The Census Bureau reently released their annual county population estimates for 2006. Here is how the Louisville area shaped up.
Louisville Metropolitan Statistical Area
Indiana Counties
Clark - 103,569 +1,944
Floyd - 72,570 +545
Washington - 28,062 +252
Harrison - 36,992 +263
Kentucky Counties
Jefferson - 701,500 +2,449
Bullitt - 72,851 +1,411
Oldham - 55,285 +1,826
Shelby - 39,717 +1,501
Henry - 16,025 +199
Meade - 27.992 -263
Nelson - 42,102 +1,036
Spencer - 16,475 +838
Trimble - 9,071 +38
TOTAL: 1,222,211 +12,039
Elizabethtown Metropolitan Statistical Area:
Hardin - 97,087 +262
Larue - 13,791 +128
TOTAL: 110,878 +390
Scottsburg Micropolitan Area
Scott - 23,704 -45
Louisville Combined Statistical Area: 1,356,793
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The Iron Quarter
Todd Blue announced today that he and his company will soon invest more than 50 million dollars to build a mixed use office and retail complex in downtown Louisville. The project, to be named The Iron Quarter, will occupy the block bounded by West Main to the south, Washington to the north, First to the east and Second to the west. This plan replaces an earlier redevelopment plan that had been hatched in 2000 by another local developer.Blue sees huge changes for the property, including a 14 story office tower (that can be expanded to 23 floors if the need arises), a parking garage, retail space, restaurant space, and bar space. The project will be largely pedestrian oriented and will help bridge the new Louisville Arena to residential development in the West Main neighborhood.
The project will require the demolition of the interiors of the buildings, but all the historic facades will remain and be restored to their original lustre. Some people are critical of this practice, but I feel it is perfectly acceptable. Buildings have to constantly change to be usable - and these buildings simply do not have floor plans that still work for the uses of today. The main consideration is for the facades of the buildings - and those will be perfectly restored. You will never be able to tell that the buildings ever fell into disrepair and they will look as if they had been continually used for more than a century.
The most exciting aspect of the project is perhaps one of the smaller components - the retail. Retail has been lacking in downtown for decades, and this is the first project that promises at least some retailing options such as clothing, gaming, home decor, et cetera, in the CBD. Hopefully this portends of things to come.
This announcement is incredibly exciting for Louisville. This block was one of the very last major eyesores of downtown. And it has been a constant reminder of how much work downtown still has to do to revive itself.
Monday, March 19, 2007
News in Brief
Kentucky Home Life Gets a Makeover
Business First of Louisville is reporting this week that the historic Kentucky Home Life Building will be seeing new owners and new investment. In their article, they are reporting that the 19 floor structure will change hand officially next week to a group of local investors. The investors are reportedly planning on investing upwards of 12 million dollars in the old structure. The building will be turned into a mixed-use structure, as the bottom floor will marketed at retail, the middles floors will turn into office condos, and the top 2 floors will be renovated into 8 penthouse units, selling for 500,000 dollars or more.
UofL Center for Predictive Medicine to Break Ground Next Month
The University of Louisville held one of the last public "Question and Answer" sessions relating to the new Center for Predictive Medicine that is being build on the Shelby Campus off of Shelbyville Road. The center, which will be in full operation in early 2009, will study many of the viral and bacterial agents that have been identified as possible bio terrorism threats. Residents of the area have been very concerned since UofL announced this project nearly 2 years ago. Despite the economic benefits and health breakthroughs this center could pioneer, locals are still vociferously opposing it. The center has already received all needed zoning clearances, and it will be a partner with the CDC, which helped UofL design the facility and it's safety checks. The site is 1 of 14 that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has helped to fund since September 11, 2001.
New Albany's Scribner Place Enters New Phase
New Albany, Indiana's new Scribner Place project has moved into the next phase of construction - much to the chagrin of downtown locals. Scribner Place is a local government initiative in downtown New Albany to build a new YMCA and help kick start the rebirth of the city's core. With support pilings finally installed, the incessant clanging of metal being beaten into the earth can stop. The foundation is being laid this month and the metal skeleton will begin to rise in April. Project leaders expect to have the building ready for swimming lessons and weight lifting in Fall of 2008. Other parcels of land around Scribner Place, which are owned by the city, will go on the market in the coming months, with the hopes that local developers will step forward with plans for more downtown retail and housing.
Fourth Street Live! Get 2 New Occupants
Fourth Street Live, the downtown retail and entertainment complex, announced last week that in addition to the new upscale Hotel Lounge they're adding to the complex's first level, they will also be adding two new bars to the upper level. Angel's Rock Bar and Tengo Sed Cantina will occupy space in the former Palm Bar and Parrot Beach Club. Those bars, along with Red Cheetah, were evicted last month after their parent company filed for bankruptcy. All 3 new bars will up and running before he crowds of Derby rush to town.
Also, be on the look for details of the pending Fourth Street Live expansion. It's already been announced they're close to inking a deal with the Starks Building for more space, and they're also in negotiations with the mayor about building a large addition on the former Water Company site. Stay tuned for that mega development.
Business First of Louisville is reporting this week that the historic Kentucky Home Life Building will be seeing new owners and new investment. In their article, they are reporting that the 19 floor structure will change hand officially next week to a group of local investors. The investors are reportedly planning on investing upwards of 12 million dollars in the old structure. The building will be turned into a mixed-use structure, as the bottom floor will marketed at retail, the middles floors will turn into office condos, and the top 2 floors will be renovated into 8 penthouse units, selling for 500,000 dollars or more.
UofL Center for Predictive Medicine to Break Ground Next Month
The University of Louisville held one of the last public "Question and Answer" sessions relating to the new Center for Predictive Medicine that is being build on the Shelby Campus off of Shelbyville Road. The center, which will be in full operation in early 2009, will study many of the viral and bacterial agents that have been identified as possible bio terrorism threats. Residents of the area have been very concerned since UofL announced this project nearly 2 years ago. Despite the economic benefits and health breakthroughs this center could pioneer, locals are still vociferously opposing it. The center has already received all needed zoning clearances, and it will be a partner with the CDC, which helped UofL design the facility and it's safety checks. The site is 1 of 14 that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has helped to fund since September 11, 2001.New Albany's Scribner Place Enters New Phase
New Albany, Indiana's new Scribner Place project has moved into the next phase of construction - much to the chagrin of downtown locals. Scribner Place is a local government initiative in downtown New Albany to build a new YMCA and help kick start the rebirth of the city's core. With support pilings finally installed, the incessant clanging of metal being beaten into the earth can stop. The foundation is being laid this month and the metal skeleton will begin to rise in April. Project leaders expect to have the building ready for swimming lessons and weight lifting in Fall of 2008. Other parcels of land around Scribner Place, which are owned by the city, will go on the market in the coming months, with the hopes that local developers will step forward with plans for more downtown retail and housing.
Fourth Street Live! Get 2 New Occupants
Fourth Street Live, the downtown retail and entertainment complex, announced last week that in addition to the new upscale Hotel Lounge they're adding to the complex's first level, they will also be adding two new bars to the upper level. Angel's Rock Bar and Tengo Sed Cantina will occupy space in the former Palm Bar and Parrot Beach Club. Those bars, along with Red Cheetah, were evicted last month after their parent company filed for bankruptcy. All 3 new bars will up and running before he crowds of Derby rush to town.
Also, be on the look for details of the pending Fourth Street Live expansion. It's already been announced they're close to inking a deal with the Starks Building for more space, and they're also in negotiations with the mayor about building a large addition on the former Water Company site. Stay tuned for that mega development.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Playing With Crime
So, I've been pretty busy here of late and haven't been really able to post much - which is unfortunate because I really wanted to keep his more current, but that's the way it goes sometime I suppose.
Anyway, I have been thinking about national crime trends recently, and some of them are worrisome. For a whole slew of reasons, experts are thinking we're heading toward another violent crime surge. Hopefully this will be averted, but that is yet to be seen.
I have always felt very safe in Louisville. In very few parts of town have I ever felt uneasy or worried about violence against me - but I have found I am an anomaly. Most people seem to always be worried about the next mugger or murderer who is just around the corner. I usually disregard those people as too easily swayed by the sensationalism they find on WAVE 3 or WLKY. But to make sure I wasn't the foolish one, I wanted some facts and figures to see which way violent crime is moving in Louisville, and perhaps some comparison to other areas.
