By Ken Alltucker
Enquirer staff writer

Developer and design/build firm Al Neyer Inc. will trade its suburban Blue Ash office this fall for a new downtown headquarters at West Third and Plum streets.

The move will bring about 65 employees to Al Neyer's 302 W. Third location, formerly the Crown Overall Manufacturing building.

Officials said the company wanted a flagship downtown Cincinnati location as it pursues more development work in Cincinnati and communities ringing the city.

Also, Neyer's move from the Hawthorne Center office building on Carver Road in Blue Ash frees a floor that will be taken by Sara Lee's U.S. Foods division. Sara Lee, which claims four of five floors at Hawthorne Center, needed the entire building for its 500 Blue Ash employees, a Sara Lee spokeswoman in Chicago said Thursday.

CEO David Neyer described the company's new office as a "three-dimensional living brochure" because of its architectural touches.

Al Neyer bought, renovated and added three floors to the former Crown building more than three years ago. The company will take the eighth floor overlooking Paul Brown Stadium, joining tenants such as BHDP Architecture and market research firm Dunnhumby Ltd. Advertising agency Bridge Worldwide is finalizing terms and is expected to take a floor.

Al Neyer has been one of the most aggressive downtown developers in recent years. It helped launch downtown's focus on housing when it transformed the Krippendorf building at Seventh and Sycamore streets into more than 100 loft-style apartments. It has also built the $9.5 million Riverwalk condo project at Eastern and Collins avenues in the East End.

The company also has landed city-subsidized downtown projects such as the Delta Air Lines reservation center, a 400-space garage at Seven and Broadway streets and the Kroger gateway garage/condos at Central Parkway and Vine Street.

Other Al Neyer projects include building offices at the former Ford factory in Walnut Hills and the Cornerstone office building in Norwood.

E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com