Culture

The greenest building in Derby City

Brick building with a lit atrium at night.

The Green Building features the original facade in the front and a modern atrium in the back. | Photo by The Green Building

Nestled between Royal’s Hot Chicken and the soon-to-be-open Hotel Genevieve is Kentucky’s first commercial Platinum LEED-certified building — The Green Building.

The three-story NuLu building, now home to Galaxie bar and a law office, was the brainchild of Augusta and Gill Holland in 2007. They took on the adaptive reuse project with the idea to turn the vacant, 100+ year-old building into a mixed-used development using environmentally responsible and resource-efficient practices — which they successfully did in 2008.

LEED — aka Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is the most widely used green building rating system around the world. It features four certifications based on a point system: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

To achieve a certification, a project earns points by following prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality. The Green Building scored 80+ points denoting its Platinum status — which is the highest rank in the system.

Brick building under construction — The Green Building under construction at 732 E. Market St. | Photo provided by Gill Holland

The resurrection of the 19th-century structure, which was done by architectural company (fer) studio, included restoring the brick shell and modernizing the inside with a 40-foot tall lobby, renewable energy systems, and recycled blue jean denim insulation — to name a few features.

Let’s take a look at the key characteristics that make The Green Building, well, green.

💡 Energy efficiency: 81 solar panels, a 1,100-gallon ice storage system, and 12 geothermal wells 225 feet below the building save ~30,000 pounds of CO2 a month.

♻️ Recycled materials: 100% of the flooring, 70% of the windows, and 80% of the insulation, which was made from recycled blue jeans, used recycled materials — plus, the elevator shaft utilized mineshift blocks made from coal mining byproducts rather than regular cinder blocks.

🧱 Reuse: Original wood and bricks were used in the flooring, furniture, and facade.

🚰 Water-efficiency: Storm water is either absorbed by the green roof, collected in rain barrels, or directed into a rain garden.

Learn about other LEED certified places in Louisville including the Northeast Library and AC Hotel Louisville.

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Wednesday, March 15

Jazz Night | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 8-10 p.m. | The Whirling Tiger, 1335 Story Ave., Louisville | Free | Enjoy happy hour 5-7 p.m. before jazz performances in the lounge.

Friday, March 17

St. Paddy’s at 3rd Turn | Friday, Mar. 17 | 12 p.m.-12 a.m. | 3rd Turn Brewing, 10408 Watterson Trail, Louisville | Free | Drink green beer, enjoy a fish fry, and listen to music from Joe D’Amato.
Shamrocks and Shenanigans | Friday, Mar. 17 | 5-10 p.m. | Fourth Street Live, 411 S. 4th St., Louisville | $15 | Tickets to this St. Patty’s street party include a drink at each participating venue and a commemorative mug.
Family Fun Night | Friday, Mar. 17 | 7 a.m.-7 p.m. | Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center, 201 Reservoir Ave., Louisville | Free | Make a splash at this indoor swimming pool in Crescent Hill.

Saturday, March 18

Kentucky Yoga Initiative Yoga Class | Saturday, Mar. 18 | 8-10 a.m. | Logan Street Market, 1001 Logan St., Louisville | Free | Rise and stretch at this early morning class.
MELANnaire Marketplace: Herstory Market Day | Saturday, Mar. 18 | 12-5 p.m. | 4th Street Live!, 411 S. 4th St., Louisville | Free to attend | Shop this outdoor market featuring Black-owned businesses.
March Biergarten | Saturday, Mar. 18 | 6-10 p.m. | German American Club, 1840 Lincoln Ave., Louisville | Free to attend | Drink German-style beers and dig into a German food menu served cafeteria-style.

Sunday, March 19

Mouse Tales | Sunday, Mar. 19 | 12 p.m. | Portland Museum, 2308 Portland Ave., Louisville | Free | Watch a puppet show by local nonprofit Squallis Puppeteers with a finger puppet workshop after the performance.

Monday, March 20

Hone Your Knife Skills | Monday, Mar. 20 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Cooking at the Cottage, 3739 Lexington Rd., Louisville | $55 | Learn how to properly handle and maintain cutlery.

Tuesday, March 21

Houseplant Still-life Workshop | Tuesday, Mar. 21 | 6-8 p.m. | Waterfront Botanical Gardens, 1435 Frankfort Ave., Louisville | $45 | Bring your favorite houseplant and learn how to recreate it using watercolors.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

We can do it!

Take a photo with Rosie the Riveter in Clarksville, IN

Rosie the Riveter stature flexing arm with city skyline in background.

The statue of Rosie was unveiled on the Ohio River waterfront in September 2022. | Photo by LOUtoday

Everyone knows this 1940s cultural icon, but did you know the real life Rosie the Riveter resided just minutes from Louisville and you can take a photo with her statue?

Thanks to the Clarksville Historic Preservation Commission and $80,000 in donations, a statue of Rosie the Riveter — aka Rose Will Monroe — was created by the Weber Group and unveiled last fall.

