Development Projects

Angel’s Envy announced in December 2023 that a second planned expansion to its prime spot downtown on Louisville’s Bourbon-soaked Main Street. The expansion will add 98,000 square feet to the distillery’s downtown presence and provide spaces for tours and tastings, blending lab, rooftop bar, event spaces, classrooms, kitchen facilities and VIP space as well as a warehouse for finished bottles. The new building will be across the street from their Main Street flagship headquarters, complete with a proposed pedway connecting the two buildings. Their first expansion, which was completed in 2022, added five tasting rooms and doubled their annual guest capacity due to increased demand.

American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is undertaking a $55 million renovation and expansion of its campus at 1839 Frankfort Ave. The project totals more than 100,000 square feet and includes a cultural, interactive museum. The museum, which had its groundbreaking in May 2023, will be called The Dot Experience Museum, named after Braille, a written language composed of a series of six dots often used by people with blindness and low vision.

Louisville’s iconic Humana Building is set to be transformed into a 1,000-room, convention-style hotel in a $600–$700 million redevelopment that will preserve the tower’s renowned Michael Graves–designed architecture while significantly expanding the city’s capacity to host large events. Planned as the city’s second-largest hotel, the project includes multiple ballrooms, more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, diverse food-and-beverage offerings, and a second interconnected tower featuring a 40,000-square-foot ballroom, along with premium venues such as an eighth-floor terrace and a 25th-floor observation deck. Located near the Kentucky International Convention Center, the development is expected to strengthen Louisville’s competitiveness in attracting major conventions and national events, drive downtown foot traffic and investment, and complement other upcoming hospitality projects, with construction slated to begin in 2027.

The country’s sixth largest convention center is starting Phase 1 of a nearly $400 million renovation, which will add a new multi-purpose 350,000 square ft multi-purpose building with the capabilities to host events ranging from livestock competitions and equine events to trade shows and sporting events. The location of this new space will be directly east of the existing Broadbent Arena and north of the West Wing. Phase II will redevelop the West Wing, West Hall, and Pavilion into a singular, connected 249,000 square ft multi-purpose building. Construction on the first of two new multi-purpose buildings is set to begin in 2025.

Nashville Barrel Company, a nationally recognized craft spirits producer, is expanding into Louisville with the launch of Louisville Barrel Whiskey Co. Located at 717 E. Market Street in the heart of the NuLu district, this new destination will feature a tasting bar, bottle shop, and hands-on, intimate distillery experience. Slated to open in early 2026, the project marks the company’s third brick-and-mortar location and reflects Louisville’s continued growth as a hub for bourbon tourism and experiential brand spaces. CEO Michael Hinds describes the expansion as a way to bring their “curated whiskey experiences” to the “undisputed bourbon capital of the world.”

River City Entertainment Group is planning a $70 million project to turn Louisville Gardens into multipurpose sound stages and other facilities. Though construction has not begun, the city announced in February 2025 that it would invest $10 million and that construction would start later in 2025.

This ambitious project is to be located on 20 undeveloped acres at the Louisville Zoo. Kentucky Trails will be an extensive, interactive, naturalistic experience, providing up-close encounters with bison, elk, black bear, bobcat, eagles and other iconic native animals. It will feature an Upland South Safari guided tour in an open- vehicle, a pedal, paddleboat ride, a rickhouse hall restaurant and event space, a habitat theatre and the Kentuckiana Conservation Center highlighting the Zoo’s partnership with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The oldest and largest art museum in Kentucky is receiving a $22 million, three-acre makeover that will transform the outdoor area surrounding the museum, adding a new park and sculpture garden. Free and open 24/7, the art park will feature 13 sculptures, add 150 new native trees, and picnic areas with access to the newly opened House of Marigold café. Phase 1 of this project was completed and opened to the public in the summer of 2025. Another phase was completed in the fall of 2025, and the project is planned to be fully finished by late 2026.

