text:
The MLK/I-71 Interchange project is supposed to be funded through the city's parking plan, but mayoral candidate John Cranley, who opposes the parking plan and streetcar, says the city should instead use federal funding that was originally intended for the streetcar project.
Between 2010 and 2011, the streetcar project was awarded about $40 million in federal grants — nearly $25 million through
the Urban Circulator Grant, $4 million through the Congestion Mitigation
and Air Quality (CMAQ) Grant and nearly $11 million through TIGER 3.
The grants are highly competitive and allocated to certain
projects. In the case of Cincinnati, the grants were specifically
awarded to the streetcar after it was thoroughly vetted as a transit, not highway, project.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) website explains why the Urban Circulator Grant is only meant for transit projects like the streetcar: "Urban circulator systems such as streetcars and rubber-tire trolley lines provide a transportation option that connects urban destinations and foster the redevelopment of urban spaces into walkable mixed-use, high-density environments."
The CMAQ Grant's main goal is to fund projects that curtail congestion and pollution, with an emphasis on transit projects, according to the Federal Highway Administration. The website explains, "Eligible activities include transit improvements, travel demand management strategies, traffic flow improvements and public fleet conversions to cleaner fuels, among others."
The DOT website says TIGER 3 money could go to a highway project, but one of the program's goals is promoting "livability," which is defined as, "Fostering livable communities through place-based policies and investments that increase transportation choices and access to transportation services for people in communities across the United States." TIGER 3 is also described as highly competitive by the DOT, so only a few programs get a chance at the money.When asked about the grants' limitations, Cranley said, "I believe … the speaker of the house, the senator, the congressman, the governor and the mayor could petition and get that changed. Just because that may have been the way they set the grants in the first place doesn't mean they can't change it."
The parking plan would lease Cincinnati's parking assets to the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority and allocate a portion of the raised funds — $20 million — to the MLK/I-71 Interchange project, but the plan is currently being held up by a lawsuit seeking to enable a referendum.
The streetcar is one of the few issues in which Cranley and Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, a streetcar supporter who is also running for mayor, are in stark contrast ("Back on the Ballot," issue of Jan. 23).
Cranley's opponents recently accused him of originally supporting the streetcar when he was a council member through two 2008 City Council motions, but Cranley says those motions, which he co-sponsored, only asked the city administration to study the merits of a streetcar plan, not approve of it. Cranley voted no on the first streetcar resolution in October 2007 and the motion to actually build the streetcar in April 2008.
"I've never said that I'm against the (streetcar) concept in all circumstances," Cranley says. "I wanted to know if there was a way that they could pay for it in a way that wouldn't take away from what I thought were more important priorities."
Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson has some explaining to do after being caught yesterday receiving a shipment of 2.5 points of weed to his home. Authorities found another 6 pounds inside the Crestview Hills house, which Simpson owns. Here's how the incident will affect your fantasy football team, should you have made the mistake of drafting Jerome Simpson.
Western & Southern in a press release today announced an agreement with Cincinnati Union Bethel (CUB) that will sell the Anna Louise Inn in Lytle Park to W&S for $4 million, ending years of entanglements between the two entities over what should be done with the property in need of millions of dollars in renovations.As part of the deal, ALI will move to a new location in Mount Auburn at the corner of Reading Road and Kinsey Avenue, in the same vicinity as the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and The Talbert House. The settlement also provides CUB time to construct the new Inn, so none of the current residents will be displaced. CUB will still retain its $13 million in funding to develop the new property.
The Anna Louise Inn, which provides safe and affordable housing for low-income women, has called the Lytle Park location home since 1909. The new agreement will dissolve all ongoing litigation; most recently, W&S accused ALI of potentially discriminating against men.
In 2009, W&S passed up on an opportunity to purchase the Inn for $3 million, before CUB obtained city- and state-distributed federal funding to renovate the building and stay in the neighborhood, a decision Western & Southern admitted it regretted. Since then, the Fortune 500 company has been battling with the ALI in hopes of getting another chance to purchase the property.
According to the CUB website, the settlement came about for several reasons, including concern that ongoing litigation with W&S would have caused it to lose tax credits earned through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, which were due to expire at the end of 2013 and cannot be used during ongoing litigation.
Now W&S plans to renovate the building into an upscale new hotel, which will essentially give the company a monopoly on real estate in the Lytle Park neighborhood.
It's a bittersweet change for the women and staff at the Inn, explains CUB President and CEO Steve MacConnell, but "ultimately, it's the right decision," he says. MacConnell says CUB learned about the plot of land just three to four weeks ago, when they started seriously considering a move. "After two years of litigation, the women — and us — we were all feeling so much uncertainty," he says, "and ultimately what's best for the women is what we've always had in mind."
A new Census Bureau report reveals that from 2005 to 2009, a segment of Over-the-Rhine had the highest income inequality of more than 61,000 communities nationwide.
The segment — known as Census Tract No. 17 — is the northeast quadrant of Over-the-Rhine. The findings were featured in an article Tuesday by McClatchy Newspapers, which attributes the disparity in the tract partially to gentrification and the influx of young professionals into the predominantly low-income neighborhood.
Cincinnati's Music Hall will be getting renovations, but the project will be much smaller than anticipated. Instead of the previously estimated $165 million, the project, which involves the city leasing the iconic building to the Music Hall Revitalization Company (MHRC) for 75 years, will only cover approximately $95 million.
At a joint press conference Wednesday, Mayor Mark Mallory and Otto Budig, president of MHRC, officially announced the plan, which City Council will take up early next year.
Not many details or a timeline were announced at the press conference, but some information did come to light. The renovations will include more comfortable seating, extra restroom capacity, heating, air conditioning, improved plumbing and new escalator models. During the renovations, Music Hall, home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet, will be closed for an estimated 17 months.
"We will do this in a manner that carries with it the surety that the project will be complete," Budig said. "The worst thing we could do is start this project without the natural resources and pledges available."
On top of the leasing agreement, the city will also help fund the project through tax credits.
The lease continues the trend of public-private partnerships city government has used to revitalize Over-the-Rhine and downtown Cincinnati in recent years. From the Banks to Washington Park, the city of Cincinnati has pushed to be seen as a more attractive, business-friendly environment.
However, that has come with some push back. The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) and city have previously faced criticisms from homeless advocates for allegedly discriminatory rules at Washington Park, which were later voted down by the Cincinnati Park Board.
Some public officials have also raised concerns about the city giving away too many of its public assets. The 2013 budget currently relies on a proposal that will privatize Cincinnati's parking assets, a plan that has faced heavy criticism from Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld and mayoral candidate John Cranley. City Manager Milton Dohoney argues the privatization plan is necessary to avoid 344 layoffs.
As part of CityBeat's continuing election coverage, we've once again sent a questionnaire to the non-incumbent Cincinnati City Council candidates to get their reactions on a broad range of issues.
Nine of the 14 non-incumbents chose to answer our questions. Others either didn't respond or couldn't meet the deadline.
During the next few weeks, we will print the responses from the non-incumbents to a different topic each time.
Today's question is, "There is a movement afoot to move the Drop Inn Center homeless shelter out of Over-the- Rhine. Do you support or oppose this effort, and why?"
At first glance, it might seem like a rail line between downtown Cincinnati and the city of Milford would earn support from the same people who back the $132.8 million streetcar project, but streetcar supporters, including advocacy group Cincinnatians for Progress, say they oppose the idea and its execution.
Critics of the overall project, called the Eastern Corridor, recently pointed to a November study from HDR. Despite flowery language promising a maximized investment, HDR found seven of 10 stations on the $230-$322 million Oasis rail line would result in low economic development, five of 10 stations would provide low access to buses and bikes, and the intercity line would achieve only 3,440 daily riders by 2030.
HDR's findings for the Oasis line stand in sharp contrast to its study of Cincinnati's streetcar project. The firm found the streetcar line in Over-the-Rhine and downtown would generate major economic development and a 2.7-to-1 return on investment over 35 years.
Given the poor results for the Oasis line, streetcar
supporters say local officials should ditch the Oasis concept and
instead pursue the 2002 MetroMoves plan and an expansion of the
streetcar system through a piecemeal approach that would create a central transit spine through the region.
"To have (the Oasis line) be our first commuter rail piece in Cincinnati … just doesn't make sense to me," says Derek Bauman, co-chair of Cincinnatians for Progress.
MetroMoves spans across the entire city and region, with the rail line along I-71 from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to downtown Cincinnati to King's Island fostering particularly high interest.
Voters rejected the MetroMoves plan and the sales tax hike it involved in 2002, but streetcar supporters say public opinion will shift once the streetcar becomes reality in Cincinnati.
"That's been proven in other cities, especially ones that have not historically been transit-oriented," Bauman says, pointing to Houston and Miami as examples of cities that built spines that are now being expanded.
Opposition to the Oasis line is also more deeply rooted in a general movement against the Eastern Corridor project. The unfunded billion-dollar project involves a few parts: relocating Ohio 32 through the East Side, the Oasis rail line and several road improvements from Cincinnati to Milford.
Supporters of the Eastern Corridor claim it would ease congestion, at least in the short term, and provide a cohesiveness in transportation options that's severely lacking in the East Side.
