Monday January 26, 2026
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Mayor Greg Fischer today joined Sadiqa Reynolds, President and CEO of Louisville Urban League, and community leaders to announce that Louisville Metro Government (LMG) has entered into a development agreement with the Louisville Urban League (LUL) for the redevelopment of the Heritage West site, a 24-acre acre property in the Russell neighborhood. LUL’s master plan is centered on a 4,000-seat indoor and outdoor track and field facility and will feature community green space and outdoor event space.
“It’s an exciting time to be in west Louisville as it is experiencing nearly $1 billion in investment right now, and we are thrilled to add this sports and education complex to the list,” said the Mayor. “This project will activate a vacant lot, bring investment and jobs to the Russell neighborhood and serve as a healthy outlet for youth and adults from across our country. I applaud Sadiqa and her team at Louisville Urban League for their vision to bring a state-of-the-art sports facility to west Louisville.”
The development agreement states that, pending Metro Council approval, LMG will provide $10 million toward construction costs of the track. Construction is expected to begin in early 2019.
“There is no silver bullet in community revitalization and while sports may be part of an answer, track is not now, nor has it ever been the entire answer. While we can’t ignore the cries of our local track teams to ‘build this facility,’ this project is about more than sports. It is about economic opportunity, families traveling into our community with disposable income and the jobs and organic growth that will happen as a result of this catalytic project. It is truly about the need for a facility like this in our community and since it is to be built, why not right here in Russell,” said Sadiqa Reynolds, President and CEO of Louisville Urban League. “I am thrilled about the work we are about to do and the support this project has garnered, not just from the local community but from partners like the National Development Council (NDC), a national not-for-profit economic development agency that has been working to increase the flow of private capital into underserved areas for almost fifty years.”
The complex will be designed to host a variety of sporting events supported by organizations such as USA Track and Field, and the NCAA, our local and regional public and private schools and local track teams. The facility also will feature retail space and related amenities and will be owned and operated by the LUL. Browne Engineering & Construction has been selected as the Project Manager and Moody Nolan has been selected as the architect.
“NDC is delighted to have the opportunity to be working with the Louisville Urban League and its first rate committee on this mixed-use recreation facility that will be a catalyst for future development opportunities and lead to a substantial community impact in the Russell neighborhood for years to come,” said Kevin Gremse, Senior Director of National Development Council.
Heritage West is located on the western border of the Russell neighborhood, which is currently seeing an influx of investment, including the $29.5 million mixed-income, mixed-use redevelopment of Beecher Terrace, a project expected to leverage at least $200 million in new investment; Waterfront Park Phase Four expansion; relocation of Passport Health Plan’s headquarters; construction of a new YMCA at 18th and Broadway; and the city’s first Bus Rapid Transit Line.
“I am excited that this project is continuing to move forward with a $10 million commitment, pending Metro Council approval, from Louisville Metro Government to help make this dream a reality. The west Louisville community participated in discussions and sessions to make this sports complex project a priority for our community, and it will certainly be a destination spot for Louisvillians and visitors to the city alike,” said Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton, D-5. “This project will help change a 24-acre vacant lot into a positive vision of hope and a productive use which will generate other positive effects for our neighborhood. Thank you to Sadiqa Reynolds and everyone at the Louisville Urban Louisville for their belief and dedication to this project, and let’s do all we can to help make this dream a reality.”
The selection of the Louisville Urban League’s development plan was announced in late 2017 after an extensive community engagement process that included multiple public meetings to hear the concerns and values of people from the Russell neighborhood. More than 125 public comments were received on the four development proposals that were submitted after the SOI was released.
An evaluation panel of both LMG staff and members of the community was formed to review all four proposals submitted and to make a recommendation to Louisville Forward. The evaluation panel used scoresheets to review each proposal.
In the evaluations panel Bonnie Cole, Bill Gatewood, Vanessa Lackey and Gary Watrous represented the community and Jeana Dunlap (Director of Redevelopment Strategies), Laura Grabowski (Director of Vacant and Public Property Administration), Scott Herrmann (Director of Economic Development), Aaron Jackson (Director of Finance) and Allison Smith (Brownsfields Program Manager) represented LMG.
LUL will now, like all development projects, formalize their plans and submit them to Louisville Metro Planning & Design Services for review by staff, the Planning Commission and, if a rezoning or street closure is needed, Metro Council.
For the latest updates on the development, follow @LouisvilleUL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or visit www.lul.org.
To view the development agreement, evaluation panel scoresheets and more please visit
https://louisvilleky.gov/government/advanced-planning/heritage-west
The Louisville Farmers Market Association (LFMA) has released its annual “Local Food Guide.” The Guide maps out the city’s farmers markets, as well as New Roots’ Fresh Stop Markets. It highlights each market’s hours of operation, as well as methods of payment, including those that accept Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and SNAP benefits. Several of the markets have opted to provide a “double dollars” program for shoppers who use SNAP and Senior benefits. Every dollar of SNAP or Senior benefits will buy two dollars’ worth of farm fresh healthy food at those markets.
