DIRECTOR’S TAKE blog

Dear Friend of Downtown,

The Kentucky Derby broke its viewership record this year with 19.6 million views. When a city is home to a bucket-list type of experience that attracts that kind of number, even if on an international scale, it’s hard to miss how special the Kentucky Derby is for our community.

Not only is the first Saturday in May great timing to get all of our yards and gardens in shape after the long winter’s sleep and spring’s first kiss, but I see property owners – residential as well as commercial – taking special pride in their doorsteps and sidewalks. It’s actually the law (but rarely enforced), so it’s especially satisfying to know that we *do* care about the face we are showing the world.

I don’t want the KY Derby every weekend (I need too much sleep!), but it sure would be amazing if we treated our properties the same way all 52 weekends of the year.

Louisville shines… whether or not you like horses or betting. Events like the Derby and the ever-growing Bourbon and Beyond/Louder Than Life weekends create a pride-inducing spectacle to behold. I try to see these experiences through a visitor’s eye, and it gives me goosebumps just how special dressing up for and respecting these events can be.

Downtown also shined. Thank you to the hotels and restaurants and attractions for making sure your storefronts were clean and that when you rolled out the red carpet, you also cleaned your sidewalks.

Let’s be ready to put on our party best and shine again next week… see you on the streets!

Dear Friend of Downtown,

As cities start to develop, city planners can choose to build up, which preserves the land around them and utilizes existing infrastructure, or to build out, creating more distance between various community services and uses. More to the point, as these residential and commercial developments are built, they require streets, lights, sewers, water – and ongoing maintenance of such – for people who choose to have a bigger house or yard, or live near wider roads, or simply not live in an urban center. Those infrastructure needs are typically paid for through taxes or service fees, but as we spread out from our community centers, these growing maintenance and infrastructure costs are not supported through our existing taxing structures. I’m not even talking about the geographical expansion of our community services such as police, fire, garbage collection, etc.

So, to have a funding program that is specifically dedicated to converting old downtown office buildings, that are no longer the best use for that structure, into new residential opportunities is a benefit that will help our community for generations to come.

Not only do city and state leadership, across both parties, agree on this expenditure of funds, we also are seeing a change to develop our economic development and incentive tools to help drive this much-needed residential development.

Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods occupy a relatively small portion of the city’s total land mass—about 2 square miles, constituting less than 1% of all of Louisville, yet generates more tax revenue than any other neighborhood and has the largest job center with the majority of visitors, hotel rooms, and attractions.

Doubling down on investments that save our beautiful old buildings, put new life into them, and that create additional pedestrian activity and vibrancy is not only worthy, but mandatory.

See you on the streets soon!

Dear Friend of Downtown,

After missing our kick-off to the Derby Festival last year, due to massive flooding and related concerns on our waterfront, we are getting ready to come back as a community to celebrate and show off for the best several weeks of the year.
 
Our ambassadors have been scrubbing the sidewalks, rehanging banners, and tidying up streetscapes … all tree wells have received new mulch … we’re hosting nearly 200 volunteers on two days over the next two weeks to pick up litter … and we are about to plant new flowers in approximately 200 flower pots around Downtown.
 
This is in addition to the hotels and venues doing their own spring cleaning, dusting off winter’s cobwebs and putting a new shine on their own front doors and shared spaces.
 
Spring is a special time in Louisville, it’s warm enough that things are in bloom and we’re not yet sweltering from the heat of the summer. And it’s a special time, particularly in Downtown. Yes, I’m biased, but I’d love to show you.
 
Hope to see you on the streets soon!

Dear Friend of Downtown,

Putting on an annual event is no small feat, especially when I feel like I’m most successful at my job when I’m raising awareness, providing updates about development in Downtown, and, this week, reporting the previous year’s statistics and trends.
 
The good news is that there is so much to talk about and celebrate! The state of Downtown actually is very strong! So the updates are fun and I get to be the conduit for the energy and momentum taking place in Downtown.
 
In 2025, eight companies moved to Downtown, half of which were from out of the state and city (which means new tax revenues), and the other half were from the suburbs. Eight companies relocated within Downtown, demonstrating their satisfaction with doing business there, and 40 new street-level retail businesses opened. This is amazing economic development, and will bring dividends in the years to come.
 
We also have record investment either announced or underway right now with $3.2 billion of investment. And in 2025, we saw $355 million of investment completed, the 5th highest year of investment since we’ve been tracking that number since the early 1960s.
 
We are moving the needle with the 2024 Downtown Strategy in all three pillars, of Activate Downtown, Make Downtown a more Residential Neighborhood, and Enhance the Public Realm. Last year, there were 35 million visits, between tourists, residents, and employees in our Downtown during the year. And distillery attendance experienced a record high with 667,000 visits. We have had two new residential developments get announced, with the Fiscal Court and Hubbuch Buildings, which will result in 120 new apartments in the middle of the central business district, as well as NuLu Crossing underway, bringing 500 new apartments to that district.
 
And we continue to bring new improvements to public spaces, which have everything to do with how you feel when you’re in a space. LDP unveiled two new CitySpots last year – and we’re working on two more – and we completed new landscaping on S. 4th Street. We continue to work on new special lighting, which has a bonus effect on a space, not only providing more light, but also a feeling of safety and beauty.
 
We are busy, and I love it. If you haven’t been Downtown lately, you are missing out… I will be happy to give you a walking tour anytime. 
 
See you on the streets soon!

Dear Friend of Downtown,

When synthesizing data from the prior year, we get a great birds-eye perspective of how our Downtown did… where we did great and where we may be lacking.
 
Given that 2024 was a banner year due to Derby 150 and hosting the PGA Championship, I’m excited that our numbers remained steady in 2025… and that’s even with a never-before canceled Thunder Over Louisville!
 
The fact is, there is more to see and do in Downtown and our numbers reflect the strength of our tourism, commerce, and event activity. Downtown is thriving and more and more people are acknowledging this.
 
The recent announcements of office moves and the new developments in Downtown help broadcast the momentum and confidence to our community about what a special place Downtown is… and we’re not slowing down.
 
You can learn more at the State of the Downtown on March 24 (deadline to register is March 16!), or stay tuned to the LDP channels to share in the great accomplishments!
 
See you on the streets soon!