All city voters will have the chance in the May 2 election to weigh in on the proposed liquor license local option for The Shoppes at the Heights Community Entertainment District. The district would be located north and east of the Rose Music Center at The Heights near the intersection of Ohio 201 and Interstate 70.
It would not be the type of district that allows people to walk around with open containers of alcohol but it would allow issuance of additional liquor permits to businesses inside the district.
Cities have a certain quota of liquor licenses and Huber Heights has just one available D-5 permit for beer, wine and spirituous liquor seven days a week, which is the type being sought for the new entertainment district, Schommer said. If voters approve the local option the state could award as many as 15 more D-5 permits.
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Most of the entertainment district would encompass the proposed 70-acre $140 million The Shoppes at The Heights mixed-use development. A swath of city land next to the Rose Center also would be included. Currently land in the proposed district is undeveloped and Huber Heights Councilman Mark A. Campbell said voters’ decision on the entertainment district will very much dictate how that area grows.
“This issue really sets the course for the future of development,” Campbell said. “(It) will shape and determine the size and scope of the project.”
Schommer said restaurants, hotels and retail developments typically need to have access to liquor licenses to be successful.
The land is already zoned for the mixed use development that is proposed for The Shoppes at The Heights and officials believe passage of the liquor local option will help attract tenants.
Winning on the entertainment district vote is “extremely important,” said Al George, vice president of real estate with development partner, JJC Investment LLC.
He said developers control 15 acres and and have options on another 55 acres.
George said they are working with major anchors, hotels and other tenants and the goal is to being operating in mid- to late 2018.
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He would not reveal which companies might locate at the site.
Community entertainment districts already exist at The Greene in Beavercreek, Austin Landing in southern Montgomery County and the Interstate 75/Ohio 63 interchange in Warren County.
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The entertainment district’s spot on the May ballot was confirmed on Tuesday when the Montgomery County Board of Elections certified several Huber Heights candidates for the May ballot.
A board of elections vote is not required to certify the entertainment district local option to the ballot. But the law requires that there be a candidate on the ballot before a local option for liquor licenses can appear.
If there had been no contested races for May the city would have had to wait until the November General Election for a vote on the entertainment district.
Both George and Schommer said they believe the entertainment district will be well-received by the community.
“I would say, ‘yes.’ Generally local options pass,” Schommer said.
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