Urban Update

Real estate developer Todd Blue is giving downtown a cool new look

If Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson’s vision for the city could be embodied in just one person, it would likely be Todd Blue. Blue, 38, is young, hip, urban – and completely devoted to bringing that vibe to downtown. He also happens to be the co-founder, CEO and president of Cobalt Ventures, LLC, a development company based in Louisville.

Cobalt Ventures has been behind some of Louisville’s most unique properties since its founding in 1998. The Mercantile Gallery Lofts, Preston Pointe, Cobalt Marketplace, Cobalt 301 East Main, Cobalt Riverfront Properties and the new Iron Quarter project all have that Blue tinge.

Development officials in Abramson’s administration say the Cobalt projects not only are creating a buzz of excitement in Louisville, they’re catching the eye of their peers outside the state who see them as signs of growth in Kentucky’s biggest city.

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Making it Happen

A nightmare of an injury woke Stacey Hardin from her dream job. Fortunately, an innovative procedure had her dreaming again before she even started counting sheep.

Hardin had started seeing trainer Dale Benedict in 1998 at The Training Studio in St. Matthews.

“I was like a completely different person after six months,” Hardin said. “Not just physically — mentally and emotionally, it just changed my whole life.”

One day, she told Benedict she envied his career.

“You’ve got the greatest job in the world,” she told him. “To see the changes that you make in somebody has got to be the most rewarding thing in the world.”

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Airport proposal takes flight

There may be some turbulence along the way, but an airport in Oldham County is in the process of being cleared for take-off.

An airport board was created this year to meet state and federal regulations and to analyze the feasibility of such a venture. The board will oversee the project to the end, said Judge-Executive Duane Murner, regardless of whether the end comes when the project is abandoned or when an airport is built.

The airport would reside on 250 to 350 acres, located in the eastern part of Oldham County. Federal Aviation Administration restrictions dictate the airport must be a 30-minute drive from the nearest other airport, Bowman Field in Louisville. The single runway would be between 2,500 and 7,000 feet long.

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