Anyway, I have been thinking about national crime trends recently, and some of them are worrisome. For a whole slew of reasons, experts are thinking we're heading toward another violent crime surge. Hopefully this will be averted, but that is yet to be seen.
I have always felt very safe in Louisville. In very few parts of town have I ever felt uneasy or worried about violence against me - but I have found I am an anomaly. Most people seem to always be worried about the next mugger or murderer who is just around the corner. I usually disregard those people as too easily swayed by the sensationalism they find on WAVE 3 or WLKY. But to make sure I wasn't the foolish one, I wanted some facts and figures to see which way violent crime is moving in Louisville, and perhaps some comparison to other areas.
Violent Crime Numbers from 2005 for Louisville-Jefferson County:
Forcible Rape: 209
Robbery: 1,822
Murder: 55
Aggravated Assault: 1,810TOTAL -
Violent Crime Numbers from 2006 for Louisville-Jefferson County:
Forcible Rape: 217
Robbery: 1,762
Murder: 51
Aggravated Assault: 1,867TOTAL - 3,897
Based on violent crimes (the ones people are truly scared of) we can see that between 2005 and 2006, Louisville saw no significant changes in it's crime rate - for the better or the worse. (Which is surprising, considering last Fall there were a slew of stories saying how Louisville had fallen into the depths of a massive new crime wave, with robberies being on a major upswing. - that proved false, like so many stories related to crime from the local media)
With the above numbers, we find Louisville having a crime rate of 557.3 incidents of violent crime in 2005 for every 100,000 inhabitants. In 2006 the rate is 557.5 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants. Not a significant change. When compared to other peer cities, we see Louisville ain't doing half bad (2005):
Indianapolis: 989.7
Nashville: 1,602.5
Memphis: 1,857.2
Cincinnati: 1,184.5
Columbus: 837.6
Louisville: 557.3
UNITED STATES: 469.2
Again, keep in mind, these are VIOLENT CRIME RATES, not total crime rates. (I tried to pick cities that are near the same size as Louisville, and also encompass at least some suburbs)
The data helped to reinforce my general feelings about crime in Louisville versus other cities - It's not the absolute best place, but it is definitely a safer city than most other peer cities. Memphis particularly amazes me - that is just out of control! Their violent crime rate is obscene.
Besides comparing Louisville to other cities, I also was interested in seeing if the old stereotype is true that the West End is the WORST place in Louisville for violent crime. Surprisingly enough, it was not the worst according to 2006 numbers from Louisville Metro Police - but it was pretty close.
Louisville is divided into 8 Police Divisions, and they encompass the following areas:
Another surprise to me was to see that the safest division was not some far-flung suburban division, but was the Fifth Division that serves the inner-city neighborhoods of the Highlands and Clifton. With only 407 reported crimes last year, it was "safer" than the Eighth Division which includes the stereotypically safest parts of town like Hurstborne and Middletown.
Overall, the data supported my generally notions of crime in Louisville, with some unexpected surprises. Crime is a social ill that the community must strive to reduce to the lowest levels possible by building a city that offers basic education to all citizens, a job that offers a full day of work for a fair wage, and bestows dignity and respect to all people, regardless of race, economic status, age, religion, or sexual preference. Louisville isn't going to ever be perfect, but these are ideals and things that we certainly can do -now- if we all just wanted to do it.
With the above numbers, we find Louisville having a crime rate of 557.3 incidents of violent crime in 2005 for every 100,000 inhabitants. In 2006 the rate is 557.5 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants. Not a significant change. When compared to other peer cities, we see Louisville ain't doing half bad (2005):
Indianapolis: 989.7
Nashville: 1,602.5
Memphis: 1,857.2
Cincinnati: 1,184.5
Columbus: 837.6
Louisville: 557.3
UNITED STATES: 469.2
Again, keep in mind, these are VIOLENT CRIME RATES, not total crime rates. (I tried to pick cities that are near the same size as Louisville, and also encompass at least some suburbs)
The data helped to reinforce my general feelings about crime in Louisville versus other cities - It's not the absolute best place, but it is definitely a safer city than most other peer cities. Memphis particularly amazes me - that is just out of control! Their violent crime rate is obscene.
Besides comparing Louisville to other cities, I also was interested in seeing if the old stereotype is true that the West End is the WORST place in Louisville for violent crime. Surprisingly enough, it was not the worst according to 2006 numbers from Louisville Metro Police - but it was pretty close.
Louisville is divided into 8 Police Divisions, and they encompass the following areas:
I was surprised to see that according to LMPD, it was the Fourth Division that had he highest number of incidents of violent crime. To me, the Fourth Division is the "South End" of town. With 1,879 incicents of violent crime, it stood well above the "West End" - Second Division - total of 1,302 incidents.The First Division includes the following neighborhoods: Butchertown, Downtown,
Phoenix Hill, Portland and Russell.
The Second Division includes: California, Chickasaw, Hallmark, Park Duvall, Park Hill, Parkland and Shawnee.
The Third Division includes: Auburndale, Iroquois, Iroquois Park, Kenwood Hill, Southland Park and Southside.
The Fourth Division includes: Fairgrounds, Germantown, Iroquois, Limerick, Merriwether, Old Louisville, Schnitzelburg, Shelby Park, South Louisville, University, Wilder Park and Wyandotte.
The Fifth Division include: Belknap, Bonnycastle, Bowman, Brownsboro Zorn, Cherokee Triangle, Clifton, Clifton Heights, Crescent Hill, Highlands, Highlands Douglass, Irish Hill, and Tyler Park.
The Sixth Division includes the following neighborhoods: Audubon, Bashford Manor,
Bon Air, Camp Taylor, Edgewood, Highland Park, Hikes Point, Klondike, Poplar
Level, Prestonia, Saint Joseph, and Standiford.
The Seventh Division includes the following neighborhoods: Fern Creek, Highview and Okolona.
The Eighth Division includes the following neighborhoods: Barbourmeade,
Bellemeade, Briarwood, Douglass Hills, Glenview, Goose Creek, Hurstbourne,
Lyndon, Middletown, Rolling Hills, Westwood, Wildwood, Woodland Hills and
Worthington Hills.
Another surprise to me was to see that the safest division was not some far-flung suburban division, but was the Fifth Division that serves the inner-city neighborhoods of the Highlands and Clifton. With only 407 reported crimes last year, it was "safer" than the Eighth Division which includes the stereotypically safest parts of town like Hurstborne and Middletown.
Overall, the data supported my generally notions of crime in Louisville, with some unexpected surprises. Crime is a social ill that the community must strive to reduce to the lowest levels possible by building a city that offers basic education to all citizens, a job that offers a full day of work for a fair wage, and bestows dignity and respect to all people, regardless of race, economic status, age, religion, or sexual preference. Louisville isn't going to ever be perfect, but these are ideals and things that we certainly can do -now- if we all just wanted to do it.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Museum Plaza Gets Government Nod
In typical Kentucky style, the state legislature is down to the wire in passing major bills - and one of those major bills is the one supporting the Museum Plaza project in downtown Louisville. Amazingly enough it has now passed both chambers of the legislature is on it's way to the desk of the governor.
Thank God.
In recent days things seemed to not be going well for the Museum Plaza bill - it wasn't taken up by the Senate quickly, and the Senate President said initially he has some misgivings about the law. However, he ended up championing the bill and it passed his chamber with only 1 vote in opposition. House and Senate leaders patted themselves on the back and explained how this building is not going to only transform the skyline of Louisville, but will help the reputation of the entire state of Kentucky.
Governor Fletcher has already said he will sign the bill into law, and developers of Museum Plaza have commented that this project is a slam dunk with this law. Shovels will be turning dirt by late summer.
Thank God.
In recent days things seemed to not be going well for the Museum Plaza bill - it wasn't taken up by the Senate quickly, and the Senate President said initially he has some misgivings about the law. However, he ended up championing the bill and it passed his chamber with only 1 vote in opposition. House and Senate leaders patted themselves on the back and explained how this building is not going to only transform the skyline of Louisville, but will help the reputation of the entire state of Kentucky.
