Restaurant closures and openings....

First, from the Cincy Business Journal, the bad news (well, only if you could afford to go to this place):

Seafood restaurant chain The Oceanaire, which opened a downtown Cincinnati location last year, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed its local site. A recording at the Cincinnati Oceanaire's number says the restaurant is closed and thanks customers for their patronage. Oceanaire opened June 2, 2008, in the 580 Building at Sixth and Walnut streets, featuring fresh seafood in a 1930s-era setting. Its demise leaves McCormick & Schmick's in the Westin as downtown's only seafood restaurant.

And now the good news - drew and i ate at this place when it was an ethiopian joint, and i'm so glad its being redone and reopened! that end of 6th really doesn't have anything in the way of eating options:

Cincinnati's Martin and Marilyn Wade plan ‘desperately needed’ eatery type on Sixth Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Lisa Biank Fasig Staff Reporter

Martin and Marilyn Wade, the real estate investors behind Twist Restaurant & Lounge, JeanRo Bistro and several other restaurants, are developing what will be their smallest eatery, downtown.

The site, at 120 W. Sixth St., will sit beneath four apartments also being developed by the Wades. Their holding company, Relish Restaurant Group, is accepting bids for work on the apartments, about 950 square feet each. As for the restaurant, specifics are still in the works, said Justin Dean, chief operating officer of Relish. But, he said, the concept will be new to the city.

“We’re kicking two ideas around right now, both of which we don’t have right now and we desperately need,” he said.

As for whether it will be upscale or moderate, he said that in this economy, the restaurant will be “completely and totally affordable.”