We catch up with a major Louisville nonprofit on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

Tamera Reif, senior director of Housing Services at Volunteers of America Mid-States, is on this week's show to talk about a number of ongoing projects with the organizaiton. She spends her days in the world of residential homeless and housing work — a key issue affecting Louisville in recent years. She talks about how she is inspired to do the work.
Volunteers of America Mid-States (VOA) broke ground on its new headquarters, the $58 million Community Care Campus, in September. Reif tells us on the show that one of the most exciting parts of that project is a new family emergency shelter, which will more than double the available space for families experiencing homelessness. The campus also includes transitional housing for 18 to 24 year old youths and respite care for homeless people leaving the hospital.
The space will also include meeting rooms and partner spaces, she explains. And she speaks with LBF Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy talks with Reif about how the campus project came together with the support of Louisville Metro Government.
The start of construction comes nearly two years after Louisville Metro Government purchased the Smoketown properties on Breckinridge Street near Floyd and Brook streets for nearly $7 million. Existing facilities on the property included the Vu Hotel and Guest House as well as the C2 event space, which George Stinson and his partner Ed Lewis opened in 2016.
The majority of the funding for the project is coming from the Kentucky General Assembly and Louisville Metro Government, which are contributing a combined $22.5 million, according to VOA’s website. Low income housing credits are responsible for $19 million in funds and the VOA has been able to raise $2.5 million for the project to date. But that still leaves a $17.5 million gap in funding.
The new campus is expected to fully completed in 2027 and will employ 75 people. Miranda Construction is handling the buildout of the Community Care Campus. Hancock said the new Unity House will have 34 rooms and be able to serve 80 to 90 people at a time.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We've got a classic restaurant news update on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

Reporter Michael L. Jones is on the show to tell us about Byrdie's. James Beard-nominated Chef Jenner Tomaska and his wife and business partner Katrina Bravo opened Byrdie’s, a new French-inspired bistro, in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Byrdie's is on the first floor of the Hotel Genevieve, located at 7300 E. Market St., which itself was just recognized by the Michelin Guide for its French-inspired architecture. The nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant replaces Rosette’s, an all-day restaurant that closed in August.

We also chat about a new French bistro and boutique that's scheduled to open in the Clifton neighborhood in the spring. Ça et Là, which means “Here and There” in French, will be located at 1832 Frankfort Ave., near the American Printing House for the Blind. The new business will blend café culture, artisan imports, and affordable Southern French street foods, petits plats, and wines.

Later in the show we chat about a possible revival for Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant as well as the relatively new Take Thai restaurant on Factory Lane. We also get into some retail news with updates on a new location for ALDI and Fresh Market. And we note that Carhartt is opening a retail location in Louisville. 

Finally, we wrap up the show with news that Givaudan is opening a new facility in Reading, Ohio, near Cincinnati. That's after an explosion at the company's Louisville plant killed two people, injured about a dozen and damaged property around the Clifton neighborhood. 

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

How important is a proposed $250M development around Louisville Slugger Field? We chat about that on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

Reporter Joel Stinnett initially reported on this project, on Dec. 2. and is on this week's show to share a few insights and details about it.

The Louisville Sports Entertainment District would be a 500,000-square-foot mix of housing, retail, hospitality and entertainment atop of what now is a city-owned parking lot east of the baseball stadium. The more than $250 million public-private partnership would include Louisville Bats owner Diamond Baseball Holdings, which bought the club last year, and Houston-based real estate firm Machete Group. 

The city is working with the two groups on a development agreement.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the proposed development is in the “very early stages” so it is not clear how much of the $250 million investment would be provided by the city. However, the project would require incentives, he said, including the possible creation of a Tax Increment Finance district.

We also chat about an O.G. punk rocker, Dean Thomas, drummer for the Los Angeles rockabilly group Levi And The Rockats in the late 1970s, who's opened an art gallery on Main Street. Dean Thomas Fine Art Painting opened Dec. 8 at 635 W. Main St. in Downtown Louisville. Reporter Michael L. Jones talked to Thomas about his careers in both music and art, which he wrote a story on here and explains on the show. 

