Groundbreaking celebrates $50M luxury apartment complex going in heart of West Chester

Chamber says it is a ‘missing ingredient’ to the area

Area officials dug shovels into soggy ground Tuesday as the start of a long-awaited, $50 million residential project in heart of West Chester Twp.’s central Clock Tower area was celebrated.

Rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of township officials for the coming 326-unit luxury, multi-family community, which developers said is planned to open in the spring of 2023.

The upscale community is being built by HILLS Properties, which also built another major Union Centre Blvd interchange area residential community — The Savoy — on the other, eastern side of the Interstate 75 interchange that is one of the region’s booming economic areas.

Located in what is The Square at Union Centre, the new apartments will add to the “downtown” of fast-growing West Chester, said officials.

The Residences at Clocktower are being touted as filling a key residential need in short-walk proximity to the township’s central gathering and entertainment venue of the Clock Tower monument, retail and restaurants, the MidPointe Library and a growing number of luxury hotels.

“This is not the usual interchange on the highway where you have gas stations and fast-food restaurants,” West Chester Trustee Mark Welch told the gathering of dignitaries.

“This is the central business district,” said Welch, and a previous gap in housing needs catering to both young professionals and retiring Baby Boomers will be filled by luxury apartment complex.

“This fills the bill,” he said.

Jonah Guttman, HILLS project manager, echoed Welch and in a statement noted “we are raising the bar for luxury living in West Chester.”

“This is an incredible location off of Union Centre Boulevard that has all of the conveniences of living in the heart of one of the truly great suburbs in Cincinnati,” said Guttman.

“This location, combined with a robust amenity package and modern unit finishes will make for an experience that is perfect for someone seeking maintenance free, activated living in northern Greater Cincinnati,” he said.

HILLS officials said 326 upscale apartments, located on 8.2 acres across the street from the MidPointe Library and about 40 yards from the Clock Tower are “designed to be marketed as a highly desirable and exclusive rental apartment community consisting of Class A luxury apartments, with top-of-the-line finishes and features that will draw the highest end of the rental market.”

The Residences at Clocktower features 80 one-bedroom, 24 one bedroom with den, 147 two-bedroom and 75 two-bedroom with den apartments — all featuring nine-foot ceilings — with monthly rents ranging from $1,350 to $2,200.

The complex will also include a heated, salt-water swimming pool and dozens of other luxury features.

Joe Hinson, president and CEO of the West Chester/Liberty Chamber of Commerce, called the new residential development “a missing ingredient in our downtown area.”

“We’re really excited to put that in place here. The opportunity is for young professionals, Baby Boomers, empty nesters to be here and they won’t need a car. They will be able to get anywhere they want in the central business district,” said Hinson.

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