A new look for the city's 'front porch'
600-plus condos likely near Towhead Island

http://cmsimg.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B2&Date=20060524&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=605240431&Ref=AR&Profile=1008&MaxW=500&title=1

http://cmsimg.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B2&Date=20060524&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=605240431&Ref=V2&Profile=1008&MaxW=500&title=1
The new $200 million project will include a 10,000-square-foot sales center and a public plaza between the two towers.

http://cmsimg.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B2&Date=20060524&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=605240431&Ref=H3&Profile=1008&MaxW=500&title=1
Rendering by The Poe Companies The condos will have one to three bedrooms — and most will cost $139,000 to $299,000. First occupancies are expected in spring 2008.

A $200 million plan to build more than 600 condominiums across from Towhead Island is expected to get the go-ahead today with ground-breaking occurring this fall.

The Poe Companies, led by local developer Steve Poe, will seek final design approval today from the Waterfront Development Corp. board. Later signoffs will be needed from the Metro Planning Commission and the Army Corps of Engineers, but Poe said yesterday that he expects to break ground by early fall, with first occupancy in spring 2008.



Poe said the group is developing "one of the country's largest mixed-use, urban waterfront developments."

The 42-acre site north of River Road, just downriver from Beargrass Creek, will "dramatically change our hometown's front porch," Mayor Jerry Abramson said.

The city has been holding the land for a housing development since the 1980s. A previous group called FallsHarbor lost the rights in 1999 after trying for years to develop the property once occupied by Thruston Park.

RiverPark Place will have two 16-story towers with 215 condos.

South of the towers will be four, five-story buildings with 408 more condos.

The condos will have one to three bedrooms -- and most will cost $139,000 to $299,000, Poe said.

The development agreement with the city calls for Poe to pay the city 4 percent of the proceeds from all condo sales for use of the land.

Developers have compiled a list of 250 people interested in purchasing units, he said.

The project also will include a 10,000-square-foot sales center and a public plaza between the two towers.

"It is intended as a congregating place, where you can sit and eat ice cream," Poe said.

Other features include a promenade along the river linking with Waterfront Park, an outdoor pool, 1,300 underground and surface parking spaces and a 144-slip marina.

Poe said the partners plan continuous construction in the next seven to 10 years once the first phase is complete. Later plans call for up to 900 more riverfront dwellings at the site.

Under an agreement with state historic preservation officers, Poe Companies is spending $450,000 to dig in four areas where old pottery shards, tool remnants and other artifacts were found in the early 1990s. Poe said the areas will be studied and any artifacts cataloged and saved.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/NEWS01/605240431

it looks like a little gold coast lol :)
http://www.lca-inc.org/lca/dtliving/images/riverparkplace.jpg

Looks like a nice project to me :okay: The first image seems to be a subset of the last one, right?

This is it. It's funny how I mentioned this type of development being a major benefit for Louisville on another thread. It will only add to "Kentucky's Jewel."

This is an awesome project, I'm glad to here it's getting the go ahead. The price range is what excites me the most. I'm getting out of college in a few years and this seems like to be in my price range....hopefully. I can only imagine the views from this place.

Isnt it my luck. I saw this story and went straight for the New thread button. :tongue2: A mod can go delete mine.

Looks like a nice project to me :okay: The first image seems to be a subset of the last one, right?


It should be noted this project is being built in phases. The first pic is phase 1 which will break ground in the fall--it will consist of twin 16 story towers, and 4 rows of 5 story condos behind for a total of 600 condos to be open by the end of 2008. After that, phases 2 and 3 will break ground adding up to 900 additional units in the towers and midrises depicted in the last picture. It could take almost 10 years by the time phase 3 is complete.

For what ever reason, the local newspaper does not explain things well.

Great project. I was surprised that the prices started in the mid-100's for such a great location.

Looks like a great project!

Thanks, scraperboy!!!

This is a huge step for Louisville's waterfront! Great news!

Very nice!!! I liek it a lot. I was hoping that this project wasn't falling by the way side!