Governor Fletcher has already said he will sign the bill into law, and developers of Museum Plaza have commented that this project is a slam dunk with this law. Shovels will be turning dirt by late summer.
BUSY
So. I've been pretty busy this week, and have not blogged in quite awhile.
And tonight I have no time either, but The Urbanophile has several interesting stories about Louisville in his blog this week - check it out.
And tonight I have no time either, but The Urbanophile has several interesting stories about Louisville in his blog this week - check it out.
Friday, March 02, 2007
UofL Health Campus' New Masterplan
The University of Louisville health campus in downtown Louisville is one of the great economic engines of the region. Inside those buildings, researchers have pioneered such medical breakthroughs as the first hand transplants, are on the cutting edge of mechanical hearts, and are American leaders in the research of full face transplants. Researchers and doctors at the health campus are truly making a difference for the community and the field of medicine.
That is why it is important to give this complex of research and patient care buildings a new vision for growth in the future; and last week UofL did just that with a new strategic master plan for the downtown campus.
The original master plan was crafted nearly 15 years ago, and has been a good document from which to base the growth of the campus, but times have changed and the needs of today are different from the early 1990's. By the year 2027, the campus is expected to double in size, and to accommodate the growth, some changes are going to be made in the area.
One major new component of the campus will be a pedestrian-only corridor to replace a secluded alley and loading dock area. Along this new pedestrian corridor, you will find a small "urban forest" to give patients a secluded location to get away and meditate. There are also 10 new buildings that have been identified for the future, several of which are already under construction or in the planning process. Currently there are several large surface lots that are expected to become buildings in the future, and to replace those lost parking spots, two more parking structures are proposed. Along with those new strucures, the new VA Hospital is expected to be built in the UofL campus. A southern gateway is also to be built as to better differentiate the campus from the surrounding area.
Right now UofL has several new buildings under construction in the campus - including two research buildings and one patient care complex that will be used by doctors from University Hospital. The years to come, however, promise even larger changes.
That is why it is important to give this complex of research and patient care buildings a new vision for growth in the future; and last week UofL did just that with a new strategic master plan for the downtown campus.
The original master plan was crafted nearly 15 years ago, and has been a good document from which to base the growth of the campus, but times have changed and the needs of today are different from the early 1990's. By the year 2027, the campus is expected to double in size, and to accommodate the growth, some changes are going to be made in the area.
One major new component of the campus will be a pedestrian-only corridor to replace a secluded alley and loading dock area. Along this new pedestrian corridor, you will find a small "urban forest" to give patients a secluded location to get away and meditate. There are also 10 new buildings that have been identified for the future, several of which are already under construction or in the planning process. Currently there are several large surface lots that are expected to become buildings in the future, and to replace those lost parking spots, two more parking structures are proposed. Along with those new strucures, the new VA Hospital is expected to be built in the UofL campus. A southern gateway is also to be built as to better differentiate the campus from the surrounding area.
Right now UofL has several new buildings under construction in the campus - including two research buildings and one patient care complex that will be used by doctors from University Hospital. The years to come, however, promise even larger changes.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Museum Plaza Passes Major Hurdle
Museum Plaza, the 465 million dollar riverfront skyscraper, passed a major hurdle in the Kentucky House of Representatives today. The House passed a needed tax bill that will allow Museum Plaza to capture a percentage of hotel room taxes that would normally be funneled to programs to promote tourism in the city of Louisville.
Before the tax bill becomes law, it must pass the state Senate and be signed by the governor - but the House passed the bill overwhelmingly and the Senate is expected to simply rubber stamp the bill and Gov. Fletcher has already indicated he would do anything possible to get this building built. This vote came as somewhat of a surprise, as many people expected the vote to be closer, mainly due to the negative coverage that was provided in the Courier-Journal.
The bill faced stiff opposition from state hoteliers, who claimed this bill would set a precedent and allow state hotel tax dollars to be siphoned away from their organizations. However, in the case of this bill, the legislation was limited to a small portion of only Louisville, only affects city hotel taxes, NOT state hotel taxes, and only affects projects over 200 million dollars. Other hoteliers simply do not want to compete with a Westin and want no one taking even a single dollar to which they feel they're entitled.
With this vote, it appears all but certain that Museum Plaza will break ground in late summer or early fall...bring it on.
Before the tax bill becomes law, it must pass the state Senate and be signed by the governor - but the House passed the bill overwhelmingly and the Senate is expected to simply rubber stamp the bill and Gov. Fletcher has already indicated he would do anything possible to get this building built. This vote came as somewhat of a surprise, as many people expected the vote to be closer, mainly due to the negative coverage that was provided in the Courier-Journal.
The bill faced stiff opposition from state hoteliers, who claimed this bill would set a precedent and allow state hotel tax dollars to be siphoned away from their organizations. However, in the case of this bill, the legislation was limited to a small portion of only Louisville, only affects city hotel taxes, NOT state hotel taxes, and only affects projects over 200 million dollars. Other hoteliers simply do not want to compete with a Westin and want no one taking even a single dollar to which they feel they're entitled.
With this vote, it appears all but certain that Museum Plaza will break ground in late summer or early fall...bring it on.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
RiverPark Place Begins
The long awaited RiverPark Place development along the banks of the Ohio River will finally have it's ground breaking this week. On Friday, March 2, city officials and project developers will meet to ceremoniously turn the dirt on this long awaited project. Site prep has been taking place for the last several months, but this will mark the beginning of "official" work.
Phase 1 of the project will run a cool 200 million dollars, and will include two 14 story towers, a river esplanade, as well as a collection of low-rise condos and apartments, office space, a marina, and restaurants. This will be one of the densest projects to be built in the urban core in many years - and it will combine many different uses to create a vibrant community.
This project has been in the making for nearly 20 years. The exact same site that is being built upon today once had a similar development planned for it in the early 1990's, but those plans fell apart in the late 90's when financial support couldn't be found.
Today, the project is full steam ahead - and if phase 1 is successful, multiple other phases have already been conceived that include six more 14 story towers along the river and could total 500 million more dollars in investment. This project is huge, and is a boon for the city of Louisville.
My one beef with this project is the "safe" architectural stylings they used. The design isn't offensive at all - it just seems, well, a little bland. I feel as if I could pick up RiverPark Place and put it in any Southern boom town, and it would look as if it completely belonged there. I realize there is a market for this type of architecture, and i am not saying the design is actually bad, I just think it is a bit boring and I wish we could have seen something that is a bit more original, or even revolutionary.
Despite my critique, i still think the project is going to be a huge boost or the city and for urban living in the core. It will be a huge draw for the unique waterfront setting and the new neighborhood it will anchor - here's to hoping they're wildly successful!
Phase 1 of the project will run a cool 200 million dollars, and will include two 14 story towers, a river esplanade, as well as a collection of low-rise condos and apartments, office space, a marina, and restaurants. This will be one of the densest projects to be built in the urban core in many years - and it will combine many different uses to create a vibrant community.
This project has been in the making for nearly 20 years. The exact same site that is being built upon today once had a similar development planned for it in the early 1990's, but those plans fell apart in the late 90's when financial support couldn't be found.
Today, the project is full steam ahead - and if phase 1 is successful, multiple other phases have already been conceived that include six more 14 story towers along the river and could total 500 million more dollars in investment. This project is huge, and is a boon for the city of Louisville.
My one beef with this project is the "safe" architectural stylings they used. The design isn't offensive at all - it just seems, well, a little bland. I feel as if I could pick up RiverPark Place and put it in any Southern boom town, and it would look as if it completely belonged there. I realize there is a market for this type of architecture, and i am not saying the design is actually bad, I just think it is a bit boring and I wish we could have seen something that is a bit more original, or even revolutionary.
Despite my critique, i still think the project is going to be a huge boost or the city and for urban living in the core. It will be a huge draw for the unique waterfront setting and the new neighborhood it will anchor - here's to hoping they're wildly successful!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Louisville's City of Parks
Louisville is a city that has long prided itself on the stunning system of parks and parkways that were designed for us by the landscape architect genius Frederick Law Olmsted. The father of landscape design molded the Louisville landscape into one of his largest and best pieces of work. His amazing labors have helped to form the Louisville psyche and our reverence for large, urban green spaces.
