Tuesday October 7, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Coca-Cola Consolidated and Louisville Parks and Recreation will host a public celebration of the newly refreshed Portland Park. The event will be this Saturday, October 21, starting at 11:00 AM. The Portland Park is located at 640 N 27th St.
Brief remarks will be made by Mayor Greg Fischer. The event is free and open to the public, and will offer food trucks, live music, face painting, crafts and more. Information about open jobs and joining the Coke Consolidated team will also be available.
“Louisville Parks and Recreation is pleased to see our partnership continue to grow with Coca Cola Consolidated, the Joey Logano Foundation and the KY Speedway,” said Ben Johnson, Assistant Director for Louisville Parks and Recreation. “This Family Fun Festival is a new event for us and we are excited for it to take place in the same park where we partnered to put in a brand new playground this summer.”
“Coca-Cola Consolidated is honored to partner with Louisville Parks and Recreation and the Joe Logano Foundation through our Big Hearts, mini cans program,” said Audie Wilson, Director of Retail Sales for Coca-Cola Consolidated. “Our mini cans might be small, but our heart for the Louisville community is enormous.”
When completed, it will be a major investment providing more housing units for students near the University of Louisville. On Thursday, ground was broken on the Marshall of Louisville located at 2400 South Fourth Street.
“The Marshall will be a great addition to District 6 and when completed will enhance this area as we continue the revitalization of South Fourth Street,” said President David James, who joined Mayor Greg Fischer for the ground breaking.
The Marshall Louisville is an approximately $50 million investment in President James’ District. The project will have 231 Units that sit atop a 232 space parking garage. The development team worked with us to make the garage disappear as you will not even notice it. 531 University of Louisville Students will occupy this site in a short period of time.
“We are excited to support the University of Louisville and to provide student housing as the University delivers on its plan for growth,” Jack Dulworth, the local partner of Aptitude 4th Street, LLC remarked.
“The Marshall is the first of many projects that will transform University Corridor and give residents and visitors a feeling of place near the university and Churchill Downs,” says Councilwoman Marianne Butler (D-15). “I applaud Jack Dulworth and his partners on making this bold investment and look forward to other developments along the corridor.”
It is a new 10-story luxury student living complex sitting on a 1.5 acre lot being developed by Dulworth and Aptitude 4th Street, LLC.
The property will house 591 beds throughout 231 fully furnished units. The complex will include two parking garage floors beneath eight stories of residential apartments and amenities. The penthouse floor will feature a 2,500 square-foot outdoor terrace and 8,000 square feet of amenity space, including a gym, study lounges and game rooms for students to relax with unobstructed views of the iconic Churchill Downs.
This is the first time in recent large student housing developments that there is a local partner, Jack Dulworth, who has had a substantial role in the development to date.
“I am glad to see this day come,” said James. “The City worked hard to land the project as this area that has been a high priority target for redevelopment.”
As the project moves forward, President James is committed to making substantial improvements to the underpass entrance to the University of Louisville to make it friendlier for people walking, biking or “Birding”, which refers to scooters that have recently become part of Metro Louisville’s transportation mode.
To learn more about the project, go to: https://www.aptitudere.com/the-marshall-louisville/
Photo: Kentucky Cabinet For Economic Development
Ring Container Technologies, a plastic container manufacturer, has opened its $23.3 million, 41-job facility, Gov. Matt Bevin announced recently.
“We are excited to welcome Ring Container Technologies to Kentucky, and we look forward to helping this company flourish at its new location,” Gov. Bevin said. “In addition to a new investment and job creation in Jefferson County, Ring will offer the added benefit of providing products to local businesses in the region. We wish the company all the very best as they begin this new venture.”
The new Ring operation will produce food-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for local companies in the Louisville area. The new location will eliminate the company’s need for hundreds of shipments from its facilities in the Midwest. To accommodate the project, Ring leased a more than 125,000-square-foot facility on Johnsontown Road in Louisville and expanded it to over 128,000 square feet. The company also purchased and installed energy-reducing materials and equipment, including LED lighting, a chilled water system and a variable speed compressed air system.
“We’re thrilled to open a new plant in Louisville, which is strategically located to better service key customers,” said Ben Livingston, president and CEO at Ring.
Additionally, the Louisville facility will be the first to produce the company’s latest breakthrough technology, expected to be unveiled later this year.
“This cutting-edge application was developed to support the needs of our current and prospective customers, and we are pleased to be launching it in Louisville,” said Brian Smith, Ring’s senior vice president of innovation and supply chain.
Ring is a privately held company founded in 1968 and based in Oakland, Tenn. focused on the creation of sustainable products within the consumer packaging industry. It produces plastic food packaging products, including containers for Jif peanut butter, McCormick spices and large cheeseball containers, among a wide range of other items. The company operates 18 locations in the US, Canada and the UK. Ring is a sister company of RAPAC, a producer of eco-friendly polystyrene resins and finished products and a major recycler of polystyrene in the US.
Sen. Perry Clark, of Louisville, said Ring’s presence will benefit existing local companies.
