The Latest Downtown Louisville News and Happenings

Dear Friend of Downtown, I wrote about social responsibility almost exactly a year ago, and it could not have been more prescient for what is taking place right now, as we are seeing events on public streets and sidewalks that is antithetical to what I believe most of us were taught as kids. Did you ever read Robert […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Not only does June bring later sunsets and summer vacations… it is also the month of Pride and Juneteenth. I like to think of those celebrations as a call for all of us toward tolerance, acceptance, and most important, understanding that each of us is different and as worthy as the […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, I was in southeastern Kentucky last week, taking a look at some recreational opportunities, and I learned some history about old mountain living that sounded really familiar to me, relative to our more urban setting. There were factions of families that fought each other, probably for a real reason once upon a […]

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 […]

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, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, As we close out February, I’ve been thinking about the small actions each of us takes that lead to bigger results or consequences. I believe everything we do every day leads to something, and most of us are unaware of the effects of the energy we put out. Our actions, our […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, February is the month of love, and lately, I’m really loving the amount of conversation and action around office conversion projects in our Downtown! Two major hotel announcements at the former Brown-Williamson and Humana towers, a new bagel shop and short-term rentals at an old pharmacy on the corner of 5th and […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Our third annual Downtown Hometown Tourist Celebration is in full swing. And… due to the recent winter storm, we have officially EXTENDED the event through Sunday, February 8 to give you a chance to experience it all. That gives you two full weekends, and the weekdays in between, to explore your own city like a […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Wrapping up a year and looking to the next year is always a momentous occasion, as it is a time to reflect on accomplishments, shortcomings, and new directions. Downtown Louisville flourished in 2025! 8 NEW office locations, with more in the pipeline; 39 new retailers; 20 completed development projects representing $355 […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, You’ve heard all the carols and seen all the holiday cards declaring this the most wonderful time of the year. And I don’t disagree… my only question is where the heck did the rest of 2025 go?! But if you are living for the present, it doesn’t matter how fleeting time is, […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, This week is one I look forward to every year, though as my family members move around or away, it is not the same holiday that I grew up loving so much. It is harder to get people in one place and the array of folks gathered differs from year to […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, I’ve been lucky enough to give several presentations lately on Downtown and what is taking place on our streets and to help encourage development. Most of the time, I’m met with smiles and nods in agreement about what we are seeing in the vitality and amount of activity after 5 years […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Traveling to other cultures, while expensive, is so educational through offering new perspective and understanding. I recently returned from my first trip to Asia and the amount of care that is taken of their public spaces and buildings, the environment, and each other was acutely apparent. There are green plantings on buildings […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Louisville is rich with nonprofit organizations dedicated to causes that make us a better city. We are so rich in nonprofits that we have a day of giving solely for the purpose of highlighting these organizations and the work they do. It is no secret we all are fighting for finite dollars […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Reducing homelessness is a goal that is shared by virtually everyone. The homeless themselves, who are in need of a stable home and services to get back on their feet, advocates who are on the streets everyday helping to get these individuals to shelter or referrals to service, and business leaders […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, How much do you use artificial intelligence in your daily life? It used to be a simple Google search if we didn’t know something, but as AI is becoming more commonplace, and taking the place of even blogs like this, I fear we are losing even more of our shared humanity […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, When you visit other cities, do you notice things in their public spaces that are different from home? I love to compare and contrast, always asking who is paying for the program or the installation or the interesting “thing” that I’m seeing. Sometimes I also notice things I’m super happy *not* […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, How do we rediscover the value of personal responsibility, of being accountable to our neighbors and our community through our actions? Community-centered cities plan ahead and build plazas and promenades and pedestrian-friendly spaces. We don’t have enough of those, and I’m interested in developing more of them. We need them to […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Recently, I was listening to a podcast about leadership, corporate finance decisions, and the economy… not my normal fare… but the speakers were interesting and I was engaged. The gist was that before there were stockholders to have to answer to, companies had more control over decisions that affected their bottom […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, How you get around your downtown and the experience you have while doing it has everything to do with your feelings of usefulness, comfort, safety, and level of interest. And if your downtown streetscape doesn’t offer those four reasons for walking around, according to city planner Jeff Speck, people will not […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Happy Spring! Downtown just keeps getting better and better. Not only does LDP put on events, but there are so many events that other organizations and venues are holding that the Downtown calendar is just amazing. These events range from concerts to Broadway shows to baseball and soccer games to museum exhibits, […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Louisville Downtown Partnership (LDP) has been releasing an annual Economic Impact Report since 2022, reporting on the past year’s performance in housing, jobs and businesses, hospitality, generation of tax revenues, entertainment, and more. Conclusion first, we’re doing pretty dang great! Downtown is the largest job center in the city with nearly […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, It is human nature to want to come together as a community after any kind of disaster, whether natural or man-made. Sure, there are people who don’t feel so compelled, but I’m always in awe when I see people’s hearts on their sleeves and willingness to help when things are down. The […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, We take the opportunity once a year to showcase the economic growth and vitality of Downtown through our annual State of the Downtown event. Yesterday, we shared achievements in Downtown throughout 2024, including updated information about numbers of new hotel rooms, housing units, tax revenues, business moves and investment, tourism and […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, March is a month of exciting momentum for Downtown Louisville, and we are thrilled to share the latest updates with you. From significant investments in our historic venues to vibrant new public art installations… our Downtown is always transforming in meaningful ways. And don’t miss LDP’s annual State of the Downtown later this […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, The butterfly effect – the theory that small changes can lead to big consequences, especially in complex systems. I believe that we live out this theory every day, most of us unaware of the effects of our actions, our words, and even our thoughts. Because we are all living in this […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, You have several more days to take advantage of our second annual Downtown Hometown Tourist Celebration! This promotion offers HALF OFF admissions at a dozen participating Downtown attractions and bourbon experiences… which means you can have twice the fun at half the price! In addition to the 12 attractions, there are also […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, The single most important thing to be done in Downtown? In my humble opinion, we need to build new downtown housing opportunities. We need people walking around at all hours of the day, who may be going to attractions, working, eating/drinking, or just hanging out… and it’s residents who do that. […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, The U.S. Surgeon General issued a farewell letter to the country this week as he resigns his post, calling on us to find ways around the emptiness, division, and stress that are so common in our lives today. He asserts there are three elements that we need in order to recenter […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Wrapping up a year and looking to the next year is always a momentous occasion, as it is a time to reflect on accomplishments, shortcomings, and new directions. 2024 was a good year in Downtown Louisville! As we’re still crunching the numbers, everything looks like it’s trending in the right direction… 8 […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, With a late Thanksgiving this year comes a compressed “holiday season,” but fear not, there are many choices of things to do that will keep you hopping in Downtown through the end of the year! We are constantly updating our curated list of Holiday Events, with selections as varied as pop-up holiday […]

