Is Lexington’s Delaware Avenue the next National Avenue? New development planned for area
When Lesme Romero told his loyal customers at the Lexington Farmers Market that he was moving Lexington Pasta, a boutique pasta shop, from North Limestone to Delaware Avenue, some were hesitant.
“Where’s Delaware Avenue?” many told him.
Romero, who has been at 962 Delaware Avenue since 2015, has not only survived but thrived.
First came Lexington Pasta and then later the restaurant, Pasta Garage. Romero and his business partner then started an incubator to help would-be restaurant and caterers launch their own businesses — 25 different groups have used the space.
Romero is bullish on Delaware Avenue.
“A lot of people thought I was crazy when I moved to Delaware Avenue and I proved them all wrong,” Romero said. “This could be like National Avenue or Southland Drive.”
A new development adjacent to Pasta Garage is planned and the former Pivot Brewing building at 1400 Delaware is soon going to get a new life.
Developer Will Hanrahan has filed plans to develop a less than 1-acre parcel at 1000 Delaware Drive on a now defunct and vacant industrial property.
The plans include 32 units of apartments over three buildings. Twelve of those units will be affordable units. Two buildings that face Delaware Avenue will have two stories toward the front of the property and three stories toward the back of the buildings. One building at the back of the property will be three stories.
The plans also include a community garden, a small dog park as well as plenty of bike racks.
“Turning under-utilized, underdeveloped land into housing is something that is needed in this area,” Hanrahan said. Hanrahan talked to Lexington planning officials, area businesses and residents to determine what was needed in the area.
More housing, specifically affordable housing, close to downtown has long been a need, Hanrahan said.
Building community on Deleware Ave.
In addition, the plans for Railyard, the name of the new development, include retail spaces on the lower levels of the two buildings facing Delaware. As part of the proposal, Paradise Cycles, between Pasta Garage and the mixed-use Railyard, wants to build a small pub at the front of its property at 976 Delaware.
Travis Teachy, owner of Paradise Cycles, opened his motorcycle repair and custom-build shop in 2002. He eventually moved to Delaware Avenue in 2012. He’s seen the area grow and expand during the 13 years Paradise has been there.
“I liked the fact that it was partially residential because there would be people around consistently to keep an eye on things and the commercial/industrial side would give us an area to test-ride our clients’ units without disturbing the peace of the residents,” Teachy said.
At the same time, Teachy has always wanted to create a neighborhood bar as a way to bring the people who live in the area and businesses together.
“I always thought it would be nice to have a comfortable lounge that my customers could wait in while I serviced their motorcycles. I did not want to create a ‘biker bar’ I wanted a local neighborhood lounge where everyone was welcome and but did not have that ‘biker bar’ stigma’” Teachy said. “We have always been frequent customers and friends of the Distillery District, more specifically, The Breakroom. The mix of clientele and friendliness it provoked across different classes of people was something I wanted to be a part of.”
Plenty of parking and easy to get to
Hanrahan sees Delaware Avenue as the next National Avenue — a once largely industrial area bordering Winchester Road at the back of the popular Kenwick neighborhood.
National Avenue has multiple restaurants, bars, boutique food and antique shops and lots of locally owned fitness businesses. It’s become a popular nightlife and shopping spot in Lexington.
Delaware is not far from National Avenue. People from Kenwick frequently walk to Delaware using Henry Clay Boulevard, Romero said.
Delaware also has plenty of parking and it’s easy to get to, Romero said.
“We have people who are traveling on I-75 and because we have good reviews on Google and Yelp, they will drive off the interstate to come to the restaurant,” Romero said.
Hanrahan has filed a development plan with city officials. Development can not begin until that plan is approved by the Urban County Planning Commission. A meeting on the plan is set for March. If Hanrahan gets approval, construction will hopefully start sometime later this year, he said.
Other changes coming to Delaware Avenue
Barnhill Chimney’s operations are spread out over multiple buildings on Delaware Avenue.
That will likely change come late summer or early fall when much of the full-service chimney company will be consolidated in the former Pivot Brewing building at 1400 Delaware Avenue.
Pivot Brewing closed in August 2024 after eight years of operation.
Brion Barnhill, the owner of Barnhill Chimney, purchased the former brewery last year and said the building has plenty of space for his operation. To boot, it also has solar panels, cutting energy costs.
“It generates so much energy, it sells power back to the utility,” Barnhill said.
Barnhill said he’s still trying to decide if his retail storefront on Winchester Road will also be moved to the former Pivot building.
Regardless, Delaware Avenue is where he wants to remain. Barnhill said he sees it as a growth corridor.
“We are going to keep our other buildings and rent them out to create more retail and other opportunities in the area,” Barnhill said. “Delaware is going to continue to improve and grow much the way National Avenue did. There are so many really great folks there right now.”
