“We are opening the complex in phases, so our 233-room hotel will begin welcoming guests on May 3 and then our restaurant, bar, retail outlets, Champion Mill Conference Center and Spooky Nook Sports will open later this summer,” she said.
When it opens, Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill is expected to be one of the largest convention centers and indoor sports facilities in the country. It will also be home to several second locations Hamilton businesses, including Sara’s House, Petals & Wicks, and Municipal Brew Works. There will also be some unique shops inside the complex, as well as the Forklift & Palate Restaurant, an eatery that’s at the original Spooky Nook in Pennsylvania.
The opening of the Warehouse Hotel is expected to be followed by the convention center at Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill. The hotel and convention center are within the same 600,000-square-foot complex along North B Street. Later this summer, the 600,000-square-foot multi-event and sports complex across North B Street is anticipated to open.
The opening of Warehouse Hotel will be lined up with the opening of North B Street between Black Street and Park Avenue, which had been closed to through traffic since May 2020.
The first event to be held at Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill will be the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce’s Play Ball event set for 5 to 10 p.m. on May 19. Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President Dan Bates said once Spooky Nook is fully open, the city could see thousands of visitors every weekend, and if a small business in the city sees just 20 additional customers on a weekend, “that’s a big deal.”
“It increases their ability to be much more profitable,” he said. “And this isn’t just someone that’s going to come once. This could be a regular customer that comes back two or three times a year for multiple years.”
And eventually, this could transform normally slower weekday nights into busier nights because locals may not want to wait for tables on a weekend.
“It takes what is already happening in the city, which is extremely exciting with what (City Manager) Joshua Smith and his team have been doing for the past 11, 12 years, and escalates it,” he said. “The city was moving forward anyway. (Spooky Nook) ramps everything up and puts everything on steroids.”
Spooky Nook is projected to have an annual economic impact of $100 million as the complex can host multiple events simultaneously, and not only downtown Hamilton restaurants and shops are a short walk or drive south of the complex, but neighboring communities also anticipate economic boosts.
“Certainly the opening of the Spooky Nook hotel is fantastic,” said Butler County Visitors Bureau Executive Director Mark Hecquet. “Anytime a new hotel hits the market place it’s exciting, and obviously, with the Spooky Nook project and all the things that come with that, it’s a first, exciting event towards the completion of the entire complex.”
“I am excited for the residents of Hamilton and the surrounding area to see what an incredible project it has become, and how this complex will continue to positively impact our city for generations to come."
Dozens of potential events have committed to using Spooky Nook, including the Model T Ford Club International’s 65th Model T Tour from July 17 to 22. The car show will feature more than 200 Model Ts, and will alone have a regional expected economic impact exceeding $285,000.
The Spooky Nook project is essentially a dozen, if not more, projects in one enormous development. It has been the most complex project Hamilton Economic Development Director Jody Gunderson’s career, he said.
“I have learned to appreciate the talents of a number of professionals, and I am thankful for the small role I had in helping this project move forward,” he said. “Having toured the Hamilton facility while it’s been under construction, I am excited for the residents of Hamilton and the surrounding area to see what an incredible project it has become, and how this complex will continue to positively impact our city for generations to come.”
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