Since it’s inception, HOMEARAMA has exclusively existed on the north side of the Ohio River. After 60 years, the United States’ oldest luxury home showcase is finally in Northern Kentucky. Along with it comes local attention for its host city, as well as outside intrigue for the neighborhood in which the homes were built.
Newport’s Martin’s Gate was the neighborhood chosen for HOMEARAMA 2023. The 4.23-acre neighborhood sits on a hillside with picturesque views of downtown Newport and Cincinnati. Located at 14th Street and Central Avenue, Martin’s Gate has experienced a resurgence due to its unique urban feel and close proximity to downtown Cincinnati.
“It’s a great way to showcase our community and bring a lot of visitors to our community,” Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr. said at the commissioners meeting on June 12. “Many people will choose to live in Newport because of this. Maybe not there, but somewhere else. At the end of the day, it just lifts all of the community.”
In total, there are eight homes in the showcase. Three of the homes are single family and are priced between $1.5 million and $1.9 million. The other five are townhomes priced between $750,000 and $950,000. Four Cincinnati-based contractors are behind the home’s construction: Thomas J. Ackermann Co., Meierjohan Building Group, Homes By Gerbus and Ashford Homes.
“I had a chance to go through them the other night and thought that all of them were really fantastic,” said commissioner Mike Radwanski.
Many of the homes were built with four to five floors to boost views of downtown and to efficiently make use of the limited space on the hillside. Due to the incline, developers built retaining walls as an added layer of protection.
The Newport
Price: $1.89 million
Size: 3,692 square feet
Built by Ashford Homes, The Newport was designed to focus on leisure. This five-story abode offers four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The owner’s suite features panoramic skyline views. Additionally, it has a modern office with glass walls and a garage.
The Monterey
Price: $1.99 million
Size: 3,783 square feet
Also built by Ashford Homes, The Monterey is a five-story contemporary home with 10-foot ceilings and outdoor living access on each story. Boasting four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, it also features amenities such as a glass-walled exercise room, full bar, garage, loft area and covered deck.
The Monroe
Price: $1.5 million
Size: 3,854 square feet
The Monroe is a five-story urban-style home designed by Homes by Gerbus. It features a top-to-bottom elevator, garage, rooftop terrace and gourmet kitchen. In total, it has three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.
The Christopher
Price: $756,000
Size: 2,505 square feet
This Thomas J. Ackermann Co. building features side-by-side three-bedroom townhouses with amenities such as elevators, garages, high ceilings and kitchens with quartz countertops.
The Clifton
Price: $995,000
Size: 3,293 square feet
Built by Meierjohan Building Group, these two townhouses each feature three bedrooms and four bathrooms. Amenities include garages, elevators, hot tub, quartz kitchen countertops, rooftop decks, fireplaces and an electric vehicle amp line.
The Arcadia
Price: $976,000
Size: 3,102 square feet
This Ashford Homes building has four floors of living and entertainment spaces, including three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Its amenities include garages with glass doors, a private rooftop, an elevator and a gas fireplace.
Tom Ackermann told the Newport Commission that attendance has been steady. Over 1,400 people toured the homes in the first two days of the event, according to Ackermann.
“We’re getting a lot of compliments backs — a lot of excitement about the City of Newport itself, the location and the accessibility to all the great things in Newport and its connectivity,” Ackermann said.
HOMEARAMA was also recognized in a proclamation by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. He praised the showcase for its investment in Newport.
“This event will encourage further development in Kentucky by showcasing the Historic Newport Business District and the surrounding Northern Kentucky area,” Beshear said in the proclamation. “Martin’s Gate is built in the hillside of Newport and is a developing urban neighborhood offering million-dollar homes and townhomes featuring extraordinary views of the Cincinnati skyline along with all the urban amenities yet nestled in a cozy neighborhood setting.”
The Building Industry of Greater Cincinnati and Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky partnered to put on this year’s HOMEARAMA.
Lasting from June 10 to June 25, tour tickets cost $20. Tours are held Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. There is no admittance after 8 p.m.
