Russell Building reduced to rubble

It’s happened again.  Another commercial building on West Market Street in the Russell neighborhood hits the dust.  I first began to worry about this building, most recently the Portland Bait & Tackle Shop slash A1 Batteries & Tires, back in 2008 after an attached townhouse was demolished leaving a hole in the side of the building.

The structure was crudely boarded up then and in disrepair but signs on the exterior indicated that the building was still salvageable.  In December, I stopped by the structure again when visiting the demolition site of a brick mansion on the next block and noticed the city had declared the property an emergency demolition candidate.  The boards over the windows, which were never fastened well, were gone and the hole in the side of the building was larger (although it looked like humans were making it bigger, not gravity).

A few days later, a tipster wrote in to say the building had been leveled.  I stopped by one last time before my flight out of Louisville to document the rubble.  This building might not have been ornate, but its vernacular character certainly contributed to what’s left of West Market Street.  One by one, West Market Street is being undone.

Click through for before and after photos.

Spalding gymnasium to be demolished

One step forward and one step back in SoBro.  The days are numbered for a romanesque gymnasium on Spalding University’s SoBro campus after an Intent to Demolish sign was posted in mid-December.  The structure, dating to 1938, had previously served as as a gym for neighboring Presentation Academy but after a new Arts & Athletics Center was built on an adjacent block, the gymnasium was deemed surplus.  Now, Spalding wants to replace the building with “green space.”

While the gymnasium is austere in detailing and simple in interior function, it provides significant urban mass and anchors the southern end of Library Lane at Breckinridge Street.  Despite seemingly good intentions, destruction of the structure will profoundly degrade the urban environment around it.  The building’s simplicity make it an obvious candidate for adaptive reuse.

Spalding’s Plans

Rick Barney, a University spokesman, says the gym may not be torn down until the Spring or later, but the building is already in imminent danger as half of the 30-day demolition moratorium for structures older than 60 years has expired.  Barney says Spalding believes adding green space along Library Lane, an alley serving as a pedestrian spine connecting the University and the Main Branch Library, will improve the area.

No plan has been finalized for the green space plan, but Mike Ernst, Spalding’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, says the school is currently working with an architect and imagines the gym parcel will contain a gazebo-type structure in a park-like setting.  Ernst says the University’s master plan calls for adding more green space in the future to create a more campus-like feel.  He says the next phase currently calls for converting parking space on the south side of Breckinridge Street into a park and demolishing two more historic structures also south of Breckinridge.

In June of last year, Presentation Academy held a “farewell party” for the old gymnasium that had been part of its campus for 71 years.  The structure had served as Presentation’s gym, theater, and was used for liturgies and gatherings up until last year and many artifacts from the building were auctioned off.  Presentation’s Sister Chris Beckett said at the time that bricks would be salvaged and the gym’s old wooden floor would be used for fund-raising purposes.  The property is now owned by Spalding after it assumed ownership of Presentation in 1995.  Presentation began operating independently again in 2005 but the gym remained with Spalding.

Preservation in the Past

Spalding has had a contentious relationship with preservation in the past.  Richard Jett, Historic Preservation Officer for Louisville Metro Planning & Design Services, says that because the structure sits outside the Old Louisville historic preservation district, there’s little that can be done to save the building without Spalding’s support.  He lauds the University’s and Presentation’s commitment to their urban location when other schools have left for the suburbs but regrets the low priority of preservation apparent in Spalding’s master plan.

Jett remembers two recent Spalding demolitions that are now grassy lots.  An Itallianate structure was torn down on Fourth Street between York and Breckinridge leaving only a set of stone stairs to mark the place of the old building.  More significantly, an 1840s-era Greek-revival townhouse was destroyed directly across the street from the old gym and was believed by Jett to be one of the three oldest structures in the Downtown area along with a townhouse on Fifth Street (across from the Cathedral of the Assumption) and another recently restored townhouse on Second Street (next to the Episcopal Cathedral).  At the time, some were suggesting the old house be converted into a coffee shop or similar use.

Marianne Zickuhr, Executive Director of Preservation Louisville, also laments the destruction of the old gym.  She says while Spalding’s plan may bring more green space to SoBro, the idea is far from being “green.”  Besides advocating for preservation of Louisville’s culture and history, Zickhur says it’s also the sustainable thing to do as there has been so much time and energy invested in building the structure.  To tear down a sturdy building is to lose that investment.  She also points to the economic benefits a possible renovation could bring to the community and the benefits of having historic structures on a college campus.

