The Cafe in Paristown to open in historic building after $35M in renovations

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A business in Louisville's Paristown district is almost ready to welcome guests into its new home after a massive historic renovation.

The building in the 700 block of Brent Street that once housed the old Louisville Leather Company has stood vacant for decades, surviving the 1937 floods. Built in 1875, the four-story, 20,000-square-foot building was on the verge of caving in, but Paristown wanted to save it. So the structure was stabilized with massive blocks.

According to a news release, the building had to be carefully lifted and leveled before the historic restoration could even begin.

Now that that project is done, the staff of The Cafe will occupy the building's first floor and serve up dishes that have been enjoyed for years. Its new home is a part of a $35 million investment in the Paristown cultural arts and entertainment district. It will have more seating and an open air dining area.

It will also be connected to the new Stoneware & Co. On Thursday, officials announced that two more of the building's four floors will be rented out to an Ohio-based company called Hopewell. Those floors will be turned into shared work spaces with conference rooms and work areas for local businesses to utilize.

Paristown leaders say the project is a ray of light in the midst of the pandemic.

"We've got to get past this Covid thing, but this whole place is founded on community, spirit, and people getting together, people gathering, so we're hoping we can get back to that pretty soon," said Paristown Managing Partner Steve Smith.

The historic restoration is part of a revitalization effort for Paristown that includes Stoneware & Co., Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, Christy’s Garden, and The Cafe.

The Cafe is scheduled to open by the end of July.