LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Mid City Mall off Bardstown Road in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood is for sale.
The listing was posted online Thursday.
"This is a rare opportunity to have 11 acres in a neighborhood that doesn't have 11 developable acres," said Craig Collins, realtor with Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Kentucky.
Collins said the goal is to find something that will benefit the neighborhood in a positive way.
"We're going to be very thoughtful about where we go and how we go in paying attention to the vibe of the Highlands," he said.
The roughly 11-acre site is home to businesses such as The Caravan Comedy Club, Baxter Avenue Theatres, ValuMarket, as well as a branch of the Louisville Free Public Library.
"Quite frankly, I hate to see it go. I hope they can't sell it actually," said Robert Densmore, a ValuMarket shopper who stopped by Mid City Mall Friday.
Helene Kramer Longton, president of the Tyler Park Neighborhood Association, said she has heard from several people about what they'd like to see for the future of the property.
"There are opinions all over the map," she said. "Some people talk about high density housing, you know, where you would have high rise apartment buildings, some people say, 'No, we want low density housing, we want small businesses, we want no businesses.'"
Kramer Longton said others want the Mid City Mall to remain as it is now.
She said among the various opinions, many on the board agree they'd like to see the library, ValuMarket, and movie theater remain.
"... very important amenities in this neighborhood that attract people from all over and we want to be welcoming and we want to be a destination and we would like that to continue, but what Mid City Mall is going to look like in the future is anybody's guess," she said.
There is also a Norton Primary Care office currently at Mid City Mall. Norton Healthcare said: "Once Mid City Mall is under new ownership, it is our hope to continue providing primary care services at that location."
One woman, who only identified herself as Matilda, said she works at the Mid City Mall and is "hoping and praying" a sale doesn't happen, for fear of needing to find somewhere else to go.
Collins said is sale could be an opportunity to bring different options and amenities to the area.
"There's not another neighborhood in the state of Kentucky like the Highlands. Everyone knows that. There's great culture here, and we want to keep that culture," Collins said. "But we want to bring different retailers or residential options or hotel options that are not available here because there's not enough land mass to do it. We have a parcel you can do it with."
According to Collins, the current structure on the property is "probably past its useful life." When asked if plans would include tearing down the building, he said, "We're not sure yet. It's a little early for that."
The online listing does not have a price for the property. Collins said there is a value in mind, but the search is focused on what makes sense for the city and the neighborhood.
"This is a very large piece of property in the middle of a cool neighborhood that, we understand, we understand this could be impactful not only for the neighborhood but for the city," he said.
While Collins said there needs to be a long-term vision for the property, he's hopeful to have a buyer in the next couple of months.
"It's not a hurry. We're going to be thoughtful to pick the right development, the right developer, the right use," Collins said.
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