RICHMOND, Ky. — A new development in Richmond looks to revitalize Water Street which was once known for its barhopping, but has become less of a destination in recent years.
The Quarter, by developer Wesley Browne, hopes to bring life back to Water Street. Browne said the goal is to bring life to vacant buildings and attract people to downtown Richmond to explore local businesses and the rest the city offers.
“This will all connect so you’ll essentially have three patios all combined to make one really big patio,” Browne said.
Browne said the vision combines beer, BBQ, burgers and pizza. The name comes from building architecture that resembles New Orleans’ French Quarter according to Browne.
Blue Stallion Taproom, Holler Burger, House of Cue and White Rabbit record and skate shop along with the existing Apollo Pizza will share a partially covered outdoor space. Browne said the goal is having an entertainment scene back in downtown Richmond.
“The big thing is just getting people here and so this is the big draw. We based this on projects we’ve seen in places we’ve visited elsewhere,” Browne said.
Browne said he’s been looking to expand the Apollo Pizza patio for years. After he and business partners acquired the former The Copper Still bar, their goal was to bring another brewery to town.
Blue Stallion Taproom will open in the former Copper Still and Holler Burger will be located inside. According to Browne, Water Street used to be known for its barhopping. His vision is a different vibe this time around.
“Maybe skews toward families and older folks earlier in the night and then maybe later on in the night, the younger folks roll in before they go out to other places,” Browne said.
Lori Murphy-Tatum, executive director of Visit Richmond, said this will hopefully attract more tourists traveling down I-75 who stop in Richmond.
“Local food is really important to a tourist right now. They want to feel that authentic nature of a community, they want to eat like a local,” Tatum said.
Tatum said Madison County ranks eighth in tourism revenue. She is hopeful this keeps visitors in town for extended periods of time.
“Being able to have those tourists here, that is free money that is spent in our community,” Tatum said.
For Browne, it’s bringing charm back to Richmond by creating a space for food, drinks and events. It will also have games, a fire pit and televisions.
“We don’t want to be a place where our entertainment areas are out at strip malls and outside developments. We want to bring people back downtown,” Browne said.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, but Browne said he has an ambitious goal of opening this patio in time for the NCAA college basketball tournament season in March.