Opponents argue the few benefits, some of which both sides agree are rooted in legitimate concerns, just aren't worth the high costs and various risks tied to the project.
"When it comes to widening roads and highways, it's kind of like loosening your belt at Thanksgiving. Somehow traffic always fills to fit," Bauman says. "Highway expansion, especially in urban areas, is not the future. It's not even the present in some areas."
The big concern is that the relocation of Ohio 32 might do to the East Side and eastern Hamilton County what I-75 did to the West Side, which was partly obliterated and divided by the massive freeway.
"It hurts the cohesiveness of our communities when you create these big divides," Bauman argues. "You would see that repeat itself."
Officials are taking feedback for the Eastern Corridor and Oasis rail line at EasternCorridor.org.
This article was updated to use more up-to-date figures for the cost of the Oasis rail line.
In the past few days, local media outlets have reported heavily on a supposed conflict between Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) and the city of Cincinnati. Essentially, SORTA wants the transit fund limited, while the city government says it doesn't want to "undermine the city charter" with limitations.
At its heart, the argument is a political back-and-forth with little consequence. It's two government agencies at a small divide over legalese in an intergovernmental agreement about how the streetcar will operate and how it will be funded.
The specific issue is SORTA, which runs the Metro bus
system and will operate the streetcar, wants to include phrasing in its
agreement with the city that makes it so the transit fund can't be used
for the streetcar. In a 7-6 vote Tuesday, SORTA's board pushed its preferred wording along with an application for an $11 million federal grant that will help fund the streetcar.
But the city government claims the limitation would go against the spirit of the city charter, which says the transit fund can be used for "public transit purposes generally and without limitation."
UPDATE: City Council on Wednesday passed a resolution promising not to use Metro bus money on the streetcar, although it has no legal standing preventing council from later coming back and using transit funds for the streetcar.
Still, Mayor Mark Mallory's office has insisted time and time again that funding for the streetcar's construction and operation is already allocated, so taking any money from the transit fund will be unnecessary. Specifically, the city will tap into casino revenue to operate the streetcar, on top of the $11 million federal grant.
In an op-ed for The Cincinnati Enquirer Monday, Mallory said the real issue goes back to an ongoing lawsuit between SORTA and the city. In 2010, the city diverted money from the transit fund to pay for street lights. That prompted a lawsuit from SORTA, asking the courts to define the limits of the transit fund.
The mayor's office sees the wording from SORTA as an attempt from the transit agency to score a minor victory in the legal battle. If the city government accepted the wording, it would be agreeing to a limited transit fund, which is essentially what SORTA wants.
SORTA's wording also makes it so all transit fund money will continue going to the Metro bus system, which is the agency's sole service today.
But even SORTA says the disagreement is getting blown out of proportion by media outlets and public officials. Sallie Hilvers, spokesperson for SORTA, says the wording in the approved agreement was the board's attempt to ensure the transit fund isn't used for the streetcar, but, for the most part, it's "really just procedures."
Hilvers insisted the disagreement over wording has plenty
of time to be worked out, and it will not hinder collaboration between
the city of Cincinnati and SORTA.
The agreement will need to be worked out before summer 2013 for the streetcar to stay on track.
A review of the fine print in Ohio law could spell trouble for Duke Energy in its dispute with Cincinnati about who must pay to move utility lines to accommodate the city's streetcar project.
Readers of CityBeat's March 6 cover story know that one of the legal arguments made by Duke Energy is that it said the system qualifies as a utility itself under Ohio law. And one utility has no legal obligation to reimburse another utility, Duke added.
City officials disagree with Duke's interpretation, and the two sides currently are trying to negotiate a compromise to the impasse.
The city is willing to pay $6 million to relocate Duke's natural gas, chilled water, fiber and electrical infrastructure along the streetcar route, but the firm insists it will cost at least $18.7 million and possibly more.
A close reading of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC), however, reveals it is unlikely that a streetcar system qualifies as a "public utility."
Under Ohio law, the following items are defined as public utilities:
"A motor transportation company, when engaged in the business of carrying and transporting persons or property or the business of providing or furnishing such transportation service, for hire, in or by motor-propelled vehicles of any kind, including trailers, for the public in general, over any public street, road, or highway in this state." ORC §4905.03
But motor-propelled vehicles aren't defined under Ohio law. The ORC does, however, define "motor vehicle" as:
"(B) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle, including mobile homes and recreational vehicles, that is propelled or drawn by power other
than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires.
"Motor vehicle" does not include utility vehicles as defined in division (VV)
of this section, motorized bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power
shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work and not
designed for or employed in general highway transportation, well-drilling
machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, and trailers that are
designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage
and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a public road
or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of
twenty-five miles per hour or less." ORC
"(B) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle, including mobile homes and recreational vehicles, that is propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires. "Motor vehicle" does not include utility vehicles as defined in division (VV) of this section, motorized bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work and not designed for or employed in general highway transportation, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, and trailers that are designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a public road or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less." ORC §4501.01(B)
Streetcars operate using overhead trolley wires, thus they aren't considered motor vehicles under Ohio law. But do they even qualify as vehicles? The ORC defines vehicles as:
"(A) "Vehicles" means everything on wheels or runners, including motorized bicycles, but does not mean electric personal assistive mobility devices, vehicles that are operated exclusively on rails or tracks or from overhead electric trolley wires, and vehicles that belong to any police department, municipal fire department, or volunteer fire department, or that are used by such a department in the discharge of its functions." ORC §4501.01(A)
Of course, streetcars run on rails and use power from electric
trolley wires. So, they aren't vehicles either. The conclusion: Either "motor-propelled vehicles" mean the same as "motor
vehicles" (in which case it doesn't apply to streetcars) or "motor-propelled"
is an adjective to "vehicle" (which also doesn't apply, as streetcars aren't
vehicles). In each instance, a streetcar system doesn't fall into the legal realm of a "motor transportation company" and therefore isn't a "public utility."
Of course, streetcars run on rails and use power from electric trolley wires. So, they aren't vehicles either.
The conclusion: Either "motor-propelled vehicles" mean the same as "motor vehicles" (in which case it doesn't apply to streetcars) or "motor-propelled" is an adjective to "vehicle" (which also doesn't apply, as streetcars aren't vehicles).
In each instance, a streetcar system doesn't fall into the legal realm of a "motor transportation company" and therefore isn't a "public utility."
The biggest deficit plug will come from privatizing parking services, which the city manager's office says will bring in $40 million in one-time revenue and additional revenue over 30 years as part of a long-term contract. About $21 million of the initial lump-sum payment will be used to close the 2013 budget deficit.
In the past, Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld voiced concerns about privatizing parking: "I'll await more details, but it seems penny-wise and pound-foolish to forgo a steady revenue stream for a lump-sum payment. Cincinnati needs a structurally balanced budget and can't keep relying on one-time sources. Places like Chicago and Indianapolis have seen their parking rates more than double following privatization — that's a bad deal for citizens, and something we don't need while we're experiencing an urban renaissance."
Another concern is whether the city's current parking employees will be laid off if parking services are sold. Dohoney said the deal for privatization will require the winning bidder to interview all American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) workers. Full-time workers who do not join the winning bidder will be hired in other parts of the city government. "No AFSCME employee will be placed on the street if they are full-time as a result of this effort," Dohoney claimed.
The rest of the deficit plug will come in cuts, cost shifting, savings, revenue, embedded growth and one-time sources. Among these, notable items include the elimination of the Mounted Patrol for the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) and a $610,770 reduction in Human Services Funding. A few departments and programs, including the CPD, will face further minor cuts.
The city manager's office claims the changes in the budget are necessary mostly due to changes at the state level. Specifically, the state government cut the Local Government Fund by 50 percent and eliminated the tangible personal property tax reimbursement and estate tax; altogether, losing these sources of revenue cost Cincinnati $22.2 million in the 2013 budget.
Facing the large deficit, Dohoney said he wanted to avoid across-the-board cuts and other major cuts to growth and investment programs: "You're not competitive if that's your approach."
The budget also includes some spending increases. The Focus 52 Program will focus on redevelopment projects in Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods. If it's successful, the new program will "grow the city's revenue base, create new jobs and/or increase the population of the city," according to the city manager's office.
In other budget news, the city manager will also send out the Tentative Tax Budget proposal, which sets the millage rate for the operating property tax. That proposal seeks to raise the millage rate from 5.9 mills to 6.1 mills, which will provide an estimated $31 million in revenue, up from $23.5 million. For a $100,000 residential property, that means a tax hike of $46.
One of Cincinnati's biggest developers has plans to reshape an entire block of Race Street near Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine.
Model Group, which is based in Walnut Hills, has put in an application with Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation to develop city-owned properties on the 1800 block of Race Street. In addition, the developer has recently purchased a number of other properties on the block. The grand vision: more than 50,000 square feet of commercial space and 40,000 square feet of office space in the area just east of the historic market.
"We want it to feel like an extension of the market," said Model Group COO Bobby Maly Sept. 5. But don't call it Findlay Market II. "We're not trying to be the market," he said.
The deal isn't finalized yet, however. Model will still need approval from 3CDC and the city. On June 25, City Council approved 3CDC's request to be preferred developer of the area around the market. The non-profit development group is currently taking applications from developers who want in on the action in the rapidly changing neighborhood and advising the city about which projects should get the go-ahead. Except for a couple businesses such as Rhinegeist brewery, the area of OTR north of Liberty Street is still mostly untouched by redevelopment.
