Latest / Kentucky Business News / 9.17.26

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9.17.26 · Kentucky Business News

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  Speaker 1: Hello. Today I'll be reading from business sources in Lexington
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  Speaker 1: and Louisville, including the Lane Report and others from around
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  Speaker 1: the Commonwealth. Your reader today is Julia Shane. As a reminder,
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  Speaker 1: Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
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  Speaker 1: are blind or who have other disabilities that make it
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  Speaker 1: difficult to read printed material. Our first article comes from
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  Speaker 1: the September 11, 2026 edition of the Lane Report. It
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  Speaker 1: is titled, Kentucky Exports Surge as Aerospace Drives International Trade Growth.
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky exported nearly $ 48 billion in goods in 2024, with
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  Speaker 1: transportation equipment accounting for more than half of the total
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  Speaker 1: as aerospace products emerged as a major driver of the
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  Speaker 1: state's international trade. Kentucky's international trade relationships have expanded significantly
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  Speaker 1: over the past decade, with aerospace products helping drive rapid
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  Speaker 1: growth in exports, while the state's reliance on imports from
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  Speaker 1: China has declined substantially, according to a Federal Reserve Bank
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  Speaker 1: of Cleveland analysis. Kentucky exported $ 47. 9 billion in products in 2024,
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  Speaker 1: while importing $ 94. 5 billion, making the Commonwealth a net importer.
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  Speaker 1: Both imports and exports generally increased from 2008 through 2024.
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  Speaker 1: But one of the most significant developments is what Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: is selling overseas. Transportation equipment accounted for more than half
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  Speaker 1: of all Kentucky exports in 2024, according to the Cleveland
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  Speaker 1: Fed's Kentucky International Trade Relationships Report. Nearly three-quarters of those
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  Speaker 1: transportation exports were aerospace products and parts. Growth in aerospace
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  Speaker 1: was the primary reason Kentucky's transportation equipment exports more than
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  Speaker 1: doubled since 2013. In dollar terms, Kentucky exported approximately $ 25. 59
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  Speaker 1: billion in transportation equipment in 2024, including $ 18. 94 billion in
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  Speaker 1: aerospace products and parts. Motor vehicles accounted for another $ 4. 5 billion,
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  Speaker 1: while motor vehicle parts represented $ 2 billion. The figures highlight
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  Speaker 1: the growing importance of aerospace to Kentucky's manufacturing and export economy.
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky's transportation exports declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, but subsequently rebounded,
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  Speaker 1: surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 2024. Chemicals were Kentucky's second-largest major
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  Speaker 1: export category in 2024 at approximately $ 6. 59 billion, including $ 3. 72
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  Speaker 1: billion in pharmaceuticals and medicines. Computer and electronic parts ranked
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  Speaker 1: third at approximately $ 3. 65 billion. Europe, Canada remain major Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: export markets. The European Union and Canada were Kentucky's largest
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  Speaker 1: export markets throughout much of the period from 2008 to 2024.
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  Speaker 1: More than 40% of Kentucky exports went to the European
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  Speaker 1: Union or Canada in 2024, while slightly more than 10%
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  Speaker 1: were shipped to the United Kingdom. The composition of those
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  Speaker 1: exports illustrates the importance of Kentucky's transportation sector. More than
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  Speaker 1: half of Kentucky's exports to Canada were transportation equipment, primarily
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  Speaker 1: motor vehicles and parts. Aerospace products and parts accounted for
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  Speaker 1: 46% of Kentucky exports to the European Union and nearly
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  Speaker 1: 74% of exports to the United Kingdom in 2024. Those
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  Speaker 1: relationships also demonstrate why international trade policy tariffs, and changes
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  Speaker 1: in global demand can have significant implications for Kentucky manufacturers
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  Speaker 1: and employers. China's share of Kentucky imports falls sharply. The
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  Speaker 1: report also documents a major shift in where Kentucky gets
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  Speaker 1: its imported goods. In 2010, China accounted for 24.4% of
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky imports. By 2024, China's share had fallen to slightly
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  Speaker 1: more than 7%. At the same time, the European Union's
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  Speaker 1: role expanded. The EU accounted for 31.4% of Kentucky's imported
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  Speaker 1: goods in 2024, making it the Commonwealth's largest source of
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  Speaker 1: imports by value. Approximately one quarter of those European imports
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  Speaker 1: came from Ireland. Mexico was Kentucky's second largest source of
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  Speaker 1: imported goods, accounting for slightly more than 10% of the total.