Jones also tells us about a new restaurant he recently reported on, which, oddly enough, is opening inside a gun range. Brass Social, at 11800 Electron Dr. opened Friday, Nov. 29, in the Next Level Ranges development in Jeffersontown, which also includes gun ranges and a pro shop.

Brandon Mitchell, co-owner of Brass Social, said the new restaurant serves what he likes to call elevated bar food with locally-sourced ingredients. His partners in Brass Social, James and Jennifer Naive, own a farm in Spencer County, Double J Beef, that supplies the restaurant’s beef. The restaurant also gets beef from Ridge Creek Farm in Spencer County.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

After some struggles years ago, Louisville-based Rainbow Blossom has a great last few years. 

Rainbow Blossom, an independent chain of natural food markets that specializes in natural grocery, body care and health and wellness products, just opened a new East End location a few months ago. It also made LBF's Fast 50 list of growing companies in Louisville in this year, with revenue rising 18% over the last three years to $13.04 million in 2023. 

Second generation owner Summer Auerbach joins us on the Access Louisville podcast this week and explains things weren't always so rosy. 

She discusses the challenges and strategies of growing the family business, which was founded by her parents in 1977. Despite opening a sixth location and expanding its New Albany store recently, Auerbach emphasizes maintaining the company's small, accessible, and family-like culture. On the show she also highlights the importance of direct communication, team input,and creating written guidelines for consistency. Auerbach also reflects on overcoming tough times by differentiating from competition, being nimble and innovative, and leveraging data and metrics to drive growth

"We have really been able to make changes quickly, to be responsive to community needs and make sure we are separating ourselves from our competition," she said. 

She also talks about where she sees the company heading in the future — including a potential medical cannabis dispensary license that it is seeking.

"I think that will be a natural progression for us as that space moves forward," she said. "I'm proud of our state for taking this leap. I'm glad we're not the 50th state [to make marijuana legal.]

Auerbach also was recently honored as part of LBF's Most Admired CEOs program. More on her and other honorees here. 

You can listen to the full interview in the player above as well as on popular podcast services like Apple Podcasts and Spotify (which are also linked above.) Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First.

We go over all the latest restaurant news on this week's Access Louisville podcast. LBF Reporter Michael L. Jones is on the show to tell us about several interesting developments. 

Notably, Jones shares the story of Frank Faris, who formerly owned Genny's Diner and today is behind the Frickled Pickle Express food truck. Jones, who has reported on the restaurant scene in Louisville for many years, said he's always wanted to speak with Farris. He got to do so for a recent feature story, which you can read here.

Frickled Pickle Express has been operating for a couple of years but Jones said he was surprised about how much attention his story has gotten on social media, as many people seem to be curious about what Faris has been up to. 

Next, Jones tells us about a new ice cream shop, Retta's Scoop. The shop will open its first physical location at 2011 Frankfort Ave. in early 2025, but it's ice cream is already available at some retail and restaurant locations. Retta’s Scoop offers unique flavors like Sweet Potato Pie, Fancy Toast, and Sour Dough PB&J, Jones explains.

We also talk about a new bakery concept from the folks behind Quill's Coffee — Oddbird Cafe. Right now it has baked goods but it'll be adding sandwiches and other lunch items in the future.

Off the restaurant news, Digital Editor Zak Owens tells us about a new cigar bar that's open. The Louisville Cigar Company, at 967 Baxter Avenue, will offer a wide selection of cigars plus craft cocktails in a speakeasy-like setting.

After that, Reporter Piper Hansen tells us about a new event center being built at the under-development Origin Park. And a plan to connect trails within six counties in Southern Indiana that she recently wrote about.

