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A mixed-use development inspired by Edwin Hubble has its sights set on Cherokee Triangle

It’s out of this world.

LOUtoday_Thompson and Hubble Building

The proposed Thompson + Hubble Building is just three blocks away from Everett Avenue where Edwin Hubble lived in the early 1900s.

Rendering from Louisville Metro Government public records

In 2017, local financial adviser Mark Thompson bought a duplex at 2012 Highland Ave. for $165,000. Now, Thompson is seeking to demolish the 103-year-old house to build a four-story mixed-use development that reaches for the stars — literally.

LOUtoday_thompson and hubble building

The mixed-use development is walking distance from a restaurant-dense section of Bardstown Road home to restaurants like Wick’s Pizza Parlor, Jack Fry’s, and The Black Italian.

Rendering from Louisville Metro Government public records

Dubbed the Thompson + Hubble Building, the proposed development draws inspiration from famed astronomer Edwin Hubble, a former neighborhood resident. In the early 1900s — long before he determined there were galaxies beyond the Milky Way and a telescope named in his honor launched into space — Hubble lived with his family on Everett Avenue.

Design plans for the Thompson + Hubble Building notably include a rooftop observatory, which would offer views of the night sky and neighborhood. Here’s what else Thompson has planned for the 25,000-sqft structure:

  • Street-level commercial space
  • Three floors of residential units
  • 14 lower-level parking spaces

Thompson’s application for the project also says the interior design would incorporate themes of space exploration, using modern aesthetics reminiscent of the cosmos.

Bonus: Thompson also owns the property next door at 1000 Cherokee Rd., which was once a Carnegie library. He operates his Thompson Investment Advisors, Inc. office there.

LOUtoday_thompson and hubble building

Thompson is seeking approval to demolish the Highland Avenue duplex to build the Thompson + Hubble Building.

Photo from Louisville Metro Government public record

But before the Thompson + Hubble Building can launch, the Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission will need to approve the demolition of the house.

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