Ahead Of Civic Park Opening, L'burg Redevelopment Commission Lands Restaurant Agreement

Hrezo Engineering and the Lawrenceburg Redevelopment Commission reach a deal on turning the old firehouse into a trendy new restaurant.

The Lawrenceburg Civic Park will open to the public on Saturday, June 1. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Lawrenceburg’s new Civic Park will open to the public for the first time Saturday, but the park is just the latest step in an effort to bring more people and investment to the city’s historic downtown.

The city is working to capitalize on the momentum created by the $6 million park’s opening by facilitating new economic development downtown.

The Lawrenceburg Redevelopment Commission owns much of the property surrounding the park.

“These properties especially are a part of the park,” city attorney Del Weldon said at Wednesday’s commission meeting. “That’s the only reason that, frankly, the local city government became involved in these properties. We recognize that whatever happens to the properties we want to have a say in it. The park is a reflection of everybody who lives here and the park represents all of us because of that.”

RELATED: Sneak Peek Of The Lawrenceburg Civic Park

This week, the commission voted to approve an agreement which will see developer Hrezo Engineering of Greendale turn the long-vacant Lawrenceburg Firehouse into a new restaurant. Weldon says the owner of the Hebron Grille, Daren Harris, is expected to relocate his business to the firehouse with a targeted March 2020 opening.

The commission has agreed to put $220,000 toward costs of renovating the firehouse to the restauranteur’s needs. In exchange, the commission will have control of various aspects of the business – hours of operation, noise levels, smoking, and more – for five years.

“We want to give this restaurant and all our downtown businesses their very, very best chance to be successful and sustainable in the long run. If the city is involved in a property and we’re going to partner in any way, that’s going to be our goal. So that’s why we have that five year provision,” Weldon explained to Eagle Country 99.3 on Thursday.

Another developer is in negotiations with the redevelopment commission to establish a restaurant on the street level of the row houses bordering the northeast side of the park on East High Street. The second and third floors would be residential. The project is being led by Tony Stroud of Cincinnati Realty Services.

“That’s still in the early stages, but we are excited about that,” says Weldon.

An engineering study is looking at how to best secure the exterior brick wall of the row houses building, which was originally an interior wall not intended for exposure.

One proposal submitted to the redevelopment commission would put an escape room and axe throwing bar in the former union hall to the west of the civic park. Similar trendy businesses have opened in downtown Cincinnati in recent years.

Weldon says the city will continue to lure other restaurants and attractions to the civic park area as part of Mayor Kelly Mollaun’s administration’s 2020 Vision.

“We’re riding the wave of momentum we have that really starts with the park opening. That’s always been our focus. Let’s build the park, let’s build the apartments, let’s have all these wonderful events so that the flood gates open with people wanting to invest in our community.”

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