In latest Hamilton activity, artist creating ‘nature rooms’ in Second Ward

Wong, originally from Memphis, moved to Hamilton from Dayton about four years ago and lives in the Artspace Lofts in Hamilton’s downtown, which were built with artists like her in mind. She created an Art Garden next to that building, in a corner next to Rotary Park.

Her newest vision, which may take three years to fully develop, includes several areas of the property at 124 Wilson Street where people can relax among what she calls “manicured wildness” of nature.

“People will come, and they’ll rent one of the spaces for an hour or two, or someone can rent the entire place, do an event here, so people can roam throughout the space,” Wong said. “It’ll be private greenspace.”

Her project is one of several innovative new things adding energy in Hamilton, which in the past several years has seen more storefronts on Main Street and downtown filled, and more people living downtown. That is expected to continue next year, after the gigantic indoor sports complex, Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill, reaches completion at the end of the year, attracting 10,000 or more athletes and their families on some weekends.

“I’m wanting to bring people closer to what it’s really like to be in nature,” she said, “where things are wild, where things are more messy than you might see in a traditional garden or traditional city spaces, where everything is mulched, and everything’s clean.”

In one area, “There will be a thousand sunflowers there, and sunflowers get to be 8-10 feet tall, so when you’re in the middle of it, you’ll basically be in a room,” she said last week while working the property.

Since March, she has been working the land, which she is leasing from Hamilton for $1,000 per year over 10 years, with a five-year extension clause.

“It’s amazing how much I’ve done and how much it seems I haven’t done anything, because nature just comes back up and everything changes so much,” she said.

Even during the pandemic, numerous businesses have opened or announced plans to develop restaurants, bars or shops along Main Street and in the downtown. Among other things:

Downtown living has become more of a thing with the opening of The Marcum complex of apartments restaurants and other businesses. An additional 80 apartments are planned on Main Street in what will be the first large residential development there in a century.

In a watershed moment for the downtown, five years ago on June 8, the microbrewery Municipal Brew Works opened in the former city municipal building at 20 High St. It was Hamilton’s first brewery in 80 years and later was followed by Fretboard Brewing & Public House at 103 Main St., featuring rooftop dining, and other bars and restaurants. For the brew works’ anniversary, the city changed its name to Ham-Ale!-Ton this weekend only.

Other interesting businesses have followed, including a disc-golf-and-skateboard store, Reptile Pit, and high-tech agricultural 80 Acres Farms.

Six-acre Marcum Park, which was built downtown surrounding the RiversEdge amphitheater, was dedicated in May of 2017 as Hamilton’s new backyard. The next year, the American Planning Association named it one of the Great Public Spaces in America, joining places like New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Grant Park.

Interesting bars, including Pinball Garage, have opened, with others planned. Those yet to open include HUB on Main, where the HUB stands for Hamilton’s Urban Backyard; Billy Yanks; and Agave & Rye. Also planned is revitalization of the former Knights of Columbus hall on Pyramid Hill Boulevard into a reception hall, restaurant and outdoor beach bar called Hamilton Landing.

The curated Hamilton Flea happened again this weekend, with vaccinations provided, and for the second Friday in more than a year, pro wrestling at Future Great Wrestling was back at full capacity (at 190 N. Brookwood Ave.), although Future Great Comics, which also is owned by Brian LeVick, has moved from Main Street to Oxford.

Volunteers have created interesting parklands like the Riverside Natural Area and Operation Pumpkin, which will happen Oct. 8, 9, and 10 this year, with details at operation-pumpkin.org.

Much of Hamilton’s recent success has been built on restoring buildings with interesting architecture.

City Council Member Michael Ryan on Wednesday, during council’s debate over whether to save the historic CSX train station from demolition, said one of the city’s top assets in the past decade has been “taking the old, and turning it into the new,” as it has with the former Champion Paper mill, which is being transformed into Spooky Nook.

The council voted Wednesday to save the station, which was at or near where three presidents, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman visited the city by train and gave speeches. The council voted 5-2 to save and restore at least one of the station’s two buildings, at an estimated cost of $1.8 million or more.