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  1. What's the scoop on Cincinnati?
  2. What is Over-the-Rhine?
  3. How has Over-the-Rhine changed over the years?
  4. What caused Over-the-Rhine to decay so much?
  5. Can you describe some of the past efforts to revitalize Over-the-Rhine?
  6. Why is this time around different?
  7. How can I learn more about Cincinnati, urban revitalization, and Over-the-Rhine?
  8. How can I help this documentary get made?
  9. Where will this film be screened?
1. What's the scoop on Cincinnati?
If you've never been there, maybe it's time. Cincinnati surprises a lot of outsiders whose only exposure might have come through chili (with pasta), the Reds baseball team (the nation's first), or Jerry Springer (a former mayor and local news anchor, and an internationally known talk-show host). But did you know that Cincinnati is named after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, a Roman dictator who relinquished power and returned to farming after defeating the Aequians? Or why it has so many nicknames, including "Queen City," "Blue Chip City," and "City of Seven Hills"? Wikipedia calls Cincinnati America's "first major American 'boomtown,' which rapidly expanded in the heart of the country in the early nineteenth century to rival the coastal metropolis in size and wealth. It has more arts, culture, and sports than a city its size probably should (56th-largest in the USA).
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2. What is Over-the-Rhine?
Over-the-Rhine is a 350-acre neighborhood between downtown (southern border is Central Parkway), and Clifton Heights (northern border is Mulberry Street). It has the largest stock of Italianate architecture in the USA. It was heavily populated and built up by German immigrants in the mid 19th century. They built historic churches and beer gardens and supported some of the nation's earliest opera houses, music halls, and other artistic expression. Currently, it is one of the largest National Historic Districts in the USA, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation named it to its 11-most endangered places in 2006.
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3. How has Over-the-Rhine changed over the years?
Wikipedia has a good history section on Over-the-Rhine. In the 19th century, it was an ethnic enclave of predominantly German immigrants. It was working class. In the early 20th century, as many Germans assimilated Appalachian populations moved in seeking work, as did African Americans fleeing the antebellum south. Following World War II, the area declined in population and relative per-capita income (compared to city as a whole). Population steadily declined between 1900 and 2000: in 1900 (44,475), 1960 (30,000), 1970 (15,025), 1980 (11,914), 1990 (9,572), 2000: (7,500). It has never been rich, but it has known periods of mixed economic and racial character. As of the 2000 census, the racial makeup of Over-the-Rhine was 19.4% Caucasian, 76.9% African American, and less than 4% of other races.
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4. What caused Over-the-Rhine to decay so much?
Different people cite various factors. The consensus in Cincinnati seems to be that the city largely abdicated its responsibility to establish sound policy and planning, particularly during the late 1960s. During this period, a well-intentioned, yet disastrous federal program created vast site-based Section 8 housing in Over-the-Rhine. This concentrated poverty and contributed more than any other factor to the growth of an urban underclass. In the late 1990s, the long-term leases for this housing came due, and the city made a new commitment to the neighborhood. A new voucher program gave qualifying individuals the freedom to subsidize the rent for either their current home or, if they choose to leave, the rent in a new location throughout the country. Read more about the changes in a recent Cincinnati government Development and Planning document. Still, Wikipedia puts the owner-occupancy rate of Over-the-Rhine at a paltry 2.7% (compared to 38 percent for Cincinnati as a whole).
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5. Can you describe some of the past efforts to revitalize Over-the-Rhine?
[Write the producers about previous cycles of boom and bust that you are familiar with.] In the late 1990s, Main Street was the locus for a rush of nightlife investments, particularly bars, retaurants, and clubs. Even the tech boom hit: an October, 1999 article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Over-the-Rhine Becoming Silicon Alley, summed up a newfound heady optimism. But following the Cincinnati Riots in April of 2001, racial tension increased, and security issues predominated. In the following months, both the Cincinnati Post and Enquirer were already reporting how economic progress along Main Street stalled.
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6. Why is this time around different?

CITY. The city's commitment is proving fundamental. New HUD vouchers are enabling qualified renters to choose where they want to live, paving the way for more mixed neighborhoods. Moreover, in 2003 the city council established an innovative tax incremental financing (TIF) districting law that for the first time links tax revenue from south of Central Parkway (vibrant downtown) vertically to the depressed Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Councilman John Cranley estimated the new funding sources would be worth $1 billion during the next 30 years.

DEVELOPMENT. Findlay Market benefited from a multi-million dollar makeover that resuscitated this historic meat-and-produce market. Nonetheless, there still remain over 500 vacant buildings in Over-the-Rhine and perhaps 2,500+ vacant units. To meet that challenge, 3CDC, a private, non-profit development corporation is working closely with the city to envision a vibrant, diverse, mixed-income community in Over-the-Rhine. And it has invested $80 million to purchase entire city blocks and create the economies of scale necessary to undertake the pricey revitalization of the historic architecture. Starting in the Gateway District (more specifically, 12th and Vine), the group has leaned on the expertise of B2B Equities, Model Group, Northpointe Group and Urban Sites to restore, market, and begin selling 100 condos. Cultural investments also point to a long-term confidence: in 2005, the Art Academy of Cincinnati relocated to the heart of Over-the-Rhine; Cincinnati's School for Creative and Performing Arts is most of the way towards a $62 million fundraising goal for a new facility to be built in Over-the-Rhine; and 3CDC is helping lead a collaborative effort to redesign and revitalize Washington Square.

NEW DATA. Over-the-Rhine may soon benefit from a new study. Social Compact, a Washington DC nonprofit and founder of the DrillDown methodology, has joined with Property Advisors, a Cincinnati-based commercial real estate consulting firm, to conduct a thorough study focusing on business indicators--buying power, market size, unmet needs, and micro-market development patterns. The DrillDown study, which has already been conducted in eight US cities, has identified an informal economy worth $4.4 billion with 500,000 more residents than census trend projections. Such data has already benefited traditionally underserved (poor) neighborhoods, since banks and retail businesses are then able to better justify investing in these urban cores. (Read an article about the study in the Cincinnati Post.)

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7. How can I learn more about Cincinnati, urban revitalization, and Over-the-Rhine?
Please check out the educational resources, which the producers are building out to provide links to both print and online resources of more information.
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8. How can I help this documentary get made?
We value partnership. Send an email with ideas; if you or your organization work on promoting or rehabbing Cincinnati or Over-the-Rhine, then consider partnering with us, and/or sharing some of your knowledge. Or offer a tax-deductible donation.
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9. Where will this film be screened?
During this stage, we are making the best film we can. So consider spreading the word by telling your friends about it. Following the premier of the film at festivals and/or television, we aim to organize screenings where there is interest. You can help make this happen.
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