 Hazelwood has been a hotspot of activity lately, so my opener this month is going to focus on this wonderful chunk of District 15.
Here are some of the Hazelwood Highlights from this past month:
- We approved funding for speed humps to be installed on Hazelwood Avenue between Bluegrass and Bicknel
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Iroquois Family Health Center opened a new immediate care center and pharmacy in the Hazelwood Shopping Center. We’re grateful that these resources are available to the community after many of our local pharmacies have shuttered.
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Louisville Metro Housing Authority broke ground on the Iroquois Senior Living Community, a 40-unit facility made up of 1 and 2-bedroom units that are set to open in 2026
- St. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital celebrated their 150th anniversary (that’s not a typo!!). We’re so lucky to have this hospital serving the south end and I’m so excited for everything the future holds for it, including the new birthing center that’s set to open in 2025!
- Goodwill’s Another Way program cleaned up 40 bags of trash from Hazelwood and Craig Avenues. The District 15 office is so fortunate to have partners like these that we can call on to help our community.
- Hazelwood Elementary School held their Back to School Bash and hundreds of families showed up to take advantage of a resource fair, backpack giveaway, immunization clinic, free lunch, and more!
- Enidza Torres, a Hazelwood resident, (along with Shanice Nelson from Saint Joseph!), graduated from the Office for Women Ambassador Program. Congratulations to them and all the women who are beacons for women’s leadership and empowerment in our community!
Enidza has also been working on establishing the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association. The neighborhood association is in its infancy stages, so if you’re looking to get involved, please contact my office!! Plus, it’s your opportunity to have your voice heard and your ideas come to life.
So, that’s what’s happening now (🙌), but what about Hazelwood over a century ago?
The Hazelwood Sanitarium is probably one of the most notable characters in the neighborhood’s story. It opened in 1907 for the treatment of tuberculosis. The Filson Historical Society does a great job of outlining Hazelwood Sanitarium’s history.
The undeveloped south end was a popular place to put hospitals since people could be treated near the city, but not in the city.
But before there was the Hazelwood Sanitarium, there was St. John’s Eruptive Hospital nearby.
Last year, at a Cloverleaf Neighborhood Association meeting, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Barry Royalty who had written a research paper about this ghost hospital of the south end:
“Sometimes referred to as ‘The Pest House’, St. John’s Eruptive Hospital opened its doors on January 31, 1873. Its mission was to take patients suffering from highly infectious diseases the City Hospital would not accept. Those illnesses included smallpox, yellow fever, meningitis, measles, and erysipelas – or bacterial skin infections. They would then be quarantined to prevent further transmission into the community and receive any available treatments.”
The hospital eventually closed down and part of the land became what is now the Watterson Expressway while the majority is where the Cloverleaf neighborhood sits today. The Sisters of Nazareth who were instrumental in the founding of the Eruptive Hospital eventually went on to help establish Saint Mary & Elizabeth Hospital in Hazelwood.
If you’re a history nerd like me, it’s a really great, informative read! I also love Barry’s writing style, especially excerpts like this:
“In 1921, the city found another way to utilize the Eruptive Hospital property by converting it into a hog farm. A 1918 ordinance had been passed for the purpose of lowering the population of flies and rats in the city dumps. Tons of “wet garbage” such as spoiled food was to be separated from “dry garbage” for disposal at the farm where it would be fed to 75 - 100 hogs. Unlike their reaction to the prospect of women inmates staying close by, area residents were accepting of the project, evidently finding the presence of trash-eating pigs on a hot day less distasteful.”
Anyway, give it a read—highly recommended! Barry gave me permission to share the article, so I have uploaded it to my Google Drive for all to access.
There are no photos of the hospital that we are able to find, so don’t expect any photos. If you were ever to find a photo of this hospital, we’d love to see it!
Oh, and thanks to everyone who came out to the 54th Annual World Championship Dainty Contest. What a wonderfully rowdy time! Congratulations to Jason Lippa who was this year’s champion, having hit the dainty 173 feet, shattering the former distance world record by twenty feet!!
