Food Hall With 36 holes of Mini-Golf Planned for Oakley

Food hall with 36 holes of mini-golf planned for Oakley: PHOTOS bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2022/04/07/oakley-food-hall-mini-golf.html

By Andy Brownfield – Senior staff reporter, Cincinnati Business Courier Apr 7, 2022 Updated Apr 7, 2022, 1:38pm EDT The developer behind Northern Kentucky's Covington Yard outdoor food park is planning on opening a similar concept in the heart of Oakley, but with the addition of two 18-hole miniature golf courses.

A development group led by Josh Niederhelman and Mark Hemberger with CURO has plans to develop an indoor-outdoor food hall with an elevated balcony, stage, courtyard and 36 holes of miniature golf – an easy course and a difficult course – in the southwest corner of the Oakley Station development, next to Anthem's office. A name for the concept has not yet been chosen.

Flip through the renderings above for a look at the plans.

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Niederhelman told me that with the success of Covington Yard, the group was looking to expand the concept with a new location, and the 3.5-acre site in Oakley seemed like a great fit to include the miniature golf component. They had looked at different entertainment options from pickleball to a craft brewery, but miniature golf seemed like the best fit.

"There are not many locations for that in close proximity to the Oakley area," he said. "We wanted to bring back the miniature golf concept that can be played by all people, from kids to adults to golf professionals."

The courses are being created around true golf courses, not the schlocky mini-golf experiences where players would have to navigate their shots around windmills or through clown mouths. The holes will have a putting green feel to them, and players will have to plan their shots around location and the undulation of the greens. The miniature golf courses will take up about 1 acre of the development.

"We wanted to create a family atmosphere that allowed people to hang out, play putt-putt and have a neighborhood gathering or family event," Niederhelman said.

The food hall component will house four different restaurant operators. Much like with Covington Yard, the group will approach local restaurateurs who are interested in creating a new concept or an Oakley outpost. Niederhelman said a few people have expressed interest, but operators will be selected further along in the process. It will also house a bar run by a local operator.

An outdoor courtyard adjacent to the food hall will house a stage and large TVs as well as green space for picnic tables and yard games like cornhole. The development will have 102 parking spots, 65 new and 37 existing, including spaces for food trucks.

The group is going to go to the city of Cincinnati to ask for a major amendment for the concept plan, which was originally designated for office space, and have that changed to an eating and outdoor entertainment facility. If that is granted, Niederhelman said, they'll move as quickly as the construction process allows and hopefully open by spring 2023.

Niederhelman said that he does not yet have a full estimate of the total project cost.

One of the things that was most attractive about the Oakley location, he said, was the proposed pedestrian tunnel underneath the Oakley rail yard that would connect the Oakley Station development with the neighborhood's business district and Oakley Square.

The Oakley Community Council approved $265,000 to explore a pedestrian and bike connector from Disney Street in Oakley Station underneath the rail yard to 34th Avenue, which feeds into Oakley Square. Engineering firm Woolpert is creating drawings that will be used to apply for federal funding to construct the tunnel.

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Oakley Community Council president Colleen Reynolds told me that the planned food hall and mini-golf use for that space adjacent to the proposed tunnel would be an excellent use of the land. It would be on the other side of the tunnel from Neyer Properties' $200 million Three Oaks residential project in Oakley, which would add 400 apartments, 107 single-family homes and a 180-room building for senior housing.

"We'd have residential on one side, and then what will be an attractive, useful, well-lit, engaging, creative place where folks will want to go and spend time to build community," she said.

The Oakley Community Council in December 2021 voted to recommend that the city of Cincinnati approve the amendment to the development plan to allow the project to move forward.

Niederhelman and Hemberger are working with Elevar Design Group on the design of the development, with IBI Group handling civil engineering and R.J. Beischel Building Co. tapped for general contracting services.

Niederhelman said that he is optimistic for the future of the Oakley development given the success Covington Yard has seen since its opening despite that taking place amid the onset of the pandemic.

Covington Yard is an open air entertainment spot featuring a bar and ocean shipping containers outfitted for food operations, with green space and outdoor games like cornhole.

"The Covington Yard location has been a pleasant surprise given that we opened in one of the worst times in history for a community gathering space," Niederhelman said.

"The decision to expand was definitely due to the success of the Covington location, but also due to the fact that we felt like Oakley had a gap for this type of entertainment. There are a lot of great venues in the Oakley area, but we felt that our idea would bring additional people to the neighborhood."

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