City to scrutinize 3CDC's Fountain Square events

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Cincinnati city officials want to re-evaluate the safety strategy and programming at Fountain Square following Saturday fights that resulted in seven arrests and left two police officers and a 27-year-old man injured.

The melee also resulted in the cancelation of hip-hop performances planned at Fountain Square through Sept. 5.

Cal Scruby, a Cincinnati native who now lives in California, was slated to perform July 11 as part of the Saturday Night Concert Series that the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) and entertainment promoter Self Diploma organized.

3CDC has managed Fountain Square events since 2006, but those programs do not go through the city's standard special event permitting process, said City Manager Harry Black. The permitting process allows for safety planning and coordination with other events.

Saturday night's events "exposed a weakness in terms of a lack of coordination between the city and 3CDC," Black said.

With the popularity of the Downtown city plaza, he said there's an opportunity to review how the space is governed.

"The city is engaging with 3CDC in order to review the policies and procedures related to Fountain Square programming to ensure events such as those this weekend are not repeated," Black said in a statement.

3CDC is mulling alternate programming to replace the Saturday night concerts.

Officials during a Monday news conference said the crowd at Fountain Square reached an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people around 11 p.m. as the performance by hip-hop act Ground Up ended.

In a statement Tuesday, a 3CDC spokeswoman said the crowd for the concert was closer to 400 people. 3CDC spokeswoman Anastasia Mileham said the concert ended around the same time as a Cincinnati Reds game and as a large crowd of people were congregated near Government Square a block away.

3CDC officials said public safety implications cannot be ignored especially when police officers are put at risk.

"We probably reached our capacity," said Steve Leeper, president and CEO of 3CDC, at a news conference on Monday.

Mayor John Cranley, who has been an advocate and supporter of 3CDC's efforts to revitalize the city and program events in it, raised concerns about shows geared toward youth happening after curfew.

Unless accompanied by an adult, a city ordinance requires people under the age of 16 to be off the streets from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. and those age 16 or 17 from midnight to 5 a.m.

"The programming was not appropriate late at night," Cranley said at the Monday news conference. "We will make sure it does not happen again without proper protocol, without proper staffing."

Cranley said in a Tuesday statement that it's important "to ensure that all events are properly staffed and Fountain Square remain a safe place where all feel welcome."

3CDC's roots are in real estate development and finance and it helped lead the nearly $49 million major renovation of Fountain Square about a decade ago. In 2005, the Over-the-Rhine-based group agreed to lease Fountain Square and the Fountain Square North Parking Garage for up to 40 years. That made 3CDC responsible for managing events, programs, maintenance and security for the square and garage.

Since Fountain Square is a public space, anyone can rent it for an event but 3CDC manages the process of getting permits to use the space. Key permits and information about events are then relayed to the city.

Cincinnati police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell added that police are making strides in Downtown safety, and that the July 4 incident was not indicative of the city's state.

According to Tuesday's release from Self Diploma, the company has organized concerts for Fountain Square for the past five summers with attendance at some shows topping 10,000. Self Diploma's founder Sean Herron is coordinating other events around Cincinnati during the All-Star Game and has promoted the hip-hop and electronic dance music festival Ubahn Fest in Cincinnati.

Mileham of 3CDC said the organization would be happy to work with Herron in the future.

"Country, Latin, reggae, up-and-coming independent rock (Indie), and hip hop have been the staples of the Fountain Square summer concert series for the past five years," according to the 3CDC statement. "All 3CDC contracts with performers specify 'clean' acts for family-friendly fun ending by 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends, and concerts are shut down if this agreement is abused."

All other programming for All-Star Game week will move forward as scheduled.

Here are the remaining shows planned at Fountain Square and Washington Park:

Fountain Square Schedule

Friday, July 10

11 a.m.: Concessions open
Noon: Blue Wisp Big Band
2 p.m.: Budweiser Clydesdale appearance
5:30 p.m.: Batter Up Bash
7 p.m.: MidPoint Indie Summer Concert – Saint Motel
11 p.m.: Concessions close

Saturday, July 11

11 a.m.: Concessions Open
noon: The Hot Magnolias
1:30 p.m.: Siobhan & The Situation
3 p.m.: Randy Villars
7 p.m.: DJ Etryan
11 p.m.: Concessions close

Sunday, July 12

11 a.m.: Concessions open
11 a.m.: Airwave Band
1 p.m.: Second Wind
3 p.m.: Viewing Party – Futures Game
6:30 p.m.: Keith Little
8 p.m.: Soul Pocket
11 p.m.: Concessions close

Monday, July 13

11 a.m.: Concessions open
Noon: Jameze Latrail
1:30 p.m.: Mike Wade
3 p.m.: Tropicoso
4:30 p.m.: Robin Lacy & Zydeco
6 p.m.: Dan Varner
8 p.m.: Viewing Party – Home Run Derby
11 p.m.: Concessions close

Tuesday, July 14

11 a.m.: Concessions Open

1 p.m.: Red Carpet Pre-show
3 p.m.: Kelly Richey Band
4:30 p.m.: Boaku & the Image Afro Beat Band
6 p.m.: Leroy Ellington
8 p.m.: Viewing Party – All-Star Game
11 p.m.: Concessions close

Washington Park Schedule

Friday, July 10

11 a.m.: Concessions open
11 a.m.: Rob Allgeyer Trio
Noon: Tracy Walker Solo
1 p.m.: Ricky Nye & Bekah Williams
7 p.m.: Zapp Band
11 p.m.: Concessions close

Saturday, July 11
9 a.m.: Interact For Health Weekend Workout
11 a.m.: Concessions open
11 a.m.: Jim Connerley Trio
12:15 p.m.: Baba Charles Miller
1:30 p.m.: Ingrid Woode
2:45 p.m.: Jake Speed & the Freddies
4 p.m.: Faux Frenchman
5:15 p.m.: Monk River Latin Jazz
7 p.m.: Voyager Quintet
11 p.m.: Concessions close

Sunday, July 12

10:00 a.m.: Sunday Sing
11 a.m.: Concessions open
6 p.m.: DBL Law Presents OTR performs
10 p.m.: Concessions close

Monday, July 13
11 a.m.: Concessions open
11 a.m.: Triage
Noon: The Tracy Walker Band
1 p.m.: William Menefield
2:45 p.m.: Sonny Moorman
6 p.m.: HGC Construction Kickball
10 p.m.: Concessions close

Tuesday, July 14

9 a.m.: Bedknobs Broomsticks & Baristas
4 p.m.: Concessions open
6 p.m.: Droder & Miller Workout on the Green
10 p.m.: Concessions close