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With the economy in a downturn, many businesses are moving out of area shopping centers and strip malls at whiplash speed.

Not so at Bridgewater Falls, the 66-acre lifestyle center at Bypass Ohio 4 and Princeton Road in Fairfield Twp. that continues to add shopping and dining options.

Recent months have seen the addition of Japanese restaurant Fuji Steak House, Massage Envy, Noble Roman's Pizza and Skeffington's Formal Wear.

With 44 storefronts, the center is approaching 90 percent occupancy, said Norm Burtke of CB Richard Ellis, a real estate corporation that manages the property. The planned summer opening of the 1,680-square-foot Fitness Together and other businesses should put the center closer than ever to a year-end goal of 95 percent occupancy.

Deals are in the works to bring restaurants to the center's two remaining outlots next to Max & Erma's and Chili's.

"We're anticipating those leases being signed by summer's end," said Julie Krause, property marketing specialist for Bridgewater Falls.

Kathy Couch, a tuxedo specialist at Skeffington's, said its Bridgewater Falls store racked up more business in its first day than any of the formal wear business's 11 other Greater Cincinnati locations.

"I wasn't sure if being in the middle section (of the shopping center) if people would find us, but they are," Couch said, noting the increased volume of business the store has enjoyed since moving from Hamilton's West side.

Monroe resident Helen Sherard said she's been shopping at Bridgewater Falls every week since anchor store Target opened in late 2004.

"They have everything," she said. "I like the book store (Books A Million), TJ Maxx ... plus it's the closest place to shop, for me."

The area's commercial surge is not limited to Bridgewater Falls. LA Fitness opened its 38,000-square-foot facility earlier this month just across Princeton Road, behind a new National City bank location.

About half a mile to the west, crews are readying a 53-acre tract on the southwest corner of Princeton and Gilmore roads approved last week by trustees for a Menards home improvement store and nine outlots.

Continued growth means increased revenues for joint economic development districts that include Bridgewater Falls businesses, Wal-Mart and Kohl's. Those revenues, which can be used to fund area infrastructure projects, saw a 15.3 percent boost through April of this year, according to township records.

Lynn Daulton of Fairfield Twp. said recent growth has a more immediate effect: Residents can get all the services they need without leaving the area.

"You don't have to travel to Hamilton or Fairfield or Monroe anymore," she said. "Everything we need is right here."