LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Leaders in west Louisville are hopeful the city's economic development plan will create fairness across the community, but said there is a long way to go.

Mayor Craig Greenberg released a 52-page draft version of the "Growing Louisville Together" plan earlier this month that the public has been invited to provide feedback on.

Dave Christopher founded AMPED, a business incubator in the city's Russell neighborhood, to help people start and grow their own businesses. When he was asked to be a part of the conversation about the economic plan, he knew he could provide exact needs from small business owners.

"What's good for west Louisville is good for all of Louisville, what's good for Dixie or Shively is good for all of Louisville. What's good for Portland is good for all of Louisville," said Christopher. "I have a lot of faith in the plan. I have a lot of hope in what it can be, and I will wait to see if what I hope will happen, or what I expect to happen, will happen."

The plan focuses on building equity in the city, using words like "support," "invest," and "empower."

Download PDF Growing Louisville Together
A draft of Louisville's strategic plan released Nov. 16, 2023

Christopher and other community members, like Nathan Gardner in the Algonquin neighborhood, said those words mean different things.

"Some of the language in the packet that he gave us was somewhat vague," said Gardner. "Invest and be a part of, we're already doing the work. We want equity. We want to go from leadership to ownership."

Growing up in the city's west end, Gardner has been instrumental in providing feedback. He's also working with neighbors to figure out exactly what they need in a community transformation.

"In order for a city to be very successful, you most definitely gotta invest in your disenfranchised area, because that's what brings culture back into your city," he said. 

Ultimately, the hope is that Greenberg will get specific on exactly how he will help west Louisville, and how much money will be put aside to truly make the city more equitable.

"Trusting Black leaders to do what we know we can do," said Christopher. "I mean, we've gotten this far with very little. Imagine how far we can get."

The city is expected to have another meeting to discuss the plan in mid-December.

"The economic development stakeholder group includes business, nonprofit, education, and community leaders from across the city," Caitlin Bowling, a communications manager for the city's Cabinet for Economic Development, said Friday. "We are grateful for their time commitment and thought leadership throughout this process. We are currently reviewing all of the feedback we have received and making edits based on that feedback from both the stakeholders and the broader public before unveiling the final version of Growing Louisville Together in mid-December." 

Click on the PDF embedded in this story to read the proposed plan.

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