TNR 11.15.12

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THE 132-YEAR-OLD AWARD-WINNING INDEPENDENT STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

VOL. CXXXIII ISSUE LVVVVV

Metro drafting changes

The News Record THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 15 | 2012

FREE - ADDITIONAL COPIES $1

Public transit system seeking feedback for new goals to improve travel time BROOKE BEERY CONTRIBUTOR NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM Cincinnati Metro plans to add more buses and crosstown routes to improve the city’s transit system. “We’ve conducted a lot of research, surveys, and public meetings to find out exactly what the community wants of their transit system,” said Kevin Mischler, Metro’s senior system planner. Cincinnati Metro recently released a preliminary plan, which has been in the works since early spring, reflecting both short and long-term improvements requested by the community. The short-term plan — using existing funds — is expected to start as early as next year. The goals include shorter travel time, adding more busses to busy areas and reducing the amount of downtown transfers by adding more crosstown routes. The long-term plan — currently unfunded — might take a few years to be implemented. Its primary goal is to meet the unmet demands in the region for transportation. These include improved service on major routes, newer facilities at transfer centers, additional shelters and bus rapid transit (BRT). BRT would serve heavily trafficked streets such as Reading Road, Vine Street, Hamilton Avenue — and make fewer stops, as well as provide faster service and more amenities. “A lot of the routes we have now go back to the 1930s and 1940s, so they’re old routes,” said Sallie Hilvers, Metro’s executive director of strategic communications. “Obviously population has changed, where people are going has changed and the Metro, because of the way we’re structured, just didn’t [change].” While some change is necessary, research conducted by Cincinnati Metro has shown only approximately onethird of the routes require adjustments. “Our planners found that about two-thirds of our routes are operating perfectly and that people wouldn’t change anything to improve them,” Hilvers said. Plans for a new Uptown transit district are in the works for 2013. Transit will be composed of four distinct locations near the university and offer several customer amenities including sheltered boarding areas, real-time information, integration with other employers and UC shuttle services, enhanced streetscape and sidewalk improvements. “The university is excited about the enhanced connections and transportation options being made available to students,” said Weston Munzel of UC’s planning design and construction department. The plan’s full details, including maps of route adjustments, can be found online at Metro’s website. Public meetings will be held all week so the community can voice its opinion. A list of times and places for the meetings can also be found on the website.

LAUREN PURKEY | PHOTO EDITOR

SELL OR LEASE Signs went up Wednesday advertising a lease on the building where the oldest operational pizzeria in Clifton closes its doors after 58 years in operation.

PAPA DINO’S CLOSED Eatery closes doors after 58 years in Uptown RYAN HOFFMAN NEWS EDITOR NEWSRECORDNEWS@GMAIL.COM After 58 years in business, the oldest operating pizzeria in Clifton, Papa Dino’s, has closed its doors. “It has been a pleasure serving you,” read a sign posted in the restaurant’s window. “Thank you Cincinnati for the long run.” Papa Dino’s owner, John Georgitln, had tried to sell the business for more than a year after his wife moved to Denver, Colo. his brother Mike Georgitln said. The business had to close when John Georgitln couldn’t find a buyer. “He’s been trying to find somebody to buy it, but nobody would,” Mike Georgitln said. “It’s just sad to see it go.” The recent arrival of several pizzerias in the uptown area — including Toppers Pizza, which opened two doors down from Papa Dino’s in October 2010 — impacted business, Mike Georgitln said. “You have a corporate pizza chain openup just a couple of doors down and it pushes out the little guy,” Mike Georgitln said. Owners from other Clifton area pizzerias acknowledged the cutthroat nature of the business. “Clifton is a very difficult environment to try to run a profitable pizza restaurant because of all the competition,” said Mac Ryan, owner of Mac’s Pizza. “I don’t think Toppers opening up next to them helped in any way. I would be inclined to think that it was the beginning of their demise.” Toppers Pizza could not be reached as of press time. Clifton has always been tough for pizza businesses because it’s a college campus, said Tom Erbeck, owner of Adriatico’s Pizza. “There has always been a lot of competition with pizza in Clifton,” Erbeck said. “If you go back to the ’80s and ’90s there’s no more competition now than then.” In the past, both Pizza Hut and Little