Lastly, we wrap up the show, on the news that Louisville has lost its only flight to LAX. Spirit Airlines cut its flight from SDF to LAX ahead of its recent bankruptcy filing. 

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This week on the Access Louisville podcast, we chat about the Givaudan Sense Colour explosion that shook the city on Tuesday, Nov. 12. 

Two people were killed in the explosion, which took place at 901 Payne Street. 

On the show we talked about the atmosphere in the newsroom the day it happened and some of the fallout, including damage to surrounding homes and business. And we discuss past violations and incidents at the business. Finally, we wrap up by talking about where things go from here, including the possibility of rebuilding.

You can read more of our coverage of the explosion at the links below: 

• 2 dead in Givaudan plant explosion
• Body pulled from Givaudan plant rubble hours after explosion
  
  
• Louisville Givaudan Sense Colour facility was cited twice for violations last year
• Clifton businesses recover following Givaudan Sense Colour explosion
  
  

Later in the show, we switch gears to chat about the potential sale of Mid City Mall in the Highlands. A redevelopment of that site has a lot of potential for change in the area and we talk about our wishlist for what we'd like to see in any type of new development.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above. You can also listen in the player above. 

A couple recent real estate deals allow plans for a proposed 27-story tower to move forward. 

And we chat about those transactions on this week's Access Louisville podcast. 

LBF Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett is on the show to talk about New York City-based Zyyo's latest moves toward building the facility, as it has closed deals to purchase 140, 138 and 136 W. Market Sts., according to deeds filed with the Jefferson County Clerk’s office. The transactions totaled more than $4 million.

As Business First first reported in July, the properties are where Zyyo, in partnership with Hawley, Minnesota-based TruVine Companies, is planning to build the tower. It's known as One Forty West, and will feature a 300-room hotel at the corner of 2nd and Market streets.

“Next steps for the development include demolition, site prep and design. We are managing negotiations with a number of brands, all of which are super excited with our program and vision. Construction estimation is an ongoing process through each of those phases,” Nick Campisano, founder and CEO of Zyyo, said. There's more on the project here.  

Also on this week's show we chat about developer Earl Winebrenner buying more land in NuLu.

In the second half of the show Reporter Piper Hansen fills us in on what's happening in Floyd County, Indiana, including an under development business park with nearby housing that's under construction. 

She also tells us about a key figure behind that development, John Vellenger, president of in-space industries, Redwire Corp., which is building a facility in Floyd County. Vellenger has had an amazing career in engineering focused around countless experimental modules and technology being tested on the International Space Station. You can read more about him here. 

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Louisville is getting a new international grocery store — which got us talking about the market's needs on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

LBF Reporter Joel Stinnett joins the show this week to tell us about Saraga International Grocery, which has signed a lease and will open its first area store at 200 N. Hurstbourne Parkway inside The Forum Center. This was formerly the site of Lucky's Market, which closed amid a company bankruptcy in 2020. 

This gets us talking about what we'd like to see in the grocery market in Louisville — a second Trader Joe's and more options inside the Watterson Expressway are on our wishlist. 

In other grocery news, Stinnett also tells us about the latest with Hy-Vee. In spite of delays, the Des Moines, Iowa-based grocery retailer says it is still planning to open a location in Kentucky. It initially announced plans to build in the Fern Creek area in 2021 but it has yet to happen.

Bourbon and restaurant news

Later in the show, we discuss some bourbon industry news with LBF reporter Stephen P. Schmidt, including the auction of a distillery in Downtown Louisville. This auction includes aging bourbon, equipment as well as real estate and other assets. We also talk about a new downtown tasting room for Green River Distilling Co., which sounds  different than some of the other tasting rooms you can find in that it'll have a more sports bar like atmosphere.

Finally we wrap up the show with a bit of restaurant and bar news, including the news that Baxters 942 is losing its liquor license. And we discuss a new grab-and-go bar coming to Oxmoor Center that will allow customers to drink while they shop this holiday season. 

