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Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Parking in downtown Cincinnati can be a hassle. We aim to make it easy, accessible.
At 3CDC, our mission is simple but vital: to keep downtown Cincinnati clean, safe and welcoming so that local businesses can thrive, and residents and visitors alike can enjoy the urban core. We've invested over $2 billion in Cincinnati's center city in service of those goals, and a significant focus of our efforts involves parking. We manage nine garages and seven surface lots throughout downtown and Over-the-Rhine. Every day, thousands of people use these facilities to shop, dine, work and explore. Our goal is to make parking as convenient, secure and affordable as possible. That's why we've embraced modern tools like mobile payments and License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras. In addition to payment kiosks, our lots provide the option for customers to pay for parking via text-to-pay or mobile pay by scanning a QR code. These technologies enhance customer service, provide flexibility for patrons and support a safe environment. The mobile payment options also help avoid citations by allowing parkers to receive reminders and extend their stay right from their phone. As such, we wanted to provide clarity on a recent letter to the editor published in the Enquirer claiming our practices are deceptive ("Cincinnati's deceptive parking practices drive visitors away," May 27). We understand that parking can be frustrating − and that technology is not perfect (3CDC certainly has room for improvement, too, for that matter). But we aren't trying to deceive anyone, and we also believe it's important to set the record straight. Letter: Broken kiosk, faded signs and a $65 welcome to Over-the-Rhine In the case highlighted by the letter: The individual paid for two hours of parking. He stayed for two hours and 13 minutes. He was issued a citation. The individual also noted our parking kiosk didn't print a receipt when he paid, which would have been timestamped, showing when he paid for parking. Our lots do not require the display of a receipt on a dashboard, so when a customer pays, the time begins on his or her parking stay. This is automatically recorded, and the system then begins counting down the time. If the parker wanted to extend his time, he could have contacted 3CDC directly or gone back to the kiosk to pay for additional time; parkers regularly do both, and we are always willing to work with parkers who contact us for all manner of questions or concerns. Opinion: Opponents of the Hyde Park Square project need to be honest with themselves Additionally, to alleviate timing challenges, our signage clearly states that a parker has a 15-minute grace period upon entering the lot prior to incurring any charges. To mitigate issues where parkers might be running a few minutes late returning to their car, we also offered a 10-minute grace period at the end of a parker's time. As a result of the underlying facts in this particular instance, we have since extended that grace period to 15 minutes. In addition to providing multiple different payment options and grace periods, we do our best to provide ample signage that clearly defines the rules for parkers. The lot cited in the letter to the editor features seven different signs stating that pre-paid parking is monitored and enforced by cameras. We're not trying to "catch" anyone − we're trying to keep the system fair and accessible. We're focused on providing good customer service and a positive experience. And we're committed to improving. That includes better signage, clearer instructions, and a willingness to work with any customer who feels they were wrongly cited or paid an incorrect amount for their parking. We also intend to add on-site staff at the 1400 Vine Lot during peak times to provide an extra layer of customer service, as we do at all the garages we manage. In short, we believe parking should be easy, fair and safe. We're working every day to make it better − and to support the vibrancy of downtown by ensuring that access to it is as seamless as possible. It's an essential service that aids small businesses and helps keep our downtown welcoming for everyone. We are sorry that this parker had a negative experience, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome him back to OTR again soon, as it is a neighborhood full of history, unique experiences, and incredible local businesses. Stephen Leeper is president and CEO of Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC). This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Downtown Cincinnati parking is getting improvements you need | Opinion
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Doors getting kicked in during new 'ding dong ditch' prank, NKY police say
Police in Northern Kentucky are investigating four reports of kids kicking in homeowners' doors during a new social media variation of the "ding dong ditch" prank. The twist is that instead of just knocking on the door and running away, some pranksters are completely destroying the victim's front doorway, police said. On social media, Florence police called for parents and guardians to keep an eye on their children's whereabouts to prevent a prank from turning into a tragedy. "Being awoken at 3 a.m. by someone forcefully kicking a front door could lead a homeowner to believe a break-in is occurring, potentially prompting them to take defensive action," the department said in a June 2 Facebook post. Police Detective Todd Manning told The Enquirer the department has also seen similar reports from residents across other cities in Kenton and Campbell counties in Northern Kentucky. Florence homeowner Sherri Souder says her home was hit by the social media trend during this past Memorial Day weekend, according to Enquirer media partner Fox 19. Souder said she woke up before midnight thinking she heard an explosion, only to check her cameras and see a kid kicking in her garage door. "Ding dong ditch" pranks have long been around and there are countless examples of modern spins across TikTok and other social media platforms. However, it's recently received more attention due to a deadly incident in May. Just a month ago in Virginia, a teenager was allegedly shot and killed by a homeowner while filming TikTok "ding dong ditch" prank videos with friends. One of the teen's friends was also shot and treated for minor injuries. The teens told police they were shot while running to hide after knocking on a door. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 4 NKY homes hit by new TikTok twist of 'ding dong ditch' prank
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man accused of spray painting swastika outside home in Lincoln Heights