3CDC's request that the city make it preferred developer in the area caused controversy. Critics, including Over-the-Rhine Community Council President Ryan Messer, say the group has too much power and shouldn't be allowed to call the shots entirely in OTR. 3CDC has led the drive to reshape the part of the neighborhood south of Liberty Street, including the renovation of Washington Park, the enormous Mercer Commons project and a bevy of smaller retail, dining and residential spaces, especially along Vine Street. But Messer and others say smaller developers could move quicker than 3CDC, which has banked a number of buildings, shoring them up just enough to save them and then boarding them up. He has also expressed concerns that the development group isn't serving the interests of everyone in the neighborhood and hasn't paid close enough attention to the need for things like affordable housing there.
"A common thread in the neighborhood is the expressed desire to protect and expand our cultural diversity and this, in part, can be done by paying close attention to providing affordable housing options in both the rental and the purchase markets," Messer said in a June 18 letter to the city asking it to not grant 3CDC preferred developer status.
While Model Group has played a relatively smaller role in OTR than the nonprofit 3CDC, it has also been very active in the area, especially in the Pendleton District to the east. Model has been working on Pendleton Square, a $26 million residential development just north of the Horseshoe Casino. That project could create about 40 new market-rate residential units and more than 10,000 square feet of retail space in the neighborhood, which is also experiencing a surge in redevelopment efforts.
General Electric is officially moving 1,800 employees to The Banks, the entertainment and retail complex on Cincinnati's riverfront. But it took some deal-sweetening by the city to make it happen. City Council and Hamilton County Commissioners on Monday approved a landmark deal that incentivizes the company to consolidate some administrative and finance jobs at the site, which will be 10 stories tall and cost about $90 million to build.
The city's bid beat out Norwood and other locations, though the city and county had to offer one of the most generous deals in the region's history. The company will receive a 75-percent property tax abatement for the next 15 years, with the other 25 percent of those taxes going to Cincinnati Public Schools. Eighty-five percent of employees' city earnings taxes will also flow back to the company over that period of time.
GE said the incentives are needed because moving to The Banks will be about 15 percent more expensive than other bids it considered. The city hopes the deal will lead to a long-term payoff. County officials tout studies showing big benefits. The Economics Center for Education and Research at UC ran the numbers on the deal and suggest that the project could bring in $1 billion in overall economic activity. The site should reach full capacity by 2018.
The estimated average salary of an employee at the site will be about $79,000, company officials say.
Despite some questions about how quickly the deal came together, both council and county commissioners passed it unanimously during an unusual joint meeting at Great American Ball Park. Council member P.G. Sittenfeld praised the project but noted the city will need to remember to balance fairness and overall impact in the future. Council member Chris Seelbach used the occasion to tout the streetcar, tweeting that it was a big factor in GE's choice to move to The Banks.
Mayor John Cranley is trying to find a compromise over whether early voting will move out of downtown after the 2016 general election, as some Republicans in the county government have suggested. Cranley called for a meeting with Hamilton County Board of Elections Chairman and Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke, Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou, Cincinnati NAACP President Ishton Morton and Hamilton County Board of Commissioners President Chris Monzel. The meeting will aim to "discuss alternatives the City of Cincinnati can offer to accommodate early voting downtown after the 2016 elections. (Cranley) believes that such a discussion is consistent with the recommendation of the secretary of state that there be an effort to find a nonpartisan solution to the existing disagreement."
With a $12 million price tag in mind, Cranley remains worried Cincinnati is paying too much for a downtown grocery and apartment tower project. But the project is truly one of a kind, claims The Business Courier: The tower would boast nearly twice the number of luxury apartments of any other project underway in Over-the-Rhine or downtown. And it would replace a decrepit garage and establish the first full-scale grocery store downtown in decades.
A study found Ohio teens' painkiller abuse dropped by 40 percent between 2011 and 2013. State officials quickly took credit for the drop, claiming their drug prevention strategies are working. But because the Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey only has two sets of data on painkillers to work with — one in 2011 and another in 2013 — it's possible the current drop is more statistical noise than a genuine downturn, so the 2015 and 2017 studies will be under extra scrutiny to verify the trend.
Similarly, fewer Ohio teens say they're drinking and smoking. But 46 percent say they text while driving.
Ohio's unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 percent in January, down from 7.3 percent the year before. The numbers reflect both rising employment and dropping unemployment in the previous year.
To prove his conservative bona fides, Ky. Sen. Mitch McConnell touted a rifle when he walked on stage of the Conservative Political Action Conference.
The other Kentucky senator, Rand Paul, will headline a Hamilton County Republican Party dinner.
Researchers studied a woman who claims she can will herself out of her body.
Personal note: This is my last "Morning News and Stuff" and blog for CityBeat.
After today, I will be leaving to Washington, D.C., for a new
journalistic venture started by bloggers and reporters from The Washington Post and Slate. (CityBeat
Editor Danny Cross wrote a lot of nice things about the move here, and
my last commentary touched on it here.) Thank you to everyone who read
my blogs during my nearly two years at CityBeat, and I hope I helped you understand the city's complicated, exciting political and economic climate a little better, even if you sometimes disagreed with what I wrote.
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Flaherty & Collins, the developer that wants to tear down a garage as part of its downtown grocery and apartment tower project, offered to pay for a tenant's move to keep the deal moving forward. The tenant, Paragon Salon, recently announced its intent to sue the city after Mayor John Cranley's refusal to pay for the salon business's move left the development project and Paragon in a limbo of uncertainty. With Flaherty & Collins' offer, the development deal should be able to advance without extra costs to the city.
But Cranley says he still wants 3CDC to review the downtown development project to set the best path forward.
Federal money will help Cincinnati keep and hire more
firefighters. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response
(SAFER) grant provides nearly $8.1 million — about 2 percent of the
city's $370 million operating budget — to pay the salaries and benefits
of 50 firefighters for two years. Afterward, the city will need to pick
up the costs, which could worsen an operating budget gap that currently
sits at $22 million for fiscal 2015. The move would increase the
Cincinnati Fire Department's staffing levels from 841 to 879 and help prevent brownouts, according to the firefighting agency.
The Cincinnati Board of Health defied Mayor Cranley by
unilaterally pursuing a $1.3 million grant that will provide
preventative and primary care services to underserved populations. Rocky
Merz, spokesperson for the board, says the grant application complies
with guidance from the city's top lawyer. Cranley opposes the grant because the extra services it enables could push up costs for the city down the line.
Hamilton County officials will look for outside legal help in their fight against the city's job training rules for Metropolitan Sewer District projects. CityBeat covered the rules, known as "responsible bidder," in further detail here.
Smale Riverfront Park will receive $4.5 million in federal funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to control erosion and prevent flooding.
Crime around Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino never materialized, despite warnings from critics prior to casinos' legalization in Ohio.
Ohio's prison re-entry rate declined and sits well below the national average, according to a study from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The study found 27.1 percent of inmates released in 2010 ended up back up in prison, down from 28.7 percent of individuals released in 2009. In comparison, the national average is 44 percent.
Hundreds of Ohio school districts plan to test out the state's new online assessments for math, language arts, social studies and science.
The cold winter is pushing up natural gas prices, according to Ohio's largest natural gas utility.
A second baby might have been cured of HIV, the sexually transmitted disease that causes AIDS. Even with the potential successes, doctors caution it's still very much unclear whether the treatment provides a definitive cure for the deadly disease.
Meanwhile, a first-of-its-kind intravaginal ring could prevent pregnancy and HIV.
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A group of Greenpeace protesters face burglary and vandalism charges after a stunt yesterday on the Procter & Gamble buildings. Protesters apparently teamed up with a helicopter to climb outside the P&G buildings to hang up a large sign criticizing the company for allegedly enabling the destruction of rainforests in Indonesia by working with an irresponsible palm oil supplier. P&G officials say they are looking into the protesters' claims, but they already committed to changing how they obtain palm oil by 2015.
Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) will step in to resolve the status of a downtown grocery and apartment tower project. The previous city administration pushed the project as a means to bring more residential space downtown, but Mayor John Cranley refuses to pay to move a tenant in the parking garage that needs to be torn down as part of the project. Following Cranley and Councilman Chris Seelbach's request for 3CDC's help, the development agency will recommend a path forward and outline costs to the city should it not complete the project.
Meanwhile, the tenants in the dispute announced today that they will sue the city to force action and stop the uncertainty surrounding their salon business.
Cranley insists politics were not involved in an appointment to the Cincinnati Board of Health, contrary to complaints from the board official the mayor opted to replace. Cranley will replace Joyce Kinley, whose term expired at the end of the month, with Herschel Chalk. "Herschel Chalk, who(m) I'm appointing, has been a long-time advocate against prostate cancer, who's somebody I've gotten to know," Cranley told WVXU. "I was impressed by him because of his advocacy on behalf of fighting cancer. I committed to appoint him a long time ago."
The costs for pausing the streetcar project back in December remain unknown, but city officials are already looking into what the next phase of the project would cost.
Troubled restaurant Mahogany's must fully pay for rent and fees by March 10 or face eviction.
