By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Two Chicago businessmen have dropped their plan to buy and revive the International Paper Co.'s large Knightsbridge complex, which has been closed for wo years and has served as a gloomy symbol of Hamilton's economic downturn.

Brian Pesmen and his partner, Brad Evans, had announced their intentions in September to buy the complex for an undisclosed price and then lease office space to a variety of businesses, including high-technology companies. They had hoped to complete the purchase in two months and have their first tenants in the facility by the end of last year.

But Ohio Rep. Greg Jolivette, who has been helping to market the complex, said Pesmen and Evans have stopped pursuing the Knightsbridge deal. But he said he's not discouraged.

"It's unfortunate we can't fill that building with jobs today," the Hamilton Republican said. "But that doesn't mean that jobs are lost forever there."

The rough national economic times worked against the success of the Knightsbridge project, Jolivette said.

"Unfortunately, with the economy taking a nosedive in the last year and a half, people are battening down the hatches and not looking to expand," he said. "But once things begin to loosen up and people look to the future for expansion or moving, people will find that building is a perfect fit."

City Manager Mike Samoviski said Pesmen and Evans were concerned when they found out that parts of the Knightsbridge land had been used for many years as a dump and a sanitary landfill.

That would make it much more expensive to construct new buildings on the property because builders would have to drive foundation pilings deep into the ground, Samoviski said.

But Pesmen and Evans haven't given up on Hamilton. Jolivette and Samoviski said the two men are looking at several other possible buildings in the city to buy and lease to businesses.

They are working on a deal to bring Cincinnati Machine, which plans to move out of its Oakley manufacturing complex, to Hamilton Enterprise Park and are talking to the Ohio Casualty Group about property it owns in Hamilton.

Evans deferred comment to his partner, Pesmen. But Pesmen could not be reached.

The failure of the Knightsbridge project to materialize is a blow to Hamilton's efforts to attract high-paying jobs. City officials hoped filling the Knightsbridge complex with business tenants would be a turning point for the city, which has lost of about 3,000 jobs in recent years.

The Knightsbridge complex sits on 58 acres south of downtown Hamilton. It had been the headquarters for Champion International until International Paper acquired the facility two years ago and then closed it.

International Paper sold one parcel in the complex, a 26,000-square-foot building on 5 acres, to Miami University. The Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority also bought the former training building at the complex.

Samoviski and Hamilton Mayor Donald Ryan said they don't want to comment on the collapse of the Knightsbridge deal until they are officially notified that the deal is dead.

County Commissioner Mike Fox said he's pleased that Pesmen and Evans are considering other sites in Hamilton.

"They continue to be involved in developing some opportunities," he said. "With a little bit of luck, they'll come to fruition.

"I'm still optimistic that Knightsbridge will eventually pique the interest of someone who will pick it up."

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com