Louisville, Ky. (WDRB News) -- It is one of Louisville's largest re-development projects.
Although its has been difficult, progress is being made toward the stabilization of Whiskey Row along downtown Louisville's Main Street.
The heavy equipment has been brought in and the seven buildings along this block are going to see some major changes.
Even before the stabilization work began in July, a look inside showed just how bad a condition the buildings were in.
"I would say the buildings were in worse condition than we originally thought," says Ron Carmicle, whose company is overseeing the project, "so we have a good task in front of us."
About 50 workers are currently on the project.
Recent rain storms have made the work even more difficult.
"When it rains, water just floods inside that building," explains Carmicle, "when the wood gets saturated and the steel gets wet and there is rusting, we get more rotting, more deterioration, just more and more collapse."
There have been some strange things discovered on the site during the stabilization.
Workers found paintings in the basement of what is believed to have been a sex club.
Carmicle says the paintings cannot be removed because they are part of the brick wall but an effort will be made to preserve them.
"Assuming we don't have any damage to that during he demolition process it would be our intention to cover and protect those," he says.
Carmicle says demolition work on the two buildings on the east side of block will begin next week.
The three middle buildings will be saved. The two on the west side will only be partially demolished.
But all seven of the facades will be saved.
"There is a lot of history in these buildings, we are excited to salvage those," says Carmicle, "and save the fabric of the city that has been here for so many years."
It will be January before the buildings are totally stabilized and then the restoration work can begin on what is now a $7 million project.