Through his new project, one scientist intends to "make 100 years old the next 60."
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Mayor John Cranley could dismantle a deal that would produce a grocery store, 300 luxury apartments and a new parking garage downtown. Cranley says he doesn't want millions put toward the deal, even though the developer involved plans to invest another $60 million. Councilman Chris Seelbach says the deal isn't dead just because of the mayor's opposition, and City Council could act to bypass the mayor, just like the legislative body did with the streetcar project and responsible bidder. To Seelbach, the deal is necessary to bring much-needed residential space and an accessible grocery store downtown.
Cincinnati officials and startup executives will try to bring Google Fiber, which provides Internet speeds 100 times faster than normal broadband, to Cincinnati. Google plans to hold a national competition to see which cities are most deserving of its fiber services. "Over the last several years, Cincinnati's innovation ecosystem has made tremendous strides," Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld said in a statement. "We're increasingly becoming a magnet for talented entrepreneurs across the country who want to come here to bring their big ideas to life. We need to ensure that we have the modern technological infrastructure to make Cincinnati nationally competitive."
Cincinnati's operating budget gap for fiscal 2015 now stands at $22 million, up from an earlier forecast of $18.5 million, largely because of extra spending on police pushed by Cranley and a majority of City Council. The city must balance its operating budget each year, which means the large gap will likely lead to layoffs and service cuts.
Commentary: "Budget Promises Spur Fears of Cuts."
Cranley won't re-appoint the chair of Cincinnati's Board of Health. When asked why, Chairwoman Joyce Kinley told City Council's Budget and Finance Committee that Cranley told her "he had to fulfill a campaign promise." Some city officials say they worry Cranley is putting politics over the city's needs.
Troubled restaurant Mahogany's needs to pay back rent or move out, The Banks' landlord declared Monday. The deciding moment for Mahogany's comes after months of struggles, which restaurant owner Liz Rogers blames on the slow development of the riverfront.
Kathy Wilson: "Mahogany's: Turn Out the Lights."
Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino supports 1,700 workers, making it the largest of Ohio's four voter-approved casinos.
At least one airline, Allegiant Air, plans to add flights from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Headline: "Man wakes up in body bag at funeral home."
"A 30,000-year-old giant virus has been revived from the frozen Siberian tundra," the Los Angeles Times reports.
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About 1 in 20 Cincinnatians, many of them in the wealthiest neighborhoods, pay less in taxes because their home renovations and constructions are subsidized by a local tax program. While the program benefits the wealthy, it also hits Cincinnati Public Schools and other local services through lost revenue. The tax abatement program aims to keep and attract residents and businesses by lowering the costs of moving and living in Cincinnati. Anastasia Mileham, spokeswoman for 3CDC, says the tax abatements helped revitalize Over-the-Rhine, for example. Others say the government is picking winners and losers and the abatement qualifications should be narrowed.
With hotel room bookings back to pre-recession levels, Source Cincinnati aims to sell Cincinnati's offerings in arts, health care, entrepreneurism and anything else to attract new businesses and residents. The Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau established the organization to reach out to national journalists and continue the local economic momentum built up in the past few years. "Successful cities are those that have good reputations," Julie Calvert, interim executive director at Source Cincinnati, told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "Without reputation it's difficult to get businesses to expand or relocate or get more conventions or draw young diverse talent to work for companies based here."
The harsh winter weather this year pushed Cincinnati's budget $5 million over, with nearly $3 million spent on salt, sand and chemicals alone. . The rest of the costs come through increased snow plowing shifts and other expenses to try to keep the roads clean. The extra costs just compound the city's structurally imbalanced budget problems. The need for more road salt also comes despite Councilman Charlie Winburn's attempts to undermine the city's plans to stockpile and buy salt when it's cheap.
Mayor John Cranley says the success of The Incline Public House in East Price Hill, which he helped develop, speaks to the pent-up demand for similar local businesses in neglected Cincinnati neighborhoods.
Less than a month remains to sign up for health insurance plans on HealthCare.gov.
The estimated 24,000 students who drop out of Ohio schools each year might cost themselves and the public hundreds of millions a year, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says meth abuse has reached "epidemic" levels in the state.
Ohio gas prices continued to rise this week.
Developers say they have funding for the first phase of a Noah's Ark replica coming to Williamstown, Ky.
There's a Netflix hack that pauses a movie or TV show when the viewer falls asleep.
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City leaders will break ground Thursday for the Anna Louise Inn's new location at Mount Auburn.
The start of construction begins the next phase for the Anna Louise Inn and owner Cincinnati Union Bethel (CUB) after a failed legal battle against financial giant Western & Southern forced the Inn to move.
CUB sought to keep the Inn at the Lytle Park location that has housed struggling women since 1909. Western & Southern demanded the property so it could round out its development vision for the Lytle Park neighborhood. (CityBeat covered the issue in greater detail here.)
After nearly two years of litigation held up CUB's renovations at the Lytle Park location, both sides abruptly reached a settlement and announced the Anna Louise Inn would move. Many supporters of the Anna Louise Inn saw the settlement and decision to move as a huge loss.
The $14 million project comes through the collaboration of various organizations, according to the city. It's expected construction will finish in the spring of 2015.
The facility will consist of four stories with 85 studio apartments, the Off-the-Streets program's residential dormitory-style units, community space and CUB's office.
The city's attendee list for the groundbreaking includes CUB, Mayor John Cranley, City Council, Mount Auburn Community Council, Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, U.S. Bank, Model Group and various other officials and organizations from the city and state.
But there is one notable omission: Western & Southern.
An anti-gentrification organization says development in southern Over-the-Rhine and downtown is leaving out low- and middle-income residents. The People's Coalition for Equality and Justice (TPCEJ) cautions it's not against development, but it supports policies that would seek to help more people take advantage of the revitalization of Over-the-Rhine and downtown, such as more affordable housing, protections for renters' rights, rent control and the formation of tenants' unions. The agency behind much of the development in Over-the-Rhine and downtown, 3CDC (Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation), says "people tend to over-romanticize what this neighborhood was" and points to some examples of 3CDC-developed affordable housing as evidence the agency is trying to keep the neighborhood mixed-income.Related: Some studies found gentrification could benefit longtime residents.
A two-hour streetcar pass could cost $1.75, and a 24-hour pass could cost $3.50, according to a new model unveiled yesterday by Paul Grether, Metro's rail manager. The same model set streetcar operating hours at Sunday-Thursday 6 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 6 a.m.-midnight. Under the model, city officials expect 3,000 daily boardings, but Grether cautioned that's a very conservative estimate and excludes special events, such as Reds and Bengals games.But the City Council-enforced streetcar delay could cost more than expected after the steel company originally contracted for the $132.8 million project took another job while council members decided the fate of the project. Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick told council the company's decision could push construction of a maintenance facility by two months if the city doesn't hire a steel supplier from outside the region.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald yesterday clarified he supports the death penalty, which aligns him with his Republican opponent, incumbent John Kasich, on the issue. FitzGerald's remark comes after the debate over the death penalty re-ignited in Ohio following the execution of convicted killer and rapist Dennis McGuire, who took 26 minutes to die after state officials used a new cocktail of drugs never tried before in the United States. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction told CityBeat it's reviewing McGuire's death, as it does following every execution.
Commentary: "Death Penalty Brings More Costs than Benefits."
After receiving support from family planning services and abortion provider Planned Parenthood, Democrats running for Ohio's executive offices re-emphasized their support for abortion rights.
Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune will announce
today whether he'll challenge FitzGerald's gubernatorial campaign in a
Democratic primary. (Update: Despite previously telling The Cincinnati Enquirer he already made up his mind, Portune canceled his announcement and said he has no final decision yet, according to Carl Weiser, politics editor at The Enquirer.)
Hamilton County commissioners showed openness to keeping some early voting downtown even if the county moves its Board of Elections to a Mount Airy facility. Moving the board along with the county's crime lab would allow commissioners to consolidate government services.Cincinnati's economy should grow faster than previously expected, one economist says.
Plan Cincinnati, the city's master comprehensive plan, won a national planning award. CityBeat previously covered the master plan in further detail here.
Ten major projects worth more than $1.4 billion are in the planning stages or underway in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Ohio meets voting standards set by President Barack Obama's bipartisan election commission, with the one exception of online voter registration, according to Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted.
Attorney General Mike DeWine yesterday announced the creation of a statewide taskforce to combat heroin abuse.
Virtual reality could help people see what gender swaps would be like.
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The agenda defined City Council's first meeting of the new year — the first full session since council decided to continue work on Cincinnati's $132.8 million streetcar project.
The meeting also showed that the Democratic majority — once fractured over the streetcar project and parking privatization plan — now appears to have formed a coalition on most issues facing the city. Perhaps more than anything, that could indicate the direction of Cincinnati for the next four years.
Responsible bidder
Most contentiously, the Democratic majority on City Council rejected a repeal of the city's contracting rules for Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) projects.
The rules dictate how the city and county will award contracts for the federally mandated $3.2 billion revamp of the local sewer system.
The city's rules impose stricter job training requirements on city contractors and require them to fund pre-apprenticeship programs that would help train new workers in different crafts.
Councilman Chris Seelbach, a Democrat who spearheaded the rules, argues the requirements will help foster local jobs and job training.
