LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville leaders unveiled new design plans Tuesday morning for the redevelopment of the Belvedere as the city addresses structural issues underneath the downtown overlook.
Over the last few months, the city gathered input from the community on what they'd like to see in a reimagined area, which sits on 5.5 acres of land overlooking the Ohio River and Interstate 64. The city said nearly 1,500 residents weighed in, asking for more green space and shade, better connection to the Ohio River and more room for events.
The new plan calls for a multi-use walking path from Main Street to the Ohio River and a pavilion that will offer a performance space to host different events and activities. Features also include a children's play space with a nature playground and water feature, a riverfront connection from the Belvedere down to the wharf and the Louisville Loop, and enhanced green space with nearly 350 new trees and new native landscaping.
"For more than 50 years, the Belvedere has been one of our city's most iconic gathering places. It has welcomed generations of residents and visitors for concerts, for festivals, celebrations and community events. It offers sweeping views overlooking the Falls of the Ohio, and sits right in the heart of our downtown, adjacent to so many places that make our city special," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Tuesday. "But for too long, this landmark has been left without proper attention, without investment, and without needed repairs, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance."
Because the Belvedere sits on top of downtown Louisville's largest parking garage, Greenberg said, and above the heavily-traveled I-64, one main goal of the project is to address longstanding structural concerns, including cracks in the parking garage. A 2015 city-commissioned report recommended a new waterproofing system and pavers on the elevated overlook to address water leaks, as well as new drains on the plaza and other fixes.Â
Part of a plan to redevelop the Belvedere in downtown Louisville includes work to address longstanding structural concerns, including cracks in the parking garage beneath the overlook. (WDRB photo)
"Maintaining this structure is a critical safety need and economic development need. It's current state is not safe or acceptable," Greenberg said. "We have to repair and rebuild this nearly 1 million square feet of aging concrete and ensure it can safely serve Louisville for generations to come while supporting the growth that's happening around it."
The first phase of work is scheduled for this fall. That construction will focus on reinforce the parking garage beneath to handle more weight for food trucks and emergency and service vehicles.
"Improving this important infrastructure is where the majority of this project's time and budget will be invested," Greenberg said.
Project Manager Layla George said the plan comes after 18 months of meetings, initial renderings the public did not care for, and thousands of survey responses.
"We wanted to know what people wanted to see and do down at the Belvedere so that we could ensure the new design delivered the needs of the community," George said.
The project is expected to take about three years to complete. The Belvedere will close for construction after Thunder Over Louisville 2027, and will remain closed until Thunder Over Louisville in 2030.
While a final cost will not be released until bidding is secured for the project, the Kentucky General Assembly committed $190 million toward several projects in downtown Louisville, including the reimagined Belvedere. Greenberg secured $10 million in funding in the city's 2025 fiscal budget, and and additional $10 million in this year's budget. Additionally, more than $7 million in federal funding was secured by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey.
Heatherwick Studio, the company behind the project's design, said it's about "restoring the buzz and sense of connection of (the Belvedere's) early years, by creating a greener, more welcoming urban heart."
Tuesday's design unveiling came more than a year after Greenberg unveiled the first renderings of a reimagined Belvedere, showing a pavilion with a bold design perched above Interstate 64. But the new vision for the Belvedere project shifts the emphasis away from the interstate overlook and toward the mostly grassy plaza near the Muhammad Ali Center and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.
Greenberg's office said Tuesday the new design "rethinks the first concept shared in January 2025, which would have required staging construction from the Ohio River in the middle of one of the busiest inland commercial waterways in the country."
"Louisville's most overlooked overlook will once again be one of our most celebrated places," the mayor said.
A new site map released this spring lets users explore early design concepts, see how potential features could be arranged across the site.
A free "family picnic" was scheduled for 2-6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, to give the public a chance to look at the design in person, meet the project team and share feedback. There will also be food, drinks, live music and more.
The goal is to finish the entire project by 2030.
This story may be updated.
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