Louisville Belvedere plan shifts ‘wow moment’ from Ohio River overlook due to cost concern

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- To Mayor Craig Greenberg, the Belvedere overlooking the Ohio River in downtown Louisville could be "America's greatest front yard."

Greenberg singled out the 1970s-era public space for a sweeping makeover during his first year in office, hiring architects to start working on a master plan for the beleaguered 5.5-acre site. His administration then secured initial funding from state and local lawmakers.

And during his annual citywide address in January, the mayor unveiled the first renderings of a reimagined Belvedere, showing a signature pavilion with rolling and flared edges perched above Interstate 64. In fact, the elevated section over the expressway was the focus of those early drawings.

But the plans have changed since then, WDRB News confirmed. The new vision for the Belvedere project shifts the emphasis away from the interstate overlook and toward the mostly grassy plaza near the Muhammad Ali Center and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.  

That's because it would have cost "a lot of money" to strengthen the elevated pad to hold heavy weight, said Layla George, the Belvedere project executive and a consultant for Louisville-based architect KNBA, which is working with designer Heatherwick Studio of London.

"What we're looking at now is kind of that 'wow moment,' and the 'big deal' will be over the garage, kind of closer to the Muhammad Ali Center and Kentucky Center for the Arts," she said. "And then the area over the expressway will really be an enhancement so that people have some shade and some nice space to enjoy the river view."

Updated designs are set to be shared during public meetings in September that will gather more feedback.

Project leaders have also been seeking comments online for months. Metro government hasn't yet provided survey responses, which WDRB requested under Kentucky's open records law Aug. 7.

But George said the No. 1 desire from people who have taken the survey is more green space.

"They want outdoor gathering spaces, outdoor performing spaces and a connection to the river," she said.

The design work is expected to continue through next summer, with construction tentatively set to start in November 2026.

Speaking at Metro Hall on Tuesday, Greenberg insisted the recent design changes won't take away from the Belvedere plan's overall impact on downtown.

"Just like any large project, sometimes what's actually built is not the original design — for lots of different reasons," he said. "That will be the case here, but I'm confident it will be transformative."

Public, private funding

While the Belvedere design remains a work in progress, documents obtained under a separate public records request outline the general scope of the renovation.

Among other things, the work would demolish plantings and other "hardscape" elements over I-64 and the parking garage; add new waterproofing over the entire area; create new "interior" spaces and reinforce the current garage to handle more weight for food trucks and emergency and service vehicles.

Thus far, $10 million of the estimated $125 million cost has been secured. Besides those city bond funds, however, officials also plan to use a portion of a $100 million allocation state lawmakers previously approved for Louisville downtown-area projects.

The amount of state money for the Belvedere hasn't been decided. Meanwhile, Greenberg said he will ask the Kentucky General Assembly once more for funding when it convenes next January for its biennial budget session.

"We also plan to raise some funds here locally as well from the philanthropic and private community to go along with that as well," Greenberg said. "There might also be the opportunity for some federal funds as well."

In fact, working with the mayor's office, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also dedicated $7 million in federal spending for the Belvedere plan in an appropriations measure that has cleared a Senate committee and awaits action in that chamber, according to his staff.

Ultimately, George said, the goal is for public funds to cover about 85% of the cost, with private money filling in the rest.

"Right now, we're building enthusiasm and engagement and meeting with people so they feel like they know what's going on," she said. "Until we have a set plan, it's hard to raise money for specific components of the project."

'Fairly well neglected'

Over time, Louisvillians have come to refer to the sprawling plaza north of 5th and Main streets as the Belvedere. But the area actually is made up of several related projects built in the early 1970s as part of Louisville's "urban renewal" period.

The Galt House Hotel's western tower was developed along with the adjacent parking garage, plaza and "belvedere" — a structure with a scenic view.

"It may turn into one of Louisville's most glorious development chapters," Don Ridings, The Courier-Journal's urban affairs editor, wrote in April 1970. "Or it could yet be a grand-but-missed opportunity."

When it was dedicated three years later, the "belvedere-plaza" had 50 fountainheads that could spray as much as 2,000 gallons of water per minute, "spacious grassy knolls" and a reflecting pool that could turn into an ice skating rink in the winter, the C-J reported.

Since then, the space has hosted ice skating, beer gardens and concerts, among other events and festivals. It was the site of former Louisville Mayor Harvey Sloane's 1973 inauguration and Muhammad Ali's 1974 homecoming after defeating George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle."

The Belvedere now is home to the WorldFest international festival held during Labor Day weekend. It's also been a popular viewing site for Thunder Over Louisville in recent years.

But those are the only events that have applied for special permits for the Belvedere this year, according to a review of online city records.

"There used to be events. There used to be lots of music," said Don Allen of Jeffersonville, Indiana, who was visiting Waterfront Park recently. "That was kind of the place."

The site is no longer "very desirable," he said. "I think it's been fairly well neglected."

Also at the park on a recent morning, Lauri Tischendorf said she'd like to see the Belvedere rejuvenated for things like "food trucks, music from local bands."

"I like to support local people," she said.

A reimagined Belvedere would strengthen Louisville's connection to the river and complement Waterfront Park's mission, said Deborah Bilitski, the park's president and executive director.

"We look forward to following the project's progress and to continued conversations about how our public spaces can work together to enhance the waterfront experience," she said.

Louisville architect and historian Steve Wiser envisions a grander plan, suggesting the Belvedere makeover include statues of prominent local figures, such as Ali, as well as a presidential interpretive center that commemorates U.S. presidents with ties to the area.

Wiser argues the space should have programs that can attract tourists and other visitors to the city.

"We can bring in people to talk about environmental issues, racial issues, immigration issues — what's happening today," he said. "It could be that sort of a national center for those types of discussions."

Refurbishing the publicly owned Belvedere site is "ultimately a good thing," said Madeline Karcher, a Louisvillian who intends to study sustainability planning in graduate school.   

But, she said, the project still avoids a larger conversation about mid-20th century decisions that routed I-64 through downtown Louisville.

"The ultimate issue here is that we have cut ourselves off from our greatest resource as a city, which is the Ohio River," Karcher said. "Every time that we try to uplift somewhere like the Belvedere, we are choosing to ignore a better future and we're choosing to be unwilling to kind of dream and hope for a completely different future."

While design plans are in flux, one aspect of the project is not: addressing longstanding structural concerns at the Belvedere.

A 2015 city-commissioned report recommended a new waterproofing system and pavers on the elevated overlook to address water leaks, as well as new drains on the plaza and other fixes.

Limited repairs were later done to concrete at the east and west ends of the overlook where pieces had fallen onto I-64 below. New railings also were installed.

But the broader list of deferred maintenance will be done during the current project, according to Metro government.

"It's going to do some long overdue — decades overdue — maintenance and repair work over the federal highway as well," Greenberg said.

Meeting schedule

The Belvedere meetings scheduled for September are:

• Monday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Iroquois Library, 601 W. Woodlawn Ave.
• Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Northeast Regional Library, 15 Bellevoir Circle
• Saturday, Sept. 13 at noon at the Douglass Community Center, 2305 Douglass Blvd.
• Monday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Shawnee Library, 3912 W. Broadway
• Wednesday, Sept. 17 at noon at the Kentucky Center (North Lobby), 501 W. Main St.

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