Bauers all but gone

Drove by the old Azalea's / Bauers last night and it is more than half way gone. You can see the old lath walls and scraps of old paint among the rubble.

[Robin Garr]

I know there's debate about the historic worth of the old building, but doggone it, a lot of us grew up with that old place and remember it - and its shady patio - as one of the nicest places in town to go for someplace special.

I do think there ought to be heavy fines for property owners who neglect their property until it decays and then use that decay as an excuse to tear it down.

What's with this city and the boner most seem to have with destroying buildings? I look at old pictures of downtown Louisville and it almost looks like Manhattan and now it's surface parking lots. It just seems that some are so quick to demolish.. one of the very few things I don't like about Louisville (I love everything else).

[Robin Garr]

What's with this city and the boner most seem to have with destroying buildings? I look at old pictures of downtown Louisville and it almost looks like Manhattan and now it's surface parking lots. It just seems that some are so quick to demolish.. one of the very few things I don't like about Louisville (I love everything else).

I think our parents and grandparents thought that was "progress."

What's with this city and the boner most seem to have with destroying buildings? I look at old pictures of downtown Louisville and it almost looks like Manhattan and now it's surface parking lots. It just seems that some are so quick to demolish.. one of the very few things I don't like about Louisville (I love everything else).

I agree. But we have all those parking lots for all the cars that drive into downtown because years ago GM bought, then systematically, dismantled the trolley lines. Our public transit has never really recovered IMHO.

I do think there ought to be heavy fines for property owners who neglect their property until it decays and then use that decay as an excuse to tear it down.

+1 This is a wonderful idea, but unfortunately one that I highly doubt the local politicians would support because they are in bed with the developers!

[Robin Garr]

+1 This is a wonderful idea, but unfortunately one that I highly doubt the local politicians would support because they are in bed with the developers!

"Follow the money," as Deep Throat told Woodstein.

This really does happen too much, though, and the sad thing is, it works. Whiskey Row and the Vogue complex come to mind, although to the Vogue owners' credit, I've got to say that the finished product respects the look and feel of the old neighborhood. It made the block look mighty slummy for a few years while it was falling apart, though.