Louisville Metro Council budget focuses on development, moving forward

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Forward, a government-led economic development organization, is trying lead more development in the city.

During budget hearings on Thursday, Metro Council focused on the development of Louisville, from Portland to Prospect, along with affordable housing and a large project planned in downtown Louisville.

There are thousands of vacant lots and abandoned buildings scattered across Louisville.

"We have a huge problem," Marilyn Harris said.

Harris is the director of Develop Louisville. The Vacant and Abandoned Properties department helps turn dilapidated houses into homes. In the original budget from last year, just under $4 million, ultimately led to 150 to 200 foreclosures, and around 100 demolitions.

"We could always use more money, but I think staffing wise at this point, the $3.7 (million for this year), we've got the staff to handle that," Harris said.

A total of $40 million from American Rescue Plan funding will be placed in the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund to help developers build affordable housing.

"That program will launch in the next couple of weeks and will focus on the lowest of incomes in our community," Christie McCravey, the executive director of LAHTF, said.

The organization is going to work with contractors to help build homes for those struggling to maintain a place to live and fill a need for the city.

On Wednesday, the University of Louisville announced philanthropist Christy Brown was donating $47 million to create the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute’s New Vision of Health Campus at two buildings and a vacant lot her family owns in the 400 block of West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

The campus proposed for downtown also would be accessible to the public. It would include Founders Square at 5th Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, where Smith said research on “urban greening” and vegetation in cities could take place. UofL said it will bring science to the public and transform the area.

Councilman Jecorey Arthur (D-4) said he was echoing a concern from fellow-councilmember Anthony Piagentini (R-19) by questioning "why" when there are people in Louisville with so many needs,

Arthur asked why the city is willing to allocate $6 million for the project.

"But we have way too many needs in our city to be borrowing money, to subsidized a project for a well-funded university and one of the richest families in American," Arthur said.

Markus Winkler said its the type of strong downtown research campus Louisville needs to compete with cities like Nashville and Columbus.

"It's not an investment in a building, it is investment in the long-term economic growth of our city," Winkler said.

UofL estimates the first research facilities could move into the new space in the next 12-18 months, with the entire project operational there within three years.