First Watch to open at new retail center in Liberty Twp.

A new retail center opening this month called Liberty Connection has signed a lease for breakfast, brunch and lunch spot First Watch to join the tenant mix, said Brad Austing, development and brokerage executive for commercial real estate firm Midland Retail.

It was previously announced that Chipotle, Supercuts and AT&T have also leased space at the 11,444-square-foot retail center opening at the corner of Liberty One Drive and Cincinnati-Dayton Road in Liberty Twp., according to Midland Retail.

Supercuts and AT&T are due to open this month, Austing said.

Chipotle has set a projected opening date of Dec. 20 and is now hiring for the location, according to the burrito chain. Each Chipotle restaurant typically employs 25 to 30 people and interested applicants can visit jobs.chipotle.com for more information, according to Chipotle spokesperson Danielle Moore.

First Watch has signed a lease for approximately 3,600-square-feet, Austing said.

However, First Watch Restaurants spokeswoman Eleni Kouvatsos could not confirm Friday the plans for a Liberty Twp. opening.

“We also have no plans to close or change our restaurant on Floer Drive” in West Chester Twp., Kouvatsos said.

Tenant agreements mean Liberty Connection has about 2,106-square-feet of available space remaining, Austing said.

“We’re working with potential tenants for the residual space,” he said.

Midland has had success recruiting retailers to the location because it is well located, with proximity to a Kroger Marketplace, nearby high school and the expanding pediatric hospital Cincinnati Children's Liberty Campus, he said. Austing added that the shopping center also has good exposure to potential customers along Cincinnati-Dayton Road.

“We think it’s really well located at the heart of the interchange that feeds the growth of Liberty Twp.,” Austing said. “All that is adding to the demand for tenants.”

Elsewhere in Liberty Twp., the approximately $350 million Liberty Center project, the mega shopping, dining, residential and office complex in Liberty Twp. at the crossroads of Interstate 75, Ohio 129 and Liberty Way, opened in October. The center's first phase consists of more than 1 million-square-feet spread over about 65 acres.

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