WestChesterBuzz.com

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday. This week, we have decided to list all the top stories from May.

WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

New Women’s Center – UC Health recently opened a new 26,000-square-foot Women’s Center on the campus of West Chester Hospital. The center, which officially opened May 18, offers a one-stop-shop health package for women.

Prank gone good – The senior prank typically is not done for a good cause, but that is what happened at Lakota East High School May 24. Seniors surprised their classmates, teachers and administrators that morning with a school pride message on Main Street, which is the school’s main hallway, made entirely out of canned goods. The 2,013 cans will now be donated to the survivors of the tornado that ripped through parts of Oklahoma City and its suburbs, as well as to Reach Out Lakota, a nonprofit that provides food, clothing and necessities to needy Butler County residents.

Liberty Center adds dining-theater complex – Weeks after Steiner + Associates delivered Dillard’s as its anchor tenant for Butler County’s largest proposed retail project, the developer of Liberty Center signed Cobb Theatres’ CineBistro, which will offer fine dining and drinks in six of its 16 theaters.

Spark releases 150th issue – Logan Aimone, executive director of the National Scholastic Press Association, admits that he has never heard of a 160-page student publication. But that’s exactly what 140 Lakota East High School journalism students were feverishly working on – the 150th issue of Spark Magazine, which was printed and released May 30.

Lakota school district to bring back some busing – Lakota is bringing back busing. Kind of. After moving to state minimum transportation two years ago, the school district announced May 30 that it will provide busing to all kindergarten and first grade students, beginning the 2013-2014 school year. Chris Passarge, the school district’s chief operations officer, said that the service can be provided at no additional cost.

OL Jarrett LaRubbio commits to UK – Lakota East junior offensive lineman Jarrett LaRubbio said the recruiting process was getting hectic lately but he knew the University of Kentucky was at the top of his list. On May 25, LaRubbio verbally committed to UK on his unofficial visit.

IED found near ‘haunted’ bridge – There was a scare near the Screaming Bridge on Maud Hughes Road in Liberty Township when police discovered an explosive device. Deputies and the bomb squad from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Liberty Township Fire and EMS personnel, were called out to the scene around noon May 28. The Screaming Bridge, which is between Princeton and Milikin roads, is believed by some to be haunted.

Lip dub goes viral - Lakota East High School has already raised awareness and thousands of dollars for the Center for Spina Bifida Care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, but that could only the be beginning as the school hopes its “lip dub” video goes viral and attracts the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. The video already has more than 84,000 views after being posted on YouTube a few weeks ago.

Posted in: Events, News, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, CineBistro, Cobb Theatres, Cobb Theatres’ CineBistro, cuts, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota busing, Lakota cuts, Lakota East, Lakota East High School, Lakota East lip dub, Lakota East senior prank, Lakota East seniors, Lakota East Spark, Lakota East Spark Magazine, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, National Honor Society, National Honor Society Lakota East, reductions, school levy, Spark Magazine, Steiner + Associates, traffic, UC Health West Chester, UC Health West Chester Women's Center, West Chester Hospital, West Chester Hospital Women's Center, West Chester Women's Center

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

Weeks after Steiner + Associates delivered Dillard’s as its anchor tenant for Butler County’s largest proposed retail project, the developer of Liberty Center has signed Cobb Theatres’ CineBistro, which will offer fine dining and drinks in six of its 16 theaters.

Yaromir Steiner, founder and chief executive officer of Steiner + Associates, said the theater will be the seventh CineBistro in the country and the first in Ohio. Cobb Theatres has opened the concept elsewhere in places such as Vail, Miami and Atlanta.

“This will be unlike anything this market has experienced,” Steiner said.

The 82,000-square-foot theater is expected to include 2,200 seats in 16 theaters.

Six of them will feature a chef-driven menu, seat-side dining and a full bar with an extensive wine list. Patrons younger than 21 will only be permitted in those theaters for special events.

The remaining theaters will offer restaurant-quality food and adult beverages.

