LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Russell neighborhood is turning two houses into restaurants on 18th Street.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the completion of the 18th Street Row Houses. It's a collaboration between OneWest and Chef Space.
Evon Smith, president of OneWest, says these aren't just two ordinary houses. They are designed to give chefs first-hand experience with retail, in addition to being a place for the community to have more food options.
"They will be individual restaurants on the front but a shared kitchen in the back and so the idea will be taking their learning from Chef Space to the next level," Smith said.
Corey Bailey has been working on these developments for the past year as a contractor and is happy to finally see the work come to fruition.
"It's a blessing to work with OneWest and this program [in] which they have to work with folks to get them exposure to commercial opportunities," Bailey said.
Not only will chefs showcase their best food, but this is also to bring more people together in the West End community. A place where everyone can fellowship and eat while experiencing good hospitality.
"This is going to be significant for the Russell neighborhood because again having food options in close proximity, where you can come to a sit down restaurant," Smith said. "You can walk to it and enjoy outdoor scenery as well."
For Bailey and his wife, seeing this investment in the neighborhood means so much more since they grew up right here in the Russell neighborhood.
"Just to see this building in particular lit up at night how the sconces come on and you just ride by and people are walking by [saying] 'hey man, love what you guys are doing,'" Bailey said.
Smith hopes this project will open more opportunities for minority-owned businesses.
"[What] we want folks to know is that hiring locally and making sure that minority contractors have an opportunity to work on these projects is just paramount to everything," he said.
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