Covington recently completed the widening of W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd (formerly W. 12th St.) which empties onto Madison Ave. with one of the most beautiful views in the City: the St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, a beautiful Catholic church which is a partial replica of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and a graceful Victorian mansion owned by the Catholic Diocese of Covington, commonly referred to as the "Bishop's Mansion." The mansion was no longer serving its original function, and was in disrepair, but, still an architectural gem.
Now, after several developments over the course of 2012, the Diocese of Covington has sold the Bishop's Mansion and surrounding property to be razed and redeveloped as a Walgreen's drug store. (Find out more about these developments in the following articles by The River City New's Michael Monks
here,
here, and
here. Also, if you haven't already become a regular follower of the RCN, do it! A great source for all your Covington and NKY news.)
In all honesty, I am a preservationist. Not a rabid, anti-progression or anti-change radical, but, I love old buildings! I also understand the need for new development and that not all old buildings can be saved, including this one, but, let's keep in mind that there is already a Walgreen's located ONE BLOCK NORTH OF THIS PROPOSED LOCATION. Literally, one block. Even if the Bishop's Mansion needed to go, regardless, do we really want a Walgreen's to be the compliment to the Cathedral in this newly redeveloped and prominant gateway area of our city?
Thanks, Walgreen's
Here are some shots of the Bishop's Mansion. I wasn't able to get to it before the fence went up, but, maybe that is more appropriate...
