The 800 Apartments

Last updated

The 800 Apartments
800 building.jpg
The 800 Apartments in 2006
The 800 Apartments
General information
StatusCompleted
Type Residential
Architectural style International Style [1]
Location800 South Fourth Street
Louisville, Kentucky, 40201
Coordinates 38°14′37.85″N85°45′32.77″W / 38.2438472°N 85.7591028°W / 38.2438472; -85.7591028
Construction started1961
Completed1963–64
Opened1963
Renovated2015–16
Cost$6 million
Height
Antenna spire331 ft (101 m) [2]
Roof290 ft (88 m)
Technical details
Floor count29
Design and construction
Architect(s) W. S. Arrasmith (Louisville)
Loewenberg & Loewenberg (Chicago) [3] [4]
DeveloperF. W. "Fritz" Drybrough Sr. [5] [6]
Main contractor Robert E. McKee General Contractor, Inc.

The 800 Tower, formerly The 800 Apartments, is a 29-story residential skyscraper in Louisville, Kentucky, located in the city's SoBro neighborhood, nestled between Old Louisville and downtown. [7] At the time construction was complete in 1963, The 800 was the tallest building in Louisville, [8] [5] a record it maintained for nearly a decade. [7] [5]

Contents

The building hosts the radio transmitter for WXMA (formerly WLRS FM), which has its studio a few blocks away. [2] From 1968 to 1988, WLRS-FM's studios occupied most of the building's ninth floor. [9] [10] [ unreliable source? ]

History

Designed by architect William Strudwick Arrasmith of Louisville in consultation with Loewenberg & Loewenberg of Chicago, and developed by Frederick W. "Fritz" Drybrough Sr., [3] [4] [5] [6] [11] construction on The 800 began in 1961. The construction contract was awarded to Robert E. McKee General Contractor, Inc. of Dallas. [12] The building was completed 1963–64, [7] [8] [13] with construction costs totaling $6 million. [14] Already in January 1964, the building's developer and architects won the Honor Award "for superior design" from the Federal Housing Administration, the agency's first such award, which they gave to 28 out of 315 entries. [6]

On June 16, 2015, Michigan-based property management firm, Village Green announced the purchase of the 800 Building, and renamed it 800 Tower City Apartments, and began renovations expected to exceed $10 million, and take 18 months. [15]

Architectural features

The 800 as seen from Fourth Street looking north toward downtown Louisville The 800, Louisville, KY.jpg
The 800 as seen from Fourth Street looking north toward downtown Louisville

The building, which has a continuous-pour reinforced concrete frame, has an aluminum curtain-wall system on its exterior with the color of the aluminum panels being a distinctive aqua, or turquoise, blue. [8] [16] As a result, local residents sometimes refer to it as the "Turquoise Tower of Power" (or just "Turquoise Tower"), a nickname used by disc jockeys who have broadcast from the building. [7] [ additional citation(s) needed ]

The building features an underground parking garage and four 29th floor penthouses along with an outdoor area on the roof. All rental units, except those on the 2nd floor, have outdoor balconies. The ground floor has in various years featured a restaurant from time to time, and in 2017, Bar Vetti, a new Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor patio seating opened. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelbyville, Kentucky</span> City in Kentucky, United States

Shelbyville is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,282 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospect, Kentucky</span> City in Kentucky, United States

Prospect is a home rule-class city in Jefferson and Oldham counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The Jefferson County portion is a part of the Louisville Metro government. The population was 4,592 as of the 2020 census, down from 4,698 at the time of the 2010 census. It is one of the wealthiest communities in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 264 (Kentucky)</span> Highway in Kentucky

Interstate 264 (I-264) is a partial loop around the city of Louisville, Kentucky, south of the Ohio River. An auxiliary route of I-64, it is signed as the Shawnee Expressway for its first eight miles (13 km) from its western terminus at I-64/U.S. Route 150 (US 150) to US 31W/US 60 and as the Watterson Expressway for the remainder of its length from US 31W/US 60 to its northeastern terminus at I-71. It is 22.93 miles (36.90 km) in length and runs an open circle around central Louisville. It is the only auxiliary route of I-64 outside of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHAS (AM)</span> Radio station in Louisville, Kentucky