Liberty Center, which expects to break ground in October, is set to open in 2015 on a 64-acre site at Interstate 75 and Ohio 129. The 1.1-million-square-foot first phase will include the cinema, Dillard’s, restaurants, Class A office space, high-end apartments and a 150-room hotel.

Steiner said a third major retailer is expected to be announced in coming weeks. The 200,000-square-foot Dillard’s store would be the largest in Greater Cincinnati and the first to be built from the ground up.

Monday’s announcement comes weeks after Butler County officials demanded that Steiner get signed commitments from anchor tenants before they would sign a final development contract and pay for $30 million in infrastructure improvements.

The project has been delayed for more than six months while commissioners and Steiner haggle over terms of releasing the public money.

Commissioner Don Dixon said county officials have been meeting with Steiner’s representatives weekly to resolve contract issues. Commissioners were aware that Steiner was trying to sign Cinebistro, Dixon said.

“It’s just another issue that was not really committed. Now it’s committed. So that’s a plus,” Dixon said.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: CineBistro, Cobb Theatres, Cobb Theatres’ CineBistro, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Steiner + Associates

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday. This week, we have decided to list all the top stories from April.

WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

Lakota East makes lip dub – Lakota East High School is one step closer to having the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. On April 18, the school and all of its 2,700 students filmed a “lip dub” video to raise awareness and funds for the Center for Spina Bifida Care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. In the video, students performed as lip singers to five popular songs from artists, including Black Eyed Peas, One Direction and Smash Mouth. Once edited they hope to get the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, who they hope can bring their efforts to raise awareness for Spina Bifida to the national stage.

Nerf Wars have everyone talking – Local television reporters and radio talk show hosts were all talking about Lakota high schools in April. It wasn’t because of anything that was taking place at school, but rather after. A spring tradition of Nerf Wars is now underway and it involves possible reckless driving and nudity.

West Chester Hospital tax status case watched closely – Butler County and the cash-strapped Lakota Local School District stand to lose a combined $43 million over the next 18 years if West Chester Hospital’s charitable tax status is upheld, Sheila McLaughlin of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. County commissioners are appealing the case to the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, saying the county failed to receive a hearing on the matter. School officials are keeping an eye on it.

Liberty Township retail project has new look – A Columbus developer returned to Butler County in late April with a slightly revised plan for the $300 million shopping destination spot it wants to build in Liberty Township, Sheila McLaughlin reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Yaromir Steiner, founder and chief executive officer of Steiner + Associates, is counting on $35 million from the county and township to make improvements around the 100-acre site, at Liberty Way west of Interstate 75.

Katelyn Markham’s body found – During the past 20 months, any time an unidentified body surfaced in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky, Fairfield investigators probed whether the remains were Katelyn Markham’s, said Fairfield Police Chief Mike Dickey. But the investigation shifts into new territory, Dickey said, now that Indiana State Police have verified that the remains found along a Franklin County creek belong to the Markham, who vanished in August 2011. She would have been 23 years old today.

Summer’s Homearama being delayed until July – The director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati confirmed in late April that due to unforeseen construction delays, that this summer’s Homearama at Carriage Hill in Liberty Township is being pushed back to July. It will be the latest summer Homearama, which will now take place July 13-28, in the 50-year history of the home showcase, according HBA executive director Dan Dressman. The event was previously scheduled to take place June 8-23.

Bridgewater Falls is back on the block – Fairfield Township’s upscale shopping center, Bridgewater Falls, is for sale. And this time it’s for a positive reason, Cindi Andrews reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Blue Ash-based Phillips Edison bought Bridgewater Falls out of foreclosure in 2010. It boosted occupancy to 97 percent and is now testing the possibility of cashing in on its investment.

Local runner shares what happened at Boston Marathon – Just before the first explosion went off, Maureen Heintz of West Chester was only a few hundreds away from the finish line, having her picture taken and enjoying her first Boston Marathon. “She was probably just 200 yards from the blast when the first one went off. She said could feel the concussion of it and the buses were shaking where she was standing,” her husband, Paul Heintz said. After returning to their West Chester home at 2 a.m. Tuesday, Paul Heintz spoke about what it was like to be in Boston on Monday. See below for first part of audio interview. For the second and third parts of the interview, click on the link above.

