“I think it will be an asset to the community, and I am hoping that it will inspire and help start some newer businesses in that area, all the way down to Pershing” Avenue, Harris said.
Matandy Realty, a sister company of Matandy Steel, which owned the property where the retail center will be located, recently sold the land to Harrison-based Triumph Energy, which operates Shell, BP, Sunoco and Marathon stations in the region. Triumph Energy officials have not announced what stores they hope to put into the facility.
Frank Pfirman of Matandy said he is looking forward to the complex, because he hopes it will offer inexpensive food for employees of Matandy Steel, who will be able to walk across the street during breaks. It also will be the only automobile fueling station along U.S. 127 between Belle Avenue and New Miami, so he believes it’s a good place for a gas station.
Hamilton City Council recently approved new plans for the site at 1157 Central Ave. because there were major changes since the proposal made for the location in late 2019.
The proposal is for a 6,300-square-foot building, One tenant is to be a convenience store with a walk-in cooler, beer cave, kitchen and food preparation area and a drive-thru sales window on the south side of the building, facing Knightsbridge It will also have five gas-station pumps that can serve up to 10 vehicles at once.
Occupants for the other two tenant spaces have not been announced. The city has been in conversations with owners of the property since 2013. Harris and others in the Second Ward hope that the neighborhood will again develop businesses that can make the area more vibrant and able to serve residents of the area. Miami University planning students in 2019 created a development plan for the neighborhood.
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