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  Speaker 1: Motor vehicle parts represented 37% of Kentucky's imports from Mexico,
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  Speaker 1: while engines, turbines, and power transmission equipment accounted for another 14%.
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  Speaker 1: The long-term decline in China's share is noteworthy as businesses
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  Speaker 1: continue to evaluate supply chains and the potential effects of
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  Speaker 1: tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy. It also
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  Speaker 1: illustrates that Kentucky's international supply chains are considerably more diverse
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  Speaker 1: than a simple U.S.-China trade comparison might suggest. Kentucky imports
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  Speaker 1: nearly twice as much as it exports. Kentucky remained a
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  Speaker 1: substantial net importer in 2024. The Commonwealth's $ 94. 5 billion in
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  Speaker 1: imports was nearly twice its $ 47. 9 billion in exports. Chemicals
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  Speaker 1: represented Kentucky's largest import category at approximately $ 35. 6 billion on
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  Speaker 1: or nearly 38% of all imports. Pharmaceuticals and medicines accounted
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  Speaker 1: for about $ 34 billion of that amount. The Cleveland Fed
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  Speaker 1: noted that imports of pharmaceuticals and medicines from Singapore and
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  Speaker 1: Ireland increased significantly beginning in 2017. Computer and electronic products
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  Speaker 1: were Kentucky's second largest import category at approximately $ 16. 6 billion.
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  Speaker 1: including $ 7. 57 billion in semiconductors and other electronic components. Transportation
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  Speaker 1: equipment represented another $ 12. 5 billion, including $ 7. 69 billion in motor
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  Speaker 1: vehicle parts and $ 4. 71 billion in aerospace products and parts.
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  Speaker 1: Those figures illustrate how international trade is intertwined with Kentucky manufacturing.
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  Speaker 1: Companies operating in the Commonwealth may import components and materials
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  Speaker 1: from overseas while exporting finished products or other goods to
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  Speaker 1: international markets. Why the numbers matter for Kentucky businesses. The
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  Speaker 1: report provides important context as Kentucky companies navigate changing tariffs,
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  Speaker 1: supply chains, and international markets. A tariff affecting European pharmaceuticals,
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  Speaker 1: Mexican automotive components, or aerospace products, for example. could have
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  Speaker 1: a very different impact on Kentucky businesses than one focused
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  Speaker 1: primarily on Chinese goods. Kentucky's changing trade relationships also show
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  Speaker 1: how the state's economy has become increasingly connected to international markets.
