Skyline's Fountain Square move signals more than cheese Coneys
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An aerial view of Fountain Square, the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Photo: Casey Weldon/Axios
Skyline Chili's decision to build its flagship restaurant on Fountain Square is bigger than serving up cheese Coneys and 3-ways.
Why it matters: City leaders are betting downtown can become as much a destination for visitors, conventions and local experiences as it is a center of commerce.
Case in point: Skyline's nearly 9,000-square-foot flagship joins hometown brands like Graeter's Ice Cream and CityBird, along with national chains and higher-end restaurants surrounding Fountain Square.
- That's a mix downtown leaders hope keeps office workers, residents, convention attendees and tourists around longer.
The big picture: The restaurant's opening comes during one of downtown's biggest investment waves in decades.
- The city and nonprofit developer 3CDC are investing nearly $830 million to transform the Convention District.
- That includes a renovation and expansion of the convention center, a headquarters hotel and Elm Street Plaza.
While 3CDC wasn't involved in Skyline's project, the nonprofit says it has invested $1.6 billion in Central Business District redevelopment since 2019, including The Foundry, the renovated Saks Building, the 84.51° headquarters and a $49 million renovation of Fountain Square.
What they're saying: Skyline reinforces that strategy by adding another iconic Cincinnati brand to the city's front porch, 3CDC spokesperson Emily Stowe said.
- "We knew it would bring lots of foot traffic," Stowe said. "You're going to get business professionals getting lunch, families visiting for a Reds game, people going to our concerts and out-of-town tourists."
Visit Cincy's Eileen Osborne said growth is increasingly driven by conventions, sports, leisure travel, culinary tourism and regional weekend visitors.
- "Visitors want to experience the things they can only find here," she said. "When brands like Skyline and Graeter's are visible and accessible downtown, it adds energy, familiarity and a stronger sense of place."
Yes, but: Downtown's revival hasn't erased concerns among some Cincinnatians about safety.
- Those concerns resurfaced after a fatal shooting outside Fountain Square in May prompted Cincinnati police to increase officer visibility downtown and explore around-the-clock coverage.
Between the lines: Cincinnati Councilmember Mark Jeffreys said attracting people downtown takes more than new buildings.
- "It's really critical that, first, it's safe for people, that they feel safe, that they are safe," he told Axios. "And second, that part of that safety is having a lot of activation, having things for people to do, and gather and linger and form a deeper sense of community."
The city is developing its first comprehensive downtown plan since 1986, Jeffreys said, because the Central Business District has evolved beyond its traditional office focus.
The bottom line: Skyline alone won't determine downtown's future.
- But putting one of Cincinnati's best-known brands on Fountain Square signals the city's public investment is beginning to attract the private confidence leaders hoped it would.