A White man living in the predominantly Black suburb of Lincoln Heights is accused of painting racist symbols outside a home in his village. Tyler Fout, 18, is charged in Hamilton County Municipal Court with ethnic intimidation and criminal damaging, both misdemeanors. On May 31, Fout spray painted a swastika on the walkway of a house in the village, as well as the letters "WP" on the driveway and patio, according to a criminal complaint. The Enquirer has reached out to his public defender seeking comment. The Anti-Defamation League says "WP" is sometimes an acronym for the term "White power," which is often used as a chant by White supremacists. It's commonly seen as a tattoo or graffiti. The incident in Lincoln Heights came just days after officials in neighboring Evendale unveiled the findings of a third-party consulting firm's review of the police response to a Feb. 7 neo-Nazi demonstration on the Vision Way overpass. Jail records show Fout was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center on May 31. He is next expected to appear in court on June 6 before Judge Mike Peck. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police: Man accused of spray painting swastika outside home in Lincoln Heights
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police: 17-year-old dead after drive-by shooting in Westwood
A 17-year-old is dead after a drive-by shooting in Westwood early on June 3, police say. A suspect opened fire into a home in the 3000 block of Percy Avenue and then sped off around 1:30 a.m., according to Captain Stephen Bower. The teen was found inside the home with three gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, Bower said. The teen's identity had not been released at the time of this report. Multiple shell casings were found outside the home, Bower said. ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, recorded as many as 14 shots were fired. No suspect information has been released, and no arrests have been reported. This is the third fatal shooting in Westwood, and another three people have been wounded in shootings in the neighborhood this year, according to Cincinnati police data. So far in 2025, there have been 91 people shot in Cincinnati. During the same person last year, 125 people had been shot, the data shows. There have been 21 fatal shootings so far this year compared to 26 during the same time in 2024. Enquirer media partner Fox19 contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police: 17-year-old dead after drive-by shooting in Westwood
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Same old NIMBY excuses are threatening to hold Hyde Park Square back
Cincinnati City Council has made a very wise decision to allow rezoning in Hyde Park Square. This allows a project to move forward that will create more housing and amenities in one of the most desirable locations in our city. The increased density will help existing businesses in the Square by driving more traffic. The project will create space for new businesses and, therefore, more jobs. Over 100 units of housing will be added to the city's supply, which is strained. The agglomeration effects of higher density, especially of high-wage earners, will promote activity in an area well beyond the Square itself and generate higher tax revenue into perpetuity. The virtues of the project hardly need to be stated. It's textbook good urbanism. But the age-old enemy of every ambitious development project has reared its head: NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard). The NIMBYs have forcefully made their case against the project in City Council meetings, street protests, and in the Enquirer. Now that council has approved rezoning the NIMBYs are even mobilizing to field a ballot initiative to kill the project. I've read their objections and find them thoroughly unpersuasive. More: Cincinnati council ignored Hyde Park. Your neighborhood could be next. | Opinion They think the project's too tall. Really? Eighty-five feet is hardly a skyscraper. They're concerned they weren't listened to in the planning process. But City Council did listen to them; they just decided (correctly) that they were wrong. Some NIMBYs are opposed to the project because it doesn't include subsidized housing. But if opponents want more subsidized housing, they should go support subsidized projects, not obstruct good market-rate projects. The Hyde Park NIMBYs say the same thing NIMBYs say everywhere. They're in favor of development, just not this development. They support housing, just not this housing. They support local businesses, just not these local businesses. Notice a pattern? NIMBYs who approve of development in general but never in particular are standing athwart progress yelling "Stop!" They're also standing athwart housing costs yelling "Higher!" The opponents of the Hyde Park Square project need to be honest with themselves. This is a perfectly reasonable development, and their opposition to it amounts to supporting stasis and decay. More: We walk Hyde Park Square every day, and we know how badly this project is needed | Opinion There is one concern I share with some of this project's skeptics. That is the aesthetic quality. Hyde Park Square is one of our city's better public spaces. That is why so many people are understandably concerned about changing it. It's natural to want to steward beautiful things. If a project wants to contribute to Hyde Park Square rather than detract from it, the project should be a pleasing aesthetic addition. The bar isn't that high. Hyde Park is far from perfect. It contains one of the city's rather lesser examples of Art Deco. The eclectic mix of architectural styles has its weaker points. Somebody's already built a bland, single-tone brick apartment complex on the east end, one of those with the tiny jutting balconies that look like they were stuck on as a hasty afterthought. The new project must rise above that. It must be pleasing to look at. Beautiful buildings on the scale that are planned can be a centerpiece for the Square. They can concentrate the gaze and enliven the experience of walking or eating, or simply sitting anywhere in Hyde Park Square. While it is possible to create a beautiful building in a modern style, the developers should look to Cincinnati's rich architectural past if they want to greatly increase their chances of success. It will be much better if whatever they build recalls Over-the-Rhine row houses or Concert Hall, or the Richardson Romanesque of the San Marco building and City Hall, or the classical facades of the early 20th century mid-rises downtown, literally anything other than the bland, placeless 5-over-1 style that gets thrown up everywhere these days. More: Proposed redevelopment of Hyde Park Square would damage beauty of neighborhood | Opinion If they can do that, if they can both increase the amenities of the neighborhood as well as the beauty of Hyde Park Square, then the project's developers will win over many of their critics, who, once the dust settles, will concede it looks great, is good for the neighborhood, and move on with their lives. But if they don't, if they announce they're planning something that looks like one of the more slapdash student housing projects that have sprung up around the University of Cincinnati recently (I'm looking at you Central Parkway and McMillan at Auburn!) then I'd be happy to join the NIMBYs at the barricade. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Christopher Wood is a neurologist who lives in Clifton. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The future of Hyde Park Square shouldn't be held hostage | Opinion
