About 25 people turned out at a public meeting to help city officials come up with a vision for revitalizing downtown. They offered more than 30 ideas, but most agreed that downtown businesses need more than a seasonal approach that's dependent upon bike-path traffic.

"The bike trail is not a silver bullet even in its peak season," said Martin Schickel, who operates a bike rental shop and owns other properties downtown. "It pushed downtown in a good direction. But it's just a piece of the puzzle. That's all it is."

Suggestions Wednesday included developing a mix of new housing, along with retail shops and professional offices and finding a niche that suits Loveland.

Capitalizing on the Little Miami Scenic River that runs through downtown was a common theme, and some suggested that the historic business district should be expanded over the river into Hamilton County.

The city began revitalization efforts in 1995, focusing mainly on beautifying downtown. Many retail shops have come and gone, although businesses - mostly unique gift and antiques shops as well as restaurants - appear to have stabilized recently and vacancies are few. However, city officials said more needs to be done to keep the district viable.

Representatives of McGill Smith Punshon Inc., a planning consultant hired by the city, will tabulate recommendations from this week's meeting and present the top five at a second session, 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at city hall.

The gatherings are part of a recent push to spur economic development in Loveland by updating the historic downtown plan. As part of the process, city officials also are preparing to implement tax incentives to draw development to downtown's south side, where a 5-acre site went up for sale on Broadway Street after Nisbet Lumber Co. moved to Sharonville.

A Dayton, Ohio, developer recently suggested creating a $10 million entertainment district that would include a 1,000-seat covered town square concert venue surrounded by sidewalk cafes and restaurants at the Nisbet site.

E-mail smclaughlin@enquirer.com