Situated in the Butchertown neighborhood and just steps from Louisville’s Waterfront Park, this blooming 23-acre, $60 million dollar project has completely revitalized what was once a previous landfill into a flourishing community garden. The early phase encompassed the first building on the site, The Graeser Family Education Center - with large, flexible space able to host a range of activities.

ZYYO has received demolition approval for its One Forty West site at First and Liberty streets in downtown Louisville, paving the way for a proposed 27-story hotel tower. The development is expected to become a new architectural landmark and a major addition to the city’s hospitality offerings. Demolition is anticipated to begin in late 2025, with site alterations happening in 2026 and construction projected to start in early 2027 pending final approvals and preservation compliance.

Bourbon Pursuit has grown to become the largest whiskey podcast in the world with over 1.2 million streams annually, and its founders have created their own Whiskey company, Pursuit Spirits. With a new brand home place opening on Louisville’s Main Street the experience will allow guests to fill their bottle directly from the barrel, do private single barrel tastings, visit a basement-level cocktail bar, and attend live recordings of the Bourbon Pursuit podcast.

Stationed in Louisville during World War I, F. Scott Fitzgerald would often frequent downtown Louisville’s Seelbach Hotel. The hotel is mentioned by name in more recent editions of the book, marking it as the site of characters Tom & Daisy Buchannon’s wedding. Visitors to Louisville can stay in the hotel’s Fitzgerald Suite, grab a Seelbach Cocktail at the Old Seelbach Bar, or venture down to the Rathskeller, a subterranean grotto where Fitzgerald supposedly met a bootlegger who inspired the character for Jay Gatsby.

The Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Louisville East Oxmoor is a new hotel located at 400 Bullitt Lane, Louisville, KY. Conveniently situated off I-264, it is surrounded by restaurants, entertainment options, and shopping malls. The hotel is pet-friendly and offers a range of amenities, including complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, a heated indoor pool, and a fitness center. Guests can enjoy easy access to local attractions such as Churchill Downs, the Louisville Zoo, and Bourbon Trail Tours. The hotel also features EV charging stations and free parking.

Kentucky’s largest amusement park is now open during the holidays with the addition of Christmas at the Kingdom. The holiday attraction will immerse guests into a joyful winter wonderland with more than one million glowing lights, Santa’s Village, and a Snow Zone, featuring a four-story, 175-foot-long snow tubing hill constructed in the drained wave pool. Year one of this program is happening in 2024.

The legendary racetrack completed a major renovation, transforming key areas, including a renovated grandstand area along the famed track’s homestretch and a new interior premium hospitality space in the first-floor concourse. The new Turn 1 Experience has added a hospitality venue with premium seating alongside a reserved viewing terrace. At the same time, the Paddock Area underwent a re-design to enhance the flow of the famous plaza and upgrade the front entrance experience. The capital investment project was completed in 2024, just in time for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Churchill Downs Inc. opened a $6.4 million dollar, 43,000-square-foot entertainment venue - situated just diagonal to the downtown convention center, which offers 500 historical racing machines as well as a fresh-air gaming area. Additionally, three unique bar concepts are housed on-site, including a main-level sports bar with a stage for music and live entertainment, a premium bourbon library and an elegant wine and charcuterie lounge. A retail and merchandise store is located at street level where guests can shop for Kentucky Derby-themed merchandise year-round. Opened December 6, 2023.

The Myriad Hotel is a new boutique hotel in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. Once an old disco ball factory, the hotel offers a variety of amenities, including a restaurant, pool, and bar. It is also within walking distance of many shops, bars, and restaurants.

A new 6,000-square-foot market located on River Road near Zorn Avenue opened June 14, 2023. The Haymarket features an on-site urban garden and sells fresh produce, bakery products, grab-and-go foods and meat. There is also an outdoor area for garden products and seasonal holiday items. Ashbourne Farms was founded in La Grange, Kentucky in 1937. .