LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Surrounded by fencing on all sides, the large aging building on Barret Avenue at Breckinridge Street is called Louisville's Urban Government Center, but John Mahorney has a different name for it.
"It's pretty scary," he said. "I call it a Franken-building. And it's a building that's been added on and added on so many times you can't quite tell what it's supposed to look like," he said.
The deserted compound in Paristown Pointe has collected dust for years.
"I'm okay if the building is rehabbed and reused, but I'd be okay to see something completely new also. I just want to see something," Mahorney said.
That's the reason dozens showed up to a meeting hosted by Develop Louisville and Louisville Forward on Tuesday night. Mahorney and the others were there to get answers from the city about what's next.
A plan to turn the buildings into retail and commercial space, a hotel, and new housing and parking fell through last month when the developer said the city was moving too slowly on certain processes.
Now, the city's starting fresh. This time, Jeff O'Brien, the director of Develop Louisville, said the city will make a better effort to keep neighbors in the loop.
"We're going to have an open and transparent process," he said. "We did that last time, or we tried to do that last time, and I think we've learned some lessons from that, and we'll try to have a better process this time," he said.
Neighbors at the meeting expressed a desire to repurpose the aging buildings, even though, according to a city presentation, that could be costly because the structures contain lead, mold and asbestos.
Justin Mog, who lives in Paristown Pointe, hopes this meeting was a shift in a positive direction.
"I think the city is admitting that it's been not transparent enough, which is good," he said. "We have a lot of new energy and money coming into our neighborhood, which is exciting. Meanwhile, the city's been dragging its heels on this site."
But many there were still skeptical as the city prepares for the next steps.
Meanwhile, O'Brien said he'd like to see a request for proposal go out in 30 to 60 days.
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