First Museum Plaza, now this, what will Louisville's next trick be???

more renderings

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771477.riverpark1.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771478.riverpark2.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771479.riverpark3.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771480.riverpar4.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771481.riverpar5.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771482.riverpark6.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771483.riverpark7.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771484.riverpark8.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771485.riverpark9.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771486.riverpark10.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771487.riverpark11.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771488.riverpark12.JPG

http://i.pbase.com/o4/14/344614/1/60771489.riverpark13.JPG

Great news that this project is finally getting the go ahead but of course I have to put my 2 cents in and I'm usually pretty crabby. This is no exception :)

Is this really the final design? If so then.....

1. Aesthetically blah...From some angles, the low rises look more like college dormitories to me.

2. I think the views from the towers (especially toward downtown) would be better if they were placed diagonally from one another. As it is now, looking from the East tower, you will have a glorious view of the West tower. Wow

3. The parking lot should be axed but if it must be there, this is a rare exception where I would probably place it on the front road (River Road). Currently, It breaks up the view (and potential park space) when looking out of the back of the lowrises towards the river.

I'm not all bah humbug though. I like the central public area and the fact that this will basically extend Waterfront Park even further. The marina is a wonderful feature too.

I agree with Cardpooch...it looks like this is something to be built in Nashville, Charlotte, or Raleigh....not Louisville. It looks far too "New South" and blah to me.

I do agree that the renderings are boring...to say the least. BUT, the project is very exciting!

BTW, Scraperboy seems vaguely familar...could it be that Gych has resurfaced???

talk about some cheap renderings, these things were done on sketchup, anyways i hope they use brick on the facade not a faux brick, i like it, looks very american.

I agree with Cardpooch...it looks like this is something to be built in Nashville, Charlotte, or Raleigh....not Louisville. It looks far too "New South" and blah to me.


HUH? Is Louisville is too good for what most new designs look like or something? That is a stupid comment and is just asking for me to jump in here.

Aside from the two towers, I like the human scale this development will be built to.

I do agree that the renderings are boring...to say the least. BUT, the project is very exciting!

BTW, Scraperboy seems vaguely familar...could it be that Gych has resurfaced???

I don't think so. Who is gych and where would it surface from. Did you drown gych lol. :jk:

Anyhow, I think this is a great project with great design. The design is pretty typical and it is no Museum Plaza, but I like traditional modern architecture now and again lol!

HUH? Is Louisville is too good for what most new designs look like or something? That is a stupid comment and is just asking for me to jump in here.

you have to admit, the quality of architecture in Nashville leaves a lot to be desired.

you have to admit, the quality of architecture in Nashville leaves a lot to be desired.
I think you're gonna piss Lexy off with that one...
:runaway:

HUH? Is Louisville too good for what most new designs look like or something? That is a stupid comment and is just asking for me to jump in here.


Jesus Lexy, give me a break.

This architecture is standard "boomtown" architecture. I have never considered Louisville a boomtown and it surprised me to see a project like this being planned for the Ohio River waterfront in Louisville. This project seriously looks like it is a carbon copy of about 20 other projects in 20 other cities...and it screams "New South" to me. I honestly feel I could find a project that looks the exact same in Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Jacksonville, Dallas, and Houston.

Let me say this, I think this PROJECT is a great addition to the riverfront in Louisville, but I find the DESIGN to be a complete let down.

It is a tried and true style right now that has been perfected through dozens of prior projects with the same basic forms. I find this design to be very "safe" and neither makes you love it or hate it...I don't hate the design, how could you hate something that is this neutral?

While I do not expect every project to be a blockbuster like Museum PLaza, but could it not be something we have seen everywhere else, only for Louisville to get it 10 years later and we suddenly feel "big city" for looking like our boomtown neighbors?

Let me say this, I think this PROJECT is a great addition to the riverfront in Louisville, but I find the DESIGN to be a complete let down.

It is a tried and true style right now that has been perfected through dozens of prior projects with the same basic forms. I find this design to be very "safe" and neither makes you love it or hate it...I don't hate the design, how could you hate something that is this neutral?

While I do not expect every project to be a blockbuster like Museum PLaza, but could it not be something we have seen everywhere else, only for Louisville to get it 10 years later and we suddenly feel "big city" for looking like our boomtown neighbors?