See you around D15,
August highlights: Alena and I visited the zoo to check out some of the animals, including their new koalas, Metro Council took on the Mayor's office in the Brightside Volleyball Classic, and Girl Scout Troop 408 visited City Hall to earn their Democracy badge!
8/6: National Night Out
8/6: Wilder Park Neighborhood Association meeting
8/8: Metro Council meeting
8/12: St. Joseph's Area Association's Watermelon in the Park
8/14: Meriwether Fort Hill Neighborhood Association meeting
8/15: BOB community meeting #1
8/19: German-Paristown Neighborhood Association meeting
8/20: Lucky Horseshoe Neighborhood Association meeting
8/22: Metro Council meeting
8/24: BOB community meeting #2
8/24: Taste of South Louisville
8/26: Schnitzelburg Area Community Council meeting
8/26: Friends of Iroquois Park meeting
MetroTV recently joined me for a tour of District 15 in the latest episode of Metro Council Chronicles. Join us as we visit Wyandotte Park, Wagner's Pharmacy, the Speed Art Museum, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and Hauck's Corner. Watch now.
Help us prepare for D15's Building Our Blocks (B.O.B.) event in the Third Street area, which includes parts of South Louisville and Wilder Park neighborhoods around 3rd and Central Avenues.
You are invited to attend one of two (or both!) planning sessions for community members and stakeholders to help us identify what needs currently exist and explore how we can solve them together. These planning sessions will also guide our big event on November 16. The community planning are Thursday, August 15 at 6:30 pm and Saturday, August 24 at 10 am, both at the Speed Art Museum (2035 S. 3rd Street).
Light snacks will be provided and you are encouraged to bring a neighbor!
Learn more about BOB on our new BOB website!: https://www.d15bob.com/
LMPD's 3rd and 4th Divisions will be hosting their annual National Night Out at Iroquois Park on Tuesday, August 6 from 5 pm to 8 pm. It is a free family-friendly event that gives you the opportunity to interact with officers, enjoy live music, partake in free food, and more!
The Iroquois scenic overlook is open to cars August 10 and 11.
The road to Iroquois Park's North Overlook will be open one weekend a month to vehicular traffic. 🚗🌳
Louisville Parks and Recreation will open the gate to Uppill Road on the second Saturday and Sunday of every month through November 2024 (weather permitting). Gates will be open from 10 AM to 4 PM.
Here's the rest of the 2024 schedule:
🔹 August 10 and 11
🔹 September 14 and 15
🔹 October 12 and 13
🔹 November 9 and 10
More info: https://www.olmstedparks.org/events/iroquois-park-uppill-road-to-north-overlook-opening/
Try more than 20 restaurants in one night with delicious bites from all over South Louisville!
Join South Louisville Community Ministries on Millionaires Row at Churchill Downs for the most delicious event of the year. Some of your favorite Louisville restaurants will be serving memorable tastes all night. There will also be drinks available from Lady J's Lemonade, Sunergos, and more with a cash bar available. There will also be a silent auction where you can win rare bourbon, beautiful artwork, exciting adventures, and a whole lot more!
There will be limited capacity this year, so be sure to get your ticket fast! General admission is $60.
Visit tasteofsouthlouisville.com for more information on sponsorship and vendor participation, and to stay updated on what restaurants and auction items will be available this year.
The Friends of Iroquois Park will be meeting on Monday, August 26 at 6:30 pm at the Iroquois Library (601 W. Woodlawn Ave). All are welcome to join in a conversation about making Iroquois Park even better!
BTW, consider becoming a park steward! Park steward volunteers leverage and expand the work Olmsted is able to do. Park stewards are critical in keeping the Olmsted Parks maintained at a higher level. They support our team for healthy parks in removing invasive species, planting trees, monitoring our woodlands, and even work on small construction projects. They are trained, have ownership over their work, and autonomy. Register today!
Louisville Parks and Recreation is excited to announce the August and September schedule for the Iroquois Amphitheater’s Free Summer Movie Series.