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  Speaker 1: The European Union is simultaneously Kentucky's largest source of imported
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  Speaker 1: goods and one of its two largest export destinations. Canada
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  Speaker 1: remains a critical destination for Kentucky-produced transportation equipment, while Mexico
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  Speaker 1: plays an important role in the automotive supply chain. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: China's share of Kentucky imports has fallen dramatically from its
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  Speaker 1: 2010 level. Perhaps the biggest story, however, is Kentucky's growth
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  Speaker 1: as an exporter of transportation equipment. With $ 25. 59 billion in
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  Speaker 1: transportation equipment exports and nearly $ 19 billion in aerospace products
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  Speaker 1: and parts alone, Kentucky's international trade profile increasingly reflects industries
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  Speaker 1: producing high-value products for customers around the world. The Cleveland
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  Speaker 1: Fed's analysis concludes that transportation equipment represented more than half
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  Speaker 1: of Kentucky's exports in 2024, with aerospace responsible for much
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  Speaker 1: of the sector's long-term growth. For Kentucky businesses, that growth
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  Speaker 1: brings opportunity, but also greater exposure to changes in international demand. tariffs,
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  Speaker 1: exchange rates, and trade policy. The next article from the
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  Speaker 1: Lane Report is titled Common Spirit Awards $ 20, 000 to Lexington
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  Speaker 1: Schools for Art Kindness Projects. Common Spirit Kentucky has awarded $ 20, 000
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  Speaker 1: in grants to art teachers at 12 Lexington elementary schools
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  Speaker 1: to support projects designed to promote kindness, empathy, and friendship
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  Speaker 1: among students. The funding is being provided through Common Spirit's
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  Speaker 1: 2026 Art of Human Kindness Initiative, which uses creative projects
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  Speaker 1: to encourage positive social interactions while supporting efforts to prevent
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  Speaker 1: violence and improve student well-being. The grants will allow participating
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  Speaker 1: Fayette County public school art teachers to develop projects intended
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  Speaker 1: to leave a lasting impact within their schools. Previous projects
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  Speaker 1: supported through the initiative have included murals, photography, chalk art,
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  Speaker 1: and school-wide activities. The Art of Human Kindness program is
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  Speaker 1: part of Common Spirit's broader Creating Safer Neighborhoods initiative, which
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  Speaker 1: is funded through the Common Spirit Health Mission and Ministry Fund.
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  Speaker 1: The initiative focuses on community health and wellness by addressing
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  Speaker 1: factors associated with violence and creating environments where young people
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  Speaker 1: can thrive. Common Spirit announced the grants Thursday during a
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  Speaker 1: ceremony with health system executives, program leaders, community partners, and
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  Speaker 1: participating art teachers. A ceremonial check was presented to the
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  Speaker 1: Fayette Education Foundation and teachers leading projects at the selected schools.
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  Speaker 1: We are thrilled to continue the Art of Human Kindness
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  Speaker 1: initiative this year and have had the privilege of witnessing
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  Speaker 1: firsthand the impact of positivity and creative expression in our schools.
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  Speaker 1: said Demetria Blair, manager of the Creating Safer Neighborhoods Initiative.
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  Speaker 1: These grants are more than just project funding. They are
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  Speaker 1: an investment to create a healthier future for our young
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  Speaker 1: students and community. The program reflects a broader view of
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  Speaker 1: community health that extends beyond traditional medical care, according to
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  Speaker 1: Common Spirit officials. At Common Spirit, we believe that health
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  Speaker 1: extends far beyond the walls of our hospitals. It begins
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  Speaker 1: at our schools and our neighborhoods, said Terry Wooten, president
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  Speaker 1: of Common Spirit, St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington. By supporting these
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  Speaker 1: art projects, we are empowering our young students to create
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  Speaker 1: a culture of positivity, expression, and human kindness to ultimately
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  Speaker 1: make a positive impact in the classroom and beyond. Jarrett Millsaps,
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  Speaker 1: president of Common Spirit, St. Joseph Medical Center, East Lexington, said,
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  Speaker 1: said the initiative also demonstrates the role kindness and creative
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  Speaker 1: expression can play in the community. In health care, we
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  Speaker 1: know that kindness and compassion have the power to heal,
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  Speaker 1: and this initiative shares that healing power to make a
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  Speaker 1: difference in our schools and communities, Millsap said. The Art
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  Speaker 1: of Human Kindness grants were first awarded in 2024, evolving
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  Speaker 1: from Common Spirit's internal Chalk It Up to Human Kindness Challenge,
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  Speaker 1: launched in 2021. That effort was part of Common Spirit's
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  Speaker 1: Year of Human Kindness and provided healthcare workers with an
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to return some of the support and kindness shown
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  Speaker 1: to them by communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative
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  Speaker 1: has since expanded into Lexington schools, where art is being
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  Speaker 1: used as a tool to encourage students to think about kindness, relationships,
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  Speaker 1: and their role in creating a positive school environment. This
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  Speaker 1: year's $ 20, 000 investment across 12 elementary schools continues the partnership
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  Speaker 1: between Common Spirit, Fayette County Public Schools, and the Fayette
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  Speaker 1: Education Foundation while connecting the health system's community wellness efforts
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  Speaker 1: with students outside a traditional healthcare setting. About Common Spirit
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  Speaker 1: in Kentucky. Common Spirit Health is one of the largest
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  Speaker 1: and most comprehensive health systems in Kentucky with 100 locations
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  Speaker 1: in 15 cities. including hospitals, clinician groups, clinics, primary care centers,
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  Speaker 1: specialty institutes, home health agencies, and ambulatory care center. The
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  Speaker 1: health system, formerly known as St. Joseph Health, has been
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  Speaker 1: a member of Common Spirit since 2019, with seven hospitals
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  Speaker 1: serving Lexington, Bardstown, Berea, Mount Sterling, London, and surrounding communities.