This is a love and passion that is alive and well in the Louisville of the 21st century, just as it was in the 19th century when our grand park system was planned and dreamed of. We can see our love of urban green space in the new Riverfront Park in downtown, which has won award after award for it's reclamation of industrial brown fields and it's innovative design. We see it in the preservation of our legacy in the Olmsted system that we have cherished for well over a century - and we see it in the renewed vision and invigoration of these magnificent public spaces. Beyond our renewed focus on our downtown park and Olmsted masterpieces, we find Louisville striving for the next great step in urban parks. This new focus has led to the creation of the "City of Parks" initiative.
The "City of Parks" initiative has been a dream of Louivillians for decades, however it was only recently that events have been set into motion that will create a new "emerald necklace" around the city's periphery. The master plan is still being created, however many of those documents are expected to released to the public in Fall 2007.
Still, before those master plans are released, we already know many of the large-scale efforts and expectations:
- A new trail will link the "big 3" parks from the original Olmsted system, along with many improvements to the original city parks.
- A trail of more than 100 miles will surround the city - linking downtown to all the suburbs in Jefferson County.
- A "recreation corridor" along River Road just east of downtown.
- The Jefferson Memorial Forest, already America's largest urban forest, will expand.
- Floyd's Fork, a stream that cuts through eastern Jefferson County, will be the focus point of more than 30 miles of trails, and several new large parks - many of which will be larger than Cherokee Park in the Highlands of Louisville.
- Protection of the watershed of Floyd's Fork.
- Addition of new sports fields and recreation opportunities along the Floyd's Fork route.
This project is not some pie-in-the-sky dream that the city is going slowly about in completing - they're actually moving forward at a breakneck pace.
Sen. Mitch McConnell has already secured millions of dollars in federal funding in last year's budget, and local philanthropist and businessman David Jones has been kneading the local professional community for donations of land and money. Jones has been highly successful, raising in excess of 35 million dollars, and convincing local landholders to donate thousands of acres of land to the Jefferson Memorial Forest and donate the land needed to build the new parks along the Floyd's Fork.
Just last week Jones was able to buy 175 acres near the Bullitt County line that adjoins another 114 acres he secured in December. Jefferson Forest added 400 acres in December and hundreds of more acreage has been stockpiled for this project even before that. Other stories from just this last week chronicle the efforts that civic leaders are doing to make this project a reality.
The "City of Parks" project is the first large scale park building and renovation project in Louisville in more than 100 years. Based on what I've seen so far, it is my opinion that these parks in the suburban areas will be as beautiful and well used as the parks in the urban core. These parks are also going to sort of "make or break" our suburban areas.
These park projects are currently in rural Jefferson County, where residential and commercial development has not yet swallowed up all available land. Nearly all of the land currently expected to become parkland is farmland or horse pasture and is surrounded by very sparse residential homes. Yet, suburban development is quickly encroaching on the area - hence the need for speed in acquiring all the land for this project.
These parks - and the ensuing development around them - will become a defining feature of suburban Louisville and speak to our city's collective personality. The question is, what will it say about us? Will we work together and create a true enhancement to the original Olmsted system only to build typical vinyl-sided homes on cul-de-sacs in the surrounding neighborhoods? Will we build walls around the parks and only have a few automotive entrances? (Besides the "decorative" walking trail connectors?)
Or will we learn from the amazing examples we already have in the urban core. We already can see the great neighborhoods that can be created when we weave them together seamlessly with great public spaces - will we let that be our guide in a new format that is suitable for the suburbs? I can say that I hope so, but the public will have as much to say on that as does the city government.
Louisville really is a city of fantastic parks and this project will only solidify the city's commitment to that reputation - let's hope we're able to take these new public spaces and graft them onto our city's urban life equally as well as we have done with the parks of our past.
The King Expressway
39 years after the death of Reverend Martin Luther King Junior, Louisville has decided to name a busy stretch of highway after him.
In August Interstate 65, from the Indiana border to the Bullitt County line, will be renamed the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway. It will be a welcome change for some, and an awkward one for others.
The name change basically fell out of the blue late last year when a Louisville councilwoman proposed renaming a busy street in west Louisville in honor of King. The proposal was quickly abandoned after the residents of the Portland neighborhood expressed their feelings that King's name would not reflect their Irish-Catholic heritage. However, this did not kill the debate. There as a sudden push to rename a major thoroughfare after King, and there was no way to get in it's way.
Not long after this idea was shot down, the mayor and several council members proposed the renaming of Interstate 65. It was debated, and passed the city council before going to a vote in the Kentucky Legislature. There it won approval - by a vote of 99 to 0. The governor has said he will sign the bill and road signs will soon be placed on the highway advertising it's new name.
Any change to a roads name will be met with resistance at first - simply because it is seen a huge new change. But the name will quickly be absorbed by the city, and become as common as using "the Watterson" to describe Interstate 264, or "the Snyder" to describe Interstate 265. Eventually Interstate 65 will simply become "the King".
While I believe that it is imperative for the city of Louisville to honor the memory, legacy, and accomplishment of this great man, I can't help but think Louisville should have picked one of it's own unsung African-American civil rights heroes for this road. Louisville and Kentucky has no lack of great black leaders, and this could have been a great opportunity to honor one of our own leaders in a unique way. To me, this isn't a major point of contention, but maybe something that can be thought about in the future.
In the end, the renaming of Interstate 65 may be a small controversy for those citizens who do not value diversity (that's a nice way to put it, wouldn't you agree?) but will probably go unnoticed by most.
What I truly wish is that this community would not honor it's black leaders with sweet platitudes and interstate names, but that we would honor them by creating a society that is equal and just for all Kentuckians. A place where the "West End" isn't for the blacks and the "East End" isn't for the whites. A city where we try to live up to the American Dream of creating a more perfect union with all of our neighbors. Does that sound idealistic? Maybe. But sometimes it is nice to have a dream.
In August Interstate 65, from the Indiana border to the Bullitt County line, will be renamed the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway. It will be a welcome change for some, and an awkward one for others.
The name change basically fell out of the blue late last year when a Louisville councilwoman proposed renaming a busy street in west Louisville in honor of King. The proposal was quickly abandoned after the residents of the Portland neighborhood expressed their feelings that King's name would not reflect their Irish-Catholic heritage. However, this did not kill the debate. There as a sudden push to rename a major thoroughfare after King, and there was no way to get in it's way.
Not long after this idea was shot down, the mayor and several council members proposed the renaming of Interstate 65. It was debated, and passed the city council before going to a vote in the Kentucky Legislature. There it won approval - by a vote of 99 to 0. The governor has said he will sign the bill and road signs will soon be placed on the highway advertising it's new name.
Any change to a roads name will be met with resistance at first - simply because it is seen a huge new change. But the name will quickly be absorbed by the city, and become as common as using "the Watterson" to describe Interstate 264, or "the Snyder" to describe Interstate 265. Eventually Interstate 65 will simply become "the King".
While I believe that it is imperative for the city of Louisville to honor the memory, legacy, and accomplishment of this great man, I can't help but think Louisville should have picked one of it's own unsung African-American civil rights heroes for this road. Louisville and Kentucky has no lack of great black leaders, and this could have been a great opportunity to honor one of our own leaders in a unique way. To me, this isn't a major point of contention, but maybe something that can be thought about in the future.
In the end, the renaming of Interstate 65 may be a small controversy for those citizens who do not value diversity (that's a nice way to put it, wouldn't you agree?) but will probably go unnoticed by most.
What I truly wish is that this community would not honor it's black leaders with sweet platitudes and interstate names, but that we would honor them by creating a society that is equal and just for all Kentuckians. A place where the "West End" isn't for the blacks and the "East End" isn't for the whites. A city where we try to live up to the American Dream of creating a more perfect union with all of our neighbors. Does that sound idealistic? Maybe. But sometimes it is nice to have a dream.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Zirmed's New Tower
So the rumors were true.
Yet another parking lot in the city's core is going to be filled by a mixed-use project.
