Residents in a nine block area of the Old Louisville neighborhood voted Tuesday to approve alcohol sales in the burgeoning precinct.
Before the wet-dry special election the area was the only remaining dry precinct inside the Watterson Expressway in Jefferson County. Thirteen of some 620 precincts remain dry in the county, according to data from the Jefferson County Clerk.
The special election was prompted by Dan Borsch, owner of Toonerville Deli, which sits on the northernmost edge of the precinct. He sought the ability to sell alcohol to help boost revenue and continue a trend of economic development at the intersection of Oak and First streets in Old Louisville.
The booze would pair nicely with the pizza and sandwiches he currently sells and, beyond that, would provide the needed revenue to fund a large scale renovation of his historic Victorian building.
"This is truly a catalytic corner for the neighborhood," he said. "If it was redone well, it would symbolize the rebirth of the neighborhood. It would be focal point for residents to come socialize, get to know each other, organize, enjoy life and that what makes a viable neighborhood."
The Jefferson County clerks’ office reported 123 people of the some 1,500 registered voters in the precinct turned out for the special election. Just more than 73 percent voted in favor of going wet.
This story has been updated.
