Fort Thomas Economic Development Director Chanda Calentine recently hosted a series of tours for city and county officials, business and community leaders to update them on the work underway at several projects within the city.
First stop: Village Players building
The tour started with a look at a new gallery space at 8 North Fort Thomas Avenue, home of the Village Players community theatre group. The gallery is one of several improvements planned for the historic 1908 building that once housed a telephone exchange and then the Fort Thomas Women’s Club before the group took ownership in 2018.
Kelly Holterhoff, a member of the Village Players, noted plans are in the works for further renovations. The group is exploring how best to provide space that fits community needs. The goal is to develop the space into a cultural arts center.
Holterhoff pointed out a new walkway that now connects the building with the city-owned parking lot. City Administrator Ron Dill said the walkway is part of an overall plan to improve connectivity throughout the Central Business District.
One Highland, first floor
After months of heavy construction, the mixed use condo and retail building known as One Highland is taking shape. With retail on the first floor, the building will include 18 luxury condos on the second and third floors.
Fort Thomas Coffee is one of the first retail tenants. Owners Christine and Justin Smalley have added offerings beyond that of their popular coffee shop. They plan to expand their food menu and to add a wine bar and a business services area.
Christine Smalley said she and her husband worked with architects and designers, as well as building developer Rick Greiwe, on the new space. The business goes from its current 990 square feet to more than 3,800 square feet.
Smalley pointed to a series of zones within the space starting with the coffee bar and a “kids’ zone” room. The various uses of the space take into consideration noise and activity levels in each zone.
Next is the zone that includes the wine bar and an area for dining. The Smalleys have hired Chef Michael Messmer, owner of nearby Comal Restaurant, to create the menu. The kitchen is located at the back of the space.
To the left of this zone is the Business Services Center. Smalley’s brainchild, the center will provide a co-working space complete with access to office equipment and supplies, three conference rooms, refreshments and even lockers for members to store their work. Members of the center will have a separate entrance.
She noted strong community involvement in the design of the space. Highlands High interior design students helped to create the kids’ zone and Northern Kentucky University business students provided research and ideas for the business space.
One Highland condos
Greiwe was on hand for the tour and led guests up to the third-floor condominiums. Dry wall is up and windows are in, revealing vaulted ceilings and exceptional views. Many of the units overlook the business district, but in a few select locations, the view is of the distant Cincinnati skyline.
The condos each have two bedrooms, and some include a small study. Greiwe noted the emphasis on large living rooms and dining spaces to accommodate family celebrations and entertaining.
Plans for the BB&T building
Dill presented preliminary renderings of a proposed restaurant to occupy the site of the former BB&T bank building next to the One Highland property. Original plans for the project included a family-style restaurant.
The series of concept drawings show a building with an all-season room, extensive outdoor patio space and a design that facilitates movement between the inside and outside dining areas.
Dill said preliminary discussions are underway with developers for what has become known as the Quarter One Development. The developers, which include investors with restaurant experience, are expected to make a presentation to city council next month. If all goes well, construction could happen this spring and summer with a goal to open in spring 2023.
A stop at 18 North Fort Thomas
Although the building at 18 North Fort Thomas is not undergoing renovations, the Hiland Building is experiencing a flourishing of new business. The tour stopped at the former theater building to sample the fare at Comal, a new taco-centric restaurant in the former Colonel De’s Kitchen space.
Visitors met with Shannon Motzer of Bluegrass & Sass boutique on the third floor of the building. The tour also stopped down the hall to meet Heather Hamlet of The Monroe Studio, a new beauty services business offering permanent brows and lashes, microblading and hair styling. Both moved into the building at the end of 2021, along with four other new businesses – Comal, Foerster Travel, Lancaster Artworks and Cinema Beauty.
Fort Thomas City Building
A dramatic transformation is taking place in the Fort Thomas City Building. The 1960s building housing city police, fire and administrative services was in need of repair and renovation. Dill noted the city deferred repairs for a number of years and refinanced existing debt to do a major renovation without requiring additional tax revenue.
Cincinnati-based Graybach LLC is the contractor for the more than $5 million project.
The original building had a small and uninviting entryway with city services tucked away from view. The renovation includes a large and open atrium with service desks directly off the lobby. The redesigned entry to the Police Department features a new service desk and a“safe room” for those who feel they need immediate safety. From inside this room they can connect directly to the police department next door.
The Fire Services Department, which is the only area of the building that has had any renovation in recent years, received upgrades to its living areas and benefited from roof and HVAC repairs.
The city’s development office opens onto the atrium. Financial services, general services and other administration offices also are accessible from the atrium. Open 24 hours, the space will include drop boxes for after hours business. The renovation also includes new ADA compliant restrooms on both floors and a new elevator and staircase.
Most impressive is the back entrance off the parking lot. Two-story windows and a large staircase offer a whole new approach to the building access.
On the second floor, a redesigned council chamber offers flexible space that can be divided to accommodate smaller meetings as needed. Space originally devoted to storage now offers more second floor communal and office space for city staff.
The renovation offered a unique opportunity to add an outdoor patio space. Employees and visitors can meet on the patio as the weather warms, and it can be reserved for community groups and organizations.
Standing in the atrium, Dill said, “We call this Main Street…We have connectivity to all the different departments. It used to be that when you came in, you hit a wall. Now, when you walk in, you are connected. Everything is right here.”