On Thursday afternoon the mayor is going to announce a new project for the western section of downtown Louisville - The Zirmed Gateway Towers. (unwieldy name if you ask me)
The project is being spearheaded by downtown Louisville developer Bill Weyland. Weyland, if you didn't already know, is one of the key figures in the renaissance of downtown Louisville in recent years. His company, City Properties, has rehabbed and built several major projects in downtown since 2000. His most current project, the YWCA conversion on Third Street, is now in the finishing stages. He owns a gravel lot fronting Fourth Street that is rumored to be the site of a new mid-rise hotel/residential project. He is also currently renovating a shuttered building on Fourth Street into a new upscale Japanese restaurant. Perhaps his most famous project is one of his older ones - the Glassworks Building on the west side of downtown.
When originally conceived, the Glassworks Building was supposed to be the first anchor in a new Glassworks District. The Glassworks District was envisioned in the early days of former mayor Armstrong's administration. Plans called for an expansive area of homes, offices, and glass-working artists. Phase 1 of the project was the wildly successful renovation of the Snead Manufacturing Building - now known as simply the Glassworks Building. Phase 2, which immediately followed phase 1, was the relatively small conversion of a day-work jail into space for artists. This was completed early in the decade. Since then, nothing has happened.
In fact, the Glassworks District concept had all but evaporated, and many Louisvillians forgot about the project altogether. That all changed today when it was revealed that phase 3 will be two new mid-rise towers on a gravel lot currently across the street from the original Glassworks Building.
The two new towers, at the corner of Market and Roy Wilkins, will rise 12 and 10 stories into the air. With that number of floors, the buildings will be well over 100 feet tall. They will help to form a new gateway for western downtown Louisville when exiting to Ninth Street from I-64.
On Thursday afternoon the mayor is going to announce a new project for the western section of downtown Louisville - The Zirmed Gateway Towers. (unwieldy name if you ask me)
The project is being spearheaded by downtown Louisville developer Bill Weyland. Weyland, if you didn't already know, is one of the key figures in the renaissance of downtown Louisville in recent years. His company, City Properties, has rehabbed and built several major projects in downtown since 2000. His most current project, the YWCA conversion on Third Street, is now in the finishing stages. He owns a gravel lot fronting Fourth Street that is rumored to be the site of a new mid-rise hotel/residential project. He is also currently renovating a shuttered building on Fourth Street into a new upscale Japanese restaurant. Perhaps his most famous project is one of his older ones - the Glassworks Building on the west side of downtown.
When originally conceived, the Glassworks Building was supposed to be the first anchor in a new Glassworks District. The Glassworks District was envisioned in the early days of former mayor Armstrong's administration. Plans called for an expansive area of homes, offices, and glass-working artists. Phase 1 of the project was the wildly successful renovation of the Snead Manufacturing Building - now known as simply the Glassworks Building. Phase 2, which immediately followed phase 1, was the relatively small conversion of a day-work jail into space for artists. This was completed early in the decade. Since then, nothing has happened.
In fact, the Glassworks District concept had all but evaporated, and many Louisvillians forgot about the project altogether. That all changed today when it was revealed that phase 3 will be two new mid-rise towers on a gravel lot currently across the street from the original Glassworks Building.
The two new towers, at the corner of Market and Roy Wilkins, will rise 12 and 10 stories into the air. With that number of floors, the buildings will be well over 100 feet tall. They will help to form a new gateway for western downtown Louisville when exiting to Ninth Street from I-64.
The main tenant will be Zirmed, which in mid-2006 announced it had outgrown it's current space along West Main, and needed to consolidate operations in a bigger space. And they wanted a landmark building to showcase their epic growth. With his announcement, they will get both of their wishes. They will lease 45,000 square feet of space in the buildings, leaving another 35,000 feet for another tenant. There will be a new restaurant and catering business to be headed by Jeff Jarfi, and space for another large retail tenant. The buildings will also offer 15 to 20 condos, ranging in price from 300,000 dollars to 500,000 dollars. Several units have already been reserved.
Phase 3 will also include a 285 spot parking garage. A small parcel of land will be left undeveloped on the lot for an anticipated phase 4 - perhaps to be small hotel or another residential project.
Financing has been secured through several national banks, and construction is expected to begin in March. The city of Louisville offered the developers a 600,000 dollar low interest loan through a program started in the early 2000's and the city will spend around 180,000 dollars to bury power line, plant trees, and install other beautification elements.
Phase 3 will also include a 285 spot parking garage. A small parcel of land will be left undeveloped on the lot for an anticipated phase 4 - perhaps to be small hotel or another residential project.
Financing has been secured through several national banks, and construction is expected to begin in March. The city of Louisville offered the developers a 600,000 dollar low interest loan through a program started in the early 2000's and the city will spend around 180,000 dollars to bury power line, plant trees, and install other beautification elements.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Louisville: A Competitive City?
On Friday the Greater Louisville Project (from henceforth to be known as GLP) issued it's 2007 Competitive City Report for Louisville. The stated goal of the GLP is to "accelerate the pace of change to redefine Louisville as a skilled and educated community that claims it's place in the top tier of American cities."
That is a lofty goal indeed. Especially for Louisville.
The report is a slick presentation of graphs, maps, and promotional messages. Much of the information was useful...and encouraging. Some of it was simple blubbering by a civic group - but what can ya say, they're all that way anyway.
The GLP report focuses on the central county - Jefferson County, Kentucky - unlike this recent report that focuses on the entire metropolitan statistical area. The GLP report is simply one piece of an overall puzzle that represents the trends and movements in the Louisville region. In some cities, a report that focuses on the central county would be less important than it is in Louisville - but this report holds a lot of weight for Louisville because 3 out of 5 residents of the MSA are residents of Louisville Metro - Jefferson County.
This report focused it's energy on three points of comparison - Educational Attainment, Professional Jobs, and Balanced Regional Growth. The report compared Louisville to 14 other competitor cities - Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Richmond, Nashville, Omaha, Cincinnati, Columbus, Birmingham, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Memphis, Jacksonville, and Dayton. And at least on the education front, we're making real progress
By steadily increasing the number of people in the age group of 25-34 with Bachelors Degrees, we have moved from the near the bottom of the pack at 11th place, to the middle of the pack, at 8th place. In 2000, only Dayton, Memphis, and Jacksonville fared worse than us in this age group, but by 2005, Louisville had rushed past Greensboro, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Birmingham in this category. That is progress for Louisville.
In the performance of JCPS students on the Kentucky state CATS test, we've also seen marked improvement in only 4 years. In 2001 79% of JCPS students were proficient in reading, 70% in science, and 59% in math. By 2005 those numbers had increased to 87% in reading, 77% in science, and 72% in math. Those are big leaps in a district as large and diverse as JCPS, and in such a short period.
Louisville ranks near the top of cities in the category of citizens with *some* college experience. That highlights a huge opportunity for Louisville's institutions of higher education to develop new program to retain and graduate more students.
In 1990 nearly 1 in 5 Louisvillians hadn't even finished high school. In 2005 that number had essentially been cut in half, to 1 in 10.
Louisville's college and university have seen a swell in the number of college students in recent years, and an increased student population has led to a large increase in the number of degrees conferred in the area.
In regards to personal income Louisville has also seen some good growth. In 2000 Louisville was ranked 11th, only ahead of Memphis, Nashville, Indianapolis, and Dayton, when measuring Median Income. By 2005 Louisville was right in the middle of the pack, ranked 8th. In those 5 years Louisville had also surpassed Birmingham, Jacksonville, and Kansas City.
Another bright spot for Louisville is it's low crime rate when compared to competitor cities. Only two cities - Dayton and Raleigh - boasted a lower crime rate.
Of course, not everything can be good news.
One of the trouble spots for Louisville was the stagnation when it comes to creating and retaining high-paying professional jobs. In 2000 Louisville ranked near the bottom, at 11th place...and still occupies that position. Despite large leaps in educational attainment, we're still having trouble luring in professional opportunities.
Louisville's African-American community lost ground in home ownership rates.
In 2000 Louisville was next to last (a good thing in this case) in the percentage of families spending more than 30% of their income on housing. That number has increased, and Louisville has moved up several spots. This means working families are finding it increasingly difficult to afford good housing on their salaries in the central county.
