What 4th Street Live needs

Access Louisville

Fourth Street Live needs something.

What that something is — well, that sounds like a fun idea for a podcast.

The Downtown Louisville entertainment district recently marked 20 years without any fanfare, as seven of its 20 locations are vacant. On this week's Access Louisville podcast, LBF Reporter Michael L. Jones tells us about the history of the entertainment district, how it came to be and decisions that were made at the time of its founding. He also fills us in on his conversation with the Cordish Cos.' Zed Smith about future plans for the site.

We use that as an excuse to share some of our favorite Fourth Street Live memories and ideas for what we'd want to see there in the future.

After that, we talk about a potential lawsuit that has been threatened regarding the redevelopment of the Urban Government Center off Barret Avenue. The long-stalled project could be getting put on the back burner yet again.

After that, we switch gears to talk about some recent restaurant and retail news, including a new location for the popular chain Cook Out, going in near University of Louisville. Waldo's Chicken & Beer and Big Bad Breakfast also have new locations in the works. And Jones also tells us about a couple of Highlands area businesses — Koko + Rae, which was recently sold; and Dirty Tease, which is moving.

And lastly we round out the show by talking about UofL men's basketball coach Pat Kelsey buying a new house.

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