With land cleared and plans unveiled, a new era is just around the corner for CirclePort — one of the largest commercial real estate developments in Northern Kentucky.
Covington-based real estate developer Corporex wants to transform CirclePort from a business park into a mixed-use development complete with hotels, apartment complexes, restaurants and a connection to an extensive trail system.
The goal? Attract relocating companies and new workers, Corporex Chief Real Estate Officer Tom Banta said. In his eyes, many office workers want greater access to quality-of-life amenities like nature trails, dog parks, recreation venues and outdoor gathering spaces.
“I think there is very much a flight to quality, a flight to interesting and unique work environments,” he said.
CirclePort is located at the intersection of Interstate 275 and Mineola Pike in Erlanger and unincorporated Boone County. Spanning 650 acres, the development is home to large businesses such as Archer-Daniels-Midland, Fischer Homes, TQL, Answers in Genesis, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Toyota Boshoku. It’s also minutes away from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
When Corporex began acquiring the land that would become CirclePort in the 1970s and 80s, chairman Bill Butler wanted the development to leave a lasting impression on travelers driving to Cincinnati after arriving from CVG, Banta said.
“This is the first land they see,” Banta said. “This is their first impression of what Kentucky looks like.”
On Friday, Corporex hosted a tour of the CirclePort development for commercial leasing agents, media outlets and regional economic development organizations. At the event, representatives from the company shared their plans for the next phase of the development.
“You’re going to see the residential coming up, the retail coming up, the entertainment coming up, so we want to build that live-work-play environment that a lot of these employers are looking for to aid in their recruitment,” said Brett Lowery, director of sales and leasing at Corporex.
CirclePort Mineola
Mineola Pike and Olympic Boulevard
CirclePort Mineola features five plots of land to the west of I-275 ranging from four to 19 acres. Corporex designated the plots for potential residential, retail, office and medical uses. The area already has restaurants and hotels like Residence Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Guthrie’s Chicken and Hot Head Burritos.
Currently, Mineola Pike is being widened to five lanes making the area ripe for development. Land is already being cleared for a residential development called Tapestry Mineola Pike — a 240-unit apartment community. Vertical construction is set to begin this summer. The first apartments will be ready by 2025, according to Corporex.
CirclePort Olympic
Turfway Road and Olympic Boulevard
CirclePort Olympic includes two plots of land, one at 6.42 acres and the other at 9.42 acres. Both plots are cleared with utilities already available at the site. Corporex designated the plots for potential industrial and light manufacturing uses.
CirclePort Pacific
Turfway Road and Pacific Avenue
CirclePort Pacific features two plots of land with a combined 109 acres. Corporex designated the plots for potential office, residential, industrial, light manufacturing and senior living uses. Utilities are already available at the site. Corporex also plans to develop light manufacturing facilities directly off Pacific Avenue.
CirclePort Dolwick
Dolwick Drive
CirclePort Dolwick features the Pacific Corporate Center, an 80,000-square-foot building previously occupied by Convergys. After Convergys moved out, Corporex stripped the building’s interior down to the shell. Lowery said the developer plans to subdivide and redesign the space.
Atlantic Corporate Center
Atlantic Avenue
The Atlantic Corporate Center is home to the new headquarters of Answers in Genesis — a Christian organization behind the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. Answers in Genesis purchased the property in 2022 for $31.3 million.
Previously, the building was home to Toyota North American’s engineering and manufacturing headquarters. The company vacated the property in 2017.
