BY RAY SCHAEFER
Enquirer Contributor
NEWPORT -- A site once home to strippers may become a vegetable and flower market next spring.
The city of Newport and the Campbell County Extension Service are working on a plan to open the county's second farmers' market in the parking lot of the old Cocktails and Dreams strip bar at 709 Monmouth St.
Don Sorrell, county extension agent, said the new market would likely operate Saturdays from May to October. A similar setup now runs Tuesdays and Fridays in the parking lot of the Lakeside Place Nursing Home in Highland Heights.
Mr. Sorrell said Campbell County farmers would supply both markets.
"We'll have to discuss the timing with the producers," Mr. Sorrell said. "The scheduling will have to be watched very closely."
Eric Avner, Newport's Main Street coordinator, said the market would consist mainly of producers' vehicles and tables, for now. He said if it proved popular, a more permanent facility could be built somewhere in the city.
"It's one more way we provide unique services," Mr. Avner said. "This is designed for people who live within walking distance. It gets people downtown, which is the ultimate (goal)."
Mr. Avner said developer David Hosea bought and later closed Cocktails and Dreams last year. The city later obtained the property and tore down the building for a parking lot for planned tourist attractions nearby.
"The growers tend to harvest in the morning, clean the produce and bring it to market the same afternoon," Mr. Avner said.
Mr. Sorrell said the new market would not hurt sales at roadside stands.
"You're looking at a substantial customer base in Northern Kentucky," he said. "The numbers are there."
