The drywall is hung and the bookshelves are next up at the Barnes & Noble.

        Newport city officials hope pedestrian crowds flowing across the L&N Bridge from Cincinnati's Riverfront will soon fill the courtyard of the $210 million Newport on the Levee complex to visit its upscale shops, movie theaters and the venerable book store.

        Developers and Newport officials say they see the Levee project as part of a two-bank Riverfront.

An aerial photo shows the Newport on the Levee complex under construction. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        Barry Rosenberg, vice president of Levee developer Steiner & Associates of Columbus, commented on the interdependence at the June unveiling of the project's model.

        The new Reds and Bengals stadiums, the Newport Aquarium and the Underground Railroad Freedom Center are some of the main draws.

        Eventually, The Banks on the Cincinnati riverfront and the Millennium Monument Tower in downtown Newport will become draws, too, he said.

        With a Georgian-style red brick facade wrapping around a center plaza, the Newport on the Levee project now under construction ultimately will include eateries, stores, entertainment venues, an office building, a hotel, a 20-screen movie theater and an IMAX theater.

        In February, a report by Cincinnati based-NAI Eagle real estate indicated that a slew of tenants have committed to the project: Barnes & Noble, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Eddie Bauer, The Gap, Dick's Last Resort, Cheesecake Factory, Johnny Rockets, Bahama Breeze, Austin Grill, Dewey's Pizza and Claddagh Irish Pub.

        Steiner & Associates has not confirmed those tenants.

        The Levee project's first phase — including the $40 million Newport Aquarium — was completed in May 1999. The shops, restaurants and theaters complex is slated to open this fall.

        The L&N Bridge — scheduled to open in mid-May as a pedestrian, bike and in-line skate avenue — will feed foot traffic from Third Street in Cincinnati to the Levee shops.

        The Aquarium is to the west of the shops.

        To the east of the L&N Bridge, on the Newport side, Al Neyer Inc. and Steiner are joining forces to develop a 196-room hotel and a 200,000-square-foot office building topped with luxury condos.

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