FAIRFIELD — The city's new downtown, Village Green, is nearing 100 percent occupancy, its developers and the mayor said this week.

Village Green, Fairfield's new downtown, is getting a new restaurant and coffee shop. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        A restaurant and a coffee house recently began construction in separate buildings that also have office space on the second stories. They are expected to open across from the Village Green Park by the end of the year, said Joe Schwarz of J2 Homes of Fairfield, the primary Village Green developer.

        The two new developments, totaling $8 million, join a 29,600-square-foot strip center and the new Kroger building that will open this fall. While office space still is available in both new buildings, the strip center is nearly filled, he said, as long as the retailers follow through on recent letters of intent to sign leases.

        Tenants announced so far include a Hallmark store, a mail shipping shop and a hair salon; the rest will be announced in the next month.

        “We are very pleased with the reception we have had from merchants,” Mr. Schwarz said. “I can hardly imagine it being much better than it's been. This is the foremost retail commercial/residential integrated development that maybe has ever come to southwest Ohio. Other communities will come down to see what we have done there.”

        A 13,500-square-foot restaurant and bar, Symmes Tavern on the Green, will seat up to 400 people. It also will feature a dining terrace that overlooks the lush park and ornate fine art sculptures city officials recently purchased to decorate the park and the entrance to the Lane Public Library.

        The 12,000-square-foot Village Green Coffee House also will have outdoor seating. Village Green already holds an amphitheater, office buildings, a bank and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, which has been packed since its doors opened in May.

        The 77,000-square-foot Kroger store is expected to be complete by fall. It will be the second-largest store out of 100 in the chain's Cincinnati division, which covers Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky. The largest store is in Winton Place.

        City officials and residents are proud of the area, which quickly has become a gathering spot. So far, the city has sunk more than $5 million into Village Green and plans to spend more. Officials also recently spent $2.8 million to buy the old Kroger plaza near Village Green to ensure undesirable development doesn't emerge there. They plan to raze it.

        “I am elated,” Mayor Erick Cook said. “We can't wait until the entire project is complete.”

        The next big Village Green project is likely to be the $9.6 million community center, which will rise across from the south side of the park.

        Council will hear financial details about the center at a special 5 p.m. meeting Monday at the Fairfield Municipal Building.
       

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