Louisville Metro is sharing its plans to revamp the Belvedere Plaza on the Ohio River with the Kentuckiana community. Mayor Craig Greenberg is seeking community input on the city’s plans for the plaza during a series of community engagement sessions.
“Downtown is everyone’s neighborhood,” Greenberg said. “And we want to do more things like the Belvedere project that are going to attract Louisville residents every day to downtown Louisville.” Louisville Metro is allotting $100 million in state legislature funding, which state lawmakers approved in 2024, to revitalize downtown.
The architects at Heatherwick Studio and Metro leaders acknowledged the need to find a balance between attracting businesses and providing green space for the public to enjoy. During the community meeting, Greenberg emphasized the importance of the first of two major tasks the architects will have to complete: shoring up the old infrastructure across the plaza’s seven acres. The wood and concrete pillars, dating back to the plaza’s opening in the 1970s, are crumbling.
However, based on the input Stuart Wood is hearing firsthand, he said the new Belvedere has to be a beacon that attracts locals 365 days a year. “Money is never infinite, no matter where you are in the world,” Wood said. “Look at the reality of budget and time, and then imagine the most fantastic thing possible.”
Wood has noticed a list of recurrent themes in the priorities stakeholders have for the new Belvedere. “There needs to be something exciting to do there, a reason to go, to feel safe there, to connect to the city,” he said.
While Wood does not yet have a specific date for groundbreaking by Heatherwick architects and contractors, he said that they will incorporate input from local architects and community members who submit suggestions and concerns to the city.
Article content provided by Jose Zozaya, WAVE
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 13, 2025.