Covington bans owner from tearing down Bavarian Brewery

COVINGTON – Once again the owner of the Bavarian Brewery in Covington asked to be allowed to demolish the historic building.

Once again, city leaders denied the request.

On Tuesday night, Covington City Commission voted unanimously not to allow Columbia Sussex to demolish the 19th century Bavarian Brewery along Interstate 71/75. This upheld a decision in November from the city's Urban Design Review Board that denied the demolition permit.

"I see no evidence from Columbia Sussex that supports that this building has to be torn down to be marketed," said City Commissioner Bill Wells.

This doesn't put the old brewery building out of the woods yet. Columbia Sussex can still appeal to the circuit court. Columbia Sussex attorney Scott Thomas said he'll have to confer with his client before deciding whether to appeal. Columbia Sussex, a hotel and casino operator, has pledged to work with historic preservation groups to market the building.

"I think we all share a fond hope that the planned meetings with interested developers will bear fruit," Thomas said. "If that happens, all this will be moot."

The old brewery building has stirred strong emotions throughout the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. A couple dozen residents cheered when the City Commission reached its decision.

Covington resident Lisa Sauer, one of the leaders of the citizen preservation group Progress With Preservation, said the decision was a big win for the community. She said she believes Columbia Sussex,along with historic preservationists and economic development groups like the Catalytic Fund, can find a buyer for the property.

"I think that process is moving along and I'm very excited about the potential for finding a developer for the site," Sauer said. "I do think it's a big win for the community."

The Bavarian Brewing Co. brewed beer on the spot from the late 1800s to the 1960s. The building most recently served as Jillian's nightclub and restaurant.

The large building has sat vacant for eight years since Jillian's nightclub and restaurant closed.

Columbia Sussex bought the building in 2008 but hasn't found a buyer for the property at its asking price of $7 million.

Demolishing the property would make the land more marketable, representatives with Columbia Sussex have said.

At the heart of the debate was whether an amendment to a development plan for the neighborhood made by the City Commission in 2009 prohibited the demolition of the building. City officials pointed out that Columbia Sussex asked for the amendment. Columbia Sussex's attorney, however, argued that the amendment was to "clarify language" when it wanted permission to demolish smaller buildings on the property. By not allowing Columbia Sussex to demolish the building, the city is essentially taking the property, Thomas said.

The city disagreed. Commissioner Chuck Eilerman questioned Columbia Sussex's effort to sell the building. The Kenton County Property Valuation Administrator valued the property at a little over $1 million while the asking price is $7 million.

"It is hard to understand," Eilerman said. "To tell Kenton County it's worth $1.2 million yet offer it at $7 million and say that's an aggressive approach to marketing the building."

Thomas said the assessed value is the current value while the market value is based on commercial potential of the property.

"Columbia Sussex is being given a 'Catch-22,' " Thomas said. "On one hand, they're being told they can't demolish the building, which would enable them to get a suitor to develop the property and begin to stem the blight in that area, and on the other hand they're being told you can't permit to demolish the building because you don't have that suitor yet."

People that asked the commission to spare the building said the brewery is valuable.

Mark Ramler with Mansion Hill Properties in Newport bought a nearby building to renovate this spring because of its proximity to the brewery.

"It has immeasurable historic significance," Ramler said. "If this building is torn down, it will deflate and damage the entire city of Covington, and nothing new on this site can even compare to the Bavarian. Imagine driving down the Cut-in-the-Hill and seeing an empty lot."