Vice President Dick Cheney will appear Sept. 8 at an area fund-raiser for Republican Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Ernie Fletcher.

But to the disappointment of local Republicans, the high-ticket, high-profile event won't be held in Northern Kentucky.

Instead, Cheney will turn up at the Aronoff Center in downtown Cincinnati for the mid-day fund-raiser. Tickets are $500 a person and a crowd of more than 400 is expected.

Fletcher, a three-term congressman from Lexington, faces Democrat Ben Chandler in the fall.

No one is officially talking about the event. But it's easy to see why Cincinnati was chosen for the vice presidential visit.

Lots of big-name Cincinnati business leaders are listed on a letter announcing the fund-raiser to contributors. Among them: Cincinnati Reds majority owner Carl Lindner; Cincinnati Bell CEO Jack Cassidy; Fifth Third Bank CEO George Schaefer; Bill DeWitt Jr., the managing partner of the St. Louis Cardinals and a Cincinnati native who maintains an investment banking business in town; John F. Barrett, CEO of Western-Southern Life Insurance Co.; former Enquirer publisher and one-time Congressman William Keating; and Jim Orr, CEO of Convergys Corp.

Also involved in the event are Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and three Greater Cincinnati Republican congressmen - Rob Portman, Steve Chabot and John Boehner. Northern Kentucky Republicans say Portman was instrumental in arranging Cheney's visit.

You might remember that one of Cheney's first public appearances after the 9-11 attacks was at the Aronoff for a Portman campaign fund-raiser in January 2002.

At all fund-raisers featuring a political celebrity such as Cheney, the really big contributors get their picture taken with the special guest. To qualify, contributors have to raise $10,000 for Fletcher's campaign or for the state Republican Party, or contribute $2,500 to Fletcher, the state party or a combination of both. Most of that money would likely flow to the party, because state law dictates that the maximum contribution allowed to a Kentucky gubernatorial candidate is $1,000.

Bellevue condos

HHB Partners of Cincinnati is seeking approval from the city of Bellevue to develop a two-building, 24-unit upscale condominium project at Taylor and Eden avenues.

Chip Hunter, a partner in the firm, said the condos would sell for $250,000 to $400,000 and have "dramatic" views of the Ohio River, Mount Adams and downtown Cincinnati. The firm is closing on land purchases. A warehouse and houses will be razed, Hunter said.

Bellevue could take its first vote on the project next week. If approved, work will start in the fall.

A little farther downriver in Bellevue at the east end of Riverboat Row, the Ackerman Group of Anderson Township is developing a $40 million project known as Harbor Greene.

Bunning opponent?

Word out of Washington is that Kentucky state Sen. Dr. Daniel Mongiardo, a Democrat from Hazard, is gearing up to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning of Southgate in next year's election.

Mongiardo won't make an announcement until after the November election. Former Attorney General Fred Cowan of Louisville is the only Democrat so far committed to the race.

E-mail Patrick Crowley at pcrowley@enquirer.com