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Mayor Fischer today announced the promotion of Vincent James to Louisville’s Chief of Community Building, which includes a leading role in the city’s comprehensive public safety strategy.
James currently serves as the Faith and Community Based Coordinator in the Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods, which works to address the root causes of violence through community engagement and programs such as Pivot to Peace and mentorship. As Chief of Community Building, James will supervise departments including Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods, Public Health & Wellness, Youth Detention Services, the Louisville Zoo, and Parks & Recreation.
James will be a member of Mayor Fischer’s senior leadership team. He succeeds Yvette Gentry, who is leaving to focus on her health.
“Vincent James is a prime example of a citizen stepping up to be the one to make a difference in the life of a young person, and that is why he’s the perfect choice for a leadership role as we work every day toward a city where every single person has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential,” Mayor Fischer said.
“Likewise, we can’t express enough thanks to Col. Gentry. From her decades of service with LMPD, through her most recent work, Yvette has proven herself to be a compassionate and caring leader. She promised her family that if she had not achieved optimal health by the beginning of October, she would step away. She informed me of her intent and allowed us time to find a replacement to ensure a smooth transition that continues our positive momentum,” he continued. “I am pleased that Yvette will continue to share her passion, knowledge and experience as a member of the Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods’ One Love Louisville Advisory Council.”
Gentry added: “I believe in the work, my team and their efforts to make the city a better place. I appreciate the opportunity that Mayor Fischer gave me and wish the team the very best going forward.”
James is also pastor of Elim Baptist Church in Parkland, and has been involved in multiple non-profit community building initiatives before and after joining the Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods. James, who has Master Black Belt Six Sigma certification, previously served as a Business Team Leader and later Process Improvement Manager for GE.
“I’m excited to take on a bigger role in helping to provide a safe and healthy community for everyone in every neighborhood,” James said. “Louisville has strong teams in every agency that work toward our goal of building a stronger community, and I’m looking forward to working with them to build on the good work that’s been done over nearly seven years.”
On October 15, 2017 the Louisville Division of Fire will be celebrating the 34th Annual Great Louisville Fire Drill in partnership with 5 area Kroger stores. From 1-5pm, fire crews will be stationed outside these stores to provide fire safety information, static equipment displays and serve fire house chili. The Great Louisville Fire Drill is held in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, a nationwide annual campaign commemorating the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. This year, the theme is “Every Second Counts. Plan 2 Ways Out!”.
Kroger Locations:
- 520 N. 35th Street
- 2710 W. Broadway
- 3165 S. 2nd Street
- 1265 Goss Avenue
- 2200 Brownsboro Road
A community design workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 17 at 6 p.m. at the Gheens Lodge at the Parklands of Floyds Fork to gather public input for the South Floyds Fork Vision, an ongoing process to create a visionary plan that will provide guidance for authentic, healthy, equitable, sustainable, and well-connected growth in the South Floyds Fork area.
The 4,000 acre Parklands of Floyds Fork is a transcendent asset for Louisville that includes four major parks linked by a park drive, an urban trail system, and watershed. The Parklands is expected to spur development and increase population in the area. The South Floyds Fork Vision will serve as a guide for future development and infrastructure investment in the study area.
The study area is bounded by Bardstown Road and Shelbyville Road to the north and south and the Gene Snyder Expressway and the county line to the west and east.
The South Floyds Fork Vision will be led by a team of representatives from Develop Louisville, Metro Council District 20, and local and national consultants, in coordination with representatives of the Parklands of Floyds Fork and Metro agencies. An advisory group, consisting of Senator Julie Raque Adams along with District 20 residents and stakeholders, has been formed to guide the process. Advisory Group members were recommended by Councilman Stuart Benson and appointed by Mayor Greg Fischer.
“The South Floyds Fork Area Vision is a project that will shape the future character of a large portion of District 20 surrounding the Parklands,” District 20 Councilman Stuart Benson said. “Please plan on joining us on October 17 to make your concerns and opinions heard.”
Once the Advisory Group has completed its work, the South Floyds Fork Vision will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and Metro Council for review and adoption. It is anticipated that adoption will occur in summer 2018.
