Foundation work will soon get underway on a mixed-use development, to include a co-working space and a food hall, on the edge of the NuLu.
The yet-unnamed building at 750 E. Jefferson St. will include about 80,000 square feet of usable space between four floors, said Mariah Gratz, CEO of Louisville-based development firm Weyland Ventures.
A food hall is planned for the building’s first floor, reminiscent of Logan Street Market and The Village Market in Paristown Point, but also drawing inspiration from halls in bigger cities including Chicago and Denver, Gratz said.
She also envisions space for fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers during the summer.
Directly above will be a co-working space, which Gratz said will co-exist with the dining space below, with workers taking coffee or lunch meetings downstairs alongside tourists and locals popping in for a bite to eat.
“It can almost become an extension of your office,” she said. No specific vendors have yet been selected for the food hall.
The building’s third and fourth floors will hold traditional office space.
With a foundation permit approved, work on the site at the corner of East Jefferson and South Shelby streets is expected to begin in the next few weeks, Gratz said. Weyland Ventures recently submitted papers to city government for a building permit, which is under review.
She anticipates a project completion date of spring 2025. The project was originally announced in early 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S.
A mixed-use development was always envisioned for the space, but the pandemic tweaked those plans. Incorporating a co-working space to give employers more flexibility, compared to long-term traditional office building leases for larger spaces, seemed to make more sense.
“It’s been a great project to think about the future and how we design those buildings and spaces for where we’re going and not where we’ve been,” Gratz said.
As part of an overall initially projected $115 million development plan for the area, Weyland Ventures is also developing the Hilton Tempo Hotel and parking garage next door, along Jefferson Street. Construction has been underway all year and the two are set to open in spring 2024 ahead of the Kentucky Derby.
DKN Architects, based in NuLu, is working on both the hotel and the mixed-use project, Gratz said, giving some visual continuity between the buildings.
The developer also plans to build an 189-unit market-rate apartment complex, as part of the redevelopment of the block, according to plans filed with Louisville Metro Government. Gratz said that building is targeted for a spring 2025 opening.
The Louisville Metro Council approved a tax-increment financing district for the overall development in December 2021.
“It’s been a great experience for our team in looking at how to continue to create great urban spaces with the backdrop of the pandemic, which we’re hopefully moving further and further away from, and figuring out how to make sure those spaces are activated moving into the future,” Gratz said.
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Growth & development reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at [email protected], 502-582-4000 or on Twitter @mattglo.