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Category Archives: Nabes: Highlands

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Live / Work Gallery Under Renovation On Bardstown Road

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 by Branden Klayko.


Renovation to bring back historic look on Bardstown Road (Courtesy Casey Emrich)

Renovation to bring back historic look on Bardstown Road (Courtesy Casey Emrich)




A narrow building at 1013 Bardstown Road is being renovated for use as a live-work gallery space. Casey Emrich and Will Garner are renovating the 19th century house with a 1920s-era, 520 square foot commercial space in front space to accommodate a new gallery called Consider Boutique.


Click through for more info and for renovation photos.

Louisville Loves Mountains Festival This Friday, May 21

Monday, May 17, 2010 by Branden Klayko.
Louisville Loves Mountains Festival on May 21

Louisville Loves Mountains Festival on May 21



This Friday, May 21, Heine Brother’s Coffee, Carmichael’s Bookstore, and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth will be hosting the second annual Louisville Loves Mountains Festival.  The event will be taking place rain or shine at Longest Avenue and Bardstown Road from 4:00 until 10:00 PM.


Longest Avenue will be shut down and a stage will be set up in the street for performances.  I was at last year’s event and it was really well attended.  And since Friday is also bike to work day, you might want to consider showing up on two wheels.


Here’s some info from the press release:


The music lineup includes Daniel Martin Moore, the Potluck Ramblers, Nora Ben & Eli,Appalatin, the River City Drum Corps, Thomas A Minor and the Picket Line, and Maiden Radio.


The featured artist will be Affrilachian Poet Makalani Bendele.


The festival celebrates the unique natural beauty and ecological importance of Kentucky’sAppalachian mountains. The headwaters of three major rivers that feed into the Ohio River are ineastern Kentucky, and its forests are among the most diverse hardwood forest in North America.


The region also is the source of coal that is burned locally to generate electricity, creating a majorsource of Louisville air pollution. Some of that coal is mined using mountaintop removal, ahighly destructive form of mining that Kentuckians For The Commonwealth is working to end.Proceeds from the festival will support these efforts.


Louisville Loves Mountains is free and there will be all manner of food, beer, activities and music.

Vic’s Classic Bikes Moving To Baxter Avenue

Monday, May 17, 2010 by Branden Klayko.
912 Baxter Avenue (BS File Photo)

912 Baxter Avenue (BS File Photo)



A couple weeks ago I mentioned Vic’s Classic Bikes in our New Local Business Roundup.  Vic’s is currently located at 2016 South Preston Street near Eastern Parkway, but will soon be moving to 912 Baxter Avenue.  Here’s some info from Vic’s blog:


“I have signed a lease and will take possition of the ground floor of the building located at 912 Baxter Avenue. This move will give me over 3 times the space and a more visible and accessable location.The main show room is 600 sq’ with 2, 4′x5′ display windows.”


Based on that description, it sounds like there will be a few changes to the existing facade such as expanding the size of the windows.  Vic’s Classic Bikes hopes to be open in their new location by mid- to late-June.

Word On The Street: Ear X-Tacy Heading To The Loop

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 by Branden Klayko.


Current Ear X-Tacy Store on Bardstown Road (via Google)

Current Ear X-Tacy Store on Bardstown Road (via Google)



[ UPDATE 9:00 PM:  It looks like the Courier-Journal, so quick to dismiss rumors curculated on "various blogs" has backed off their claim that our story is "unture."  Take for instance the headline that ran this morning: "Ear X-tacy to Douglass Loop? Not so says record store's owner" and then compare it with the current version: "Ear X-tacy to Douglass Loop? Nothing's official says record store's owner."  Then the corresponding first sentence: "John Timmons, owner of ear X-tacy records, said that reports of a pending move to the former location of a now-closed Kinko's at 2226 Bardstown Road are untrue." vs. "John Timmons, owner of ear X-tacy records, said that reports of a pending move to the location of a FedEx Kinko’s at 2226 Bardstown Road in Douglass Loop are premature."  The C-J was saying our story was flat out wrong earlier, and now they are backing off that position.


