LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Officials leading the project to transform the area surrounding downtown Louisville's hospitals are sharing more about plans to add an urban park at its center.
It's all part of a $560 million revitalization creating the Louisville Medical and Educational District, also known as the LOUMED District.
Anchored by Norton Healthcare, UofL Health, the University of Louisville and Jefferson Community & Technical College, LOUMED is a planned medical and education district covering a large section of the city's downtown core.
With $1.4 million in funding from the city, the old Community Correctional Center will be torn down to create LOUMED Commons, an urban park with green space and pedestrian-friendly areas, that also serves as a common area for health care workers, visitors and students. It will include various events and feature an open space for gatherings.
Project leaders released renderings on Monday that show the vision for the Commons area. They also announced that CARMAN Landscape Architecture was selected to make the transformation happen.
LOUMED Commons is being funded through $10 million in city funding allocate for LOUMED projects. Once the former correctional center is demolished, construction is expected to start in mid-2025, according to a news release.
It's the first of many redevelopment phases as LOUMED plans to rebuild 250 acres spanning across 22 city blocks over the next five years in multiple phases. The first phase is expected to be finished by late 2025.
For non-public areas, LOUMED is working to improve the beatification and overall feeling of safety in the area on its own.
Part of LOUMED's mission is to invest in its Block by Block ambassadors, a team focused on helping maintain the area and improve safety or help visitors.
Ambassadors are charged with tasks such as cleaning or picking up garbage, helping with directions or assisting people in and out of hospitals, greeting people and safety escorts.
Part of the LOUMED transformation is happening with a $90 million revitalization of JCTC.
JCTC is expanding and enhancing its campus through the ‘Jefferson Rising’ project, University of Louisville is planning a transformative Health Sciences Simulation Center and Collaboration Hub, UofL Health is nearing completion on an expansion and Norton Healthcare recently implemented a new state-of-the-art labor and delivery unit and expanded neonatal intensive care unit.
LOUMED said the area attracts more than 1.5 million visitors per year and employs more than 16,000 people with total annual salaries surpassing $1 billion.
The area encompassed within LOUMED is a large portion of downtown Louisville, where patients get the care they need, where medical professionals go to work and where thousands of college students learn.
It stretches for 22 city blocks north to south from Liberty Street to Breckinridge Street and west to east from 2nd Street to Clay Street.
For more information about LOUMED, click here.
Previous Coverage:
- State, local leaders celebrate construction milestone of new 'state-of-the-art' Louisville hospital tower
- Louisville leaders hope $90 million JCTC expansion is model for future downtown development
- Crews to tear down the former jail for construction of LOUMED district in downtown Louisville
- LOUMED ambassadors make progress in first year
- $90 million project to transform JCTC campus in downtown Louisville
- Downtown area Louisville projects land $100 million in Kentucky spending bill
- Feminine Hygiene Community Boxes unveiled in downtown Louisville promote women's health, wellness
- LOUMED moves forward with vision to improve downtown Louisville medical district
- JCTC says $90 million expansion will revolutionize student outcomes, transform downtown Louisville
- 4 of Louisville's biggest employers join forces in hopes of transforming the heart of downtown
- Proposal would create new LOUMED district in downtown Louisville
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