LIBERTY TWP. – Construction on an 18,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor entertainment complex near Lakota East High School, will begin later this month.
The project is the brainchild of township residents Mike and Heather Ewers who have renamed and enlarged the complex from their original plans last year.
Liberty Collective, formerly named Liberty Food Park, will be built on a 3.44-acre site on Lakota Lane.
It features five restaurant concepts plus a coffee/breakfast bar, ice cream shop, and three bars. Outdoors, there will be five multi-use sand volleyball courts, cornhole sets, a second-floor patio that can be enclosed for golf simulator bays, and bocce ball courts.
A large, bi-fold glass hanger door and two, large, glass roll-up doors will connect the indoor and outdoor spaces.
“It is important to us to bring a fun, family-centered establishment to the place we live in,’’ said Heather Ewers. “We hope Liberty Collective will be the gathering space for the community to come together.”
Delays gave the couple time to rethink the concept.
More:New indoor/outdoor entertainment center coming to Liberty Township
“We’re extending the mezzanine area to include private meeting rooms – something the community was looking for. We view this as the backyard of Liberty Township where people can come together, share drinks and make memories,’’ said Mike Ewers.
The couple is partnering with Rob Long, a township resident and founder of Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball, and volleyball Olympian gold medalist Kerry Walsh-Jennings’ non-profit foundation for its volleyball training and operations.
“I’m excited about this. I believe we need more entertainment for residents and visitors,’’ said Tom Farrell, Liberty Township trustee.
“Their passion for what they’re doing – and doing it in Liberty Township gives me goosebumps.”
The first floor will be about 11,000 square feet and the mezzanine, 7,000 square feet – up from the original 3,000 square feet, Ewers said.
Five chefs will have their own cooking spaces. Each will have walk-up ordering. Patrons will then be able to eat in a large open space with a variety of seating options from long tables for team gatherings; high, bistro-like tables; and family-sized tables for smaller groups.
“They want to be an incubator for chefs in the area who don’t have the finances to open their own residents. This gives them the opportunity to do that,” Farrell said.
The complex is set to open in spring 2024, with a full programming schedule, Mike Ewers said. The venue will partner with schools, community organizations, and non-profit groups to host gatherings such as trivia nights, live music, and summer movie nights.