What we do know:  1) ear X-tacy is not denying they will be making a move, but won't confirm any details.  2) A space in the Douglass Loop has been leased but the tenant won't be announced until they reveal themselves.


It's completely understandable that ear X-tacy wants to reveal the details on their own time.  It's not such a good idea for the mainstream media to dismiss "various blogs" as rumor-mongers.  Rant over.  ]


[ UPDATE 1:00 PM: I spoke with ear X-tacy general manager Rebecca Cornwell who says the store is not denying the rumor, but they are also not ready to confirm anything, either.  She says more information will be available later but there are details to be worked out.  Store owner John Timmons was not available for comment.  The C-J reported the rumor to be false and Louisville.com picked up on it, but it sounds like it's not dead, just not official. ]


[ UPDATE 11:00 AM: The 4,500 square foot space at 2226 Bardstown has been leased according to the brokerage company, but they declined to name the tenant until the formal announcement is made.  Looks like ear X-tacy is headed for the Douglass Loop.  ]


Ear X-Tacy could soon be on the move.  A tipster reports that the iconic record store at1534 Bardstown Road will announce plans to relocate to the Douglass Loop into a space vacated by Fedex Kinkos at 2226 Bardstown Road between Harvard Drive and Woodbourne Avenue.


Earlier this year, ear X-tacy owner John Timmons addressed an uncertain future for the record store amid recession and changing buying habits.  In February, he said the store may downsize, relocate, or even close.  At the time, he pledged to keep the store on Bardstown Road.


Faced with the threat of closure, the local community mounted an effort to keep ear X-tacy open including several events at the store and a Facebook group called Save Ear X-tacy that now boasts nearly 33,000 members.  The store has been open 25 years at various locations.


What’s next for the 10,000 square foot current site?  It’s a large and unique space with high visibility, so it probably wouldn’t be vacant for long.  Perhaps a retailer like Urban Outfitters, who had looked into opening a store in about 10,000 square feet of Bardstown Road in the past, will find the space attractive.




Ear X-Tacy Could End Up In The Douglass Loop (via Google)

Ear X-Tacy Could End Up In The Douglass Loop (via Google)




And since it’s National Preservation Month, let’s take a look back at the current ear X-tacy building on Bardstown Road.


Click through for the story behind the current ear X-tacy building.

Imagining Infill On Bardstown Road

Thursday, March 4, 2010 by Branden Klayko.
Imaginary infill in the Highlands (Photo by Diane Deaton-Street, Rendering by Broken Sidewalk)

Imaginary infill (Photo by Diane Deaton-Street, Rendering by Broken Sidewalk)



Louisville needs to start taking infill development seriously.  Infill development involves building on underutilized lots inside the city instead of on green fields (i.e. farms) on the suburban fringe.  There are vast swaths of land in Louisville, either abandoned brownfield sites, surface level parking lots, or undesirable suburban style buildings in the core that offer opportunities to increase the population density of the existing city and bring about a more walkable Louisville.  Spoiler:  This is a fake project.


While any infill site can be desirable for development, I feel corner sites offer added value in their ability to define the urban streetscape and radically change the feeling of the street for the better.  Corners are anchor sites that offer opportunities for high visibility buildings.  As such, they require a little extra design effort to create a building that appropriately addresses the challenges of turning a corner and handling two often different dynamics on each street front.


In a newly rejuvenating neighborhood, it’s cheaper and easier to renovate existing historic structures to create a viable economy to support new construction, but it’s a slow process.  (And Louisville loves nothing like a wrecking ball.)  Louisville has plenty of neighborhoods that are currently ready for such new construction in areas like Downtown, Old Louisville, Butchertown, Nulu, or the Highlands among others.


