Snapshot: Mockingbird Terrace Rises

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 by Branden Klayko.

Mockingbird Terrace under construction (courtesy Steve Wiser)

A new condo development near the corner of Mockingbird Valley Road and Mellwood Avenue just east of Zorn Avenue has made substantial progress. I had tried to write up this project before, but calls were never returned and it was pushed to the back burner. Here are a few current photos of the Mockingbird Terrace development from architect Steve Wiser, AIA and a couple more from when it was just starting from the BS Archives.

Mockingbird Terrace consists of two five-story buildings that will soon house up to 50 luxury condos starting in the mid $300,000 range. The $24 million project sits on a four acre bluff just outside the boundaries of the city of Mockingbird Valley. The site had been zoned for multi-family housing, but that didn’t stop a barrage of complaints that the project was too tall, too dense, out of character with the area, and structurally unsound.

Project developer Henry Potter says site work was difficult but the buildings are definitely stable. He was also involved with the Fleur-de-Lis on Main and Preson Pointe Downtown. His firm, Potter and Associates, provided design work. A third structure originally proposed for the site has been eliminated from the development.

The area is centrally located in Louisville, very close to Downtown, but has maintained a largely rural character as you can see from photos after the click. While it’s certainly scenic, it’s less than walkable and there are no sidewalks on Mockingbird Valley Road. On my own visit to the site, I found it daunting to walk either on the edge of a road with speeding cars or on muddy grass. Hopefully sidewalks will one day be part of the scene at least connecting to River Road and Mellwood Avenue.