Developed by Premier Properties USA of Indianapolis, Bridgewater Falls was announced in 2003. The $70 million project is just wrapping up with the final phase now under construction in the NW corner of the 66-acre shopping center. Located only a couple parcels outside the city limits of Hamilton, the development brought the creation of a second JEDD between Hamilton and Fairfield Township, who already shared earnings tax revenues from the big box development on the other side of Bypass 4.

 

The property is lined on its east and west sides with strips of big-boxes, the power center component. A village area floats in the middle of the development and would be the lifestyle center part of the complex. Two restaurants and a bank sit on outparcels.

 

Although Target opened in 2004, most of the mall opened in mid-to-late 2005 with the village being completed in early 2006. The village is still largely vacant more than a year later.

 

 

 

The developer invested much in the entrance with colored water features and the like, which all looks really out of context

 

 

 

Last corner to be developed

 

I was one of the first employees hired at this JCPenney...and the first to quit (for school).

 

 

 

Now into the village...

 

Five out of seven storefronts vacant...

 

Mattresses?

 

An attempt to make the complex walkable, there are several sidewalks from the village to the big boxes

 

You'll notice that unlike many lifestyle center developments which replicate historic facades, Bridgewater creates different contemporary facades using the same materials over and over again. The place is going to look outdated in just 20 years!

 

Grand entrance, no tenant!

 

Main plaza (which a Bridgewater employee dubbed "Central Park" once in the Journal-News) with highway in background

 

Random pavilion thingie

 

 

o and 6

 

The heart of the village, vacant!

 

A store?!?!?

 

 

 

 

New tenant - Panera Bread

 

 

While there is no residential component to Bridgewater, there is a 300+ home Ryland subdivision right across the street. Sidewalks fail to connect to the subdivision, not that anyone would ever walk! I have some friends who live back here, but who wants to visit when you have to see all that vinyl?

 

 

And finally, so you don't cut your throat, the Bender Mansion in the Dayton Lane Historic District, Hamilton.

While Bridgewater Falls used better materials than horrid Deerfield Town Center or Crestview Hills Town Center, it still fails to create the faux downtown experience that these suburban developments look for.  The massive surface lots and poorly designed layout end up making people walk to their car and driving across the center.  While I am not a fan of any of these places, a drive up to "The Greene" in Dayton and the difference in foot traffic is notable.

I have seen the future, and its time is already past! :?

I don't hate it.  Well that's not entirely true.  I hate the big box nature of it, even though I like the Target design.  The entrance is nice, but a little overwhelming.  I like the village component, and the use of natural materials. 

 

Not the best I've seen.  Not the worst.  Thanks for the pictures.

 

 

While I liked the building materials...I thought the layout and design of the development was terrible.  The village area of it seems to be an afterthought.  Almost like they said "hey downtowns/village squares have on street parking"...poof on street parking "hey they also have water features and benches etc"  poof.  The elements are there, but they do not relate to one another.  In a bubble I like it, but the built environment is much more complex than that.  This project is not very good!

 

Thank goodness for the Dayton Lane pic at the end!

Yeah, the Dayton Lane photo saved it.

God, that is terrible.  I had no idea there were so many vacant storefronts.

 

^ Of course not, the media in Cincinnati only cover vacant storefronts downtown.  The suburbs can do no wrong.

Hence the reason for practically no coverage on the Macaroni Grill closing at the still new Deerfield Towne Centre.  Downtown has a hole in the wall business close and it makes front page news...a suburban shopping center anchor/draw closes and barely even a mention.

 

hmmmmmmmmmm

While Bridgewater Falls used better materials than horrid Deerfield Town Center or Crestview Hills Town Center, it still fails to create the faux downtown experience that these suburban developments look for.  The massive surface lots and poorly designed layout end up making people walk to their car and driving across the center.  While I am not a fan of any of these places, a drive up to "The Greene" in Dayton and the difference in foot traffic is notable.

 

I could not agree more. Why can't a developer in Cincy actually do a real lifestyle center that is mixed use? Weather you like this type of development or not (Greene), its a lot better than what has been built in the suburbs (Deerfield Town Center, etc...). If we are going to continue to build suburban crap than why can't we at least build quality suburban crap. The same goes for new urbanist/mixed use developments, Cincy developers just seem to be determined to hold onto the 80 and 90s development patterns to the end. When Dayton can get a real suburban mixed use retail project and a new urbanist community built before Cincy we are in trouble. Dealing with some of the local developers make you feel like you stepped back in time about 20 years and don't get me started on our outdated zoning codes in the region.

 

Side note: The 'town center' part of Bridgewater is almost leased out. They have announced a new list of stores coming to that part of the retail development, so it won't be vacant for long.