Posted in: Events, News, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Amelia Murphy, Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Marathon bombs, Boston Marathon Cincinnati runners, Boston Marathon local runners, Boston Marathon West Chester runners, Caroline McKinney, Ellen, Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen DeGeneres Lakota East, Ellen DeGeneres Lakota East lib dub, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show Lakota East, Ellen DeGeneres Show Lakota East lip dub, Ellen Lakota East, Ellen Lakota East lip dub, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, John Boehner, John Boehner Boston Marathon, Lakota East, Lakota East lip dub, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Mojo Running, Mojo Running Olde West Chester, Mojo Running West Chester, National Honor Society, National Honor Society Lakota East, Steiner + Associates

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

Liberty Township retail project has new look – A Columbus developer returned to Butler County Thursday with a slightly revised plan for the $300 million shopping destination spot it wants to build in Liberty Township, Sheila McLaughlin reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Yaromir Steiner, founder and chief executive officer of Steiner + Associates, is counting on $35 million from the county and township to make improvements around the 100-acre site, at Liberty Way west of Interstate 75.

West Chester Hospital tax status case watched closely – Butler County and the cash-strapped Lakota Local School District stand to lose a combined $43 million over the next 18 years if West Chester Hospital’s charitable tax status is upheld, Sheila McLaughlin of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. County commissioners are appealing the case to the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, saying the county failed to receive a hearing on the matter. School officials are keeping an eye on it.

Summer’s Homearama being delayed until July – The director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati confirmed Thursday that due to unforeseen construction delays, that this summer’s Homearama at Carriage Hill in Liberty Township is being pushed back to July. It will be the latest summer Homearama, which will now take place July 13-28, in the 50-year history of the home showcase, according HBA executive director Dan Dressman. The event was previously scheduled to take place June 8-23.

Bridgewater Falls is back on the block – Fairfield Township’s upscale shopping center, Bridgewater Falls, is for sale. And this time it’s for a positive reason, Cindi Andrews reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Blue Ash-based Phillips Edison bought Bridgewater Falls out of foreclosure in 2010. It boosted occupancy to 97 percent and is now testing the possibility of cashing in on its investment.

Kroger Marketplace discussion to be revisited – Last month, a Blue Ash developer scrapped plans to bring a Kroger Marketplace to West Chester after local residents convinced the township’s zoning commission that it wasn’t good idea. The developer, Silverman and Company, is considering a new plan, but wanted to hear from their opposition first by hosting a public input meeting at the Wingate Inn Thursday. During that meeting, many residents continued to voice their concerns.

Larry Sykes named Lakota East girls’ basketball coach – Larry Sykes was named the Lakota East girls’ basketball coach Tuesday. Sykes, an assistant at Lakota East the past two seasons, was formerly the Purcell Marian head coach during the 2010-11 season. Sykes, 40, replaces Nikki Drew, who stepped down at the end of this past season in order to spend more time with her family.

Posted in: Business, Events, Government, News, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Carriage Hill, Carriage Hill Liberty Township, Carriage House Liberty Township, Crossings of Beckett, Home Builders Association, Homearama, Homearama 2013, Homearama Cincinnati, Homearama Cincinnati 2013, Homearama Liberty Township, Homearama Liberty Township 2013, housing, housing development, housing development plan, Interstate 75, Kroger, Kroger Marketplace, Kroger Marketplace West Chester, Kroger West Chester, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota school district, Larry Sykes, Larry Sykes Lakota East, Liberty Center, Liberty Center Liberty Township Ohio, Liberty Center shopping center, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Nikki Drew, Nikki Drew Lakota East, Nikki Drew Xavier, Randy Terry, Silverman and Company, Steiner + Associates, Tom Eggert, West Chester Hospital, West Chester Hospital taxes, West Chester Medical Center, West Chester Township Zoning Commission

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

Butler County commissioners and Liberty Township trustees gave an overwhelming warm reception Thursday to their first glimpse of the updated Liberty Center mega-retail project and committed to work out details of $35 million in public financing.

