The new acquisition was where the former 1560 WCNW Christian radio format station was located. The property was owned by Vernon R. Baldwin Inc., and Bonaminio purchased the property in June for $850,000, according to the Butler County auditor’s website. Vernon R. Baldwin Inc. ran WCNW for decades until it ceased operations in May 2023. Vernon R. Baldwin Inc. still owns 1450 WMOH.
“We’ve been trying to get it for years,” said Adams. “They weren’t ready to sell.”
But they were patient until the property came on the market, he said. Though there are not plans for it, Adams said the purchase “was a ‘grab it while it was here’ kind of thing.”
Whatever goes there, it needs to be something that’s “going to generate excitement for the store,” he said. It may not be more traditional retail, but it could be a hotel or apartments, or maybe an ice hockey rink.
Adams’ mention of ice hockey is based on news earlier this year when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said there had been “preliminary” interest in Greater Cincinnati for an expansion hockey team, according to Journal-News content partner WCPO Channel 9.
“One of our problems is that we have a lot of dreams. It’s which one do we make a reality here. Once we figure out which dream we’re chasing, then we got to figure out how to make it real,” Adams said. “We’re brainstorming with different realtors and different people trying to figure out makes sense.”
Fairfield city officials said Jungle Jim’s International Market recently obtained a demolition permit to remove the former radio station and the equipment. The land is already being cleared of trees.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
“We’re excited that Jungle continues to invest in Fairfield and we look forward to working with him,” said Fairfield Development Services Director Greg Kathman. “He always develops top-class projects and we can’t wait to see what comes next.”
The next project on the Jungle Jim’s property is likely a swath of land between the GE Credit Union and Planet Fitness — land Bonaminio already owned. Adams said there’s interest in marketing it for a restaurant.
“That’s all we can put on from a building standpoint, without us acquiring that (former radio station) land,” Adams said.
Whatever is built, more parking for Jungle Jim’s will be needed.
“We’re running out of parking spaces every Saturday. It’s a big, big struggle on Saturdays,” Adams said. “(The new land) will help us to move some of the employee parking back a couple more rows and to be able to add more to the property.”
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