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SubscribeMayor Greg Fischer announced today that global design and consultancy firm Arcadis is donating engineering and design services to Russell: A Place of Promise, in support of its community engagement efforts around vacant warehouses at 3025 W. Madison St.
Russell: A Place of Promise is an economic justice-based initiative created through a partnership between Louisville Metro Government, Cities United and the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. It focuses on generating investments in the people and places that make Louisville’s historically African American Russell neighborhood special.
“The key to being a good steward of investment like the kind we’re seeing in Russell is to be intentional about making sure that as we regenerate, we don’t displace,” the Mayor said. “That’s what Russell: A Place of Promise is about, and we appreciate the Arcadis partnership, which should help us get even more residents involved.”
Arcadis will help document current building conditions and plan for the future redevelopment of the Madison Street warehouse property.
As part of that work, Russell: A Place of Promise is inviting Russell residents to participate in conversations that will shape the site design and the uses for the property, as well as consider a community ownership model that would allow residents to become co-owners of the project.
Russell: A Place of Promise staff will knock on doors and host multiple events to update and listen to residents. An initial open house is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, at Roosevelt-Perry Elementary School, 1615 W. Broadway.
“We are excited about this opportunity to partner with the Arcadis team,” said Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United. “It will allow us to use technology to bring more community members into the planning and design process for the amazing Madison Street warehouses.”
The Madison Street warehouses were once the home of a cigar manufacturing operation and have housed several other industrial uses since the buildings were constructed. The warehouses are located immediately to the south of the Heritage West property where the Louisville Urban League is building its Sports and Learning Complex.
The approximately 3.6-acre property includes five buildings in various states of deterioration. Arcadis’ work will help Russell: A Place of Promise understand existing structural conditions to inform the community conversation around potential for redevelopment.
“Clearly, there is a strong sense of pride, energy and potential flowing from the Russell community,” said Joachim Ebert, CEO of Arcadis North America. “We’re thrilled that Arcadis can support Russell: A Place of Promise in taking bold moves to share a more prosperous and sustainable future for everyone who calls this neighborhood home.”
Russell was a center of black homeownership and has a history of being a vibrant and diverse hub of small, black-owned businesses that served neighborhood needs, created jobs, and contributed to neighborhood resilience. Redlining and urban renewal practices crippled Russell’s residential and business community, stifling opportunities for generational wealth building.
With nearly $1 billion in investment planned and underway, Russell is poised to experience neighborhood transformation. Russell: A Place of Promise is working to build a model for black wealth creation by connecting individuals and families to resources leading to home ownership, by building pathways and opportunities for traditional and nontraditional business retention and creation, and by developing innovative solutions for career-track job placement and growth.
25For more information about the open house and Russell: A Place of Promise’s work, please email info@russellpromise.com.
Last week, Mayor Greg Fischer joined Metro Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith and community members to unveil a new public art project, the Louisville Knot.
Through a series of bent and bundled steel tubes, the Louisville Knot transforms the Ninth Street highway underpass that connects Museum Row to west Louisville into a welcoming pedestrian thoroughfare. The installation, which is illuminated at dusk, serves as an interactive sculpture and street furniture that can be used as seating, tables, a bike rack, and an extra-large swing.
“For too long, we’ve allowed an imaginary distinction to exist between downtown and west Louisville along the Ninth Street corridor. By activating this previously underutilized space, the Louisville Knot welcomes residents and visitors to explore the corridors leading to the Portland and Russell neighborhoods,” the Mayor said. “I’m delighted to already see people of all ages and backgrounds coming together at the Louisville Knot.”
The Louisville Knot came out of a call for proposals from Louisville Metro Government and Louisville Downtown Partnership seeking a project that combined art, design, and infrastructure. The design team is led by Philadelphia-based Interface Studio Architects (ISA) with fabrication by Louisville’s Core Design.
“The Knot project was a special opportunity for ISA to get to know a city – its history and people – and devise a unique intervention to help enliven an underutilized piece of urban fabric. We hope the installation not only reinforces the Main Street link across two neighborhoods but motivates creativity, sharing, and social connections among the broadest range of people who live in and visit Louisville for many years to come,” said Brian Phillips, ISA Principal.
The project was funded by Louisville Metro Government and the Rotary Club of Louisville.
“For 107 years, the Rotary Club of Louisville has supported worthy causes in our community,” said Luke B. Schmidt, Rotary Club of Louisville president. “The Club is focused on ‘Connecting our Community,’ and we believe the Louisville Knot’s location will help build a bridge as we work to eliminate the Ninth Street Divide.”
