Demolition begins at former Givaudan plant in Louisville 14 months after fatal blast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The former Givaudan plant on Spring Street is being prepared to come down. Demolition equipment has been moved onto the property in Louisville's Clifton neighborhood.

Thomas Hines, who lives almost directly across from the site, said he has long worried about what might happen to the property.

“I was worried they’re going to build it back again and build a bigger,” he said.

Hines lived through both explosions at the plant one in 2003 and another in November 2024 that killed two workers and injured 11 others. Nearby homes and businesses were also damaged.

“The first time they exploded, one died,” he said.

He recalled the force of the 2024 blast from inside his home.

“And when the explosion hit. See, my, my house is down in the bottom, and hers is sitting down a little bit. And those people over there caught the brunt of the explosion, but it was twice as big as the first time,” Hines said.

His neighbor, Hannah Hinshaw, was trying to get home on the day of the 2024 explosion when WDRB's Richard Essex spoke with her.

“Are you okay?” Essex asked. “Not really. I’m really worried about a lot of us, and I know a lot of us never really liked having that factory there. I think this goes to show why,” she said.

Hinshaw said she knew Hines and at least one other neighbor were inside their homes, when the explosion happened.

“Me and all of my neighbors here except for one of them that is stuck inside her house with her kid and animals,” she said.

In the weeks and months after the explosion, the city and the company held meetings for residents whose homes were damaged. One year ago this week, the company announced it would not rebuild.

Investigators found the explosion was caused was a cooking vessel failure. A state investigation found the issue that caused the vessel to explode had been documented months before.

Hines said he is ready to see the structure removed and believes the demolition could reshape the neighborhood.

“I don’t know anything but something like that. That’s a good place to put apartments,” he said.

As of midday Monday, demolition had not yet begun. The city is limiting work to four days a week — Monday through Thursday — between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The lion's share of the project is expected to take 10 weeks.

As for the future of the site, Louisville's mayor said there are efforts to rezone it for something other than manufacturing.

To view demolition progress, click here.

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