“Ring Container Technologies’ decision to open its facility in Jefferson County and provide products to local businesses will be good for businesses in our region and provide a welcome boost to our economic base,” Sen. Clark said. “We look forward to the new jobs and stand ready with a skilled workforce to meet the company’s needs.”
Rep. Joni Jenkins, of Shively, described the project as a “win-win” for the entire community.
“I’m happy to welcome Ring Container Technologies to our community and want to thank its leaders for investing so much and creating these additional jobs,” Rep. Jenkins said. “I know many of Louisville’s other companies appreciate this as well, because it will make their jobs easier. This is a win-win for everyone involved.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in September 2017 preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $700,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
In addition, Ring can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal year 2017, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for more than 120,000 Kentuckians and 5,700 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
For more information on Ring Container Technologies, visit www.RingContainer.com.
President David James and several Members of the Louisville Metro Council on Thursday, October 18th officially unveiled the new “Art in City Hall” Exhibit which features the work of Louisville Visual Artists.
“The purpose of this new exhibit is to have the public experience the wide range of artists and visual talent we have in Metro Louisville,” says President James. “Art in City Hall allows us to showcase beautiful works of those artists in an historic setting.”
“Art in City Hall” works in partnership with the Commission on Public Art to use the public lobby areas and hallways of all three floors in Historic City Hall as a display area to showcase these visual arts.
“The Commission on Public Art is pleased to work with the Metro Council on Art in City Hall,” said Sarah Lindgren, Public Art Administrator for Louisville Metro Government. “I would like to thank each of the artists featured in the exhibition for sharing their work in this important public space.”
Louisville has a strong history of arts and cultural expression. When City Hall was built in the 1870s artists and craftsmen created a detailed façade including a locomotive with billowing steam and animals to represent the city’s identity and economic strength. Now, 150 years later, we still look to artists to communicate the distinctive identity of our city with many creative voices.
This past summer, President James asked two members of the Louisville Metro Council, Council women Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4) and Councilwoman Angela Let (R-7), to be part of a committee to review works of visual artists for this new program.
Art in City Hall includes six Louisville artists showing a wide variety of techniques in painting and mixed-media collage. From the geometric precision of Gibbs Rounsavall’s work on the third floor, to the abstract, textured layers of Brennen Cabrera’s work on the first floor, viewers experience each artist’s unique expression of a place, an idea, or an arrangement of objects designed to challenge the artist’s hand and to provoke the viewer’s imagination.
Those artists in the exhibit are:
- Herb Bradshaw
- Brennen Cabrera
- Lynn Dunbar
- Claudia Hammer
- Gibbs Rousavall
- Frank Weisberg
“Art in City Hall is a yearlong exhibit. The Council is honored to be part of an effort that we hope it continue in the coming years as we join many areas where Louisville artists show their talent and remind us that the arts have a very important place in our society,” said President James.
To learn more about Metro Louisville’s Commission in Public Art and its mission, go to: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-art/commission-public-art
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilman David Yates (D-25) and Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12) are once again hosting their annual Southwest YMCA Fall Family Festival on Friday, October 19th.
It’s a free event for the whole family and the entire community.
“The Fall Family Festival gives parents and children a safe place to celebrate Halloween a little early and just enjoy the season,” says Yates. “We have a very strong partnership with the YMCA. The festival provides an opportunity for everyone in the community to learn more about the great programs offered at the Y.”
“Events like Family Fall Festival bring our neighborhoods together in Southwest Louisville,” says Blackwell. “This is a perfect opportunity for neighbors and families to gather together and enjoy fun activities for all ages.”
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
The Southwest YMCA Fall Family Festival will be held from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Y located at 2800 Fordhaven Road. It will include the following activities: Pick your own Pumpkin, Inflatable Fun, Group Fitness Demonstrations, Face Painting, Games and other activities.
Both Councilmen will be provide free hot dogs and bottled water.
The event will get underway rain or shine. In the event of bad weather, all festivities will move indoors.
For more information you can contact President Yates’ office at 574-1125 or Councilman Blackwell’s office at 574-1112. Or contact to the Southwest YMCA at 502-933-9622.
Photo: Kentucky Cabinet For Economic Development
U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Governor Matt Bevin today announced a $2.55 million Abandoned Mine Lands Pilot Grant to restore and enhance the Portal 31 Exhibition Mine and create a scenic overlook and parking area at Black Mountain.
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Division of Abandoned Mine Lands awarded the grant to Harlan County Fiscal Court as part of the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Pilot Program to revitalize the coalfields in Kentucky’s Appalachian region.
The project will involve refurbishing the electronics and controls of animated figures, upgrading audiovisual systems, lighting, and control functions of the Exhibition Mine Tour, and fixing drainage in the exhibition mine tunnels and making structural repairs to tunnel roof structures. In addition, adjacent mine areas will be cleaned to accommodate a new walking tour and an additional mantrip vehicle will be purchased.
The Black Mountain portion of the project will create a new parking area with a scenic overlook, which will lead to a new walking trail that will take visitors to the overlook at the summit of Black Mountain – the highest natural point in Kentucky. A proposed 40-foot –high observation tower will provide a scenic view of Kentucky and Virginia.