^There are still going to be a number of vacancies, but there are a few more businesses coming.

 

Here are the eight new businesses recently announced :

 

Chipotle

La Pinata

Panera Bread - shown

Dream Dinners

Ulta

Huntington Bank - in outparcel, not village

GameStop - already in village/photos

Sally Beauty Supply - already in village/photos

 

Why can't a developer in Cincy actually do a real lifestyle center that is mixed use? Weather you like this type of development or not (Greene), its a lot better than what has been built in the suburbs (Deerfield Town Center, etc...). If we are going to continue to build suburban crap than why can't we at least build quality suburban crap. The same goes for new urbanist/mixed use developments, Cincy developers just seem to be determined to hold onto the 80 and 90s development patterns to the end.

 

This project is really close to a lot of single family homes.although not connected via sidewalks as ink pointed out..my guess is the developer just plunked down somehting that would get approved (least NIMBYISM) and appeal to the wallets of fairfield township sect (who probably moved there to get away from urbanist/mixed use stuff in the first place).  It is a big improvement over the stuff on the other side of Route 4. :clap:

While I like "The Greene", I'd hardly call it mixed-use.  I don't recall an office component to it.  Nor is there a residential component aside from some crappy apartments located next door. 

 

Bridgewater is probably the right concept for the market it serves. 

 

Like I said, I like the Village part of the development, just not it's location in the middle of a parking lot.  The overall layout is poor.

Isn't there over 100 units of residential in the upper floors of The Greene?

Here are the eight new businesses recently announced :

 

Dream Dinners

 

Dream Dinners... PUKE!  Attention all men out there, keep your wives, girlfirends and significant others away from this place.  These type of places are popping up all over Cincinnati.  It is basically a place for women (or men...not) to go and prepare your dinners for a week/month.  The prices are outrageous and the food isn't that great.

^ Thanks for the warning!  Some of my friends have mentioned doing this, so maybe I'll pass. 

 

Now that I think about this, I can't think of a reason to do this.  I can prepare fresh meals with ingredients from Findlay Market for a better price.  :)

terrible terrible horrible.  richest country on earth, worst development on earth.  the fact these are popping up everywhere and are applauded is kill yourself horrible. 

Isn't there over 100 units of residential in the upper floors of The Greene?

 

Yes.

 

When Dayton can get a real suburban mixed use retail project and a new urbanist community built before Cincy we are in trouble.

 

No.  It just means that Dayton got a "real suburban mixed use retail project" before Cincinnati.  But guess what?  So has Toledo (Levis Commons).  So has Columbus (Easton).  So has Cleveland (Crocker Park).

 

So it shouldn't be shocking.

^ It isn't so much "Cincinnati" as it is "Cincinnati Developers".  Anderson has almost single handedly built most of the garbage you can find throughout Greater Cincinnati.

Wow. Looks quite nice from a big-box standpoint, but is still a glorified strip mall. There is hope however. Look at it 10-15-20 years down the road: this would make an ideal redevelopment/infill site! As you expand further and further out, these spaces become less and less desirable. Infill for a place like this may be easy: add residental units and offices in the parking lots and construct parking structures.

 

Has this been done? A retrofit of an existing strip mall into a mixed-use complex?

Millworks always struck me as being Cincinnati's true shot at getting a good mixed-use center of Easton caliber.  Is that project still even on the table?  I don't see much buzz about it on this site...

Isn't there over 100 units of residential in the upper floors of The Greene?

 

Yes.

 

When Dayton can get a real suburban mixed use retail project and a new urbanist community built before Cincy we are in trouble.

 

No.  It just means that Dayton got a "real suburban mixed use retail project" before Cincinnati.  But guess what?  So has Toledo (Levis Commons).  So has Columbus (Easton).  So has Cleveland (Crocker Park).

 

So it shouldn't be shocking.

 

How true and how sad. I am still amazed at how outdated are development community in Cincy really is.

Rue 21? I rue the whole damn place.

It is basically a place for women (or men...not) to go and prepare your dinners for a week/month.  The prices are outrageous and the food isn't that great.

 

Why can't they do that at home?   

 

Go to a commercial kitchen or restaurant of some sort to cook a week of leftovers?  Somehow this seems like a strange concept,

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

 

As for the shopping center, I like the Target. 

 

The craftsman/bungalow/prarie-school architectural references are...strange.  Usually these features where found on smaller buildings..houses and churches usually, maybe a library or firestation.  On a huge develoipment like this they look "off". 

 

Yet it seems to work with the Target, maybe because the massing on the Target is more cubist or Dutch/Belgian early modern....

 

^ It isn't so much "Cincinnati" as it is "Cincinnati Developers".  Anderson has almost single handedly built most of the garbage you can find throughout Greater Cincinnati.