Dear Friend, Thanksgiving is upon us and thus starts a busy, and sometimes hectic, holiday season. However, this is the one holiday that asks you to find gratefulness, and to give thanks… without demanding presents or consumerism and excuses to hang out and relax with the people you love. It’s my favorite holiday. I see Thanksgiving […]

Dear Friend, This is a strange week for a lot of people, and I can’t deny the confusion and worry I have for the next four years. What I’m most struck by is that there are two hugely divided segments of the population – one that assumes that doing good things and believing in the […]

Dear Friend, I hope that November 5 is on your calendar. It’s the day to perform our democratic right. This presidential race is probably the biggest choice for different leadership for our country in its entire 250 years. In general, our average voter turnout in Louisville is 30%. The primary race in the spring of this […]

Dear Friend, It’s that time of year when the leaves start falling and our team starts a 6-week cycle of picking up leaves in Downtown. It really does make such a difference in how the streetscape looks when the leaves are picked up. But guess what isn’t cool… when people use their blowers to send leaves […]

Dear Friend, I recently read a quote from Dr. Samantha Boardman, a psychologist and author, who said that the messaging in mental health is “super fixated on the individual rather than our connections in the world.” And I saw a similar quote about Americans experiencing “an epidemic in narcissistic behavior in a culture that is […]

Dear Friend, Sometimes, I think we get so caught up in our own city and daily routines, that we can lose sight of what might be happening on a larger scale than what we see just around us. I love visiting other cities and getting a new perspective on life. Their lives – both the […]

I recently learned that my primary love language is Acts of Service. Yes, I know these languages have been around for decades, so I’m slow to the game… but it was an eye opener for me that sometimes what we want in a personal relationship is also true in our professions. I have wanted to […]

We launched a grassroots fundraising promotion in mid-2022 to raise awareness about what our organization does, to help fund some more cool things, and because… well, I want you to be a friend of the most unique and important neighborhood in Louisville! The basis of this giving channel is the economic significance of Downtown and […]