Mayor Greg Fischer joined with Metro Council members and community outreach representatives yesterday to announce the initiatives that will receive Louisville Metro Government funding to continue addressing the needs of homeless individuals and families in the city.
Building on work started early in 2019 when the city allocated $500,000 for programs, the plan provides $1 million from the city’s FY20 operating budget toward initiatives chosen in collaboration with the Coalition for the Homeless to align with the eight recommendations outlined in the University of Louisville study, “Solving Street Homelessness in Louisville, Kentucky,” released in June.
“Louisville, like many American cities, has seen a rise in unsheltered homelessness in recent years and an increase in homeless encampments. We’ve made clear progress but there’s more work to do to ensure that every Louisvillian has a place to call home,” said Mayor Fischer said, adding that, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution. We have to help our homeless population deal with and overcome their challenges one person at a time. That’s what a compassionate city does.”
The allocations include:
- Funding to move the transitional storage launched at a temporary location in March 2019 to a permanent location at the Salvation Army that will have expanded hours. The storage provides a place where individuals experiencing homelessness can store their belongings when going into shelter.
- Three options for low-barrier shelter beds via St. Vincent de Paul, Wayside Christian Mission, and the Healing Place.
- Continued funding for rapid rehousing services and emergency shelter for homeless families, provided by Volunteers of America.
- Ongoing street outreach teams enhanced by social workers and other professionals who can provide behavioral and mental health counseling, drug and alcohol addiction assessments and counseling services, as well as legal expertise.
- And the University of Louisville is given the task of evaluating the effectiveness of the individual programs in this initiative.
The newest round of funding is part of work begun in fall 2017 when Mayor Fischer created the Homeless Encampment Task Force, chaired by Eric Friedlander, director of the Office of Resilience and Community Services.
That team helped inform decisions made about the funding allocations in January, which resulted in these outcomes:
- Wayside has provided 19,607 nights of lodging to a total of nearly 740 different people since opening its low-barrier shelter.
- Nearly 240 people have found a safe, secure place to store their belongings at the storage units temporarily operated by St. John Center.
- Nearly 500 clients were served by outreach teams from the St. John Center & UP Louisville.
- The Healing Place added 24 low-barrier shelter beds, and Volunteers of America served 17 families through various rapid rehousing paths and 63 families at family emergency shelter.
“We know that no one idea will address the multiple issues impacting people who are homeless, nor the complex needs of this diverse population,” said Friedlander. “That’s why I am so appreciative of the work, expertise and understanding of our partners, including organizations that are part of the coalition, and the street outreach groups that engage people where they are. Working together, we’ve shown we can make a difference.”
Metro Councilman Bill Hollander (District 9) said: “This funding builds on the work we started in January. It provides shelter for men, women and families and also funds outreach workers who can help address the root causes of homelessness. Even as Louisville Metro deals with a very difficult budget, we can’t ignore the needs of our neighbors experiencing homelessness.”
Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith (District 4) said: “Our local government is focused on implementing common sense solutions for the complex challenges surrounding those experiencing homelessness. I have stated several times before, there is room for everyone to step up and help. In addition to the more than $1.5 million made available during this past year we still need more businesses, nonprofit organizations, healthcare, education and the interfaith communities to reimagine their roles and create common sense solutions that will produce real results for real people needing assistance because this is our reality.”
Friedlander added that the city also provides support to issues that directly affect homelessness, including $41 million invested in affordable housing over the past four years, implementing a plan to battle substance-use disorders, and directing $1.5 million in federal funding to local agencies such as the coalition, Volunteers of America, St. John Center and Wayside.
“The Coalition for the Homeless is so excited to see the city’s commitment to addressing the needs and best practices identified in the University of Louisville ‘Solving Street Homeless in Louisville, Kentucky’ Study,” said Natalie Harris, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Homeless. “We know these important programs saved lives over the last six months and are excited to see them extended and improved.”
The U of L report, “Solving Street Homelessness in Louisville, Kentucky,” was the result of a five-month long assessment study that outlined the process of applying best practices to Louisville’s Continuum of Care (CoC), a process developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that helps communities across America address the problems of homelessness in a coordinated, comprehensive and strategic way.
Mayor Greg Fischer today proclaimed September to be Optimal Aging Month in Louisville as part of a national observation of Healthy Aging Month.
The Mayor presented the Optimal Aging Month proclamation to Anna Faul, Ph.D., executive director of the University of Louisville’s Trager Institute for Optimal Aging, at the institute’s annual Gold Standard of Optimal Aging Recognition Luncheon, which recognizes adults who are 85 years or older and lead engaged lives in the areas of physical, spiritual, social, civic, and creative.