Jake, I happen to like RiverPark Place. Like many other forumers, I find Museum Plaza a bit out there even though I am all for the concept and mixed use. What is there not to like about RiverPark Place? It is not boomtown architecture...it is just modern condo architecture. Besides, whats wrong with being a boomtown...perhaps Louisville has hit a boom. We all know that Louisville has amazing architecture and I dont think this will take away from it.

That said, I have two problems with RiverPark Place. First, I think it needs more ground level retail. Second, I think they should have made it all highrises that "stagger" toward the river and skyline. I like the lowrises but I think a huge row of highrises would be better. However, I do think they still plan to build more highrises in future phases and this would eliminate surface parking--the surface parking would become parking garages that would serve as bases for more high rise towers.

I love the conceptual idea of this project, I really do. I had been incredibly excited about this project ever since there were rumblings of this coming 3 years ago. I really just feel that this is a great concept with a lacklustre architectual design. Do I hate the design? Not at all, but it doesn't make me like it either.

And the aside of Louisville becoming a boomtown...that woud break my heart. I would hate to see as Louisville balloned up like a Las Vegas or a Charlotte or a Raleigh. Slow, sustained growth is what I think all cities should strive for.

It is obviously a very 'safe' design in terms of what is considered appropriate for today's aesthetic trends. Yet it it seems more out of place in Louisville than MP.

How ironic is that?

What I find frustrating about this design is not the fact that it doesn't continue the 'out there' designs found in newer projects such as Waterfront Park Place or MP. There is not need for every project to do that. It's the fact that there is no attempt to make a connection to the city's urban history. There are plenty of sources for inspiration ranging from low rise Victorian architecture to grand highrises such as the Dartmouth.

While there is no need to duplicate these historical moments, a modern interpretation of the past would be a nice addition to Louisville's rich architectural legacy.

Oh well, maybe they'll get it right next time.

It is obviously a very 'safe' design in terms of what is considered appropriate for today's aesthetic trends. Yet it it seems more out of place in Louisville than MP.

How ironic is that?

What I find frustrating about this design is not the fact that it doesn't continue the 'out there' designs found in newer projects such as Waterfront Park Place or MP. There is not need for every project to do that. It's the fact that there is no attempt to make a connection to the city's urban history. There are plenty of sources for inspiration ranging from low rise Victorian architecture to grand highrises such as the Dartmouth.

While there is no need to duplicate these historical moments, a modern interpretation of the past would be a nice addition to Louisville's rich architectural legacy.

Oh well, maybe they'll get it right next time.

If you know anything about the developer, Steve Poe, his new strategy is to "take undervalued assests and make them profitable." Basically, the guy is investing in beautiful areas where no one has thought to invest before--the old urban waterfront.

That said, this guy is a suburban developer that has recently turned into one of Louisville's largest mixed use urban and infill developers. When you look at his past portofolio which includes suburban golf courses and Hurstbourne office buildings, you get confused when you see his new developments:
Museum Plaza, RiverParkPlace, and the recently announced Crossings at Irish Hill, which will be a retail complex bringing suburban type retail to the near east side of downtown. So maybe this guy hires architects to recreate what he is used to--the suburban interpretation of what the urban environment should be like.

.....So maybe this guy hires architects to recreate what he is used to--the suburban interpretation of what the urban environment should be like.

Yes, and that's exactly why I think the design sucks so much.

how about he just bring his ideas to another city, and louisville goes nowhere :)

how about he just bring his ideas to another city, and louisville goes nowhere :)

I hate this attitude. Louisville is somewhere already without this project. I choose to live here, many others do as well.

I just think we have something in Louisville, and that was always the need to not be another Indy or Nashville, where build up, build out is the sign of progress. Now it seems the city is playing catch up by building stuff like this along the riverfront.

Sorry, while I agree with progress, I don't agree with it if it changes my city into another cookie-cutter Indianapolis.

Units in Riverpark Place now on the market

Developers have started selling units in the new $200 million Riverpark Place.

The new development is near downtown Louisville.

