With recent closings of local restaurants and businesses, plus looming construction projects like CentrePointe promising even more commercial space, Lexington’s leading economists are saying we’re headed towards a “Space for Rent” boom.

“If you like paying property taxes and getting on the first name basis with panhandlers, this is the opportunity for you,” explained local economist, Dwight Privilege, as we sat down inside a recently vacated restaurant. “One man’s location hosting 7 failed restaurants is another man’s treasure,” Privilege stood as he opened a fridge, “Ooooh looks like they left some Kombucha.”

Privilege says some common mistakes small business owners make are hosting open mics, being near Triangle Park and not putting an Authentic Kentucky Gargoyle on the roof. “They keep out bad mojo,” he winked, handing me a business card. Privilege’s son Doug is the “Owner/Chief Gargoyle” at “Kentucky Authentic Gargoyles” in Lexington’s booming distillery district.

Despite the economist’s praising of vacated spaces for investment, Privilege himself calling them “the next Snapchat,” some, like his son, are still insistent on filling those spaces with businesses. Logan Botyard, a Chase bank loan officer, ran us through some of his previous approvals. “Let’s see, before it was a gourmet popcorn warehouse, it was a tattoo parlour that only did tattoo’s of Harry Dean Stanton in a Y’all shirt, and before that a mustache growery.”

Botyard himself is wearing a tie-dyed shirt with “Smell My Finger” inside an outline of Kentucky. Pictures on his desk facing him are of himself at the Nightmarket PhotoBooth in a series of goofy hats and mustaches. “But I think those only failed because the owners were distracted by other projects. Like the stores themselves were very popular, so I think a record store that only sells cassettes should do really well here.” Botyard turns to a partial record collection in his office. “You mind if I put on some Modern Lover’s while we crunch these numbers?”

Back at the abandoned restaurant, Dwight Privilege is directing some employees hanging up a ‘For Lease’ sign. “They actually work for my son’s gargoyle shop but they know what’s really paying the bills.”

A couple walks up as the guys are rolling out some Bourbon Barrel bar stools. They put their arms around each other’s shoulders as they look optimistically at the building. “What if we opened something with a real  ‘Kentucky Feel’?”