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.

VT's Bubble Cup on Bardstown Road

We told you about the tea shop that was planned for Bardstown Road back in October.  Today, we spotted a sign to go with the rumor: VT’s Bubble Cup.  We had put in several calls for information over the last couple months, but none were returned.  With the appearance of the sign, however, it looks like the new shop should be opening soon.  We should have guessed the place might be selling bubble tea from the Asian newspapers covering the windows.  This marks the first entry of bubble tea into the Louisville market There are already several shops in the Metro Louisville area that offer bubble tea, but this could be the first exclusive bubble tea outlet.  Judging by the brightly colored, “bubbly” sign, VT’s should prove to have an interesting interior.  Besides the sign, two new black awnings have recently been installed.  Bubble tea contains edible tapioca beads and is generally fruit or milk based.  Here’s more info from Wikipedia:

“Bubble tea, also called “Boba” tea, is a Taiwanese tea beverage containing gelatinous tapioca pearls. It originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, spread to nearby East Asian countries, and migrated to Canada before spreading to Chinatown in New York, then to various spots throughout the West Coast of the United States. The literal translation from Chinese is pearl milk tea… The word “bubble” refers to “bubbling”, the process by which certain types of bubble tea are made, and not the actual tapioca balls. The balls are often called “pearls.” Drinks with large pearls are consumed along with the beverage through wide straws; while drinks with small pearls are consumed through normal straws.”

Michelle over at Consuming Louisville must have been wandering around Bardstown Road today, too.  She found the sign earlier today and breaks news of yet another tea shop opening soon on Frankfort Avenue.  Here’s more info on the Zen Tea House from Consuming Louisville:

“Zen Tea House is coming soon from the same folks who bring us the wonderful Zen Garden restaurants. They’re hoping to open the tea house next month and say it will feature traditional teas and light food. The location is just a couple doors down from Zen Garden on Frankfort Avenue.”

It’s been a few weeks since we railed on some rather disrespectful industrial practices in Butchertown, but today we’re back at it showcasing yet another big blank wall, this time on one of Louisville’s most prized streets: Frankfort Avenue.  This week’s blankness belongs to the River City Tire Co. (of Louisville) in the Clifton neighborhood and sits between Bourbons Bistro and Ginny’s Diner.  What really gets us about this big blank wall is that it eats the sidewalk for nearly the entire length of the property.  The western side is a parking lot where the curb cut is the entire width of the lot.  The eastern side is a blank sheet metal warehouse with two more huge curb cuts that allow cars to park on the sidewalk.  This is auto on pedestrian action that’s not fit for modern streets (or maybe we’re ahead of the game on the whole “shared streets” movement?).   With the profusion of new restaurants and shops and the popular trolley hop, better economic times could transform this big blank wall into something lively and mixed-use.

Lodge 820 on Frankfort Avenue

A new luxury mixed-use building on Frankfort Avenue in Crescent Hill is wrapping up construction and has now fully leased its seven sidewalk level retail spots.  The project replaces a surface level parking lot adjacent to the former Dietrich’s Restaurant.  Included in the Pierce Architecture designed development are seven retail spots and seven two-story condos above.

The last retail spot in the building has now been leased to a women’s boutique called “The Dressing Room” and will be under construction soon.  It’s expected to open February 1st next year.  Other retail on the strip includes a wine shop and several other upscale women’s boutiques.

Just above the retail level are some of the most luxurious condos to hit the Louisville market.  The building was built as a shell for about $1.7 million and the interior spaces have been built later.  Some are still available for a custom build-out to a potential buyer.  Currently, three units are under construction and a model has already been finished.

The condos aren’t cheap.  Prices range from $495,000 for just over 1900 square feet to $865,000 for over 4,000 square feet.  The interiors amenities, however, make the price seem well worth it.  Units have their own private entrances off the sidewalk with video-surveillance and a ground floor foyer.  From there, you can either take the stairs up to your condo or ride up on your own personal elevator.  That’s right, a Louisville condo first: private elevators.

