Spotlight on: Andy Blieden

The Blind Pig

We want to highlight some of the positive change going on in the Butchertown neighborhood. Many of you may have visited the Butchertown Market at 1201 Story Avenue, or have noticed the Blind Pig which is being renovated on the corner of Buchanan and Washington Streets. The redevelopment of both structures are a result of developer Andy Blieden, and we posed some questions to him about his interest in the Butchertown Neighborhood.

1) How long have you been doing business in the Butchertown neighborhood, and what drew you here?

I have been doing business in Butchertown since 1998 which is when I bought the Caudill Seed building and turned it into the Butchertown Market. The building is what attracted me to the area. I grew up in Louisville and have always loved butchertown so I was happy to find a building in the ‘hood.

2) With your experience with Butchertown Market and the Blind Pig, what have been some issues you’ve encountered in working with historic structures? Some positives working with old buildings?

I love fixing up old buildings and leasing them out. I love how they were constructed 150 years ago and I like being in touch with the history of the buildings. It is not an easy process as far as working with the city to get permits and all of the requirements and details that go into bringing an old building up to code. I enjoy showing other people the quality of our buildings back when U.S. Grant was President.

3) As evident in your investment in the area, you must see promise for the Butchertown neighborhood. What are some of the things you see in the near future for Butchertown?

The best thing Butchertown has going for it is its location and its old buildings. It sits perfectly between Frankfort Avenue, Bardstown Road, the park on the river and downtown. The building of the arena and the expansion of the home of the innocents are both very vital to the areas growth.

4) With the contention in Butchertown regarding its namesake trade, do you believe harmony among residents and industry is possible? And if so how?

Harmony in the area is always possible but sometimes people need to fight before they make up. This fight has been going on for 20 years and I don’t see any signs that it will let up. I feel like its part of the soap opera that Butchertown has been. There has always been drama. I would love for everyone to get along but I don’t see it happening soon.

5) As a Butchertown business owner, could you name two improvements to the area that would be a benefit to local residents and businesses?

I think it is key for the area to have people fix up old buildings whether it is homes like the old firehouse or businesses like The Pointe on Washington St. I would also like to see industry that is heavy keep their properties as clean and neat as possible and that the area is easy to walk in i.e. fix the sidewalks and cleans the public right of ways up.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

The Blind Pig website – still under construction

2001 news article in Louisville’s Business First about the Butchertown Market here

2004 Article in Roundabout about adaptive re-use of Butchertown Market here

Tags: business, development