Yesterday, I told you about a report that suggests a series of 19th century buildings on the 100 block of West Main Street comprising the Iron Quarter site are still salvageable despite years of decay.  Now, Mayor Abramson has come out in support of preserving the old bourbon warehouses and is actively encouraging developer Todd Blue to sell the buildings to someone willing to stabilize and rehabilitate them.

Chris Poynter, spokesman for Mayor Abramson, said the Iron Quarter block “is the most important block anywhere in the city right now.”  Mayor Abramson met with Blue last week to discuss selling the properties and says two undisclosed local buyers are interested in all or a portion of the site.

The Mayor praised Blue’s efforts at preserving historic buildings at the Mercantile Lofts and the Cobalt Marketplace, both on Market Street.  He also lauded the vision behind the original Iron Quarter project, but realizes it was a victim of the down economy.  Now, the Mayor wants to move forward before it’s too late.

Thirty years ago, Poynter notes West Main Street between Sixth and Ninth were in the same situation and now the stretch known as Museum Row is one of the finest streets in the city.  He says these buildings are part of Louisville’s history and the Mayor wants to see them remain standing and put to good use.

Mayor Abramson finds the restoration of the new Patrick O’Shea’s, on the same block as the Iron Quarter, to be a good example of what can be done to save a deteriorating building.  Not too long ago, the O’Shea’s building exhibited similar amounts of decay as some of the Iron Quarter buildings.  A fire had damaged much of the structure and a settling facade had to be lifted back into place and structural stars installed.

Poynter also notes that the recently installed fence barricading off the sidewalk is quickly becoming a hassle for new businesses in the area and employees who must go far out of their way just to get around.  Parking has also been prohibited in front of the buildings, costing Blue $20 a day per meter while they are blocked.

Abramson usually doesn’t get involved in brokering deals between private parties, but Poynter says there’s no time to waste and that stabilization must happen as soon as possible.  Cobalt Ventures paid $4.3 million for the Iron Quarter properties several years ago and the Mayor thinks a deal to sell the buildings could allow Blue to break even.  Poynter wouldn’t say if the city can help financially in stabilizing the structures but did say all options are on the table.

Click through for more photos of the Iron Quarter.

A large, windowless brick building on East Main Street is ready to move forward as a mix of condos, apartments, office, and retail space after gaining approval from the Waterfront Development Corporation, the agency tasked with overseeing development in the area.

Ice House Lofts will fill the seven-story former Arctic Building at 217 East Market Street with a mix of uses including condos, apartments, office, and retail space.  The $10 million project is being developed by David Barhorst of Sofo Development and David Steinbrecher, owner of Derek Engineering and the first residential units could be available by the end of 2010.

Development plans have been evolving but Barhorst explains the proposal calls for a mix of 36 apartments and condos on the first six floors and two penthouse condos on the top floor.  Already, Barhorst is talking with one person interested in purchasing a penthouse unit.

Commercial space will line Main Street and Washington Street and a former ice manufacturing plant in the back is expected to become commercial space.  Negotiations are under way with a prospective tenant but Barhorst declined to name the interested party.

Along Main Street, Ice Box Co-Labs, billed as Louisville’s first co-working environment, has already taken 5,000 square feet and will soon have a new glass facade along the loading dock portion of the structure.  Crews demolished a brick wall for the window last year and it is currently covered in plywood.  The co-working concept includes spaces for individuals or small groups to have offices, three conference rooms, a photo studio, and the very important ping pong table and Star Wars pin ball machine.

Several non-contributing additions on Washington Street will be demolished and Barhorst says he hopes to build a small parking garage with about 100 spaces and retail space along the sidewalk.  Barhorst and Steinbrecher have hired a consultant to study the layout of the garage.  His earlier promise to promote bike-commuting at the Ice House still stands and he says bike lockers will be included.

When we toured the building in 2008, Barhorst pointed out the massive concrete structure inside the ice warehouse and explained how old machines still inside the building once made giant blocks of ice.  Some of the old refrigeration machinery like chillers on the back of the building will be removed but Barhorst wants to keep other elements as a nod to the structure’s history.  A massive steel structure holding up the chilling units on Washington Street could become a roof deck for tenants.