Tucked behind a more modern facade is one example of preservation already on Spalding’s campus.  The University’s Administration Building surrounds the 851 Mansion, built in 1871 and designed by noted architect Henry Whitestone.  The structure has been completely restored and is listed on Natrional Register of Historic Places and is a Kentucky landmark.

Too much open space in SoBro

There’s currently no need for more open space in the SoBro neighborhood.  The diagram below shows SoBro surrounding the old gym (marked with a blue asterisk) and notes surface level parking in red and empty grass lots in orange.  A quick glance demonstrates that what the area needs most is built environment.  (Existing green space and parks are marked along with a green line indicating Library Lane.)

SoBro neighborhood surround the Spalding Gym

Patrick Piuma, Director of the Urban Design Studio, has spent a significant amount of time studying SoBro and working on the SoBro Neighborhood Plan.  He says “the last thing SoBro needs is more empty space” and also regrets plans to demolish a structure that could be reused.  Piuma says Library Lane is a defining feature of SoBro and the neighborhood plan calls for strengthening the pedestrian axis.  He is quick to note, however, that Library Lane, like any public space, could be great only if properly designed and activated with uses that will draw people and encourage lingering.

Library Lane could serve as a pedestrian artery connecting the Main Branch Library at York Street with Memorial Park at Kentucky Street and serve as a defining element of University’s campus.  Spalding’s campus is inherently urban in nature, a fact that should be celebrated, and as a result requires a more nuanced understanding of public space.  A traditional building in the park approach such as at U of L simply won’t work.

The seeds of great green spaces already exist at Spalding and throughout the Library Lane corridor.  The defining architectural characteristic of outdoor space on the block is the cloistered courtyard feel (see diagram below).  There exists a procession of courtyard spaces each offering a distinct and intimate experience.  Photos of many of the courtyards after the click.  The gym in question helps to define two of the courtyards surrounding Spalding’s library and also serves to mark the entrance of Library Lane on Breckinridge Street.

Spalding gym and environs (map via Lojic)

Future potential of the gym

Inside, the gym is one large room.  A gymnasium with a wooden stage at one end and not even enough room for bleachers.  That certainly sounds like it’s no longer an ideal gym, and I agree.  However, with a nearly 15,000 square foot area and tall ceiling heights that could accommodate a lofted second floor, the building is still big enough to be useful.

There are plenty of potential uses for the old gym ranging from classrooms, to a lecture hall, to a gathering space.  One option I find intriguing is the potential to bring a third library to Library Lane by converting the structure into a modern library facility for Presentation Academy.  A second floor could be added to the gym to accomodate additional space and portions of the northeast corner could be converted to glass walls to blend indoor study space with outdoor courtyard space.

This manipulation of the northern facade will be key in reusing the structure.  Like most older buildings, the gym puts its best face to the street.  The back facade is plain and some might say downright ugly.  That’s where the potential to blend the old and the new to enhance both the building and the outdoor spaces reaches its full potential.

Save the old gym

It’s clear the opportunities for reuse exist even while funds or a clear vision might not currently be in place.  The only thing required is saving the building from the wrecking ball.  It’s understandable and laudable that Spalding wants to improve its urban campus, but to destroy the urban nature that makes it unique makes no sense.  The old gym should be used creatively to strengthen the character of campus courtyards linked by a pedestrian alley instead of simply being removed for more open space in a neighborhood with too much flat open land.

Before the building is destroyed, a collaborative study (perhaps involving Spalding, the neighborhood, Metro Louisville, and the Free Public Library) should be undertaken to determine the full potential of Library Lane.  We shouldn’t leave the burden only to Spalding as the feature stretches beyond its boundaries and affects more than its students.  Activating the corridor will also require commercial investment outside the scope of Spalding University.

Existing park features such as Ben Washer Park and Memorial Park (designed, in part, by Spalding students) should be strengthened and can serve as well-defined park space anchoring the southern edge of SoBro.  To the north, the Main Branch Library could serve as a green node and in between, pockets of green courtyards sheltered from wind and noise could accentuate the urban form.

But first, the old gym must not be demolished.