The $300 million project by Steiner + Associates and Bucksbaum Retail Properties is pegged for an October 2015 opening on 100 acres at southbound Interstate 75 and Liberty Way in Liberty Township.

Touted as the Easton of the northern Cincinnati area, the complex will include a 200,000-square-foot Dillard’s store, and about 370,000 square feet of specialty retail shops and restaurants, a 1,200-seat dine-in restaurant, luxury apartments and a hotel.

Yaromir Steiner, founder and chief executive officer of the Columbus-based development company, said he also plans to build a chapel in a public square for non-denominational services, weddings and small concerts.

Posted in: Business, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Caroline McKinney, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Steiner + Associates

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

A Columbus developer will return to Butler County Thursday with a slightly revised plan for the $300 million shopping destination spot it wants to build in Liberty Township.

Yaromir Steiner, founder and chief executive officer of Steiner + Associates, hopes it’s not a deal breaker. He’s counting on $35 million from the county and township to make improvements around the 100-acre site, at Liberty Way west of Interstate 75. Otherwise, he said he can’t obtain the rest of the private financing he already has lined up.

The $300 million mixed-use project was first proposed to have two 100,000-square-foot department stores with a mix of specialty retail shops, a hotel, a dine-in cinema, restaurants, office space and high-end apartments.

Much of that proposal remains the same, with one major exception: A single department store instead of two. Dillard’s has signed on to build a store twice the original size.

The project’s name has also changed. Liberty Town Square is now Liberty Center.

“It will be shocking to me if this deal craters. So many cities would kill for a project like this,” Steiner said in an interview Monday in his Columbus office where he gave The Enquirer an exclusive look at the project.

Steiner + Associates had proposed the project years earlier, but put it on hold in 2008 when the economy tanked.

Barring any financial glitches, Phase I of the project would begin in October 2013. Steiner, who is partnering with Bucksbaum Retail Properties in Chicago, said he hopes to break ground in October or November of this year, if the county and township provide their financial support.

A “major” retailer that Steiner isn’t ready to disclose will occupy anywhere from 40,000 to 80,000 square feet of the retail space that once was reserved for a second 100,000 square-foot department store. Steiner said he has five candidates for that space.

“Is the second one a department store in the sense that they will have departments in the store like the traditional perfume counter? No. It’s going to be something different. We think the difference will be a strength,” Steiner said. (more…)

Posted in: Business, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Caroline McKinney, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Steiner + Associates

‘Game changer’ development coming to Liberty Twp.

WestChesterBuzz.com will count down the area’s top 12 stories of 2012 this month, concluding with West Chester’s most discussed topic of the year on Sunday, Dec. 30.

UPDATE: Development is expected to break ground in the spring of 2013 and be open during the spring of 2015

STORY POSTED SEPT. 7, 2012
By Sheila McLaughlin

The real estate brokers and businesses are calling Caroline McKinney at the township’s economic development offices, already scoping out the possibilities on the surrounding acres.

They’re eagerly awaiting Liberty Town Square, the $300 million retail, office, entertainment and residential project – the largest development to hit Butler County.

“People are hovering around to see when dirt starts flying,” McKinney said. “It’s a catalyst effect.”

The opening has been pushed back to spring 2015 from fall of 2014, she said.

But when it does open, this mega-mixed-used project could put this Greater Cincinnati suburban community of about 37,000 residents on the map as the next hot spot for commercial development along Interstate 75 because of its regional draw.

Joe Hinson, president of the West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance, calls the mega-mixed-use project “a game changer.”

Developer Steiner + Associates has promised the project will mirror its popular Easton Town Center in Columbus and The Greene in Beavercreek.

Locally, there’s nothing like Liberty Town Square, although Steiner’s involvement in the area is nothing new. The Columbus company developed Newport on the Levee, which sparked a rebirth in the Northern Kentucky river city about a decade ago.

“We’re going to see businesses now really start to look at Liberty as an opportunity. In the past, it’s been pretty much a bedroom community,” Hinson said. “When you’ve got the power of I-75 and you’ve got the access also going east to west and north-south, it just becomes a game changer.”

