Saturday, August 22nd, 2020
A grand development
Residential, entertainment district in lakeshore plan
By William Kincaid
Photo by Nancy Allen/The Daily Standard
Boardwalk Grill on Celina's West Bank Road has undergone significant renovations. It's one piece of a new development called the Boardwalk District by Bruns Construction Enterprises that will entail a walkable neighborhood of cottages and potentially townhouses and flats, an entertainment district and retail space.
CELINA - A new development encompassing residences dwellings, an entertainment district and Boardwalk Grill restaurant is shaping up for West Bank Road.
If all goes as planned, work on phase 1 of the Boardwalk District would get underway this fall, according to Randy Bruns. Bruns Construction Enterprises is developing the project.
The Boardwalk District supplants plans for a condominium/hotel-style area called The Boardwalk Resort, Bruns said. The former proposal, first revealed in 2013, encountered roadblocks, and over the last few years a retooled concept surfaced calling for a closely connected walkable neighborhood.
"We would expect this to be a multigenerational neighborhood," he added.
Numerous details, though, still need to be hammered out. For instance, Bruns said those involved are still weighing whether the housing units - which will be made up of cottages and potentially townhouses - would be rented or sold to residents.
Details were revealed at a Celina Planning Commission meeting on Thursday night, when commissioners unanimously agreed to a conditional use request allowing the project to proceed.
"From a city standpoint, we're really excited," commissioner and mayor Jeff Hazel said.
Project representative Carl Huber laid out designs showing the recently revamped Boardwalk Grill; an entertainment area with a band stage, deck, space for cornhole and other games; and a residential area comprising townhouses, cottages, a community pool and playground.
Also carved out is retail space for startups or offices, he said.
The project would be completed in various phases.
"Phase 1 is going to be the area centrally located around the swimming pool area, those seven cottages there and then the townhouses behind it," Huber said. "Then we expand probably to tie in the retail space and those other cottages."
Commissioner Tom Hone said the board has looked at this area a number of times over the years.
"Is this a completely new (concept)?" he asked.
Hazel said it is a fresh plan. City officials have held multiple meetings with the developers and all departments are on board, commissioner and city safety service director Tom Hitchcock added.
"From a housing standpoint, the city is just ecstatic," Hazel enthused.
He pointed to the substantial improvements made to the adjoining restaurant called Boardwalk Grill, which underwent six months of renovation.
"They have done so much work with (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) on it they don't have to fight them now because that's already been done," Hazel said.
Hazel was referencing the steps developers have taken with their previous project - The Boardwalk Resort - to ensure that it complied with state dam safety standards.
City officials have held multiple meetings and presentations with developers on issues ranging from how to get an aerial truck to the site to making sure utilities were adequate.
After the meeting Bruns told the newspaper he hopes to see cottages up by spring. A unit reservation list may be opened as early as December, he said.