Caesars Pizza had locations in the Clifton Area. Both are now closed. “I think Clifton is what you make of it,” Erbeck said.“My business is doing well, so I might have a different view of that.” The increased competition also made it harder for John Georgitln to sell the business, Mike Georgitln said. “Everybody moving up here obviously doesn’t help, trying to get a larger piece of the pie, it makes it harder to find a buyer,” Mike Georgitln said. The recent construction in the Uptown area has also negatively affected many of the local businesses on McMillan and Calhoun streets, Ryan said. “You’re not going to do very well long term, or even short term, if nobody wants to drive up to your f***ing neighborhood because of goddamn traffic,” Ryan said. “It sucks.” The building at the corner of Calhoun Street and Clifton Avenue is still owned by Mike and John’s father, Pete Georgitln. So far there have not been any talks of possible renters for the 3,000 square foot space. “A few people showed interest when John bought [the business] but obviously didn’t want to give up Papa Dino’s,” Mike Georgitln said. “There haven’t been any serious talks [recently], it just kind of actually sprung up last minute.” Reactions to the closure of the latenight eatery varied between members of the Clifton business and the University of Cincinnati community. “It’s a shame,” said Tim McLane, owner of Pomodori’s. “They were here before I opened up almost 30 years ago.” The owner of Adriatico’s Pizza shared McLane’s sentiment. “I was surprised because they have been around for so long,” Erbeck said. Members of the UC community shared nostalgia for the restaurant. “It’s always tough to see a local business close,” said Joe Blizzard, speaker of the undergraduate student senate at UC. “I

know a lot of students and alumni will miss it.” While some were sorry to hear about the closure, others seemed indifferent. “I’ve never been to Papa Dino’s, I’ve always gone to Toppers,” said Maxwell Schroeder, a first-year electrical engineering student. In the current Best of UC poll, conducted by The News Record, Dewey’s Pizza leads the best pizza category with 278 votes, while Toppers is currently in second with 173 votes. As of press time Papa Dino’s earned eight votes, two votes ahead of Pizza Hut.

Historical events since Papa Dino’s opened:

Color Television Fuel Injection Moon Landing Fall of Soviet Union The Internet 11 US Presidents Civil Rights Two National Championships for UC Basketball War on Drugs 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

City Council approves loan $7-million loan will allow for relocation of Drop Inn Center and YWCA Women’s Shelter in Mount Auburn BENJAMIN GOLDSCHMIDT CHIEF REPORTER

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Cincinnati City Council voted to approve a $7 million loan from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to relocate the Drop Inn Center and a YWCA women’s homeless shelter. The $7 million borrowed completes a $10 million commitment made by city council to Homeless to Homes, according to city council minutes. The YWCA women’s shelter will be moved to Mount Auburn and the Drop Inn Center’s location has yet to be determined. The loan requires $532,000 to be paid back every year for 20 years, which comes out of the city’s housing budget. Councilmember Cecil Thomas said the relocation of these shelters will help them better serve the community, particularly those individuals with mental health

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problems. “You get a much better facility, first of all, you’d get a more updated facility,” Thomas said. “Plus what we’re also doing is — the location that you currently have right now, it’s somewhat limited in its ability to serve the population.” Josh Spring, the executive director for the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, is concerned the money required to pay back the loans from relocation will come out of a budget that could prevent homelessness. “That means that every year for two decades, when we budget federal dollars meant for housing and job development, that we’d immediately say $532,000 is already spent,” Spring said. “Our main issue with this is that the primary cause of homelessness is that we don’t have enough housing, affordable housing and jobs. So, essentially in this talk of moving shelter, city council is saying that they are willing to take dollars to do it that can be used to

prevent homelessness.” homelessness in the area. Spring said the process of paying “The drop Inn Center does it best at the back this loan might exacerbate location that they’re at, but again the issue of homelessness. though, they are limited. They “We’d much rather see met a need way back, but now The main the money spent the we’re at a situation where cause of way it should be — on they’re really limited with prevention — so that what they can do at that homelessness there’s not so much facility,”Thomas said. pressure on shelters,” is that we don’t City Gospel Mission, Spring said. although not included have enough The Drop Inn in this specific loan, is Center in Over the housing. moving to Queensgate with Rhine, is being moved -Josh Spring, the help of the Cincinnati to a larger facility because Greater Cincinnati City Center Development the building in its current Homeless Coalition. Corporation — a private entity — location isn’t able to meet the and city council, Thomas said. needs of the homeless community, Thomas “City gospel mission, we’re working said. with them at a different capacity,” Thomas But Josh Spring contends the Drop Inn said. “We agreed to spend a tremendous Center is one of the most effective shelters amount of additional dollars to renovate in the area — citing an average move-out the building they were planning on moving time of 30- 40 days — and believes to that would better serve their needs.” moving the facility is not going to end

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