Vitality, like U.S. 27, runs through
Campbell County from end to end.
There are upscale urban condos, historic stone homes and tree-filled suburbs of all sizes, plus family farms, marinas, busy industrial plants and an ever-growing state university.
It's a place attracting attention, as well as people, from throughout the Tri-State and beyond.
Simplest sign? Check for parking spots around
Newport on the Levee, the riverfront retail/entertainment complex in
Newport. The Levee's many shops, restaurants and other tenants, plus the kid-friendly and educational
Newport Aquarium, are noticeably popular destinations.
"You'll see a lot of out-of-town license plates," Judge/Executive Steve Pendery says cheerfully.
Add Hollywood to the list of those out-of-town places. Actor/director George Clooney (who grew up nearby and attended Northern Kentucky University) recently used sites in the Newport-Bellevue area for scenes in his upcoming film, "
The Ides of March." When it's red carpet time, folks can toast one another with bubbly (and more) sold at
The Party Source in Bellevue, beer brewed at the
Hofbrauhaus in Newport, or Vidal from Kentucky's wine country.
Two major projects, facilitated by the Campbell County Economic Progress Authority Inc., Campbell County Business Development Corp., and Southbank Partners are expected to significantly change the local landscape. In Dayton, DCI Properties of Cincinnati is developing
Manhattan Harbour. It's expected to be a $900 million riverfront complex of retailers, restaurants, lodging and housing. Meanwhile, Corporex is developing
Ovation, a $1 billion dollar mixed-use development at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio Rivers. If both go as planned, the assessed value of all Campbell County will be about $5.5 billion, Pendery says.
The county's largest employer – and arguably its most dynamic entity – is
Northern Kentucky University in
Highland Heights, where the College of Informatics will soon take root in the $52.8 million Griffin Hall. The mission of the new college is "to graduate students who are savvy about information technology, who are accomplished communicators, and who are intellectually agile 'renaissance people' for the information age." Another burgeoning part of NKU is its College of Health Professions, which just announced creation of a Doctor of Nursing Practice program – to be delivered online.
"The DNP at NKU will provide the opportunity for program graduates to demonstrate scientific knowledge and practice expertise to assure quality patient outcomes," Denise Robinson, regents professor and dean of NKU's College of Health Professions, said in a news release. "This high level of skill is needed to address the complexity of health care needs in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and globally. These nursing experts will be tomorrow's health care leaders." And NKU's
Bank of Kentucky Center, which opened in 2008, is a 10,000 seat, state-of-the-art arena drawing big crowds to concerts, sporting events and related activities.
Just a few of Campbell County's other well-known business entities include:
-
Louis Trauth Dairy in Newport, which processes milk, ice cream, frozen novelties, cultured products, fruit juices and drinks, and water. It was established in 1920.
- Disabled American Veterans, a 1.2 million-member not-for-profit organization. Its national headquarters is in Cold Spring
-
Sara Lee Corp., global manufacturer of a numerous food and coffee products, has a meat plant in Claryville.
-
LaFarge, the global building materials manufacturer, operates a gypsum drywall manufacturing facility in Silver Grove.
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Griffin Industries, founded in 1943 and based in Cold Spring describes itself as "one of the largest independent, privately owned animal byproducts and bakery by-product recycling companies in North America."
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The Castellini group of companies, headed by Cincinnati Reds CEO Bob Castellini, relocated from the Ohio riverfront to the Licking riverfront in Wilder about a decade ago. Castellini is best known as a produce distributor.
What else makes Campbell County an exciting place to be? We took a snapshot of some of its most significant recent developments and inspiring projects on the horizon.
HEALTH CARE
One of six main locations of
St. Elizabeth Healthcare -- the site formerly known as St. Luke Hospital -- is in Ft. Thomas. St. E is looking into converting a nearby former elementary school into doctor's offices to complement its Campbell County resources.
RETAIL
A step away from Newport on the Levee,
Bellevue's Fairfield Avenue is soaring with retail and restaurant activity. Steps away from venerable favorites
Cleves & Lonnemann Jewelers (since 1932) and Schneider's candies (since 1939), there are new art galleries, salons, craft and gift shops, a cupcake/cake shop, pretzel shop, coffee shop, tea room, and Thai restaurant. Foodies are flocking to
Virgil's Café for a creative, frequently changing gourmet experience. And at the sprawling new Pavilion development in nearby Newport, a
Target store and
Kroger Marketplace have opened, a high-profile site off I-471. Meanwhile, over in
Wilder – where the AA Highway has vastly improved access and encouraged growth – there's buzz about
Mellow Mushroom pizza, worth checking out if you're in the area for soccer or a movie.
VITICULTURE
For a true Campbell County experience, sip a vintage from one of local vineyards --
Stonebrook Winery and
Camp Springs Vineyard, both in Camp Springs; or
Seven Wells Winery in California. These sites join vineyards in nearby Augusta and Morningview as part of a fledgling Kentucky "wine trail" tourism initiative.
RECREATION
A.J. Jolly Park, one of several operated by the county, has horse riding trails, a golf course, fishing lake, baseball and soccer fields, an 18-hole disc golf course, campgrounds, and picnic areas. Many cities within the county operate their own parks and greenspaces. In fact, the Kentucky Recreation and Park Society gave the City of Ft. Thomas Department of the Year Award.
RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION
Pendery says a new regional treatment plant ensures the county is capable of more housing starts, and points out that Cold Spring is among the fastest-growing communities in the state.
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