It’s going to take a little effort to transform a building with no windows into a comfortable place to live.  As you can see in the rendering above, Ice House Lofts will have a grid of windows cut into the facade in a manner that respects the existing brick detailing.  Each unit will feature its own balcony and the penthouse units will offer three balconies each.  Design work is being handled by Bayus Design Works of Louisville.

Located between two of the most expensive residential projects in Downtown, the Fleur de Lis and the Waterfront Park Place, units at the Ice House Lofts offer more moderate pricing.  Units will primarily offer one bedroom and range from 680 to 1100 square feet.  Rents are estimated at under $1,000.  Condos on the upper floors will start at $250,000.

Barhorst and Steinbrecher are currently in negotiations with two banks to secure financing for the residential component of the project, but work will proceed on other aspects in the meantime.  Telephone switching gear located on the top floor will be relocated to the roof and the glass facade along the sidewalk will be installed.  A routine approval of the project floor plans must also be undertaken by the city.

Work on the residential units will begin when financing is finalized and upon final approval from the city, but Barhorst says if everything goes well, the first units could be available by the end of the year.

Check out more coverage of the Ice House Lofts on Broken Sidewalk.

Click through for a few photos of the Ice House Lofts site.

We have reached a critical point where action must be taken to save one of the most important contiguous spans of 19th century architecture and history in all of Louisville.  We as a community cannot allow the further deterioration of a large stretch of bourbon warehouses continue to the point where the structures are permanently lost and a new report suggests if action is taken soon to shore up the buildings, all or most of them could be saved.

The site is the eastern two thirds of the 100 block of West Main Street dating from the 1850s to the 1890s and site of a March 2007 proposal called the Iron Quarter, a mixed use, sports anchored development a block from the new arena.  Then, developer Todd Blue, President and CEO of Cobalt Ventures, planned an ambitious multifaceted $50 million project comprised of a luxury shopping arcade with a modern glass office tower rising from behind the historic facades.

The proposal was made at the height of optimism in Downtown development when large-scale projects were creating headlines almost weekly.  With the onset of the economic downturn, however, the availability of tenants that could make the Iron Quarter viable grew small and many feared the project would stall along with other mega-projects.

Blue acquired the block when it was already showing sings of severe deterioration.  The row of 19th century bourbon warehouses has been sitting abandoned for years and decades and one structure even collapsed in the late 1990s on the corner of First and Main Streets, leaving a scar still visible today.  One of the reasons Blue had proposed the often controversial “facadectomy” technique – where the guts of a building are removed and the facade preserved – was because of the level of decay that had already set in.

After a building under renovation by Cobalt Ventures partially collapsed at the nearby Mercantile Gallery Lofts in 2005, Blue is not willing to risk a dangerous repeat.  He told Broken Sidewalk in an interview that he is unsure if the Iron Quarter buildings can be saved, but that public safety is his main concern.  Blue cites his historic preservation successes at various project in the past but says safety will always trump preservation.

That’s why Cobalt Ventures installed a chain link fence at the request of the city blocking the sidewalk last week.  Jim Mims, Director of Metro Louisville Codes and Regulations, says there’s no imminent threat that instigated the fence, and explains that now is not the time to press the panic button on the buildings’ condition.  Cobalt Ventures had asked the city to place a fence on the site on two occasions last year to protect against possible falling debris, but Mims says such a fence is the responsibility of the property owner.

It’s just one more sign of the continued deterioration and is already presenting major hassles for pedestrians on Main Street.  In the past three years, the Iron Quarter buildings have decayed further through wind and ice storms all while lacking a proper roofs and enduring trees growing from their brick facades.

The situation drew the attention of Preservation Louisville in July 2009 when the group included the Iron Quarter buildings on their annual list of the Ten Most Endangered Historic Structures in Louisville.  Preservation Louisville used the event to call for preserving the guts of the Iron Quarter buildings, not just the front facades, drawing attention to the facadectomy technique.

Blue knows the properties are valuable, especially because of their proximity to the new arena.  Others are converting three structures on the western end of the block into the Whiskey Row Lofts and the Patrick O’Shea’s Public House already.

The Iron Quarter has been laying low since it was last in the news in February 2009.  At the time, Cobalt Ventures was in negotiations with Humana to sign on as an office tenant, but that deal has since fallen through and Blue is reevaluating the project.