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  Speaker 1: and a freestanding emergency room with additional services in Nicholasville.
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  Speaker 1: In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide.
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  Speaker 1: Common Spirit is dedicated to providing a wide array of
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  Speaker 1: services to build a healthier future for all, embodying a
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  Speaker 1: strong mission, faith-based heritage, and legacy of exceptional care, and
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  Speaker 1: works through local partnerships to expand access to care in
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  Speaker 1: the communities it serves. about Common Spirit St. Joseph Hospital Lexington.
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  Speaker 1: Common Spirit St. Joseph Hospital Lexington is a 433-bed hospital
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  Speaker 1: located in Lexington, Kentucky. Established in 1877 by the Sisters
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  Speaker 1: of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, the facility serves residents
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  Speaker 1: of Central and Eastern Kentucky and is a nationally recognized
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  Speaker 1: tertiary facility. St. Joseph Hospital is Lexington's first hospital. The
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  Speaker 1: hospital's original mission was to provide compassionate care to the
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  Speaker 1: poor and underserved, a tradition still carried out today and
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  Speaker 1: reflected in Common Spirit's adoption of the St. Joseph Hospital
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  Speaker 1: name for its hospitals in Kentucky. About Common Spirit St.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph Medical Center East Lexington. Common Spirit St. Joseph Medical
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  Speaker 1: Center East Lexington includes a 217-bed full-service community hospital, women's hospital,
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  Speaker 1: medical office building, and specialty clinics located in the southeastern
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  Speaker 1: area of Lexington, Kentucky. Established in 1983, the campus serves
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  Speaker 1: residents of Central and Eastern Kentucky, providing a comprehensive range
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  Speaker 1: of health care services, including ambulatory surgery, 24-hour emergency care,
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  Speaker 1: women's health services, and advanced orthopedic care supported through a
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  Speaker 1: vast array of inpatient and outpatient programs. The next article
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  Speaker 1: comes from the September 14th, 2026 edition of the Louisville
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  Speaker 1: Courier-Journal and is titled, How the Continued Trade War with
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  Speaker 1: Canada Puts Kentucky Bourbon at Risk, written by Olivia Evans.
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  Speaker 1: The trade war between the U.S. and its second largest
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  Speaker 1: trading partner, Canada, continues to drag on with Kentucky's marquee
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  Speaker 1: bourbon industry in the middle. Following trade talks that collapsed
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  Speaker 1: in August with the country's northern neighbor, Canada has enforced
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  Speaker 1: a slew of retaliatory tariffs ranging from 15 to 50
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  Speaker 1: percent on goods made in the U.S. In response to this,
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  Speaker 1: President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on September 8th in
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  Speaker 1: stating an import ban on products made in Canada, including
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  Speaker 1: alcoholic beverages. The ban, which impacts other Canadian goods such
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  Speaker 1: as motorcycles and dairy products, is set to take effect
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  Speaker 1: on September 29th. Previous tariffs slapped down by the U.S.
