FLORENCE – Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney believes the flurry of economic development in his city will benefit Northern Kentucky.
The World Choir Games, The Banks project and the Horseshoe Casino have created a lot of buzz about Greater Cincinnati, Dohoney told the Florence Rotary Club on Monday, January 14. Cincinnati has been mentioned more than one billion times in the media since the World Choir Games last summer, he noted, and the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Wall Street Journal “all want to come and do a story.”
“What that means is the region is about to become a destination point at a level it’s not been before,” Dohoney said. “The excitement at Newport on the Levee, all the places in Covington and Northern Kentucky … All of us will win, not just Cincinnati.”
Dohoney credits the rise in interest to a single decision the City of Cincinnati made during the recession several years ago. Some cities chose to wait out the economic downturn. Cincinnati chose to move forward aggressively, even though some initiatives such as the streetcar system were controversial, he said.
“That decision is why all these things are coming in rapid-fire succession now,” said Dohoney, who came to Cincinnati after stints in Louisville and Lexington.
A parking garage, 300 apartments, a string of restaurants at The Banks, and the 21c Museum Hotel across the street from the Aronoff Center for the Arts have blossomed since Dohoney arrived. A makeover is in the works for the Hyatt downtown and the casino just west of I-71 will open in early March.
The apartments now boast a waiting list, according to Dohoney. Population is increasing in the downtown area and not all of the new residents are empty nesters. A lot of them are professionals with companies that have come to Greater Cincinnati, he said.
“The decision to be aggressive is starting to show fruit,” Dohoney said.
To keep bearing fruit, the city must respond to the needs of new residents and visitors. Cincinnati “did not spend a penny of city money” on the casino, but made improvements to streets and the surrounding area, according to the city manager. The city also insisted the casino must be built “inside out” so visitors could go into restaurants from the street instead of through the casino.
“The future is bright for all of us,” Dohoney said. “People are discovering when they come to the Cincinnati region that they can’t do everything in a day, can’t do everything in a weekend, can’t do everything in a week.”
They are going to come and stay awhile, and they are going to come back for more, he predicted.
For information about weekly meetings, guest speakers and community service opportunities of the Florence Rotary Club, contact Brad Shipe, President, at bradshipe@hotmail.com or (859) 282-7040. Visit the group’s web site at www.florencerotary.org . Florence Rotary meets weekly on Mondays at noon at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Florence.
