The first home opened on the site of the former Beverly Hills Supper Club.
The 200 luxury Vicinity Apartments will officially open on September 19th. They are part of a larger development called Memorial Pointe. The $65 million project also includes 85 luxury single-family homes developed by Fisher Homes and a 79-unit for-profit assisted living facility.
In the 1970s, the same hilltop in Southgate was home to the Beverly Hills Supper Club, but today it’s best known as the site of a 1977 fire that killed 165 people.
An oral history of the venue conducted by LINK content sharing partner WCPO describes the supper club as a glamorous fusion of Las Vegas, Hollywood and the greater Cincinnati area, where artists such as James Brown, the Righteous Brothers and Rich Little performed.
According to oral history, entertainment entrepreneur Richard Schilling, a Newport native, and his family transformed the Beverly into a two-story, 19-room, 54,000-square-foot “architecturally complex complex.”
“It was the place to host not just shows, but weddings, awards ceremonies and all sorts of special events,” the WCPO article stated. “By 1977, less than two years later, it was no longer considered wise to hold any major events in Beverly Hills.”
On the night of May 28, 1977, the deadliest disaster in metropolitan Cincinnati history occurred.
According to oral history, the cause of the fire was never clearly identified, with rumors circulating ranging from faulty wiring to mafia arson. The only consensus was that overcrowding, an insufficient number of exits and a lack of fire barriers led to changes in national standards.
Fast forward to August 2022, and Southgate City Council approved an IRB specifically for the apartment portion of the Memorial Pointe project. According to the order, developer North American Properties received $34 million to cover the costs of acquisition, construction, equipment and installation for the project.
Memorial Pointe is 80 acres in size, and in addition to developing the homes, the community will maintain green space, create a park and connect the site to Highland Country Club across Blossom Lane.
A memorial for the fire victims was installed at the bottom of Memorial Point Drive, the main entrance to the development. The memorial will be unveiled in May 2023, with an estimated 300 people in attendance.
Next to a stone plaque bearing the names of the victims is a two-sided memorial that features photos of the club, a history of that night through the eyes of firefighters and the names of more than 50 fire departments from Kentucky and Ohio who fought the blaze. One side describes the history of the club, which opened in 1935 as the Beverly Hills Club. The other section, titled “Positive Impact of Tragedy,” lists lessons learned from the tragic night.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on September 19th to mark the official opening of the new apartments.
“We couldn’t be happier with how this community has truly become beautiful,” said Jim Hobson, partner and vice president of development for NAP Cincinnati. “As we always say, it takes a village to build a village.”
Apartment community features:
1 bedroom, 1 bedroom with den, 2 bedroom units. 5 minute commute to downtown Cincinnati. Close to shopping, restaurants and entertainment. Controlled access to building. EV charging stations. Heated saltwater pool and sun deck. Resident lounge. Gazebo with outdoor kitchen. 24 hour fitness center. 24 hour maintenance. Pet friendly. Bark park. Free coffee bar for residents. Outdoor fire pits. Fiber optic Internet enabled. Recycling throughout the community.
“With a picturesque hilltop location, we’re taking luxury living to new heights,” said Matt Origes, managing partner of Vision Realty Group. “Whether you’re looking to be five minutes away from downtown or enjoy all of our luxury amenities, prepare for elevated expectations when you move to Vicinity.”
Vicinity Apartments is located at 3949 Vision Circle in Southgate.
