Historic Louisville building set for apartment conversion to boost downtown living

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The historic Hubbuch & Co. building is getting new life in 2027.

Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Thursday the $1.5 million renovation project will transform the building on Main Street in downtown Louisville into 14 apartments, including two affordable units.

"We need downtown to be a strong residential neighborhood, we need quality places to live, we need all kinds of housing," said Lee Weyland, a partner with CORE Real Estate Partners, who are part of the redevelopment.

The building currently hosts In Season Harvest Kitchen on the first floor and the Hubbuch family still runs their business inside. Developers said the upper floors have been vacant for around four years.

"This is the drum we're beating right now; we need more residential development in downtown because we want people to live here," said Rebecca Fleischaker, executive director of Louisville Downtown Partnership.

Renderings of the planned Hubbuch Building renovation

City officials believe getting people to live downtown is one of the first steps to bringing life back to the area.

"It is the residents that will give us that 18-to-24-hour activity in a downtown and that will bring revitalization and investment, things that follow residents," Fleischaker said.

This is the second building renovation part of the Downtown Louisville Building Conversion Program, which was created to convert empty buildings downtown into housing.

"This is the most excited I've been about Louisville in the two decades I've been working downtown," Weyland said.

In Season Harvest Kitchen will remain in business on the first floor of the building and developers are hoping to expand retail space on top of the apartments.

Construction will begin this summer and is expected to be done by late 2027.