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36-490: The Louisville Water Tower , located east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky , near the riverfront, is the oldest ornamental water tower in the world, having been built before the more famous Chicago Water Tower . Both the actual water tower and its pumping station are a designated National Historic Landmark for their architecture. As with the Fairmount Water Works of Philadelphia (designed 1812, built 1819–22),

72-469: A cinema and a boutique hotel. An estimated 500,000 square feet (46,000 m ) of floor space being created, including a 15-story structure. As the plan would require $ 130 million in local and state tax rebates for Cordish, it requires approval from the Louisville Metro Council and Kentucky General Assembly . There is no official start time for the project, as financing is still being secured by

108-571: A girl in a bonnet . Downtown Louisville Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville, Kentucky Metropolitan Area. Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north, Hancock Street to the east, York and Jacob Streets to the south, and 9th Street to the west. As of 2015, the population of downtown Louisville

144-463: A mass expansion of the city's Waterfront Park , both completed in 1998, sparked new development along the eastern edge of downtown, with entire abandoned blocks rebuilt with new condominium units and shops. Also, new to Louisville is the 22,000-seat KFC Yum! Center at Second and Main Streets which was completed in 2010. Early residences outside of the forts, still mostly wood structures, were built along

180-419: A more than $ 10 million modernization. In 2007 downtown Louisville became Jefferson County's tenth Multiple Listing Service zone. Housing units available downtown were expected to double between 2005 and 2010, from 1,800 to nearly 4,000, after increasing by only 900 units from 1985 to 2005. This is both a result of new condominium construction and efforts to convert existing buildings into mixed usage, such as

216-525: A new agreement was made with the city to save five of the seven buildings by donating one and selling the other four, with the remaining two to be demolished. Facades of all seven buildings are to be preserved. Many attractions are located in downtown Louisville. 38°15′28.21″N 85°45′41.99″W  /  38.2578361°N 85.7616639°W  / 38.2578361; -85.7616639 Louisville WaterWorks Museum Renovations began in January 2013 and

252-474: A wood-paneled shaft, but after the tornado destroyed it, it was replaced with cast iron . The tornado also destroyed all but two of the ten statues that were on the pedestals. Shortly thereafter, a new pumping station and reservoirs were built in Crescent Hill , and the original water tower ceased pumping operations in 1909. The pumping station was renovated in 2010. In January 2013, extensive renovations of

288-621: Is located behind the Henry Clay, and is now an upscale restaurant that occupies the entire Wright-Taylor building. Projects in the works include the construction of a wharf along the Riverwalk Trail , and the Ohio River Bridges Project , involving the reconstruction of Spaghetti Junction (the intersection of I-65 , I-64 and I-71 ) along with the addition of a new bridge for northbound I-65 traffic. One recently completed project

324-732: The Humana Building designed by Michael Graves . Of the 16 buildings in Kentucky over 300 feet (91 m), 12 are in downtown Louisville. In addition, it is the center of local and regional government. A glassed-in skywalk called the Louie Link stretches six city blocks and links together the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), Fourth Street Live! , three hotels ( Galt House Hotel & Suites , Marriott and Hyatt Regency ), and 2,300 hotel rooms. In 2010 it

360-414: The $ 20 million redevelopment of the historic eight-story Henry Clay building at Third and Chestnut streets into a mix of residential, restaurant, retail and event space. The redevelopment also includes property that extends east to Fourth Street, which will become a public piazza, and the historic Wright-Taylor building, a two-story, 13,500-square-foot (1,250 m ) structure that faces Fourth Street and

396-578: The $ 30 million project Fleur de Lis on Main , indicate increasing residential interest in downtown Louisville. On September 9, 2013, Mayor Greg Fischer joined groundbreaking ceremonies for the second phase of RiverPark Place , a marina apartment/condominium development covering 40 acres along River Road, with a walkway west to Waterfront Park . In 1997, the Kentucky Towers was the largest residential building in downtown Louisville, and in 2015, just south of downtown, The 800 Apartments started undergoing

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432-540: The 1920s the commercial center of Louisville was still nearby, at 4th and Broadway, dubbed the "magic corner" by the Herald-Post . The riverfront area of downtown was still being actively improved, such as with the building of what is now George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge across the Ohio at Second Street in 1929. After World War II , suburbanization increased and downtown began to decline as interstate highways further reduced

