NEWPORT, Ky. – A billion dollar project looks to transform Northern Kentucky.

A future concert venue, new office space, housing, and retail space will attract visitors from not just in Kentucky but all across the country.

“It is going to be a really miraculous transformation from when I grew up here,” said Thomas Fromme, Newport’s city manager.

The site is currently under active construction that began in July 2019.

Corporex in partnership with AEG Presents / PromoWest announced May 9^th, 2019, a new $40 million, 38,000 square foot concert venue which was the catalyst to kick off Phase I of Ovation in Newport, Kentucky.

The facility is expected to host around 180 events a year and will accommodate indoor capacities of up to 2,700—and an outdoor capacity for summer shows of up to 7,000 concert goers.

The facility is expected to attract over 350,000 to 400,000 fans annually to this intimate music setting. The concert hall will sit atop a 550-car structured parking garage.

“It’ll bring a lot of acts that would not have been available to us in the past,” said Fromme. “It will bring in people who have never visited Newport before.”

The Venue Plaza will be linked to the future phases of the Ovation development via a pedestrian walkway over the recently opened Route 9 extension.

The pedestrian bridge will be linked to the restaurants, night life, and other entertainment spots

Fromme said it will help people remember that the region is more than just suburbs on the outskirts of Cincinnati.

“I think often times people from other parts of the state look at us being part of Cincinnati,” said Fromme. “We are a part of the Cincinnati region, but we are also a vital part of the state of Kentucky as well.”

The city expects the concert venue to be completed in 2020. Fromme estimates the second phase to be a 5 to 6 year build out. But, he is optimistic about what the future brings as the projects come to fruition.

“We feel we have a bright future and we’re so thrilled,” he said.