For more information, visit https://www.floydsforkvision.com or https://louisvilleky.gov/government/advanced-planning/south-floyds-fork-area-study
Joining with other cities and organizations across the country, Mayor Greg Fischer has proclaimed October 5 as Energy Efficiency Day to bring attention to the benefits of being energy efficient including utility bill cost savings, support of a thriving clean energy sector, reduction of emissions and improvement of air quality. Saving energy means saving money.
“Upgrades in energy efficiency in the workplace, the home or commercial business reduces energy bills and improves environmental health,” Fischer said. “The city continues to take steps to increase energy efficiency in its buildings so that less money is needed to operate our buildings and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I encourage property owners across the city to consider implementing energy efficiency measures.”
Energy efficiency speaks directly to the Mayor’s sustainability goals to decrease energy use citywide per capita and in city-owned buildings.
Since 2013, the city has conducted significant energy efficiency improvements including lighting and HVAC upgrades, solar panels, and building management system controls, in more than 200 city operated buildings. In 2016, these energy efficiency improvements reduced an amount of carbon emissions equivalent to planting 45,963 trees and removing 3,034 cars from the road.
The city also partners with the Louisville Energy Alliance to promote ENERGY STAR certification for non-residential buildings and launched a cool roof rebate program that can reduce energy costs by up to 10% for the property owner.
Other cities that are joining in Energy Efficiency Day include Chicago, Denver, Memphis, New Orleans, Knoxville, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.
If you want like to invest in energy saving methods in your home, workplace or commercial business, please contact the Office of Sustainability at 574-6285 or sustainability@louisvilleky.gov.
To view who else is joining in Energy Efficiency Day, visit https://energyefficiencyday.org/
Mayor Greg Fischer today proposed a $30 million bond ordinance to support the Louisville City Football Club soccer stadium and district announced last week, and said he will soon propose another $30 million in bonds for several other economic development projects.
The bond introduced at Metro Council today and sponsored by 4th District Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith would provide $30 million to buy about 35 acres of land in Butchertown for the stadium, as well as brownfield remediation and public infrastructure improvements.
(Learn more about the soccer stadium development project)
Projects that may be supported in future bonding include:
- The Louisville Urban League’s $30 million plan for a state-of-the-art multi-sports complex anchored by an indoor track and field facility on the 24-acre Heritage West property located at 3029 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.
- The $35 million plan to expand Waterfront Park into Russell and Shippingport, including plazas, pathways, play areas, green spaces, footbridges, sculptures, historic elements, and fountains, and an extension of River Road from where it currently ends near 10th Street to around 14th Street.
- Improvements at Riverview Park, 8202 Greenwood Road, in southwest Louisville.
“Each of these developments represents a major quality-of-life and economic development boost to our city,” the Mayor said. “These are smart opportunities, and when opportunities to move our city forward come up, we’re going to go for them. That’s how you create momentum, and that’s how you keep it going for the future of our city.”
Councilwoman Sexton Smith said: “This is a strategically aligned business decision that will create jobs taking into account the taxpayers’ money first. One hundred percent of our funds will be used to purchase the land and improve the infrastructure. The best part is we will receive $14.5 million in lease payments and another $15 million in projected property taxes over the next 20 years. It’s a great deal for our city, with Butchertown leading the way!”
Professional skateboarders and cyclists and extreme athletes from across the region converged on the David Armstrong Extreme Park on Saturday to test themselves on a new metal vert ramp that’s considered to be among the finest skatepark elements in the world.
The ramp was designed and built by G. Ramps AG, a German firm specializing in skate park elements construction, and the pieces were transported to the United States by a ship. Construction began in late August and was completed last week.
The project cost $328,000 and included demolition of the old, wooden vert ramp and purchase and installation of the new ramp.
““The Louisville Extreme Park is a jewel for extreme sports enthusiasts, and the addition of the new vert ramp makes it even more world class. So I encourage everyone to go down there and have fun – just don’t forget your helmet,” Mayor Greg Fischer said.
Recently, the park was closed for more than a year as the Ohio River Bridges Project was completed. The park reopened April 2015 with new features including updated street elements and a “snake run.” The bowl and full pipe, which were fixtures to the original design, were modernized.
The park is named for former Louisville Mayor David Armstrong, who passed away in June at the age of 76. Armstrong was serving as mayor in 2002 when the skatepark opened to the public.