Riverpark Place includes 621 housing units, apartments and condos. By a way of comparison, there were just 900 housing units in downtown Louisville in 1985; today that number has jumped to 1800.

Also Online
View this story

The total is also expected to double within the next three years.

Poe investments said in the first few days sales for the new development have been brisk with over $20 million in unit sales and $500,000 in marina slips sold.

http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/M_IMAGE.10b4d1f7e53.93.88.fa.d0.bb7af687.jpg

Riverpark Place includes 621 housing units, apartments and condos.

Buyers have reportedly been both young and old, local and out-of-towners.

Since the development is along the Ohio, adjustments have been made for rising water.
http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/062406cckrWhasRiverpark.bb3d7d88.html

more renderings
http://www.pbase.com/abdulsharif/image/62397227/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/abdulsharif/image/62397228/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/abdulsharif/image/62397229/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/abdulsharif/image/62397230/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/abdulsharif/image/62397231/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/abdulsharif/image/62397232/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/abdulsharif/image/62397234/original.jpg

Wow!
I didnt think they would sell so quickly! Thats great news.
I think when completed, this is going to really thrust the waterfront living to a whole new level. There are going to be a lot of spin off developments to follow.
And that last pic is a hell of a view. I wish they'd stagger the towers so both buildings got that awesome pano of the skyline.

should be nice

They have now doen 30 million in sales per a letter I just receieved since I am a potential buyer

Thats awesome!
Let us know if you buy one, and keep us updated on what info you receive. :okay:

Thats awesome!
Let us know if you buy one, and keep us updated on what info you receive. :okay:

For me I am torn between RiverPark and the Henry Clay downtown. I think I may wait and see the RiverPark models....

I drove past that area this weekend.

I noticed the riverfront park is working its way east, up to the point of Towhead Island now...which made me wonder how this project is going to relate to the park.

From the renderings Soulbrotha posted I see the project will continue walkways or greenspace in front of the project, parallelling the channel that seperates Towhead Island from the mainland, so, as long as this greenspace/walkway system remains open to the public and makes a connection to the park it would be a pretty neat addition.

I do wish they would have done a bit more with the "park end" of the project, maybe creating a second pair of midrizes to front the park, facing downtown, instead of the parking lot and loop shown in the rendering...sort of using the english concept of large monumental terrace housing facing a park as a backdrop, in the form of a crescent, like in Bath or Regents Park in London.

Yet, one has to admit this is really a self-contained complex pretty much disconnected from the city (not that there is much "city" there to begin with), and that elevation along river road is pretty brutal (softened a bit by trees).

...and I still think they (the city? Riverfront park authority?) should build a footbridge to Towhead Island and put nature trails on the island That could be sort of a wilderness oasis in the heart of the metro area, with potentially good views of the Ohio & the Indiana shore. too.

I drove past that area this weekend.

I noticed the riverfront park is working its way east, up to the point of Towhead Island now...which made me wonder how this project is going to relate to the park.

From the renderings Soulbrotha posted I see the project will continue walkways or greenspace in front of the project, parallelling the channel that seperates Towhead Island from the mainland, so, as long as this greenspace/walkway system remains open to the public and makes a connection to the park it would be a pretty neat addition.

I do wish they would have done a bit more with the "park end" of the project, maybe creating a second pair of midrizes to front the park, facing downtown, instead of the parking lot and loop shown in the rendering...sort of using the english concept of large monumental terrace housing facing a park as a backdrop, in the form of a crescent, like in Bath or Regents Park in London.

Yet, one has to admit this is really a self-contained complex pretty much disconnected from the city (not that there is much "city" there to begin with), and that elevation along river road is pretty brutal (softened a bit by trees).


First off, this project will lie directly adjacent to the new eastern edge of Waterfront Park and the new pedestrian bridge over the Ohio which will open in 2008. It will contain riverfront cafes, restaurants, and retail, and will be open to the public. One could conceivably walk from the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park downtown, past the pedestrian bridge, through River Park Place while stopping for ice cream, and then head further northeast on the quaint parkland at Cox's and Eva Bandman Parks.

