LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Craft House Pizza opened its sixth Louisville location at Colonial Gardens on Monday, the historic development at the corner of New Cut Road and West Kenwood Drive across from Iroquois Park.

It took the place of Union 15, which closed near the end of 2023. In fact, there has been a lot of turnover at Colonial Gardens. In the last five years, it's become sort of musical chairs with restaurants like Biscuit Belly, Taco Luchador and Union 15 all moving in then moving out, the first two replaced currently with Costa Del Sol and Hokkaido Ramen and Sushi.

"Those restaurants all opened during COVID, and so there was issues," said Metro Councilwoman Betsy Ruhe, D-21. "A lot of it was with being able to get employees."

B.A. Colonial has had the most staying power so far. Jeff Underhill co-owns it as well as Colonial Gardens itself. He redeveloped it, turning it into something that's a far cry from its infancy. 

Colonial Gardens was originally opened as a beer garden in 1902. It also housed a nightclub and even Louisville's first zoo before it was left vacant in 2003. South Louisville residents had the iconic white building declared a local landmark in 2008, and the city bought the rundown property in 2013. Underhill Associates then bought the property from the city of Louisville in 2014 for $1, with the promise to spend $5 million to restore the building.

"It deteriorated," he said of the property when he bought it. "It was an eyesore to a lot of people, and they felt embarrassed, I believe, for the neighborhood, that this eyesore was right here across from the gem of a park."

Now with the weather warming up, events are coming back to Iroquois Park next door, and the restaurants hope customers return, too. Craft House Pizza's opening — combined with the two others recently — has Underhill hoping it's the start of stability for the historic corner.

Students and teachers from nearby DeSales High School were some of the first to check out Craft House Pizza just minutes after the doors opened Monday.

"Two days ago I learned that the restaurant had changed to Craft House," said Travis Cogburn, a teacher at DeSales. "I called ahead of time to make sure that they were OK with 24 students, and here we are now."

Underhill says there are talks with the state to add more lighting along New Cut Road, a wider median and better crosswalks to make it easier to enjoy the park and the gardens at the same time.

"To be part of re-energizing it I think is fun for each of those folks," he said. "So we love being part of it here."

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