The Ice House – Tip of the Iceberg for Louisville Development

I was delighted to open my mail recently to receive an initiation to a wedding reception at the Ice House, at the old Arctic Ice Building at 217 East Main St. in the Gallery District in downtown Louisville. The old structure was renovated as an event venue, but that is – excuse the pun – just the tip of the iceberg for development in the area.

Now an event center, the building will accommodate 800 guests, but individual spaces within the center can host smaller groups: 50-75 in the conference center, 300 in the main hall, 150 on the terrace for a nice al fresco, and even 230 on the roof. For cocktail parties and the like, where many will be standing, even more guests can comfortably mingle on multiple levels, inside and out. The space can accommodate overflow between rooms, which are well fitted with restrooms, bars, a massive kitchen, and other amenities. The facility hopes to be the go-to place for small to medium sized events, managed by Crushed Ice Events. Additional space has been designated for retail shops, offices, and galleries. Pictures of the inside of the Ice House look inviting, I can hardly wait to attend the wedding.

In Louisville, some of us are still drying our tears at the news that the plans for Museum Plaza were scrapped, but in Louisville, we have a serious commitment to preserve the old as we build the new. The project, which couldn’t put together enough funding, planned to make three historic facades at 615-621 West Main St. an entryway to the West Main Street historical district to a building that would change the skyline of Louisville. The Plaza was planned as an exciting blend of residential, retail, office, education, and leisure activities including a center for contemporary art. The 98 luxury condos and 117 lofts would offer downtown housing for young professionals who wanted to be in the heart of the city.

Now, the Ice House will not only offer space for events but similar housing as well, though a smaller number of units. The Ice House Lofts will be the top loft housing location in the Waterfront Park, Main Street, and East Market Street Arts District neighborhood for young professionals. Originally intended to be condos but now slated for rental, they will offer 56 one-bedroom lofts and apartments with on-site parking, balconies, and decks. With rental rates of $700-800 for the lower floors and $1150 for larger suites with great viewers on the upper floor, the units will be offered at a good price point for downtown.

Made of concrete, steel and insulating cork, the Ice House Lofts will also be economically “green” with very low utility costs and green roof like other buildings in the area. The original building was like a giant freezer, so the building is already well insulated. Because there were no windows in the original building, the plans call for strategically adding windows. Each loft includes a bike locker for riding downtown and to nearby Waterfront Park.

Between the event center and new housing at the Ice House, once again Louisville has been creative in transforming the old into the new. If you are looking to be part of the downtown Louisville scene, call me, Jessica Gaines! I am your Louisville real estate resource. So listen up Louisville, and love where you live!!