By Ken Alltucker
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DOWNTOWN - There were no glitzy renderings, no multimillion-dollar plans.

Instead, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp.'s initial public meeting about the planned Fountain Square overhaul was essentially a call for more ideas.

Representing 3CDC at a Community Development, Education and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee meeting at City Hall were Tom Blinn (left) and Steven Leeper, 3CDC executive director. (Michael E. Keating photo)

Leaders of the private development group told City Council's community development committee Monday that reviving Fountain Square's public space could be the catalyst for attracting new shops, restaurants and high-wage office jobs to downtown's core.

"We recognize that the public space is critical to future private development," said the corporation's chief executive, Stephen Leeper.

So far, the development corporation's officials aren't chatting about specific design fixes for the square. They'll gather ideas during six public meetings scheduled in the next week and unveil a preliminary design this summer. A final plan could be ready for council approval this fall.

Councilman Christopher Smitherman, a member of the community development committee, said a cautious plan with public input is the right approach.

"A lot of people think about Newport as a benchmark," Smitherman said of the Northern Kentucky town's riverfront boom. "The jury's still out. ... We don't know where Newport will be 10 years from now."

Among the consultants hired by 3CDC to help draft the plan for the square's overhaul are landscape architect Olin Partnership of Philadelphia, the urban design firm Cooper, Robertson & Partners of New York and retail designer Development Design Group Inc. of Baltimore.

Retail consultant Lehr Jackson also is talking with private-property owners abutting the square and writing a strategy to land a new mix of retail.

Downtown consultant John Alschuler, who now advises the development corporation, has been critical of Fountain Square's look. He suggested eliminating the skywalk leading to Fountain Square, removing the square's center stage and introducing green space or other landscaping to give the concrete-covered square a friendlier look.

In public meetings starting today, the development corporation will talk about public places it thinks are designed well, such as Boston's Post Office Square, Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square and New York City's Bryant Park.

The corporation's broad plan for the Fountain Square overhaul includes creating:

• A clean, safe destination with a unique look and feel.

• An inclusive, inviting, friendly and fun center.

• Distinct uses that include one-of-a-kind retail and "world-class" operations, including the parking garage.

• An accessible space that connects to adjacent places at street level from all sides. Also, the square should be easily reached from other downtown destinations.

Though the plan is still being developed, council members asked interim director Tom Blinn how his group planned to pay for the overhaul.

Blinn said private stakeholders are willing to contribute money. Possible public sources cited by Blinn include federal tax credits and parking revenues from the city-owned Fountain Square garage.

But Blinn cautioned that "it will be another three months before we get a clear picture."

Smitherman urged a mix of businesses that reflect Cincinnati's racial and ethnic heritage. "I hope we work hard to make sure those businesses are diverse," he said.

Smitherman's comments echoed one of the findings of Alschuler, whose study of downtown pointed out a lack of attractions for middle-class blacks.

Committee chairman David Crowley said even residents of Southwest Ohio suburbs and Northern Kentucky have a stake in Fountain Square's overhaul. He wants the development corporation to consider their ideas also.

"We're the big player," Crowley said. "We should act like it."

If you go

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. plans six more public meetings to discuss the planned Fountain Square overhaul. They are:

• Today, 6 p.m., Colerain Township Senior-Community Center, 4200 Springdale Road

• Wednesday, 6 p.m., College Hill Recreation Center, 5545 Belmont Ave.

• Thursday, noon, Christ Church Cathedral, 318 E. Fourth St., downtown; 6 p.m., Carthage Recreation Center, 19 E. 72nd St.

• Monday, 6 p.m., Madisonville Recreation Center, 5320 Stewart Road

• May 11, 6 p.m., Westin Hotel atrium, downtown

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E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com