City moves to demolish Louisville Metro Police headquarters downtown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The city is moving forward with plans to demolish the Louisville Metro Police Headquarters downtown.

Metro government is asking for a permit to tear down the building at 7th and Jefferson streets. A Downtown Development meeting July 13 will consider the future of the site.

The three-story LMPD HQ building was built in 1955 and includes public spaces, offices, a gym and holding area. It was expected to be used for 65 years, which it has exceeded. The building is in bad shape. It has structural and safety issues, the facade is peeling from the building, and, in 2017, workers were moved out of the headquarters after an OSHA inspection uncovered leaking sewage from the ceiling.

LMPD has moved offices to the Edison Building on West Ormsby Avenue until a new headquarters is ready. The city is buying the AT&T building on Chestnut Street to convert the campus into a headquarters. Chief Erika Sheilds said in April that the plan is for "a good portion of LMPD will be at the new headquarters" by the end of 2023.

The $1.8 million demolition plan filed by the city could take several months and last through the spring of 2023. The plan includes closing up the pedway to the Justice Center across Jefferson Street and restoration of the site with grass and sidewalks until it could be sold and redeveloped. Interim plans for the site being considered include landscaping, fencing, lighting and public art.

The Louisville Metro Council gave its approval last year for LMPD to buy the AT&T building for $6.8 million. It offers nearly 200,000 square feet in additional space over what the agency has now.

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