SOUTHGATE, Ky. — More than four decades after the Tri-State's deadliest tragedy, plans have been announced for a $65 million residential development on the site of the 1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club fire.
The 80-acre development, called Memorial Point, would include luxury apartments, single-family homes and an assisted living center as well as a memorial to 165 people killed in the fire, officials said in a release.
"It has been nearly 43 years since that tragic night, and there have been a number of proposals over the years to develop the site," said Southgate Mayor Jim Hamberg. "I'm excited that we waited for the right project and the right developer.”
RELATED: Survivor accounts from during and after the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire.
The City of Southgate announced it had approved an agreement with Ashley Builders and Vision Realty Group for the joint venture. The two companies had previously partnered on The Kent Lofts in Bellevue.
“Ashley Builders Group is a top-notch, family-owned Northern Kentucky company that has a tremendous reputation for developing quality projects,” Hamberg said. “The City was encouraged by Ashley's plans for a fitting memorial, which City Council wholly supports.”
The memorial is planned for land along U.S. 27 and would include:
- Names of the victims;
- A list of units that responded to the fire;
- A list of the federal and state fire safety regulations that were implemented as a result of the fire;
- Maps of the site in 1977.
A marker honoring the victims would also be placed in the park built as part of the residential project at the top of the hill.
Members of the Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire Group have expressed support for the project, according to the release. Hamberg said some survivors would be included on a memorial committee. The memorial would be donated to the City of Southgate.
PHOTO GALLERY: How the Beverly Hills site looked on the 40th anniversary in 2017.
Memorial Point would be built in phases over approximately five years with construction tentatively beginning in the fall of 2021, according to the release. The project would include:
- 89 two- to four-bedroom homes starting in the upper $300,000 range. A Home Owners Association would maintain the units, a neighborhood park and greenspace.
- 100 to 200 luxury apartments with rents from $1,100 to $2,000 a month featuring a common area with a swimming pool, indoor exercise facility and an event center for parties, meetings and family gatherings.
- A for-profit assisted-living facility of 79 residential units with care and support fees offered at $3,000 to $6,000 a month.
Ashley said it would construct a right-of-way road through the development connecting Blossom Lane to U.S. 27. Blossom Lane would not be used by construction traffic, including trucks, semis, construction equipment, and debris-hauling vehicles, Ashley said.
The site would include on-site stormwater detention areas as requested by SD1, according to Ashley.
DOWNLOAD the concept plan.
Hamberg said Memorial Point could generate up to $450,000 a year in new tax revenue besides attracting new residents to the city.
The project will now go before the Campbell County Planning and Zoning Commission, which has 90 days to review it. A public hearing has been scheduled for July 14.
The site is currently zoned for professional office development and must be changed to residential type zones to accommodate the project.
RELATED: How the community marked the 40th anniversary of the fire.
