Is Publix good enough for the Mid City Mall site?

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A plan for the future of the Mid City Mall site seems to be taking shape. But is it good enough?

We talk about it on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

The plan hasn't been fully revealed but there is plenty of information out there. Most recently, LBF Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett reported that The Metts family, which owns the property at 1250 Bardstown Road, is partnering in a joint venture with Atlanta-based Branch Properties to redevelop the site, according to the agenda for an upcoming Highland Commerce Guild meeting. Branch Properties develops, operates and invests in grocery-focused retail properties, according to its website. The majority of its portfolio, which spans eight states in the Southeast, consists of Publix-anchored properties, including a planned shopping center in Richwood, Kentucky, near Cincinnati.

In July, Stinnett also reported that a zoning certification filing made with Louisville Metro Planning and Design called for the construction of a grocery store and six standalone retail buildings on the property.

We're not throwing shade at the prospect of a new Publix or new retail. Lord knows there's a need for more grocery stores inside the Watterson Expressway.

But this is a huge site in the middle of a vibrant urban neighborhood. Where's the 10-story tower? The parking garage? Is there a movie theater and a library branch in the plan — because we had that at the old site and everyone seemed to like it. LBF Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy recently penned an opinion column saying he'd like to see high-density residential redevelopment mixed with ground-level retail/commercial.

You can hear our thoughts on what's been revealed on the show. It could be that this plan would just be the easiest thing to develop.

After the Mid City Mall talk, we also chat about recovery efforts following the Nov. 4 crash of UPS Flight 2976. Reporter Michael L. Jones and Digital Editor Zak Owens recently took a tour of the restricted site, which is just south of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, and they tell us about what they saw and the latest with the cleanup effort.

Finally, we wrap up this week's show with sponsored content featuring LBF President & Publisher Lisa Benson, who has an interview with Ross Mayfield, private wealth manager at Baird. Baird is the sponsor of the Access Louisville podcast.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.