Now while the project is being reassessed, it’s an opportune time to temporarily shore up the buildings and seal up the roofs from the decay inducing effects of the weather.  The Downtown Development Corporation, a private non-profit group representing Downtown, has  recently undertaken a preliminary evaluation of the condition of each Iron Quarter building to determine what is salvageable.

In December 2009, the DDC hired Tetra Tech and Brasch-Barry General Contractors to  analyze the current condition of the Iron Quarter buildings.  As can be imagined, the structures aren’t in the best shape and suffer from mold, water saturation, and in some cases, partial collapse of interior floors.  The report, finished at the end of January and just released, says the structures range from good and fair condition to poor condition indicating some interior collapse.

The consultants, some dressed in Hazmat gear as a precaution, couldn’t access all parts of the buildings because of hazardous conditions and therefore the report can’t be considered comprehensive, but it offers heretofore unknown insights into the state of the buildings.

Patti Clare, Deputy Director of the Downtown Development Corporation, explains she hopes the study will “move the conversation [about the Iron Quarter] forward and elevate it in a positive way.”  Above all, she says the DDC is looking out for the best interest of the buildings and their contribution to Downtown’s urban fabric.

Based on the consultants’ limited observations, the major issue contributing to structural decay is the lack of a weather-tight roof on nearly all structures.  Water was found in every building and some interiors were saturated with water or contained partially collapsed floors.  Keeping the weather out and a building’s interior dry is crucial to maintaining its structural integrity.

The report concludes that the Iron Quarter buildings could potentially be saved despite their level of decay but admits that the economics will have to be evaluated by Cobalt Ventures.  Three cost estimates for various stabilization options are included in the report to understand the what stabilization would require:

• Structural stabilization for all facades ($990,000)
• Providing a new roof for the structures ($563,000)
• Structural stabilization and a new roof ($1,455,000)

These numbers are rough and might seem high, but it’s important to remember this small investment today could pay off not only in public safety but in future investment.  The value of over half a block of buildings adjacent to the arena is far greater.

The options include stabilization techniques that do not require crews to enter the buildings so as to avoid current structural issues and could safely extend the buildings life by five years while the economy improves and a new plan is put in place for the property.

Known in the preservation community as “mothballing” a historic building, the process is a good way to save unused buildings from collapse or severe decay.  One proposed facade stabilization technique in the report involves braces that would buttress the building, extending diagonally from the facade to ground level and allowing sidewalk access underneath.

In the end, however, Cobalt Ventures must make the decision to stabilize the Iron Quarter buildings.  Todd Blue notes that the DDC study is preliminary and wasn’t conducted by Cobalt Ventures.  He says he personally doesn’t know the condition of the buildings and doesn’t want to undertake any effort that might result in a potential collapse.

Blue continues to work with Metro Louisville and the Downtown Development Corporation.  Jim Mims says his department has requested that Cobalt Ventures take measures to stabilize the buildings and, so far, Mims notes they have had a positive experience with Cobalt and hopes a resolution can be found to save the structures, although he says there’s probably little financial contribution the city can make to the stabilization effort.

In the meantime, the sidewalk on Main Street will be blocked for the foreseeable future, an unfortunate situation given the amount of business opening up in the area and the crowds that will undoubtedly need the space when the arena opens, not to mention current Downtown residents and workers who must put up with the inconvenience.

A stabilization plan must be prepared immediately to ensure the Iron Quarter buildings can be saved in the future.  The original Iron Quarter proposal was filled with such optimism for the rebirth of Downtown and it doesn’t have to wither unnecessarily.  That enthusiasm for the Iron Quarter block can still be rekindled even in another yet undetermined form.  That starts with stabilization.

This group of bourbon warehouses has been through a lot in their 150 year history.  Some were around in the Civil War, all made it through the 1937 flood.  They were standing in Louisville’s heyday and suffered neglect as the community disinvested in the urban core.  It would be a real tragedy to lose them just before Louisville enters its next period of Downtown prosperity.

Click through for a gallery of decay at the Iron Quarter.

Developers behind the Whiskey Row Lofts officially announced today that they have secured financing for the $18.5 million mixed use project at Second and Main Streets and will begin construction immediately.  The 110,000 square feet will occupy a prominent corner in the old L & N Building at 101 W. Main and adjacent Burwinkle Hendershot whiskey warehouse at 127 W. Main.

