Acknowledgments

This study was designed, written and illustrated by:

Patrick Piuma, Director, Urban Design Studio
Luis Calvo Deik, Graduate Research Assistant, Urban Design Studio
in collaboration with:
Butchertown Neighborhood Association
URBAN DESIGN STUDIO
The Urban Design Studio (UDS) is part of the University of Louisvilles Department of Urban & Public
Affairs and is located at 507 South Third Street in Louisville, Kentucky.
The mission of the UDS is to raise the communities awareness of better design practices for our
built environment with a focus on moving our city and region towards a sustainable future. Through
design studies, research, charrette facilitation, workshops, meetings, classes and general outreach to
the community, the UDS offers a central location to discuss issues in the community and work in a
collaborative environment to come up with creative solutions for the betterment of all.
www.udstudio.org
October 2013
2013 Urban Design Studio all rights reserved.

Contents
Introduction2
Site Analysis

Butchertown3
History of Butchertown
3
Recent Developments
3

Process4
First Public Meeting/Design Workshop
Second Steering Committee Meeting 
Final Public Meeting 
Design Proposals

4
6
6
6

Final Design and Recommendations

Walkability & Connectivity

9
Green Space & Recreation
12
ADA Accessibility
12
Lighting & Safety
12
Parking12
Visuals12

Appendix A: Summary of Existing Conditions 

20

Appendix B: Cost Estimate

21

Contents
1

STORY AVENUE PARK BOUNDARIES

Introduction

Introduction

Story Avenue Park, in the historic neighborhood of

Butchertown, is located northeast of the Central
Business District of Louisville, Kentucky. The three
individual parcels that collectively create the park are
located directly west of Interstate 64, and are bound
by Story Avenue to the south and Washington Street
to the north.

Through three public meetings, including one design

workshop, a site development plan was created and
revised for the three parcels that compose Story
Avenue Park. The resulting design incorporates
the ideas and feedback received by neighborhood
residents, and was guided by the expertise provided
by Metro Parks staff.

In the spring of 2013, the Boys and Girls Club

building, previously located along the western
side of the park, was demolished and its land was
cleared. The new green space that resulted from
the demolition sparked the interest of neighborhood
residents who desired a more vibrant and active
park. Consequently, a new design for the park was
sought through a public process coordinated by the
Urban Design Studio (UDS), in collaboration with the
Butchertown Neighborhood Association (BNA) and
Louisville Metro Parks.

Throughout the process, residents expressed their

desire for a park design that was both contemporary
and contextual, responding to both site features
and the neighborhoods rich history. The final design
features a large open green space as its centerpiece
that is bordered by a walking path, and includes a
basketball half court, a swing set, benches, a small
lawn, bike racks, picnic areas, and permeable
parking. The enhanced pedestrian circulation
connects Story Avenue with Washington Street,
while guiding park users through an undulating path
that connects park features and seating areas to
major neighborhood gateways.

Site Analysis
Butchertown
Butchertown is located northeast of downtown
Louisville, and is generally bound by the Ohio River,
Main Street/Mellwood Avenue, Interstate 65 and
Beargrass Creek along its north, south, east and
west boundaries, respectively. The neighborhood
is rich in history, and within the last three decades
has transitioned into a vibrant and active community
housing a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial uses.

Butchertown neighborhood boundaries (Credit: Google Earth)

History of Butchertown

In 1966, these residents convinced the city to rezone

parcels within the communitys boundaries to allow
for residential uses. As a result, a group of residents
created Butchertown, Inc, which soon started buying and renovating dilapidated properties. While
Butchertowns renaissance has been gradual and
at times slow since its first attempts in the 1960s,
the area experienced significant investments and
improvements in the 80s and 90s. The late 2000s
saw the community starting to become a burgeoning dining district, a development that continues to
this day.

Recent Developments
In 2013, the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD)
started implementing streetscape improvements to
a stretch of Story Avenue, a major thoroughfare that
connects the neighborhood with the downtown core
and other adjacent communities. The improvements
included new sustainable features aimed at both
reducing stormwater runoff and increasing tree canopy. The Butchertown Neighborhood Association
remains an active agent in the revitalization effort,
organizing an annual art fair that draws crowd from
nearby communities and the metro area.