August’s movie lineup includes the following dates and titles:
- August 1: Puss and Boots: The Last Wish (PG) and Rocky (PG)
- August 8: How To Train Your Dragon 2 (PG) and Blue Beetle (PG)
- August 9: How To Train Your Dragon: The Lost World (PG) and Crazy Rich Asians (PG-13)
- August 15: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (G) and Grease (PG)
- August 16: The Iron Giant (PG) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (PG)
- August 22: Ratatouille (G) and Wonka (PG)
- August 29: Kung FU Panda 4 (PG) and Enter The Dragon (R)
September’s movie lineup includes the following dates and titles:
- September 5: Frozen (PG) and Sunshine (R)
- September 6: The Peanuts Movie (G) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (PG)
- September 12: The LEGO Movie (PG) and The Bride of Frankenstein (NR)
- September 13: Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (G) and Friday the 13th (1980) (R)
- September 19: GMK: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (NR) and Godzilla Minus One (PG-13) *
- September 20: Robocop (R) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (R)
- September 26: Cars (G) and Smokey and the Bandit (PG)
- September 27: Cars 3 (G) and Furious 7 (PG-13)
*- possible substitution
Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for concessions and door prizes, the first movie starts at 7:00. No outside food or beverages allowed.
For a full list of movies and shows, visit iroquoisamphitheater.com.
Louisville Parks and Recreation would like to thank the Metro Council for their annual support of the Iroquois Amphitheater’s Free Summer Movie Series.
Louisville MSD, in collaboration with other local organizations, is in the process of developing a Watershed Plan for Mill Creek and we value your input. By understanding the needs of the community, we aim to create a plan that will be beneficial for everyone who resides, works, and enjoys recreational activities in the Mill Creek watershed.
If you interact with the Mill Creek watershed, please complete this survey.
The Mill Creek watershed, in southwest Louisville, is the area of land that collects all the water that eventually drains into Mill Creek.
A watershed plan provides a roadmap that project partners, stakeholders, and the public can follow to improve water quality in the watershed. The plan is a valuable tool that allows everyone to contribute their thoughts and ideas on the current conditions and future improvements in the watershed. We want your help developing a plan unique to Mill Creek’s needs.
The Louisville Bats will host two community nights, providing tickets, hot dogs, and soft drinks to non-profit groups who would not be able to afford a Bats game under regular circumstances.
These two nights are Wednesday, August 21st; and Wednesday, September 4th. The Louisville bats will distribute RSVP links to council members and their staff may distribute the links to individuals or groups or complete the form on behalf of organizations. Examples include mentoring organizations, social service agencies, underprivileged kids' groups, and many more.
Forms will be monitored and will close once each district has reached their maximum capacity of 300 tickets – Please advise groups or individuals to request their tickets in advance to ensure availability!
INDIVIDUALS: https://forms.office.com/r/ste86kb5GE
ORGANIZATIONS/GROUPS OF 20+ GUESTS: https://forms.office.com/r/t6hVDbQVys
For questions or concerns, please contact Hana Ibrahim: hibrahim@batsbaseball.com or (502) 614-4553
TreesLouisville has officially kickoff the Louisville Tree Plan (Urban Forest Master Plan) in partnership with Louisville Metro. This initiative will be a year long process of engaging with the public to learn how we can create a robust tree canopy that serves all communities. Upon completion we will have a comprehensive plan in place for maintaining and improving our canopy across Jefferson County.
What can you do?
- Take the quick online survey
- Invite TreesLouisville to speak at your next club/neighborhood meeting
- Attend one of the public workshops across Louisville
- Sign up for the TreesLouisville newsletter
TARC launched the public phase of the TARC 2025 network redesign. From July 30 through September 12, Louisville region residents can evaluate three different concepts of what a redesigned TARC transit network could look like. These concepts are not actual proposals, but public feedback about the concepts will directly inform draft proposals to be released later this fall.
