HAMILTON

HAMILTON — The Billy Yanks burger-and-beer bar may open by late April, but the six apartments in the two stories in the building above at 201 Main St. already are available to rent.

“We’re expecting our first tenant in about a week and a half,” said Matt Olliges of Cincinnati’s Vision Realty Group, the building’s developer. “We’re excited. We’ve been working on that for about a year, so we’re happy to start seeing everything come to life.”

The other five apartments are still available, he said. The petfriendly units range between $1,100 and $1,300 per month.

All the apartments are between 1,000 and 1,100 square feet and include one-bedroom, one-bedroom-with-a-den and two-bedroom units.

“Everything’s completely remodeled and brand-new,”

Olliges said. “The hardwood floors, we redid throughout all of the units, and some of the units had fireplace mantels in them that we were able to keep. Other than that, everything else was gutted.”

The apartments have stainless-steel appliances and granite and quartz countertops, painted cabinets, washers and dryers in each unit, with central air conditioning.

“Lots of natural light, open concept,” he said. “The apartments that were there, we could have redone those, but we took out walls to make it that open feel that people like nowadays.”

The apartments should appeal to people who want to live in an urban setting where they can walk to shops and restaurants, Olliges said.

The lot behind the building will be the patio for Billy Yanks, which will be operated by the Cafeo Hospitality Group.

“We’re looking forward to spring, and opening that up,” he said. Aside from the burger-and-beer bar, there also will be a bourbon bar in one area.

Cafeo Hospitality Group is a well-regarded restaurant operator that runs such establishments as Incline Public House in Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood; Jefferson Social in Cincinnati’s The Banks Riverfront Entertainment District; and Press on Monmouth, in Newport, Ky.

“They’re very nice units,” said city Economic Development Specialist Stacey Dietrich-Dudas. “It’s unique, because it’s in a historic building.

It has nice finishes. They kept the original hardwood floors and refinished those.”

Although they’re not working fireplaces, some units have the fireplace fixtures still in them, “and they have really great light, a lot of windows.”

The apartments should give Main Street a further feel of “evening living, as well as businesses during the day and night as well,” Dietrich-Dudas said.

A dozen apartments opened in mid-2019 above the Village Parlor ice cream shop at 302 Main St., and developer Jim Cohen, who build The Marcum development of apartments and retail spaces downtown, plans at least 70 apartments with some retail spaces in the 300 block of Main.

People interested in the newly available apartments can go to www.vrg-1.com or call 513-503-9875.

Contact this reporter at 513-483-5233 or email Mike.Rutledge@coxinc.com.