LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville’s Mid City Mall on Bardstown Road is expected to be demolished as part of a proposed redevelopment project in the Highlands neighborhood.
The planned Mid City Market development is expected to include a grocery store, likely a Publix, along with five retail buildings. No residential units are currently part of the plan, according to Louisville Business First.
The project also proposes additional greenspace and improved pedestrian walkways, made possible by a 25% reduction in parking, which would remove more than 100 spaces. The library currently located inside Mid City Mall is expected to remain and be relocated to a new building on the Beechwood Avenue side of the development.
The property’s owners are working with Atlanta-based developer Branch Properties. Louisville Business First reported that 24 of the developer’s 34 projects include a Publix, though there has been no official confirmation that one will be part of the Mid City Market development.
More than 50 Highlands residents participated in a Zoom meeting hosted by the Highlands Commerce Guild, where a Branch Properties representative answered questions and gathered feedback on the project.
“Mid City Mall has been a shopping location and a commercial location in the Highlands for a long time, and we anticipate it’s going to continue to be that,” said Cliff Ashburner of Branch Properties. “It’s just going to be doing it with a more contemporary design, a safer design for pedestrians and a greener design.”
Ashburner said current plans call for the existing Mid City Mall building to be demolished by the end of 2026. Once completed, the development will feature a mix of local, regional, and national businesses, with an anticipated opening in early 2028.
Mid City Mall has been listed for sale since November 2024. The property is owned by Bardstown Road Investment Co. and the David A. Metts Irrevocable Term Trust and is assessed at $11.4 million for tax purposes.
Several businesses have already closed or relocated due to the mall’s uncertain future. Ramen House Louisville moved to Spring Street, The Nearly New Shop closed in September, and the Back Door Bar shut down in May 2024 following the death of longtime owner John Dant. Baxter Avenue Theatres also closed at the end of 2025, citing uncertainty surrounding the site’s redevelopment.
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