Introduction

The area was formally annexed by the City of

Louisville in 1827 and soon experienced an influx
of German immigrants that served as labor for the
meat-packing industry. Prior to annexation, the
slaughtering of animals was not allowed in the City
of Louisvilles boundaries, due to the inadequacies
of the land. According to Bill Pike of the CourierJournal, Butchertowns location made it prime for the
meat-packing industry in the IXX century; animals
were brought in on the Frankfort Pike (now Frankfort
Avenue), slaughtered in Butchertown, and then their
remains would be disposed on Beargrass Creek. In
its early days, Butchertown was a thriving mixed-use
community in which business owners lived alongside
their employees and in close proximity to places
of worship, retail, and employment. Breweries and
distilleries took root in the community, satisfying demand by residents of German descent.

the city led to the destruction of many homes. The

1950s brought about a tumultuous time in which
white flight and an exodus to the suburbs further
depleted the areas population and deteriorated
the remaining housing stock. The construction of
Interstates 64 and 65 in the 1960s created physical
barriers that separated the neighborhood from both
the downtown core, Clifton Heights neighborhood
and the Ohio River. Nonetheless, a dedicated and
persistent group of neighborhood residents remained
determined to set the stage for a renaissance.

The neighborhood underwent decades of transition

as the meat-packing business fled towards larger
plots of land outside of the community. In 1931, the
city zoned the entirety of the neighborhood as industrial, after which in 1937 the great flooding impacting
Trucks hauling barrels from the Stitzel Distillery located on 1033 Story
Avenue in 1931 (Credit: Photographic Archives, University of Louisville)

Process
The design process for the park sought to
incorporate ideas and feedback from members of
the Butchertown community, as well as other project
stakeholders in Louisville. The process was open to
all participants, some of whom remained involved
throughout the entirety of the designs evolution. The
process began with a design charrette followed by
two public meetings.

First Public Meeting/Design Workshop

(Thursday, May 23, 2013)
The public and community stakeholders attended
the design charrette hosted at the Eye Care Institute
across the street from the site. Participants included
representatives from the Butchertown neighborhood,
its neighborhood association and Louisville Metro
Parks. The participants were introduced to the site,
the goals for the park, and were asked to draw
schematic site plans of their visions. The resulting
sketches, as shown on the page to the right,
generally favored open green space with paths that
loop around the site.
Several attendants expressed concerns that built
structures that provide shelter would attract a
transient population, as based on residents previous
experiences. Regardless, several designs included
pavilions and gazebos facing open green space.
Additionally, several residents voiced their support
for keeping both the basketball half-court and the
swings, though were open to the idea of moving
these structures from their current locations.

First Steering Committee Meeting

Process

(Monday, June 17, 2013)

The progress meeting was attended by representatives of Louisville Metro Parks, the Urban Design
Studio, and park project stakeholders. In such, the
designers presented three preliminary iterations of
design alternatives to be presented at the second
public meeting, based on the sketches created by
participants of the design charrette. Attendants were
asked for feedback based on their expertise regarding the neighborhood and the operation and maintenance of similar parks in Louisville.
Design Charrette Participants engaging in site plan design schemes.

Scheme created during the design charrette showing a gazebo, floral

landscaping along Story avenue, and a dog park.

Scheme created during the design charrette showing a wide path, large
pavilion, open lawn, and bird bath.

Scheme created during the design charrette showing formal gardens, large
open lawn, and entrance plaza along Story Avenue,

Process

Scheme created during the design charrette showing a wide bath, butterfly
herb garden, and community garden.

Second Public Meeting

(Wednesday, June 26, 2013)
Held at the Urban Design Studio, this meeting was
open to the public and attended by about 15 residents, as well as representatives of Louisville Metro
Parks. The designs generated during the charrette
were synthesized by the UDS into three separate
design alternatives: The Promenade, The Path, and
The Loop. These alternatives were presented to the
public, after which the designers were given feedback and ideas from which to proceed. Attendants
decided to move forward with the Loop alternative,
and develop this scheme into a final site plan. As
well, participants reached a consensus regarding the
location of the basketball half-court and its relationship to the main path.

Design Proposals
Scheme 1: The Promenade
The Promenade scheme sought to create a circulation spine
that connected pedestrian activity between Washington
Street and Story Avenue.

Second Steering Committee Meeting

(Monday, July 15, 2013)
The progress meeting was attended by members
of the Louisville Metro Housing Authority, Urban
Design Studio, and park project stakeholders. The
designers presented a refined and updated iteration
of the combine design alternatives presented at the
public meeting, based on feedback received through
the public process. The participants were asked to
review the final draft of the concept site plan and
offer input and expertise regarding the details and
elements being included in the plan, with which the
UDS would proceed and develop into a fully rendered final product.

Left: The first iteration concentrated on creating formal gardens with

terminating vistas visually anchored by built structures.
Right: The design was simplified in its second iteration by removing the
maintenance-heavy formal gardens and instead focusing on a single
promenade.

