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Jefferson Blvd. offices planned
5.4 acres may get four buildings

By Scheri Smith
The Courier-Journal

When Richard Dolan moved to Emerald Drive more than 54 years ago, his neighborhood was surrounded by farmland and mature trees.

Today, Dolan, 84, looks at his neighborhood and sees something completely different. Instead of rolling farmland, he sees wide roads, including the new Jefferson Boulevard. Instead of groves of mature trees, he sees residential developments.

“Since they put the Jefferson Boulevard in, it just opened this area up for expansion,” he said.

A new expansion might include a proposed office-condominium development on 5.4 vacant acres on the eastern side of Jefferson Boulevard between Poplar Level and Fern Valley roads — abutting Dolan’s property.

The development, proposed by Steve Scott and David Mindel of Three Star Development Co. Inc., would have 93,600 square feet of office space in four buildings with 23,400 square feet each.

The men are partners in the Mindel, Scott & Associates engineering firm. Their firm will occupy one of the proposed office buildings, said Bill Bardenwerper, a land-use attorney who represents them.

The Louisville Metro Planning Commission recommended that the development be approved. The Metro Council has final say.

The Metro Council introduced an ordinance on the development last week and could vote on it April 27. Before going before the Planning Commission, developers met with Dolan and other nearby residents to explain their proposed project, and most were impressed, Dolan said.

“It’s great. I wish they would put it up tomorrow,” he said.

Neighbors along Emerald Drive have dealt with flooding problems since a grove of trees was taken down some time ago, Dolan said.

Developers agreed to make drainage improvements on the site.

For Evelyn Krieger, 70, who also lives on Emerald Drive, the proposed development isn’t much of a surprise. Krieger has lived in the area for 12 years. She said she’s a little apprehensive about the project but knows it’s inevitable the land will be developed.

“Everything has to change. I know that,” she said.

“But when you get older, you don’t like change. You just get used to it.”