The colorful statue tells the story of a young Rose who left Kentucky at age 22 as a war widow with her two children to work at a B-24 bomber plant in Michigan. Her claim to fame came after actor Walter Pidgeon visited the factory she worked at and chose Rose to appear in his documentary promoting war bonds and named her “Rosie the Riveter.”

Rose moved to Clarksville, IN after World War II where she lived until she died in 1997.

Visit the statue at Clarksville’s Ashland Park — across from Widow’s Walk Ice Cream.

Weather

54º | Sunny | 6% chance of rain

Opening

The Portland neighborhood will welcome a new brewery and beer garden later this month. Kyros Brewing will be located in the back of Farm to Fork (2425 Portland Ave.) and is the venture of three Louisville couples. Against the Grain Brewery’s production facility and Shippingport Brewing are also located in the neighborhood. (Louisville Business First)

Trending

Yesterday’s WFPK “Song of the Day” was Florence + The Machine’s newly released cover of No Doubt’s 1995 single, “Just a Girl.” Florence’s eerie version of the song was recorded for the upcoming second season of Showtime’s thriller series “Yellowjackets” and is featured in the trailer. 🎶

Louisvillian

Denny Crum’s Hometown Hero banner has been rehung on the Whiskey Row lofts building across from the KFC Yum! Center. The former UofL basketball coach, responsible for six Final Four appearances, was an original Hometown Hero, but his first banner at the Marriott Courtyard was removed due to construction. (WHAS11)

Eat

Toasty’s Tavern rolled out a food truck called Lil Toasty’s and it’s parked permanently at Gravely Brewing Co. — formerly the Mayan Cafe food truck. The Shelby Park restaurant will dish out familiar favorites like its smash burger, as well as new creations like a Cuban sandwich and vegan sloppy joe. 🍔

Community

Community organization Brightside is seeking volunteers for its large-scale Southend tree planting project with Louisville Grows, Louisville MSD, and Metro Council. Two opportunities are available to be a treemendous help — Corporate Volunteer Day on Friday, March 17 and Community-Wide Volunteer Day on Saturday, March 18. 🌳

Gallery

Take a look inside this modern bed and breakfast located in the third- oldest house in Derby City. The Butcher Rose, located in a Butchertown home from the 1790s, offers six guest rooms — all named after female singers — but also hosts special events and has coworking memberships. 🌹

Wellness

AG1 by Athletic Greens is so much more than “greens.” With one scoop, AG1 empowers the gut for whole-body health. (And, ICYMI, we can’t achieve a healthier everything else without a healthy gut.) Try it and receive a free one year supply of vitamin D and 5 free travel packs.*

DYK

Did you know our online store Six & Main features Sourhouse, a company that creates simple tools for sourdough bakers to care for their starters? The Goldie by Sourhouse + Cooling Puck is one of the most popular items. Let’s start baking. 🍞

Number

66. The average number of days it takes to form a new habit‚ which means that if eating healthier is on your mind, there’s no better time to start than now Home Cuisine makes healthy eating simple with weekly meal plans delivered straight to your door. Bonus: They offer Paleo, Keto, and vegetarian options, too. 🍽️ *

Travel

Looking for a vibrant place with scenic outdoors and an expansive culinary scene? Explore Greenville, SC where eclectic dining, outdoor adventures + natural beauty awaits. Check out travel inspo so you can start planning your trip.*

Watch

It’s time for biscuits with the boss. Season three of “Ted Lasso” premieres today only on Apple TV+, which means AFC Richmond is hitting the pitch and Jason Sudeikis will surely have some feel-good life advice for us. Bonus: Get your first week free when you sign up to stream. 📺 *

Finance

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement — and its free tool can match you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area who can help you work towards a more comfortable retirement. Try it out for yourself.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Stress less with TSA PreCheck ✅

Enroll in TSA PreCheck ahead of spring travel

Cut down your travel time with TSA PreCheck. | Photo via Pexels

Planning a spring getaway? Don’t forget to add TSA PreCheck enrollment to your pre-vacay to-do list.

The government program provides an expedited security lane at 200+ airports for travelers that pass a security screening — which includes a short application and a 10-minute in-person enrollment appointment — and are given a Known Traveler Number. Bonus: The screening is good for five years and costs $78.

The main benefit of enrolling? Save time when traveling. Recent data found that 96% of TSA PreCheck passengers spent less than five minutes at airport security checkpoints.

To apply, find out if you are eligible, then fill out an application and schedule an appointment at a nearby enrollment center. Most people will know if their application has been approved within three to five days.

Psst — don’t forget to grab these airport essentials before your trip: a memory foam travel pillow, this smart luggage carry-on set, and an AirFly wireless headphones transmitter.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Katie.

Editor’s pick: If I ever wrote a memoir, I’d definitely do it in the Loretta room at The Butcher Rose. It has a full kitchen, clawfoot tub, and delicate floral furniture.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Help decide who has the best pizza in Louisville.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Katie Molck, Lennie Omalza, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Mandey Lee | Advertise with us.

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