River Fields group suffer setback as additional property not deemed ‘Historic’; East End bridge project marches forward

Here we go again. Will there ever be an end to the shenanigans surrounding the East End bridge?

What is seemingly a straight-forward eminent domain case has met opposition from a handful of people with apparently an ocean full of financial backing.

InsiderLouisville.com has been covering this case (with some great work by Curtis Morrison, I might add) most recently hitting on the extravagant price negotiated by the State for the Drumanard Estate. Now we have additional attempts to label land as Historic in order to thwart the progress of the East End Bridge project.

Clearly, having an East End bridge is both reasonable and needed. But that hasn’t stopped River Fields and their partner in this fight, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, an obvious misnomer, to push for Historic status on two additional plots that are in the path of the proposed highway.

From this map you can see the two highlighted parcels of land off River Road. River Fields is trying to affix a Historic label to both.

Both are located off River Road.

One has a home on it, the other is simply vacant farmland.

The first, 6900 River Road was built in 1923 and was owned most recently by Paul and Joan Casi before being purchased by the state for $2,075,000 on 3/31/2011.

It’s unclear what is so historic about this property, but the point is moot as the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) has deemed it not eligible.

The second nearby parcel, owned by:

HARRODS CREEK LAND MANAGEMENT
455 S 4TH ST STE 854
LOUISVILLE, KY 40202-2510

This piece of property is currently classed as agricultural vacant land—hardly noteworthy or unusual. This piece has yet to receive the NRHP’s verdict.

It seems the anti-bridge forces are not going to get their way but at what cost to Louisville taxpayers?