Taylor Mill, KY - February 4, 2014: 

By Cindy Schroeder - cschroeder@nky.com

By next fall, Taylor Mill will have three Greater Cincinnati business icons under one roof: Skyline Chili, LaRosa's Pizzeria and Graeter's ice cream.

Gary Holland, a principal of the Holland Rosen Group, announced Monday that Graeter's has signed a lease for 2,100 square feet on the first floor of a three-story building that local officials predict will kick-start development of the Districts of Taylor Mill, a multimillion-dollar, 157-acre commercial development at the city's northern edge.

"We now have the final jewel in the Triple Crown of Cincinnati favorites," Holland said. Last week, HGC Construction of Cincinnati began digging the foundation for the mixed-use, 35,000-square-foot building, and he expects all three concepts will open in mid-September.

Besides serving ice cream, Holland said, the Taylor Mill Graeter's will sell baked goods, coffee and candy. It will be Graeter's third Northern Kentucky location and its 17th in Greater Cincinnati, according to the company's website.

Like Graeter's newest location in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine, the Taylor Mill store will have an updated decor and menu but will still maintain the traditional feel of other Graeter's locations in the region, Holland said. He said Rich Graeter, CEO of the company that bears his family's name, has indicated his company also plans to add at least one more Graeter's location in the Florence area in the next couple of years.

"We think this is truly the start of something great," said Taylor Mill Administrator Jill Bailey. "We see this as the first of many developments to come."

The first floor of Holland Rosen Group's building will be home to a 3,500-square-foot Skyline Chili with a drive-thru window, a 6,000-square-foot LaRosa's Pizzeria with a party room and indoor-outdoor full bar. The Graeter's will occupy the center section.

The building's second and third floors will be occupied by office and medical users, Holland said. Holland Rosen Group, which employs about 800, with concepts in Skyline Chili, LaRosa's Pizzerias and First Watch Daytime Cafes, also will occupy the 9,000-square-foot third floor. Its corporate headquarters will include a corporate training facility and wellness center for its workers. 

Holland added he is working with First Commercial Realty to find tenants for the remaining 10,000 square feet of office/medical space on the second floor. About 150 jobs will be created for the $10 million project, The Enquirer previously reported.

"Taylor Mill is an extremely convenient location, minutes from Cincinnati, the airport, and all parts of Northern Kentucky," he said. "Based upon recent interest, we believe the remaining space will be leased shortly."

Bailey said in a statement that city leaders see Holland as "a true visionary leader" when it comes to the development of Taylor Mill's downtown.

City officials hope to create a destination that will boost the local tax base through the Districts of Taylor Mill. They also expect to draw office and commercial developments that will benefit from high visibility and easy access for drivers and pedestrians. The city's plans for the four districts call for dry cleaners, hotels, drugstores, larger retail stores and a professional business hub in a campus-like setting.

The Holland Rosen Group "is building the first block of what we consider downtown Taylor Mill," she said. "We see this as a family friendly environment that you can walk to and take your kids to."