Development Projects

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT GATSBY | APRIL 10, 2025

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.

AHOY CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

AHOY (Adventure House of You) is a $4M immersive children's museum that broke ground in Louisville's West End in October 2024 with plans to open in 2026. AHOY is going to be modeled after the City Museum in St. Louis, an interactive museum that turns art into a giant playground for children. AHOY will feature exhibits based on the 1937 flood, artistic renderings of cultural assets of the area, Falls of the Ohio and fossils, Mary Millicent Miller, who was the first female steamboat captain in the United States, and more. Unlike other museums in Louisville, AHOY will encourage risky play throughout the museum and its outdoor play area. Risky play encourages children to climb, jump and test boundaries to overcome fear and support healthy, independent growth.

ANGELS ENVY EXPANSION

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.

THE DOT EXPERIENCE MUSEUM

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.

The museum will have five exhibits across 28,000 square feet. The Dot Experience Museum will share first-person stories of blindness and human experience. The museum will also showcase history and artifacts from historical figures without vision. Museum visitors will be able to find Helen Keller’s desk and archives, Stevie Wonder’s piano, original Braille machines, José Feliciano’s guitar and much more. The project is expected to be completed and open to the public in 2025.

THE GARDENS

River City Entertainment Group is planning a $65 million project to turn Louisville Gardens into multipurpose sound stages and other facilities. Though construction has not begun, the final plans will be decided by mid-2025.

The building initially opened in 1905 as the Jefferson County Armory. Over the years, it became an entertainment and event venue for gatherings but unfortunately closed its doors in 2006.

The plans for the 40,000-square-foot property call for four sound stages for film, television, social media, and other types of productions. In addition, a theater, office and retail space, and a museum are in the preliminary plans as well.

KENTUCKY DERBY MUSEUM - 40TH ANNIVERSARY

A $2.3 million upgrade to The Greatest Race, 360° 4K film, will feature remastered video, updated technology, and enhanced lighting and sound. The museum is also working on a new fashion exhibit that immerses guests in the fabulous and fanciful Derby Day ensembles that have graced the track over the decades. The film and museum are free with the purchase of a ticket to tour the historic Churchill Downs Racetrack.

KENTUCKY EXPOSITION CENTER

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.

LOUISVILLE MUHAMMAD ALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RENOVATION

A $500 million project is underway which includes plans to convert to geothermal energy, upgrade jet bridges and walkways, redesign ticket counters and baggage claim areas and add more lines to security.

LOUISVILLE ZOO KENTUCKY TRAILS

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.

LOUISVILLE WATERFRONT PARK EXPANSION

Home to some of the city’s top festivals, including the Kentuckiana Pride Festival and the 2024 debut of Jack Harlow’s GAZEBO Festival, Waterfront Park is expanding westward with an additional 22 acres. Phase 1 of the expansion, PlayPort, will open by Spring 2025, creating an outdoor experiential learning area that pays homage to the Ohio River’s rich industrial heritage with authentic artifacts converted into play structures. The project is being built in conjunction with the Kentucky Science Center, ensuring that it is rooted in STEM-based education, stimulating learning, creativity, and imagination.

PURSUIT SPIRITS

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.

SPEED ART MUSEUM - ART PARK

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. Slate to open later 2025.

WATERFRONT BOTANICAL GARDENS

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. This phase also features expansion of the plaza surrounding the center, a fountain and creek pathway with waterfall stream along with a 6,000 square foot classroom building. Additional phases include adding a Japanese Garden and creek overlook along with a visitor’s center, children’s garden and conservatory.

YEW DELL BOTANICAL GARDENS

Construction has kicked off for the Castle Garden renovation at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens. This $5 million project will transform the area surrounding the iconic Yew Dell castle into a stunning collection of new gardens, water features, and educational opportunities - fully accessible to all visitors. This project isn't just about a facelift. It's about planting the seeds of future generations' passion for nature. Yew Dell will soon be your treasured crown jewel, a place where discovery and accessibility go hand-in-hand. Organizers plan for construction and plantings to be completed by 2025.

NEW HOTELS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

• Hotel Bourre Bonne (168 rooms, opening April 2025)
  
• Hampton Inn & Suites, Oxmoor (111 rooms, opening April 2025)

KENTUCKY KINGDOM - CHRISTMAS AT THE KINGDOM

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 LAST REFUGE

Heaven’s Door, a collection of award-winning American whiskeys co-created by Bob Dylan, is opening a brand experience in the former Refuge of Kentucky Church (600 E. Market St.) and neighboring Zephyr Gallery called The Last Refuge.

The project will open in two phases, including a bar, restaurant, music venue, and art gallery. Phase one consists of the $2 million transformation of the over 150-year-old church, which will house everything except for the art experience and is expected to open in 2024.

Phase two includes opening the accompanying art experience in the Zephyr building 18-24 months later, which the company bought for $1.23 million. It will showcase some of Dylan’s artwork, multimedia displays + curated work by other Kentucky artists.

In addition to The Last Refuge, Heaven’s Door will expand its distillery operations into Pleasureville, KY, in 2024.

CHURCHILL DOWNS RACETRACK EXPANSION

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.

TEMPO BY HILTON LOUISVILLE DOWNTOWN NULU

Opened in the trendy neighborhood of NuLu on May 1, 2024 just in time for the 150th Kentucky Derby. This hotel is surrounded by dining, shopping, and entertainment options. Enjoy all the amenities this hotel has to offer, like a rooftop restaurant, gym, coffee shop, meeting space, and more.

DERBY CITY GAMING DOWNTOWN

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.

BARDSTOWN BOURBON CO. BRAND EXPERIENCE

Bardstown Bourbon Co. opened a new "brand experience" at 730 W. Main St. in October 2023. The Louisville expansion of the Bardstown-based distiller includes a full-service bar and lounge, a bottle shop and a classroom space to educate guests on the company's "modern and technically advanced" approach to its spirits. They are also expected to host limited and rare bottle releases and intimate tastings.

MYRIAD HOTEL

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.

BUZZARD'S ROOST MICRODISTILLERY

Buzzard's Roost Spirits is the brainchild of Judith Hollis Jones and Jason Brauner, two veteran food and beverage professionals. The microdistillery, which opened at 624 W. Main St., on Louisville's downtown Whiskey Row, produces between five and seven barrels weekly.

HAYMARKET AT ASHBOURNE FARMS

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. .

HOTEL GENEVIEVE

Right in NuLu, Hotel Genevieve melds new architecture with considered touches that reference the city’s one-of-a-kind history. The hotel features an all-day ground-floor restaurant, Rosettes, a rooftop bar and lounge with expansive city views, vibrant mini market, and intimate secret bar.

PARISTOWN

A $28 million-dollar mixed-use development project has now been completed. Paristown, which opened in 2019 and sits only two miles from the center of downtown is an arts & culture hub anchored by The Café (a relocated longstanding breakfast and lunch spot), Louisville Stoneware (handcrafted pottery since 1815) ,Old Forester Paristown Hall, a 28,000 square foot performing arts venue which sits alongside Christy’s Garden, a multi-use greenspace and outdoor venue. The recent expansion included The Village Market, a modern food hall and bar driven by several local restaurants.

TOPGOLF

Topgolf recently opened in Louisville's East End area. This popular entertainment attraction attracts both locals and visitors to the 65,000-square-foot facility. The three-story venue cost nearly $19 million and has the capacity to host close to 1,440 people, with options for food and drink service during player games. Currently the closest Topgolf locations to Louisville are in Nashville, Tennessee; Fishers, Indiana; and West Chester Township, Ohio.