http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbc ... 2303290062A large new nightclub and lounge called Mosaic will open at 4th Street Live April 13, the operators have announced.
In addition, the owners of the Mozz restaurant and deli on Market Street say they are negotiating a lease and plan to open the Mozzaria at 4th Street Live around early May.
The two new businesses will fill some vacant space at the downtown entertainment complex centered on Fourth Street between Liberty Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard.
Mozzaria will have 6,300 square feet of ground floor space on the west side of the entertainment complex, formerly occupied by the Red Star Tavern that closed last October.
The Mosaic will lease about 9,000 square feet of space and will employ about 50 people, said Megan Slattery, a spokeswoman for the Cordish Co., the 4th Street Live operator.
Mosaic will occupy the former Hotel club’s space on the second floor, with former Hotel employees being offered employment at the new business, Cordish said.
Mosaic’s managing partner is Vincent Martinez, who now runs Mosaic clubs in Baltimore and Kansas City. Those clubs are also located in Cordish-developed complexes.
In an interview, Martinez said the new Mosaic in Louisville will be open only Friday and Saturday nights. It will have dancing and primarily Top 40 style music with a disc jockey, but no food, he said.
“Our goal with Mosaic was to provide a venue where guests can relax and unwind, as well as cut loose and party, all in an atmosphere that feels refined, sophisticated and indulgent,” Martinez said.
Martinez and his staff in Louisville have updated the old Hotel space with new décor and have added a new center bar as well as a soft-seating lounge.
The Mozzaria partners are Matthew Antonovich, once the executive chef as Casa Grisanti, and Michael Cooper.
They opened the upscale Market Street business called the Mozz, an Italian-themed eatery with an antipasto bar, piano bar and deli, in late 2010. “Business has been excellent,” Cooper said in an interview Wednesday.
Cooper said the Mozzaria will offer casual dining and include a beer pub. It will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. He said the Mozzaria will employ about 70 people and have an entirely different menu from the Mozz.
Cooper said the Mozzaria will have a New York-style deli. He said he is finalizing a lease with the landlord, Cordish and its local partner, Hogan Real Estate, for the 4th Street Live space.
Mosaic and Mozzaria join several other soon-to-open 4th Street Live clubs, including PBR Louisville, Gordon Biersch and the Tavern on Fourth.
Cordish also recently announced the signing of several major office tenants for the Kaufman Straus Building, which is part of 4th Street Live.