Both township and chamber officials are looking for businesses to relocate to or settle in Liberty Township because of the amenities Liberty Town Square will offer – a place to live, a place to have fun, a place to entertain clients.

Steiner, which shelved a more ambitious plan at $500 million in 2008 when the economy tanked, expects to break ground on Liberty Town Square sometime during the first quarter of 2013 on 64 acres at Liberty Way and I-75.

The first phase of the one-million-square-foot development will include two department stores, a cinema, specialty retail, 100,000 square feet of office space and 150 luxury apartments. Steiner has not yet announced the retailers that will fill the department store spots.

Steiner will be submitting its final development plan for the site in mid-October, while Butler County and township officials continue to refine agreements with developer because the two governments are supporting the project with a combined $35 million in infrastructure improvements. (more…)

Posted in: Business, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Caroline McKinney, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Steiner + Associates, West Chester top 12 stories of 2012, West Chester top stories of 2012

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Jack in the Box to open first Ohio location Sept. 17 – A spokesperson with Jack in the Box confirmed last Thursday that its first Ohio location will open in West Chester on Monday, Sept. 17, at 9 a.m. The company has targeted Cincinnati and plans on adding more locations based on the belief that local consumers are already aware of the fast food chain.

Another case of whooping cough reported at Lakota school – Twice last week, the Butler County Health Department emailed Lakota parents, alerting them that a student had been diagnosed with Pertussis, which is more commonly known as whooping cough. On Tuesday, the email, which was also sent out in a letter, said a student from Lakota West High School had been diagnosed with the disease. Then on Thursday, the email alerted parents of a student at Endeavor Elementary.

Lakota East’s Spark Magazine is taking subscriptions – The award-winning Spark Magazine, run by students at Lakota East High School for the past 21 years, is currently accepting subscribers through Sept. 14. Through the years, Spark has covered topics that range from Lakota’s financial struggles to racial profiling.

Chamber changes speaker for Sept. 11 luncheon – Thomas Boat, dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and vice president for health affairs, will replace previously scheduled speaker Santa Jeremy Ono at this month’s West Chester ▪ Liberty Chamber Alliance’s luncheon on Tuesday. Ono, who began serving as UC’s president after Greg Williams’ sudden resignation Aug. 21, canceled to participate in meetings in Columbus that day, according to Boat.

The Spicy Olive opens in West Chester – Shauna Steigerwald of The Cincinnati Enquirer writes about The Spicy Olive, newly opened in West Chester, where customers can sample fresh olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars before they buy them.

11 years and heart transplant later, she’s a normal little girl – John Johnston of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week on Asia Werner, who recently won 11 medals at the Transplant Games of America and had a heart transplant in December of 2000. Without the donated heart, Asia, who was born with multiple heart defects, likely would have died within days, the doctor who performed the surgery said.

‘Game changer’ development coming to Liberty Twp. – Sheila McLaughlin of The Cincinnati Enquirer provided an update on Liberty Town Square, the $300 million retail, office, entertainment and residential project – the largest development to hit Butler County. The opening for the destination has been pushed back to spring 2015 from fall of 2014.

Posted in: Business, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: cincinnati restaurant opening, jack in the box, Jack in the Box Cincinnati, Jack in the Box midwest, Jack in the Box Ohio, Jack in the Box West Chester, Lakota East Spark, Lakota East Spark Magazine, Lakota West, Lakota West High School, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Scholastic Media Association, Pertussis, Pertussis Butler County, Pertussis Lakota West, Pertussis Ohio, Spark, Steiner + Associates, The Spark, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants, whooping cough, whooping cough Butler County, whooping cough Lakota West, whooping cough Ohio

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

The real estate brokers and businesses are calling Caroline McKinney at the township’s economic development offices, already scoping out the possibilities on the surrounding acres.

They’re eagerly awaiting Liberty Town Square, the $300 million retail, office, entertainment and residential project – the largest development to hit Butler County.

“People are hovering around to see when dirt starts flying,” McKinney said. “It’s a catalyst effect.”

The opening has been pushed back to spring 2015 from fall of 2014, she said.