But the Republican-controlled county government, which also manages MSD and GCWW, says the requirements unfairly burden contractors and favor unions. Last year, county commissioners halted MSD's work on the sewer overhaul in protest of the city's rules.
The county's halt has put 649 jobs and $152 million worth of sewer projects on hold, according to data released by Councilman Charlie Winburn, a Republican who opposes the city's rules.
With the federal mandate looming, county commissioners on Wednesday unanimously proposed a compromise that would create some job training and inclusion initiatives.
"We are approaching a crisis here in this dispute with the city," said Commissioner Greg Hartmann, a Republican who opposes the city's rules.
Vice Mayor David Mann, a Democrat, said he will look at the county's proposal. But he cautioned, "I'm not going to repeal it until we have a substitute. To have a substitute we have to have conversations. This could be the beginning of a framework."
The issue could end up in court. The city's lawyers previously claimed they could defend the local contracting rules, but the county insists the city would lose.
"Portions of what the city wants will not stand in court. Our lawyers should meet," Hartman told Seelbach on Twitter.
If the city and county don't act before February, Winburn said the
federal government could impose a daily $1,500 fine until MSD work fully
Supportive housing project in Avondale
A supermajority of council — the five Democrats plus Charterite Kevin Flynn — agreed to continue supporting state tax credits for Commons at Alaska, a 99-unit permanent supportive housing facility in Avondale.
Although several opponents of the Avondale facility claim
their opposition is not rooted in a not-in-my-backyard attitude, many
public speakers argued the housing facility will attract a dangerous
crowd that would worsen public safety in the neighborhood.
Supporters point to a study conducted for similar facilities in Columbus that found areas with permanent housing facilities saw the same or lower crime increases as demographically comparable areas.
Other opponents decried the lack of outreach for the project. They claim the project was kept hidden from residents for years.
National Church Residences (NCR), which is developing the facility, says it will engage in more outreach as the project moves forward.
Councilman Christopher Smitherman, an Independent, said council's decision ignores what most Avondale residents told him.
"The supermajority of residents that I have talked to that are directly impacted by this project are against it," asserted Smitherman, who is leading efforts against the facility in council.
Even if council decided to rescind its support for the Avondale project , it's unclear if it would have any effect. NCR already received state tax credits for the facility back in June.
Disparity study
City Council unanimously approved a study that will look into potential race- and gender-based disparities in how the city awards business contracts.
The $690,000 study is required by the courts before the city can pursue initiatives that favorably target minority- and women-owned businesses with city contracts, which Mayor John Cranley and most council members support.
But Flynn and Councilwoman Yvette Simpson, a Democrat, voiced
doubts that the study's findings will fulfill the legal requirements necessary to legally enact initiatives favoring minority- and women-owned businesses.
Given the doubts, Simpson cautioned that the city should begin moving forward with possible inclusion initiatives before the disparity study is complete.
"I do think we need to rally around a mantra that we can't wait," agreed Democratic Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld.
Once the study is complete, several council members said it will, at the very least, provide valuable data to the city.
Other notable actions
• Council approved a tax budget that lowered the property tax millage rate from 5.7 mills to 5.6 mills, which will cost $500,000 in annual revenue, according to city officials.
• Council approved an application for a $70,000 grant that would fund local intervention efforts meant to help struggling youth.
• Council approved an application for a nearly $6 million grant to provide tenant-based rental assistance to homeless, low-income clients with disabilities.
• Council disbanded the Streetcar Committee, which the
mayor and council originally established to look into halting the
project. Streetcar items will now be taken up by the Major Transportation and Regional Cooperation Committee.


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BC Wood will once again be ramping up its' presence at the Interior Design Show West (IDS West) this coming fall, September 25-28, 2014 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. In an effort to bring more attention to the growing strength of wood design and manufacturing in BC, BC Wood has partnered with the show organizers of IDS West to create a high profile "Design BC" pavilion. The pavilion will showcase BC Wood members and their products – everything from custom furniture and architectural millwork, to design-inspired finished products such as kitchen cabinets, doors, flooring, and paneling. We will also create a special "feature" area to draw more traffic to the centrally located space.
The show attracts more than 35,000 attendees over 3½ days. This includes 5,000 guests to the Party On Opening Night, 6,000 designers, architects, buyers, builders/developers, and other industry professionals during trade day, and an additional 25,000 consumers interested in design.
A total of 1400 square feet of exhibition space has been set aside for the "Design BC" pavilion and feature area, with BC Wood covering a portion of the hard costs for this sector wide display. If you plan to participate in the IDS West show this year, please contact BC Wood to see how we can save you money and ensure you higher visibility through the "Design BC" pavilion. Call 604-882-7100 or email email@example.com
Skyline Tradeshow Tips – June 9, 2014
Small businesses can now garner the same benefits as their larger competitors at industry events and trade shows. Once seen as a corporate Who's Who of business leaders, industry events are now recognized as an excellent opportunity for smaller local businesses and cottage industries. Trade show booth rentals have become more affordable, making these lucrative events a solid investment in future profitability for even the smallest business. The ROI is undeniable and the up-front investment is surprisingly affordable. Here are just 5 reasons that trade shows can help small businesses grow:
1. Renting Trade Show Booths
If your small business may not be able to afford a staff of marketing specialists or the production of a trade show booth, renting a booth could be a viable option. By renting trade show booths, your small business gets all the advantages of working with a team of experts and housing a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, without the expense. Trade show booths are designed by you, in conjunction with a team of advertising professionals, at a price you can afford. Your brand and your message will make a powerful statement with a rented display, while staying within your specified budget.
Click here to read the entire articleread more
For the first time in many years, BC Wood and members participated in the HD Expo in Las Vegas. Five member companies attended including Barker Manufacturing, Brent Comber Originals, Live Edge Design, Martha Sturdy, and Stick & Stones Furniture.
This is a very important show for our furniture and design sector as over 900 exhibitors from around the world present their products to interior design companies, architecture firms, owners, operators, developers, specifiers, and purchasers that are looking for the latest, most innovative and creative tools for their renovations and new builds. Visitor traffic was up 15% this year and some of our members even sold product directly off the floor!
Sticks and Stones were recognized with an Award of Excellence as part of the IIDA Product Design Competition, for the category of Outdoor Seating. Their Social Circle and Live Edge Design's new Phantom Communal Table both made the pages of the Thursday Show Daily publication.read more
Skyline Tradeshow Tips – May 22, 2014
Managing Your Trade Show Booth for an Optimal New Product Launch
Launching a new product or product line is one of the best reasons to exhibit at a trade show. Trade shows give you the opportunity for a live, captive audience, and proves an ideal way to get your product in the hands of your targeted consumer demographic. Additionally, you can gain invaluable insight directly from the crowd about what they think of your product offering.
While a product launch at your trade show booth offers an impressive opportunity for yielded results, the process still requires careful strategy and execution to ensure you don't leave business on the showroom floor for your competitors to steal. When creating your product launch strategy, follow these simple tips for maximum return on investment.
Click here to read the entire articleread more
Skyline Tradeshow Tips – May 14, 2014
How can you enhance the look of your exhibit at your next show, without breaking the bank? Like any outfit you've had for a while, adding accessories can give you a whole new look.
Some of the greatest exhibit designs today use simple accessories to create a new look at their shows, or add a little "punch" to their exhibit. Just like that scarf that adds the right color to an outfit, accessories can add the graphic or addition to your booth you need.
LOOK UP: With the addition of finials or design elements and blocks of color to your exhibit, you can really highlight your corporate colors and create a nice, finished look. Try adding additional lighting to an area within the exhibit to enhance a graphic or a particular area of the booth. You could also use colorwash LED lights to change colors and add some interest to your exhibit.
LOOK DOWN: Just like the right shoes can complete an outfit, exhibitors are now considering the floor as an integral part of their booth design. Flooring can really enhance the overall design by adding richness, tying together your branding, or enhancing the overall environment. To give a more high-class feel to your booth, consider using deep and rich colors for your flooring. This can easily be done with flex-flooring solutions as a cost-effective addition. If you want to maintain an industrial image, use something like brushed metal flooring. No matter what look you're going for, choose something that is unique and customizable to your message and brand.
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4 Easy Mistakes to Avoid at Your Next Trade Show
Skyline Tradeshow Tips -April 22, 2014
It's not hard to make mistakes with your trade show display, but it can be difficult to spot them before they happen. This can be because there are so many things to consider and so many decisions to be made. However, if you make a plan accordingly, avoiding some of the most common mistakes can be easy – especially if you know what to look out for. Here are some of the easiest mistakes to make, but also how to avoid them so you make sure that you have a successful experience with your trade show display:
Mistake #1: Bringing Your Trade Show Display to the Wrong Show
By attending the wrong show, I don't mean that you showed up at the wrong convention center or something. You show up at the right convention center, but is this the right show for your business? Exhibiting at the right trade shows can really help your company find leads and connect with current customers, which is why it's so important to attend the right ones. If you may or may not be earning a good ROI or even better awareness for your company, think again about the show. If you attend the wrong types of events, you could miss out on your customer base entirely! If you've attended a show recently and it didn't produce the results you wanted or expected, think long and hard before planning to attend it again. Talk to the event organizer about the problems that you had and if there aren't any steps taken to correct these problems, look for a new event to attend.
