A Louisville neighborhood group stalled Wednesday on a plan that would tear down three affordable apartment buildings next to a school.
The Cherokee Triangle Architectural Review Committee held off on deciding whether to grant the elite Louisville Collegiate School a certificate that would advance its goal of demolishing the Yorktown Apartments. The school bought the apartments in 2015 and is looking to establish a parking lot in its place to reduce congestion.
Caitlin Bowling, a communications manager for the city's economic development agency Louisville Forward, said in an email Thursday afternoon that a date for a follow-up hearing has not been set.
"No decision was made at the Cherokee Triangle ARC meeting as the committee requested additional staff review. There is no timeline for when the matter will go back before the ARC," she wrote.
Apartment residents were notified in October that they needed to leave their units by the end of January. Alltrade Property Management, which operates the apartments, has said it is helping tenants find new places to stay.
The Louisville Metro committee was created to help preserve the historic significance of the neighborhood. The city’s Planning and Design Services agency recently recommended that the group provide the school with the certificate.
WDRB reported that during Wednesday afternoon’s committee meeting, a majority of residents who commented on the plan opposed it.
The project’s case manager and a committee member did not respond to requests for comment Thursday on the delayed decision.
Elizabeth Post, a public relations executive representing Collegiate, provided a statement from the school Thursday afternoon:
“We appreciate the opportunity to hear from our neighbors, tenants, and community members during last night’s hearing with the Architectural Review Committee. We listened to the concerns and feedback raised and are taking time to re-evaluate our process for relocating tenants, and we will do more to assist them with their transition.”
Democratic Metro Council Member Cassie Chambers Armstrong, who represents Cherokee Triangle and the rest of District 8, said in a statement ahead of the meeting that she had submitted a comment to the committee expressing concern over demolishing “moderately-priced” rental units.
For those of you following Collegiate's proposal to demolish 48 housing units, a reminder that the public hearing is at 4:30pm today at 444 S. 5th St., Room 101. Please see below for the statement I am submitting to the Committee. pic.twitter.com/rU02SFgXil
— Cassie Chambers Armstrong (@cassie4council) November 30, 2022
A recent District 8 housing report, supported by Chambers Armstrong’s office, found that the median rent in the area was about $1,000.
“Housing is more expensive in District 8 than it is in Louisville on average… We have a lower percentage of renters than the county at large,” said Megan Metcalf, Chambers Armstrong’s legislative assistant.
Cullen Jones, Alltrade’s vice president for business development, said in an email Tuesday that rent for the Yorktown Apartments ranged from $525 to $745 and averaged at $650.
