

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Sorrell.
Hi Anna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Rachel Zink and I met in our neighborhood 5 years ago. It was not until the summer of 2020 that we bonded over the love of historic buildings. Rachel’s family has owned a block of buildings on East Broadway for 40+ years. They slowly acquired the buildings over the years as their business grew. After the business was sold her family maintained the ownership of the real estate. In August 2020, Rachel and I toured the property.
Rachel asked me, ” Am I crazy? Or do these buildings have so much potential?” That was the beginning of our women-owned development and management company. We call it a development and management company; it is so much more than that. We are creating a district that is for our city and community. A place where people feel welcome and included. Our goal is to create a walkable, safe district with beautiful greenspaces, performance arts, retail, restaurants, co-working, an event venue, a coffee shop and so much more.
Our vision is influenced by my upbringing in the Netherlands, Rachel and her husband, Terry Zink, travels abroad, and our growing children. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? What kind of world do we want for our kids and generations to come? The history of our buildings has a huge impact as well. John G Epping’s Bottling Works was established in 1863. John G Epping lived and worked on-site. His house, located on Logan Street, is right next to the former production facility. In fact, everywhere there is a limestone ‘E’ in a diamond on a building was part of the bottling company. The rich history made it easy to name our business and district, Epping District. The anchor of our development will be the former Broadway Theatre. The theatre was saved in the 80s from demolition. The renovation that took place during that time saved most of the historic interior. We are hoping to renovate this beautiful building and open it back up to the public.
We are currently working on expanding our tree canopy and creating a plan for green spaces. Black Complex has started cosmetic updates in the coworking space. Jason Cohan, a wood artisan, is setting up shop. Additionally, we are in the middle of a large renovation for Kertis Creative to move this spring into an East Broadway facing building. There is talk of a coffee shop, and so much more. Please check out our website to stay updated and follow us on Instagram.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has been a hard road, to say the least. We knew going into historic development that it would be a challenging process. The pandemic left us with a lack of childcare and kids out of school. The first year we didn’t get very much done. There is a lot of waiting at times on many things out of our control. Permitting can take a lot of time.
We both come from a background in nursing, with little experience in redevelopment. But because of our background, we are both problem solvers and always looking for a solution. That has come in handy. This learning process has been incredibly rewarding, and we have met amazing people in the process. One great example is Aaron Jordan, founder of the Black Complex. Who has become a key partner for Epping District. Aaron understands our vision, and that is something that is incredibly important.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For a long time, we mostly did everything together. It makes it so much more fun, and we have become very good friends over the years. Our kiddos spend a lot of time together. It continues to be a family business, just a little different.
It takes time to create a plan and vision, and it constantly gets tweaked. After the last two years, we know much better who is good at what. Even in the last couple of months, our roles have become clearer. We are both good at different things and some overlap. The next step is to really identify our roles especially as our team is growing. For now, we are both co-founders of Epping District, no fancy names.
What do you think about happiness?
Our community, I can speak for all of us. Rachel and I have our city and community in mind when we look at the buildings and block that we are working with. What does this city need? What are we missing here? We want this district to be a place that is refreshing, new, and inclusive.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eppingdistrict.
com, www. blackcomplexlouisville.com - Instagram: @eppingdistrict
Image Credits
Rachel Ice, Anna Sorrell, Aaron Jordan, Rachel Zink, Zayn Isom, and John G. Epping