Beecher Terrace Senior Building

The severely distressed Russell Neighborhood is a public housing development built in 1939 comprised of 31.40 acres on four superblocks. Beecher Terrace is the phased revitalization of the old Russell Neighborhood.

The redevelopment builds on the character of the adjacent neighborhoods and urban patterns, maintaining its unique heritage and identity. A new entry street presents a new image for the neighborhood while reinforcing its connection to the city and downtown area.

Louisville Metro Housing Authority received a $29.574 million Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Implementation grant award from HUD to implement the Russell Transformation Plan. To implement the plan, LMHA hired the development team of McCormack Baron Salazar, Urban Design Associates and Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects.

A total of 640 housing units will be constructed on the Beecher footprint, including 620 mixed-income rental, senior housing, and 20 homeownership units.

The new sustainable, walkable, and amenity-rich Beecher Terrace community will feature commercial businesses on the first floor of select buildings along 9th and Muhammad Ali, and a renovated and expanded Art Deco-style community center flanking an Olmsted-designed park.

Beecher Terrace Phase I is a single senior housing building. Located on the northern portion of the existing Old Walnut Park at the corner of Cedar Court and 9th Street, the building features four-stories with 117 units exclusively for seniors. This new facility features administrative offices, an arts and crafts room, billiards, doctor exam office, lounges, and a community dining and warming kitchen.

The entire redevelopment is pursuing LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) and Enterprise Green Community certification. Enterprise Green Communities certification demonstrates the design team’s commitment to providing high-performance, healthy homes for low-income families.