City seeking to enhance downtown Louisville with multi-use developments

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new plan is seeking to enhance entertainment and tourism in downtown Louisville.

A building that was once occupied by Louisville Metro Police is set to be repurposed, along with several other sites across downtown, according to Mayor Craig Greenberg.

"Our real estate that we have should be active, it should make for a vibrant, safe, clean, green, exciting, vibrant downtown," Greenberg said.

City leaders are looking for developers to repurpose city-owned sites into multi-use projects.

"That is what we are working toward with this RFQ," Greenberg said. "We want people if they are interested in investing in Louisville to give us their plans for what they want to do with the properties to help continue downtown revitalization."

Three different sites have been identified for public-private partnership that will include affordable and market-rate housing, hospitality, arts and entertainment, grocery or mixed-use projects:

Louisville Civic Center, which has four sites, the Fiscal Court Building at 531 Court Place, the former LMPD headquarters at 225 South 7th Street, the Market Street Parking Garage at 536 West Market Street, the surface parking lots on the south side of Market Street between Sixth and Seventh streets
Main Street and Washington Street, which includes the vacant lot at the northeast corner of West Washington and North Seventh streets, the surface parking lot at the northwest corner of West Washington and North Seventh Streets, and the two lots at 615-621 W. Main Street
Mudd Lot located at the southeast corner of Jefferson and Ninth streets

The transformation is planned for three sites at Main and Washington streets, along with the southeast corner of Jefferson and Ninth streets and the Louisville Civic Center.

"It does mean for the taxpayer that we are going to be able to have a better deal with the developer and be able to work alongside of them to get really what we think is good for downtown," said Rebecca Fleischaker, executive director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership.

Downtown Louisville currently has 24 hotels and 10 distillery and tasting experiences. Greenberg said the plan is to develop even more.

"We selected these locations because right now they are underutilized for the most part, they are surface parking lots," Greenberg said. "These are opportunities to convert them into much more active, vibrant use."

Officials said a lack of parking won't be an issue.

"Any parking needs for these new developments will certainly be incorporated into the developments or arrangements will be made in surrounding areas," Greenberg said.

The plan is currently in its preliminary stages. There is no timeline on when construction can begin.