Despite growth in home values in Louisville, it has been slower than many of our competitors, and Louisville has lost ground in this measure as well.
It is my opinion that this report, despite it's shortcomings, shows a stregthening city, and one full of opportunity for continued improvement. If you throw out all the comparisons to other cities, you find a region that seems to have fully awoken from it's doldrums of the 70's and 80's. We're growing larger, better educated, and have better oppotunities than any other time in our city's history. This is truly an exciting and great era for Louisville.
That is a lofty goal indeed. Especially for Louisville.
The report is a slick presentation of graphs, maps, and promotional messages. Much of the information was useful...and encouraging. Some of it was simple blubbering by a civic group - but what can ya say, they're all that way anyway.
The GLP report focuses on the central county - Jefferson County, Kentucky - unlike this recent report that focuses on the entire metropolitan statistical area. The GLP report is simply one piece of an overall puzzle that represents the trends and movements in the Louisville region. In some cities, a report that focuses on the central county would be less important than it is in Louisville - but this report holds a lot of weight for Louisville because 3 out of 5 residents of the MSA are residents of Louisville Metro - Jefferson County.
This report focused it's energy on three points of comparison - Educational Attainment, Professional Jobs, and Balanced Regional Growth. The report compared Louisville to 14 other competitor cities - Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Richmond, Nashville, Omaha, Cincinnati, Columbus, Birmingham, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Memphis, Jacksonville, and Dayton. And at least on the education front, we're making real progress
By steadily increasing the number of people in the age group of 25-34 with Bachelors Degrees, we have moved from the near the bottom of the pack at 11th place, to the middle of the pack, at 8th place. In 2000, only Dayton, Memphis, and Jacksonville fared worse than us in this age group, but by 2005, Louisville had rushed past Greensboro, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Birmingham in this category. That is progress for Louisville.
In the performance of JCPS students on the Kentucky state CATS test, we've also seen marked improvement in only 4 years. In 2001 79% of JCPS students were proficient in reading, 70% in science, and 59% in math. By 2005 those numbers had increased to 87% in reading, 77% in science, and 72% in math. Those are big leaps in a district as large and diverse as JCPS, and in such a short period.
Louisville ranks near the top of cities in the category of citizens with *some* college experience. That highlights a huge opportunity for Louisville's institutions of higher education to develop new program to retain and graduate more students.
In 1990 nearly 1 in 5 Louisvillians hadn't even finished high school. In 2005 that number had essentially been cut in half, to 1 in 10.
Louisville's college and university have seen a swell in the number of college students in recent years, and an increased student population has led to a large increase in the number of degrees conferred in the area.
In regards to personal income Louisville has also seen some good growth. In 2000 Louisville was ranked 11th, only ahead of Memphis, Nashville, Indianapolis, and Dayton, when measuring Median Income. By 2005 Louisville was right in the middle of the pack, ranked 8th. In those 5 years Louisville had also surpassed Birmingham, Jacksonville, and Kansas City.
Another bright spot for Louisville is it's low crime rate when compared to competitor cities. Only two cities - Dayton and Raleigh - boasted a lower crime rate.
Of course, not everything can be good news.
One of the trouble spots for Louisville was the stagnation when it comes to creating and retaining high-paying professional jobs. In 2000 Louisville ranked near the bottom, at 11th place...and still occupies that position. Despite large leaps in educational attainment, we're still having trouble luring in professional opportunities.
Louisville's African-American community lost ground in home ownership rates.
In 2000 Louisville was next to last (a good thing in this case) in the percentage of families spending more than 30% of their income on housing. That number has increased, and Louisville has moved up several spots. This means working families are finding it increasingly difficult to afford good housing on their salaries in the central county.
Despite growth in home values in Louisville, it has been slower than many of our competitors, and Louisville has lost ground in this measure as well.
It is my opinion that this report, despite it's shortcomings, shows a stregthening city, and one full of opportunity for continued improvement. If you throw out all the comparisons to other cities, you find a region that seems to have fully awoken from it's doldrums of the 70's and 80's. We're growing larger, better educated, and have better oppotunities than any other time in our city's history. This is truly an exciting and great era for Louisville.
Friday, February 09, 2007
JCPS gets "Seal of Approval"
Jefferson County School District was named a "Quality School District" by the Southern Association of College and Schools, an accreditation group.
In their report, they noted many of the districts greatest strengths, including "gains in achievement, valuing diversity, attendance gains, stable leadership and a solid level of teacher preparation (over 80 percent have advanced degrees.)" They also mentioned the strong ties between the business community and JCPS.
JCPS is one of only 100 districts in the US that was chosen far this designation. I will last for five years.
This designation reflects on the excellent quality of education for a school district as large and urban as JCPS. If progress continues, it only points to an even better future for the city.
In their report, they noted many of the districts greatest strengths, including "gains in achievement, valuing diversity, attendance gains, stable leadership and a solid level of teacher preparation (over 80 percent have advanced degrees.)" They also mentioned the strong ties between the business community and JCPS.
JCPS is one of only 100 districts in the US that was chosen far this designation. I will last for five years.
This designation reflects on the excellent quality of education for a school district as large and urban as JCPS. If progress continues, it only points to an even better future for the city.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Two High Schools Announce Downtown Plans
Two local high schools that are located downtown released plans for expansion last week:
Presentation Academy released initial plans to build a new gymnasium and arts wing on a lot they purchased at Fourth and Breckenridge in the SoBro "neighborhood" adjoining downtown. Currant plans show a building on the southwest corner of their lot with a large structure that will contain a gymnasium, theatre, and class space for art. The building will cost over 5 million dollars, and a private campaign will commence soon to raise the money needed.
This plan, which will develop and bring some vitality to a relatively quiet block in the city's core, has one hitch: to build this new expansion, they will have to raze a building with some historic value for it's Art-Deco form. The 900 Building, which has been abandoned for years, will not be incorporated into the design. Some local preservationists have objected to this planned demolition, pointing out the historic value to the structure.
Despite the value of the current building, only a few people have openly assailed this project. And with the prospect of new investment at the site and some renewed energy, don't expect the city to block the plans.
The other announced expansion plan was by St. Francis High School at Third and Broadway. They recently purchased the former YMCA building and garage. Their announced intentions are to invest some money into the garage while the school completes a long term study of their needs for this new building. Eventually the property will house an expansion at St. Francis.
These school expansions are helping to solidify to foundation of downtown as a place for Louisvillians to congregate, live, work, and educate their children. Projects such as these bring in another element to a downtown - and a needed one. They make downtown useful to other demographics than just your 20-somethings who want to buy a condo and go to Fourth Street Live. These types of projects bring teenagers and families to the core more often, fostering a sense of safety and vitality, even on days when there are not huge events going on downtown.
Besides the "blockbuster" projects currently planned for downtown, these types of projects bring in your typical Louisvillians to the core on a consistent basis, not only for "high-minded" uses, such as museum, art galleries, and high-end restaurants. These types of uses are equally as important as others because they convince citizens that downtown is for everyone and all uses, not just out-of-towners and conventioneers.
Downtown needs to encourage uses such as this to keep the core relevant to the lives of typical citizens.
Presentation Academy released initial plans to build a new gymnasium and arts wing on a lot they purchased at Fourth and Breckenridge in the SoBro "neighborhood" adjoining downtown. Currant plans show a building on the southwest corner of their lot with a large structure that will contain a gymnasium, theatre, and class space for art. The building will cost over 5 million dollars, and a private campaign will commence soon to raise the money needed.
This plan, which will develop and bring some vitality to a relatively quiet block in the city's core, has one hitch: to build this new expansion, they will have to raze a building with some historic value for it's Art-Deco form. The 900 Building, which has been abandoned for years, will not be incorporated into the design. Some local preservationists have objected to this planned demolition, pointing out the historic value to the structure.
Despite the value of the current building, only a few people have openly assailed this project. And with the prospect of new investment at the site and some renewed energy, don't expect the city to block the plans.
The other announced expansion plan was by St. Francis High School at Third and Broadway. They recently purchased the former YMCA building and garage. Their announced intentions are to invest some money into the garage while the school completes a long term study of their needs for this new building. Eventually the property will house an expansion at St. Francis.
