CINCINNATI — Fans looking to get into the Super Bowl spirit will have lots of options this weekend in the Tri-State.

Fountain Square will host several events for the Bengals this weekend.

On Saturday morning, fans can join the Bengals mascot for ‘Who Dey & Friends Skate’ at 10 a.m. The Bengals mascot and friends will join families on the ice rink. Skating reservations are already fully-booked, but guests can still meet the mascots on the plaza for face painting and photo opportunities.

Saturday evening, guests can return to Fountain Square for a “Show Your Stripes” party from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy music from DJ Fuseamania and beverages from the square’s full-service bar. The event is free and open to the public.

Saturday evening, guests can return to Fountain Square for a “Show Your Stripes” party from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Fountain Square is also hosting a Super Bowl watch party on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. There will be music and free face painting.

“For those who are COVID conscious and looking for somewhere outdoor to celebrate and spread out, you know, obviously, we're an outdoor venue,” said Emily Stowe, Event Marketing Manager with 3CDC. “Bundle up, but we will have heaters. If you have children or if you're someone who's not necessarily interested in going into a packed bar and drinking all night, we do have alcohol if you're interested in drinking, but we have the ice rink and the warming tent, so we have plenty of other activities.”

You can read more information on Downtown road closures during the Super Bowl here.

CINCINNATI — One of the region’s fastest growing companies is relocating its headquarters from Newport to Cincinnati – bringing hundreds of jobs to The Foundry building across from Fountain Square.

Divisions Maintenance Group will occupy the top two floors of the former Macy’s department store building at Fifth and Vine Streets.

Divisions Maintenance Group is a facility maintenance company that removes the snow and cuts the grass at thousands of retail and distribution properties nationwide.

It developed software that efficiently manages a network of technicians and offers property owners a fixed price to cover a variety of maintenance services.

Its web site currently offers dozens of available jobs in sales, data & analytics, engineering and human resources listed in Newport, Ky., but with the change in HQ, those jobs are likely to relocate to Cincinnati.

The relocation means the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. has now filled more than 90% of the available office space in the former Fountain Place building, which 3CDC spent $51 million renovating after Macy’s closed in 2018.

Turner Construction and Deloitte claimed all but 21,000 square feet of the building's available office space in previously announced deals.

“The addition of Divisions Maintenance Group to The Foundry development is a significant step for the project, Cincinnati’s urban core and the city as a whole,” 3CDC CEO Steve Leeper said in a prepared statement. “Divisions is a burgeoning company who will help fuel downtown’s overall growth. As the center city continues to recover from the challenges of the past 18 months, the introduction of another exceptional company as a tenant to this critical project shows the urban core is continuing to move forward and is poised to be stronger than ever in the future.”

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority awarded a 10-year tax credit worth up to $5 million to encourage the creation of 256 full-time equivalent jobs to Ohio. Those new jobs would bring $25.6 million in new annual payroll to Cincinnati, which is an average of $100,000 per job.

“We’re glad that the Cincinnati region will retain Divisions Maintenance Group,” said Northern Kentucky Tri-ED CEO Lee Crume. “We know that the company took the decision of where to expand seriously and explored several options – in the end this is a business decision. 2021 has been a successful year in Northern Kentucky with a diverse array of companies locating and expanding here and there is great momentum in new projects heading into the end of the year.”

CINCINNATI —

A disabled man is upset after he was told numerous times he could not use the power outlets at Fountain Square to plug in his oxygen machine.

Last Wednesday, Henry Parkel of Golf Manor went to reggae night at Fountain Square. He just got his first motorized wheelchair the week before.

"My first trip, I said, in my new chair would be to Fountain Square. What other place to show off something like this," he joked.

Parkel said he showed up an hour early to get a good spot and make sure he found a place to plug in his oxygen machine, which only lasts a couple hours without power.

"We went to the electrical outlets and to our surprise, none of them worked," he said.

Parkel said he approached a 3CDC staff member and was told electrical outlets are not for the public. He explained that he needs his oxygen tank to breathe then asked another staffer and was told the same thing.

Then he asked for a manager.

"She said sir, we do not allow people to use our electricity," Parkel said. "I came down there to have a good time, and I do feel with my disability that there should be some accommodations for me because I am a citizen of Cincinnati, and I once was a taxpayer and this is a public square."

Parkel said when he pushed back, he was eventually allowed to plug in.

"She ended up getting an extension cord, running it from the bar," he said. "She made it known: don't do it again 'cause we won't be able to accommodate you."

Parkel said he was hurt.

"Someone would have a heart. It's just that was so cold," he said. "Just because I'm in this chair and on oxygen, I don't want it to be a death sentence. I want to enjoy life to the fullest as much as I can."

A 3CDC spokesman told WLWT moving forward Parkel and others will be accommodated. The spokesman called the incident a "learning experience" and an opportunity to make sure all staff members, including seasonal staff members, are aware how to handle similar situations and provide simple accommodations to guests with disabilities.

Patrick Ober, Disability Rights and Advocacy Specialist at the Center For Independent Living Option said there are gray areas within the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"It's not a black and white issue, a clear cut issue of whether something is against the law or in compliance with the law," said Ober. "We often are dealing with situations where there's a lack of training or awareness about the flexibility that people have when they're trying to accommodate someone with a disability."

A 3CDC spokesman said anyone needing accommodations should check in at a concessions stand or staff member to make their request.

A statement from Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services said: "The accessibility of public spaces is incredibly important for people with disabilities. Increasing accessibility requires continual effort from all of us to recognize opportunities for improvement, engage with advocates, and work together to ensure that our region can be a leader in accessibility for everyone. Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services is always eager to work with organizations in our community on ways to improve access."

Anyone wishing to report a possible ADA violation can contact Disability Rights Ohio.