Scheme 2: The Path

This scheme clustered all activity towards the quieter section
of the park, and focused on a simple design geared towards
maximizing green space.

Final Public Meeting

The final design was presented to the public at a final public meeting, hosted by the Eye Care Institute.
The final design presented sought to incorporate
the ideas and designs collected through the public
process, respecting the sites context, resident concerns and needs, and maintenance requirements.

Process

(Wednesday, July 24, 2013)

Left: All formal activity and built elements within the park were pushed
towards the western side. A curvilinear plaza was placed along Story
Avenue.
Right: The second iteration of this design reduced the amount of parking
within the park, instead focusing on additional flexible-use green space.

Scheme 3: The Loop

Ultimately chosen by the public and the steering committed alike as the most appropriate for the site, this scheme organizes
all activity within the park around a pedestrian loop that surrounds a large swath of open green space.

First Iteration showing a narrow-path loop with

formal promenade.

Second Iteration showing a closed loop with a

pavilion along Story Avenue.

Third Iteration showing a closed loop with a

flexible-use paved plaza along the flood wall.

Left: Visibility diagram illustrates the effect of existing trees and flood wall.
Right: Noise diagram reveals the negative effects of proximity to highway.

Process
7

Left: Existing pedestrian gateways into the site are concentrated along
Story Avenue. Recent demolition of building on site presents new condition.
Right: The proposed circulation/program organized all activity around a
single path connecting major gateways with a loop around the entire site.

Unveiled at the second public meeting, the fourth Iteration featured a

closed loop with a flexible-use paved plaza along the flood wall, and an
extension of the Story Avenue streetscape into the park. This iteration
recommended keeping the basketball court at its current location.

Process

Final Design and

Recommendations
Walkability & Connectivity
The design and public process revealed that the park
currently lacks connectivity to both Story Avenue
and Washington Street. The parks location presents
an opportunity to create a pedestrian connection between these two roadways, while still allowing for the
park to become a place for gathering. While both of
these streets provide pedestrian gateways into the
site, these currently lack a sense of entry that is both
inviting and formalized.
In the case of the Washington Street gateway, pedestrians and automobiles share access into the
park through what is currently an asphalt driveway
leading to a surface parking lot. Story Avenue presents a different condition, as this gateway is exclusively for pedestrians and is the recent beneficent of
a streetscape improvement project undertaken by
the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) that added
new tree wells and vegetation. Because of its visibility and opportunity of providing an image-making
space, the Story Avenue portion was conceived as
the main entryway for the park.
The design for Story Avenue Park features a 10-wide
path that loops through the entire site creating a large
open green space in its center. This green space is
imagined as a flexible-use unprogrammed lawn that
is suitable for various activities. The path also connects with existing pedestrian gateways to create
significant and inviting entryways into the park.

Recommendations
9
View of typical new tree well installed by MSD along Story Avenue. The
decorative fencing used by MSD is recommended to be incorporated
into the Parks Story Avenue entryway.

Site Plan Legend

A

Pervious Driveway

Parking Lot to Remain (Striping Suggested)

C
D

Open Green Space to Remain (Flattening of

existing berm recommended)
Pervious Parking Lot (See Visual 1)

Basketball Half-Court (See Visual 4)

Swing Set (See Visual 5)

Picnic Table with Grills (See Visual 5)

Entrance with Decorative Fence (See Visuals 2 & 3)

Note: For a full list of furnishings, including benches and

trash cans, please refer to Visual 6
D

STORY AVENUE PARK - Site Plan

ide Asphalt Pa
W
th
0
1

Open Lawn

Green Space & Recreation

Through the public process, it was agreed upon that
community members desired a large swath of open
green space for flexible and unprogrammed use.
Residents voiced that existing recreational facilities
within the park, the swing set and basketball halfcourt, were suitable in size and scale to serve their
current needs. A full playground and basketball court
were therefore not included in the design, instead
opting for recreational facilities with a similar size and
capacity to the existing conditions.
The final design recommends that existing recreational facilities are relocated within the park to areas that
are accessible from the main path. The recommended
swing set is similar in size and capacity to the existing
swings. Nonetheless, it is located near a smaller open
lawn that allows for future expansion were the neighborhood to deem it necessary or desired.

ADA Accessibility
All elements of the park are recommended to be fully
ADA accessible; public spaces must be designed
with every user in mind, regardless of disability or
age. Paving materials that provide a smooth and flat
surface for wheelchair users should be selected, as
is the case for the main walking path. The northwest
parking area is recommended to include two handicap parking spots clearly identified with signage, and
accessed from the paved area and basketball half
court via an ADA ramp.

