I had a meeting last week with a local businessman who mentioned this new downtown business to me. That was the first I’d heard of it but today I came across the press release from the city.
A new gourmet grocery will soon open downtown, thanks in part to a loan from Louisville Metro Government.
The Gourmet Market at Theatre Square will offer a full-service meat
counter, groceries and perishable items when it opens this spring
inside the historic Kentucky Theatre. Owners George Stinson, Ed D.
Lewis and Eric J. Haner received a $50,000 forgivable loan from the
Louisville Metro Business Development Corp.The owners are renovating the theatre, on Fourth Street near the
Brown Hotel, into a retail center that includes a florist, an upscale
wine/liquor shop and a Nancy’s Bagels store.
This has got to be exciting news for downtown residents and even people who work downtown. I do hope though that they cater to downtown residents (meaning being open more than 9-5, including weekends). The convenience of having a grocery, florist, small liquor store and a bagel shop on Fourth Street will be significant I would think for downtown residents.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
This is such a ‘no brainer’! What took so long?
February 20th, 2008 at 9:16 am
I agree, as much as the city has promoted downtown living over the past five years or so you would have thought this kind of necessary business would already be in place. I’m glad it’s coming now though.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
personally i think it’s lame that the place where slint, fugazi, crain and many others played (as well as where some good movies were shown) won’t be a theater any more. i guess the palace, the brown theater, and fourth street live just a few blocks away can’t deal with the competition, but i wish the kentucky could remain architecturally the way it was designed.
that said, old louisville, west end and downtown residents need a good gourmet market. i just wonder how long it will be until a whole foods opens up either in some downtown or highlands location, which if it happened could probably spell doom for this project.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
That’s a very good point about the architectural integrity of the old theater structure.
I don’t know that Whole Foods is going to expand into the Highlands or downtown soon though I would be terribly happy to see a Trader Joe’s come into the Louisville market.