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  Speaker 1: led some provinces in Canada to ban U.S. spirits from
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  Speaker 1: being sold on shelves. All provinces except Alberta and Saskatchewan
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  Speaker 1: still have the American-made liquor available for consumers. We recognize
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  Speaker 1: the seriousness of the circumstances that have brought the United
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  Speaker 1: States and Canada to this point, and we remain hopeful
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  Speaker 1: that the current situation can ultimately lead to meaningful progress.
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  Speaker 1: Michael Bellio, President and CEO of the American Whiskey Association,
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  Speaker 1: said in a statement, Our industry's objective is straightforward. Restore
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  Speaker 1: fair and dependable access for American whiskey in Canada. That
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  Speaker 1: means market access, shelf access, and consumer access, and the
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  Speaker 1: ability for American producers to participate in the Canadian market
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  Speaker 1: for their products to return to provincial stores, restaurants, and bars.
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  Speaker 1: and for Canadian consumers to once again have the opportunity
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  Speaker 1: to choose American whiskey. Since some provinces began removing U.S.
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  Speaker 1: spirits from shelves in March of 2025, product exports to
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  Speaker 1: Canada fell 70% year-over-year from March through December of 2025,
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  Speaker 1: from approximately $ 203 million to $ 60 million, according to the AWA.
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  Speaker 1: alcohol and spirits industry advocates have repeatedly urged the Trump
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  Speaker 1: administration to return to zero for zero trade on these products.
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  Speaker 1: Industry groups such as the Distilled Spirits Council of the
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  Speaker 1: United States and the AWA have called the American whiskey industry,
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  Speaker 1: which includes bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whiskey, an American success
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  Speaker 1: since the products are distinctive in nature and are only
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  Speaker 1: made in the U.S. However, Despite industry groups advocating for
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  Speaker 1: the protection of spirits from tariffs, the Kentucky bourbon industry
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  Speaker 1: has faced repeated trade woes as the president has ushered
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  Speaker 1: in an uncertain era for global trade thanks in part
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  Speaker 1: to on-again, off-again tariffs and subsequent lawsuits. In early 2026,
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  Speaker 1: the Supreme Court of the United States declared some of
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  Speaker 1: the tariffs issued by the president as illegal and And
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  Speaker 1: since then, companies have been working to receive tariff refunds.
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  Speaker 1: For more than a year and a half, American distillers
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  Speaker 1: have shouldered the brunt of this trade dispute. Krish Schwanger,
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  Speaker 1: president and CEO of Discus, said in a statement, We
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  Speaker 1: urge leaders on both sides of the border to reach
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  Speaker 1: a negotiated solution that restores U.S. spirits to retail shelves
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  Speaker 1: throughout Canada and returns the spirits sector to a permanent
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  Speaker 1: zero-for-zero tariff framework. In the backdrop of the current trade
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  Speaker 1: bans coming down at the U.S. and Canadian border, the countries,
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  Speaker 1: along with Mexico, are currently muddling through a years-long review
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  Speaker 1: and negotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, USMCA, a trade
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  Speaker 1: pact between the U.S. and its northern and southern neighbors,
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  Speaker 1: which debuted during Trump's first term, replacing the North American
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  Speaker 1: Free Trade Agreement. with promises to create a free trade
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  Speaker 1: zone over its 16-year term. The agreement that Trump once
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  Speaker 1: lauded as the largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade
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  Speaker 1: agreement ever achieved does not expire until 2036, but negotiations
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  Speaker 1: have already hit a stalemate. Industry advocates Economist and Brown Foreman,
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  Speaker 1: a Louisville-based distiller, best known for its Jack Daniels family
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  Speaker 1: of products, all previously told the Courier-Journal that continued trade
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  Speaker 1: uncertainty makes long-term planning challenging for businesses in the whiskey sector.
