By Ken Alltucker
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A Memphis developer who helped transform Beale Street into a worldwide attraction is an innovative thinker who can overhaul Main Street into a regional entertainment district, Mayor Charlie Luken told Over-the-Rhine business leaders Thursday.

Luken called on the business community to look beyond past development fizzle-outs and throw its energy behind John Elkington. The mayor is seeking City Council approval to spend $100,000 to tap Elkington's marketing expertise and ties to national entertainment chains such as Hard Rock Cafe and ESPN Zone.

After Luken's remarks to about 100 members of the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, Elkington stepped to the podium. He told the group that Main Street has the ingredients to become a one-of-a-kind district of bars, music venues and boutique shops that will draw visitors from throughout the Midwest.

"I'm not here to do a plan or a study," Elkington said. "I'm here to develop an economic engine to drive this forward."

While he offered few details in his speech to chamber members, Elkington outlined some thoughts about the district's potential during a meeting Thursday afternoon with the Enquirer editorial board. Among the possibilities:

• Forming a governing body such as a community development corporation to foster cooperation among Main Street property owners. This group could pursue tax credits and other funding sources.

• Recruiting a signature entertainment chain with a national reputation to draw visitors from a wide area. The crowds would spill over to the locally owned establishments that are the nucleus of Main Street, returning the foot traffic that many merchants say left after the April 2001 riots. "Cincinnati's a major-league town," Elkington said. "You should have major-league entertainment."

• Broadening the neighborhood's appeal beyond the 20-something crowd, which he termed "fickle." By attracting a wider age group, the district would be more stable and attract more shops, restaurants and music venues, he said.

Elkington also stressed the things that Main Street shouldn't become.

He's wary of recruiting too many bars at the expense of the district's emerging condo and loft apartment market. New development, he said, must fit well with neighborhood landmarks such as Findlay Market, Washington Park and Pendleton. Also, developers, bar and restaurant owners should place a priority on hiring neighborhood residents in order to capitalize on the area's diversity and further strengthen its economy.

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece and council member Laketa Cole have praised economic inclusiveness of Beale Street, where one-third of businesses are minority owned.

Elkington's appearance in Cincinnati is at the invitation of Luken and City Councilman John Cranley, who have floated ideas such as closing Main Street to vehicular traffic and allowing pedestrians to carry open containers of alcohol.

Neither Elkington nor City Council members would speculate on the cost of transforming Main Street, or where the money to do so would come from. However, the developer said he believed private investment is a key.

Cranley pointed out that some dollars could come from new "tax increment financing" districts that join parts of downtown to Over-the-Rhine. These so-called TIF districts capture extra tax dollars that are generated when real estate improvements raise property values.

At least one other group will compete for this money. Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., a new private, nonprofit development group chaired by Procter & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley, identified TIF money as one source of funds that could be tapped to pay for a renovated Fountain Square.

Despite Elkington's success in Memphis, some opposition has surfaced to his involvement in the proposed Main Street revamp.

Nick Spencer, a City Council candidate, blasted Elkington during a question-and-answer session after his Over-the-Rhine chamber speech. Spencer pointed out that Elkington's work in Shreveport, La., and Winston-Salem, N.C., has been slow to progress.

"We didn't learn anything about him and what he's going to do," said Spencer, founder of the young professionals group Cincinnati Tomorrow. "Now City Council is going to pass this without answering these questions first. I'm insulted."

He warned that Elkington is the latest out-of-town pitchman promising a can't-miss formula for the distressed neighborhood's revival.

Luken immediately shot back at Spencer. "Already Mr. Elkington is getting picked at," Luken said. "This isn't Shreveport and this isn't even Memphis."

Councilman John Cranley, too, chimed in. He said the city wants to hire Elkington for his contacts with national chain retailers, not for his ability to cobble together a plan.

Over-the-Rhine condo developer Chris Frutkin watched Thursday's political scrap and offered this assessment:

"As I've said in the past, it seems like politicians are competing on ways to help revitalize Over-the-Rhine. I'm optimistic, but we have to be cautious. There are no miracle workers."

E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com