The Lynch Bathhouse/administrative building adjacent to Portal 31, will be renovated to increase office space. The renovation also will provide space for a planned dulcimer factory and other crafts, a planned coffee roasting company, and enlarge an existing mushroom growing operation.
Congressman Rogers and Governor Bevin announced the grant Thursday at Benham Schoolhouse Inn, Benham, KY.
“We need to tell our story and celebrate our history in Eastern Kentucky on a larger scale, and this grant will highlight the rich heritage of coal production and the beauty of our mountains in Harlan County,” said Congressman Rogers, who has championed $80 million in federal funding for Kentucky through the AML Pilot Program since 2016, alongside U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“We need to cultivate our tourism economy on a broader spectrum by improving and marketing the qualities that make our region so unique, like Portal 31 and the highest point in Kentucky on Black Mountain. Thanks to the hard-working and resilient people of Harlan County, the future for our rural economy looks brighter every day.”
In addition to the AML Pilot Grant, the project has received $650,000 local/in-kind funds. When completed, it is expected to create 20 new permanent jobs and increase visitors to Lynch, KY and the surrounding area by 40 percent.
“When it was built more than 100 years ago, Lynch was the largest coal camp in the world, and the newly-announced resources will help restore and preserve this unique part of Kentucky’s history,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and a key negotiator in securing the funding for this program.
“In addition to its benefits for the local tourism industry, the Portal 31 Exhibition Mine displays both the historical significance and natural beauty of Appalachian coal country. I proudly join Congressman Rogers in strong support of the AML Pilot grants to encourage economic revitalization and new jobs to Eastern Kentucky, and I look forward to the success of this project.”
“This significant AML investment will enhance tourism and economic development opportunities in Southeast Kentucky,” said Gov. Bevin. “These grant funds will enable Harlan County to showcase to visitors the region’s rich mining history as well as the scenic natural beauty of Black Mountain — the highest point within the Commonwealth.”
Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Charles Snavely said restoration of the mine tour is worthwhile because, not only does it draw upon Kentucky’s rich mining culture, it shows how the region is transforming itself.
“I am pleased that this Cabinet is able to be a significant part of the region’s recovery through this grant,” Secretary Snavely said.
The AML Pilot Program, funded through the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), is a joint effort by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, the Department for Local Government, the SOAR Initiative in Eastern Kentucky, the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and the Energy and Environment Cabinet, Division of Abandoned Mine Lands.
The Louisville Metro Office of Sustainability and the Louisville Sustainability Council (LSC) will co-host the fifth annual Sustainability Summit on Friday, Oct. 19, at the University of Louisville’s newly renovated Student Activities Center.
The Summit will feature local and national speakers and give attendees a chance to discover successes, identify opportunities, and creatively learn from each other about how to create a culture of sustainability in Louisville.
“For the health of our residents and our city, we must work together to embed sustainability in all aspects of our lives,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “Please join the 2018 Sustainability Summit to engage with local leaders and stakeholders on how we can integrate sustainability into our community.”
The keynote speaker of the event will be David Orr, PhD, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies & Politics, Emeritus at Oberlin College. Orr is the author of eight books, including Dangerous Years: Climate Change and the Long Emergency (Yale, 2016) and Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse (Oxford, 2009). The title of the keynote address is “The (Missing) Politics in Environmental and Sustainability Education.”
“This year’s summit will help call attention to creating a culture of sustainability, which is inextricably linked to a healthy economy and reduced carbon emissions” said Maria Koetter, Director of the Office of Sustainability. “From national experts to local practitioners, the event aims to engage citizens and generate conversations that will help cultivate a culture of sustainability.”
Emily Chandler, Executive Director of the Louisville Sustainability Council, said, “The summit is our annual opportunity to gather together under one roof as concerned individuals, nonprofit organizations, school groups, faith-based groups and sustainability professionals from the public and private sectors. It is a day for celebration, collaboration and exploration that cannot be missed if you are concerned about creating a culture of sustainability in Louisville, Kentucky.”
The event also features local speakers, including University of Louisville president Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, along with a facilitated community discussion titled “Creating the Future in Your Space Through a Culture of Sustainability.”
Summit attendees also have the opportunity to go on one of four sustainability-related tours through different areas of the U of L campus, including the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research and the new LEED Gold Belknap Academic Building.
The 2018 Sustainability Summit is proud to receive support from its Patron Sponsors: Yum! Brands and Humana; as well as its Summit Friend Sponsors: Brown-Forman, CMTA, PNC Bank, and Aramark; and its Supporting Sponsors: the UofL Sustainability Council, Festival of Faiths, Copper & Kings, WestRock, Harshaw Trane, K. Norman Berry Associates, Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, the Partnership for a Green City, TARC, UPS, Spalding Design, and Stantec.
At the day of the event, standard tickets will be $40 for Louisville Sustainability Council members and $75 for non-members. (There also is a lunchless ticket option that costs only $15.)
To register before the event, visit http://louisvillesustainabilitycouncil.org/2018-sustainability-summit/more-information-registration/
