The series of buildings at the corner of East 9th and Monmouth streets in Newport, Kentucky, is fascinating, and after years of neglect, is being renovated. The circa 1900 one-story structure housed an El Rico drug store and later several financial institutions while an adjoining circa 1900 Italianate Second Empire building featured first-floor retail and apartments above.
In November 2014, Carabello Coffee announced they were purchasing the former El Rico drug store to expand operations – including a slow bar, a training laboratory, and to expand roasting operations with the assistance of the city and WorK Architecture + Design.
These photos were taken back in October 2014 before renovations.