Three Points Louisville

If you pass through the intersection of Goss Avenue and Logan Street, (to us) what feels like a dozen times a day, you probably think “Geez, what an ugly intersection” a dozen times a day.  If you’re a Germantowner, you’re most likely to use this intersection to go downtown. If you’re a Shelby Parker, this is your gateway to Kroger.  Wherever your destination, you’re most likely using this intersection at some point in your day.

Looking North toward Logan Street.  Goss Avenue is to the right beyond the railroad tracks. 

Looking South from Logan Street.  In view: the former Goss Avenue Antique Mall (left), Save-a-Lot Grocery (center), & Abell Elevator International (right).

Alas!  No longer will you be sitting in your car, stopped by a never-ending train, subjected to the ugliness of this intersection!  It’s time this blighted eyesore gets a well-deserved makeover and we need your help!

The Abell Elevator Company has agreed for a mural to be painted on the side of their building.  Local artists, Chris Chappell and Henry Cunningham, have been enlisted to give the graffiti-prone wall a crisp, modern design.  The mural will incorporate the idea of “Three Points” since the unique intersection where three historic neighborhoods meet – Schnitzelburg, Shelby Park, and German-Paristown*.  Currently, the wall that will receive the mural is a patchwork of gray paint that has been used to cover graffiti on the often tagged wall (Research suggests that painting multi-colored designs or murals on surfaces will discourage graffiti, since tagging is more difficult. Such mural projects, especially when they involve local artists and high school students, have solved many graffiti problems.  Click here for an article about how San Francisco is launching a city-wide mural project to use street art as a deterrent to graffiti).

Luv-It Landscaping will be doing a complete greenscape overhaul to the easements in front of the mural, the median, the southern-most easement (where a current row of trees stand), and the triangular patch of grass near the rail road tracks.  They will be adding trees and shrubbery, mulching tree beds, and removing the existing overgrown brush.  The area nearest to Abell’s building will act as a rain garden to capture excess rainwater and prevent the water from flowing into the sewers. 

Current sidewalk conditions with standing water.

Sidewalks are to be repaired and repaved for pedestrians in the intersection.  Public Works has provided Jim King’s office with an estimate to complete the job.  Once it goes through the appropriations process, it will be in place to be completed by the contractor assigned by Jim King’s office.

With Save-a-Lot Grocery and Derby Dental recently opening the chain-link fence around their property for pedestrians, the foot traffic in the area has seen an increase.  We would like to see a bench and trashcan added the project site (no more rogue plastic trash bags blowing in the wind!).  M3 Solutions LLC, a local construction company, had agreed to donate AND build the concrete pad and bench for the project!  Now we just need a spiffy new trash receptacle to put complement the new bench!

Example of what the bench and trash receptacle may look like.

Goals of the project aim to: 1) communicate the cultural and artistic spirit of the surrounding communities, 2) instill community pride in residents, 3) improve walkability, 4) calm traffic at the complex intersection, 5) add to Louisville’s tree canopy, 6) and help visitors to the area identify nearby neighborhoods.  

The three neighborhoods involved in the project have very active community groups, include the “hottest” real estate zip codes in Louisville, and are home to a plethora of small, locally-owned businesses.  As these “trendy” neighborhoods grow, tourists and residents of Jefferson County will seek out the area.  This cultural growth is beneficial to both the neighborhoods and the city of Louisville, especially considering the financial benefit of increased investment in small businesses, increased property values, and increase in residential occupants in the neighborhoods.

This project is located directly outside of the former Goss Avenue Antique Mall/Cotton Mill where a massive renovation project to convert the old factory into 180+ loft style apartments, called the Germantown Mill Lofts, is underway.  The SACC and GPNA are also working together on the Goss Avenue Beautification Project that seeks to improve/update Goss Avenue and make it a bustling “Main Street.”  Goss Avenue ends at the location of the Three Points Beautification Project (just over the railroad tracks) and the project is clearly seen while looking Northwest, directly down Goss Avenue.  This project will compliment the Germantown Mill Lofts Project, the Goss Avenue Beautification, and the other revitalization projects underway and planned in the area.

We are currently awaiting approval from Louisville Metro Council to fund a portion of the project with Neighborhood Development Funds.  If approved, the project will receive $4,000 from District 10 Metro Councilman and Metro Council President Jim King and $2,500 from District 4 Councilman David Tandy, for a total of $6,500.

Unfortunately, that money will only fund the artist fees, landscaping, and a few other miscellaneous costs.  We need more money to purchase paint and paint supplies, rent a bucket truck, create the concrete pad to anchor the bench, cover administrative costs, and more. 

This is where YOU come in.  We are hoping the community will find this project to be a worthwhile effort that they are willing to partially fund.  Whether you are able to give a couple bucks or fund a larger portion of the project, WE NEED YOU.  Please consider giving to make our community a better place for everyone!

Click on the link to the right ----> to access our Neighbor.ly page to view a video about the project, see the perks of donating, and to actually make a pledge!  

Check in to the Neighbor.ly page often or follow us on Facebook to see how we are doing to reach our goal!  

Spread the word to your friends!!  Tell everyone from your neighbor to the coffee shop owner about the Three Points Beautification Project.  The more people who know, the more money we will be able to raise!

Thank you in advance for your support of the Three Points Beautification Project!

* Support from this project comes from the Schnitzelburg Area Community Council (SACC), Shelby Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA), and German-Paristown Neighborhood Association (GPNA) and the Center for Neighborhoods (CFN).