Broken Sidewalk Archives
Archive for the Nabes: Downtown Category
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Category Archives: Nabes: Downtown
Bike Lane Installed On Eighth Street
New bike lane on 8th Street (Courtesy Bike Louisville)
Earlier this summer (in June to be exact), a new bike lane was installed on Eighth Street in Downtown Louisville. The lane stretches from Market Street to Broadway. As part of Louisville’s Complete Streets policy, bike lanes and sidewalks must be installed when a road is reconstructed – in this case repaved (unless certain conditions are met).
While cyclists should use caution when riding next to parked cars and watch for opening doors (and, more importantly, motorists should check for cyclists before opening their doors), the lane looks wide enough to feel comfortable. Anyone taken a ride on the lane this summer have a first-hand account?
PrintStorefront Garden Installed At The Urban Design Studio
Urban Design Studio Window Garden (Courtesy UDS)
A new storefront display has been installed at the Urban Design Studio that brings native Kentucky plants indoors. The new garden features a variety of native plants growing in a large bed and on a vertical wall garden. The display is part of a rebranding effort underway at the Urban Design Studio meant to emphasize sustainability as the core of its mission.
Changes Planned At The Urban Design Studio
Urban Design Studio on Third Street (by Patrick Piuma)
Big changes are planned at the Urban Design Studio on Third Street at Muhammad Ali Boulevard. Patrick Piuma, Director of the UDS, says that with the recent departure of the University of Kentucky College of Design as a participating member, the Studio is reevaluating its mission.
Museum Plaza Glory Days
While we’re on the topic (and it’s been oh, so long since we have been on the topic), it’s worth taking a look at probably the coolest video-rendering ever made of Louisville. This video was made by the amazing Brooklyn Digital Foundry for Museum Plaza. Just watch it. (Or click here if the above video doesn’t load.)
Remembering The Museum Plaza Groundbreaking
Museum Plaza Construction Retrospective
With the planned announcement today about Museum Plaza just a few hours away, take a look back at the last time such notable figures gathered at the Museum Plaza site with such optimism and excitement. Who can forget that giant shovel that marked the ground breaking of the 62-story tower to be?
Could Museum Plaza Construction Be Resumed?
Museum Plaza detail (Rendering by REX New York)
Minutes after an announcement was made that Governor Beshear would join Mayor Abramson and Museum Plaza developers Craig Greenberg, Steve Wilson, Laura Lee Brown, and Steve Poe for a press conference coming up this morning at 10:00, rumors have been circulating around the web that the 62-story, iconic, mixed-use project by Joshua Prince-Ramus of REX New York whose hyper-rational approach generated the building’s unique form could be back from “indefinite” hiatus.
The Architect’s Newspaper revealed the story to an international audience of architects yesterday (with a few kind words about our own little blog) with word that a tipster reports a HUD loan could come into play. The C-J got an early interview with Craig Greenberg yesterday evening who said there will be an exciting announcement about financing that that some of the project’s components have been reconfigured including replacing some of the residences with a second hotel. Greenberg is optimistic as always.
Besides the large kunsthalle-museum in the sky 22-stories in the air, Museum Plaza calls for a mix of condos, apartments, a Westin hotel, office space, retail, and a large park. Expect some clarification of these elements today along with financing news.
WHAS 11 News is also reporting that financing plan is “moving forward” and construction could be restarted by fall.
Construction began in 2008 on the tower, but was soon halted due to vibrations caused by foundation work that threatened to harm nearby historic buildings. When I was working in one of those 19th century structures back then less than a block away, the vibrations were fairly severe. A new foundation plan was engineered to reduce those issues but the project stalled amid the recession before construction resumed.
Here are some photos I took way back when of construction at the Museum Plaza site.
Prince-Ramus has also been involved with recent projects such as the Wyly Theater in Dallas and the Seattle Public Library in recent years, both examples of his firm’s innovative approach.
I’ll have an update after the press conference today.
More Museum Plaza coverage from Broken Sidewalk.
Museum Plaza (Rendering by REX New York)
Lost Louisville: Sixth & Main’s Hamilton Bank Building
Hamilton Bank Building at 6th & Main (UL Photographic Archives & Diane Deaton-Street))
Today, the southeast corner of Sixth and Main Streets is a surface level parking lot, but at one time, it was the grand Hamilton Bank Building (also known as the Hamilton Block). The Renaissance Revival structure dates to the mid 1860s and was designed by Frank W. Vogdes.
Now & Then: Fourth & Liberty Live!
Husch Department Store at Fourth & Liberty Streets (UL Photographic Archives)
While it may not be the most famous building ever located on the corner of Fourth and Liberty Streets (that honor likely was the old Courier-Journal building, later the Will-Sales building that was town down for the Brown & Williamson Tower), the Husch Bros. Department Store across the street helped to create a quality streetscape.
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