The city issued an emergency demolition authorization on the former Nelson Distillery rickhouse on Aug. 26 — citing its unstable structure as an imminent risk of collapsing — and by Sept. 2, the historic building at Lexington and Payne streets was completely torn down.
Built in 1896, the rickhouse was designated an Individual Landmark in 2020 after being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. It was used by various companies post-Nelson Distillery until it was abandoned in 1979.
Missouri-based Bamboo Equity Partners plans to convert the demolished lot into a $75 million mixed-used development that would transform the entire Distillery Commons complex — that would include rental housing, retail + restaurant space.
