Liberty Township saw a downtown fall from the sky

LIBERTY TWP. - For this still largely undeveloped Butler County township, the prospect of landing a megasized mixed-use mall – the $350 million Liberty Center – was unheard of a decade ago.

As Greater Cincinnati's northern suburbs along the Interstate 75 corridor grew, Liberty Township's location became more of an asset than a liability. It also offered the mostly rural, but growing bedroom community the chance to get a central business district.

With Liberty Center, it's almost like a Downtown fell from the sky, according to government officials.

Actually, that was the hope and the plan all along.

Township officials approved a comprehensive land use plan in 2006 and they knew property along Interstate 75 had development potential. The plan designated the area along I-75 from Hamilton-Mason Road – now Liberty Way – extending north to Princeton Road to become a commerce center.

At the time, the township didn't have a natural community gathering space. Leaders and residents saw or heard about the impact that the renovations of Fountain Square had on Downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine.

So far Liberty Center, which just completed its first weekend of operation, is bringing is exceeding the expectations of township officials. "It's hard to not get excited about it," said Caroline McKinney, the township's economic development director. "It'll have shoppers, business people, and residents. People who come may not shop or buy stuff. They may watch concerts, do yoga. The way they're programming it is for it to be more than a shopping center."

One-stop lifestyle centers are not a unique concept and experts said they're desirable because consumers want convenience. You can do shopping, have dinner and catch a movie all without moving your car. What Liberty Center adds is apartments, offices and a hotel. The only thing you currently need to leave the property to do is buy groceries.

There's a simple reason why it was put together this way. Consumers "appreciate getting everything done in a short amount of time," said Lora Miller, director of governmental affairs and public relations at the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants.

Yaromir Steiner, CEO of Steiner and Associates, the Columbus-based company leading the Liberty Center development, recently told The Enquirer the Cincinnati metro area is pushing north and the Dayton metro area is pushing south. But between those areas, he said there's a dearth of retail projects, based on the average incomes and proximity to regional shopping destinations.

Being between the two major cities meant that his company built at Liberty Center had to reflect traditional urban planning principles.

"You'd have to have streets and fountains and squares and tree-lined streets, and (cantilevered) parking to feel like an urban environment," he said.

John Yung, senior project official with Downtown Cincinnati-based urban planning and retail consultancy Urban Fast Forward, said it is possible to create urban places in suburban and rural settings. He said there are many developers of retail projects that try and create something like a town center for visitors.

Liberty Township Trustee Christine Matacic said when Steiner expands Liberty Center into the expected second phase of its development in 2017, there will be a total of a half-billion dollar investment in a 100 acre-site in the township.

"With each passing year, the growth and change continues to be astonishing," said Joe Hinson, president and CEO of the West Chester and Liberty Chamber Alliance.

Long-time resident Jeff Smith lives a quarter mile from the Liberty Center and he agrees.

"I'm happy about it. I have a few concerns for the community with any project this size but Steiner is a first-class developer, second to none," said Smith from his home in the Harbour Town Village at Wetherington, located near Liberty Center. "Progress is going to happen and you want it done by a company and officials who know what they are doing."

Dan Colpi chose to move his family to Butler County's Liberty Township years ago because "it was outside the cusp of any city and still largely rural."

The $350 million Liberty Center's construction about three miles from his home has his family anticipating the massive, mixed-use mall's opening.

"It will be kind of nice to get new restaurants closer and a lot of shops. But I'm a little bit worried about the extra traffic it will bring to the area," said Colpi.

Colpi is fine with the higher sales tax at the center, saying "it should be getting tax money" to cover infrastructure costs.

"I'm glad about it and that it will bring in more businesses and people who will choose to move to Liberty Township," he said.