LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A once-popular—but long-troubled—business at a busy Highlands intersection is now under the microscope as city officials respond to growing safety concerns.
The former Café 360, located at the corner of Bardstown Road and Bonnycastle Avenue, has been vacant since a deadly shooting inside the business last year. Now, city inspectors have posted a notice of numerous code violations, signaling a new push to address deteriorating properties.
A large bullet hole still mars the front window. Inside, unopened mail covers a table, evidence of how long the space has sat untouched.
“A place like that isn’t going to attract new business,” said Lenore Slawsky, who lives nearby. “It’s not going to benefit the rest of the businesses in the area. These are the things we need to fix to bring Bardstown Road back—and it will come back. It always does.”
The Department of Codes and Regulations recently listed several issues with the building, including broken windows and doors, hazardous makeshift electrical wiring, and a collapsing awning. The open windows have neighbors worried the vacant building may be sheltering squatters.
City leaders say enough is enough.
“This is a message to every landlord who is letting their property deteriorate and who’s not working with people trying to improve the area,” said Metro Councilman Ben Reno-Weber, D-8. “We’re coming for you.”
The city has warned the building's owner that failure to make necessary repairs could result in fines, citations, or even criminal charges.
The shooting that led to Café 360’s closure in 2024 shocked the neighborhood—and residents say the aftermath has left a scar.
“The little things turn into big things,” Slawsky said. “One bad property can lead to another closing down. It escalates.”
Now, residents are looking toward the future, hoping for something new to replace the troubled past.
“Another little café would be great,” Slawsky added. “We could use a good breakfast place. We don’t need another bar—we’ve got plenty of those.”
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