In order to support the needs of our city, we have not taxed ourselves appropriately for urban sprawl… that pesky phenomenon of, according to Merriam-Webster, “the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city.” As cities start to develop, city planners can choose to build up, preserving the […]

Events are important. Not only are they a fun thing to do, but they usually take place in a unique or fun location. And appeal to many people so that there is a diverse slice of community present and mingling. And then there’s the enjoyment of the event itself that evokes happiness of the experience, […]

Think about every small town you know… They often revolve around a town square, or in rural areas, it’s the place where people go when they need to “head into town.” This is where essential services are provided, where commerce is conducted, where community or county events take place, and where people naturally gravitate towards […]

When a city is home to a bucket-list type of experience and attracts the eyes of 16.7 million viewers this year, the biggest record to date, 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 […]

Baseball. It’s called America’s favorite pastime… with the warp speed in which we live our life nowadays, that probably is no longer true, but it sure is my favorite pastime. Since 1846, people have come together to watch people perform athletic feats and break records, and with its leisurely yet unique pace, it is a […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, As much as I’ve talked over the last two years about how much Downtowns have changed and what we need in order to revitalize, it is very rewarding to see the Mayor and the state’s General Assembly agree and put tens of millions of dollars into projects and improvements… in Downtown! […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, 400 of you showed up for Downtown yesterday, as Louisville Downtown Partnership put on its first State of the Downtown in five years and unveiled the new ten-year Downtown Strategy, laying out the community’s vision of what we want our Downtown to look and feel like. And boy, did you guys […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, I know lots of you frequent the restaurants, bars, concert venues, basketball, baseball, and soccer courts and fields, arts centers, and museums and attractions that populate downtown… I sure would love to see you guys raise your hands and show it off in your social media too! I’m starting something new […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, The company name Humana conjures a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Fortune 500 company. 40-year stalwart Downtown anchor. Large employer. Great insurance. So, the announcement they made earlier this month to vacate their iconic office tower to consolidate into one building surprised many. However, the truth […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, It is hard finding the right place or right tone to tell people about our fabulous Downtown, or why it’s important to our entire community, or what people can do to help… And I struggle with finding the best news outlets for reaching the right demographic. I’m not sure we will […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, How do you spell momentum? I’ll tell you… it’s making three city-owned properties available for redevelopment. And hopefully you’ve seen the news by now that announced the developers who are working on each piece of property, developing concepts and financial plans for them. This is huge for our Downtown and for […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, 2024 is already off and running and for another year in a row, I am filled with optimism and excited about what’s happening in Downtown. We just launched a new initiative to be a Hometown Tourist in your own Downtown, with participating attractions offering HALF-OFF their admissions! I mean, honestly… with nearly a […]

Today is my 2nd anniversary in this job, and I am enjoying looking back at all that we have accomplished in that (short? long?) time and how different our Downtown is because of YOU. YOU have attended events, worked on projects, added beautification to your property, picked up litter, donated money, brought a friend to something new, […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, I walk into my office differently now. I feel a new ease in the job I’m supposed to do as I cross that threshold, somehow more relaxed and confident. I also see a wall of windows facing the river and beautiful downtown buildings that, in my 25 years of working Downtown, […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Thanksgiving week is my favorite holiday. It’s the one holiday that asks you to consider gratefulness, and to give thanks… but doesn’t require presents or consumerism. Where we think of our lives, and even where there is heartache or injustice or discontent, that we take stock and see the good. It […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, My “take” will be short today… VOTE. Our Governor and other state offices are an “off year”, not the normal legislative races or presidential or mayoral races that get more attention… but we still should VOTE. In general, our average voter turnout in Louisville is 30%. The primary race in the […]

I’m feeling a lot of positive momentum in Downtown, maybe it’s because it’s my job or that I think about it every day, but I’m seeing a lot more people, there is more positive activity, and the numbers are SHOWING it. We are at a turning point. Office occupancy isn’t as high as we’d like, but […]

Louisville and Kentucky are the epicenter of the international bourbon world. This is an important accolade as it has completely transformed our tourism, cuisine, and downtown experiences in the past decade. But there are people who may have different drinking preferences and this bragging point may fall flat if you don’t know how to decipher […]

Live music is one of the only experiences in life that can be personal and communal at the same time. It is one of my favorite hobbies, because no matter if you’re in an open field or a small standing-only room, there is something magical about feeling the music reverberating within you, singing out loud, […]