Lighting & Safety

dusk to dawn hours may not require any artificial

lighting. Nonetheless, if open during night hours
the park must be well lit in order to provide a safe
atmosphere for all users. Lighting fixtures should be
placed to provide adequate lighting without becoming a nuisance to nearby residents. Creating a safe
park is nonetheless not limited to lighting; spaces in
the park are designed to have multiple entries/exits
and are fully visible from Story Avenue. Overall, the
safest park will be one that is well used by the community, and does not feel deserted or isolated form
its surroundings.

Parking
The existing amount of parking on the site exceeds
the required amount for park size and use. It is recommended that the asphalt parking lot located on
the small portion north of the flood wall is maintained
within its current footprint, and undergoes aesthetic
improvements such as new landscaping, way-finding, and striping. The current lot in the northwest
corner is recommended to be removed and replaced
with a smaller permeable lot with handicap parking
Additionally, on-street parallel parking is available
along Story Avenue within a walkable quarter mile
radius.

Visuals
The following pages contain several images that illustrate before/after renderings of select parts of the
park. They are each noted with their location with the
park, design rationale, and relevance to the public
design process.

12 Recommendations

Though not central to the design, lighting may be

incorporated in accordance to desired and projected
park use/hours. For instance, a park operating under

Panoramic view of site looking south towards Story Avenue. The demolition of the Boys and Girls Club Building created a wide swath of green space that
is largely preserved in the recommended design.

Visual 1: Northwest Entrance

Though a major gateway into the park, current access from
Washington Street is uninviting to pedestrians and lacks a
sense of identity. The existing driveway serves an asphalt
parking lot within the park, and provides automobile access
to a private lot in the White Clay complex, therefore requiring
that car access be maintained.

The basketball half court is recommended to be moved to

this location due to resident feedback collected at the public
meetings. Nearby residents commented that the northwest
corner is equally visible from Story Avenue, yet removed
enough to avoid the visual obstruction created by the current
half-court. The new location agglomerates several uses into
one location, and creates a semi-flexible paved area suitable
for staging in case a large event is hosted at the park.

Recommendations 13

It is recommended that the current asphalt surface be removed and replaced with a permeable modular paving that
allows grass to grow within a concrete grid. The new surface is suitable for driving and parking purposes, and has
already been implemented in similar Louisville Metro Parks.
Permeable paving has the added benefit of reducing stormwater runoff while providing a surface that is human in scale,
and is visually compatible with surrounding green space.

Visual 2: Story Avenue Entrance

The portion of the site that faces Story Avenue is a major pedestrian gateway into the site. This stretch is also the single
location from which pedestrians and drivers in the right of
way are subject to an unobstructed view into the park. This
presents an opportunity to create an inviting front entrance
that is representative of Butchertowns neighborhood identity,
while properly identifying the park.
Two decorative fences are recommended in this location, as
seen in a zoomed-in fragment of the site plan to the left. The
fence, approximately 3 in height, is suggested to be constructed with reclaimed brick for the bottom 18, topped with
an 18 decorative wrought iron fencing that matches the new
tree wells installed by MSD along Story Avenue. The use of
reclaimed brick evokes a historic aesthetic, albeit in a new
construction.

14 Recommendations

Open Lawn

Western
Decorative
Fence

Ce
ntra

l Decorative Fen

ce

Story Avenue
Note: Trees are not shown in the section of the site plan displayed
above in order to illustrate decorative wall.

Visual 3: Main Entry Signage

It is recommended that all new or renovated signage within
the park is in accordance with Louisville Metro Parks signage
standards. As shown in Visual 6: Park Furnishings in this
same document, signage is recommended at major gateways into the park, as well as minor gateways that benefit
from new way-finding.
The image above shows an example of a new main identity
park sign to be located along the parks Story Avenue frontage. Given its prominence and high visibility, it is recommended that this location be treated as a front entrance for
the park. Signage should therefore identify the parks name
and reference the Butchertown community. If applicable, this
location is appropriate for identifying park hours of operation.
Recommendations 15

Designing an inset in the brick knee-wall would allow a space

for native plants and other landscaping to add character and
color to the entrance to the park without needing to be overly
landscaped or leading to intense maintenance issues.

Note: Trees are not shown in the section of the site plan displayed
above in order to illustrate decorative wall and signage location.