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

After some struggles years ago, Louisville-based Rainbow Blossom has a great last few years. 

Rainbow Blossom, an independent chain of natural food markets that specializes in natural grocery, body care and health and wellness products, just opened a new East End location a few months ago. It also made LBF's Fast 50 list of growing companies in Louisville in this year, with revenue rising 18% over the last three years to $13.04 million in 2023. 

Second generation owner Summer Auerbach joins us on the Access Louisville podcast this week and explains things weren't always so rosy. 

She discusses the challenges and strategies of growing the family business, which was founded by her parents in 1977. Despite opening a sixth location and expanding its New Albany store recently, Auerbach emphasizes maintaining the company's small, accessible, and family-like culture. On the show she also highlights the importance of direct communication, team input,and creating written guidelines for consistency. Auerbach also reflects on overcoming tough times by differentiating from competition, being nimble and innovative, and leveraging data and metrics to drive growth

"We have really been able to make changes quickly, to be responsive to community needs and make sure we are separating ourselves from our competition," she said. 

She also talks about where she sees the company heading in the future — including a potential medical cannabis dispensary license that it is seeking.

"I think that will be a natural progression for us as that space moves forward," she said. "I'm proud of our state for taking this leap. I'm glad we're not the 50th state [to make marijuana legal.]

Auerbach also was recently honored as part of LBF's Most Admired CEOs program. More on her and other honorees here. 

Like many communities, Louisville has a shortage of teachers. We talk about efforts to address it on this week's Access Louisville podcast. 

Rowan Claypool, founder and CEO of Teach Kentucky, is on the show to talk about his organization's work. Founded in 2003, Teach Kentucky aims to help college graduates launch their teaching careers in Louisville’s public schools. The organization has grown from bringing two teacher candidates in its first year to annually bringing a new 40+ person cohort of aspiring teachers from across the nation to the city, according to its website.

On the show Claypool explains that they started 24 years ago when the idea of a teacher shortage was just a looming threat. Today it's actually severe and taking place all over the country. 

"What we discovered in building the program is there's always a shortage of good teachers at all times, forever," he said. 

With that, Jefferson County Public Schools needs the organization to bring people  from outside the community because the community itself can't produce enough teachers, he said. Fortunately, the district pays its teachers well and has some aggressive relocation incentives.

There's more details on how the organization is recruiting teachers here and some of the lessons they've learned over the years on the episode. Also of note, Claypool is among honorees for Louisville Business First's Most Admired CEOs program. 

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. 

We talk campaign finance trends on this week's Access Louisville podcast. 

A few weeks ago, LBF Reporter Piper Hansen began digging into donation trends among workers at some of Louisville's biggest employers. She found that most of those donations (for the second quarter of 2024) went to Democratic presidential nominee and sitting Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump.   Here's a look at trends from the top three employers, according to info from OpenSecrets.org, a nonprofit campaign finance tracking website.

• United Parcel Service Inc. employees — $226,529 donated in total; Harris contributions: $139,746; Trump contributions: $86,783
• Ford Motor Co. — $119,986; Harris contributions: $76,071; Trump contributions: $43,915
• Kroger Co. — $85,917; Harris contributions: $46,696; Trump contributions: $39,221

Hansen talks about these figures on this week's Access Louisville podcast and you can read more about what she found here. 

Campaign contribution data just released for the third quarter, as well. Hansen is digging into those figures now — looking at individual donations this time — we expect to be posting a story soon at Bizjournals.com/Louisville. Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5. 

More this week

Following the campaign finance talk we discuss talk a little restaurant news, including an ownership change Le Relais. We also chat about a new endeavor from the team behind Wild Eggs. It'll be doing a virtual kitchen for a related concept (Crazy Bowls & Wraps) in order to serve customers on delivery apps.

We talk about a deal to purchase the former Harvest restaurant building selling and some news from the Louisville Economic Development Alliance. And wrap things up with some local media news, with Bill Lamb returning to WDRB.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.