Mayor tours Downtown Louisville's new Eddie Merlot's

Yesterday the outgoing mayor of Louisville got a private tour of the new Eddie Merlot's on Fourth street and Muhammad Ali. Workers were putting on the final touches to the outside of the building, adding light fixtures in between the awnings. The restaurants interior build out is complete, with just the stocking of the giant temperature controlled wine room in the middle of the Restaurant remaining. Opening date is set for the 18th of January. The 11,000 square feet restaurant itself is split up into several separate dining areas. The walls feature large tiled pictures as well as several stained glass windows. There's a large bar facing the Fourth street side which has a seperate entrance, but also connects to the restaurant. Eddie Merlot's Louisville is currently hiring 100 workers. Prices for the food are around 30-50 dollars for a steak and I don't think that includes any sides.

Zirmed Garage Topped Out

One of the two City Properties Garages in downtown Louisville seems to be topped out. Last week construction crews removed the tall crane at the property on West Market. The structure tops out at 6 stories and will feature a gym facing Market Street. It looks like they are getting close to topping out the second garage as on fourth and Chestnut as well.

New Sign at Cardiovascular Innovation Institute

I just made a little observation. Coming down Muhammad Ali Blvd., I've noticed that the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute on the downtown University of Louisville Health campus added new signage. The new lettering is atop of their surgical facility. That building is fairly new as well.

Mozz: Louisville's newest restaurant now open

As I was driving around town last weekend, I saw a new restaurant opening up at Cobalt Marketplace on East Market Street. It's called Mozz. It uses the space previously occupied by Primo. With the restaurant in place it looks like the retail part of the Cobalt Marketplace is fully leased ever since AAA rented the space of the former Fresh Market. According to their website, Mozz is an Italian supper club and a Neopolitan pizza counter. Their website also says they're now open. Their prices range from $12 Tortellini to $95 porterhouse steak for two or four. 

Downtown Louisville's Eddie Merlot's Adds Signage

The Fourth street location of Eddie Merlot's added signage over the weekend. The steak house also added black awnings to the Starks Building. Interior work on the steak house's fifth location is still in full swing. The restaurant also added two revolving doors. One of them is facing Fourth street, the other one faces Muhammad Ali boulevard. Earlier this year I thought they tried to paint part of the Starks building brown. Turns out that was probably just the primer for a new black coat of paint.

The signage they just put up really fits in well with the rest of the signage at fourth street live. The big bulbs on it have kind of a retro feel to it. It reminds me a lot of the signage of O'Sheas near the arena.

Zirmed Garage Building Progress

Since there are two City Properties garages going up in the central business district, here's a picture of the second one. This one is a new parking garage next to the Zirmed Tower. Crews are currently working on the six floor of the garage. The bottom floor of it will include room for a gym. The garage is all part of the City Groups masterplan for the area. With the garage in place, they finally can start looking at developing the parking lot just south of the buildings. 

Soho on Main changes color

After work stopped in September of 2008, Legacy Lofts on main seemed to be rotting away. Even though the project won several prices, the original developer went into foreclosure. The half completed building lay dormant until it was bought by Will Realty in February of this year. They decided to rename the project to Soho On Main, and change the color of the exterior, from yellow-organge, to sand. In my opinion with the new color it loses a little of its playfulness but gains a sense of luxury. It still has all the Green aspects that made Legacy Lofts an interesting project. The development still features geothermal heating and cooling. They've already hosted and open house in October, so you should be able to see people moving in in the near future. I've attached two pictures the one on the left is the Main Street View. The other one is the back of the development,

American Revolution Genealogy Center on Main complete?

As announced in 2008, the Sons of the American Revolution are in the process of relocating their headquarters to Main Street in downtown Louisville. It looks like part of the work has been completed. As you can see in the picture it seems like the S A R's Genealogy Research Library part seems to open for business. At least that's what the office desk in the front room suggests. Crews are still working hard on the museum part though. The museum part is located right next door to the research center. It will transform the "Fulton Conway & Co" building in the 800 block of west main into a history museum, adding yet another attraction to museum row.