The Extreme Park has consistently been listed as one of the finest skatepark locations in the world by various websites and magazines.
“Every time I visited the extreme skate park during the installation you could feel the energy and hear the excitement from everyone. I spoke with a young man who said the new ramp made him feel like a kid in a candy shop,” said Barbara Sexton Smith, who represents District 4, where the park is located, on the Louisville Metro Council.
“The guys from Germany and our local workers said this is one of the coolest projects they’ve ever worked on. I hope everyone will stop by for some extreme fun!”
“We’re thrilled to open this new chapter in the short but growing history of the David Armstrong Extreme Park,” said Seve Ghose, Director of Parks and Recreation, which manages the property. “The new vert ramp will enhance the already great reputation the park has as a destination for extreme athletes from across the world.”
Automotive frame manufacturer Metalsa Structural Products Inc. will add 113 jobs at its Owensboro facility with a $36.5 million expansion to produce a new line of stamped and welded components.
“With three production facilities in the commonwealth, Metalsa stands as one of our largest automotive employers,” Gov. Bevin said. “We are grateful for this additional expansion and these new jobs. This will strengthen Kentucky’s economy and further propel us toward our goal of being the American center of engineering and manufacturing excellence. We welcome this growth and congratulate both Metalsa and the Owensboro community on their success.”
The $36.5 million will include investment in robotic welding cells, assembly line robots, infrastructure and building expansions to increase the facility’s square footage to accommodate the new production line and additional warehouse space. The expansion began this summer and hiring is for September 2018 through June 2019. Company leaders expect production to begin in March 2019.
In Kentucky, Metalsa currently employs about 2,700 people at three vehicle-frame facilities. It established the Owensboro facility in 1997, opened its Hopkinsville plant in 1989 and its Elizabethtown plant dates to 1994.
Established in 1956 as Manufacturas Metálicas Monterrey with a plant in Churubusco, Mexico, the company initially produced structures for the construction industry then began manufacturing automotive parts four years later. The company changed its name to Metalsa in 1980. Current products include frames and fuel tanks for light and commercial vehicles, among other items.
Kentucky’s automotive industry — a key sector of the commonwealth’s economy — employs more than 100,000 people at 500-plus facilities across the state. This year through August, the industry announced a dozen new locations or expansions totaling $3.9 billion in investments. Those are expected to create more than 3,100 full-time jobs.
Kentucky’s ideal location as a gateway between the nation’s two auto-production hotbeds offers suppliers the opportunity to produce components in a low-cost, right-to-work state and ship their products quickly and cost-effectively to assembly plants in Kentucky and across the Midwest and South.
Sen. Joe Bowen, of Owensboro, said the announcement will benefit the region for years to come.
“It is a great day when a company that already employs so many Kentuckians chooses to expand its operations in our city,” he said. “I am pleased that Metalsa chose to increase its investment in its Owensboro facility and I thank them for their dedication to our community.”
Rep. Suzanne Miles, of Owensboro, commended Metalsa on its commitment to the region and thanked those involved with landing the project.
“I want to congratulate Metalsa Structural Products on their expansion and thank them for their continued investment in the 7th District,” Rep. Miles said. “This expansion will create jobs for the Owensboro area and bring continued economic development to our region. Metalsa Structural Products has long been a successful corporate and community partner for Owensboro, and I want to applaud all those who made this investment possible.”
Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson said the company’s growth reflects the pro-business climate of the community.
“The City of Owensboro is proud and honored to be the site of Metalsa’s expansion,” Mayor Watson said. “The company’s commitment to Owensboro is a testament to our positive business environment, a highly-skilled workforce and superb quality of life. We look forward to working with this fine corporate citizen for many years to come.”
Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly welcomed news of the expansion.
“On behalf of the fiscal court and the citizens of Daviess County, I congratulate Metalsa on their expansion,” Judge Mattingly said. “This project will create high-wage jobs, and illustrates the company’s confidence in our workforce and community.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in June preliminarily approved Metalsa for tax incentives up to $3.5 million 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, Metalsa 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 2016, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for nearly 95,000 Kentuckians and 5,000 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
For more information on Metalsa, visit www.metalsa.com.
A detailed community profile for Daviess County can be viewed at http://bit.ly/DaviessCoKy.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.