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Wednesday, March 27, 2007
Neighbors Welcome
Courier Journal |
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| By Darhiana M. Mateo dmateo@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal Gladys Voll calls the closing of Fairgrounds Liquors, 3318 Preston Highway "the end of an era." Voll, 79, and her three older sisters inherited the property years ago from their parents, George and Olivia Bickel. The 50-year-old liquor store, sitting on a half acre, was the last piece of property owned by the Bickels, who once owned about 70 acres in the area, including two adjacent farms. "We owned two little farms there until the Fairgrounds bought it," Voll recalled. "My dad moved the two houses we owned and started over. And then I-65 came along and he was sitting right in the middle." Eventually, all that was left was the liquor store, once a vegetable and meat store called Bickel's Market. The liquor store closed at the end of last month and is for sale, along with a large billboard that can be seen from Interstate 65. The tenant, Emile Hawkins, chose not to renew the lease. "The four heirs did not want to run a liquor store," Voll said. "We decided the best thing to do was to sell the place." Councilman Jim King, who represents the nearby small city of Audubon Park, said he had mixed emotions about seeing the liquor store close. "Let me put it this way. I never like to see a business close. But on the other hand, I don't think it's the best use for that property. It was somewhat of a problem for us." The "problem" relates to complaints from neighbors and local officials about beer being consumed in the store. The business was cited last March by an Alcohol Beverage Control officer. The business is in a C-1 commercial zone, which does not allow alcohol to be consumed in liquor stores. But The Louisville Metro Board of Zoning Adjustment decided that the owners of Fairgrounds Liquors have the right to allow beer to be consumed in the establishment. Liz Martin, president of the Belmar Neighborhood Association and chairwoman of the Preston Corridor Planning Group, said the business was "grandfathered" under an old law that allowed open containers on the premises and operations like a bar. "I don't think it was adding to the community in a positive way," she said. "I think we can probably do better with a new owner of the property and/or a new lease of a business that has more of a neighborhood atmosphere. It wasn't a place most people felt safe." The store's location, near Gate 6 of the Kentucky Exposition Center, and its location within the revitalized Preston Corridor should help draw the interest of businesses, Martin said. "We'd love to have a balance of amenities. We'd love to have a coffee shop (or a) mid-range type of sit-down restaurant," Martin said. "A place where people could congregate and sit down with one another." King agreed, saying an ideal new owner would be the Fair Board. Voll said she has had several calls about the property. For Voll, it's simply time to say goodbye to the last slice of her parents' legacy. "The building is not in good shape," she said. "Whoever buys the property will probably tear it down and build something else. "Hopefully, it will be something nice for the neighborhood." Reporter Darhiana M. Mateo can be reached at (502) 582-7086. |
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