By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CRESTVIEW HILLS - Redevelopment of the nearly dormant 20-year-old Crestview Hills Mall is beginning to slowly move forward.

City Council's Economic Development Committee approved a site plan Tuesday for a Carrabba Italian Grill that would be built in the mall's parking lot. Approval from the full council is expected Thursday night.

Owners of Carrabba plan to seek necessary permits and approvals to begin construction this fall, Carrabba Joint Venture partner Robert Frey said Tuesday.

"We are anxious to open a restaurant in Northern Kentucky," said Frey, whose Brentwood, Tenn.-based company operates eight of the trendy restaurants, including one in Mason.

Mall owner Southwyck Co. of Toledo is also negotiating leases with other restaurants to build in the mall's parking lot, said Glen Anderson of Southwyck, who attended Tuesday's meeting.

Anderson refused to name the prospective restaurants. However in December, Trio, a popular restaurant near the Kenwood Towne Centre, revealed plans to build its first location outside of Kenwood at the Crestview Hills Mall.

Last year, Panera Bread opened a restaurant in the mall's parking lot. The opening was one of the first signs of new development at the mostly vacant mall that has never taken hold with shoppers even though it is in a prime location.

The mall is adjacent to Interstate 275, the main east-west route through Northern Kentucky, and in the middle of Kenton County's affluent northern suburbs.

In December, the city learned that Jeffrey Anderson, developer of the popular Rookwood Commons outdoor mall that straddles the boundary of Norwood and Cincinnati, was interested in developing a similar "lifestyle center" at the Crestview Hills Mall site.

Anderson told City Council in December that his plan calls for razing most of the mall with the exception of the Dillard's department store and building upscale and unique retail stores catering to mostly high income shoppers.

Glen Anderson, who is not related to Jeffrey Anderson, said Tuesday that plans for lifestyle mall "are moving forward" but he would not elaborate. City leaders who back the mall's redevelopment have indicated construction of the restaurants is a key first step in persuading Anderson and Southwyck to strike a deal for the project.

The stagnant economy may be slowing the project. Other retail developments in Northern Kentucky, including shopping centers planned in south Newport and along the AA Highway and U.S. 27 in Cold Spring, have stalled.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com.