NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Downtown Nicholasville is experiencing a revival, with new restaurants, retailers and a performance park drawing residents and visitors to a Main Street that not long ago lacked both activity and amenities.

At the center of the transformation is Soul on Main, a restaurant that opened 364 days ago. Owner Carrie Gabrielson and her husband launched the business as part of a broader wave of new ventures taking root along Main Street.

"Our first year of Soul on Main has been absolutely incredible," Gabrielson said. "The support from the city and the county and the citizens of Nicholasville has really blown us away."

The restaurant is open five days a week for lunch and dinner.

The revitalization effort traces back to a financial commitment made by city leadership. In 2021, the city introduced a business development grant program.

"We introduced the business development grant and we allocated $500,000 which was a matching funds grant for business owners to make improvements," Mayor Carter said.

A focal point of the effort is the Nicholasville Performance Park, built on land that previously held dilapidated buildings.

"This was formerly some dilapidated buildings in these areas, so we've really made an effort to revitalize this and have a venue where our residents can come and enjoy and not just concerts but other activities as well," Carter said.

The park hosts a summer concert series similar to Lexington's Thursday Night Live, and the events are driving foot traffic to surrounding businesses. Carter said his motivation for the effort was personal.

"This was my home, so I grew up here and I wanted to make a lasting impact on helping revitalize downtown and making our community better for our residents," Carter said.

Gabrielson said the growth of neighboring businesses benefits everyone on the street.

"We are firm believers of a rising tide lifts all boats, so anything, any new neighbors that we have, any new businesses that come, is really great for all of us," Gabrielson said.

Carter said the value of the investment goes beyond finances.

"I think the return on investment on quality of life cannot really be measured by a dollar figure," Carter said.

Rhonda May, director of the Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce, said the revitalized downtown has made promoting the area significantly easier.

"Come down, look around, stop and eat, come listen to some music, and then, you know, come do it all again next weekend. So there's a ton of stuff now that's truly going on that does pull people downtown by adding a good vibe," May said.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.