Visual 4: Basketball Half-Court and

Flexible Space

16 Recommendations

The basketball half-court is recommended to be moved

from its current location to the area east of the new pervious
parking lot and south of the flood wall. Participants in the
public process noted that while the existing half-court is a
desirable amenity they wish to keep, its current location is not
ideal due to the visual obstruction it creates with its proximity
to the street. The northward move of the half-court allows for
a greater amount of open green space near Story Avenue
and a clear view into the park from the street level; a gesture
well worth the financial costs associated with such a move,
according to the aforementioned participants.
The new basketball half-court features rounded edges on two
sides that gracefully blend with the undulating path that loops
around the park. Additionally, the half-court is surrounded by
a paved area that acts as a buffer between basketball players
and other park users. This buffer area also allows for the
addition of tree wells, a patch box, and benches. In the case
of a medium to large event, this area may be re-imagined as
the potential location for a temporary stage facing the large
open green space.

Visual 5: Swings and Picnic Area

Located south of the basketball half-court and directly off the
main loop, the single set of swings provides a family-friendly
element to the park. The existing swings were described by
current residents as a feature worth preserving, yet their current location was in close proximity to the interstate ramp,
resulting in a space riddled with noise pollution and darkened
by a nearby heavy tree canopy.

The small lawn between the swing sets and the decorative
fence is recommended to house two picnic tables, each with
a nearby accompanying grill. This feature, specifically requested by residents, is geared towards drawing in new users into
the park and still allowing the majority of the parks footprint to
be occupied by unprogrammed green space.

Recommendations 17

The new location allows for the swing set to be visible from
Story Avenue, yet distanced enough to avoid heavy noise and
buffer children at play from nearby cars. The recommended
decorative fence along Story Avenue creates both a sense of
identity for the park and a physical barrier that prevents young
children from running into the street. Nearby benches located
off the main path are designed to provide shaded and comfortable seating for parents who wish to supervise their children.

18 Recommendations

STORY AVENUE PARK

Furnishings Plan

Furnishings Plan Legend

Trash Container on Concrete Pad (3 total)
Set of Two Benches, Each on Concrete pad
or paved surface (10 total)
Picnic Table on Concrete Pad with
accompanying grill (2 tables, 2 grills total)
Louisville Metro Parks Signage* (6 total)
Patch box (1 total)

Suggested 6 Traditional Style wood bench by Belson Outdoors, or

comparable alternative (Source: www.belson.com).

Bike Rack (2 total)

* Size of circle denotes signage hierarchy; larger
circle represents main signage, smaller circle
represents supplemental way-finding signage.
Refer to Visual 3 for illustration.

Visual 6: Park Furnishings

The following images represent suggested furnishings
to be located within the park, with approximate locations illustrated by the site plan to the left of this page. It
is recommended that furnishings are selected to have a
consistent color and material scheme, as a way to provide a cohesive aesthetic throughout the park. Items like
benches, tables, trash receptacles, and bike racks may
vary in style from what is recommended in this page, if
desired by the community. However, signage is to strictly
adhere to Louisville Metro Parks standards and accurately display park name, neighborhood, hours, and rules.
Supplemental signage is recommended for way-finding
purposes, especially in minor gateways into the park. If
possible, way-finding signage geared towards pedestrians
and bikers is recommended at the southeast corner of
Adams and Washington Street.

Suggested 6 picnic table with detached seats by Belson Outdoors, or

comparable alternative, on concrete pad (Source: www.belson.com).

Suggested steel trash receptacle with flared top by Belson Outdoors, or

comparable alternative (Source: www.belson.com).

Suggested shark fin bike rack, or comparable alternative, to be

located near basketball half-court and pervious parking. See Visual 2 for
suggested Story Avenue bike rack (Source: www.belson.com).

Suggested CHAR-WOOD campstove park grill by Belson Outdoors, or

comparable alternative (Source: www.belson.com).

Recommendations 19

Appendix A: Summary of Existing

Conditions
The following images portray the existing conditions of the
site, with their respective descriptions and locations.

Park identifying signage is located at the interstate of Story Avenue and

the I-64 exit ramp.

The demolition of the Boys and Girls Club Building created a wide and
expansive green space in what had been a small and visually hidden site.

Access from Washington Street takes place through an asphalt driveway

bordered by the flood wall to the east.

The basketball half court is the parks most prominent feature when seen
from Story Avenue.

The flood wall reaches an approximate height of 6 feet at the northern

section of the site.

The current swing is improperly placed, hidden behind the basketball half
court and subject to interstate noise.

20 Recommendations

The White Clay complex provides a western boundary that is

architecturally and aesthetically interesting, and subject to a potential
enhanced relationship.