“As the home to one of the largest collections of aging care innovation headquarters in the nation, Louisville is at the center of breakthrough technologies and cutting-edge therapies around improving quality of life as we age,” said the Mayor. “We are a compassionate city, and it is our responsibility to ensure every resident can meet their full human potential no matter their age, income or zip code.”
Lifelong Wellness and Aging is one of Louisville’s five key clusters that drive the economy forward. With its critical mass of aging and health care companies, Louisville has a collaborative innovation ecosystem focused on improving health outcomes at all ages. Its momentum is apparent with the strength of the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, Health Enterprise Network, and UofL’s state-of-the-art research facilities.
The UofL Trager Institute strives to give more individuals the opportunity for aging optimally as part of its mission to innovate the aging experience through leading-edge clinical practice, collaborative research and inter-professional education.
The Republic Bank Foundation Optimal Aging Clinic at the UofL Trager Institute opens this week in its renovated space on Market Street.
“We are so excited to invite patients to our new clinic that focuses on a research-based approach, promoting lifestyle changes and preventative medicine that will help people flourish and optimally age,” Faul said.
The clinical services include executive wellness exams, medication management, chronic disease management, optimal aging life planning and mental health.
In recognition of Optimal Aging Month, community partners are hosting the following events:
Saturday, Sept. 7
8:30 a.m., 231 Witherspoon St. – Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s on the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park.
Wednesday, Sept. 11
7 to 8 p.m., 8023 Catherine Lane – Beer with Scientist Sam Cotton, program manager in Trager Institute’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program at Holsopple Brewery.
Tuesday, Sept. 17
All day, 10617 Taylorsville Road – Trauma-informed Care and Older Adult Symposium. Registration required on Eventbrite.com.
Wednesday, Sept. 18
All day, 2100 S. Floyd St. – Health Enterprises Network’s annual CONVERGE conference. Registration required at www.healthentreprisesnetwork.com/events/converge-louisville-2019/.
Friday, Sept. 20
Noon to 1 p.m., 204 E. Market St. – Project ECHO: Care of Older Adults, presentation and discussion about providing patient-centered care, improving chronic health conditions, improving care around Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia, and increasing collaborative care.
Tuesday, Sept. 24
Louisville Business First Aging Innovation breakfast presented in partnership with the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council. Registration required at https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/event/164433/2019/aging-innovation-breakfast.
Thursday, Sept. 26
8:30 to 10:30 a.m., 1020 E. Burnett Ave – Age-Friendly Louisville Community Progress Report Breakfast with guest speaker Bill Armbruster from AARP National AARP Livable Cities Team at MUSCL Senior Wellness Center.
For more information on aging information and events, subscribe to the Aging & Disabled Citizens’ monthly newsletter or visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/resilience-and-community-services/of….
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Fund for the Arts announced today that the popular Cultural Pass, an annual summer program that provides free arts access to youth and children in Greater Louisville, will now expand to year-round availability.
Thanks to a generous donation by Republic Bank, the Cultural Pass will continue beyond summer with a performing arts component, allowing young people to attend performances and engage in the performing arts throughout the year. Expanding the Cultural Pass to a year-round program gives children and families admission to free, curriculum-based performance arts and cultural experiences that enhance academic development.
“Cultural Pass creates an opportunity for lifelong learning by establishing longstanding relationships between our city’s arts and culture institutions and our youth, starting at age 0,” said the Mayor. “With the expansion of the program, Cultural Pass is poised to have a greater impact on the lives of more young people.”
Currently, residents of Jefferson and Bullitt counties in Kentucky and Floyd, Clark and Harrison Counties in Southern Indiana have access to the Cultural Pass. Performing arts venues confirmed so far for the Cultural Pass expansion include Actors Theatre, Louisville Ballet, StageOne Family Theatre, Commonwealth Theatre Company, Kentucky Opera, Louisville Orchestra, and Louisville Free Public Library.
The Cultural Pass was created in 2014 by Louisville Metro Government as part of Vision Louisville. It is one of several strategies designed to help prevent summer learning loss and to keep students engaged in educational activities. Since its debut, more than 200,000 passes have been distributed to Greater Louisville’s youth, allowing them to visit more than 59 arts venues and cultural institutions.
Last year, Cultural Passes were used for more than 35,000 visits to Louisville’s arts and cultural attractions, with low-income children accounting for 14,000 of those visits. Participation by low-income children increased 44 percent from the previous year.