Back in 2002, this community went through a very large and focused campaign around merging city and county governments. And it wasn’t just simply merging government offices; it also entailed turning to other Louisvillians who lived in different parts of town and recognizing we are on the same team. In fact, the entire effort was […]

I really thought the dog days of summer would slow down and let us take our time in preparing for what is going to be a busy Fall. But no, the good news is that your team at Louisville Downtown Partnership is working hard every day to respond to you, create beauty and activation, and […]

Have you ever thought about what it takes to live with millions of other people in a community, in a society? I’m not talking about the laws and policies that are the structure in which we should act. I’m talking about the trust that we have in each other in order to walk around every […]

Did you know that we are home to all five major performing arts groups (opera, ballet, orchestra, repertory theater, and children’s theater)? And that this is unusual for a city our size? This puts us in the same league as less than a dozen other cities in the country, such as Boston, New York City, […]

I read an article by an urban analyst who said that we can’t forget that Downtowns got their natural start because of businesses and office workers, and that trying to replace excess office now with residential development will actually hurt our downtowns. This made my ears perk since, in Louisville, we are indeed hopeful that […]

I’ve learned a lot about homeless services, resources, and policies over the last year and a half. And I have to say, I’m not impressed with America. As I look at other countries, mostly European, and understand their social services, I start to also understand the choices that Americans have made. Social services require taxes […]

Dear friend of Downtown, I was listening to my favorite podcast recently, where one of the guests mentioned that America could do some better listening. It really got me thinking. We sure do talk *at* each other a lot – and not just through the various technological mediums we use to communicate, but also through […]

Dear friend of Downtown, Earlier this month, we have had two pretty noteworthy events… Mayor Greenberg and his team dropped a Request for Qualifications for developers who might be interested in redeveloping three significantly sized and perfectly located city-owned parcels in Downtown, and Louisville Downtown Partnership held two well-attended public meetings regarding wishes, suggestions, and comments […]

Dear friend of Downtown, The U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory at the beginning of the month that addressed what is now labeled an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Admiral Murthy laid out six pillars of a new framework to address it: Strengthen social infrastructure in communities; Increase pro-connection public policies; Improve the role of […]

Dear friend of Downtown, I have vacillated among many emotions over the past week, not unlike, I assume, most of you. Frustration about another shooting, fear in learning that it was a mass shooting, disbelief that people who are well known in our community lost their lives, anger that someone had chosen their own way […]

Dear friend of Downtown, You guys! This spring is gonna be bonkers… I’m so excited – and maybe anxious?! – about all the choices we have for events for you to take part in and experience in Downtown. These are things that are in unique settings, that allow you to experience special urban areas that […]

According to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, being able to link open personal conversations to work and to organizational health matters. Bryan Hancock, partner with McKinsey, states that was true before the pandemic and it’s the case even moreso now. As a result, we need emotional fluency in the workplace now more […]

We’ve all seen the photos of turtles with straws stuck in their noses or the nets or 6-pack plastic rings that entangle dolphin or whale fins. And I know it’s hard to miss the trash that line the sides of some interstates or ramps or even along our sidewalks. It may be hard to piece […]

Dear friend of Downtown, I am constantly in awe of and impressed by developers… people who see the value of bringing a project, sometimes really big ones, to fruition for a variety of other businesses and/or users. Even when those businesses might get the longer-term credit after the original announcement. If it weren’t for developers, […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Communication has changed formats exponentially since the introduction of the Gutenberg printing press in the mid-1400s. For centuries, the way we received news or communicated with each other had been through the spoken or printed word, where people gathered in town squares to hear the latest news or where a handbill […]

Dear friend of Downtown, This Director’s Take is dedicated to my grandmother, Betty Jane Spritz Fleischaker. Although she died a little over 6 years ago, I got to see her face and an amazing write-up last week in a new exhibit at Roots 101 African American Museum called White Allies of Civil Rights. Curated by Louisville […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, It’s a new year! The time to shake off the dust, set some intentions and think about what we can do in 2023 that is better for ourselves, our companies, or our community. Some major Downtown projects have broken ground and many more are on the horizon, our city has a […]

I am looking forward to 2023 with tremendous optimism and excitement for what lies ahead. More and more is happening at venues, eateries, and attractions for everyone to enjoy and take advantage of and I am hopeful that this next year, it also means more people will come back to the office during the day. […]