WHAS is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Louisville, Kentucky and owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. Its studios are at Fourth Street Live! in downtown Louisville. First licensed in July 1922, it is the oldest radio station in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Street Live!</span> Mall in Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Fourth Street Live! is a 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) entertainment and retail complex located on 4th Street, between Liberty and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned and was developed by the Cordish Company; it was designed by Louisville architects, Bravura Corporation. Fourth Street Live! first opened to the public on June 1, 2004, and all stores were completed for the grand opening on October 30, 2004. City planners hoped that the district would attract further commercial business development while providing an attractive entertainment venue for the city's hotel and tourist business as well as the local population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galt House</span> Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky

The Galt House Hotel is a 25-story, 1,310-room hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, established in 1972. It is named for two consecutive nearby historic hotels, both named Galt House, erected in 1835 and 1869; the first was destroyed by fire in 1865, and the second, demolished in 1921. The Galt House is the city's only hotel on the Ohio River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Louisville)</span> Railroad station in Louisville, Kentucky

The Union Station of Louisville, Kentucky is a historic railroad station that serves as offices for the Transit Authority of River City (TARC), as it has since mid-April 1980 after receiving a year-long restoration costing approximately $2 million. It was one of at least five union stations in Kentucky, amongst others located in Lexington, Covington, Paducah and Owensboro. It was one of three stations serving Louisville, the others being Central Station and Southern Railway Station. It superseded previous, smaller, railroad depots located in Louisville, most notably one located at Tenth and Maple in 1868–1869, and another L&N station built in 1858. The station was formally opened on September 7, 1891, by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. There was a claim made at the time that it was the largest railroad station in the Southern United States, covering forty acres. The other major station in Louisville was Central Station, serving the Baltimore and Ohio, the Illinois Central and other railroads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derby pie</span> American pie

Derby pie is a chocolate and walnut open-faced custard pie baked in a (pre-baked) pie shell. The pie was created in the Melrose Inn of Prospect, Kentucky, United States, by George Kern with the help of his parents, Walter and Leaudra. It is often associated with the Kentucky Derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butchertown, Louisville</span> United States historic place

Butchertown is a neighborhood just east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, United States, bounded by I-65, Main Street, I-71, Beargrass Creek and Mellwood Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenwood Hill, Louisville</span> Hill and neighborhood on the south side of Louisville, Kentucky

Kenwood Hill is a hill and neighborhood on the south side of Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Its boundaries are New Cut Road, Kenwood Drive, Southside Drive and Palatka Road. The hill, earlier known as Sunshine Hill and then Cox's Knob, was used by Native Americans to spot buffalo. By 1868 Benoni Figg owned the area as a part of his charcoal business. His family oversaw development on the land until it was sold in 1890 to a development company which named the area Kenwood Hill. Southern Parkway was opened soon after in 1893.

William Brown Stansbury was an American lawyer and politician who held the office of the Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1977 to 1982. Stansbury's tenure as mayor was embroiled in controversy and scandal, culminating in an attempted impeachment. Though it failed, in its aftermath, Stansbury kept a low profile before leaving office in 1982. He died in 1985 after being hit by a car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloody Monday</span> 1855 anti-immigrant riot in Louisville, KY

Bloody Monday was a series of riots on August 6, 1855, in Louisville, Kentucky, an election day, when Protestant mobs attacked Irish and German Catholic neighborhoods. These riots grew out of the bitter rivalry between the Democrats and the Nativist Know-Nothing Party. Multiple street fights raged, leaving twenty-two people dead, scores injured, and much property destroyed by fire. Five people were later indicted, but none were convicted, and the victims were not compensated.

Fontaine Ferry Park was an amusement park in Louisville, Kentucky that operated from 1905 to 1969. Located on 64 acres (26 ha) in western Louisville at the Ohio River, it offered over 50 rides and attractions, as well as a swimming pool, skating rink and theatre. The most popular attraction were its wooden roller coasters, of which 4 were built over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Metro Hall</span> United States historic place

The Louisville Metro Hall is the center of Louisville, Kentucky's government. It currently houses the Mayor's Office and the Jefferson County Clerk's Office for marriage licensing, delinquent tax filings, and the deeds room. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Construction began in 1836, and both the City of Louisville and Jefferson County governments starting using it in 1842.

WXMA is a commercial radio station in Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned by Alpha Media and broadcasts a soft adult contemporary radio format known as "102.3 The Rose". WXMA's radio studios and offices are on South 4th Street in Downtown Louisville.