Comfy Cow on Frankfort Rendering

As you have probably heard the Frickle Pickle at Genny's Diner on Frankfort Avenue will soon close it's doors. The restaurant and the adjacent historic home were bought by the Comfy Cow Ice Cream parlor owners a few weeks ago. They have plans to turn the Frickle Pickle into a modern 1950's Diner. There are not that many of those around. The closest one I can think of is the Denny's at the first E-Town Exit. I found a rendering of the future diner.  

Louisville Rowing's new Building taking shape.

 The University of Louisville's athletic department is improving yet another facility. This time it's the rowing teams turn. Their current facility is located on the river front just east of the Tumbleweed restaurant. It also houses several high school rowing teams. Last the June the university broke ground on a 14,000 square feet, two story addition right next to the old facility. According to the university, the new building will cost 2.65 million dollars and is funded through donations. Currently crews are working on the second floor of the building.

The Edge at Liberty Greens Groundbreaking

The folks at Liberty Greens held another groundbreaking today. Today's ceremony was to commemorate the start of the so called home-ownership portion of the housing development. The new part of the project is called "The Edge at Liberty Greens." It is being developed by Bill Weyland of City Properties. Even though it is the home ownership portion it will also feature several apartments for nearby students of the University of Louisville medical campus. They actually played a major part in the decision process. The project itself has been completely redesigned from earlier renderings. I remember seeing renderings and models that made this future property look like the "Cosby neighborhood." All the homes had steps and looked very New York urban. The renderings that were released today make it look very modern. They seem to incorporate lots of glass and metal.  

Pics of New Parking Garage at Galt House

With the new arena opening the need for parking grew near the site. The Galt stepped up and built an 860-car parking garage across the street from the arena on third street. The building looks complete, but it is still missing gates at the main entrance. As you can see in the pictures, the bricks that were used are color matched to the ones used in the lg&e power station next door. The garage replaces an old power grid structure. The new building also improves the street scape beyond the garage and gives this block of third street an unified brick look, adding also some retail space, yet to be leased.

US Attorneys Office Louisville digs Hole

After nearly completing one federal building near the US court house on Broadway, it looks like the federal government is turning dirt again close by. It seems to me like excavation work on the new US Attorneys office complex has started on Seventh and Broadway. The completed building will be a six story building. The lower two floors will be part of a new parking garage. Earlier reports suggest, that they will try to mimic the facade of the US court house down the block.

Louisville's new Eddie Merlot's paints Starks Building

Construction on the future Eddie Merlot's steak house in the Starks Building on Fourth and Muhammad Ali is coming along nicely. Interior construction is in full swing.  After tearing out all the old windows facing the sidewalk most of the new windows have been installed. They are nice floor to ceiling windows.  Over the last week I've noticed that painters were working hard on the outside of the Starks Building. They are painting the ornamental facade just above the new windows. They used to be black. The color of choice this time around is reddish-brown. I guess that color goes better with steak.

Iron Quarter adds more complex construction fencing

A new construction fence at what would be the Iron Quarter project was added during the last week. The new fence replaces a simple chainlink fence put up a couple of months ago as concerns of structural integrity of the buildings arose. Now the fence features a tunnel design. With the new fence in place, pedestrians can stay on that side of the street and just walk through the covered walkway. I believe the arena opening had something to do with that. I doubt we are any closer of seeing actual construction on the site, but I would love to be wrong about this. 

Fancy new sidewalk on Norton Healthcare plaza at Yum Center

With just one more day to go before the grand opening of the KFC Yum Center I noticed some fancy sidewalks. As soon as you step on to the newly named Norton Healthcare plaza right outside the arena you will know what kind of game the main tenant will play. The traffic light indicator bricks for blind people are shaped like a basketball. They also added a tower structure to the plaza indicating that now it's the Norton Health Care Plaza.

Whiskey Row adds penthouse

With the KFC Yum Center about to open, the Whiskey Row development next door is taking shape as well. Crews have already replaced all of the windows facing the arena. They are now working on adding a penthouse levela to the top of the old buildings. This step reminds me a lot of what Whiskey Row developer Bill Weyland has done to one of his other developments. At the Henry Clay he also added a level to the top of the building. At Whiskey Row it looks like two of the buildings receive a vertical upgrade. I wonder if the apparments will be two story appartments, like the once at the Henry Clay?