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  Speaker 1: For now, Kentucky's bourbon industry is hanging on as the U.S.
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  Speaker 1: and Canada continue to duke it out on a global scale.
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  Speaker 1: American whiskey is ready to compete, Bilello said in a statement.
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  Speaker 1: We believe the best outcome for producers, businesses, and consumers
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  Speaker 1: on both sides of the border is one that restores
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  Speaker 1: normal commercial access and provides a stable and predictable trading environment.
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  Speaker 1: We hope this can be achieved without further escalation. The
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  Speaker 1: next article comes from the September 11, 2026 edition of
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  Speaker 1: Louisville Business First. and is titled Historic Space to Become
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  Speaker 1: Event Venue. Ratterman targets a few events per month in
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  Speaker 1: the historic cave. Written by Joel Stennett. A historic loggering
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  Speaker 1: tunnel at 1318 Lexington Road will be used as an
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  Speaker 1: event venue called The Vault. The property is owned by
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  Speaker 1: Michael Ratterman of Ratterman Funeral Homes and his wife Ashley McDonald,
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  Speaker 1: who live in a house above the underground space. Ratterman
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  Speaker 1: said he has held occasional events inside the 1,418-square-foot cave
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  Speaker 1: over the last 15 years, including puppet shows, concerts, poetry reading, fundraisers, weddings,
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  Speaker 1: memorial services, and dinners. He and his wife recently filed
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  Speaker 1: a conditional use permit with Louisville Metro Planning and Design
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  Speaker 1: to more formally operate the space as an event venue.
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  Speaker 1: The filing states that the family plans to host guests
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  Speaker 1: for private special events and small gatherings such as celebrations
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  Speaker 1: of life, wedding receptions and family milestones, art exhibitions, readings
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  Speaker 1: and performances in a hidden, authentically mysterious room behind an
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  Speaker 1: unassuming door facing Lexington Road. Ratterman said he hopes to
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  Speaker 1: hold a few events per month. He has made several
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  Speaker 1: improvements to the cavern over the years. including spending nearly $ 40, 000
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  Speaker 1: on masonry work to preserve the vault. There's no bar
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  Speaker 1: going in, no kitchen, or anything of that nature, so
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  Speaker 1: the space itself on the inside really isn't going to change.
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  Speaker 1: We're trying very much to be more archival with it
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  Speaker 1: and not make any major adjustments, Reiterman said. We decided
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  Speaker 1: to go ahead and do it now because we hate
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  Speaker 1: seeing the space sit dark for so long. It's such
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  Speaker 1: a magical space, and it's the kind of space that
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  Speaker 1: when people walk in, they kind of get put back
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  Speaker 1: in time, or they get super creative. Being so unique
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  Speaker 1: to Louisville, we really wanted to kind of use that
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  Speaker 1: as a cultural community-based space for the city. Ratterman said
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  Speaker 1: he believes the cave was used as a loggering tunnel
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  Speaker 1: before the Civil War. German immigrant brewers built extensive underground
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  Speaker 1: networks in cities such as Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Louisville.
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  Speaker 1: Initially constructed around the year 1850 as a stone vault
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  Speaker 1: for what is believed to be a cold area historically
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  Speaker 1: used by local breweries as a barrel vault and lagering
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  Speaker 1: tunnel to store locally brewed malt beverages, a feature not
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  Speaker 1: uncommonly found in the old city boundary of Louisville during
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  Speaker 1: Louisville's once-thriving brewery era. Today, most of these older spaces
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  Speaker 1: have been demolished, filled in, or lost, the filing states. Fortunately,
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  Speaker 1: the applicant has invested resources into preserving and restoring the
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  Speaker 1: vault and now wishes to invite others to enjoy use
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  Speaker 1: of it. The vault was constructed within a limestone cave
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  Speaker 1: and its interior is framed out in hand-cut stone masonry. Consequently,
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  Speaker 1: noise cannot penetrate through the vault's interior walls to the outside,
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  Speaker 1: thereby making the vault a well-insulated space to hold smaller
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  Speaker 1: events on occasion throughout the year. Ratterman said he is
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  Speaker 1: hopeful the plan will go before the Board of Zoning
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  Speaker 1: Adjustment within the next couple of weeks. In other recent
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  Speaker 1: news on new event spaces in the area, Captain's Quarters
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  Speaker 1: Riverside Grill in Prospect is building a new private event space.