Even Bardstown Road, the most vibrant street in Louisville, has plenty of room for infill development.  (And we’re starting to see infill proposed.)  Here, I would like to point out a site as an example that could dramatically change the perception of Bardstown Road with just one building.  It’s the corner of Bardstown Road and Longest Avenue where a suburban style National City Bank branch was recently converted to a PNC branch.


The current site is dominated by a deep set back from the street, a small building surrounded by a moat of internal asphalt, and a large drive through.  Furthermore, after the merger of PNC and National City Bank, there are now two PNC branches across the street from one another on Bardstown Road.  Both buildings are inappropriate forms for an urban setting.  Check the map below.


PNC Bank Branches Across The Street From One Another (Map via Lojic)

PNC Bank Branches Across The Street From One Another (Map via Lojic)


I have spent many afternoons sitting on the patio of Heine Brothers Coffee at this location pondering the current building’s nondescript brick wall facing Longest Avenue.  Because of the angle of the historic building anchored by Carmichael’s Bookstore and the street, a well-proportioned triangular plaza is formed.  It’s spatial potential, however, is diminished by the void across the street.


For the sake of illustration, I created a quick fictional project to demonstrate the opportunity that exists on just this one site.  It’s by no means an architectural wonder, but since it’s not real and it’s not going to be built, it will do.


The theoretical building is mixed-use and includes retail space, office space, apartments, townhouses, and small parking structure in the back.  The building also demonstrates a slight increase in scale from existing historic buildings in the area without dominating the streetscape.  It will, however, be a noticeable shift from what currently exists.


While some will undoubtedly be fearful of this change, I feel it can be appropriate to build at different scales than we did 100 years ago as long as it respects the existing context.  We’re a bigger city today and growing, and we needn’t shy away from that fact.


Imaginary infill in the Highlands (Diagram by Broken Sidewalk)

Imaginary infill in the Highlands (Diagram by Broken Sidewalk)


In this example, the structure is divided into two segments.  The more urban side facing Bardstown Road is four stories with a fifth set back on the roof to minimize its visual presence.  Turning the corner, the height shifts downward to a series of three-story town homes forming a transition into the residential neighborhood.  The act of turning the corner is marked by a chamfered corner but architects employ a variety of techniques to better effect.


Other visual clues present a subtle architectural language that relates the building to its context.  Material changes or detailing can indicate a change of use or relate to the heights of surrounding buildings.  Setbacks and other techniques can also achieve this.


Many mixed-use structures utilize a use-pattern of retail on the sidewalk with office space above all topped by residential units.  This mix provides activity in the building at all times of the day and staggers parking demand as residents may be away during the day when office tenants use the building.  The band of office space also provides a sound buffer between residences and retail space and elevates residences above the noise of the street.


Overall, infill development has the potential to really make an impact on the urban feel of Louisville and provide the densities required for the kind of city amenities like transit that urban dwellers desire.  This kind of development can be more difficult than suburban development as it might involve environmental cleanup or additional regulatory hurdles, but it’s some of the most important for the city.


Is there a particular site in Louisville you think could benefit from an infill project?  How can we promote new construction in urban Louisville?  Are there any recent infill projects that have caught your eye in the past few years?  Discussion in the comments.


Imaginary infill in the Highlands (map via Lojic)

Imaginary infill in the Highlands (map via Lojic)


Contextual Expansion Planned On Bardstown Road

Monday, February 1, 2010 by Branden Klayko.




Planned Changes to Breland Realtors building (courtesy Breland Realtors, Google)

Planned Changes to Breland Realtors building (courtesy Breland Realtors, Google)






Located just south of Taylorsville Road, a small house turned commercial building is ready for expansion.  Breland Group Realtors plans to nearly double the frontage of the structure at 2616 Bardstown Road, filling in a parking lot, and apply a new seamless facade to the entire property.


Breland Group owns two adjacent lots to the north of the existing structure, currently a parking lot and a grassy field.  The new structure will fill the parking lot and a driveway to reach the back of the property will be moved to the grass lot.  In all, 2,300 square feet of new space is planned including 1,000 square feet of retail space to house Access Technologies.


