At 132 S 3rd Street, a building with nearly two centuries of history is stepping into a fresh chapter. Once serving as a morgue in 1857, complete with a back alley where the deceased were brought in by horse and buggy, the space has lived many lives over the years, including time as a salon and flower shop. Today, it is being reimagined as EPIC Collective, a community-centered space that blends work, retail, and hospitality all under one roof.
Owned by local entrepreneur and realtor Lilly Brown, EPIC Collective is more than just a storefront, it is the realization of a long-time dream. Lilly, who is also a part of The EPIC Group with eXp Realty, has always dreamed of owning a business in downtown Paducah. When she and her mother, Missy Brown, attended a broker open house at the property, they immediately saw its potential. They found that the building was in remarkable condition and at a price that made the vision quickly become a reality.
While many businesses gravitate toward Broadway, Lilly sees great value in being located on South 3rd Street. She believes growth across multiple downtown corridors is essential to the continued expansion and vitality of Paducah’s downtown development. For her, being a part of that momentum is just as meaningful as the business itself.
EPIC Collective was designed to offer something different. Rather than fitting into one category, the space was created with a welcoming, coffee-shop-inspired atmosphere where both real estate agents and the public can comfortably gather, work, and connect. Brown recognized that many agents do not have a dedicated office space, and she wanted to create a space where professionals and community members alike could stop in between meetings, work on laptops, make calls, or simply pause and take a breath.
It is a flexible, come-and-go workspace built around convenience and comfort: make your own coffee, grab a drink, settle into a meeting at the conference table, or take a moment to reset during the day. At its core, the space is entirely community driven.
In addition to its collaborative workspace, EPIC Collective also features a curated retail section offering clothing, candles, games, decor, greeting cards, and more. Bringing another layer of creativity and local shopping to the downtown experience.
And the innovation does not stop there, every square inch of 132 S 3rd has been beautifully utilized. The upstairs features a fully refinished one-bedroom, one-bath condominium operating as an Airbnb, further expanding the building’s purpose and reach.
From its storied beginnings in 1857 to its present-day grand opening, EPIC Collective is a striking example of how our historic downtown spaces can be preserved and reimagined for modern community needs. It is not simply a business, it’s a space that reflects community, entrepreneurial vision, and the evolving future of downtown Paducah.