LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – High above the Ohio River, a four-course meal on the Big Four Bridge will raise funds for Waterfront Park.
“It's a first-of-its-kind event,” said Waterfront Development Corp. President Deborah Bilitski. “Really, it's going to be unlike anything we've seen here in Louisville.”
WDC officials hope the event on May 29, which also will include drinks and music, will raise $250,000 to support the park's needs.
Bilitski said the dinner will showcase the beauty of the 85-acre park, which she said costs a lot of money to maintain.
“Water features, lighting features, of course the Big Four Bridge lighting. We've got hundreds of species of trees and landscaping,” she said.
Its operating budget this year is $2.4 million, but Bilitski said the park is severely underfunded.
“Currently we get about 29% of our operating budget from the city. We earn the remaining 71% and we expect that those funds (from the city) will continue to decline as the city is facing increasing pressure from the pension obligation,” Bilitski said.
She said WDC officials have not revisited the idea of generating revenue by requiring visitors to pay to park.
Officials are working on securing sponsors and partnerships with companies and individuals for the dinner. Most of the tickets will go to the sponsors, but if there are tickets left over, Bilitski said those will be made available in the spring.
The four-course meal will be curated by Chef Edward Lee. He’ll be feeding about 240 people that night.
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