LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — What used to be a group of tobacco buildings is about to be Lexington's newest entertainment district.
"We got excited the first time we ever saw it. I think it's going to be the coolest place in Lexington," said Michael Tetterton, CEO of RD1 Spirits.
The new distillery along Leestown Road will be the anchor tenant of "The Commons," a 40-acre entertainment, shopping, and dining district.
"A great place to work, a great place to come play and eat, the entertainment side of it, and in the living side of it, we'll have 32 different AirBnB units down here, pretty high-end units," said Daren Turner, developer and CEO of The Commons.
Turner said the Leestown Road area is the perfect spot for a development like this.
"There are more neighbors in this district than any district in the state of Kentucky. You've got Masterson Station Park out here with a tremendous amount of homes. You've got Meadowthorpe, so there's a lot of people that live out in this area and there's not a lot for them to do," Turner said.
UK Football Coach Mark Stoops is a major investor in RD1, and he's excited to see the distillery come to life here.
"I think it'll be quite different. I think the foot traffic, the education, what we have planned for this new facility is going to add to this area down here. I can't tell you how many people come in just for football games and ask me where to go and so it's going to be really nice for me to start them here. It's a great starting point to kick off part of the Bourbon Trail," Stoops said.
The distillery is expected to be finished in the summer of 2024. Other retail and entertainment components are expected to be finished by the end of the year.