We went inside one unit under construction to take a look at the new urban infill development.  Besides elevators, each unit has its own private 2-car garage off the alley and plenty of additional parking behind the building.  There are 10′ to 12′ ceilings with over-sized doors; a modern kitchen with custom cabinets and stainless steel appliances compliments over-sized traditional woodwork and windows.

Upon entering the condo from the elevator, you are faced with a wood paneled great room utilizing reclaimed heart-pine boards from a local barn that are 181 years old.  The room includes built in bookshelves and is fully wired for a home theater.  There’s even a hidden office behind one of the wooden bookshelves.  A marble hallway leads to the dining room and living room with a slightly more formal feel.

Upstairs (or up another floor on the elevator), is the master suite and guest room.  A solarium with a giant skylight (there’s even a hose to water plants) organizes the upstairs space.  Laundry facilities are also tucked away on the bedroom-level.  Views from the third floor of the surrounding Crescent Hill feature tree-lined streets and an elevated park-like view of St. Joseph’s across the street.  The Frankfort Avenue face of the building includes extra insulation and sound-proofing to protect against noise from passing trains and traffic.

Overall, the project changes the entire feel of Frankfort Avenue, adding a distinct classic urban edge with traditional detailing and street retail.  While such expensive and luxurious living might not be for everyone, the Lodge 820 pulls off upscale urban living well.  The adjacent former lodge/theater, renovated as part of the development, is now home to offices and a bank as well.  We’re glad to see another surface level parking lot filled in with quality urban architecture.

Inside Lodge 820: Family Room

• Pierce Architecture (Official Site)
• Lodge 820 real estate listing (W-R Realtors)

Take a closer look at the Lodge 820 after the click.

New Bike Depot Location on Frankfort Avenue

We told you about the Bike Depot’s plans to open a new Frankfort Avenue bike store and courier service location back in September, but lost track of the development thereafter.  The new location has been open since its November 1st grand opening and is situated at the corner of Frankfort Avenue and New Main Street at the railroad tracks.

This is the second Bike Depot location (the other’s on the corner of 2nd and Market Streets).  A third location just south of the University of Louisville campus is on hold for the time being, but it could move forward as the economy improves and the other two locations become more established.

The grand opening event was evidently well attended and full of festivities.  Here’s some info from the Bike Depot site:

“What a great event!!! Over 140 people signed in, a ten year old boy won the free bike, lots of cycling freebies were given away, Walter Lay, Tim Chilton and Lisa Cates made wonderful music, Heine Brothers and Rainbow Blossom provided great beverage and food, Dirk Gowin of the city of Louisville, Barry Zalph of Bicycling for Louisville, Cassandra Culin of Clifton Community Council, Tim Allen and Joe Ward of Crescent Hill Community Council, Don Burch of Frankfort Avenue Business Association and Louisville Independent Business Association all represented their organizations well. And the weather (70 and sunny), who was responsible for that?”

• Bike Depot (Official Site)
• Bike Depot Expanding To Frankfort Avenue (Broken Sidewalk)

New Bike Depot Sign

Hilltop Theater

The latest potential condo conversion might be taking place in the Clifton neighborhood near the corner of Frankfort Avenue and Pope Street.  The Hilltop Theater, currently home to Jim Conti & Sons (an events planning company), was built in 1920, and according to Wikipedia, was the first theater in the east end.  The building sits next to the Stoll Fire Station which is being relocated to Spring Street in Butchertown.  The city will sell the building after the move, so look forward to another potential redevelopment next door.

Strange to live in a movie theater, you may ask?  It’s not really all that crazy an idea at all; recently plans for turning a church into condos surfaced, so it looks like Louisville entrepreneurs are getting a little more creative with what makes a home.  We’ve toured several theater-to-house conversions in the past, and with a little creativity, they can be great living spaces.  Converting a theater into multiple units, however, could prove to be a challenge, but we’re game for a proposal.  

