City of Cincinnati Announces Plans to Make Outdoor Dining Program Permanent

Downtown and Over-the-Rhine Expected to Feature “Streateries” in Spring 2021

CINCINNATI (December 4, 2020) – The City of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) today announced a plan to convert their temporary expanded outdoor dining program into a permanent component on the streets of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. The temporary program was rolled out in mid-May, as restaurants and bars that had been required to close during the shutdown were given permission to reopen with outdoor dining. The City created a new permit process, and coordinated with 3CDC to carryout the implementation of the temporary outdoor dining areas.

Following a successful execution of the pilot program, the City saw several benefits to expanded outdoor dining, and asked 3CDC to explore making the program permanent. 3CDC developed recommendations and presented those to the City, which ultimately approved the plan.

“While the outdoor dining pilot program has proven successful, there are several advantages to implementing these Streateries permanently,” Mayor John Cranley said. “Making these outdoor dining areas permanent will not only provide bars and restaurants with valuable expanded seating, but they will also generate added vibrancy in the urban core, provide important traffic-calming features to our streets, and will be much more aesthetically pleasing than the construction barriers currently in use.”

The new $2 million effort will involve converting the temporary sites into “Streateries” – a combination of parklets and concrete bump-outs/sidewalk expansions. In addition, the City is proposing shutting down portions of four streets for outdoor dining: 15th Street from Vine Street to Parvis Alley; 15th Street from Race to Goose Alley; 14th Street from Race Street to Republic Street; and Broadway from 12th Street to 13th Street in Pendleton.

Implementation of the Streateries will be funded primarily by the City of Cincinnati, with additional contributions from several private foundations, including the Devou Good Foundation, the Duke Energy Foundation, and The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

The 25 establishments that have already secured permits for temporary outdoor dining will be first on the list for implementation of the parklets and/or concrete bump-outs. The City has identified four sites that would have their sidewalks extended via concrete bump-outs – City Bird, The Eagle, Quan Hapa, and Jeff Ruby’s. The other 21 establishments will be immediately eligible for a new parklet.

Bars and restaurants located in the urban core that do not currently have temporary outdoor seating will also be eligible for the program. These establishments will submit applications to 3CDC, which will vet the proposals and make recommendations to the City for implementation. Once approved by the City, 3CDC will handle the implementation of the parklets.

Like the temporary sites, parklets will serve as extensions of the bars and restaurants where they are installed. Parklets are expected to be created with high-quality wood decking, like Ipe or a similar material, that will seamlessly integrate railings and planters, which will serve as natural barriers.

The City and 3CDC hope to receive all necessary approvals in December so construction on the permanent Streateries can begin in January 2021 and be completed in Spring 2021.

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