Dear Friends of Downtown, As we get into the holiday season and I look back on my first year on the job, I am bursting with so much thanks for your shared commitment and support of Downtown. We’ve been able to accomplish a lot in a short time, and that is in no small part […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, As we bust into the holiday season, it’s time for the big question about what kind of greetings to share with people. I find the debate a bit amusing, because I was raised in a Jewish household and then, after divorce and remarriage, a religiously blended household. The family holiday traditions, […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, The holiday that asks you to consider gratefulness, and to give thanks… but doesn’t require presents or consumerism. Ahhh, Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. It started for me in college when I got to come home for the first long weekend of the semester, lounge with my siblings with no particular itinerary, […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, I am a sucker for shows and stories about people’s character growth. I’m especially a sucker when it involves a team and a coach, having been a teammate for as long as I can remember and a coach during some adolescents’ pivotal years. Besides Mom, Coach has been my favorite title. […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, We are about halfway through event season, and we’ve had an amazing month or so in Downtown! Even more, Mother Nature has been exceptionally generous and here’s crossing fingers and toes that she continues! The thing about September and October in Louisville is that it’s the other time of year besides […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Last week Louisville Forward and LDP hosted a panel discussion with business leaders, HR professionals, and an organizational psychologist about return to office and what the “World of Work” looks like going forward. This was a different conversation than what’s been had before, at least publicly, because we wanted to look […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Live music is one of the only experiences in life that can be personal and communal at the same time. It is one of my favorite hobbies, because no matter if you’re in an open field or a small standing-only room, there is something special about feeling the music reverberating within […]

As the end of summer draws near, I’m reminded of how quickly time passes. The things I think I have so much time to accomplish, or that are so far off into the future are suddenly before me. It’s always a little bittersweet to say goodbye to days full of late sunsets, fun activities, and […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, This week we launched a new campaign called Friends of Downtown… because, let’s face it, I want you to be our friend! This is primarily a fundraising effort, but also one to engage with more people about all the fantastic things happening Downtown and to understand its economic significance and why […]

This has been a tough week in Kentucky, as we watch our neighbors to the east see their homes and livelihoods swept away or damaged.

Dear Friend of Downtown, I’m sad, I’m confused, and maybe like you, I’m trying to figure out how to make a difference. We have been told for so long that America is the land of the free and the envy of the world. But with shootings at a grocery store, in an elementary school, of […]

Dear Friend of Downtown, Y’all crushed it in June! Thank you for showing up and showing out at the various events in Downtown over the last month… I feel a collective excitement, pride, and love that I haven’t felt in awhile. LDP kicked off its new Food Truck Wednesday series, we co-hosted the first Downtown […]

Think about every small town you know. They are usually centered around a town square, or in
rural areas, it’s where people need to go “into town.”

It’s really hard to comprehend the mass shootings and the loss of life that have been plaguing America for the last 25 years. We know there are a few things at play – that it is way too easy to get military style guns, that we have a mental health crisis in our country, and […]

Hometown pride has ranked high these past two weeks, as Louisville shined its brightest, even with a little rain.

Togetherness is what engenders kindness and tolerance. Whether it’s your work family, your neighborhood, or your larger community, the longer we stay apart, the more isolated we become and the less we care about each other. Each other is our glue.

One of my favorite things about being in other cities is finding areas with a collection of historic buildings, something that shows the roots of the city and how life and uses of those buildings have changed over time.

Traveling to other cities always opens my eyes to new ideas of projects and how things can look or be done.

In this day of technology where everyone has their own mini-computer in their pocket or on their wrist at all times, it’s even harder to find people where they are.

If something makes you cry, you know it’s something that hits you on a soul level. It may be something that brings you joy, hope, or sadness. I expect to see a few Super Bowl commercials do that. Kids’ honesty usually does it too. What moves me to tears probably the most is when people […]

Last week we released a new economic impact report showing what Downtown means for our community and region.

January is always the perfect time to take fresh stock of the year, wipe the slate clean, and gain perspective.

Every city has a downtown – the community’s center, where residents gather for work and for fun; to accomplish and to experience; to celebrate and to advocate.

As we all usher in a new year and consider our resolutions and goals, we also have to consider the highly transmissible Omicron COVID variant

In response to WDRB’s President and General Manager Dale Woods’s careless Point of View on the health of Downtown, we would like to offer some counter points.