LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Over two years after a roof collapsed at a St. Matthews shopping center, a local real estate company has been approved to give the the property a facelift.
In 2019, the roof partially collapsed and the building was condemned at the Galleria of St. Matthews, forcing several businesses — like Del Frisco's, Havana Rumba and others — to close or relocate.
The city's development review committee approved plans on Wednesday after hearing Kaden Companies' vision for the property.
A representative of the company said the roof collapse in 2019 was caused because the fire proofing used when the building was built affected the integrity of the wood in the roof's structure. The company plans to keep as much of the shopping center as possible, while "ensuring it is structurally safe."
"We're taking a building that is falling down and vacant and turning it into something that'll be viable for this community again," Kelli Jones, a spokesperson for Kaden Companies, said.
The company's vision includes adding a second floor, modernizing the structure and making its entrances ADA compliant and more pedestrian-friendly.
It will remain a mixed-use commercial shopping center with the second floor planned as office spaces.
"This project is pretty near and dear to our heart, Alexander Blieden, executive vice president of Kaden Companies, said.
"This is where we anticipate the future of our company, our headquarters, being, and we're excited about the prospect of this project and continuing to add to our holdings in St. Matthews."
Although leases are still in process, Kaden Companies plans to have at least one restaurant, if not more, in the space.
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