As to your assertion there isn't much "city" in that area, you are correct. Because the area is in the 100 year floodplain, it is nearly impossible to build anything there unless its something like these towers which will be built on "stiltz." Also, the area is essentially cutoff from the northeastern parts of the city by railroad tracks, river bluff hills, and especially, I-71.

If one looks closely enough, there are several historic structures on the site where they are building RiverPark. The area was a historic settlement dating to the 1850's when Louisville was a booming river town. Apparently, this particular area was one of several around the city attracting large amounts of German immigrants. A magnificent facade, covered by weeds, still exists on this site today. Enscripted above the door reads an insignia "Hail America. Hail Louisville, Queen of the west." When I see things like that I truly realize what a grand city Louisville was becoming by the end of the nineteenth century.

Anyhow, that original settlement, like so many on the river, was abandoned due to flooding. That facade and perhaps two houses covered in weeds is all that exists. In more modern times, the area was known as the Louisville Boat Harbor. This was the hang out for so called "river rats" that actually lived on small shack boats on the river in the 1960's. This truly was the poor man's, and the city's, marina.

Mayor Jerry has long dreamed of developing the site and has tried unsuccessfully for 15 years to do so. This latest attempt appears to be a success, but then I see sites like this:

http://www.louisvilleboatharbor.com/current_info.htm

Also, check out the recent flood photos!

http://www.louisvilleboatharbor.com/photo_flood.htm

They will also be getting rid of that ugly ass mountain of dirt that seems te seperate phase I from phase II.

^^
Haha yeah they had this vision of a spiraling mound up to the bridge, but they found out a bit too late that the weight of the dirt was cousing the mound to sink into the mushy water-logged earth below. :tongue2:
Its now going to be some steel and concrete piece of ugly. We dunno what it looks like yet.

Business First of Louisville - June 30, 2006
by Sarah JeffordsBusiness First Staff Writer

Eric Luckl, 46, said he loves his current home off of Zorn Avenue. But as a self-employed risk analysis professional who travels frequently, he simply doesn't have time to handle the regular upkeep that it requires.

Instead, he prefers maintenance-free condominium living, and he was drawn to RiverPark Place by the unusual setting the development offers.

Located off River Road near downtown Louisville, the mixed-use project allows residents to live in a park setting. Yet there is an urban feel to the development, with its proximity to downtown and blend of on-site restaurants, shops and businesses.

So although construction will not start until the fall, Luckl forked over $2,500 to reserve a $419,000, two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit.

15 percent of units sold

Like Luckl, dozens of future residents have invested between $1,500 to $10,000 to reserve a hand-picked unit during a sales event held last week, said Shannon Haste, director of sales for Poe Cos. LLC, which is developing RiverPark Place.

The real estate firm hosted the five-day event, during which more than 500 attendees had an opportunity to review floor plans, meet with company officials, and, for the first time, reserve one of the more than 600 available condos.

At the close of the sales sessions, 63 units, valued at nearly $30 million, had been reserved. Most popular were units in the two 16-story towers, which range in price from $199,000 to more than $1.5 million, Haste said. But several loft condos, which range in price from $139,000 to $359,000, were reserved. And along with unit reservations, 26 of the 144 available boat slips for the marina also were reserved. The boat slips cost $30,000 to $65,000, depending on the size of the boat, and they are available to nonresidents as well as residents.

In the fall, Haste said, the reservations will be converted to contracts, and the fees that have been paid so far will be applied toward down payments.

$1 million sales center in the works
Julie Tinnell, chief operating officer for Poe Cos., said company officials are very pleased with the rate of reservations, especially considering that marketing efforts are just getting under way. And Tinnell expects the momentum to continue to increase.

Poe Cos. is slated to break ground next week on a 14,000-square-foot sales center at 1250 River Road.

The $1 million center will feature seven full-scale units that will be completely furnished and decorated by an interior designer. The goal of the facility is to give potential buyers a chance to see the different types of units as well as the fixtures, appliances and finishing touches.

When the sales center opens this fall, it also will serve as the leasing office for the 65 loft apartments, and Poe Cos. will start taking reservations for rental units at that time.


Development has broad appeal
From the interest the project has received, it appears as though RiverPark Place will be home to a wide cross section of income levels, ages and family structures.