Click here to read the entire article
A few comments, suggestions, and ideas that may of interest…
PCBC is the builders show that we attend on an annual basis in San Francisco. This year, we will be participating once again with a group of members that target the residential and light commercial construction sector across the West Coast of the United States. The show draws builders, architects, and distributors primarily from the Northern California market and with the significant improvement in the construction sector in this region, it is expected that PCBC will be a very good show. The show is currently sold out but we have managed to secure some additional space, so if you're interested, you better jump on it fast.
A hearty congratulations goes out to our former colleague and now CEO of Viceroy Homes, Doug Auer. It turns out that Doug now rubs shoulders with the political and business heavy weights of Canada. Doug recently returned from a trade mission to Korea that was lead by Prime Minister Stephan Harper (see image above). Not only was Doug invited on the mission, he had the honour of flying over to Seoul on the "Canada One" Jet with the Prime Minister and other invited dignitaries. I'm sure that all the high flying will lead to solid business for Viceroy in Korea.
Finally, a couple of new high-end residential and resort developments have been announced in the State of Hawaii. Both projects are a mix of single family residential homes anchored by stunning designed golf club, beach houses, and restaurants. The best news is that both projects feature an extensive use of west coast species including Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir. We are currently working with both the developer and builder on these projects which will lead to good opportunities for our members to bid on the supply of finished products and materials.
As always, for more information on the US market please feel free to contact me at email@example.com
read more
BC Wood's last trade event in Asia for fiscal 2013/14 was the Interzum Show in Guangzhou, China held from March 28th to April 1st. This is said to be the largest wood working show in Asia and I do not think this is any exaggeration. The exhibition facility itself is a massive multi-floored complex and the show takes up all of the floor space. There are sections devoted to finished office and hospitality furniture, interior finishings, wood working machines, and of course materials such as wood, needed to make both millwork and furniture.
The wood materials area included large pavilions from the US, Sweden, Germany, Italy, as well as our Canadian display. BC Wood took 4 member companies (Taan, Taiga, Tolko, and WFP) while QWEB took space for Quebec companies. The Americans had over 20 companies in their pavilion and hosted a well-attended reception celebrating the strong business ties between Chinese manufacturers and American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) members. On the softwood side, the Swedes put on a full-day seminar teaching Chinese buyers how to use environmentally friendly Swedish softwoods in furniture and millwork manufacturing. The program attracted a large audience and was also followed by a reception.
The make-up of the visitors was even more international with many buyers from South East Asia, the Middle East, as well as Europe coming by our booth. As with Chinese manufacturers, these companies came looking for new wood working equipment as well as furniture and millwork stock. Additionally, most of the top buyers of construction lumber came by and met with our members. As this is such a large show, even these buyers were drawn to visiting Interzum to learn about new suppliers.
Participating members seemed to be very pleased with the show and based on this, BC Wood will be planning to return to Interzum next March. However, we learned this time that we need book earlier in order to secure our desired amount of floor space as this show sells out very quickly.
If you are interested in attending the event with us next Spring, I suggest you contact me as soon as possible to get your space reserved. Email me at email@example.com.
Responding to membership, BC Wood has secured a coordinated space at the Gas and Oil Expo to be held June 11-13, 2013 in Calgary, Alberta. BC Wood staff, along with some members, have walked the show in the past and feel it presents a good opportunity for exposure into the fast growing oil sands regions of Alberta, the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana.
About the Gas and Oil Expo
'We're a leading biennial event for the North American gas and oil industry. Held in the energy capital of Canada – Calgary, Alberta – the event offers opportunities for brand exposure, business development, education, and networking. Indoor and outdoor exhibits showcase emerging technologies, a diverse range of products and services, and leading expertise. The largest Canadian energy event of 2013, Gas & Oil Expo hosts over 500 exhibiting companies and attracts 20,000 registered attendees.'
BC Wood feels there is an excellent opportunity for companies that manufacture pre-fabricated homes, industrial products such as, rig matting & components, as well as finished products such as, cabinets, flooring, and millwork.
Growth in the oil and gas sector is creating significant opportunities in select regional markets in the western United States. For example, the State of North Dakota is in dire need of additional housing units due to an influx of refinery workers. The state's population is expected to grow by 25% over the next 15 years. The ten energy development counties where the oil sands are located, are projected to grow by at least 50%. The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency projects household growth at 30% or 80,000 new housing units by 2025.
Given that the show is fast approaching, please contact BC Wood as soon as possible to hold a position at the show as space is limited. Online registration will be available soon.
Date & Location:
Calgary, Alberta
June 11-13, 2013
Please contact Scott Thompson at BC Wood for more information and to register: Office: 604-882-7100; Cell: 604-880-0060; E-mail – email@example.com. Please note, a deposit is required to register for the show.
BC Wood just recently received confirmation that the funding for our 2013-2014 trade show activities has been approved. We began this year's proposal writing with some concerns over just how much our members would want to take on in the coming year. Our early December sector meetings with member companies provided some good input on how much companies wanted to do this year and where they wanted BC Wood to focus its' efforts.
BC Wood took this input and put together a comprehensive package of market development activities. Upcoming activities will focus on expanding market share in the United States while maintaining the hard won presence we have gained in Asian markets and Eastern Europe. Recognizing the possibility of a new and emerging market opportunity in India, BC Wood has scheduled a mission and participation in a trade show in Bangalore in February 2014. The Global Buyers Mission, our 10th, will be a highlight, with over 200 buyers coming to Whistler in early September.
I would like to recognize and thank the staff of BC Wood for the extra effort they put towards writing these funding proposals. The result was that BC Wood has another strong program of approved trade event activities for 2013-2014. For those of you wanting to see the updated list of trade show activities, please visit the BC Wood website at www.bcwood.com and select Trade Events from the Programs & Services tab. Any comments or questions regarding these planned activities can be directed to me at firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling our office at 604-882-7100.read more
A few comments, suggestions, and ideas that may be of interest…
June 2013 is expected to be be a busy time for BC Wood with two major trade events that are important to the residential and light commercial construction sectors in the United States. PCBC and AIA National both take place that month and BC Wood, along with member companies will be exhibiting at both key events.
PCBC, a longstanding trade event for the construction sector on the West Coast of the US, takes place in the first week of June. This event draws builders, developers, distributors, and architects from across California and the Western United States. PCBC has traditionally been held in San Francisco, but for the first time in its 50+ year history, has moved to the sunnier climes of Southern California and the city of San Diego.
Show organizers made the difficult decision to move the event for a number of reasons; the primary being the decline in attendance in the San Francisco event since the downturn of 2008. Having the IBS builders event in Las Vegas for the next few years also factored into the equation.
Either way, moving the event to the San Diego market makes good sense. San Diego is one of the stronger markets in California with increasing construction starts in the residential and multi-family sectors. So far, interest and uptake in the event is very good, with the show selling out its original space and having to add floor space to accommodate new exhibitors. BC Wood already has 5 member companies exhibiting and has a small amount of space left. If this is of interest to your company, let us know as soon as possible.
*images from PCBC
AIA National is the American Institute of Architects annual conference and trade event that moves around the country each year. This event annually attracts 25,000 to 30,000 architects, engineers, and builders from both the residential and light commercial construction sectors. The 2013 AIA takes place the 3rd week of June in Denver, Colorado and is expected to be a well attended event. As with PCBC, BC Wood and member companies will have a significant presence at AIA and if you want to reach a target audience of US architects and builders, then this event is a cost effective way of doing so.
Both trade events are important for manufacturers to connect directly with their target audiences. If you are targeting builders, architects, developers, and distributors in the western United States, then you should seriously consider either or both of these events as a part of your companies market development strategy. With improving economic conditions and a stronger than expected construction market being experienced across the US, the time to develop market share is now.
For more info on these events or opportunity in the US, please contact me at email@example.com or give the office a call at 1877 422 9663read more
By Scott Buchholz
This past weekend, Abbotsford was once again home to the 2013 BC Log Home, Timber Frame and Country Living Show. The show exhibited many products and consumer goods, yet none more impressive than what was on display in the BC Wood Pavilion where the Log Home, Timber Frame, and Pre-Fab companies of British Columbia showcased their craftsmanship, innovation, and skill.
Participating members this year included: Artisan Log & Timber Homes, BC Timberframe Co., Big Foot Log Homes, Canadian Timber Frame, Daizen, Hamill Creek Timber Homes, Kettle River Timberworks, Okanagan Timber Frame, Pacific Homes, Sitka Log Homes, and Trout Creek Log Homes.
The LHTF sector stood out among the displays as fully and partially erected log homes towered over the trade event attendees, attracting large crowds and marketing the latest and greatest in timber home joinery, product, and design.
Reports after the 2012 Denver Log Home Show suggested a growing sense that the worst of the 2008 ripple-effects were over and that a general feeling of profitable times were approaching. Fast forward 5 months later to Abbotsford, and it appears as though these sentiments were rightly directed as scores of serious buyers-and less "tire kickers"-lined the event hall to inquire into companies and determine the right builder for them.
A Strong attendance, serious buyers, and quality product added legitimacy to reports of a resilient BC housing sector and a rise in demand from the U.S. This upward trend is a welcomed one.
