[Update: Congratulations to Broken Sidewalk reader Laura Curth for winning the contest! If you didn’t win, consider purchasing a ticket from the Louisville Downtown Partnership (info below). Thanks to everyone who entered and shared their thoughts about the future of Downtown Louisville.]
Mayor Greg Fischer is just wrapping up his State of the City address at the Southwestern Regional Library (more on that soon), but what about the state of Downtown Louisville specifically? The Louisville Downtown Partnership will be tackling just that topic on Tuesday, February 10th with its annual review of “the economic realities, public perceptions, and future direction of Downtown Louisville.” Tickets are $55 each, but we have one ticket we’re giving away to a lucky Broken Sidewalk reader (details below).
This year’s State of the Downtown presenters include:
- Matt Ruther—Director, Kentucky State Data Center
- Janet Kelly—Executive Director, Urban Studies Institute, University of Louisville
- Shawn Herbig—President, IQS Research
- Rebecca Matheny—Executive Director, Louisville Downtown Partnership
To win your free ticket from Broken Sidewalk, simply leave a comment on this article (below) with one thing you’d like to see happen Downtown in 2015 and share the post on Facebook or Twitter. That’s it! (Be sure to use a real email address so we can contact you if you win.) The deadline to enter is Monday, February 2 at 5:00p.m. We’ll announce a winner shortly after that.
The event takes place Tuesday, February 10th from 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM at The Henry Clay, 604 South Third Street. Get more information and to reserve tickets or tables, visit the LDP’s website or call 502-584-6000 (the reservation deadline is February 3).
I will hold out eternal hope for a cinema brewhouse downtown – a place where independent, foreign, vintage experimental films are screened in a leisure setting (comfy, homey chairs and couches) with good food and drink. Such a thing was mentioned in plans, but I’ve heard nothing about it since. At one time movie theaters lined 4th Street. I just want one.
Move the Derby clock to the bottom of the river, so Kindred can start building.
PARC will reconsider removing refund option on new parking meters. I want my money back, and using an app to add more time while in a meeting is really not very convenient.
I’d like to see efforts be made to expand on the economic successes of the central business district invigorate the surrounding neighborhoods, particularly those in the west and south end.
I’d love to see innovative businesses move into empty business spaces that challenge the business sector of downtown. We need more businesses that can provide alternatives to the businesses models we can’t seem to shake in downtown Louisville. Please do something with the Louisville Gardens building: movie theater with room for actual stage theater, meeting spaces, a training center, something!
I would love to see downtown residents become more of a priority. It’s great being able to walk to all the great restaurants downtown has to offer, but a nightmare if you need actual groceries and have to drive 15-20 minutes to the nearest market.
There can never be enough art in downtown. Maybe we could consider a concept like http://sagecoalitionnj.com/windows-of-soul/ to help some of the outskirts of downtown feel more included.
I would like for Louisville to consider the many ways that it is possible to fill the urban voids that exist throughout downtown Louisville, especially with students and academics. There is no campus downtown and therefore not a lot of young people and not a lot of commercial properties that cater to them…all of this type of business is on Bardstown road but still there is no campus there either…we need to bring more educational institutions to the river front! Not just to Broadway but throughout downtown. That would create a cycle for more affluency, more shops and restaraunts, more residents, and more degree holding entrepreneurs.
I’d like to see the curbs and sidewalks repaired all over downtown. And, when they’re done tearing up the streets everywhere, I’d like to see them all resurfaced. Also, to finally make 8th Street 2-ways.
An initiative to bring a range of locally-owned businesses to downtown that do not cater exclusively to the affluent. Most of the downtown businesses that are affordable across the entire class spectrum are funneling money out of the city to corporate centers elsewhere. The local movement in Louisville is still largely divided by class: local businesses market to the affluent and are financially unfeasible options for the poor. I’d like to see government incentives for local alternatives to “budget” chains and brands.