The Kenwood Collection
A mixed-use shopping and dining center in Kenwood, Ohio, formerly known as Kenwood Towne Place.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Kenwood Collection is a shopping and dining center in Kenwood, Ohio, situated between Interstate 71 and Kenwood Towne Centre. The property was developed as Kenwood Towne Place, a large mixed-use project intended to combine retail, restaurants, services, office space and structured public parking in one of the Cincinnati area's established commercial districts. Its development was funded by Bear Creek Capital, Neyer Holding Corporation and Dov Limited, with a reported development budget of $175 million. A separate public parking garage, financed through bonds underwritten by the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, was planned at a reported cost of $33 million. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on April 4, 2007. The original leasing plan emphasized relatively large-format and specialty retailers, including The Container Store, Crate & Barrel, Ethan Allen, Kroger and LA Fitness. The project also sought to add office tenancy; UBS Financial Services agreed in 2008 to lease approximately 32,000 square feet on the top floor. Borders Books was announced as another prospective tenant in March 2008, with plans for a prototype store offering a more upscale bookstore environment. Kroger opened a Fresh Fare location in 2008, followed by The Container Store and Crate & Barrel later that year. Mitchell's Salon & Day Spa opened in 2009. The development encountered severe financial and construction difficulties during the global financial crisis. Contractors filed liens against the project in late 2008 and early 2009, and the aggregate value of claims grew substantially as work remained incomplete while some retailers were already operating. Lenders halted further disbursements until the liens were addressed. The project subsequently became the subject of contractor lawsuits, foreclosure proceedings, receivership and a federal criminal investigation related to alleged misuse of project and loan funds. Safety and occupancy issues also emerged, including deficiencies involving fire alarms, sprinklers and other building systems. Kroger closed its location in May 2010, reportedly the first time the company had closed a newly opened store. Bank of America acquired the property at a Hamilton County Sheriff's auction in July 2012 and later sold it to Phillips Edison. In 2013, Phillips Edison renamed the property The Kenwood Collection. The center's tenant mix has changed over time and has included national retailers, specialty stores, restaurants, fitness businesses, entertainment venues and personal-service operators. Reported occupants have included Whole Foods, L.L.Bean, Old Navy, Ethan Allen, Crate & Barrel, The Container Store, Crunch Fitness, Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, Texas de Brazil, Olio Italian, Matt the Miller's Tavern, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and The Kenwood Theater. Some previously listed tenants, including Kroger, LA Fitness, CycleBar, Z Gallerie and Envision Cinemas, have closed or departed. The property has also drawn attention over its parking-management practices. Brookfield Properties has been described as using Vigilant license-plate-reader technology for parking enforcement and crime-prevention or law-enforcement investigations, while stating that the data is not used for marketing. The system reportedly records plate information, an image of the vehicle area around the plate, location and time. This practice was discussed in broader reporting and advocacy criticism concerning the use of commercial license-plate data by law-enforcement contractors. The Kenwood Collection is therefore best understood not as a conventional consumer product brand, but as a physical retail destination whose identity has been shaped by redevelopment, tenant turnover, ownership changes, litigation and ongoing mixed-use operations.
History
The property began as Kenwood Towne Place, a major mixed-use development planned for Kenwood, Ohio, between Interstate 71 and the existing Kenwood Towne Centre. Bear Creek Capital, Neyer Holding Corporation and Dov Limited were identified as the principal development participants. The project was reported to involve $175 million in development spending, alongside a $33 million public parking garage supported through bonds underwritten by the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority. Groundbreaking took place on April 4, 2007. The initial concept relied on a broad mix of national retailers, home-furnishing businesses, grocery, fitness and office tenants. The Container Store, Crate & Barrel, Ethan Allen, Kroger and LA Fitness were among the anticipated anchors. In 2008, Borders Books was announced for a 28,000-square-foot space intended to showcase a new prototype format, and UBS Financial Services signed a lease for approximately 32,000 square feet of office space on the top floor. Kroger opened a Fresh Fare store in 2008, followed later that year by The Container Store and Crate & Barrel. Mitchell's Salon & Day Spa joined the center in 2009. The project became financially unstable during the late-2000s economic downturn. Contractors began filing liens in late 2008, and the number and value of claims escalated sharply in early 2009. Because lenders suspended additional construction funding until the liens were resolved, the complex was left in a partially completed and partially occupied condition. Subcontractors initiated litigation over unpaid work, and LA Fitness became one of the tenants pursuing the developers. Local officials also discussed possible assistance for small businesses affected by the disruption. Physical and safety issues compounded the financial problems. Local fire officials warned that occupancy approvals could be withdrawn unless deficiencies involving fire alarms, sprinklers and other systems were corrected. The development entered receivership on June 9, 2009. Bank of America separately filed a foreclosure action seeking repayment of project loans. The court proceedings generated additional disputes involving the appointment and resignation of receivers, alleged improper relationships and alleged large-scale fraud. The litigation became one of the most extensive civil cases handled by