By John Kiesewetter
Enquirer staff writer

Butler County officials said they will not issue an occupancy permit for a Target Store at the new Bridgewater Falls retail development in Fairfield Township until widening of two-lane Princeton Road is complete. Here, Cinergy workers make utility improvements Thursday. The Enquirer/GLENN HARTONG

FAIRFIELD TWP. - Butler County officials say they will block the October opening of a new Target store if the Princeton Road widening is not finished.

"It would be a mess out there if they open out there without the road improvements," said Butler County Engineer Greg Wilkens.

The 66-acre Bridgewater Falls shopping complex at Princeton Road and the busy Ohio 4 Bypass is scheduled to open with the Target store on Oct. 10.

Two other anchors - Dick's Sporting Goods and Bed, Bath & Beyond - will open early next year. The 530,000-square-foot complex also will include a 16- to 18-screen theater and restaurants, according to the developer, Premier Properties USA of Indianapolis.

Commissioners are worried about increased traffic before two-lane Princeton Road is expanded to four and five lanes. Three traffic lights also will be added, two for Bridgewater Falls and one at Princeton and Morris roads, said Mike Rahall, Fairfield Township administrator.

Princeton Road traffic already has increased by 66 percent - to 9,183 daily vehicles - since 1997, when Fairfield East Elementary School opened at Princeton and Morris roads, according to the Butler County Engineer's Office. And adjacent Bypass 4 was dubbed "the most congested highway" in Butler County in April by Wilkens.

"When you put thousands of cars on that little two-lane road, with the school down the street, someone is going to get hurt. It's going to get ugly," said Commissioner Michael A. Fox, a Fairfield Township resident.

Bill Balsinger, chief county building inspector, told Premier representatives Tuesday that he would delay issuing Target an occupancy permit if the road is not finished. He also could deny a temporary occupancy permit in early September, which Target needs to train 170 employees and stock the store.

Construction crews Thursday closed Princeton Road from Morris to Jayfield Drive for three weeks. When the work is done, the Morris-Bypass 4 stretch will close. Balsinger said he wants all of the road improvements finished before Fairfield Schools reopen Aug. 25.

Wilkens, whose office is supervising the road construction, blamed Premier for holding up engineering work before the $3.6 million project was bid. The fast-tracked construction schedule will be met only if the weather cooperates, Wilkens said.

Said Rahall: "We are paying additional money for them to be done by Oct. 1. It's tight, but we're very optimistic it will be completed."

Premier representatives will meet again with Balsinger on Aug. 18. Then Balsinger will decide whether to issue the temporary occupancy permit.

"We're doing everything we can," said Ryan Cronk, Premier vice president for development. "Everyone is on the same page to get it done as soon as possible."

Three more anchor stores will be announced by August, Cronk said.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com