East Market revival--sort of?

Please see the excerpt below from Business FIrst:


Susan Hershberg, owner of Wiltshire Pantry catering, received a $30,650 low-interest loan to open a restaurant and bar, called Wiltshire Pantry on Market, at 636 E. Market St., in the East Market Arts District.

The site formerly was occupied by Jenicca’s Cafe and Wine Bar, which closed at the end of November.

Please see the excerpt below from Business FIrst:


Susan Hershberg, owner of Wiltshire Pantry catering, received a $30,650 low-interest loan to open a restaurant and bar, called Wiltshire Pantry on Market, at 636 E. Market St., in the East Market Arts District.

The site formerly was occupied by Jenicca’s Cafe and Wine Bar, which closed at the end of November.

One of the best caterers. I am sure that it will be an asset to the area.

Certainly sorry to see Jenicca's didn't make it. A very nice place.

Well there are projects King Jerry believes in (East Market, for example) and projects he's never believed in (Otter Creek, for example).

As long as he's a fan, then there's always a chance that some help will come through the "proper" pipelines.

I do not have a personal beef with the East Market plan (I'm actually a fan of the location and the idea of downtown revival in general), but little is going to make it in that area until people actually view it as an area in which to live. I think such places are called neighborhoods.

Congratulations to Susan Hershberg, who has one of the best catering businesses. Can't wait to eat there.

Well there are projects King Jerry believes in (East Market, for example) and projects he's never believed in (Otter Creek, for example).

As long as he's a fan, then there's always a chance that some help will come through the "proper" pipelines.

I do not have a personal beef with the East Market plan (I'm actually a fan of the location and the idea of downtown revival in general), but little is going to make it in that area until people actually view it as an area in which to live. I think such places are called neighborhoods.

I may be getting my facts wrong, but as far as I understand it, the East Market "area" (or "business district" or whatever you want to call it) is the result of years of small, entrepreneurial efforts, not planning from Louisville government either pre- or post-merger (unless you count Slugger Field, which as I understand it came about as a result of the Armstrong administration, not Abramson). That is, I think the first art gallery on East Market which arguably kick-started the whole shebang came about because Billy Hertz put it together, with his own money, in 1991 (his gallery is now in Shelby Park, which makes East Market look like, well, Barbourmeade). As far as I understand it since then, while East Market has some nice fancy signs here and there, it's no Fourth Street Live. (Should I include an exclamation point after Live?)

So what I'm saying is, I guess, give credit where credit is due. I'm no fan of King Jerry either (in fact I started the Save Otter Creek Park blog in order to highlight how this particular stupidity on Abramson's part will hurt residents in the entire region), and I think the best way for his opponents (of which, again, I count myself as one) to point out the frivolities of his reign is to talk about what he actually has done, or hasn't done, for the city -- including our local businesses (which he doesn't seem to care one whit about).

I have been told thru the grapevine that a new tenant will take up the Melillos not long after the new year. This was just hear say though. I got an email today from the Phoenix Hill farmers market steering committee stating that Jeff Tatman (owner of Felice Winery and the property that the market is on) and a new business partner of his are going to be taking a "special" interest in the farmers market this coming year. Hopefully the farmers market will be bigger and better than ever.

Let's not rush to any conclusions. I'll wait and see what 2009 has in store for East Market.
One city sponsored loan does not a revival make when we've lost (at my last count) 7 businesses down here since the autumn.