The project was originally announced in September 2008 as a mix of 27 residential units, retail, and office space, but the latest update shows 39 planned units.  Whiskey Row will offer a mix of apartments, live-work lofts, and penthouse suites.  Features include an interior courtyard, terraces & balconies, internal parking, and restoration of the buildings’ historic features (check out a pre-construction photo tour).

Four to five restaurants will be part of the project including the already announced Sol Aztecas and a gastropub saloon officially called Hog n’ Char Whiskey Saloon.  Bearno’s by the Bridge will remain where it is.  Sol Aztecas will occupy 3,700 square feet in the west bar of the B-H building adjacent to Bearno’s and will be operated by owner Saul Garcia.

While prematurely announced by the city earlier this year, a lease has now officially been signed for Hog n’ Char for 5,900 square feet, also in the B-H building.  Brothers Michael and Steven Ton of Basa restaurant fame and Master Sommelier Brett Davis will serve “world class barbecue and Southern comfort food” at the new restaurant.  In a gesture towards the building’s past, Hog n’ Char Whiskey Saloon will have an emphasis on whiskey cocktails.

Some interior demolition work has already begun, but today’s announcement marks the beginning of real construction.  The first new restaurant is expected to open this fall to coincide with the arena opening and residential units will be available in early 2011.  The project is a joint effort between Bill Weyland of City Properties Group, Valle Jones of Mayin, LLC, and Stephen Jones of Greensward, Inc.

Financing is primarily provided by Stock Yards Bank & Trust including $7.2 million in loan funds and $7.8 million in federal and state tax equity.  Additional financing came from the Downtown Development Corporation’s Houding Fund and the City of Louisville’s METCO program.  Developers noted that this is good news for Downtown as funding has been difficult for many planned projects.

Valle Jones has reconfirmed her commitment to historically renovating the structures to federal historic standards.  This partly involved waiting to acquire the Burwinkle Hendershot building to allow complete restoration of a grand central staircase and use of an open courtyard.  The L & N building dates to 1877 and features classic details while the adjacent whiskey warehouse was built in 1869 by John Andrewartha, architect of Louisville’s City Hall.

• Whiskey Row Lofts (Official Site)
• More coverage of the Whiskey Row Lofts from Broken Sidewalk

[ UPDATE:  Will have more information next week, but it appears the city jumped the gun on the announcement slightly as a lease has not been signed with Whiskey Row Lofts yet.  Negotiations are ongoing and more news will be coming soon. ]

Get ready for yet another local restaurant planning to open near the arena.  Metro Louisville announced today that Hiep That Ton, Michael Ahn Ton, and William B. Davis will be opening the Hog & Barrel Whiskey Saloon at the Whiskey Row Lofts at Second and Main Streets.  The Ton brothers currently own Basa on Frankfort Avenue.

I placed called with involved parties, but wanted to post the news as soon as possible and will fill in the details when they become available.  According to the city, Hog & Barrel “will feature food, wine, spirits, with a strong emphasis on bourbon and local micro-brewed beers.”

In addition to the Bearno’s by the Bridge already at Whiskey Row Lofts, Sol Aztecas Grill & Cantina also announced plans to locate in the project being developed by City Properties Group and siblings Julie “Valle” Jones and Stephen Jones.

So the new parking garage on Jefferson Street may have been completed several months ago, but the last time we checked in with the structure, it still had a tower crane.  The garage is now owned by PARC and is officially dubbed the Jefferson Centre Garage.  We appreciate the antiquated spelling of “centre” to evoke historic feelings about the structure.

The retail space is still listed for lease and despite its small size, about 1,000 square feet, it could make a great sandwich or coffee shop.  The detailed treatment of the windows on the corner stair towers is quite nice as well.  The structure is a fortress, though, and within five minutes of entering the structure and climbing to the top level to check out the view, a security guard was there to make sure I was all right.

Last October, HGTV’s House Hunters program was supposed to showcase three local condo developments.  That episode never made it on the air.  A tipster informs us that the episode featuring the Bycks Lofts, the Fleur de Lis, and the Henry Clay developments will air tonight at 9:00pm.  Here’s a little from the show’s synopsis:

“Katie and Boyd love raising their kids in Middletown, Kentucky, Louisville suburb. But, they want to experience the hustle and bustle of the big city and decided to split the difference and buy a vacation home in downtown Louisville, just a 20 minute drive from their home in the suburbs. With a budget of $250,000, they’re looking for a loft style condo with 2 bed/2bath, an open and updated kitchen and outdoor space. They want a place that’s located near the entertainment district and ball field, but within walking distance of the marina where they can dock their boat.”