TARC will proactively reach out to the community to solicit feedback in a number of different ways:
- In person open house meetings in September
- Presentations at a variety of neighborhood association and other “standing” meetings throughout August and September
- Pop up meetings at busy bus stops
- Tabling at community events or workplaces
- Virtual Q+A sessions every Thursday from 8/8 to 9/5
- Social media engagement
- Live text line (833) 689-3748
Learn more: https://www.ridetarc.org/tarc-launches-public-phase-of-tarc-2025-network-redesign/
Vision Zero Louisville, the city’s transportation safety initiative that prioritizes the prevention of fatal and serious injury crashes, announced that they are seeking public input on speeding and speed management in the community. Louisville residents are invited to share their experiences and opinions in a brief online survey, which is available through September 30, 2024.
The survey results, coupled with crash data, current local conditions, and a peer review of cities leading the way in terms of speed management and Vision Zero, will help shape Louisville’s first-ever Speed Management Plan. This plan is a multifaceted and balanced effort to manage speeds on non-interstate streets through roadway design, intersection design, modernizing policies and practices related to speed limits, and enforcement.
Metro TV has programming such as Louisville this Week,” a weekly news magazine show and “Louisville Focus,” an original talk show, both hosted by Louisville’s Director of City Partnerships, John Ramsey; “alDia en Louisville,” a Spanish language talk show hosted by Jose Donis; “Dining Around the World” which spotlights immigrant owned restaurants throughout Louisville; “Uniquely Louisville” spotlights the people, places, and events that make our city special; and last but not least “Metro Council Chronicles,” hosted by members of the Louisville Metro Council.
They also have programming like “Park it Here” about the great park system in the city; “On The Wild Side” about all the Louisville Zoo has to offer; “Metro Matters” and “Moxie Talks,” feature the people, places, and events of interest throughout the city; and “Family Friendly Foods” provides a great opportunity to learn how to better feed your family.
MetroTV can be watched on Spectrum Cable Channel 184, online, or with the Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV OTT apps. Press conferences are also streamed live on Facebook at @loumetrotv or @Mayor Craig Greenberg, and shared on Twitter at @lou_metrotv.
The Department of Codes & Regulations has initiated their new Rental Registry program and your action is required. Property owners must register all their rental units with the city and pay a fee ranging from $25 to $250; failure to register is subject to a fine up to $100 per day per housing unit.
The registry will provide accurate and up-to-date contact information for property owners and management companies to help the city better identify and contact the responsible parties should Code Enforcement Officers find code violations at a rental property. Louisville Metro Government will randomly select properties from the list each year to undergo inspections to ensure the units meet the city code of ordinances.
Registration is available online at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/codes-regulations/. Property owners/managers may also apply in person with the Department of Codes & Regulations at 444 S. 5th St., Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40202.
The Office of Planning’s Library Hours return in 2024! City Planners from Louisville Metro’s Office of Planning will be available to answer questions about zoning (What is zoning? Why does it matter?) and discuss the ongoing LDC Reform project, including Middle Housing. We want to hear about your neighborhood and discuss what the reform means for you!
These conversations are part of the ongoing Land Development Code (LDC) Reform. The LDC Reform is an equity focused approach to revise the LDC consistently with Plan 2040 to allow for increased housing choices and opportunities in new and existing neighborhoods, to create procedures and regulations that are easier to use and increase the quality of life by reducing the concentration of environmental hazards near housing.
- Tuesday, August 13, South Central Regional
- Tuesday, August 27, Bon Air
- Tuesday, September 10, Newburg
- Tuesday, September 24, Shively
All sessions are from 3 pm to 7 pm.
If you have questions or want to learn more, contact ldcreform@louisvilleky.gov or (502) 574-5860/(502) 574-8272
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness is offering free radon test kits while the supply lasts.
Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas. It is also the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General’s office estimate radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Since it is difficult to identify any immediate symptoms related to radon exposure, it may take years before health problems appear.
When to test your home's radon levels:
- If it's never been tested or radon levels are unknown
- When preparing to buy or sell
- Before and after any renovations, especially after making any repairs to reduce radon levels
- Before making any lifestyle changes in the home that would cause someone to spend more time in the basement or lower level (like converting a basement to a bedroom).
Having your home tested is the only effective way to determine whether you or your family is at risk of radon exposure.
Click here to request your free test kit or call 502-574-6650.
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