Oxford restaurant interested in opening rooftop dining in Hamilton

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Quarter Barrel Brewery & Pub, based in Oxford, is interested in the building at the southwest corner of Main and B Streets, where Hamilton officials hope rooftop dining — overlooking the Great Miami River and Hamilton’s downtown — is possible.

Crews have been exploring the structural integrity of the building, and particularly its roof, to ensure it’s sturdy enough, or can be made so, to support diners in what officials hope will be a high-visibility cornerstone for a Main Street entertainment district.

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If a lease agreement goes through, it will mark a second location for Quarter Barrel, which plans to remain in Oxford, said Mike Dingeldein, director of Hamilton’s CORE (Consortium for Ongoing Reinvestment Efforts) Fund.

Dingeldein said Quarter Barrel “is in the lease-negotiation process right now, so attorneys for the CORE and Quarter Barrel are working on lease terms, and that’s where they are, so they can’t announce officially until they have a signed lease.”

Quarter Barrel plans to occupy all three stories of the building at 101-103 Main St.

Sept. 1 is a hoped-for opening date. It serves craft beers and a diverse wine selection, with an eclectic menu in a warm atmosphere.

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The building now is owned by Hamilton, but will be transferred to CORE before the lease agreement is signed, he said.

“The whole building, we’re doing structural remediation, is what I call it,” Dingeldein said. “We’re reinforcing columns, tightening up things and leveling off floors, and that kind of stuff. That’s kind-of a separate effort, because that’s a landlord kind-of effort, and we’ll do that no matter what happens with Quarter Barrel.”

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