By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Legislation providing a tax incentive for Cincinnati's Maisonette restaurant to move to Covington is headed toward passage in the Kentucky General Assembly.

Late Thursday, the Kentucky Senate passed a tourism incentive bill that includes an amendment attached by Sen. Jack Westwood, a Crescent Springs Republican who represents Covington.

The amendment would allow the Maisonette to recoup 25 cents of every dollar it pays in state sales tax for up to 10 years, Westwood said.

It is the same tax break Kentucky used last year to attract the Hofbrauhaus German-themed beer garden and restaurant to downtown Newport.

The Maisonette has been exploring a move from its long-time location on Sixth Street in downtown Cincinnati to the suburbs or Covington. Members of the Comisar family, owners of the Maisonette, did not return phone calls Thursday to comment.

Westwood said the bill now heads to the Kentucky House, where it is expected to pass. Monday is the last day the Kentucky General Assembly can pass bills.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher would sign the bill, Westwood said.

"This bill is ultimately going to make it possible for us to get the Maisonette qualified for the same kind of incentives used to bring the Hofbrauhaus to Newport," Westwood said Thursday from his Senate office.

"We're certainly excited about the opportunity to bring the Maisonette over to Covington," he said. "Whether they come, we still don't know. I'm not sure how serious they really are. But this shows we're serious about trying to help them move to Northern Kentucky."

The Comisars have scouted several potential locations in Covington, including a building at Pike Street and Madison Avenue and undisclosed sites in the MainStrasse Village restaurant and entertainment district.

Covington Mayor Butch Callery said Thursday that he did not have an exact figure on how much the tax break could be worth to the Maisonette "but I know it would be in the millions of dollars over the 10 years."

"This is great news," Callery said. "This gives us another tool and hopefully this will convince them to come."

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com