468-500: The 1970s through the early 1990s included a former theater district on Jefferson Street that had become dubbed the "porno district". The businesses there were seen by the city as an eyesore since they were so close to the convention center, and most were demolished or burned down by the late 1990s. A few adult book stores and bars remained in the general area as of 2007. From the late 1970s to early 1990s, nine new high rises over 200 feet (61 m) in height were built in downtown. Unlike

504-411: The 21st century, although some had been converted for other uses, such as office space. The Brennan House at 631 S. Fifth, which is operated as a historic property with daily tours, shows a glimpse of downtown Louisville's residential past. A structure at 432 South Fifth Street is the only example of a pre-Civil War residence remaining downtown; built in 1829 it has been converted to commercial use. By

540-564: The Cordish Company. Also announced in 2007, the glass and steel $ 50 million shopping and office complex Iron Quarter was to be constructed within the Whiskey Row Historic District , but the project was delayed and eventually set aside when property owner Todd Blue made an agreement with the city of Louisville in January 2011 to demolish the seven original buildings. In May 2011, after all seven buildings had been landmarked,

576-510: The castles along the Rhine . The water tower began operations on October 16, 1860. The tower was not just pretty; it was effective. In 24 hours the station could produce 12 million US gallons (45,000 m) of water. This water, in turn, flowed through 26 miles (42 km) of pipe. A tornado on March 27, 1890 irreparably changed the Water Tower. The original water tower had an iron pipe protected by

612-483: The city's previous tallest buildings, which were all set along the Broadway corridor, these new buildings were set closer to the riverfront along Main and Market Streets. Since 2000, downtown has seen another major growth spurt, although this one not only includes new high rises, but also a large scale return of large scale residential and retail back to the city center. The completion of Louisville Slugger Field along with

648-461: The edge of the city, along rail lines. In 1886, the first skyscraper, the Kenyon Building, was completed on Fifth Street, followed in 1890 by the ten-story Columbia Building . The development of three large suburban parks and the electrified streetcar lead to the first true movement to the suburbs at this time. Some of downtown's business and industry followed people toward these areas. But by

684-527: The epidemic of 1873. After several devastating fires in the 1850s, Louisvillians were convinced of the importance of the project. The decision was made by the Kentucky Legislature to form the Louisville Water Company on March 6, 1854. Private investors showed little interest and so after only 55 shares had been sold and the failure of a first attempt to secure voter approval to buy shares,

720-452: The founding of banks and manufacturing. Most of Louisville's population was packed into downtown, which by this time stretched as far south as Prather Street (later renamed Broadway). Many still-remaining buildings reveal what the area was like at this time, with narrow, two to four-story buildings packing the streets. The area and the city continued to grow during the railroad era. However, the increased mobility of early trolleys , as well as

756-622: The importance of its central location. Since the 1970s, downtown has been the subject of both urban renewal and historic preservation efforts. While many new buildings have been built, it has sometimes been at the expense of older landmarks, such as the Tyler Block . Many buildings sat totally or mostly vacant at this time, and some became dilapidated to the point where they burned down or had to be razed. Many riverfront industrial sites were abandoned or saw limited use, many were eventually redeveloped into Louisville Waterfront Park . Other issues in

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792-531: The industrial nature of its pumping station was disguised in the form of a Roman temple complex. In 2014, the Louisville WaterWorks Museum opened on the premises. Unknown to residents at the time, the lack of a safe water supply presented a significant health risk to the city. After the arrival of the second cholera pandemic in the United States (1832), Louisville in the 1830s and 40s gained

828-401: The late 20th century, downtown Louisville had acquired a reputation as a place to work and visit during the week but which shuts down evenings and weekends. The first changes to this were the conversion of old warehouse and factory space to loft apartments in the late 1980s. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, new developments of luxury condominiums such as the 22-story Waterfront Park Place , and

864-515: The modern street grid on early lots sold to settlers, but have all been demolished over time. What became the almost entirely office and parking-lot dominated downtown still had many solidly single family residential blocks on its fringes up until the early 20th century. Streets near Broadway, such as Chestnut, were lined with large mansions of the owners of businesses on Main and Market streets. Though these houses were built of brick and other longer-lasting materials, none remained single family homes by

