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In the past week, I have fielded some honest criticism about Oldham County. This criticism has focused especially shopping, dining, and recreation.
As of Tuesday, it became public knowledge that Oldham Reserve, a 1000 acre development outside of LaGrange as attracted one of Kentucky's best known commercial developers to develop about 185 acres as high quality "Summit/Springhurst" style retail shopping and entertainment venues.
It is not my objective to play Jefferson County or any other area county against Oldham County, but I feel it is important to note just how "close" Oldham County is to becoming a Carmel, IN or Greenwich, CT.
Our role in Oldham County is similar as Caddilac is to GM. It is not for everyone, but is a standard setting product which compliments the other area "products" such as Jefferson, Shelby, Spencer, & Bullitt Counties.
In the past week, I have fielded some honest criticism about Oldham County. This criticism has focused especially shopping, dining, and recreation.
As of Tuesday, it became public knowledge that Oldham Reserve, a 1000 acre development outside of LaGrange as attracted one of Kentucky's best known commercial developers to develop about 185 acres as high quality "Summit/Springhurst" style retail shopping and entertainment venues.
It is not my objective to play Jefferson County or any other area county against Oldham County, but I feel it is important to note just how "close" Oldham County is to becoming a Carmel, IN or Greenwich, CT.
Our role in Oldham County is similar as Caddilac is to GM. It is not for everyone, but is a standard setting product which compliments the other area "products" such as Jefferson, Shelby, Spencer, & Bullitt Counties.
First, off Springhurst is an absolute DUMP. What a poorly planned retail community, and the poorly planned neighborhoods around it are an absolute embarrasment in urban planning, a nice relic of the "McMansion era" we live in. Springhurst Town Center looks like an airport landing pad with UPS sized buildings around it. I sure HOPE Oldham is too classy to build a Springhurst, but you never know. Summit is not much better...I will take the real urban facades of Bardstown Road anyday over the prefab parking lot centered area that is the Summit.
That said, Oldham SORELY needs retail, but they should not accept poor planning to get it. There is literally nothing out there, not even a Target! I don't think it is ok to have to travel 15 miles to the nearest Target if you live in LaGrange, and you know I hate chains probably more than anyone on this board. So, what do yo know about this planned Oldham retail center? Any press release?? What happened to Buckner Crossings?
I think having a Carmel, IN or Cary, NC in metro Louisville could potentially help the metro as long as it grows smart and does not detract from downtown. Those well educated, lifestyle centered suburban communities have their place...but Oldham sure has a long way to go before it even becomes remotely like Carmel, even the Carmel of 1990 (this is coming from a guy who lived in Indy and found the area bland)!
First, off Springhurst is an absolute DUMP. What a poorly planned retail community, and the poorly planned neighborhoods around it are an absolute embarrasment in urban planning, a nice relic of the "McMansion era" we live in. Springhurst Town Center looks like an airport landing pad with UPS sized buildings around it. I sure HOPE Oldham is too classy to build a Springhurst, but you never know. Summit is not much better...I will take the real urban facades of Bardstown Road anyday over the prefab parking lot centered area that is the Summit.
That said, Oldham SORELY needs retail, but they should not accept poor planning to get it. There is literally nothing out there, not even a Target! I don't think it is ok to have to travel 15 miles to the nearest Target if you live in LaGrange, and you know I hate chains probably more than anyone on this board. So, what do yo know about this planned Oldham retail center? Any press release?? What happened to Buckner Crossings?
I think having a Carmel, IN or Cary, NC in metro Louisville could potentially help the metro as long as it grows smart and does not detract from downtown. Those well educated, lifestyle centered suburban communities have their place...but Oldham sure has a long way to go before it even becomes remotely like Carmel, even the Carmel of 1990 (this is coming from a guy who lived in Indy and found the area bland)!
Buckner Crossings has not been built due to the current ability of the market to provide investors with a reasonable expectation of profit.
Regarding Oldham Reserve, this coming Thursday (March 27) there will be the first of the marketing meetings as invited guests will attend a forum with a public review later in the day. At that time, we will begin to see the first revealing of the strategic plans.
What people must understand, which I don't seem to be capable of communicating, is that for any project to be built, investors will only risk where there is sufficent demand to expect a project to be successful. Few people living in Oldham County have the same needs for exotic shopping, dining, and theater as you keep "demanding". We are quite comfortable with our county's growth as what you need only brings a less desirable urban society than our wonderfully peaceful suburban society.
I assure everyone reading this thread that if there is a real need, we have enough investors here willing to cover such demand.
So, is there or is there not going to be a retail development...and if so, where is the press release? Tom, Oldham doesn't have ANY retail much less exotic or high end stuff. Save for a few small shops, there is nothing. Even Bullit County is getting a Lowe's and Oldham doesn't even have that. I mean, 99% of people relocating consider Target to be about the most basic retail possible, and Oldham doesn't even have that! It's amazing that the highest end restaurant in the county is probably Applebee's...or maybe Norma Jean's Trackside or Irish Rover Too, which are a dime a dozen in Jefferson County. Tom, the fact is parts of Oldham look like suburbia but the amenities are about as country as they come my friend.
I guess Oldham Co is unique then. Because every other community in the country with that style of development attracts significant retail. Why does Oldham Co lack retail? I honestly have no idea. Do the civic leaders in Oldham Co not want it? Do the soccer moms in Oldham Co not want a Target? I highly doubt it, every mom I know that has a 3000sqft brick home, 2 kids and a Chevy Suburban gets weak in the knees when a Target is proposed nearby. I have never seen a part of the country with so many big homes, yet no restaurants, retail or entertainment options.
