The 800 Tower, formerly The 800 Apartments, is a 29-story residential skyscraper in Louisville, Kentucky, located in the city's SoBro neighborhood, nestled between Old Louisville and downtown.[7] At the time construction was complete in 1963, The 800 was the tallest building in Louisville,[8][5] a record it maintained for nearly a decade.[7][5]
The building hosts the radio transmitter for WXMA (formerly WLRS FM), which has its studio a few blocks away.[2] From 1968 to 1988, WLRS-FM's studios occupied most of the building's ninth floor.[9][10][unreliable source?]
On June 16, 2015, Michigan-based property management firm, Village Green announced the purchase of the 800 Building, and renamed it 800 Tower City Apartments, and began renovations expected to exceed $10 million, and take 18 months.[15]
Architectural features
The 800 as seen from Fourth Street looking north toward downtown Louisville
The building, which has a continuous-pour reinforced concrete frame, has an aluminum curtain-wall system on its exterior with the color of the aluminum panels being a distinctive aqua, or turquoise, blue.[8][16] As a result, local residents sometimes refer to it as the "Turquoise Tower of Power" (or just "Turquoise Tower"), a nickname used by disc jockeys who have broadcast from the building.[7][additional citation(s) needed]
The building features an underground parking garage and four 29th floor penthouses along with an outdoor area on the roof. All rental units, except those on the 2nd floor, have outdoor balconies. The ground floor has in various years featured a restaurant from time to time, and in 2017, Bar Vetti, a new Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor patio seating opened.[17][18]
^ abcdYater, George H. (1987). "Chapter Seventeen; New Directions: Louisville in the Post-Industrial Age". Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio: A History of Louisville and Jefferson County (2nd ed.). Louisville, Kentucky: Filson Club, Incorporated. p. 230. ISBN0-9601072-3-1.
