Downtown Elizabethtown is alive and the transformation continues to gain momentum.
Vibe Coffee helped make the Public Square a place to start your day and Running Soles helped sell the message than any hour is good for downtown activity.
Convincing owners of Impellizzeri’s to taking a chance on a dream was revolutionary and its success made J.R. Neighbors and related dining opportunities make sense.
The State Theater continues to provide entertainment opportunities and spots like Bourbon Barrel Tavern, the Cavern Club, Flywheel Brewery and Waters Edge Winery have helped secure the concept of downtown as an entertainment destination.
Every small business adds to this new picture — from gift shops and upscale clothing vendors to a vintage arcade and comics shop.
One of the key signs that metamorphosis has taken hold can be detected in the community’s reaction to new announcements. Nobody scoffs anymore.
Todd and Cameron Davis’ plan to revamp an aged brick building, which began as a Coca-Cola bottling plant and was converted to serve for decades as the school board office is the latest major investment.
The building at 110 S. Main St. has been gutted and is reborn as a yet to be named hangout for families to feature local cuisine, retailers, multiple activities and a laid-back atmosphere.
With the Elizabethtown Sports Park attracting thousands of visitors week after week, the time is right for the Davis family’s idea. And they have a proven track record after establishing Bluegrass Sportsplex on Peterson Drive.
The new venue, which still has many renovation hours ahead, is expected to open in phases this summer.
The very best part is the Davises’ motivation: “We love our community and we love doing stuff for our community,” Cameron said. “It’s fun too, it’s fun to pour back into the community.”
That fits right in with the entire downtown live, work, play renaissance.
This editorial reflects a consensus of The News-Enterprise editorial board.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Terms of Use. The complete terms of use policy can be found at the bottom of this page.