Greenwich, CT???? There are probably dozens of people in Greenwich that could buy all of Oldham Co just for the hell of it. The amount of money there is staggering. Nothing in this region will ever approach that kind of wealth.
I think the reason why you are catching flak about your posts on Oldham Co is because you are overstating what the area offers.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Oldham's population is really spread out over a large area, making a single retail hot spot difficult. LaGrange only has 5,000 people, Crestwood 2,000.
Nicholasville has 27,000 residents. Despite being in a less wealthy county of only 45,000 it the critical mass needed to have tons of shops and restaurants on its own. In addition, traffic from Nicholasville to the edge of Lexington is MUCH worse than getting to the Gene Snyder from Oldham Co, so residents are less likely to go to Lexington for routine shopping than people in Louisville's surrounding counties are.
I will only say this to all the ney sayers, unless a person has lived in Oldham County for at least five years, I do not expect anyone to believe how good it is here. As a former resident of Crescent Hill which is very close to all those fine places mentioned along Frankfort Ave, in the Highlands, St. Matthews, and only 10 minutes to home after Thunder (annual mega-jam following the Derby Festival kickoff), I had no real clue until I moved here in 2002.
Censusdata was correct in the spreadout residency of Oldham County vs Jessamine County. While I live in Briar Hill, I am closer to more diverse shopping than most of the people living in Louisville proper. My home is closer to medical treatment than most eastern Jefferson Countians, and if I have a business here, I don't have to pay that 2% right to work tax that my wife must pay to work near Hurstbourne & I-64.
It is interesting to read about shopping preferences from men's perspectives. I would think that if you were a young housewife with 3 or 4 children, having convenient shopping for all the myriad of things that a family requires would be of great importance to you (men usually don't have a clue what that entails).
From my perspective and many years of experience (wife, mother), when you are managing a busy household full of children, running the kids to school, keeping groceries stocked, clothing your family, driving the children to baseball, scouting, ballet practice and the pediatrician, getting your hair done or picking up some flowers at the garden center, it makes for a much happier and efficient life to have services close by (Target and Walmart, by the way are a housewife's best friends- are they aesthetically pleasing? - probably not - but they make life easier for a lot of people). No woman I know enjoys spending hours every week driving all over the landscape in order to run her household, especially with a 3 year old and newborn in the backseat.
Then there is the cost of gas - 99% of the shops that help run our particular household are within 4 or 5 minutes of our home - this keeps our gas bills quite low and gives me lots of time to do things I really want and need to do - a desirable thing if you are a young family with lots of expenses or anyone who likes to do other things besides shopping.
Granted, for people who prefer a rural or semi-rural environment, over-development is not a desirable thing - but controlled development of businesses that support everyday living needs is very desirable. Plentiful and convenient services enhance the quality of life and the value of your home- having to always go "someplace else" to get what you need to live does not.
I would bet (and I don't presume to speak for every Oldham County resident) that if you took a survey of women in Oldham County, you might find that many of them would offer a hearty welcome to more convenient shopping and services.
I don't live in Oldham County, but have spent many vacations there - take it from this wife and mother, they need a better selection of convenient services.
Exactly my point! If a person draws a population map of Oldham County, our shopping is equally as close as most peoples' living in Jefferson County.
So, based on the "ideal" shopping as desired by the previous writers, shall we compare the average time/distance to any brand name including those located in the major malls and strip centers? As far as routine weekly grocery runs, Kroger can be an example. Kroger has one store within Oldham County at LaGrange, but sitting within moments of the county line, Kroger has a store in Prospect, Springhurst, and Forest Springs. Shall we discuss movie theaters? How close is the average Jefferson Countian to Tinseltown, Stoney Brook, or _? Shall we discuss jewelers & artists?
Historic Downtown LaGrange or Prospect?
Let's not fail to acknowledge that by living in Oldham County, we realize that we give up some amenities such as previous writers have cried for, but the quality of education and living more than makes up for the losses. We definitely have "enough" to care for our routine runs to the grocery or mega-bargain market.
Tom - you make some good points - but the fact is, services that I, an average housewife, would use, are spread all over the place in two counties. I don't like the Kroger in La Grange (I know several La Grange familes that won't shop at that Kroger)- I think one of the nicest Krogers is in Prospect - but that is quite the little jaunt every time you need somethng from the market (if you live in La Grange for example).
What you fail to acknowledge Tom, and you know I love you like a brother, is that the quality of living, at least in my mind, includes convenient services - not a Kroger here, and Target 8 miles down the road and a decent clothing store 8 miles in a different direction....really, that kind of shopping sucks the life out of you, adds unwanted mileage and wear and tear to your car, wastes gas and eats away at your time and sanity (remember the crying babies in the backseat Tom?).
I like The Summit - I prefer outdoor shopping centers - The Summit has many shops that I frequent while in KY - add a Kroger, Walmart, movie theater, Lowes and Costco all at a same Summit-like shopping center in Oldham County, and you would have the perfect, centralized shopping area that would fit most everyday needs - even if it were 10 miles from your house - everything would be in one spot.
I do love independent shops, artist galleries, non-chain restaurants and the like - but I'm really not talking about those - I'm talking about everyday needs for your household.
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I have tried to explain..
