LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Goodfella's Pizzeria is pulling out of its planned project for a location in the Highlands, leaving the Metro Councilman Brandon Coan, who represents the area, surprised.
Goodfella's, a Lexington-based pizza chain, was planning to take over the boarded-up gas station and mini mart at the intersection of Baxter Avenue and East Broadway. The company submitted plans with the city in 2018 and was working to gain the approval they needed for certain parts of the project, like closing down a nearby alley.
The property falls right inside Coan’s District 8. He said this development would be “the most important project in the Highlands” this year.
“To really revitalize that corner would’ve been something really special that would’ve created a lot of momentum for the area,” he said. “So I was disappointed to hear the news.”
Goodfella's announced Monday it was pulling out of the development and released a statement saying, in part, that the project was “extremely difficult to develop,” and the city approval process was “considerably longer” than what it was expecting. The company had invested over a year, according to the statement, to find and develop the location.
“The landlord was becoming impatient and wanted payment on a property we didn’t have city approval to operate,” read the statement.
Coan said that the project did not require any zoning changes, but it was still slightly complicated because Goodfellas “wanted to do some unusual things that needed permission,” like closing a city alley next to the property. The pizza shop wanted to use the alley to help circulate customer traffic. In order to close an alley, the city has a certain process and review that needs to be followed in order to accommodate for emergency vehicles and garbage pickup. But in the end, Coan said the city was happy to accommodate the request.
You can read the entire Goodfellas Pizzeria statement below:
“They had to get a variety of different variances and waivers for how things are situated on the property, which is typical and happens in a lot of different cases,” Coan said. “And because this property is part of the Baxter Avenue/Bardstown Road overlay district, there are some other design standards they had to meet.”
However, Coan said it was his understanding that there was no opposition to the pizza chain's plans, and the city was accommodating the company’s requests. He believed Goodfellas just needed to present how their sign would look, and then the company was only a few weeks away from having all the approvals needed to move forward.
Coan said Mayor Greg Fischer's administration has made it a priority to improve cycle times to help speed up the process for projects and developments to get through red tape and onto construction faster. And Coan believes in this case, the process worked as it should, and the city did everything to accommodate and encourage the project.
“I really hope they reconsider,” Coan said about Goodfellas. “Because I think it would be a great investment for their company and for the neighborhood and for the city.”
Jefferson County records show the land at Baxter Avenue and East Broadway has been owned by Kennie R. Combs since 1997. WDRB News made attempts to reach Combs and had to leave a voicemail.
Coan said it seems from Goodfellas' press release that the pressure was between the two private parties, the company and the landowner.
Goodfella's, a Lexington-based pizza chain, was planning to take over the boarded-up gas station and mini mart at the intersection of Baxter Avenue and East Broadway.
“The company has put in a good amount of time and money in the project,” Coan said. “I would seem to be short-sighted for either of those two parties to not negotiate a solution here that would let Goodfellas continue with their development.”
The company’s statement ended with saying they are still looking for the ideal location in Louisville. No one responded Tuesday when WDRB News requested further information and clarification from the press release.
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