the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, according to contemporary reporting summarized in the reference article. The project also became the subject of a criminal investigation initially involving the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department and later the FBI. Matt Daniels, associated with Bear Creek Capital, was indicted in 2012 on conspiracy and fraud counts. Former Bear Creek chief financial officer Tina Schmidt pleaded guilty to a count involving conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Daniels was acquitted in December 2013 of the remaining charges against him, with other counts dismissed. Civil litigation reportedly concluded through a consent-decree judgment involving investor Tim Baird, although the development's financial consequences continued to shape its ownership and tenant history. Kroger closed its location on May 30, 2010, while LA Fitness also later departed. Bank of America purchased the property at a Hamilton County Sheriff's auction in July 2012 for a reported $27.5 million and subsequently sold it to Phillips Edison. Phillips Edison renamed the center The Kenwood Collection in 2013. Over subsequent years, the property developed a changing mix of retail, restaurant, fitness, service and entertainment occupants, including Whole Foods, L.L.Bean, Old Navy, Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, Texas de Brazil, Olio Italian, Matt the Miller's Tavern and The Kenwood Theater. A later operational issue concerned parking surveillance. Brookfield Properties was described as using Vigilant license-plate-reader technology to enforce parking rules and support crime-prevention or law-enforcement investigations. The stated data set included plate numbers, vehicle images, geographic location and timestamps, with the operator saying the information was not used for targeted marketing. The practice was discussed alongside wider criticism from digital-privacy advocates about the sharing of commercial license-plate data with law-enforcement contractors. The Kenwood Collection's history consequently combines ambitious suburban retail development with a prolonged restructuring, legal disputes, tenant turnover and continuing debates over property operations and privacy.
- 2013
Property renamed The Kenwood Collection
[1]Following a sale to Phillips Edison, the center adopted its current name.
- 2012
Bank of America acquires the property
[1]Bank of America bought the property at a Hamilton County Sheriff's auction.
- 2010
Kroger location closes
[1]The Fresh Fare store closed on May 30 amid the center's continuing difficulties.
- 2009
Receivership begins
[1]The property entered receivership on June 9 as financing, lien and construction disputes intensified.
- 2008
First major retailers open
[1]Kroger opened a Fresh Fare store, followed later in the year by The Container Store and Crate & Barrel.
- 2007
Groundbreaking for Kenwood Towne Place
[1]Construction began on April 4 for the planned mixed-use retail and office development.
Products and positioning
A higher-end, mixed-use retail and dining destination serving the Cincinnati metropolitan area, with a tenant mix spanning home furnishings, apparel, specialty retail, restaurants, fitness and entertainment.
Shopping center · 2007
The Kenwood Collection
The principal offering is a physical mixed-use destination containing specialty retail, restaurants, services, fitness operators, entertainment and office space. Its tenant roster has changed substantially since the original Kenwood Towne Place development, but the center has continued to serve as a regional shopping and dining destination adjacent to Kenwood Towne Centre.
Parking facility · 2007
Structured public parking
A public parking garage was incorporated into the development plan to support the retail, office and service uses. The garage was described as a separately financed public-infrastructure component of the original project.
Controversies
2012
Criminal investigation of development financing
Federal prosecutors indicted Matt Daniels on conspiracy and fraud counts, while former Bear Creek CFO Tina Schmidt pleaded guilty to a bank-fraud conspiracy count. Daniels was later acquitted of the remaining charges against him.
2009
Construction liens, foreclosure and receivership
Unpaid-contractor claims, lender action and alleged financial irregularities led to extensive civil litigation and the property's placement into receivership.
License-plate-reader privacy concerns
The reported use of Vigilant license-plate-reader technology for parking and security purposes became part of broader public criticism concerning commercial vehicle-location data and law-enforcement access.
Brand decisions
2013
Rename the property The Kenwood CollectionStrategyBackground
After foreclosure-related ownership changes and the sale from Bank of America to Phillips Edison, the property required a new identity following the troubled Kenwood Towne Place development.
Action taken
Phillips Edison changed the property's name to The Kenwood Collection.
Aftermath
The renamed center continued operating with a revised and changing mix of retail, dining, service and entertainment tenants.
Recent events
- 2013
Property sold and renamed The Kenwood Collection[1]
M&A · Other
After Bank of America acquired the property at a sheriff's auction and sold it to Phillips Edison, the property received its current name.
- 2010
Kroger closes Fresh Fare location[1]
Other
Kroger closed its Kenwood Towne Place store on May 30, 2010, amid the center's continuing financial and physical problems.
- 2008
Major retail and office tenants announced[1]
Other
Kroger, The Container Store and Crate & Barrel opened or committed to the project, while UBS Financial Services agreed to lease top-floor office space and Borders Books was announced as a prospective tenant.
- 2007
Kenwood Towne Place breaks ground[1]
Other
The mixed-use development began construction in Kenwood, Ohio, with Bear Creek Capital, Neyer Holding Corporation and Dov Limited identified as development participants.
Parking license-plate reader practices draw scrutiny[1]
Regulation · Other
The center's parking operator was reported to use Vigilant license-plate-reader technology for parking enforcement and crime-prevention purposes, prompting discussion about commercial vehicle-data collection.
Sources1 sources
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