Project for Public Spaces

Jefferson Market

Louisville, KY (2008-2009)

Client: NuLu Bridgstone, LLC.


The NuLu neighborhood is an up and coming arts district located between downtown Louisville and several of the city’s residential neighborhoods. NuLu Bridgestone LLC hired PPS to create a management and operations plan for a market hall featuring high-quality, Kentucky grown food and drink. Rather than just creating an indoor market hall, as initially planned, PPS suggested the developers think of the entire area as a market district, complete with a large wholesale/retail produce distributor, specialty food/drink shops, café/coffee shop, and outdoor markets.

This planned district will generate retail trade with strong, well-chosen anchors selling fresh foods and prepared foods in permanent retail spaces and farmers selling in open-air stalls. The design of the district will promote easy circulation from farmer stall to bakery to café to indoor shops – all of which will be focused onto and radiating from a central gathering area that will function much like a market square.

PPS’ intent with the Jefferson Market is to attract people and can create more valuable real estate in their surrounding areas through a market which is properly designed and merchandised. A development approach that is contextually sensitive to the site itself and complementary to the larger NuLu neighborhood will provide the greatest exposure, circulation and enjoyment for shoppers and will make for a more pleasant and social environment for the retailers and farmers who choose to sell there. The aim, of course, is that this will increase the overall experiential quality of the shopping environment which will make it more profitable.