9:00 AM: The main fountain on the Muhammad Ali Center plaza has been turned on this morning and is apparently full of soapy foam. Maybe they are cleaning off all the dust it has collected this summer? Several workers have been tinkering with the glass over the last couple weeks and now, presto, we have water.
Transportation Issues
So this has been going on for some time and it is really one of the most irritating things the city has done in a while. This summer, the Louisville Metro Police station at the corner of Bardstown Road and Rosewood Avenue installed a small sonic device that emits the sound of bird distress calls to scare away nuisance birds most likely perches atop the giant metro communications tower behind the station.
The photo above right is a model that operates near Ninth Street and Main Street beneath the Interstate 64 overpass that makes similar noises, deafeningly loud when you stand near the box. Under the highway it’s not so annoying but along one of Louisville’s most busy pedestrian streets full of walkers, shoppers, and outdoor diners, hearing the same fake bird-call noise pollution every 10 to 15 minutes is enough to drive us crazy. One common noise-unit called Bird-X-Peller describes the device as such:
BirdXPeller takes very high fidelity recordings of birds’ distress cries (supplied by a major American university) and inscribes them on to a microchip using the latest audio technology. The resulting sound is so faithful to the original that they cannot be told apart! The infesting birds perceive danger when they hear these sounds, become agitated and disoriented, and flee the area… not to return.
If the police or the city do not take the unit down soon, the pedestrians and shoppers around the station will likely “become agitates and disoriented, and flee the area… not to return.”
It’s really something when an electric pole becomes big news. When there’s a 63-story, $450 million, starchitect designed mega-tower resting on the hopes and dreams of the possibility city behind it, it becomes just that: big news. The Museum Plaza investors have ponied up nearly $15 million of their own cash to bury the lines and build the new electric tower. Now there are two steel spikes rising from the River Walk near where 11th Street might hit if it extended through.
A third foundation is currently being finished where an even larger spike will soon blossom from the once bustling Shippingport neighborhood. The two electric towers laying east of the mini-construction site will be removed to make room for the Museum Plaza project, whenever that happens.
We spotted this car a while back in the Highlands decked out from head-to-toe in ear-X-tacy stickers. You might remember back in August that Paste magazine ranked the independent Louisville music store among the “17 Coolest Record Stores In America.” We have a feeling it’s cars like this and the people that make them that give ear-X-tacy that designation.
The Republic Plaza renovation project converting an extremely ugly concrete office building into a slightly less ugly concrete office building has advanced a step. Crews this week began painting the facade, swapping the peeling white paint for a new scheme of beige and burgundy. The project rendering indicates a few dashes of purple may also come into play. Throw in the aqua-blue glass that’s already been installed and what you have here is a veritable rainbow building.
Office tenants have been back inside the building for a while now that the windows and interior work have wrapped up on some floors, and the new office workers have begun to make the space their own. What do they think of the new floor-to-ceiling glass covering their new offices? It seems there may now be a slight glare problem.
Transportation Issues
Broken Sidewalk has gained exclusive access to the details surrounding the new O’Shea’s restaurant soon to be under construction on Main Street in between the proposed Whiskey Row Lofts and the Iron Quarter. The four-story limestone clad building facing Main Street is set for a complete overhaul to transform the dilapidated former whiskey warehouse into one of Louisville’s most exciting new redevelopment projects just steps from the new arena.
Entrepreneur Tom O’Shea, founder of O’Shea’s Irish Pub, Flanagan’s Ale House, and Brendan’s Restaurant & Pub, is preparing his largest and most upscale venture to date. The yet unnamed restaurant and bar will ultimately cover three floors and include features such as a roof deck, sky lit atrium, covered terraces, and two huge bars. On the Main Street side of the property, three new mahogany double-doors will open onto a formal tea room with an original ornately patterned metal ceiling. Just beyond, a grand Irish bar greets patrons entering the restaurant. The bar will feature many custom fixtures unseen in any Louisville restaurant before and kept a close secret until the grand opening.
A grand stair ascends to the second level of dining space complete with its own bar. A large skylight pours natural light into the restaurant space. The original timber framing will be left exposed to showcase the 19th century patina of the building and create a warm texture across the entire dining area. Upstairs, a lounge overlooks Main Street and a terrace peers onto Washington Street. The space is magnificently planned to create inviting and intimate spaces for crowds and couples and will be able to handle a wide array of configurations. If all this weren’t enough, a massive roof deck encircles the skylight with views of Washington Street, the arena, and the Ohio River. An entrance off Washington Street will lead to another bar below the restaurant as well.
The upper-most two floors will be restored but left unused at first. Ultimately, they may be converted into condos or apartments. The project’s design was performed by Architectural Artisans in collaboration with Studio Kremer Architects. The team worked closely with Tom O’Shea, his executive chef, and restaurant staff to design the ultimate dining and entertainment experience. The interior will remain true to traditional Irish pub design incorporating many antique and original Irish artifacts O’Shea has encountered on his travels. The facility will also house one of Louisville’s finest kitchens whose design and layout is another closely guarded O’Shea’s secret.
Overall, this development looks like it is poised to transform the downtown dining scene. There’s literally nothing else like it in the city with innovations such as its formal tea room and outdoor spaces. The project has been advancing steadily and is expected to begin construction soon; it is expected to be complete well before the arena opens. We say it can’t open soon enough.
Yesterday it was announced that Louisville’s West Main Street was selected as one of the Top Ten Great Streets in America, and what a great designation. But is Main Street really there yet? Does it currently have what it takes to be a truly great street? It depends what your criteria are.
According to the American Planning Association who hands out the awards:
APA has singled out West Main as one of the Great Streets in America for 2008 given the street’s rich architectural legacy, unique sense of place, and contributions to downtown Louisville’s redevelopment, which has attracted $1.8 billion in reinvestment since 1992.
Looking at West Main that way, it certainly deserved its spot on the top ten list. The architecture is definitely unparalleled and with the help of a high-quality street-scape does provide a real sense of place. It is also true the reemergence of West Main Street signaled a renewed interest in downtown and has been the poster-child of what downtown Louisville can be. There are now more people and activities on the street than ever before, from restaurants, to some of the most creative industries in the city, to museums and a few small shops. There are even a few people living on West Main in buildings like the Harbison Condos. But is the place ‘real’ yet. Does it exude that urban vitality that all great streets have. To an extent, yes, but West Main is still fairly dead after 5:00 pm except during a few programmed events every year. Retail shops still can’t stay in business long and no one could live a walkable lifestyle here: all the daily necessities simply cannot be walked to.
We’re not down on West Main Street, it is destined to become Louisville’s greatest street. Just don’t rest on our laurels too long and forget all the work that needs to be done to transform the street from a museum district into a living community. Not just a destination but a place.