The Jim Conti company will be moving their headquarters to Jeffersontown and are reportedly very near a sale of the historic Frankfort Avenue theater.  The building is currently used as warehouse space and has been substantially altered from its original format.  Walking into the building, one would never guess it was once a dazzling movie house and burlesque venue.  Up on the second floor, however, is a different story.  We snapped a few photos of the ornate plaster detailing still visible on the ceiling and surrounding the original stage, most of which is still intact and in great shape (it’s worth checking out after the click).  The original projection room when the building played movies.  Now, it serves as an office.

We don’t have the details yet on what the project will entail: how many units, price range, etc, but as soon as we hear anything more, we’ll be sure to bring it to you.

Interior Plaster Detailing

• You Live Where? In A Church? Holy Condo Watch (Broken Sidewalk)
• Snapshot: Butchertown Fire Station Bricked & Stoned (Broken Sidewalk)
• Jim Conti & Sons (Official Site)
• Theaters of Louisville (Wikipedia)

Many more photos of the ornate interior of the Hilltop after the click.

American Printing House for the Blind

The American Printing House for the Blind has built a new grand entrance to their facility on Frankfort Avenue in the Clifton neighborhood which was dedicated in June and has now had some time to settle in.  We stopped by and snapped a few photos of the project and learned a little bit about the architectural history of the campus, too.  First, here’s the story behind the APH from their web site:

“The American Printing House for the Blind is the world’s largest company devoted solely to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people who are blind or visually impaired. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest organization of its kind in the United States. Under the 1879 federal Act to Promote the Education of the Blind, APH is the official supplier of educational materials for visually impaired students in the U.S. who are working at less than college level.”

A new brick sidewalk with leads to the building entrance, but along the way new stainless steel and limestone benches line the well-lit path along with a sleek new outdoor sitting area.  All the signage incorporates Braille script (although we’re not sure how useful the main sign with mega-braille, above, will be to the passers by, it still looks really nice!) and the entire walk has a definite tactile quality about it.  Information kiosks dot the front yard explaining the history of the facility.  One panel about the architecture of the campus caught our attention:

“Although APH looks like one large building, it is really fourteen!  The original 1883 factory, designed by Charles Clarke, was a three story Italianate brick structure.  That building is largely hidden today.  You can see hints of its appearance behind the right side of the main building.  The public face of APH on Frankfort Avenue was built in 1955, and expanded in 1970.  Louisville architect Arthur Tafel designed it in the International Style, also known as Bauhaus.”

We felt compelled to investigate this hidden 19th century factory, and just as the sign indicates, a corner of the original structure peaks through several layers of additions (photo below).  The modern APH facility is really quite large and lends a distinctly pleasant urban quality to the surrounding neighborhood.  Inside, a museum featuring a new exhibit detailing the APH’s 150 years of “service and innovation” is available for tours.  Overall, the new entrance adds a needed modern gesture to the campus, indicating the modern nature of the industry.  The clean lines and graceful arcs in the outdoor space make a welcome addition to the sometimes hectic street life of the Frankfort Avenue corridor.

• American Printing House for the Blind (Official Site)

American Printing House for the Blind

American Printing House for the Blind

Bike Depot (Photo via bikedepot.org)

The Bike Depot, located near the corner of First Street and Market Street is looking to expand their operations.  The bike shop and human-powered courier service purchased their Market Street building in 2003, then a boarded up pawn shop.  Since then, the Bike Depot has grown drastically and has been scouting around Louisville for their second location.  Initially, a spot near Churchill Downs and the University of Louisville was announced on Fourth Street between Central Avenue and Winkler Avenue, but plans for that location have been placed on hold.  New plans call for a shop to be located along Frankfort Avenue in the Clifton Neighborhood.  Jackie Green, co-owner of the Bike Depot with Cindy Baker, says the Clifton location is a better choice as there is no bike shop in the area and more regular business activity daily.  The neighborhood is also more bike-friendly at this point than the South Louisville counterpart.  A precise location has not yet been set for the new facility, but we expect an announcement in the coming weeks.

• Bike Depot (Official Site)