LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The effort to save a historic building in downtown Louisville has taken a step forward.
Louisville Metro Council approved a resolution Thursday directing the Landmarks Commission to start the review process for the Odd Fellows building. The building sits on a piece of land at the corner of West Muhammad Ali Boulevard and South Second Street, next to the Omni Hotel. As part of the hotel's contract to build in Louisville, it controls the building's future, but the Landmarks Commission could ultimately decide its fate.
The Omni said the building is old, has bad pipes and isn't suitable for retail, so it intended to bulldoze it. That prompted several Metro Council members to file the resolution.
Now, the commission will review the building to decide if it is a historic landmark.
"If it is designated as a historic landmark, then maybe it could stay in the place where it is and be incorporated into the new development that Omni is considering, because Omni has been a great partner," Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith said.
Metro Council used a new power during this process that allowed it to start the review. It recently approved a series of amendments to the city's ordinance governing landmarks.
Ultimately, the Landmarks Commission will have the final say on the building's future.
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