For example, Haste said, the sales event attracted retirees, families with young children and young professionals.

Part of the draw is the uniqueness of the project.

With the location, the marina and access to park amenities, RiverPark Place "is a development unlike anything else in the community," said David Karem, president of the Louisville Waterfront Development Corp., which oversees waterfront development efforts.

Karem said officials with Poe Cos. have dedicated a lot of time and energy in the planning of RiverPark Place, even visiting developments in other cities. The result, he said, is a quality project that "ratchets up" Louisville's living options.

Another condo buyer agrees with that assessment. A.J. Nair, pain management physician and owner of Kentuckiana Pain Specialists PSC, said he spent about $15,000 in reservation fees to claim three RiverPark Place condos.

Two of those units cost about $500,000 each, and his plan is to combine those condos to create one, 3,000-square-foot living space. Nair, his wife and their three children -- ages 3, 4 and 5 -- would move from their East End home to the RiverPark Place condo.

The third unit, a 1,200-square-foot condo that costs about $300,000, would serve as an investment property, he said.
Nair added that he is pleased with the downtown revitalization that he already has seen, and he expects that to continue, especially as Louisville follows the downtown living pattern established by other metropolitan areas.

So to Nair, real estate in RiverPark Place simply was a "good investment."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

RiverPark Place
Description: A mixed-use development that will include about 30,000 square feet of commercial space as well as 65 loft apartments and more than 600 condos in the first phase

Location: 1600 River Road, across from Towhead Island

Developer: Poe Cos. LLC

Project cost: About $200 million

Amenities include: A park setting; pool; downtown and river views; marina; biking and walking trails; on-site fitness center, restaurants and shopping; secure parking

Web site:www.riverparkplace.net

The building of the sales center is genius. Many people in this part of the country are not used to buying condos, much less as a "presale." These people are used to walking into finished houses and then deciding whether to buy.

I believe Indianapolis ran into problems selling One Market Square bc people were reluctant to buy a condo sight unseen. I think the sales center really helps in this part of the country outside Chicago, where people are more used to buying condos as "presale" or sight unseen.

I agree that OMS might have just barely survived if they had done something similar.
But the evidence already shows that Louisville doesn't need the sales center to get the ball rolling. 15% is a great number for only about 3 weeks of presale. It's interesting because I saw that site that's been bashing on the development, arguing that flooding will can the project, but Louisville can't just not develop its waterfront because of flooding. The setting is great, and its something those people can live with; its not that bad. Nothing like a hurricane when you're living on the florida coast.
But I am also confident that the engineering going into the project will be very innovative and they will find ways to lessen the effects of flooding greatly.

As construction has begun and the site is taking shape, I figured it was about time to bump this thread back up.
I drove by about a week ago and the progress shocked me. The site is cleared and they are working fast to get those two twoers up. Construction updates will be a lot of fun for this project.
But something to look forward in the near future: The marina is to be completed by the end of the summer.

I was also thinking about how nice these towers should look driving on I-64.

The website added interior photos. They are probly the model units; what's cool is that a few of them have shots of what the views will look like from the windows of the towers.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/rpp4.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/rpp3.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/rpp2.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/rpp1.jpg


I took these two two sundays ago with my phone. Site prep is moving along and pipes are still being laid. I am very excited that these are moving forward and beginning construction.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/032507_17152.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/032507_17201.jpg


The skyline looks really great from the site

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/032507_17212.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n127/WeezerChips/032507_17111.jpg

Thanks for posting those pics.

BTW: Back on an old point from this thread, OMS in Indy was problematic because of the pre-sales problem, not necessarily because it was sight-unseen. Those are two separate things. This project won't suffer from that. I predict big success here.

WOW!!! Great pics. Thanks. Is this post in green by chance?? Because I am very envious of this. Damn I wish that Indy had the Ohio River.

Hey, the White River is still something, and Indy needs to jump on that quick. The Milwaukee-Beerline type development that could be built along the river is something that I think deserves some serious consideration.

Cory, I hate to break it to you, but that channel you see in the picture isn't even the Ohio River - or at least not all of it. The full Ohio River is huge.

