Former Ford assembly plant sells for $4.4 million

Amkin Hill Street LLC, the company that purchased the EverBank Center in September, paid $4.4 million for about 35 acres including the old Ford Motor Co. plant near the Mathews Bridge last week, according to county records.

The Miami-based company purchased the plant from Hill Street LLC, according to the records.

The transaction is for eight properties, including the former assembly plant at 1900 Wambolt St., 639 and 709 Talleyrand Ave., 1816 Clarkson St. and 1901 Hill St., as well as a vacant…

Why ​Hamilton County won't take over the former Mount Airy hospital

Hamilton County commissioners formally said on Monday what had been obvious for months: They won’t take over the former Mercy Mount Airy hospital site because it costs too much to renovate it for the county’s needs.

Agreement amongst the commissioners was unanimous. For commissioners Greg Hartmann and Chris Monzel, the main issue was cost. Building out the facility would have required a new revenue source, and Hartmann and Monzel generally oppose increasing taxes. Beyond cost, for Commissioner Todd…

Buffalo Irish Center uses crowdfunding to defer costs of upgrades

The team of volunteers that runs the Buffalo Irish Center, an 88-year-old landmark in South Buffalo, were considering a substantial fundraiser to fund much-needed repairs.

They used to raise money through bingo. This time, they turned to a crowdfunding platform called GoFundMe.

Times have changed.

The Irish Center hit its $25,000 goal in roughly a month and is still going as its GoFundMe page zooms around the web, having been officially “shared” more than 1,000 times via Facebook and Twitter.

It…

​Michael Sternberg moves on from Star Restaurant Group

After two years with Star Restaurant Group, industry veteran Michael Sternberg is moving on — but to what is still up in the air.

Sternberg sold his share of the company, which most recently opened Walrus Oyster Bar in National Harbor, to his business partners, Kristopher Carr, Desmond Reilly and Stuart Damon.

He declined to disclose the financial details.

Sternberg, who previously worked with the Harry’s Tap Room chain and then launched Market Tavern out of one of the Harry’s locations in Clarendon,…

House of 1,000 Beers may open 2nd location in North Hills

The new ownership of House of 1,000 Beers, the New Kensington craft beer restaurant and bottle shop, is zeroing on a second location in the North Hills.

A partnership between Wexford-based restaurant consultant Ron Sofranko and Art Barbus, who bought the popular New Kensington business last fall, is pursuing a plan to build a new 4,000-square-foot House of 1,000 Beers on Route 19 to anchor Marshall Crossing, a new 12,000-square-foot strip center slated for a 2.8-acre site next to Labriola’s Italian…