Rendering of the Highland Green Building (Courtesy Design Plus)

Bardstown Road is gettings its own “green building.”  A new two-and-a-half story mixed-use structure is proposed for the site of of a former car wash on the corner of Bardstown Road and Edgeland Avenue and will contain a Highland Cleaners, retail space, and two condos.

Michael Jones, owner of Highland Cleaners and Doric Real Estate, hopes to set a precedent for sustainable architecture on the Bardstown Road corridor with his structure dubbed the Highland Green Building.  Among the green amenities planned are passive and active solar technologies, a green roof, pervious concrete, geothermal heating and cooling, and even a greenhouse above the garage that will be able to grow food year round.  Jones is also planning a sidewalk educational feature with a computer screen showing how the green technology works.

Two lofted condos are planned above the first floor retail space.  One retail space will include a Highland Dry Cleaners drop off location.  No dry cleaning will be handled on site due to the chemicals involved in the process.

The proposed structure was designed by Design Plus Architecture of Bardstown Road who also recently designed the Bardstown-Eastern Building housing a Heine Brothers Coffee Shop just down the street.  John Warmack, principal at Design Plus, says the building will be a little more modern than the B-E Building but will still blend with the neighborhood through scale and material.  The building facade will primarily be brick.

A drive-through for Highland Cleaners is planned despite the green nature of the building in a walkable area, but Jones says it’s an important part of the dry-cleaning business and customers demand ease of access.  Warmack says the drive-through and parking were placed at the back of the narrow site to minimize its appearance on Bardstown Road.

Construction could start as early as next month, but Doric Real Estate is still in the process of acquiring permits.  The project has already been through the Bardstown Road Overlay Distrist and a demolition permit has already been approved for the old car wash and site clearance should occur soon.

Jones and Warmack both agree tearing down the car wash and building an urban edge along the street will fundamentally improve the streetscape and create a synergy with other businesses in the area.

Click through for site photos, a map, and another rendering.

1824 Eastern Parkway after renovation (Courtesy Diane Deaton-Street)

An unassuming wood frame rental property on Eastern Parkway near Bardstown Road has been transformed into a modern single family home.  Bob German and his partner Brent Carter hired architect Michael Koch to help transform the property at 1824 Eastern Parkway into Louisville’s newest modern town house ready for occupancy in February.

German says original plans called for tearing the sided two-and-a-half story house down and starting from scratch, but zoning rules didn’t allow the size of house that was desired.  Instead of seeking a costly zoning variance that wasn’t guaranteed to be approved, the house instead went through a breathtaking renovation.

1824 Eastern Parkway Before Renovation (via Google)

When tipsters began mentioning a new modern building on Eastern Parkway, I began searching for information.  When photos began to pour in and I learned the project was a renovation, I was really surprised.  From the outward appearance, the building looks brand new.

Bob German currently lives in the Highlands and loves the area’s walkability and urban offerings.  He often visits Chicago and wanted a modern dwelling right in the heart of the walkable Highlands and he says you can’t find a part of Louisville more walkable than Eastern Parkway and Bardstown Road.

The team began work planning the house a year and a half ago and German says despite the modern change to the property, neighbors and the city have been overwhelmingly supportive.  Even though some neighbors might not want their own modern house, they understand what living in a city and in the Highlands is all about.

Michael Koch, who designed the Gallery Square Lofts on East Jefferson Street and Clay Street, was able to provide the benefits of an urban condo with the amenities of a house all while using the original structure’s foundation.  German says choosing to renovate instead of build new did add significantly to the overall budget, and says it’s probably not the right choice for everyone.  In this case, the zoning pressures made it feasible and German believes it will be worth it in the end.

Eastern Parkway is zoned R-5 meaning a structure cannot take up more than 50% of its lot size even if the original structure has a greater density.  In this case, the original house takes up more half the .05 acre lot.

While the modern house appears to contrast its surroundings, there are important contextual clues that help it relate to the neighborhood.  The structure conforms to the same setback as the houses surrounding it and generally maintains the same building height.  The new house emphasizes the horizontal lines of its siding with a fenestrated corner.  The projected front bay can also be considered a response to the asymmetric bay windows of neighboring homes.

Click through for a couple more photos.

Little Green Building on Jefferson Street

There’s another “green building” in Nulu.  Situated behind Gill Holland’s showcase East Market Street Green Building is a small brick and limestone  commercial structure on Jefferson Street.  The three story building may be noticeably smaller than its counterpart, but the community spirit inside is just as strong.