Click through for more photos of the gym and scenes along Library Lane.

House under demolition on West Market Street

It seems like every time I venture into the Russell neighborhood, another beautiful historic building is being demolished.  My last trip was no exception.  This time, a three-story brick mansion is under demolition near the corner of 18th and West Market Streets.

This house is just as nice as any house in Old Louisville or the Highlands and featured sturdy brick walls and stone arches.  From the before photos it appears the house needed some work, but there was clearly no need for demolition.  So what happened?  Anyone know why Russell is losing another tooth?

Click through for before and under demolition photos.

Rendering of new Beechmont Fire Station (courtesy Metro Lou)

Mayor Abramson announced plans for a new fire station in the Beechmont neighborhood in late September.  The new $4 million station is being built with a $3.3 million Federal stimulus grant and $700,000 in city bonding and should be complete by the end of 2010.  Abramson says the new Beechmont facility represents the third new station in his plan to modernize Louisville’s firefighting capacity.  Stations in the Portland and Butchertown neighborhoods were completed this year.

The new two-story station is just over 16,000 square feet, almost twice the size of its predecessor built in 1924.  Located on Ashland Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets, the station will occupy a significantly larger area than the original as well and contain modern spaces able to handle larger firefighting equipment.

Two adjacent multi-family structures at 503 and 505 Ashland Ave. owned by Metro Louisville have already been demolished for the new station, a contributing factor that makes the project “shovel ready” for stimulus funding.  The city paid $700,000 for the properties not included in the building cost.  The existing 85 year old station is expected to be demolished by the end of the year in advance of construction.

Site of new Beechmont Fire Station (via Lojic)

While it’s great the Beechmont neighborhood has been chosen for a modern firefighting facility, I believe an opportunity has been missed here.  Beechmont is an historic urban neighborhood and part of the charm of the area is its compact pattern that promotes walkability and therefore a more sustainable lifestyle.

The new Beechmont station appears from its rendering to be about twice as wide as the existing facility with four bays able to handle large modern equipment.  While that’s certainly a necessity of a modern station, was there no way to build the station on a more compact footprint?

While the new building is being billed as increasing energy efficiency and environmental friendliness through the use of geothermal heating and cooling and LED lights, a more efficient route might have been to incorporate the old structure into the new facility.  The greenest building, as the axiom goes, is the one that already exists.

There’s one way that might have achieved both a smaller footprint and a more efficient building.  While the historic facility is not meeting the needs of modern equipment, it could have certainly been renovated to handle the offices and residential component of the fire station.  The old bays could have been used for a variety of purposes from housing smaller emergency vehicles to serving as a permanent community center for Beechmont.

Land in our central neighborhoods is finite and should be treated as a valuable resource, as is our stock of historic architecture.  We must face reality and build like we’re living in a compact city.  While building in these more restricting conditions can add to construction cost, the rewards of urban living can more than offset them.  That’s if we build our city in the correct pattern.

Current Beechmont Fire Station from 1924 (via Google Maps)

Mid-November Demo at D & W Silks (Photo by Diane Deaton-Street)

Demolition has been going on for some time now on East Main Street at the former D & W Silks building where asymmetric 18-story towers are eventually planned by Jefferson Development Group.  The destruction has continued steadily and little of the structure remains.  There’s a salvage operation going on and old bricks are being stacked on palettes for salvage along with massive wooden timbers and various steel components.  When demolition started, we didn’t have many details, but we now have a clearer picture of what’s going on.

Mid-November Demo at Riney Bedding (Photo by Diane Deaton-Street)

We originally thought it strange that these two structures never had an intent to demolish sign posted even though they sit in the Phoenix Hill National Register District.  It turns out that the City had deemed them non-contributing to the historic fabric of the area due to alterations and “apparent structural instability.”  Preservationists had wondered why Louisville is so loose with its preservation standards and were caught unaware of the pending demolitions.

Plans filed with the city call for a gross 1.26 million square feet of new space for the 2 acre site.  Included in the $150 million project is a 1,200 spot, partially underground parking garage with 22,000 square feet of retail.  Above, 680,000 square feet of new office space in ten and twelve story towers would rise from a 9,000 square foot park on top of the garage for a total height of 16- to 18-stories.  Shortly after we wrote about the demolition beginning, the C-J got an interview (now offline) with the developer, Jefferson Development Group:

“[Robert Webber, president of Jefferson Development Group,]  said that construction of new office space downtown has been almost non-existent in recent years, leaving companies that want 20,000 square feet or more of top quality space in the central business district with very limited opportunities.