They are also currently working on the facade facing Main street.

Sidewalk changes near KFC Yum Center

Over the last few weeks, worker have been installing a new sidewalk across the street from the KFC Yum Center. Unfortunately one of the first steps was to get rid of the trees that used to line this part of main street between second and third street. They were replaced by new lamp posts. The sidewalk itself was changes into some kind of checkerboard pattern with black and grey bricks. On the picture it's hard to tell, because the bricks are completely covered by construction dust.

KFC Yum Center Video board working

Driving past the arena today, I've noticed that the giant video board overlooking the plaza is now operational. One of the first animations running was a rotating cardinal bird mascot clip.

As you can see in the picture, there is one small panel not working. 

Since you can see the jumbo tron from the road I wonder if the arena has to limit what they can show on there. I remember a couple of years ago when the Kentucky center installed a digital billboard they had to comply with state regulations. They could only change the picture so much within a certain amount of time. From what I saw today, the new jumbo tron had moving images. I wonder if that might cause some trouble in the future.

Louisville Magazine Building Remodel

Workers have been remodeling the Louisville Magazine building on Muhammad Ali and 2nd street for the last few months now. The most obvious change is the replacement of all the windows as well as the glass panels holding the windows. I was afraid it would detract from the functionalist style of the building, but after all is said and done, it looks quite nice. Remodeling has not finished yet. They are currently working on the roofs of the building. I am not sure, but I think the atrium area is probably going to be tackled next, since the doors still look like the old windows.

KFC Yum Center adds Cardinal Birds

With the opening date for the new Louisville arena only weeks away, workers are adding the last pieces of signage. This week they've installed a few giant Cardinal birds. In addition to the mascots, Yum added a few Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC logos. Cardinal Birds can now be found on the north side of the arena facing the interstate. Another bird is facing East Washington street, overlooking the second street bridge. As of today, workers were also testing the giant video screen overlooking the plaza in front of the arena.

Parking Garage near Fourth Street Update

There are currently 3 large parking garages being built in downtown Louisville. One near the arena, that looks almost complete, one adjacent to the Zirmed tower near ninth street, and this one on Fourth and Chestnut. The latter two are both built by Louisville developer Bill Weyland and seem to progress at the same rate of building speed. The one on fourth street, as you can see in the picture, has progressed to the third floor. It is not located right at the edge of the property line in order to leave room for a planned Indigo hotel with 105 rooms as well as 30 apartments. That building is supposed to be built at a later date.

New Offices near Federal Courthouse Louisville

The off-site addition to the Federal courthouse in downtown Louisville seems to be topped off. It is only a two story addition. I remember hearing it was for the immigration department of homeland security. It is located right across the street on seventh street, just north of the nail place on Broadway. They are currently putting in all the windows in the prefab concrete facade. It really looks a little better now. I was afraid it would look very generic, but with the addition of that horizontal line near the top it is not that bad. It actually makes it look kind of federal. Construction of the new 6-story US attorneys offices on the empty lot right next door has not yet started.

Jeffersonville Canal District First Proposal

Matthews Southwest of Texas was the first developer that presented its proposal for the Jeffersonville Canal District today. The 52 million Dollar canal is supposed to wind itself through Jeffersonville. It is supposed to help alleviate sewer overflow. It is also expected to spur development in the area. The rendering shows two hotels separate from a convention center.

New downtown Louisville office building complete

Louisville's downtown has a new 3 story office building. The building is located just north of West Broadway on ninth street. It was constructed using prefab concrete walls, which were than painted over.  The prefab pieces are identical to the ones used in a two story building on West Broad between 7th and 8th street, right next to the White Castle. Since that building houses medical offices, I wouldn't be surprised if the new building will also be used in such a way.

New Louisville Norton Cancer Center Progress

The new Norton Cancer Institute Radiation Center on Floyd and Broadway is coming along nicely. The steel structure is up. Once finished the building will have three floors with 65,000 square feet. It is scheduled to be open in the summer of 2011. The building has a cost of 27 million dollars.