LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Ongoing construction in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood is wearing on local business owners, who say the year-long project is making it harder for customers to stop in — just as the area prepares for one of its biggest events of the summer.
The $12 million NuLu Streetscape Project, which began in 2024, stretches one mile along East Market Street from Brook Street to Baxter Avenue. The city said it will bring improved lighting, landscaped medians and safer crosswalks once complete. But for now, chain-link fencing, heavy equipment and barricades are dominating the landscape.
Revelry on East Market Street in Louisville, Ky. posted a sign amid construction in NuLu. (WDRB Media photo)
“The construction has been pretty rough down here,” said Revelry owner Mo McKnight Howe. "Even though the sidewalks are open, people are more focused on navigating the fencing than coming into our stores."
Some businesses even installed makeshift bridges so customers could cross over ditches to their front doors.
“Yes, I can definitely feel the difference in our sales, and it’s been hard,” McKnight Howe said.
This weekend, the neighborhood will host NuLu Summer Fest, an annual event that draws thousands for food, music and drinks. But visitors will have to navigate reduced parking and active work zones to get there.
Muth’s Candies, a century-old staple, said construction — paired with the slower summer season — is creating financial strain.
“We would just like it to be over with,” said Sarah Blazin, manager at Muth’s Candies. “Particularly blocking our door before the holiday season hits, because we need the holiday season to sustain ourselves the rest of the year.”
Two bars in the area, Corridor and Garage Bar, temporarily closed their doors as crews dug up the street in front of their entrances. Both said they plan to reopen soon.
To combat slow foot traffic, some business owners have gotten creative — hanging signs and launching social media campaigns to remind customers they're open.
“We just jumped into action right away,” McKnight Howe said. “We’re making signs. We’re making sure people know that we are open. I really need this weekend to help. I need this weekend to work.”
Nulu Summer Fest takes place Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
City officials said construction is expected to be completed by October.
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