NEWPORT — Lakeside Park resident Rex Ochs took his three kids to Newport on the Levee Friday not knowing what to expect. He left impressed.

Visitors stroll on the plaza ... (Patrick Reddy photos) | ZOOM |

        “It's great,” Mr. Ochs, 43, said of the $210 million retail, restaurant and entertainment venue on Newport's riverfront.

        “I came down because I've heard about this but I didn't really know what to expect when I got here,” Mr. Ochs said as his kids — Leah, 7, Anna, 6, and Clayton, 3 — stood in line for ice cream at the Coldstone Creamery.

        “But it's really impressive,” he said. “It's more than a mall. It's very different. I like it.”

        Consumers got their first real look Friday at what the Levee has to offer.

        Eight of the complex's tenants opened Friday morning, including the 20-screen AMC multiplex cinema; Claire's Boutique; and clothing stores American Eagle, d.e.m.o. and Hot Topic.

        Already opened prior to Friday were the Firstar 3-D IMAX, Mitchell's Fish Market restaurant and the Shadowbox Cabaret.

... and in the mall. | ZOOM |

        And over the next several weeks and months, more tenants will open, according to the Levee's developer, Steiner & Associates. Those will include a Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Limited Too, GameWorks and other specialty stores and restaurants.

        The levee combines an indoor shopping mall with an open air market atmosphere that has the feel of a town square surrounded by businesses. On street level, a fountain shoots water streams into the air in front of the Brio Tuscan Grille, an Italian steak and chop house that appears close to opening.

        Up two sets of stairs is a wide brick walkway that leads to the IMAX, the Newport Aquarium — one of the major components of the levee — the ice cream store, Mitchell's, Barnes &Noble and others.

        Benches are located along the walkway. And though workers are still busy on the unfinished portions of the project, they didn't seem to be getting in the way of the growing crowd visiting the Levee just before lunchtime Friday.

        Evelyn and Edward Carney of Fort Wright said they liked the Levee so much they were planning to return Friday evening for dinner at Mitchell's.

        “It has much more character and style than a mall,” Mr. Carney said. “Cincinnati should get something like this on their side of the river.”
       

River view an asset
               Mrs. Carney said she enjoyed walking outside for the view of the river and downtown Cincinnati.

        “I like it because there is more to do than just shop,” she said. “You could spend a day here.”

        Mr. Carney said he is sure the Levee will be popular as its stores open over the next several months.

        “But I just hope it's not one of those places that opens up with a bang and then fizzles,” he said.

        Fort Thomas developer Nick Elliston is building the Hofbrauhaus restaurant just across Third Street from the Levee. Friday he stood in the middle of levee's inside mall, talking about the area before it was developed.

        “Right where we are standing was a used car dealership, a fortuneteller's place, some vacant buildings,” Mr. Elliston said. “It was a mess.”

        Patterned after the famous Hofbrauhaus in Munich, the local restaurant will offer German food and a beer garden. The Hofbrauhaus will seat about 350 inside and 250-300 in the beer garden.

        “This development is fantastic,” Mr. Elliston said. “It's going to bring people to our restaurant, and vice versa, and it's going to bring people to Newport and Northern Kentucky.”
       

A hit with teens
               The inside portion of the Levee is more like a traditional mall than the outside area, said Rachel Williams, 14, and Jeramy Ehlman, 16, both of Bellevue.

        “The outside is really neat, and I like the movie theater and the stores that are here,” Jeramy said.

        “But they need more stores,” Rachel said. “That will bring more people here.”

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