Thursday, November 10, 2005
Beargrass Creek project rezoning on council agenda
Plans for a large residential and marina development along the Ohio River near Beargrass Creek are expected to clear another hurdle tonight, as the Louisville Metro Council considers rezoning for it.
The action would change the property from a neighborhood form district to downtown form district, which would allow for higher density, taller buildings and on-street parking.
With approval from the council and an expected clearance from the Army Corps of Engineers, Icon Properties will be ready to begin the first phase of construction of its Riverpark Place, to include 350 units. It hopes to have its first residents by next fall.
The Waterfront Development Corp. asked for the zoning change in an effort to make the project more affordable for Icon and to ensure there are enough residents to make Riverpark Place vibrant.
"The whole (form district) concept is to give a general image for a particular area," said Mike Kimmel, spokesman for the Waterfront Development Corp. "This neighborhood has a particular image that comes to mind, and it's high density … with a lot of street-level activity."
The plans call for numerous residential structures, with some of them up to 16 stories. There also would be ground-level shops, restaurants and other amenities.
Kimmel said part of the need for the taller buildings stems from the Waterfront Development requirement that the public have access to the river's edge.
There will be a wide esplanade the length of the property that Kimmel said Icon will not develop.
"To put in a 20-foot-wide stretch of concrete is not inexpensive," he said.