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  Speaker 1: The boathouse will consist of a 1,700-square-foot main hall and
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  Speaker 1: a 600-square-foot patio. accommodating both seated diners and cocktail-style receptions.
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  Speaker 1: The next article from Louisville Business First is titled, Historic
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  Speaker 1: Church to Become Recording Studio. The former church will also
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  Speaker 1: host recording sessions, concerts, and vinyl nights. Written by Olivia Estright.
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: An entrepreneurial family is converting a former New Albany church
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: into a recording studio. Josh and Melanie Rosenthal, the founders
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: behind Route Map, purchased the building at 416 East Spring
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: Street with plans to fulfill their passion project and share
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: it with the region. The property was most recently home
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: to the Stained Glass Gallery. Before that, it was a
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: church built in 1889. Rosenthal said the church was architecturally
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: designed for sound with its massive domed roof. These places
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: are closing down in New York and nationally, Rosenthal said.
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: Kentuckiana has one just sitting here. An example of a
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: similar space, Rosenthal said, would be the Trinity Theatre Cathedral
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: in Toronto, Canada. The band Cowboy Junkies recorded its 1988 album,
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: The Trinity Session, in the cathedral, and Rosenthal said the
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: band let the space do the work. The new Albany
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: studio will host small-scale concerts, recording sessions, and vinyl nights
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: with 10,000 records, many of which were part of NPR's collection.
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: Rosenthal said they're hoping to open the space in late
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: fall or early winter of this year. The church had
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: a capacity for 120 people, but Rosenthal said the studio
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: would likely do shows or events on a smaller scale.
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: Rosenthal did not disclose the estimated project cost, but he
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: did say it does not make financial sense. There's no
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: economic reason to do it, he said. But in the
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: middle of this craziness, we just want to preserve history
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: and bring people into it and have a physical space
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: with a physical connection. According to public records, Long Tail
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: Ventures LLC purchased the space in 2024 for $ 675, 000. The
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: LLC is registered to Joss Rosenthal. Rosenthal said while he
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: and Melanie are leading the project, the true masterminds are
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: his daughters, Lydia, Junia, and Afiya. whose ages range from
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: 10 to 17. We're thinking about this as an investment
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: in public and social good, he said. In 2020, the
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: Rosenthal's converted the historic Whirlyway Tavern, constructed in 1890, and
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: renamed it the Longtail Building as an entrepreneurial event space.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: The stained glass gallery, the previous owner, specialized in historic
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: preservation from liturgical venues to including restoration of stained glass
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: windows at Second Baptist Church in downtown New Albany. The
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: next article from Louisville Business First is titled, Nice Ventures
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: Acquires Dundee Site, written by Michael Jones. Louisville-based Nice Ventures
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: has acquired the former Dundee Tavern property in the Highlands
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: for a new parlor pizza and pints restaurant. The location
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: will undergo a 12-week renovation before opening. Dundee Tavern has
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: been a gathering place for this neighborhood for a long time.
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: We look forward to getting to know our new neighbors.
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: We see a tremendous opportunity with this property because it
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: already means something to the neighborhood, said Jason Wade, Vice
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: President of Strategic Operations. This concludes the reading of the
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: most recent business news in Lexington, Louisville, and around the state.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: Your reader today has been Julia Shane. If you have
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: any questions or comments about this program, please give our
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: Lexington studios a call at 859-422-6390. Thanks for listening. And
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: now please stay tuned for readings from the Kentucky series
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: here on Radio Eye.