Arthur Loomis was an architect who worked from 1876 through the 1920s in the Louisville, Kentucky area. After working for noted architect Charles J. Clarke for several years, they became partners in 1891, creating Clarke & Loomis, one of Louisville's most prestigious architectural firms. After Clarke's death in 1908, Loomis struck out on his own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherokee Triangle, Louisville</span> United States historic place

The Cherokee Triangle is a historic neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, known for its large homes displaying an eclectic mix of architectural styles. Its boundaries are Bardstown Road to the southwest, Cherokee Park and Eastern Parkway to the southeast, and Cave Hill Cemetery to the north, and is considered a part of a larger area of Louisville called The Highlands. It is named for nearby Cherokee Park, a 409 acres (1.7 km2) park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York's Central Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Strudwick Arrasmith</span> American architect

William Strudwick Arrasmith was an American architect known for his designs for Greyhound bus stations in the Streamline Moderne style popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Among the over 60 stations he designed are the Cleveland Greyhound Bus Station (1948), the Montgomery, Alabama, Greyhound Bus Station (1951), and the Evansville, Indiana, Greyhound Bus Terminal (1938) which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Sinking Fund Building</span> Historic building in Louisville, Kentucky

The Sinking Fund Building, also known as Firehouse No. 2, is an historic building in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Located on Jefferson Street between Louisville Metro Police Headquarters and the Louisville City Hall Annex building, it is part of the municipal office complex that comprises several neighboring blocks and originally housed the Louisville Division of Fire. The building currently houses the office of the Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, the primary municipal taxing authority for the city-county government. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

References

  1. ↑ Poynter, Chris (August 7, 2004). "High rise hits a low note with residents; The 800 apartments lost prestige, face problems". The Courier-Journal . p. A1. Retrieved November 26, 2023– via newspaper.com.
  2. 1 2 "WXMA-FM 102.3 MHz – Louisville, KY". radio-locator.com.
  3. 1 2 "Architects Here Shuffling Firms". The Courier-Journal . June 30, 1963. p. 66. Retrieved November 25, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Kleber, John E., ed. (2001). "Arrasmith, William Strudwick". The Encyclopedia of Louisville. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 49. ISBN   0-8131-2100-0. OCLC   247857447 . Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Yater, George H. (1987). "Chapter Seventeen; New Directions: Louisville in the Post-Industrial Age". Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio: A History of Louisville and Jefferson County (2nd ed.). Louisville, Kentucky: Filson Club, Incorporated. p. 230. ISBN   0-9601072-3-1.
  6. 1 2 3 "800 Building Will Receive Honor From F.H.A. Today". The Courier-Journal . January 6, 1964. p. 15. Retrieved November 26, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Ward, Steven (November 9, 2016). "Return of the Turquoise Tower". LEO Weekly . Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Kleber, John E., ed. (2001). "Apartment Buildings". The Encyclopedia of Louisville. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 40. ISBN   0-8131-2100-0. OCLC   247857447 . Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ "WLRS -- EARLY DAYS 1967 -- 69 | LKYRadio.com Message Board". lkyradio.proboards.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Welcome to LKYRadio - Classic Louisville, Kentucky Radio - WLRS Page". lkyradio.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Former coal broker files suit for $15 million over his arrest". The Courier-Journal . January 26, 1978. p. D8. Retrieved November 26, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Skyscraper Work To Start In 2 Weeks". The Courier-Journal . November 2, 1961. p. 21. Retrieved May 1, 2024– via newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Holiday Greetings From 290 Feet". The Courier-Journal . December 7, 1963. p. 15. Retrieved November 25, 2023– via newspapers.com. Workmen still are finishing the inside of the huge building. About 40 percent of the apartments now are occupied.
  14. ↑ Hall, Christopher (October 9, 2002). "Longtime resident leaves 800 Apartments". The Courier-Journal . p. 82. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  15. ↑ Finley, Marty (June 19, 2015). "Village Green CEO: 800 Apartments 'will be the best apartment building in Louisville'". Louisville Business First . Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  16. ↑ Luhan, Gregory; Domer, Dennis; Mohoney, David (2004). The Louisville Guide. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 187. ISBN   978-1-56898-451-3 . Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  17. ↑ Mann, David A. (September 8, 2016). "Louisville restaurateurs plan a new concept in the 800 building". Louisville Business First . Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  18. ↑ "INSIDE LOOK: Step inside the new Bar Vetti restaurant". October 11, 2017.
Preceded by Tallest building in Kentucky
1963–1971		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.