By Travis Gettys
Enquirer contributor

NEWPORT - When Newport on the Levee opened in October 2001, city officials hoped the $200 million project would spur interest in the Monmouth Street business district, which begins at the foot of the 500,000-square-foot development.

Two-and-a-half years later, Newport on the Levee has become an entertainment destination for more than 3.5 million people each year, but some Monmouth Street business owners say they're having trouble drawing some of those visitors just a few blocks south.

"What you normally get is people who park here and walk there," said Don Wayman, who owns New Attitude, a women's clothing shop at 617 Monmouth.

While business owners agree that something must be done to improve the profile of the stretch of 10 blocks that was once home to 23 strip clubs, there are as many opinions on how to do that as there are businesses.

"They should advertise at the Levee that we have a nice downtown with specialty shops," said Beth Yutze, who owns Indoor/Outdoor Aquatics at 635 Monmouth. "We're in a quaint area, and I wish we could do more to promote that."

Levee general manager Ellen Prows said the Levee has no plans to advertise for other businesses in the city. They likely wouldn't advertise for the Levee, either, she said.

"We're part of the economic engine," Prows said. "But we're not the only cylinder."

Business owners think city officials have been reluctant to encourage visitors to stray from Newport on the Levee.

"They're not realizing that business in Newport is business in Newport," said Josh Baker, who opened Mammoth Coffee at 515 Monmouth earlier this year.

Baker said the city should develop a comprehensive plan to capitalize on enthusiasm brought to the area by new business owners.

"It's on the verge of something, but it's not sure what it is yet," he said. "Newport is almost hip, but it's not sure where to go."

The city should focus on the younger crowd that is more likely to venture down Monmouth from the Levee, Hofbrauhaus and Southgate House, said Ryan Fardo, who works at the coffee shop.

"We've got to get good stores," Fardo said, suggesting that some vacant lots should be filled with anchor stores like Niketown or Urban Outfitters to enlarge the shopping district.

However, without other incentives, that's unlikely to happen, said Carroll Sauer, who owns Beach's Sew & Vacuum at 700 Monmouth.

"A big store that's going to come in is going to want to be where the people are," said Sauer.

And right now, people are staying near the river, where most of the attractions are located. Newport Aquarium started the transformation in 1999 from a gritty riverside neighborhood to glitzy tourist destination, followed by Newport on the Levee and Hofbrauhaus.

The city missed an opportunity to create an entertainment and shopping district when it undertook a $4.5 million, eight-block streetscape upgrade two years ago, said Marvin Polinsky, owner of Saul's Value Store at 817 Monmouth.

"They should have had people out beating the bushes to get people in here," Polinsky said. "They really dropped the ball."

Monmouth Street could still become an area shopping destination, he said, but the city should hire someone to coordinate a retail plan.

"It's in a central location, and there's tons of people within five miles of here," he said. "It's handy to Cincinnati, handy to Covington."