City Properties Group Continues To Grow Downtown

Dec 4, 2009

Clay Commons (rendering courtesy City Properties, collage by Broken Sidewalk)

Someone forgot to tell Bill Weyland and his team at City Properties Group that there’s a recession going on. Besides that arena thing on Main Street, City Properties is set to dominate the Downtown development scene for months to come. They just finished the ZirMed Towers and are already planning townhomes in Liberty Green and a mix of uses at the Whiskey Row Lofts. Now they have announced plans to expand their projects at the Henry Clay and the Glassworks district. What will they come up with next.

North (Chestnut Street) Elevation (courtesy City Properties Grouo) — North (Chestnut Street) Elevation. (Courtesy City Properties Group)

Newly outlined plans may sound grand, and they are, but let’s stay grounded and look at the plans in phases. That’s what Bill Weyland is doing and that looks like the best way to get things built. As I was saying, the first phase plans include two new parking garages that will in turn serve to lure in phase two of the master plan, hotels and residences.

The fancy building you see up top is the final vision. When all is said and done, City Properties Group plans an eight- to nine-story structure with retail, a 105-room boutique hotel, and 30 residences. Where does the “Commons” park come in? It’s right around the corner.

Clay Commons revolves around a courtyard uniting several of Weyland’s projects into a single entity. They’re calling it a sort of “mini-convention center” that offers over 40,000 square feet of meeting space in the Henry Clay, retail space in the renovated Wright-Taylor Building and pretty much everywhere else, on-site parking, and a connected hotel to boot.

And one of the best aspects of this thing for the future of Downtown is that when it’s done it will be the first brand new development on Fourth Street in who knows how long. The location couldn’t be better, either, filling what feels like a dead-zone on Fourth between Theater Square and Fourth Street Live. You know what they say about a rising tide.

Back to phase one. Clay Commons will one day completely transform Fourth Street, but first things first. A seven-story parking garage with 350 spaces will be built on the corner of Fourth and Chestnut Streets, but will be set back off the street and later mostly surrounded by the new hotel and residences. All you’ll really see is that bit behind the Wright-Taylor Building seen below.

The whole thing is part of a carefully planned strategy to bring in just the right mix of uses and tenants. That’s one of the reasons City Properties Group plans to partner with Hotel Indigo for its boutique hotel. The national brand cultivates local charm all with a hipper attitude than existing options such as the historic Brown or Seelbach.

West (Fourth Street) Elevation (courtesy City Properties Grouo) — West (Fourth Street) Elevation. (Courtesy City Properties Group)

A similar master plan could be unfolding in the Glassworks District on West Market Street. City Properties Group is planning a seven-story 430-space garage for the middle third of the block between Eighth and Ninth Streets. Space is being allocated on the sidewalk level for what could be a fitness facility behind a curving glass wall. City Properties Group has been hinting for a while that they plan to develop several vast surface level parking lots over time and now might be the beginning.

Planned ZirMed Garage (Courtesy City Properties Group) — Planned ZirMed Garage. (Courtesy City Properties Group)

The garage is expected to free up surface level parking space for redevelopment while providing parking for the growing ZirMed Corporation. Later on, an L-shaped hotel is slated for the corner of Eighth and Market that would solve the redevelopment puzzle of the block north of Congress Alley. An existing non-historic, one-story building would be torn down on the corner.

Site plan for Glassworks District (Courtesy City Properties Group) — Site plan for Glassworks District. (Courtesy City Properties Group)

The next step for both garages is for Metro Council to sign off on a bonding resolution that will allow construction to proceed. These garages are being built as public-private-partnerships and will be operated by the Parking Authority of River City (PARC) after they are built. If Metro Council votes on the issue before its winter break, construction could begin at the end of January, but if there’s a delay, construction would be pushed back a month.

While plans beyond the ZirMed Garage are a little further out than Clay Commons, it’s always nice to point to a parking lot and know someone is planning on making it better. In the meantime, we’ll have two new tower cranes swirling across the skyline.

Planned Glassworks District Hotel (Courtesy City Properties Group) — Planned Glassworks District Hotel. (Courtesy City Properties Group)

Presenting The Best New Landmark of 2009

Design

By Branden Klayko -

Dec 4, 2009

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Presentation Academy Best New Landmark of 2009

You have spoken and the votes are tallied and we can now name your choice for Best New Landmark of 2009. Congratulations to Presentation Academy for their Arts & Athletics Center on the corner of Fourth and Breckinridge streets in the SoBro neighborhood!