Additionally, the original structure will be completely renovated and when complete, the project will feature offices, a conference room, and a two-car garage around back.  Individual offices ranging from 140 to 210 square feet could be leased to individual real estate agents as needed.


Financing is already underway and construction could be imminent.  Breland expects to close on primary financing this week and received a facade loan from Metro Louisville last week.  Construction could begin in around 30 days and would take about 6 months to complete.


Lamont Breland says he wanted a new facade that reflects the traditional storefronts of the Highlands.  He took photos of several existing structures he admired on Bardstown Road and worked with Joseph & Joseph Architects to craft the new facade.


The structure was once the Le Normandy restaurant and Lamont says people drop by to share memories.  There’s still a dumbwaiter that once raised food from the basement kitchen to the main floor dining room.  Back then, the building was a true live-work space with the family who owned the place living upstairs.


Overall, this is the kind of contextual project that helps to push the Bardstown Road streetscape south while referring to the simple vernacular commercial style of the area.  And it should be quite an improvement over existing facade.


Click through for current conditions.

Cafe Mimosa Site To Rise From Ashes

Friday, January 22, 2010 by Branden Klayko.
Proposed renovation of former Cafe Mimosa site (Courtesy Architectural Artisans)

Proposed renovation of former Cafe Mimosa site (Courtesy Architectural Artisans)



It’s been just over a year since the devastating fire at Cafe Mimosa / Eggroll Machine on Bardstown Road.  Now, Coco Tran of the Zen Garden Restaurant on Frankfort Avenue has taken over the property and plans are in the works to salvage what’s left of the charred restaurant and build bigger and better.  Plans call for rebuilding a restaurant space on the ground floor and adding a second level apartment.


The fire destroyed everything but three walls which were left in good structural condition and will be reused.  Everything else is new.  Jeff Rawlins of Architectural Artisans says the existing footprint will be maintained and parking at the back of the parcel will remain unchanged.  The new structure will have a much updated look.


Defining the exterior will be a butterfly roof, an inverted form of roof with the low point in the middle.  Rawlins says the new design will be “edgier” than what’s normally seen on Bardstown Road.  Plans call for the sidewalk level to be lined with glass doors that can be opened in fair weather.


The 4,000 square foot first floor will remain a restaurant space and negotiations are underway with a possible tenant.  No plans are able to be released yet, however.  Work could proceed quickly, however, and renovation could move seamlessly from shelled space to restaurant fit up.


On the second floor, a 1,200 to 1,400 square foot two-bedroom apartment is planned.  The second floor will also feature a butterfly roof and will be set back to match surrounding buildings: a house and an animal clinic.  The project has already been approved by the Bardstown Road Overlay District in early December 2009, but we don’t know a firm construction date.  Regardless, it will be nice to see one more missing tooth on Bardstown Road filled in.


Click through for existing conditions and another rendering.

Highland Green Building Clears Sidewalk Ahead Of Schedule

Friday, January 22, 2010 by Branden Klayko.



Bardstown Road Sidewalk (photo by Public Works via CART)

Bardstown Road Sidewalk (photo by Public Works via CART)





After a stir this week over pedestrian rights at construction zones focusing on a high-visibility site on Bardstown Road, CART is reporting that developer Michael Jones has opened up the sidewalk two and a half weeks ahead of schedule.  CART (Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transit) held a rally at the site on Monday to draw attention to the city’s sidewalk closure permit process that doesn’t provide pedestrians a viable path around construction sites.


Kudos to Michael Jones of Highland Cleaners and Doric Real Estate as well as Councilman Tom Owen and Public Works for responding quickly to community concerns.  Thanks as well to CART for drawing attention to the needs of pedestrians in Louisville.  Now on with Bardstown Road’s newest sustainable infill development.


I have believed all along the problem is not with any particular development but is a structural issue in the permitting process.  Hopefully that issue can be resolved in the future before there’s a need for another installment of Operation Sidewalk Defense.



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