expected to last about five to six hours, the Summit will be flexible for a variety of work schedules and encourage people to come and go as they are able.

To learn more about the Summit, or to learn how you can get involved with the planning process, contact Rachel Hastings at the Center for Great Neighborhoods at (859) 866-7527.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected and follow Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

In 1990 the Nordheim Gallery was established by Covington Independent Public Schools as a means to enrich the fine arts among students and create a community outreach tool at Holmes High School.

Since 1990, the gallery has featured the work of hundreds of regional and visiting artists according to Holmes High School officials.  Those artists include professional, amateur, and emerging artists who work in a variety of fine arts craft and media.

The gallery is also used by Holmes students and teachers for instructional purposes including lectures, discussions and hands-on activities.  The Nordheim Gallery has also provided a much needed outlet for students looking to display their work to an authentic and captive audience.  Additionally the gallery has hosted dozens of poetry readings and drawn an average of 2,000 visitors annually over the past seven years.

While the numbers and impact appear to be robust, the funding for the Nordheim Gallery is not.  Due to recent budget cuts across the school district, the Nordheim Gallery needs to raise $20,000 to stay operational for the 2009-2010 school year.

Following a fund raising event last week, Nordheim Gallery supporters have raised just over $6,000 of the $20,000 needed to save the gallery.  The event featured a silent auction and an opportunity for supporters to gather and promote their cause, but with nearly $14,000 more needed a lot of work must still be done.

Those who are interested in making a donation that will help save this Covington asset can make checks payable to 'Save the Nordheim Gallery' and mail them to Holmes High School at 25th and Madison Avenue in Covington, Kentucky 41014 (attention: Save the Nordheim).  Supporters can also make secure online donations through First Giving where contributions will be directly sent to the Covington Education Foundation's "Save the Nordheim" account at the Covington Board of Education.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected and follow Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

The Latonia Small Area Study intends to address the current and future needs of the northern Kentucky neighborhood in a comprehensive manner.  Annexed by Covington in 1909, Latonia was named after the nearby Latonia Springs resort. The study is in the early phases now and could potentially include topics like land use, transportation, community facilities, and implementation strategies and recommendations.

Much like a city comprehensive plan, the Latonia Small Area Study will look to engage the community and use that input to guide the comprehensive planning process that will hopefully make the neighborhood a better place for future generations.

At this point field work is currently being done to compile data on existing building conditions and land uses, and should be completed by the end of September.  This data will lay the ground work to discuss a variety of issues in the comprehensive planning process, and will provide needed information for the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission (NKAPC).

Following the initial data collection, a market study will also have to be completed that looks at all aspects of the Latonia area.  Demographic, real estate, business, housing, land use, and other information will all need to be collected during this step of Phase 1 of the Small Area Study.

Community input is going to be extremely important, but plan organizers note that residents and business owners will be engaged soon.  A project website is currently under development and public meetings are being organized so that those interested can stay involved in the study and comprehensive planning process.

The first public meeting has not yet been scheduled, but will happen in late fall 2009.  The comprehensive planning process will continue on over the next year with final public involvement wrapping up at the beginning of fall 2010.

Those looking to get involved and stay up-to-date are encouraged to contact Angela Cook at the City of Covington at (859) 292-2160, James Fausz at the NKAPC at (859) 331-8987, or Rachel Hastings at (859) 547-5546.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography provided
Stay connected and follow Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy