Cincinnati (WXIX) – Northern Kentucky River cities are collaborating on a plan to restore customers to businesses affected by the sudden closure of the Daniel Carter Beard bridge at the end of last year.
It’s called “Bridging Back Business”, and it all starts next week.
Kentucky Northern, Meetnky, Northern Chamber of Commerce in Kentucky and Riff’s New Distillation are all part of the initiative.
“The closure of the bridge has brought a significant quality of life challenges, with the reassessment of heavy traffic through our community, disrupting daily routines and creating a strain on local businesses and residents,” Newport leader Tom Guidugli said.
“The impact of the Bridging Back Business Campaign is important to restore the customers routine for our businesses,” said President Guidugli. “I want to say thank you for the Odot and the team of workers for your quick and efficient bridge repairs. Their impressive wrestling could allow the opening weeks.”
Ohio Transport Department (ODOT) reopen the bridge a month before it was planned on February 8.
Marty Holland party’s source store manager says foot traffic and vacation sales were reduced during closure.
“It was very difficult for us and we definitely lost a lot of business during those really important calendar times. Now, we have to bring our customers back,” Holland said. “The bridge is open, but now we have to give them a reason to get here.”
Holland says they are grateful the bridge reopened a month before the deadline, but they still have to make that loss of income.
“We haven’t seen enough the big impact some people can think of. It’s not just a switched switch. Many of our clients had three months to buy sincerely somewhere else. So it’s the duty of us to get creative and understand Ways to attract them, ”Holland said. “This will return the business here, where we need to be.”
Bellevue Mayor Charlie Cleves hopes the plan will establish the phase of revitalization and renewable growth throughout the region.
He says some community businesses suffered as much as a 30% fall of the business by 2023, which they attribute to the sudden closure of the bridge.
“Our hope is to return at least where we were before this. We cannot leave where it is because we will start losing these businesses,” President Cleves said.
From February 24 to March 15, various businesses in the participating cities of Dayton, Bellevue, Newport, Covington and Fort Thomas will offer discounts and special events and reception events to encourage the community to support them and to help revitalize of energy and the spirit of river cities.
“The long hours and the dedication of workers in zero -scale weather at the beginning contributed greatly to the completion of the Big Mac Bridge project a month ago than expected,” said President Cleves.
“Although the repair ended before the deadline, it has been still difficult to see our businesses to fight,” President Cleves continued. “This motivated me to try to find a solution. When all cities gathered as one, I knew that the impact would be exponentially greater. “
Bellevue and Dayton will start things on the week of February 24, followed by Newport, Covington and Fort Thomas the week of March 3. Cities will offer special and event last week of March 10.
City of the city and the participating institution will detail different specials and events during their week.
Some examples include special lunch, happy watches and compliments, promotions offered by retailers and specialty cocktails/mockery with Molly Wellmann in different days.
“The city of Dayton sincerely appreciates the tireless work of construction workers and contractors who endured solid temperatures from the Ohio River to complete this project more than a month earlier than the foreseen date of completion,” said Dayton Chairman, Kentucky, Ben Baker.
“We also appreciate the Odot’s commitment to managing this complex project, whose early completion was welcome for our residents and businesses that rely on this bridge for their trips and their clients,” said Mayor Baker.
In addition, New Riff is sponsoring a NKY cocktail competition in cities that will culminate in a large cocktail showdown on its Aquifer grass.
Competition invites bars and restaurants across NKY to display a new Riff Rye cocktail to help bring foot traffic to local places.
Visitors to bars and restaurants can order cocktails and scan a QR code to vote for the best.
The winners in each city will go to the confrontation to cope and create an original cocktail in the country using new riff rye and a mystery component provided by Kroger.
“As Kentucky understood at the end of 2020 with Brent Spence Bridge, adjusting damage to this size on a bridge is a stunning challenge, and we appreciate it Odot, like his counterparts in Kentucky, not only reached it Feat, but did it ahead of schedule, helping to mitigate the pressure of detached traffic on our roads in Covington, ”said the chairman Covington, Ron Washington.
“Our restaurants and other small businesses are the proverbial blood of our local economy, and in an era where everything, from transport issues, to the supply of chain pressures increase the challenges that businesses face, we look forward to doing everything that we can help them, ours downtown, and their employees and so our families not only survive but flourish, ”said President Washington.
Fort Thomas is also eager to welcome customers again to its local businesses.
“We are grateful that Odot was able to open the bridge ahead of the deadline and for all the communication they provided during this closure,” said the Mayor of Thomas, Eric Haas.
“Amazing is amazing how we take so many local routes as good until you use them anymore. It took this event to really appreciate this bridge and to fully understand the negative impact it had on so many businesses being closed, ”said Mayor Haas. “We are pleased to welcome more clients for our amazing local businesses now that the bridge is completely open. Let’s focus even more on our small businesses and show them our support this month.”
The reopening of the bridge will also ease the challenges for tourists while spring break and access to other major community events.
“We are very grateful for the Odot for reopening this bridge before the deadline,” said Julie Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of Meetnky.
“Many of our local ownership businesses help determine the unique character of this region, making it a high destination for visitors and a wonderful place for residents,” Kirkpatrick continued. “Northern Kentucky is excited to welcome visitors only in time for main tourism event like Spring Break and Reds Day Day with Bridging Back Business Initiative.”
Specials will be shared every week on various cities’ websites and social media channels.
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