NuLu Food Hall, a mixed-use co-ed building under development
Foundation work will begin soon on a mixed-use development, to include co-working space and a food hall, on the edge of NuLu.
The as-yet-unnamed building at 750 E. Jefferson St. will be located at 750 E. Jefferson St., said Maria Gratz, CEO of Louisville-based developer Weyland Ventures. It will include about 80,000 square feet of usable space between four floors.
A food hall is planned on the building’s first floor, reminiscent of Logan Street Market and the Village Market in Paristown Point, but also inspired by halls in major cities including Chicago and Denver, Gratz said.
She also envisions providing space for fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers during the summer.
Just above, there will be a co-working space, which Gratz said will co-exist with the dining space below, where workers will hold coffee or lunch meetings downstairs alongside tourists and locals who will come to eat.
“It can almost become an extension of your office,” she said. Specific vendors have not yet been selected for the food hall.
The third and fourth floors of the building will contain traditional office space.
After the construction permit is approved, work is expected to begin at the site at the corner of East Jefferson and South Shelby streets in the next few weeks, Gratz said. Weyland Ventures recently filed paperwork with the city government for a building permit, which is currently under review.
It expects a completion date for the project in the spring of 2025. The project was originally announced in early 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States.
A mixed-use development was always envisioned for the space, but the pandemic modified those plans. Incorporating coworking space to give employers more flexibility, compared to traditional office building long-term leases for larger spaces, seems to make more sense.
“It’s been a great project to think about the future and how to design those buildings and spaces that fit where we’re going rather than where we’ve been,” Gratz said.
As part of an initially expected $115 million comprehensive development plan for the area, Weyland Ventures is also developing the Hilton Tempo Hotel and the adjacent parking garage, along Jefferson Street. Construction has been underway all year and they are scheduled to open in the spring of 2024 before the Kentucky Derby.
DKN Architects, based in Nolo, is working on both the hotel and the mixed-use project, providing some visual continuity between the buildings, Gratz said.
The developer also plans to build a 189-unit market-rate apartment complex as part of the redevelopment of the building, according to plans submitted to Louisville Metro Government. The building is targeted to open in the spring of 2025, Gratz said.
The Louisville Metro Council approved a tax increment financing district for comprehensive development in December 2021.
“It’s been a great experience for our team in looking at how we can continue to create great urban spaces against the backdrop of the pandemic, which we hope we’re moving further and further away from, and figuring out how to make sure these spaces are revitalized moving into the future,” Gratz said.
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