Preston upgrades drawn up
Renderings show brickwork, trees
After more than a year of work, the Preston Corridor Planning
Group has unveiled renderings of the first phase of a public
improvement plan.
The drawings show decorative plantings and brickwork on new
sidewalks along Preston Highway from Hess Lane to Phillips Lane.
They also show extensive tree plantings around a train
trestle just south of Audubon Parkway, as well as decorative
benches and trash cans.
Louisville has set aside $130,000 to pay for the
improvements, said Drew Shryock, assistant director of the Metro
Development Authority. But it's unclear how much the
improvements will cost, he said. The city will take bids this
fall and work could start quickly.
The city spent $35,000 to design the first phase, Shryock
said.
This is the beginning of what probably will be a long process
to improve the area, said Mary Rose Evans, a city commissioner
in Parkway Village and a member of the planning group.
"I guess the word's getting out that it's happening, and I
guess people are excited about it," Evans said. "Hopefully, more
defined sidewalks will give people more of a feeling of a place
to walk and more of a feeling of a neighborhood."
The planning group -- made up of neighbors and
representatives of small cities and businesses -- plans to
continue brainstorming ideas to improve the area, such as
attracting sit-down restaurants and other family-oriented
businesses.
The drawings -- created by Gresham, Smith & Partners
architectural engineers -- give people an idea of what the area
will look like, but the planning group still has a lot of work
to do, said Liz Martin, chairwoman of the group and president of
the Belmar Neighborhood Association.
"It's a starting point, which we haven't had," Martin said.
"There are a lot of conversations to be had."
Martin said the group still needs to create relationships
with some business owners and find ways to attract new, smart
development.
Besides the $130,000 for construction, Metro Councilman Jim
King has set aside $40,000 for the project, Shryock said.
King, who represents the area, said none of the efforts would
have been possible without leadership by residents in the
neighborhoods.
"I'm very pleased with the progress we've made," King said.
"It's been slow, but sure." |