Expanding the pass beyond the summer months into the performing arts seasons was a goal in the Imagine 2020 cultural plan, and an Ignite Louisville team of local professionals helped make it possible.
“This is the very definition of creating arts access,” said Christen Boone, President & CEO of the Fund for the Arts. “We are thrilled to expand the pass to the performing arts seasons so that our children can experience the power of live theatre, ballet, orchestra and more – further broadening their view of their community and the world.”
Fund for the Arts manages the program’s daily operations, with an oversight committee comprised of representatives from the Mayor’s Office, Arts and Culture Alliance, Louisville Free Public Library and Jefferson County Public Schools guiding the program.
Expansion of the program will allow Cultural Pass holders, ages 0 to 21, to gain access to one performance at each of the participating performing arts venues during the school year. One adult is provided a pass to accompany children under the age of 17. To learn more, visit www.fundforthearts.org/culturalpass.
“Republic Bank is honored and proud to support youth arts access,” said Steve Trager, CEO of Republic Bank. “We see this as an opportunity to invest in the future of our city by supporting the educational opportunities of young people. It’s truly a ‘win-win’ for everyone.”
Mayor Greg Fischer joined Metro Council members, the Commission on Public Art, artist Todd C. Smith, and community partners at the base of the Big Four Bridge to unveil Bike Sense Louisville, a public art project that will promote healthy lifestyle habits and provide new data on the city’s air quality and temperature.
Using sensor units that fit into cyclists’ water bottle holders, data is collected about the cyclists’ speed and location, as well as the temperature and air quality outside. The data is then translated into sound that is streamed in both real-time on the Bike Sense website and broadcast over the Big Four Bridge speakers.
“Bike Sense encompasses our city’s core values of lifelong learning and health by incorporating science and exercise into public art,” said the Mayor. “This project will get people moving, either as volunteer cyclists collecting environmental data or as pedestrians crossing the Big Four Bridge to listen to the sounds created.”
The data will be publicly available and support the work of University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute.
“The Center for Healthy Air Water and Soil and the Superfund Research Center in the UofL Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute are partnering with the innovative Bike Sense project to raise awareness of the health risks posed by many volatile organic compounds,” said Dr. Ted Smith, Deputy Director of the Envirome Institute. “We look forward to providing technical assistance and health risk information to the project and its many cycling participants.”
The project was selected by the Commission on Public Art through a call for artists and is funded through a mix of private donations, public dollars, and an ArtsMatch grant from Fund for the Arts.
“By collecting volunteer cycling data that considers location as well as environmental factors, like temperature and air quality, we could learn a lot about where people are biking and how healthy it is to bike here. The sound part of the project was my creative way of sharing this data with the public,” said artist Todd C. Smith. “The bridge is a public space that sees thousands of pedestrians and cyclists and is the symbol of connection for the Kentuckiana region. I look forward to seeing how this year-long project progresses.”
For more information, visit BikeSense.net.
Mayor Greg Fischer recently announced that Chewy.com, the leading online pet retailer, is planning to grow in Louisville less than a year after opening a customer service center here.
“We couldn’t be more ecstatic that Chewy.com is bringing additional jobs and investment to our city by expanding for the second time in less than a year,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Through the UPS Worldport, Louisville offers companies like Chewy.com the ability to quickly get customers what they need, while enjoying Louisville’s robust business environment. We wish Chewy.com continued success.”
The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority Thursday preliminarily approved $1 million in tax incentives for Chewy.com. The company will bring 150 jobs and invest $4.5 million to expand into office space at 11403 Bluegrass Parkway.
This new investment by Chewy is in addition to the $7.2 million already invested and 300 jobs at its more than 88,000-square-foot Pharmacy Customer Service Center, 3621 Fern Valley Road.
Louisville Forward staff continues to work with Chewy.com to connect them with business services, guiding them through the city’s permitting process, and identifying potential community partnerships.
“Chewy’s expansion in Louisville responds to the growing demand we’ve seen from our loyal customers. It allows us to continue delivering the high-touch, reliable service our customers know and love,” said Mita Malhotra, Vice President of Chewy Healthcare. “We continue to enhance our services to support our veterinarian partners and share a commitment to improving pet health and happiness.”
Chewy.com is an e-commerce business that caters to pet owners and pet lovers. It is a one-stop shop, offering more than 1,600 brands of everything from toys and treats to pet medications and supplies. The company was purchased in 2017 by PetSmart in the largest-ever e-commerce transaction. Chewy.com employs roughly 11,000 people in the United States.
