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.