900-461: The museum opened on March 1, 2014. The restoration restored the building to pre-Civil War condition along with a 1900s-era cast-iron spiral staircase. New bathrooms and prep kitchen were added. The museum collections include Louisville Water's historic photographs, films and memorabilia, as well as architectural drawings, water main sections, meters and tools, and a steam mud pump. The exhibit topics include riverbank filtration, clean drinking water,

936-474: The nickname "graveyard of the west", due to the polluted local water giving Louisville residents cholera and typhoid at epidemic levels. This was because residents used the water of tainted private wells, but the linkage was not discovered until 1854 by the English physician John Snow , and not accepted as fact until decades later. Due to the water project's completion in 1866, Louisville was free of cholera during

972-525: The plan, while the smaller Green Street is now known as Liberty (it was renamed after Green Street acquired a seedy reputation due to its many burlesque theaters). Main Street was the city's initial commercial hub for nearly a century. By 1830, Louisville passed Lexington as Kentucky's largest city, with a population over 10,000. The steamboat era saw the opening of the Louisville and Portland Canal just west of downtown, and local commerce picked up further with

1008-455: The project was widely promoted. In 1856 voters approved purchase of 5500 shares in 1856, and another 2200 shares in 1859, transforming it into an almost completely government-owned corporation . The inspiration for the architecture of Louisville's Water Tower came from the French architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux , who merged "architectural beauty with industrial efficiency". It was decided to render

1044-407: The sheer number and diversity of people moving to Louisville, saw a shift in focus as areas like Phoenix Hill , Russell and what is now Old Louisville began to be built on the edges of downtown, particularly after the city annexed those areas in 1868. Railroads lead to a diminished role for the river in transportation, further reducing the importance of downtown in favor of areas on what was then

1080-464: The station. The main column, of the Doric order , rises 183 feet (55.8 m) out of a Corinthian portico surrounding its base. The portico is surmounted by a wooden balustrade with ten pedestals also constructed of wood, originally supporting painted cast-zinc statues from J. W. Fiske & Company , ornamental cast-iron manufacturers of New York. Even the reservoir's gatehouse on the riverfront invoked

1116-411: The water station an ornament to the city, to make skeptical Louisvillians more accepting of a water company. Theodore Scowden and his assistant Charles Hermany were the architects of the structures. They chose an area just outside town, on a hill overlooking the Ohio River , which provided excellent elevation. The location also meant that coal boats could easily deliver the coal necessary to operate

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1152-424: The water tower property, including the addition of the Louisville WaterWorks Museum , began, and the museum opened on March 1, 2014. There are ten zinc statues above the first level's balustrade , each standing on a pedestal over a Corinthian column . They are listed clockwise below with identifiable features: The statues were originally urns in the plans. The first set of statues included Ceres , Diana , and

1188-495: Was 4,700, although this does not include directly surrounding areas such as Old Louisville, Butchertown, NuLu, and Phoenix Hill. The five main areas of the Central Business District consist of: The tallest buildings in Kentucky are located in downtown Louisville and include 400 West Market designed by John Burgee , PNC Tower designed by Harrison & Abramovitz , PNC Plaza designed by Welton Becket , and

1224-432: Was built in 1781 near what is today the corner of 7th and Main streets. Many early residents lived nearby after moving out of the forts by the mid-1780s, although little remains of the earliest (mostly wood) structures. Early plans of the city, such as William Pope's original plan in 1783, show a simple grid on an east–west axis along the river. The earliest streets, Main, Market and Jefferson retain their original names from

1260-452: Was extended from the Galt House to the new $ 16 million Skywalk Garage, an eight-level, 860-space parking facility on Third Street, and a second skywalk connects from the garage across Third Street to the new KFC Yum! Center . Downtown Louisville is the oldest part of the city of Louisville, whose initial development was closely tied to the Ohio River . The largest early fort, Fort Nelson ,

1296-589: Was the conversion of the former Big Four railroad bridge into a pedestrian and bicycle only bridge, which opened on the Kentucky side in 2013 and the Indiana side in 2014. On August 19, 2007, city leaders and the Cordish Company , developers of 4th Street Live! , announced Center City , a $ 442 million, multi-year plan to develop 23 acres (93,000 m ), bounded by Second, Third and Liberty streets and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, that will include new housing, restaurants,

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