Once threatened with demolition, the newly dubbed Little Green Building is now fully occupied.  Shine, a multifaceted company who has been restoring buildings and teaching yoga, has officially opened its headquarters in the renovated structure.  I recently had a chance to sit down with Gregg and Maria Rochman, partners in the Shine venture, to find out how they came to choose Nulu for the headquarters.

Click through to read more and for renovation and interior 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.

LG&E photo–ca. 1922, Power Station, Riverfront and Elevated Line

[ Editor's Note:  Ron Schooling is an avid transit enthusiast and is working on a book detailing early mass transit in Louisville.  He has contributed to Broken Sidewalk several times in the past including our recent look at road conditions and the desirability of transit a century ago.  This is his first guest article following up on transit related issues. ]

Collage courtesy Diane Deaton-Street

Thanks to Diane Deaton-Street, Broken Sidewalk contributing photographer, for putting together this collage of Bardstown Road in 1935 over Bardstown Road in 2009 (thanks as well to the UL archives for allowing us to show the old photo here).

As you can see, the architecture has largely remained the same while the businesses have changed.  You can see in the old photo not only a Piggly Wiggly grocery store (currently Leatherhead), but two drug stores including a Walgreens where Bombay grocery is today.  The ubiquitous above ground electric wires are still there and the vintage photo must have been taken around Independence Day from the flags on display.

The big change, of course, is transit.  Take a look at the trolley stopping to admit several well dressed riders near Bonnycastle Avenue and the Leatherhead store.  There’s a southbound trolley behind the delivery truck in the right lane as well.  Reminds me of the recent proposal to run a new trolley line down Bardstown Road.

The feel of the historic photo, to me, seems to be much more slow paced and residential than the Bardstown Road of today.  With the lush trees and the houses that still served as single family homes.  Bardstown takes on the feeling of a mixed-use Cherokee Road as the commercial district fades with the trolley stop until it will pick up again at the Douglass Loop.

Click through to see the modern photograph for comparison.

Victorian House on Frankfort Avenue - December 2009 (BS File Photo)

Action has finally been mandated for a deteriorating Victorian mansion at 2223 Frankfort Avenue.  Frank Faris, owner of the house and the adjacent Genny’s Diner, must comply with a court order to either sell the property, improve the house to correct all code violations, or serve a one year jail term.  A judge issued the mandate during a December 15 court date and Faris has until January 25, 2010 to repair or sell the house or else report to jail.

The house was occupied less than a decade ago but has seen heavy deterioration including a 2006 fire leaving it in a state of advanced disrepair.  Faris purchased the 19th century Queen Anne style house in the Clifton neighborhood in 2001 for $100,000.  The house then sat unused for several years deteriorating.  In 2003, Clifton was designated a Local Landmark District and later in September 2003, Faris was cited for numerous housing code violations.

A court date was scheduled in August 2004 to resolve the code violations but was rescheduled after Faris failed to appear on time.  Three months later, another hearing sought to resolve public health and nuisance threats to the property and Faris was given a week to remove piles of gravel partially blocking the sidewalk and remove weeds and trash that could harbor rodents.

At a February 2005 hearing, Faris plead guilty to the housing code violations which allowed him 30 days to rectify the problems or demolish the building.  Because of the neighborhood’s Landmark status, demolition would have required approval from the Clifton Architectural Review Committee or Faris would need to meet economic hardship criteria under the Louisville Landmark Ordinance.

Later, in September 2005, a judge imposed a $50,000 fine or a one year jail term for the housing code violations.  Minimal improvements have been made over the years per judge’s requirements, but code violations still remain and have worsened.

Among the violations originally cited in 2003, many still must be corrected.  Metro Louisville then requested deteriorating siding and molding be repaired as well as the roof, missing downspouts and windows replaced, garbage be removed, and the structure secured from unauthorized entry.

The house was not in perfect condition ten years ago but as can be seen in photos after the click, it was habitable and in generally good shape.  Over the years, benign neglect has left the building in its current state as codes were ignored and now the building would require extensive renovation work if it can be salvaged.

Fortunately for the building, it sits on a vibrant stretch of Frankfort Avenue in a Landmark district and might find a party interested in renovating the structure if Frank Faris opts to sell the property.  The house’s value is currently assessed for tax purposes at $23,610.  The .08 acre site is small and the house fills nearly the entire parcel, meaning if the structure is removed the site would not provide many parking spaces or easily accommodate a new structure.

Click through to see how the house changed since 2000.

Tea Room off of Main Street sidewalk

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.