TARC to sell west Louisville's NIA Center, leaving small businesses and nonprofits in limbo

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A building that has served as a launchpad for small businesses and nonprofits in west Louisville is set to be sold, leaving tenants scrambling to find new homes for their operations.

TARC, which owns the NIA Center on Broadway, said the building is no longer needed and would require extensive repairs. The transit agency said the best path forward is to sell.

Among those impacted is Angela Hollingsworth, executive director of the Shawnee Transformation Youth Coalition. On Monday, she was still coming to terms with what comes next.

“We don’t know,” Hollingsworth said. “We would probably have to do maybe work from home, which is becoming acceptable. However, we work with kids. So we would have to find a central point where we could work with them.”

Her organization currently rents four rooms in the building for $419 a month — a rare find in a city where affordable office space is limited. In those rooms, her team works with kids and parents to educate them about the dangers of drugs and gambling. Hollingsworth said relocating will be a challenge.

“It’s still going to be a hardship because we’re not going to find any place,” she said.

The NIA Center has become a hub for the entire community. It’s technically an incubator — a space designed to help people and organizations get started. Over the years, the center has housed small businesses, nonprofits, and services that range from job training to mental health support.

“We have driver's license help, organizations that work with youth, and mental health services with sliding scale payments,” Hollingsworth said. “It’s a safe place where kids can escape violence, come together, and do projects.”

Shaun Spencer, owner of My HUB Print Center, is also a tenant. She recently invested in new printing equipment and was planning to stay long term.

“Printing equipment is really expensive,” Spencer said. “I just bought two new pieces, and I’m still paying off personal business loans.”

Spencer said the building was always intended to be a place to help people like her succeed.

“It is a small business incubator. That was the point when the city and TARC partnered in the late ’90s on a federal grant,” she said. “The grant was created to provide opportunities in entrepreneurship, education, transportation, and jobs.”

TARC has confirmed plans to sell the property to Goodwill, which intends to use the space to provide temporary housing for its clients. Current tenants can stay in the building rent free through the end of the year, but many are already beginning the difficult process of relocating.

Alex Posorske, Director of Marketing and Communications for TARC issued this statement to WDRB:

"Last week, the TARC Board of Directors approved the Executive Director to sign a letter of intent to enter into a purchase agreement for the sale of the NIA Center to Goodwill Kentucky."

As TARC prepares to redesign its transit network, the facilities at the NIA Center will no longer be needed. Additionally, the building has significant deferred maintenance issues that need to be addressed. As a result, the most fiscally responsible action for TARC was to sell the building. The number one priority for TARC is to provide the best possible transit service for those who count on TARC every day.

Current tenants of the NIA Center were informed last week that they will be able to remain until the end of 2025, and rent during this period will be free. Any questions about the future of the building should be directed to Goodwill Kentucky.

NIA Center tenants and community leaders are asking the community to speak out against the closure of the center. To show your support, you are asked to contact your city leader and TARC officials. To learn more ways on how to help save the center, click here or email saveNIAcenter@gmail.com.

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