The Louisville Mayor's office has released a list of finalists in the competition to find new uses for vacant lots.Two of the finalists from the permanent use category below will get $15,000 each and ownership of a vacant lot. Two more from the interim category will get $4,000 and a yearlong lease on a lot.Here is the list of finalists, from the mayor's office:Permanent use project category
- Affordable Homeownership (Habitat for Humanity of Metro Louisville and the Family Scholar House – Rob Locke, Jackie Isaacs, Harvetta Ray): Using Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer construction model, a new energy efficient home will be constructed near the Parkland Family Scholar House. A graduate of the Parkland Family Scholar House program, which seeks to end the generational cycle of poverty through education, will be selected for homeownership. The homeowner contributes sweat equity hours to the home’s construction.
- Cargo-container Home (Kentucky Habitat for Humanity + Holly Todd, Ken Williamson, John Cora, Jim Burris, Gregor Dike): A retrofitted, cargo+container home reutilizes existing materials while providing safe, healthy, economically and environmentally sustainable shelter for a very low+income population.
- DyeScape (Colleen Clines + Anchal Project, Louis Johnson): The urban textile landscape is a network of small+scale gardens that cultivate plant fibers, animal fibers and dye plants for the purpose of natural textile production. This site will demonstrate the potential of plants to provide natural color to materials, teach residents environmental sustainability and entrepreneurship and support local textile production.
- Growing Home Garden (Seven Counties Services – Gwen Cooper, Laurie Qualah, Reza Gharachamani Asl, JoAnn Woods): A community greening project that incorporates therapeutic intervention to help families deal with trauma. At+risk youth will aid in the design, development and implementation of the garden.
- Prototype Green Shotgun House (One World Architecture – Curtis Thrush, Ken Parel+Sewell, Kyle Bragg, Dan Madryga): A prototype house designed to rethink Louisville’s famous shotgun houses. This proposal offers a practical and affordable infill housing solution, while incorporating quality design and state+of+the+art sustainable building practices.
- Urban Beekeeping (Ryan Hargrove, Travis Klondike, Meg Maloney): A diverse array of plant life not only creates a visually pleasing space, but also provides a food supply for this bee sanctuary. This proposal incorporates local honey production and the potential for job creation, educational opportunities and environmental awareness.
Temporary/interim use project category
- BBQ Park (Louis Johnson): A BBQ pit, seating and canopy trees will create a place for the community to gather, cook and share food.
- Guerilla Putt-Putt (Dana Duncan, Jeff Mayes, Gwendolyn Kelly): A 9+hole, portable putt-putt golf course to be constructed for a series of day-long pop-up events in the community through spring, summer and fall.
- Lavender Garden (Christopher Head, Sha Shireman): Redirected rainwater, vegetated bioswales and french drains will be used to support lavender herb beds for decoration, potpourri and oil of lavender production.
- Meditation Labyrinth (West Louisville Women’s Coalition – Ramona Lindsey, Elmer Lucille Allen, Chenoweth Allen, Wilma Bethel, Robin Bray, Beth Henson, Ellyn Crutcher, Pam Newman, Harvetta Ray, Gwendolyn Kelly, Tyra Oldham): An intergenerational open space for art and creativity. Community arts outreach will be paired with a walking path made out of personalized clay pavers and chalkboard walls made from recycled wood pallets and natural seating.
- Russell Market on Market (Erika Williams, Josh Minogue, Laura Rountree, John Sizemore): A monthly haymarket where vendor booths will be coupled with an educational, community+focused edible garden.
- Vacant Bugscapes (Emily Schlickman, Sara Jacobs, William Krimmel): An outdoor classroom and public space for assemblages of plants and insects that support ecological regeneration.
