The first phase of construction has officially begun on a new concert venue on the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky.
It was first announced in May by concert promoter PromoWest and its partner AEG Presents that construction would begin after 10 years of planning. In addition to the venue, a two-story parking garage will be constructed, which construction crews have already begun working on. Since the Ovation venue was announced, it took six weeks to get all the site plan approved and permits needed for Corporex Cos, the managing director Tom Banta told Cincinnati.com.
“The City of Newport has been great to work with, and the entitlement and approval process has been very smooth,” Banta said. “We are doing a staged design, permit and construction process that will allow us to fast track the project to completion.”
After the first phase of construction is completed in 2020, more construction will begin for residential and commercial spaces near the venue, up to 5 million square feet. The development will be raised on top of elevated garages, creating a perfect view of downtown Newport and the Ohio River. When complete, the project will be take up about a quarter of the 120-acre Banks development and feature parks, plazas, and trails, Cincinnati.com reports.
The concert venue has already sparked interest, as Banta already said he has been receiving calls from people after the announcement was made. Another competing venue, set to be placed across the Ohio River at The Banks in Cincinnati, is still up-in-the-air.
