For the second time in less than a year, police converged on the vacant 20-story Kentucky Home Life building in downtown Louisville.
Several city agencies, including Louisville Metro Police, SWAT, Louisville Fire and health officials surrounded the building at S. 5th and Jefferson streets early Friday morning.
The raid was in connection with a recent gas leak reported in the area that officials believe could be linked to damage caused by the intruders trying to steal wiring.
On April 23, Emily Martin, the executive administrator of communications for Louisville’s Codes & Regulations, released a statement after a gas leak was reported inside the building:
“On Wednesday, first responders were called to an emergency gas leak inside the Kentucky Home Life Building. LG&E shut off gas service to the building, and further investigation revealed that someone attempting to steal metal cut into an active gas line, causing a significant leak and forcing people to evacuate from surrounding buildings.”
Wednesday’s leak was just above Green District Salads, a business near the building on the 200 block of South 5th Street near Jefferson Street.
In July 2024, crews in tactical gear swarmed the building to remove squatters who caused damage to AT&T phone lines in the basement. At the time, Richard Price, director of the city’s codes and regulations, said there had been reports of service disruptions because of that tampering.
“This building is interconnected with other existing businesses,” Price said. “AT&T has had a problem keeping that internet service for some of these buildings. It’s just been a big problem of keeping the building safe and secure.”
Nearly 100 officers were seen entering the building around 9:30 a.m. Friday, although officials at the scene told us they were unsure if anyone was still inside.
The squatters involved in the July 2024 incident left the building flooded in filth, with several shattered windows on the upper floors. The entire roof of the building was covered in graffiti.
The Kentucky Life Building was built in 1912. It has remained vacant since it was purchased in 2021 by KHLB Properties. According to previous WDRB reporting, plans called for it to be “redeveloped into a Mixed-Use concept to include a hotel, urban loft apartments, and retail.”