The problem with a river like the Ohio is flooding. There's a huge flood plain and/or everything has to be behind an extremely tall flood wall. It's difficult to engage with the river in the way that development can be right up against the Greak Lakes. In a way that's good, it can help keep the river free for park land.

If you've never seen pics of the 1937 flood, you should google some up. Quite impressive.

wow can u imagine the skyline pic from there once museum plaza and the otehr midrises downtown get built like the new arena hotels, the other hotels, iron quarter and zirmed towers? this is a great idea, i researched it and its modeled after a community in boston designed by goody clancy.well look at some of the work by this firm http://www.goodyclancy.com/html/proj_descr.asp?pageid=1203
well i looked at these condos but man they seemed priced so high for louisville! i mean a 2 br/one bath of like 900 square feet on the towers is selling for 300 plus and even higher if you are on floors 10 and up. crazy for lvilel imo but i guess they are selling well by the looks of things, and they arent even close to being finished.

One of the nice things about Louisville is its river oriented skyline. Cincinnati has something similar. This can lead to pretty impressive views when seen from across the river. The skyline doesn't have a lot of "depth", but that's ok. A similar effect can be seen along Chicago's Lakeshore Drive, where it feels like you are driving through Manhattan, but the row of skyscrapers is only one or two deep. I like how the skyline of Louisville is oriented towards the river.

^^

Which is why I think upon the completion of Museum Plaza (or even before), the stretch of river West of downtown will become the prime location for future midrise/highrise residential developments. In many ways, that will become the new face of downtown Louisville.

The area already has a more cohesive urban fabric with relation to downtown. This, despite the fact that I-64 juts through it. It also has that somewhat gritty/industrial edge that is appealing to urban dwellers. From a few floors up it would be green hills on one side (toward New Albany), A massive river view (one of the widest sections of river in the country), and cutting edge architecture on the other side.

Definitely a room with a view.

^^
I really hope cardpooch is right. I run along the river on the west side of downtown to about 26th street and that area (which is Portland) could use the rehab. Maybe the 1st step is a riverfront park that is super nice

They say it won't slow things down, and to me, thats the important part. hah
Build on!


Prehistoric bones found at River Road condo site


A burial site with the remains of at least 33 native Americans who probably lived around 3,000 B.C. has been unearthed at the construction site of RiverPark Place residential and commercial development off River Road near Towhead Island.

The remains, including three or four skulls with partly disintegrated skeletons, will be reburied at an appropriate site to be determined by the Army Corps of Engineers in consultation with representatives of three native American tribes, corps officials said today.

The discovery was not considered surprising by either the corps or AMEC Earth & Environmental, an expert in archeological excavation under contract to the Poe Cos., the RiverPark Place developer.

“It was about what we expected to find,” said Dr. Hank McKelway, an anthropologist and AMEC’s lead resouces manager at RiverPark Place. He said none of the remains was uncovered by bulldozers.

The archeological work on the burial site and the relocation of the remains will not delay construction of the $200 million project, which will include 600 condos and apartments, said Bob Gunnell, a partner in Peritus Public Relations, which is under contract to Poe to help promote the RiverPark Place project.

The developer of a previously proposed project for the same site did some preliminary excavation in the early 1990s and found a few human bones.

wow, that type of stuff captivates me. i always felt like there was something mystical about that area. 33 people is a lot of folks.

I talked to a person from RiverFields and they said (as the article eluded to) that they knew this was a burial ground prior to development. It's my guess that it had already been disturbed, so they allowed it the development to proceed. There was a lot more fuss about raising the crumbling building to build the Fleur de lis that this project has had.

Marina Rebirth
Project a key piece of RiverPark Place development


Larry Bailey, a Palmyra, Ind., businessman, is paying $130,000 to buy two of the larger boat slips at the RiverPark Place marina being built across from Towhead Island just upriver from Waterfront Park.

But Bailey thinks the two adjacent slips, which he needs for his large houseboat, will be worth the hefty price.



"I checked out all the slips up and down the river, and I believe this will be the best harbor for at least 300 miles around. I think I will be there for a long time," Bailey said, adding that he plans to dock his 84-foot-long, three-level houseboat at the marina and make the spot home.