After speaking with a number of BC Wood Members who participated in the event days after it had finalized, there were reports of sales made, meetings scheduled to go over projects, and a general air of optimism for things to come. It was good to hear of a much busier show than last year, and the word that continues to be passed around is that we are trending towards more black and less red.
For more information, do not hesitate to contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com more
Once again BC Wood organized the Canadian Pavilion at the Nikkei Newspaper's construction industry trade show. This year, seven BC Wood members took part covering a variety of products including log & timberframe homes, kitchen cabinets, WRC, mouldings and flooring, as well engineered wood. Our Canada Wood partner, Canada Tsuga, took space with us as usual. We also included a special display on the Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Project so that show visitors could see the efforts being made by Canada in helping to rebuild after the March 11th, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Having Japan's most influential newspaper behind the show means that it will always be a well-attended event. The show is only open to industry people and yet attracted 242,353 visitors over four days. This represents a 2.6% increase in attendance over 2012. In total, there were 1,279 exhibitors (for a total of 3,640 booths) representing 13 countries. The show organizers are looking to further build this event by clearly branding it as a "Nikkei Show". Therefore, from this year, they started using "Nikkei Messe" as the overriding name connecting the various sections such as "Architectural and Construction Materials 2013," "Japan Shop 2013," "Lighting Fair 2013," etc.
Aside from the strong numbers, you could also sense the bullish housing sector in talking with the visitors. While there is a concern of what might happen after next year's consumption tax increase, many people that I spoke with are now feeling optimistic that the economic recovery will keep housing starts strong past the tax hike. More importantly, participating members reported a good number of business leads and strong sales figures by the end of the show.
During the week, BC Wood also worked with COFI to put on a seminar for the Japanese committee members working on the new CLT JAS code. This is a crucial time in these deliberations as the first draft is expected to be tabled by this spring and the final draft brought into effect by next spring. Therefore, we seized the opportunity to have Colin Chornohus speak to the committee as Structurlam was participating in the Nikkei Show. Colin was able to address their questions about using mixed species such as SPF as well as the types of glue used in Canada and Europe.
All in all, it was a very busy and successful week!read more
By Scott Thompson
BUILDEX Vancouver, one of Canada's largest tradeshow/conferences, welcomed over 13,000 design, construction, and real estate management professionals on February 13th and 14th to the Vancouver Convention Centre. Over 600 exhibitors and more than 50 educational seminars were presented to the interior design and architecture professions, property and real estate management, and the construction and renovation sectors.
BC Wood coordinated a centralized area for wood products manufacturers with 15 members joining us from the building and finished products sectors including Structurlam, Sitka Log Homes, Pacific Homes, Cedarland, SilvaPanel, Coulson Manufacturing, Woodtone, Masonite, Kettle River Timberworks, BC Timber Frame, Merit Kitchens, Brisco Manufacturing, Big Foot Log Homes, AWMAC, and Wideplank Flooring. Feedback to date has been very positive with respondents citing renewed optimism in demand for wood based building products.
We were very busy during the show as we met with over 40 architects, designers, and contractors; approximately 20 of which we knew and were afforded the opportunity of renewing relationships. The rest were new connections who we will invite to future BC Wood specifier related activities including the popular lunch & learn sessions.
We met with 12 international buyers looking for BC wood products. In each case, we requested they contact us with detail that we can pass on to our members. To date, 3 have done this.
We also met with companies that were both exhibitors and visitors to the show from the value-added wood industry that are not BC Wood members and used the opportunity to promote various association activities.
BC Wood plans to participate in the next Buildex show being held Feb 18th – 19th, 2014. For more information on this event, contact Scott Thompson at 604-882-7100.read more
A few comments and suggestions that may be of interest to industry…
The first few months of the calendar year proved to be extremely busy for the US program with our participation in the IBS show in Las Vegas which was immediately followed by the BIA Hawaii. While I admit there could be worse places to be in January than Vegas and Hawaii, having both events back to back provided a number of logistical and time challenges. The good news is that if you use these events as a barometer of market conditions in the US construction sector, then one could conclude that the market south of the border is finally getting better.
As discussed in the last edition of the Wood Connections, the IBS show has an impressive attendance, topping the 60,000 mark for the first time in five years. The same could be said for the Building Industry Hawaii (BIA Hawaii) trade event. While this regional event is small, interest and participation from the building community from across the Hawaiian Islands was strong. In fact, attendance at this years' show was 20% higher than last year and up 45% over the past three years. Builders and other buyers who came by the booths were optimistic that market conditions were on the upswing and many were starting projects in the residential and light commercial construction sectors.
The Hawaiian market continues to be a prime location for BC grown softwood species including Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar (WRC), and Yellow Cedar. This was evidenced by a site visit to a new development on the Big Island of Hawaii. This project is a high-end residential development of 40 plus homes anchored by a private beach club and golf course. More impressive than the view was the use of WRC and Douglas Fir in the construction of the residences and commercial buildings. WRC is featured extensively in the project including WRC shingles in the roof, 12''clear board and baton exterior siding, and VG WRC interior panelling; the project was a showcase for the species. The architect specified WRC in part due to the unique colour and weather resistance properties of the wood. Where structural timbers were needed, Douglas Fir was specified and is prominently featured in the golf club house and beach club buildings. See images below.
This project is expected to last for the next four to six years. There is an opportunity for BC Wood members to supply materials and finished products for this project. In fact, with improving market conditions being experienced across the US construction sector, there remains excellent potential for the BC Industry to develop and grow market share through participation in trade events such as IBS and BIA Hawaii.
For more information on these events or other opportunities in the US market, please feel free to contact me at email@example.com
read more
In January, BC Wood participated with one of its member companies in the BAU fair in Munich, January 14th -19, 2013. While the turnout from BC Wood members was disappointing, the fair itself was probably the best show I have attended in two or three years. The BAU fair, held every two years, is the largest building materials trade event in Europe. Other shows, especially those in Asia, claim larger numbers; however, their numbers are pumped up based on the practice of allowing the general public access to the show. The BAU fair is a strictly trade-only event and this past event attracted over 240,000 visitors to the six day show.
The BAU fair has a strong international draw with over 60,000 of the attendees coming from countries outside Germany and the bordering Western European countries. This year saw strong contingents from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Scandinavia, Turkey, Dubai, and other countries within the Middle East. The BAU fair lived up to its reputation as the "architects fair" with close to 50,000 attendees coming from architectural, planning and, design offices.
The size of the BAU fair is staggering with the 180,000 square meters of occupied exhibition space spread over 14 different exhibition halls that showcased the products and services of 2060 exhibitors. In total, 41 different countries where represented in the BAU exhibition halls. The halls were arranged by product categories. BC Wood was located in the "wood building systems" hall along with another 75-80 exhibitors. This arrangement works well as it tends to concentrate the buyers with a wood interest into two halls, ours and the one next door showcasing wood doors, windows, and flooring systems.
The traffic at the BC Wood booth was busy, many times a crowd two or three deep were in front or our booth waiting to talk to someone. This fact was a little astonishing considering that we did not have a display that was anywhere near as elaborate or as large as some of our neighbors. I think the fact that the Canadian flag was prominent and that we had a cross section from a cedar log home on display helped to pull the buyers in. People felt drawn to come into the booth to touch and smell the cedar. Many people did not even know the name of the species, but they did know that they liked it and the conversations started from there. I also think flying the "maple leaf" was important as our booth attracted a far higher proportion of attendees from outside of Germany. Almost 50% on the visitors to the BC Wood booth were from outside Germany. The vast majority of inquiries we responded to were related directly to Western Red Cedar and log home and timber frame projects. The market for these two product categories remains strong within Western Europe, but, particularly, in the new emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe.
So, to say that I was impressed with the BAU fair and the level of interest that BC Wood received at the fair would be an understatement. I would urge BC Wood members manufacturing log, timber frame, pre-built homes, and any Western Red Cedar products to seriously consider participating in the BAU fair when it comes around again in January of 2015. For more background and some additional observation on the BAU fair, please do not hesitate to contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The deadline for confirming space at the upcoming Turkeybuild show in Istanbul is fast approaching. For any company, who has not done so already, wanting to participate in the Turkeybuild show within the BC Wood pavilion, please contact Brian Hawrysh at email@example.com or in the office at 604-882-7100 by Thursday, Feb 28th, 2013.
For a little more background on the Turkeybuild show…
Turkey remains one of the strongest of these regional economies within Europe. Turkey also has a long history and affinity of building with wood, which gave way to a focus on concrete construction in the post WWII period. With their growing affluence, Turks are rediscovering their traditional preference for wood construction, particularly, in higher-end residential and recreational home construction.
For these reasons, BC Wood decided to explore opportunities for BC's value-added sector in Turkey. Last May, four BC companies and BC Wood's representative attended the Turkeybuild show and reported that there was very strong interest shown in BC's products and services by the local timber and building materials distributors. The products generating the most interest were higher-end solid wood building products and interior finishing materials. Turkish companies showed a great deal of interest in partnering with Canadian companies that produce innovative, higher quality wood products.