 

Absolutely right on the dot. A lot of the local developers are still building the same type of projects as they did in the 80's and early 90s. I don't know what it is, but they just refuse to change their building habits. No matter what the data shows or even their own industry's research shows. They just say, those things won't work in Cincy. Which is just a crock.

Hence the reason for practically no coverage on the Macaroni Grill closing at the still new Deerfield Towne Centre.  Downtown has a hole in the wall business close and it makes front page news...a suburban shopping center anchor/draw closes and barely even a mention.

 

hmmmmmmmmmm

 

 

The one Butler Cty area writer has been wearing out his knee pads on the General Manager for Ikea.  (I am so sick of hearing about it that I may never step foot in this store for that sole reason.) 

While I like "The Greene", I'd hardly call it mixed-use.  I don't recall an office component to it.  Nor is there a residential component aside from some crappy apartments located next door. 

 

Bridgewater is probably the right concept for the market it serves. 

 

Like I said, I like the Village part of the development, just not it's location in the middle of a parking lot.  The overall layout is poor.

 

The Greene does have residential and office space too.

 

http://www.liveatthegreene.com/

 

http://www.thegreene.com/offices.cfm

FAIRFIELD TWP. - An $80 million foreclosure lawsuit has been filed against the Indianapolis-based developer of Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center by its construction lender.

 

 

Why can't a developer in Cincy actually do a real lifestyle center that is mixed use?

^ It isn't so much "Cincinnati" as it is "Cincinnati Developers".  Anderson has almost single handedly built most of the garbage you can find throughout Greater Cincinnati.

A lot of the local developers are still building the same type of projects as they did in the 80's and early 90s.

 

Maybe this isn't the place to complain about Cincinnati developers, just sayin...

When Dayton can get a real suburban mixed use retail project and a new urbanist community built before Cincy we are in trouble.

 

No.  It just means that Dayton got a "real suburban mixed use retail project" before Cincinnati.  But guess what?  So has Toledo (Levis Commons).  So has Columbus (Easton).  So has Cleveland (Crocker Park).

 

So it shouldn't be shocking.

 

 

Hey, this is great news.  While all the other cities in America are building appealing shitty stuff in the burbs, creating continual blight in the inner cities...Cincy's building stuff so horrible that even the tasteless suburbanites aren't even buying it.  Add this to the checklist under the foreclosure crisis and rising gas prices and Cincy might be ahead of the game when it comes to it's suburbs committing suicide.  TOUCHDOWN CINCY!!

The Enquirer reported that the mall was doing quite well. Yeah...

But it was probably used as collateral for some other failed real estate development in the burbs.  The fall out from over-retailing our nations suburbs is just beginning. 

The Enquirer reported that the mall was doing quite well. Yeah...

 

That statement is probably correct, occupancy is pretty high at this point. The developer (who has worked on much more than this project) filed for bankruptcy, which is why Bridgewater is in foreclosure. Too bad the developer didn't go under before building this...

hm it has all the charm of AVON COMMONS

They should have started with a far lower bid. I actually went to the "mall" for the first time a few weeks ago and it was completely devoid of people.

It's got a nice water feature at the front though.

They should have started with a far lower bid. I actually went to the "mall" for the first time a few weeks ago and it was completely devoid of people.

 

When was this? I've rarely been there when its been dead lately.

^ Agreed that 33.3 mil was way high for the property in these times.

 

Again, probably the "dead" referencing was toward the pathetic middle strip of the center with stores like Lane Bryant and Verizon wireless that are set up in a walkable,lifestyle-center style pattern. However, I do know that the center is a HUGE draw for many people that do not want to put up with the Tylersville road crap. However, if they live close to Monroe like I used to, they will find that shopping in Middletown is ALWAYS the best option.

I went to Bridgewater yesterday afternoon.  It was very crowded.  I couldn't find a place too park in the middle near Coldstone and at Target had to park about 2/3 of the way out.  On the other side We went to the pet store and TJMaxx and they were both packed.  So yes this place is doing just fine.  I overheard a manager at Penny's say they are consistently more busy then when located at Tricounty and more people buying less of the teenagers just hanging out in the store.

Interesting entrance, but it's a big pile o' poo.

This looks eerily similar to a shopping center a developer is wanting to build in Centerville's annexed land in Greene County.  Thankfully, that is tied up in court (local jurisdictions fighting over tax money) and hopefully it will stay that way.  These types of power centers will look like huge eyesores come 30-40 years, some sooner.

^  I would say much sooner---20 years max. and that assumes the owners keep the center up to date and relevant to their market.  It also assumes the target population surrounding the center remains stable.