These school expansions are helping to solidify to foundation of downtown as a place for Louisvillians to congregate, live, work, and educate their children. Projects such as these bring in another element to a downtown - and a needed one. They make downtown useful to other demographics than just your 20-somethings who want to buy a condo and go to Fourth Street Live. These types of projects bring teenagers and families to the core more often, fostering a sense of safety and vitality, even on days when there are not huge events going on downtown.
Besides the "blockbuster" projects currently planned for downtown, these types of projects bring in your typical Louisvillians to the core on a consistent basis, not only for "high-minded" uses, such as museum, art galleries, and high-end restaurants. These types of uses are equally as important as others because they convince citizens that downtown is for everyone and all uses, not just out-of-towners and conventioneers.
Downtown needs to encourage uses such as this to keep the core relevant to the lives of typical citizens.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Louisville's New Airline (again)
For the second time in less than a month, a new airline has picked Louisville for increased service. In mid-January, Denver-based Frontier Airlines announced new direct service flights from Denver to Louisville. Today, ExpressJet announced new direct service to Louisville from Kansas City, Mo and Raleigh/Durham, NC. Both cities are top 20 for business travelers from Louisville.
This new carrier promise to offer Louisvillian travelers all leather seating and XM satellite radio in flight. Dates of service and prices for tickets will be announced next week.
This announcement is yet another sign that outsiders are recognizing the solid and growing market that Louisville offers. Louisville's business community continues to expand at levels unheard of here in decades - and it shows. Flights such as these make Louisville more attractive of a destination for ease of use and connectivity. While flights will not spur a huge growth in business, they are a sign of renewed strength in the Louisville economy. And in turn, they can be a deciding factor on whether a company stays in your town, or flees to other, larger markets.
These new flights are a great win for Louisville...and the city seems to be on a roll.
This new carrier promise to offer Louisvillian travelers all leather seating and XM satellite radio in flight. Dates of service and prices for tickets will be announced next week.
This announcement is yet another sign that outsiders are recognizing the solid and growing market that Louisville offers. Louisville's business community continues to expand at levels unheard of here in decades - and it shows. Flights such as these make Louisville more attractive of a destination for ease of use and connectivity. While flights will not spur a huge growth in business, they are a sign of renewed strength in the Louisville economy. And in turn, they can be a deciding factor on whether a company stays in your town, or flees to other, larger markets.
These new flights are a great win for Louisville...and the city seems to be on a roll.
PharMerica in the Suburbs and Louisville's Genlyte
On Friday it was reported that Louisville's newest corporate citizen would by planting it's roots in suburban Jefferson County - off of Blankenbaker Parkway in Jeffersontown to be more precise.
The new 2 billion dollar company will fill the space that was vacated over a year ago when Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield built a new suburban building at Eastpoint Business Center and consolidated their operations. PharMerica is expected to lease nearly 100,000 square feet of space in the Blankenbaker Crossings building for their 300 to 350 new employees.
PharMerica looked at three locations in Louisville - 2 suburban and 1 downtown - before settling on Blankenbaker Crossing. Jeffersontown's mayor has commented that the city will bend over backwards to support the new company in any possible ways.
While I think it is a missed opportunity for the downtown core to score this fantastic, growing company...it is a win for the Louisville business community to have them settle roots here. The number of Fortune 1000 companies has been reduced in the last decade with RJ Reynolds being acquired and moved to North Carlina and the takeover of LG&E in the mid 90's by German electric conglomerate E.ON. Thankfully for the latter company, LG&E was basically left unchanged and E.ON made Louisville it's US Headquarters - although that still isn't quite as nice as having LG&E as our own Fortune 1000 company again.
Fortune 1000 companies are a point of pride for any community, and it is one indicator of a regions general economic strength and importance. Fortune 1000's are not the only indicators, o even the single most important one, but it is still great to have as many as possible.
It is because of this that I am excited about recent news from Louisville-based Genlyte. Genlyte is a homegrown company that has experienced explosive growth and is acquiring companies left and right, like last weeks announced acquisition of Pennsylvania-based lighting manufacturer, Hanover Lantern.
Genlyte's 2006 revenues were announced to be 1.48 billion dollars. Had Genlyte posted that number in 2005, they would have easily made Fortunes 1000 list. But last year they had sales of 1.2 billion - nearly 200 million dollars short of breaking into the top 1000 public companies. Revenue is up nearly 25 percent this year from last, and if they don't make the Fortune list for 2006, there is no doubt they will make the cut for 2007.
Louisville has a reputation of plodding along without much growth - and to a degree that has been very true. But times are changing, not just for Louisville, but for Kentucky. Kentucky is expected to ride the next wave of Southern expansion as people start looking for places that aren't yet saturated - such as Florida, Georgia, or Texas. This means we'll start seeing more economic diversity, more local companies, and greater opportunity.
Recent economic news from Louisville has been very bright, indeed. And I expect that momentum to continue. Not every week will bring with it a new company or large expansion, but Louisville will continue to do what it does best - nurture small groups and daring entrepreneurs. That's how Genlyte started. And Smoothstone. And Zirmed. And a whole slew of others.
Louisville has a lot of baggage to overcome...but slowly, we're turning the corner, and news like these recent developments, only embolden us more.
The new 2 billion dollar company will fill the space that was vacated over a year ago when Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield built a new suburban building at Eastpoint Business Center and consolidated their operations. PharMerica is expected to lease nearly 100,000 square feet of space in the Blankenbaker Crossings building for their 300 to 350 new employees.
PharMerica looked at three locations in Louisville - 2 suburban and 1 downtown - before settling on Blankenbaker Crossing. Jeffersontown's mayor has commented that the city will bend over backwards to support the new company in any possible ways.
While I think it is a missed opportunity for the downtown core to score this fantastic, growing company...it is a win for the Louisville business community to have them settle roots here. The number of Fortune 1000 companies has been reduced in the last decade with RJ Reynolds being acquired and moved to North Carlina and the takeover of LG&E in the mid 90's by German electric conglomerate E.ON. Thankfully for the latter company, LG&E was basically left unchanged and E.ON made Louisville it's US Headquarters - although that still isn't quite as nice as having LG&E as our own Fortune 1000 company again.
Fortune 1000 companies are a point of pride for any community, and it is one indicator of a regions general economic strength and importance. Fortune 1000's are not the only indicators, o even the single most important one, but it is still great to have as many as possible.
It is because of this that I am excited about recent news from Louisville-based Genlyte. Genlyte is a homegrown company that has experienced explosive growth and is acquiring companies left and right, like last weeks announced acquisition of Pennsylvania-based lighting manufacturer, Hanover Lantern.
Genlyte's 2006 revenues were announced to be 1.48 billion dollars. Had Genlyte posted that number in 2005, they would have easily made Fortunes 1000 list. But last year they had sales of 1.2 billion - nearly 200 million dollars short of breaking into the top 1000 public companies. Revenue is up nearly 25 percent this year from last, and if they don't make the Fortune list for 2006, there is no doubt they will make the cut for 2007.
Louisville has a reputation of plodding along without much growth - and to a degree that has been very true. But times are changing, not just for Louisville, but for Kentucky. Kentucky is expected to ride the next wave of Southern expansion as people start looking for places that aren't yet saturated - such as Florida, Georgia, or Texas. This means we'll start seeing more economic diversity, more local companies, and greater opportunity.
Recent economic news from Louisville has been very bright, indeed. And I expect that momentum to continue. Not every week will bring with it a new company or large expansion, but Louisville will continue to do what it does best - nurture small groups and daring entrepreneurs. That's how Genlyte started. And Smoothstone. And Zirmed. And a whole slew of others.
Louisville has a lot of baggage to overcome...but slowly, we're turning the corner, and news like these recent developments, only embolden us more.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Crisis Averted
Two days after the developers of Museum Plaza and the city's Convention and Visitor's Bureau appeared to be headed to battle, the crisis was averted.
At issue were the plans by Museum Plaza to use 80% of the Westin's room taxes on public infrastructure improvements instead of being handed over to tourism officials. In his hallmark fashion, the mayor quickly gathered both sides and sat them down to create a compromise - and it didn't even take 24 hours.