During the period of April 24-28th, BC Wood will attend the Turkeybuild show in the country's economic centre, Istanbul. Last year, the Istanbul show drew over 110,000 visitors, many of them from the neighboring Eastern European and Islamic countries. At Turkeybuild, exhibitors can showcase a full range of building materials and systems. High quality specialty lumber and building materials such as WRC decking, siding and roofing, log and timber frame homes, and prefabricated house packages will be of interest to the Turkish lumber importers, architects, and builders.read more
After a successful show in 2012, BC Wood returned to the MBC Show in Seoul, South Korea from January 25th to 28th. MBC is one of the largest construction shows in Korea with 312 exhibitors this year and over 170,000 visitors comprised of builders/architects (39%), interior designers (32%), manufacturers (6%), and distributors (4%) according to the organizers data. Products on display at the show included everything from structural materials and construction equipment to windows, doors, and finishing materials.
The Canadian pavilion was once again organized by BC Wood's Korean representative, JC Lee. While there were other overseas exhibitors at the show, only the Canadian exhibitors enjoyed a branded pavilion. A total of six BC Wood members took part covering a variety of species and lumber products as well as kitchen cabinets and siding products. The BC Wood booth was used as a reception desk for clients coming for appointments as well as to disseminate information on Canadian wood products and recruit buyers for the September GBM.
As always, JC lined up meetings for the attending members with key clients. However, this year he also arranged an opening day reception inside the pavilion in order to create a networking opportunity for members with invited Korean wood industry VIPs. Both the BC Government Office in Seoul and the Canadian Embassy were partners in this event. Over 100 Korean clients attended this event.
BC Wood also organized an architect's seminar on the day before the show in collaboration with KIA (the Korean Institute of Architects) in order to promote the use of Canadian wood products in commercial building projects and particularly for facilities being built for the Pyungchang Winter Olympic Games. The event was held at the historic Old Seoul Rail Station and was attended by close to 100 KIA members. Attendees were able to learn about the various wood solutions offered by Canada while we were also able to gain access to high-value specifiers and influencers in the Korean architectural community. BC Wood is planning to further develop this target segment by taking part in the KIA Convention this October. Please contact Jim Ivanoff (email@example.com ) or JC Lee (email@example.com ) for more information on this upcoming event.
read more
A few comments, suggestions, and ideas that may be of interest…
A few weeks back, BC Wood and a contingent of eight member companies travelled to Las Vegas to participate at the International Builders Show (IBS), an annual event where tens of thousands of suppliers, distributors, and builders convene to examine new innovations in home building materials, appliances, fixtures, and technologies.
The mood at this years' event was optimistic, as construction of single family homes climbed 18% in December from the previous year. When measured year-to-year, home construction in the US is projected to be 23% higher than in 2011, which was a record low year. Strong housing starts along with pent up consumer demand created an air of renewed confidence at this year's IBS.
IBS also sets the standard for manufacturers to unveil the latest in new and innovative construction products. Kohler, for example, introduced a Bluetooth enabled shower head that can instantly stream your music collection from your cell phone or tablet. Innovative wood products included stunning curved glass door systems from Nana Wall and Caoba door that take advantage of the Eclipse track system which allows the doors to be folded away allowing for large unobstructed openings of up to 20 feet.
The BC contingent, not to be overshadowed by their competitors, did an excellent job of showcasing their wares. Kettle Valley Millwork partnered with Norelco cabinets in the design and construction of a beautiful booth exhibiting their world-class cabinet and architectural millwork capabilities. One showstopper was Norelco's "gun slinger" kitchen which featured a solid mesquite wood counter which was supported by 3 hand carved six shooter guns. Attendees were drawn to the unique look of the kitchen and at one point had a line up of 10 people to get into the booth.
Participating BC Wood members commented on the high quality leads that were created at the event. BC Wood member Canadian Timberframes Ltd. felt that they got over a 100 solid leads from builders and architects from across the United States and South America. All things considered, the 2013 IBS builders show was a barometer for showing that the US economy is improving and that the residential construction sector across the US is back on the right track. Initial optimism was abundant and here is hoping that this attitude now becomes the norm. For more information on the IBS show or the US market, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com
read more
BC Wood recently participated in Holzhaus 2012 in Moscow, Russia. This return to the market was based upon the success from attending the show in 2011. During that initial visit, it became clear to manufacturers that this large (audience base) and geographically expansive marketplace has considerable opportunity for sales of member products. Successful sales contracts have been secured by members who have already participated in this program, with market indicators suggesting further growth in this area will be realized in the years (next 24 months) to come.
Holzhaus 2012
This trade show is one of the many construction industry exhibitions held in the Moscow area each year. This show focuses primarily on wood framed housing and features 90% local products. While the exhibition hall was dominated by local manufacturers of Siberian pine products, the presence of our BC Wood pavilion drew considerable attention from the show attendees. Local laminated log products and large diameter (Pine) handcrafted products featured heavily in the show. BC Wood showcased five member companies in the pavilion and featured a diverse range of products from handcrafted, machine cut log homes to specialty western red cedar products. The show attendance was down on last year due in part to an overlap of construction exhibitions taking place on the same dates; however, members were able to reach a good cross section of the construction audience. Although this show was billed as a business to business show, there were examples of consumers in attendance who were visiting the show with plans and construction projects in hand. As a group, BC Wood members were able to gather qualified show leads and also make crucial introductions to key industry partners who showed interest in representing BC's manufacturers. The Canadian Embassy once again hosted a meet-and-greet event that enabled members to interact with some of Moscow's prominent construction companies and prospective partners.
Last year, we reported that the market opportunity for members was in Log and Timber Frame products along with speciality WRC products. This is certainly the case and I would add that there is a niche opportunity for remanufactured products sector as well as the millwork sector. Below are some market observations that should enable BC companies to increase market share in this area.
Resort Projects Growing
Value added manufacturers could reap the benefits of a recently announced $18 billion plan for seven ski resorts scattered throughout the mountains and three beach developments costing $4.6 billion on the coastal regions of Russia.
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics
The upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics being held in Sochi on the coast of Russia will generate interest from global partners in construction. A well run Olympics could showcase the Black Sea coast area as a viable location for further investment in housing and resort style construction projects.
Government Incentives
With the Russian Government launching multiple national construction sector projects, it is not an exaggeration to say that wood is a material that is being embraced by industry professionals who are involved in local construction planning. With the congestion of inner Moscow seemingly increasing since our visit 12 months ago, the support for wood framed construction projects on the outskirts of Moscow appears to be favourable. Russian leaders, from Vladimir Putin on down, support increased tourism and have allotted Government funds to provide incentive to developers in Russia's huge geographic area.
Next steps
Economic development is going to increase in this market. To capture the opportunity and turn this into sales for you, the manufacturer, you will need to find the right partner in Russia. There are companies and prospective partners ready to connect with BC Wood members. Participation at upcoming BC Wood 2013-2014 market development activities will ensure you meet qualified industry members who are both willing and able to form joint venture and long term partnerships. For more information on this show or if you wish to engage in market development in this area please contact firstname.lastname@example.com more

subset: commoncrawl


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Quentin Tarantino's longtime film editor, Sally Menke, was discovered dead early this morning near Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times reported that Menke had gone hiking in the morning, and friends alerted police after she failed to come home. Her body was found by searchers in Beachwood Canyon.
Born in Mineola, New York in 1953, Menke graduated from the NYU Film program at the Tisch School of the Arts. Menke served as an editor in the early '90s for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," but is best known for her work with Tarantino beginning with "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992, "Pulp Fiction" in 1994 (which earned her an Oscar nomination), "Jackie Brown" in 1997, "Kill Bill" Volumes 1 & 2 in 2003 and 2004, as well as the filmmaker's most recent "Inglourious Basterds," which was her second Academy Award nomination for editing. She also received numerous BAFTA and other nominations and recognitions in the past 15 years.
The L.A. Times updated its report Tuesday morning saying Menke set out around 9 a.m. with a friend for Bronson Canyon near the famed Hollywood sign. Menke's hiking partner returned an hour later, while she and her Labrador retriever continued. People close with Menke contacted authorities around 4p.m. saying that she was missing, and friends and family took part in the search. Menke's body was discovered around 2 a.m. with her dog sitting by her side in a ravine near Green Oak Drive in Bronson Canyon. The Times reported that sources connected with the investigation are focusing on heat being a possible contributing factor in Menke's death, though the inquiry is still ongoing. The mercury shot up to well above 110 degrees in downtown Los Angeles on Monday and the heat is expected to be very high today as well.
Menke was an avid hiker for most of her life. Last year, in a piece she wrote for The Guardian, Menke revealed that she was hiking in Canada on a remote mountain in Banff when she learned that she'd landed her first gig with Tarantino. "I let out a yell that echoed around the mountain," she recalled. Of her extremely close relationship with the "Kill Bill" auteur, Menke wrote: "Quentin is the same now as he was then. He's encyclopedic, passionate, electrifying. We just clicked creatively. Editing is all about intuiting the tone of a scene and you have to chime with the director. It's a rare, intense sort of a relationship and if it ain't broke, you wouldn't want to fix it. We've built up such trust that now he gives me the dailies and I put 'em together and there's little interference."
Watch below for outtakes from Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," in which the cast and crew say "Hi" to Sally.
[indieWIRE invites comments and responses to the passing of Menke below.]