“Farmers Markets are an important way to get fresh fruits and vegetables to our neighborhoods, particularly any areas of our city that may not have ready access to fresh produce,” said Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and Chief Health Strategist. “They also are a great opportunity for our local and regional farmers and entrepreneurs to support their operations. They help our community thrive.”
Louisville has added five new farmers markets this year, for a total of 21. New markets are:
Fourth St. Live, 440 4th St.
Eastwood Village, 16300 Eastwood Cut Off Road.
Belknap, UofL Belknap Campus Red Barn.
Prospect Area, New Goshen Presbyterian Church, 12900 W. Hwy 42.
Middletown, First Baptist Church, 11721 Main St.
The 2018 Local Food Guide is available on-line at https://bit.ly/1RdDIT7.
A message from The Kentucky Center’s President and CEO, Kim Baker:
As you may know, The Kentucky Center is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Moving forward, our friends and partners at the Commonwealth Finance and Administration Cabinet are working very closely with us on all remediation, restoration efforts, and the schedule for completion of the building project.
The Finance Cabinet is working in coordination with Metro Louisville, The Kentucky Center, Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and others to work through this process as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We thank Cabinet Secretary William M. Landrum III and his team for their support and leadership during this challenging time. State inspectors are currently conducting the thorough damage assessment necessary to determine the building’s safety.
The time needed to complete that assessment precluded our ability to present PNC Broadway in Louisville’s production of Waitress, scheduled June 26-July 1. This was a tough decision, but PNC Broadway in Louisville president Leslie Broecker understands and supports the decision. All ticket buyers will be issued refunds.
In the coming days, we will be in a better position to determine plans for future performances.
The Center will remain closed to the public for now, but the business of The Center continues.
With The Kentucky Center Foundation’s recent purchase of the Brown Theatre, we now have an alternate space in our family of venues that can accommodate a number of events and performances.
In our nearly 35 year history, The Kentucky Center building has faced other calamities, and always comes back stronger than ever. Just like the proud community we serve, when disaster strikes, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back to work.
The dedication of our staff and love from our community reminds us all that The Kentucky Center is more than a building, it is an idea that binds us together through the joy, love and power of the arts.
The wonderful artists and audiences we serve at The Kentucky Center can rest assured we are doing everything in our power to return the building to a fully operational state as quickly and safely as possible.
Photo: The Kentucky Center
Please be advised that we were notified by officials at The Kentucky Center that WAITRESS, originally scheduled to play The Kentucky Center June 26-July 1, must be cancelled due to recent fire damage within the venue. As the owner of the building, the Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, working in partnership with officials at The Kentucky Center, decided to close the building for next week’s performance based on initial assessments.
Safety of patrons, staff, and performers is of utmost importance. All purchased tickets will be automatically refunded within the next several weeks.
“It’s regrettable that the presentation of WAITRESS must be cancelled, but safety is a priority”, said Leslie Broecker, President of PNC Broadway in Louisville. “We appreciate all of the hard work that The Kentucky Center staff and contractors have done thus far, but because the venue must have more time to ensure the safety of our patrons, the engagement must be cancelled and we will unfortunately be unable to reschedule or relocate this production.”
“The producers of WAITRESS are appreciative of the efforts put forth by The Kentucky Center and Broadway Across America, but are extremely disappointed not to be able to bring the show to the fantastic audiences in Louisville.”
For more information from each authorized ticket source, please contact:
PNC Broadway in Louisville subscribers: 502-561-1003
The Kentucky Center single ticket buyers: 502-584-7777
Ticketmaster: 800-982-2787
SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, the world’s largest showcase of skilled trades, returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center June 25-29. The event brings with it an estimated economic impact of $18 million to Louisville.
More than 16,000 middle-school, high-school and college students; teachers; education leaders; and representatives from national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions participate in the event.
The conference highlight is the annual SkillsUSA Championships. During the competition, top career and technical students participate in more than 100 hands-on contests, representing a wide range of technical, skilled, service and health occupations, including:
- Architectural drafting
- Welding
- Carpentry
- Firefighting
- Cosmetology
- Plumbing
- Culinary arts
- Aviation maintenance technology
- Crime scene investigation
- Electrical construction wiring
- Masonry
- Digital cinema production
- Practical nursing
- Sheet metal
In addition to competing, 600 Skills USA students will complete community service projects in the greater Louisville community. Projects range from framing houses for Habitat for Humanity to helping clean up local parks.