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Friday News Roundup

By Broken Sidewalk -

Dec 4, 2009

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Our last sidewalk photo was correctly identified by Justin Elliott and Jeff Noble as Sixth Street looking north towards St. Catherine at St. Louis Bertrand Church in the Limerick neighborhood. Nicely done. Here’s a new sidewalk photo awaiting identification in the comments.

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Video: Big Four Bridge Will Offer A Big View

By Branden Klayko -

Nov 27, 2009

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Historic view of the Big Four Bridge (courtesy R.D. Schooling)

Now that the elliptical ramp up to the Big Four Bridge has been set into place sans its concrete walkway, Doug Proffitt of Whas11 took a trip up to the top platform to check out what must be one of the best views in Louisville. I can’t wait to check it out myself. See the video below which offers an up-close view of construction along with views of local landmarks.

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Demo Watch: Beechmont Fire Station

By Branden Klayko -

Nov 27, 2009

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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) — 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) — Current Beechmont Fire Station from 1924. (via Google Maps)

Breslin Park Half-Pipe Ground Into History

Design

By Branden Klayko -

Nov 27, 2009

5

Breslin Park Half Pipe Missing (Photo courtesy tipster)

A concrete half pipe in Breslin Park at Payne Street and Lexington Road has been removed and its grassy berm regraded into a flat patch of dirt and gravel. A tipster sent in these photos this week showing what has become of Louisville’s first skate park.

Irish Hill’s half pipe had been walled off by a tall chain link fence for some time since the new skate park opened on Witherspoon and Clay Street in Butchertown. It’s unclear what will become of the area, but it looks like it will eventually contain a new playground sometime in the future.

Our tipster reports a reference to the playground in the mayor’s 2010 budget and the Breslin Park master plan created in March 2001 shows a playground on this exact spot along with an entry pavilion on the corner and revamped walking paths.

Since the plan was created, however, the Breslin Park pool has become a controversial issue and the city had proposed shuttering the pool in favor of a spray park to save on operating costs. In 2008, surveys were distributed to the neighborhood to help guide a new master plan. I’m not sure where that stands today. Anyone know more details?

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Ali Center Expansion To Reach Beyond Louisville

Development

By Branden Klayko -

Nov 26, 2009

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Muhammad Ali Center plans addition (phot courtesy Ali Center)

The Muhammad Ali Center announced this week that it’s undertaking a $10 million fundraising campaign to expand the museum’s outreach beyond Louisville and add exhibit and archive space to its permanent Visitor Experience.

The Legacy Campaign will fund the completion of previously uninstalled elements of the museum that will house the Muhammad Ali Archives and Research Center along with an expanded Visitor Experience that has already drawn wide praise for its quality and emotional impact showcasing the life and ideals of Muhammad Ali. New exhibit space will add to the Center’s focus of “Finding Personal Greatness Within.”

Beyond the physical building, the Muhammad Ali Center plans to create an Endowed Chair for visiting scholars to conduct research on Ali based upon the new archives. Educational outreach will be expanded by translating the archives into multiple languages and developing character-based educational programs emphasizing the life and work of Ali. An endowment will be created to fund the museum’s operations to allow greater emphasis on programmatic efforts.

New construction will also include expanded event space that will help leverage the revenue producing capacity of the museum. Two outdoor spaces will be created as part of the expansion featuring outdoor dining in a patio setting and a rooftop area with views of the Ohio River. The riverfront terrace will be situated above the Ali Center’s parking garage & archives and could feature glass walls to deflect noise from Interstate 64. Energy efficiency upgrades such as LED lights and new LCD screens are expected to lower the annual energy costs of the facility and signage will also be installed on the building’s exterior.

Construction on the addition isn’t expected to begin until 40 to 50 percent of the fundraising goal is met, but the Ali Center has already secured $2.6 million and has begun some upgrades to the building’s interior. Remaining funds are anticipated to be raised over the next five years. The Legacy Campaign effort represents a continued investment in one of Downtown Louisville’s most significant institutions and seeks to expand its reach far beyond the city itself.

Muhammad Ali Center plans addition (BS File Photo) — Muhammad Ali Center plans addition. (Branden Klayko / Broken Sidewalk)

Thanksgiving News Roundup

By Broken Sidewalk -

Nov 26, 2009

2

Congratulations to D Jason Crowder, Michael, and Jeff for correctly identifying Tuesday’s sidewalk photo as Grinstead Drive at Cave Hill Cemetery in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood. As usual, here’s a new photo ready for guesses in the comments. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Don’t forget: There’s still time to nominate your choice in our search for the Best New Landmark of 2009. The contest is going on through December 2! Check over here for details about how to enter and possibly win a prize.

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More Roof At The Arena

By Branden Klayko -

Nov 26, 2009

0

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.