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Construction Inside The Arena (Courtesy Arena Authority, Mayor's Office)
We’ve spent a lot of time documenting the exterior construction of the new arena, but we agree the interior is kind of important as well. Imagine yourself and 21,999 other fans on opening night just a mere ten and a half months from now. Now that the arena bowl is nearly complete, these panoramas offer quite a dramatic view. Take a look at the construction worker walking across one of the steel trusses for a little scale.
Second Street Floodwall
Take a look at the new floodwall and gate recently installed under the Second Street Bridge at the arena site. The new gate is distinct from other gates around Louisville and features doors that swing on hinges rather than using pieces set in place during times of emergency. One side of the gate reads “Ohio River” and the other says “Louisville.” The design looks good but slightly distracts from the stone arch of the Clark Bridge. A minor inconvenience, I suppose, to keep the city dry when the river decides to behave badly.
Arena Construction (Photo courtesy Steve Wiser)
The arena keeps on going. I stopped by the construction site Friday and found the usual construction buzz with dozens of workers scurrying about the concrete structure. Some were removing formwork on the concrete fountain along Main Street, others were welding supports on the eastern facade, and others were preparing the many escalators that have been delivered to the site.
A massive steel structure that will one day form the arena’s lobby is beginning to take shape on Main Street and the roof and curve have made a lot of progress. From the Second Street Bridge, you can get the first glimpses into the rooms formed by the giant northern curve.
Overall, the scale of the arena is making itself known. You can literally feel its presence when passing by. Even several blocks away it still exerts a strong presence.
New businesses opening near arena (BS File Photo)
Two new businesses received government loans yesterday to open near the arena. A hair salon will be opening in a building at 123 West Main Street being renovated for the Patrick O’Shea’s restaurant and the Bluegrass Brewing Company will be opening at 300 West Main Street in the Louisville Orchestra Building.
Bluegrass Brewing Company owners Patrick and Lamont Hagan plan their third restaurant and second Downtown location on the corner of Third Street and Main Street. BBC will spend $1.4 million to renovate the basement and first floor of the Louisville Orchestra Building which features an elevated first floor and large windows in the basement. Part of the renovation will include a handicap accessible entrance.
The seven-story building, originally called the Kentucky National Bank building, was built in the 1890s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s considered the finest example of Richardsonian Romanesque style architecture on Main Street. Designed by the McDonald Brothers, one of Louisville most prestigious firms, the original cost $100,000 to build and sits on the site of the “Great Fire of 1840″ that started in a chair factory and destroyed a group of commercial buildings at the location.
Katie Thurpen-Langley and Cynthia Nell Cashen received a $50,000 low-interest loan to open their salon on the third floor of the O’Shea’s building above the restaurant and bar. This is exciting news as it shows retail opening up Downtown beyond the sidewalk level. Many businesses do not need direct access to the sidewalk to operate and multiple layers of retail can create a more vibrant density Downtown. Handicap access will be available through a shared elevator.
Renovation work at the Patrick O’Shea’s Restaurant continues to make progress with heating to be operational soon and is on schedule to open next year. Architect Jeff Rawlins of Architectural Artisans says finishing touches are being installed on the large bar on the first floor and salvaged materials from the renovation are being used to create furniture in the restaurant and promote a “hand crafted” feel.
Both of these businesses will add to the vibrancy and livability of Downtown and are welcome additions. Chris Poynter with Mayor Abramson’s office says these announcements show building the arena at a Downtown site was the right choice. It’s clear, he says, that we wouldn’t see the same economic payoff if the arena was located at the Exposition Center. You may also remember that Sol Aztecas Grill and Cantina also plans to open at the Whiskey Row Lofts.
Kentucky National Bank / Lou Orchestra Building (via NPS / NRHP)
The Roof That Wanted To Be A Wall (Courtesy Steve Wiser)
There it is in all its glory. The roof of the arena has become a wall. A veritable waterfall one day of glass and steel pouring towards the river. While disciples will suggest it’s a metaphorical reference to the ever changing forces of the urban environment and cynics might call the swooping steel taking one step closer to a giant toaster or photocopier on the wharf, we’ll simply leave you with the photo evidence.
Arena roof construction (by Go To Louisville (LCVB) via TwitPic)
Here’s another view of the progress on building the arena’s roof from the Louisville Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. Metal decking has already been set and the beginning of the massive roof structure is in place, resting on an equally massive tower of scaffolding. You can also see the concrete bleacher decks have been installed on the northern half.
[ Photo Credit: Go To Louisville twitter / Louisville Convention & Visitors' Bureau via TwitPic. ]
That arena has a roof (Photo courtesy Steve Wiser)
Would you take a look at that arena: the curvy roof has begun. I suppose we could call this point on the northwest corner of the arena site the tallest point on the entire arena. I’m still waiting to see that curve swoop around onto the northern facade and waterfall to the Ohio River like the original reference promised. It’s also going to be exciting to see the large trusses spanning the arena pit put in place as well. Thanks to Steve Wiser for sending in these photos.
Arena construction
So the arena has been moving so fast lately, these pictures from my visit a couple weeks ago are probably long past descriptive, but I figured I should get them online sooner rather than later. The big news on the construction front? Bleacher decks are being installed and the structure’s exterior skin is beginning to show.
Beginning on the northwest corner of the arena site, crews have been installing grey precast concrete panels with inset horizontal bands marking the first applied skin to be installed. Below the precast, poured-in-place concrete, presumably part of the floodwall, has been visible since the early days of construction.
Also interesting are several cantilevers extending progressively northward (seen on the left side of the photo above). Eventually, a dramatic curve extending to the roof structure will cover this section. It’s designers, HOK Sport, had hoped to evoke the Falls of the Ohio with this large gesture.
Inside the arena bowl, the first concrete risers on which seats will eventually be mounted have been installed on massive structural piers. At the time, a parking lot in Waterfront Park at the site of the old Stop Lite Liquors appeared to be serving as a holding ground for these large concrete pieces.
Here’s a bit more news since the last time we checked in with the arena (don’t forget you can see all our arena coverage here):
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