Under the plan crafted by both sides, Museum Plaza will keep the first 400,000 each year of the hotel taxes for public infrastructure upgrades. Every year that 400,000 dollars "cap" will grow by 4% for the 30 year life of the TIF district. All revenues above this will go to tourism officals.
This compromise still has to be approved by the State Legislature, but now tourism officials will give Museum Plaza their support, and the plans are expected to be rubberstamped by the state.
I'm just happy they got this resolved quickly. Now, let's get ground broken!
At issue were the plans by Museum Plaza to use 80% of the Westin's room taxes on public infrastructure improvements instead of being handed over to tourism officials. In his hallmark fashion, the mayor quickly gathered both sides and sat them down to create a compromise - and it didn't even take 24 hours.
Under the plan crafted by both sides, Museum Plaza will keep the first 400,000 each year of the hotel taxes for public infrastructure upgrades. Every year that 400,000 dollars "cap" will grow by 4% for the 30 year life of the TIF district. All revenues above this will go to tourism officals.
This compromise still has to be approved by the State Legislature, but now tourism officials will give Museum Plaza their support, and the plans are expected to be rubberstamped by the state.
I'm just happy they got this resolved quickly. Now, let's get ground broken!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Could a Museum Plaza Battle be Brewing?
Museum Plaza, the revolutionary skyscraper that is planned for the Louisville waterfront, got it's first dose of opposition today from an unlikely source - The Convention and Visitors Bureau and various hotel associations across the Commonwealth. At issue is a special funding break that will be granted to the developers of Museum Plaza by the State Legislature.
In a nutshell, this project will be massive. And to help the developers recoup much of their investments in public infrastructure the city crafted a plan to rebate certain taxes - one of them being the hotel room tax. This change must be approved by the state.
Hotel associations are against this change for several reasons - the most glaring reason is because this will divert funds away from their groups. (Hotel rooms taxes help pay for these types of associations) Their stated reason is because this type of action will lead to other developers wanting the same sorts of changes.
Their first reason to opposition is terribly short-sighted. A complex such as Museum Plaza will be a huge draw for the city of Louisville, and will only improve the city's tourist and cultural attractions. This will eventually spur more business for their members.
Their stated reason is also, well, silly in my opinion. If there ever has been a project in Kentucky that has ever needed tax rebates, this may be the best example in decades. This building is everything and more that a city like Louisville could ever wish for. It is multi-use, daring, and awe-inspiring. This is a building that will be noticed worldwide. Chances like this are once in a century.
If there are ever other hotel projects in Kentucky that are massive on a scale like this, I don't see what the problem would be to rebate those projects taxes too into the public infrastructure needs, instead of being diverted to these hotel associations and other uses. But to think that suddenly there is going to be a string of Motel 6's and Comfort Inn's clamoring and gaining tax rebates like this is absurd. Monumental projects deserve special consideration.
On the other end of the spectrum are the developers of this 465 million dollar project saying that if this doesn't pass as is currently planned, then all their dreams and hopes are dashed and they will cancel the project - that's hogwash. They're trying to get the absolute best deal possible for themselves. The Visitors Bureau threw down the gauntlet and the MP developers threw up the scare tactics.
When this little debate get to the State Legislature I would put my chips with Museum Plaza. You've got the Jefferson County members for it, the mayor, and the governor. Not to mention some of Kentucky's richest citizens. This will either pass to the benefit of MP or a quiet compromise will be reached and we'll be left scratching our heads as to why this even was an issue.
The Visitors Bureau does not want to see this project disappear and the developers are not going to make this issue the ball buster they want you to think it is. MP will get what it wants, or at the very least, a compromise they're willing to live with, and Louisville will get this landmark.
But for goodness sake, can you keep the squabbling to a minimum?
In a nutshell, this project will be massive. And to help the developers recoup much of their investments in public infrastructure the city crafted a plan to rebate certain taxes - one of them being the hotel room tax. This change must be approved by the state.
Hotel associations are against this change for several reasons - the most glaring reason is because this will divert funds away from their groups. (Hotel rooms taxes help pay for these types of associations) Their stated reason is because this type of action will lead to other developers wanting the same sorts of changes.
Their first reason to opposition is terribly short-sighted. A complex such as Museum Plaza will be a huge draw for the city of Louisville, and will only improve the city's tourist and cultural attractions. This will eventually spur more business for their members.
Their stated reason is also, well, silly in my opinion. If there ever has been a project in Kentucky that has ever needed tax rebates, this may be the best example in decades. This building is everything and more that a city like Louisville could ever wish for. It is multi-use, daring, and awe-inspiring. This is a building that will be noticed worldwide. Chances like this are once in a century.
If there are ever other hotel projects in Kentucky that are massive on a scale like this, I don't see what the problem would be to rebate those projects taxes too into the public infrastructure needs, instead of being diverted to these hotel associations and other uses. But to think that suddenly there is going to be a string of Motel 6's and Comfort Inn's clamoring and gaining tax rebates like this is absurd. Monumental projects deserve special consideration.
On the other end of the spectrum are the developers of this 465 million dollar project saying that if this doesn't pass as is currently planned, then all their dreams and hopes are dashed and they will cancel the project - that's hogwash. They're trying to get the absolute best deal possible for themselves. The Visitors Bureau threw down the gauntlet and the MP developers threw up the scare tactics.
When this little debate get to the State Legislature I would put my chips with Museum Plaza. You've got the Jefferson County members for it, the mayor, and the governor. Not to mention some of Kentucky's richest citizens. This will either pass to the benefit of MP or a quiet compromise will be reached and we'll be left scratching our heads as to why this even was an issue.
The Visitors Bureau does not want to see this project disappear and the developers are not going to make this issue the ball buster they want you to think it is. MP will get what it wants, or at the very least, a compromise they're willing to live with, and Louisville will get this landmark.
But for goodness sake, can you keep the squabbling to a minimum?
Shake-up on Fourth Street
A legal battle has been brewing for the last several months at the popular downtown Fourth Street Live complex. Three clubs which are original to the project have been given notices of eviction by the Baltimore based Cordish Company for being behind in their rent to the tune of over 250,000 dollars.
The three clubs in question are located on the second level of the complex and due to an extra admission fee have said that they've lost over half of their business. They point to other establishments in the complex that are not forced to charge an admission fee and see this as a bias against them. In spite of order of eviction and the back rent, the clubs owners say they plan to fight it in court.
Cordish has already announced a replacement to take all of the space that these clubs are supposed to vacate. Besides this legal battle, Fourth Street Live recently endured the closing of the Fashion Shop retail store due to a company reorganization.
Fourth Street Live had over 4 million visitors last year and was one of the state's largest tourist draws. Cordish, which has long promised an expansion, also has dropped hints of them acquiring land at the nearby Water Company block. After they pulled out of the JCPenney Building last year, it seemed that their plans for expansion in Louisville had died. However, the mayor has been hinting for months now that major developers were interested in the Water Company site, and it appears Cordish is one of the suitors. If they do buy the land, lets hope they build something a little more unique...while Fourth Street Live is a great draw for downtown, it definitely could use a more unique and local flavor.
The three clubs in question are located on the second level of the complex and due to an extra admission fee have said that they've lost over half of their business. They point to other establishments in the complex that are not forced to charge an admission fee and see this as a bias against them. In spite of order of eviction and the back rent, the clubs owners say they plan to fight it in court.
Cordish has already announced a replacement to take all of the space that these clubs are supposed to vacate. Besides this legal battle, Fourth Street Live recently endured the closing of the Fashion Shop retail store due to a company reorganization.
Fourth Street Live had over 4 million visitors last year and was one of the state's largest tourist draws. Cordish, which has long promised an expansion, also has dropped hints of them acquiring land at the nearby Water Company block. After they pulled out of the JCPenney Building last year, it seemed that their plans for expansion in Louisville had died. However, the mayor has been hinting for months now that major developers were interested in the Water Company site, and it appears Cordish is one of the suitors. If they do buy the land, lets hope they build something a little more unique...while Fourth Street Live is a great draw for downtown, it definitely could use a more unique and local flavor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
