The former John Riley Auto Shop on the corner of Bardstown Road and Grinstead Drive has undergone a massive renovation converting the old bright green eyesore garage into a newly clad brick retail center with 10,000 square feet for up to five stores. The construction crews have been gone for some time now but the property has yet to find tenants. There has been interest in the property, though.
Business First reported in August that Philadelphia retailer Urban Outfitters had expressed interest in leasing the entire building but withdrew suddenly. The Riley family who renovated the property noted that national retailers know little about Louisville’s urban corridor and are slow to move in from the suburbs. Even though the development has its own parking lot with about 30 spaces, anti-urban zoning regulations demanding peak-hour parking capacity prohibit some uses like restaurants.
The new development was designed by Tucker Booker Donhoff Partners of East Market Street and includes traditional references in its brickwork and a covered outdoor sitting area. Situated on one of Louisville’s busiest intersections (pedestrian and vehicle traffic), the project should be readily filled as the economy improves retailing outlooks.
I just ran across this article in researching for a future review of Fontleroy’s, a restaurant that replaced Uncle Maddio’s, also a restaurant. Do you guys know how they got around the “insufficient parking for a restaurant” thing? Waiver, or “what will it take to make this go away?”