The marina is a key component of RiverPark Place, a huge condominium and commercial development under construction off River Road just downriver from Eva Bandman Park. It is being developed by the Poe Cos.

"The marina is very important" to RiverPark Place, said Mike Kimmel, deputy director of the Waterfront Development Corp. The agency oversees riverside projects and assembled the RiverPark Place land for Poe.

"You probably don't need the slips to have a great development," Kimmel said of RiverPark Place. "But the marina makes it a beautiful place. People will be able to walk along a promenade and see the boats in the harbor."

Steve Poe, head of the development company, said the marina will cost about $6 million to build.

He said 43 of the 150 slips are already under contract to buyers. The slips are going for $35,000 to $65,000, depending on size, but the buyers can resell them.

The RiverPark slip owners also will pay a year-round maintenance and service fee, including for periodic dredging, of $70 per slip.

The new marina is replacing the old Louisville Municipal Boat Harbor, which was built in the 1930s as a federal Works Progress Administration project designed to create jobs during the Depression.

A boat harbor association rented the old marina from the city, starting in the early 1950s and ending when the harbor closed in 2005. The more than 100 slips rented for $1,200 to $1,500 each per year.

Kimmel said that although no special deal was put on the table for them, all the boaters who had slips at the old municipal harbor were offered first choice on the RiverPark Place marina slips. Only a handful bought one, Poe officials said.

The new slips "are really expensive. Few could afford them," said Bert Ribeiro, a member of the old harbor association, who now keeps his boat at a marina on Harrods Creek.

The RiverPark Place marina, he said, "is driving a lot of people who have done this activity (boating) their whole lives completely off the river. I would not say there was bitterness, but there was disappointment" among the association members, Ribeiro said.

Poe could not be reached yesterday for comment on Ribeiro's assertion.

But Bailey contended that Poe and waterfront officials didn't shun the association members. "Before any construction started, they sent us a letter, inviting us to sit down with them and giving us the first opportunity to rent a slip," he said.

Bailey was one of the very few members of the association to buy a RiverPark Place slip. He was a member of the old association for 13 years, paying about $1,500 annually for one of its slips.

The RiverPark Place marina, Bailey said, "is going to be a great location because of all the activity" at RiverPark Place and Waterfront Park.

John Hinshaw, Poe's project manager, said work on the new marina started last spring. About 2,500 linear feet of steel sheet piling forming the sea wall has been installed, and a concrete cap, which will serve as a pier or sidewalk along the marina, is going in.

Excavation work, which will take about two months and include cutting out as much as 60 feet of the riverbank to enlarge the harbor area, is expected to start soon, Hinshaw said.

Other work will include removal of a man-made island that served as a breakwater between the channel along Towhead Island and the old boat harbor. Its removal will allow more maneuvering room for boats at the marina, Kimmel said.

The installation of the slips and supporting facilities will complete the marina, probably next spring, Hinshaw said.

Poe said the developers are taking special care to ensure that the marina will not interfere with the rowing channel used by the University of Louisville team, which operates out of a center just downriver from RiverPark Place.

Of the 43 slips under contract, about 15 of the buyers also have signed contracts to buy a RiverPark Place condo, said Shannon Haste, RiverPark Place director of sales.

The initial phase at the 42-acre site will include the first of two, 16-story condo towers, with a total of around 150 condos selling for $129,000 to $1.5 million.

"The marina adds a lot" to RiverPark Place, Poe said. "It will create energy, with all the people going by, coming and going up and down the river."

The marina is deffinitely one of the features that will make this place "the place to live" or atleast one of them for a long time.

The only bad thing I have to say about this project is what you have to look at across the river. Not the best view in the world.

I think the views in general will be pretty alright. Of course most will prefer the skyline view, but there is still the river, the knobs and plenty of hills all around and a carpet of greenery. Might not be a skyline to look at in Indiana, but its still a view, and I'd take it over the one I have out my back window right now... (my neighbor's ugly back yard)

You guys might want to take a look at this.

http://www.louisvilleboatharbor.com/Citizens%20Rport/Citizens%20Report.htm