Hello, I am Dave and take cover Bon Air and Louisville. The Bon Air Observer is back.
The Bon Air Observer was previously a blog I wrote 2009-2011 that was hosted on Louisville Mojo when it hosted blogs.
On Monday, January 14, 2019 I was elected President of the Bon Air Neighborhood Association (BANA) and it seemed like a good time with a worthy reason to resurrect the blog.
When I originally wrote the Louisvillemojo.com blog, I covered many neighborhood topics in the blog that included history and statistics, and subjects like sex offenders, vigilantes, and neighborhood ambiance. I of course infused my opinion and maybe I muckraked (no I did muckrake--as previously influenced by the late Jack Anderson).
This blog will be more positive. It will primarily keep you up to date and informed of the BANA development efforts on the proposed Farnsley Park stage and our overall development strategy and vision for the neighborhood. The picture below is of our conceptual drawing of the stage.
As the blog goes on my plan is to discuss our strategy and the theories behind it. We will keep the neighborhood and anyone else informed about how we are doing on making the stage a reality. But it serves to say that there are two levels to the strategy: 1) Art Development and 2) New Urbanism.
The Art Development strategy currently includes 1) creation of a performance stage in Farnsley Park, 2) development of an art hall in the Bon Air Library, and 3) installment of public art to include statuary. Ideally this is smart growth in which it attracts a moderate amount of increased traffic and will attract people to the neighborhood who have specific interests and it will improve housing values and sufficient traffic to revitalize what I will call the :"Bon Air Core." The following picture shows the core.
The Bon Air Core is the block of the Bon Air Manor Shopping Center and the Bon Air Library. It is the block bordered by Del Rio Place, Mina Terrace, Commander Drive, and Flora Avenue. When I moved to the neighborhood in 2000, there were numerous local businesses that included a PicPac grocery store, a pet store, a musical instrument repair shop, and a swim club. I have been told by current and former neighbors that previous businesses had included a workout club, and hardware store, and a traditional drug store, and a cafe. Those businesses are gone from the shopping center. The shopping center overall is languishing from its vibrancy 18 years ago.
Of course times change and the economics of a situation change. What the Bon Air Manor shopping center was is unlikely to be restored to the way it was. It will have to be something different, and what that will be is to be discovered. My thought is that there is the existing footprint where a New Urbanism approach can be implemented with a mix of housing and businesses.
But imagine a Bon Air Core where there is a variety or mix of businesses with products and services that draws people from inside and outside the neighborhood. Also, imagine a neighborhood with pride and identity where more people know each other and get together to enjoy each others' company and cooperate together to maintain and further improve the neighborhood. These things are possible and you can be involved . . . better yet we need you to be involved if you are in the Bon Air Neighborhood.
There is strength in numbers and if you have been a member of BANA and let it lapse or you have never been a member, you can be a member if you live in the Bon Air Neighborhood or nearby. The more members an organizations has . . . the more clout it has. More clout means more power and influence to get things done.
BANA membership dues are $10.00 per year, which helps maintain the organization and its efforts, and as will be repeated a few more times in the next few weeks, the next meeting will be February 11, 2019 in the great room of the Bon Air Library. (Late edit: it will be at 6:30 pm).
The Bon Air Observer was previously a blog I wrote 2009-2011 that was hosted on Louisville Mojo when it hosted blogs.
On Monday, January 14, 2019 I was elected President of the Bon Air Neighborhood Association (BANA) and it seemed like a good time with a worthy reason to resurrect the blog.
When I originally wrote the Louisvillemojo.com blog, I covered many neighborhood topics in the blog that included history and statistics, and subjects like sex offenders, vigilantes, and neighborhood ambiance. I of course infused my opinion and maybe I muckraked (no I did muckrake--as previously influenced by the late Jack Anderson).
This blog will be more positive. It will primarily keep you up to date and informed of the BANA development efforts on the proposed Farnsley Park stage and our overall development strategy and vision for the neighborhood. The picture below is of our conceptual drawing of the stage.
As the blog goes on my plan is to discuss our strategy and the theories behind it. We will keep the neighborhood and anyone else informed about how we are doing on making the stage a reality. But it serves to say that there are two levels to the strategy: 1) Art Development and 2) New Urbanism.
The Art Development strategy currently includes 1) creation of a performance stage in Farnsley Park, 2) development of an art hall in the Bon Air Library, and 3) installment of public art to include statuary. Ideally this is smart growth in which it attracts a moderate amount of increased traffic and will attract people to the neighborhood who have specific interests and it will improve housing values and sufficient traffic to revitalize what I will call the :"Bon Air Core." The following picture shows the core.
The Bon Air Core is the block of the Bon Air Manor Shopping Center and the Bon Air Library. It is the block bordered by Del Rio Place, Mina Terrace, Commander Drive, and Flora Avenue. When I moved to the neighborhood in 2000, there were numerous local businesses that included a PicPac grocery store, a pet store, a musical instrument repair shop, and a swim club. I have been told by current and former neighbors that previous businesses had included a workout club, and hardware store, and a traditional drug store, and a cafe. Those businesses are gone from the shopping center. The shopping center overall is languishing from its vibrancy 18 years ago.
Of course times change and the economics of a situation change. What the Bon Air Manor shopping center was is unlikely to be restored to the way it was. It will have to be something different, and what that will be is to be discovered. My thought is that there is the existing footprint where a New Urbanism approach can be implemented with a mix of housing and businesses.
But imagine a Bon Air Core where there is a variety or mix of businesses with products and services that draws people from inside and outside the neighborhood. Also, imagine a neighborhood with pride and identity where more people know each other and get together to enjoy each others' company and cooperate together to maintain and further improve the neighborhood. These things are possible and you can be involved . . . better yet we need you to be involved if you are in the Bon Air Neighborhood.
There is strength in numbers and if you have been a member of BANA and let it lapse or you have never been a member, you can be a member if you live in the Bon Air Neighborhood or nearby. The more members an organizations has . . . the more clout it has. More clout means more power and influence to get things done.
BANA membership dues are $10.00 per year, which helps maintain the organization and its efforts, and as will be repeated a few more times in the next few weeks, the next meeting will be February 11, 2019 in the great room of the Bon Air Library. (Late edit: it will be at 6:30 pm).
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