SkillsUSA Championships is free and open to the public Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is $8 per car, $20 for a bus.
The mission of SkillsUSA is to ensure a skilled workforce by preparing students for success in their chosen technical, service and health fields. Founded in 1965, the organization has served 12.5 million members, and more than 335,000 advisors and students participate each year.
For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org.
Joey Logano joined executives from the Kentucky Speedway, along with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, and other partner guests to break ground on a new activity center in the city’s Portland Park. Logano’s visit comes three weeks ahead of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Quaker State 400 at the Sparta, K.Y. speedway.
Logano, a 19-time winner at NASCAR’s top-level, tasked the Kentucky Speedway to identify a community in-need where a positive impact could be made during his stop to promote the Quaker State 400. Through the process, Portland Park was selected, and with financial support from the Joey Logano Foundation, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Shell Oil Company, PNC Bank, Louisville Parks and Recreation and GameTime Playgrounds, Logano’s desire for community improvement moved closer to a reality.
“When I heard about the Kentucky trip to promote the Quaker State 400, I knew I wanted to do something more than just make media appearances,” said Logano. “I’ve been a firm believer that as a NASCAR driver and as a sport, we have an amazing platform to make positive impacts for individuals and communities across the country. I’m thankful that through the fans who support the Joey Logano Foundation, Shell Oil Company and Coca-Cola who support the foundation in addition to our racing efforts.“
“We’ve been able to have a few special memories through our foundation at Kentucky Speedway in the past. In 2016, we hosted Ashleigh Hunt, who’d been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma and her family at the track. Despite battling against a painful cancer, Ashleigh never quit smiling. She had such a positive impact on everyone she met and left a lasting impression everywhere she went. Unfortunately, we lost Ashleigh earlier this year, but her memory will live on at Portland Park as we’re dedicating the center to her memory.”
The activity center will be a STEM based system, incorporating the elements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics throughout the playground. The groundbreaking ceremony took place at 12 pm at Portland Park on Tuesday, June 19th. The project is scheduled to be completed the week of the Quaker State 400 weekend at Kentucky Speedway. A separate ribbon cutting ceremony will take place to officially open the new activity center.
A Message from Kim Baker, President and CEO of The Kentucky Center:
On Wednesday, June 13, The Kentucky Center sustained considerable damage when a fire started within its arched ceiling above the lobby. All staff and employees were immediately evacuated and there were no reported injuries.
The Kentucky Center building – including the physical Box Office – and Kentucky Center garage remain closed at this time in an effort to expedite the repair process.
Tickets for scheduled programming are available online and by phone at (502) 584-7777.
- NEWSIES update! The Floyd Central Theatre Arts’ performances of Disney’s Newsies scheduled June 22-23 at The Kentucky Center have been moved to the Floyd Central Auditorium on Thursday, June 21 at 8pm, Friday, June 22 at 8pm and Saturday, June 23 at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased at www.floydcentraltheatre.org or over the phone at (812) 542-2284. The Floyd Central Box Office will be open from 9am-9pm daily.
- ALADDIN update! Aladdin on sale Monday, 6.18.18-Due to the building closure, tickets for PNC Broadway in Louisville’s production of Aladdin can be purchased in person at the PNC Broadway in Louisville office, 620 West Main Street, as well as by phone at 502-584-7777 and online at www.kentuckycenter.org
Regarding the fire, the majority of damage appears to be from water and is primarily contained to the Main Lobby. Whitney Hall and the Bomhard Theater also sustained minor damage. We are still in the process of assessing the damage.
We are working diligently with crews to clear the damage, eliminate water from the building, and to reopen as soon as possible.
There were a handful of shows scheduled to take place in the venue in the coming days. We are thankful to a generous community outpouring of support and assistance from nearby facilities and venues (some of which have no connection to The Center) who have offered access to their spaces – and we are working closely with these groups to find alternative venues for them.
Many have asked about the condition of the Center’s permanent art collection, displayed throughout the building. Owned by The Kentucky Center Foundation, the value of the artwork in the affected area – the lobby – is estimated at $18 million. We are working with representatives from the Speed Art Museum to assess any potential damage and will report those findings when available.
This has obviously been a challenging time for our Kentucky Center family, friends, fellow arts groups and the entire community that loves this building.
I wish to thank the many men and women of the Louisville Metro Fire Department, emergency workers, and the Louisville Metro Police Department for ensuring the safety of everyone. I also want thank downtown workers and commuters for their patience as well.
We are doing everything in our power to get The Kentucky Center up and running again – and will issue an announcement soon when we expect that date to take place.
The PNC Broadway in Louisville production of WAITRESS is scheduled for June 26 through July 1. We are optimistic that – as they say – “the show will go on” – but will confirm 100% regarding that decision early next week.
Thank you for your support during this difficult time.