But when it does open, this mega-mixed-used project could put this Greater Cincinnati suburban community of about 37,000 residents on the map as the next hot spot for commercial development along Interstate 75 because of its regional draw.

Joe Hinson, president of the West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance, calls the mega-mixed-use project “a game changer.”

Developer Steiner + Associates has promised the project will mirror its popular Easton Town Center in Columbus and The Greene in Beavercreek.

Locally, there’s nothing like Liberty Town Square, although Steiner’s involvement in the area is nothing new. The Columbus company developed Newport on the Levee, which sparked a rebirth in the Northern Kentucky river city about a decade ago.

“We’re going to see businesses now really start to look at Liberty as an opportunity. In the past, it’s been pretty much a bedroom community,” Hinson said. “When you’ve got the power of I-75 and you’ve got the access also going east to west and north-south, it just becomes a game changer.”

Both township and chamber officials are looking for businesses to relocate to or settle in Liberty Township because of the amenities Liberty Town Square will offer – a place to live, a place to have fun, a place to entertain clients.

Steiner, which shelved a more ambitious plan at $500 million in 2008 when the economy tanked, expects to break ground on Liberty Town Square sometime during the first quarter of 2013 on 64 acres at Liberty Way and I-75.

The first phase of the one-million-square-foot development will include two department stores, a cinema, specialty retail, 100,000 square feet of office space and 150 luxury apartments. Steiner has not yet announced the retailers that will fill the department store spots.

Steiner will be submitting its final development plan for the site in mid-October, while Butler County and township officials continue to refine agreements with developer because the two governments are supporting the project with a combined $35 million in infrastructure improvements. (more…)

Posted in: Business, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Caroline McKinney, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Steiner + Associates

Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul McKibben reports:

Liberty Town Square, billed as the largest retail development ever in Butler County, cleared a key hurdle Monday when county commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding.

The $300 million project, with its promise of 3,200 jobs during construction and another 4,600 permanent jobs for people who work there when shops open, languished for several years because of the economy.

The agreement includes the county, Liberty Township and developer Steiner + Associates of America.

Under the agreement, the county will pay up to 60 percent of the public infrastructure improvements not to exceed $30 million. The township will contribute 10 percent; not to exceed $5 million and a new community authority/developer will pay the rest.

Township trustees approved a memorandum of understanding last week to help fund $56 million in road improvements and a parking garage for the proposed project at Liberty Way and Interstate 75.

Steiner + Associates had asked commissioners for $55 million toward infrastructure improvements for the “lifestyle” retail center, which would be similar to Easton Town Center in Columbus and The Greene in Beavercreek.

Commissioner Chuck Furmon said the county will contribute $20 million in existing funds from a tax increment financing district, with another $10 million – possibly in $5 million increments – as Steiner reaches certain benchmarks in the project.

The money would back bonds that would be sold to pay for infrastructure.

“We want them to reach what they say they are going to do before we give the other $10 (million),” Furmon said.

Township trustees set several conditions on Steiner, including a prohibition on raiding other successful retail projects in Butler County – such as Bridgewater Falls in Fairfield Township – to fill Liberty Town Square.

The first phase of the project, worth $177 million on 60 acres, is expected to open around May 2014 with two department stores, specialty retail shops, a mix of restaurants, 100,000 square feet of class A office space and about 150 high-end apartments.

Groundbreaking is expected by November.

Improvements to Cincinnati-Dayton Road at the Ohio 129 interchange, partly to accommodate the increase in traffic from Liberty Town Square, already are being planned.

Yaromir Steiner, who founded the Columbus-based development company, put it on hold in 2008 when the economy tanked.

Since then, it has been scaled back in size and value. Steiner initially proposed the project at $500 million. When completed, Liberty Town Square will sit on 100 acres and include up to 2.5 million square feet of commercial space.

Posted in: Business, Government, News |

Tags: Tags: Butler County Commissioner Chuck Furmon, Butler County Commissioners, Chuck Furmon, Commissioner Chuck Furmon, I-75, Interstate 75, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Steiner + Associates