A couple months ago, we took a look around Shelby Street as it runs through Schnitzelburg to get a better picture of its potential as a neighborhood corridor—and there’s certainly potential. Today, one of the anchors on that stretch of Shelby Street—the Dairy Del ice cream stand—is getting an upgrade.
The Louisville Metropolitan Business Development Corporation (METCO) has announced its latest round of funding, about $175,000, to three businesses around Louisville, including Dairy Del. The classic ice cream parlor at 1516 South Shelby Street is a great walkable choice for families in the Schnitzelburg, Meriwether, and St. Joseph neighborhoods, and a $17,500 loan will help owners Wayne and Brenda Madison undertake a few facade repairs. Unfortunately, the loan will also help build a drive through, a move we never applaud in an urban area like this, especially when public funds are involved.
The other three loans went towards renovating the Portland neighborhood. Mitchell Kersting and Tyler Watkins, principals at local architecture firm WorK received a $50,000 facade loan and $47,600 energy efficiency loan to help update their building at 231 North 19th Street on Boone Square Park. According to a press release, “The loans will allow owners to improve the storefront, reinforce limestone columns, repair tuck pointing and cornice repairs, as well as install solar power, a green roof, rainwater collection and new HVAC.” Broken Sidewalk recently spoke with Kersting about his plans for the historic corner commercial building—read about it here.
The final loan goes to the Tim Faulkner Gallery at 1512 Portland Avenue. According to the city’s press release, the $60,000 loan “will allow Scott Koloms to renovate the event space and create a better delineation between the artist space and event space. This project will create nine new jobs.”
More information on the city’s small-business loan program can be found here.
Yeah. A drive through is no bueno and only promotes more pollution to our already horrible air quality as customers sit idling in line. It also causes more of risk to pedestrians who walk up and wait for their ice cream because of the increased traffic in and out of the parking lot.
Yeah bummer on the drive through. A bunch of cars sitting in a line there will not add to its appeal.
Booo about the drive-thru… do NOT like that news. 🙁
dairy dels great and all, but growing up in st josephs neighborhood we would always visit dairy kastle (which has newish owners and a long line most evenings).
i echo boo to drive thru – a tiny shop like that isnt going to offer any faster service, theres already plenty of close parking, probably more than half the customers walk there anyway… so whats the attraction? who is out there thinking “boy i’d love dairy del treats, but i wish i could wait in my air conditioned car the whole time and avoid any public interaction” sheesh go to dairy queen for that
Will not be a patron of dairy del once a drive thru goes in…grew up and still live in the area and going to dairy del was a treat as I was a kid and I think a drive thru is a bad idea…plus it takes away from the nostalgic feeling of walking up to the counter to order your treat…drive thru’s are what have also contributed to the always in a rush ways the world is nowadays…SMH I will be sad to not go to dairy del anymore but I do not support this at all
I agree with the “no” votes about a drive thru. Why create more traffic concerns? Are people so afraid to get out of their cars that such a small business needs a drive thru?
It’s not gonna be pleasant to sit at the picnic tables and eat your ice cream with a bunch of idling cars lined up next to the building.