On Thursday of last week, the National Trust learned of the Louisville Metro Government’s intentions to demolish two buildings on a block in the Central Business District that is slated to be developed by Omni Hotels in the near future. A report was released by the city citing that the buildings had deteriorated, under their supervision, to the point that they were a danger to the public. Their facades were hastily demolished on Saturday – leaving no opportunity for salvage or compromise.

Our Heart of Louisville cannot be focused on demolition fights over individual buildings, however in this instance, the haste with which action was taken shows a lack of understanding that older, everyday buildings are the backbone of successful, sustainable economic development. Though the National Trust offered in this instance to provide Preservation Funds for an additional structural review, our intention is not to get involved in every local demolition fight. Read more about the Trust’s offer and the subsequent demolition.

We will continue our work promoting innovative approaches to building reuse, making sure that reuse is viable and easier, and supporting (with data and research) the economic and social contributions that older fabric makes to livability in Louisville.

However, we will continue to use this as example of short sightedness on the part of the city. We can all argue about the merit and worth of various individual buildings in the face of potential progress downtown. However, our research has shown that older, everyday buildings are the backbone of a visually interesting, inspiring urban landscape – a landscape that supports a strong local economy based in entrepreneurial opportunities, pedestrian activity, and human-scale streets. Letting buildings like this go – regardless of their individual value – goes against national urban design best practices and should be more than a preservation fight. Read more about why this is a missed opportunity for the future of downtown Louisville.