Danny Strong has been a resident of Frankfort, KY for only 5 years and in that short time, he has made a real estate statement in this city with eye-catching colors, art, and sculptures at his renovated properties. People living in Frankfort were likely first introduced to Danny Strong, co-owner of Brokenfork Development, when he purchased the multi-unit apartment complex now known as Urban Woods located on Wilkinson Blvd. This property was formerly run down, mostly vacant low-income housing. But Danny had a vision for these buildings which sit at the foot of Historic Fort Hill and across the street from the Kentucky River. Brokenfork renovated the entire complex to create quaint looking apartments with nice finishes and modern appliances. The exterior of each building was painted a brilliant color such as Cobalt Blue, Eggplant Purple, Melon Orange, and Sun Yellow. The renovations transformed this area and helped to create a vibrant urban vibe for Downtown.
Danny’s philosophy to in-fill development is to buy a cluster of properties in close proximity to each other that need renovation to create a visibly positive impact for the neighborhood. By buying a cluster of properties at the same time, Danny can obtain purchasing efficiencies, provide stable work for his sub-contractors due to the numerous properties to renovate, control the look of the properties and manage the construction timetable from start to finish. His primary method for purchasing the properties is to personally write a letter to the owners expressing his desire to purchase their property and revitalize the block by renovating multiple homes in a condensed period. After the renovations are complete, Brokenfork either rents out the houses/apartments or sells them to individuals. Either way, Danny has been successful in earning a favorable return on investment.
Among the other properties that Brokenfork has renovated, the next noteworthy block of properties is located in South Frankfort. Danny bought 4 very run down houses on the block of E. 4th Street between Murray St and Goebel Court, then purchased a dilapidated 4-plex on Murray Street, then the old Peach Apartment building on Murray St, as well as another house across the street from the apartment building. Because these properties are located close to each other, the neighborhood was completely transformed once they were all renovated. The 4 houses on 4th St were each painted in brilliant colors and an art sculpture was installed in the front yards to give the homes a quaint curb appeal. The former Peach Apartment complex was completely renovated to create comfortable living quarters called the Rick House Apartments. This property includes bourbon warehouse inspirational features such as lamp posts sitting inside bourbon barrels that create a border for the property. Likewise, the 4-plex and the house across the street were completely renovated with high-end interior and exterior finishes with art sculptures adorning the front yards.
To put this philosophy to work again in a highly visible way, Danny has recently turned Taylor Ave from a nearly vacant run-down strip of over 18 properties into a street that sparkles with bold colors. Along Taylor Ave are also 3 commercial buildings, which Brokenfork has completely renovated and is providing owner financing to a young energetic entrepreneur looking to open businesses that make Frankfort more enjoyable and community centered.
Danny believes that the properties located along the banks of the KY River should be colorful to reflect the beauty of the area. He uses the moniker “River Row District” to give the new neighborhood a sense of pride and attraction.
Each house, whether it is located along the banks of the KY River or the forested hillsides across the street, has its own unique architecture and has been painted an attractive color that makes them stand out such as shades of Yellow, Pink, Blue, Green, Coral, and Purple. Danny again makes his signature statement by using bold colors to reposition the neighborhood and increase the value by transforming these spaces into attractive areas to live and do business.
Recognizing the value of the KY River and wanting to use this important asset to further improve this community, Danny also has plans to offer a community boat house located behind the homes along the river. Members will be able to store their kayaks or canoes in the boat house and launch them right into the river. Further, Danny is working with the Frankfort Independent Schools, City of Frankfort and KSU to plant gardens for the Farm-to-School Program whereby students will grow pumpkins, squash, beans, and corn for popcorn on the land located near the riverbank. Potentially KSU will use one of the houses rent-free for 3 years for graduate students enrolled in a farm residency program to manage the ‘urban farm and grow’ educational programs. Continuing his ambition to completely renew this neighborhood, Danny is also building a public trail head on the parking lot of one of his commercial properties to connect Taylor Ave to Browns Ferry Road (which is also planned to be a trail) that leads to Juniper Hills in collaboration with Woods & Waters Land Trust, whereby the 3 acres and trail will be donated.
In the short time Danny has lived in Frankfort, his commitment to transforming neighborhoods with a unique approach to renovation has certainly improved the inventory of quality housing and substantially increased property values with his novel ideas and ambition. Danny has shown that Frankfort is not only a good place to live, but with a strategic in-fill development approach, it can be a good place to invest and get a high return on investment.
Frankfort is fortunate to have Danny, his wife Diane and 2 children, Emma and Jack, live here and to be dedicated to making this a more colorful city! Looking forward to seeing his next neighborhood renovation project!
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