Hopefully the show will make it on the air tonight.  A rebroadcast is also scheduled for February 23 at 7:30pm.

Tom O’Shea has been quietly  building his new restaurant and bar in the shadow of the arena for some time now, but the dust is settling as the finishing touches are put on the new Patrick O’Shea’s restaurant in time for a January opening.  I stopped by the construction site to talk with Tom about the new restaurant and take a look at interior progress.

Behind the new mahogany doors on Main Street, furniture has arrived, much of it fabricated from reclaimed lumber from the 1880s era bourbon warehouse.  A thick layer of dust covered the finished floor, but heavy construction has already ended.  In fact, the bulk of the remaining work involves hanging mirrors and artwork and installing shelves behind the main bar.

Patrick O’Shea’s will officially open its first phase in late January or early February with the second floor planned to open in April or May.  The basement level is scheduled to be ready in late 2010, likely in October.  O’Shea explains that the rolling opening will allow for any problems to be worked out, but he is certainly excited to officially open the doors soon.

Patrons will enter the restaurant from Main Street into an intricately paneled wooden hall leading to the tea room.  Sunergos coffee and a variety of tea will be served and the space is expected to be open late into the evening providing a more caffeinated option to the standard bar experience.  The space will have its own name but operate under the Patrick O’Shea’s banner.

Proceeding into the restaurant space, one passes by a dramatic bar that will offer two dozen beers on tap.  A a dramatic atrium and skylight dominate the space with wooden timbers forming the ceiling and more custom woodwork surrounding side tables.  Massive wooden beams salvaged from the construction process have been converted into tabletops with the rich patina of century old wood.

O’Shea has incorporated antique and salvaged materials throughout the restaurant.  In fact, he had just been browsing through Joe Ley’s Architectural Antiques before my visit.  Brass chandeliers with flickering bulbs that originally graced a long gone church hang over the large main bar.  The original wooden floors have been refinished and feature a warm glow as well.

New materials have been fashioned to lend an old world charm to the Irish restaurant.  Besides the detailed woodwork, detailed wrought iron handrails lead up a central stair to the second level and tile work in the bathrooms features unexpected detailing.  O’Shea and his associates took a trip to New York recently where they toured over 80 bars in three days to make sure his new establishment would be top notch.

The Main Street level is large by itself, but once the three-floor complex opens next year, Patrick O’Shea’s will offer a wide array of dining and entertainment options.  Tom O’Shea has operated enough restaurants to know all the tricks of restaurant layout and design and he adamantly praises architect Jeff Rawlins of Architectural Artisans for providing his design insights and details that make the new venture so unique.

Surrounding the atrium on the second floor, booths are elevated slightly to take advantage of the view, mirrors are placed at a specific angle to reflect just right, and softly glowing light fixtures provide just the right ambiance.  Also on the second floor is a lounge area lined with padded benches and space for a DJ.  A central bar similar to the bar at Brendan’s in St. Matthews sits off the atrium.  On Washington Street, a large terrace provides views of the arena where a large jumbotron will blast views of arena events onto the street.  Original painted numbers labeling where bourbon barrels once rested are still visible on the brick.

In the lower level with an entrance directly off Washington, a more traditional bar will provide a counterbalance to the more upscale dining room upstairs.  A roof deck on the third floor will one day also provide views onto Washington Street.

I reported earlier this month about a salon that will occupy the third floor of the building and the fourth floor will be shelled for a future residential or commercial tenant.  The fourth floor is marked with double height ceilings that could potentially be lofted into a very nice apartment or condo.

Patrick O’Shea’s stands to become a leading anchor in the unfolding arena district and will already be well established by the first tip off in the arena.  The variety of spaces and uses in the new restaurant are sure to be a hit with not just basketball fans but the larger Downtown and Metro Louisville area as well.  Tom O’Shea has considered every detail and expects this venture to be his biggest and best yet.

• More coverage of the Patrick O’Shea’s project from Broken Sidewalk

Click through for a photo-tour of the new Patrick O’Shea’s.