“Jeff Dreher, an office broker with Commercial Kentucky, which tracks local office usage, said downtown’s Class A, or best quality office space was 7.9 percent vacant as of Sept. 30, one of the lowest vacancy rates in years.

“Even with the suburban vacancy rate, in comparison, at 18.9 percent, Dreher said the downtown market has “reached the threshold” where a lot of experts think new construction makes sense. “If the economy keeps coming back, we will need something” in the way of new downtown office space soon, he said.

“Webber said, however, that with commercial lending tight, the partners probably need to have at least 60 percent of any new office space leased, before being able to get a construction loan for that space. Financing, he said, “will be difficult. No question.””

In the near-term, the site is likely to be converted into a parking lot.  According to documents filed with the City, Jefferson Development moved up the demolition date, a move the C-J says is to show investors they’re serious about construction, and pushed back the time frame to begin construction, likely to provide time for the economy to recover and for tenants to be found.  Jefferson Development Group now has until the end of 2011 to begin new construction on the site, but environmental and archaeological studies must be complete by the end of 2010.

[ Editor's Note:  Corrected the district designation type as "Phoenix Hill National Register District." ]

• Demo Watch: D&W Silks Building Coming Down (Broken Sidewalk)

Click through for more photos of the demolition.

Club Cawthon To Be Demolished (BS File Photo)

SoBro is set to lose another historic corner store, the kind that was listed as one of Louisville’s Ten Most Endangered Historic Structures (or typologies in this case) according to Preservation Louisville.  (Why does it seem that most times the word “preservation” comes up it’s only when we’re about to lose a little bit more of the city’s history?)  This time it’s a partially-mutilated, two-story, purple-painted brick building on the corner of Seventh Street and Cawthon Street.  The photo above is from a little over a year ago and was snapped while crews were installing what looks like a new roof on the building.

According to Whitewashed Windows & Vacant Stores, who spotted the Intent to Demolish sign, a fire broke out and gutted the second floor about a month after the photo was taken.  The building stood for a year after the fire without being declared an emergency demolition by the city, so it’s likely not imminently falling down, but it is a shame to lose one more piece of SoBro.

While the structure was in need of quite a bit of work to return its appearance to how it looked originally, the bones were still there.  Nearly every window in the building besides the storefront had been altered at some point, much how the windows at the old Wayside block in Nulu had been, but it should be clear by now that with a little effort, it’s entirely possible to fix such a mistake (check out the before and after on East Market).  The most important part of the building architecturally, the limestone storefront on Seventh Street, was intact but largely hidden by a deteriorating awning.

This building was only one block east of another corner store also demolished because of fire earlier this year.  Based on a cursory glance at an aerial map, it appears there are only about half a dozen historic corner stores left in all of SoBro when there were undoubtedly dozens at one time.

Site of demolished train station

Click through for more photos of the train station before and after.

Hicks House on Dixie Highway (Photo courtesy a pretty pickle)

Earlier this year, interest was piqued on the blogosphere after a mystery house just off Dixie Highway was discovered by a pretty pickle who noted the quiet serenity of its extensive grounds.  The detective instincts of bloggers everywhere led by The Valley Report kicked in and in no time we learned all about the Hicks House.

Recently, The Valley Report broke news that the newly re-discovered house is set to burn during a training exercise for the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Department.  I checked in with the fire department to look for a few more details, but few are available.  There is no date for the controlled burn and no word on the future use of the property.

Here’s what we do know about 8601 Dixie Highway, the former home of Dr. Hicks who practiced medicine at 28th and Madison Street many years ago.  The original property was once much larger, with more than 150 acres and several houses.  Strip mall and fast food development along Dixie Highway has slowly whittled away at the property.  Above the Hicks House is a more modern brick house build by Dr. Hicks’ son who also happened to build the “Jesus Saves” sign on Dixie Highway.  The house is believed to date to the 1920s when it was a stopping point for travelers heading south on a two lane gravel road we now call the Wide, Wide, Dixie Highway.

The Valley Report has uncovered many more details about the house (and some more photos) and you can check them out here and here and here and here.