DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: DDC IS THE PRIMARY ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING THE STRATEGIC VISION FOR DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. WHILE NUMEROUS OTHER PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS ARE NECESSARY FOR THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS VISION, DDC LEADS THE PROCESS THROUGH CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ITS PARTNERS. THREE PRIMARY PILLARS DEFINE DDC'S STRATEGIC APPROACH FOR DOWNTOWN'S FUTURE SUCCESS: 1) ACTIVATING DOWNTOWN THROUGH REINFORCING AND SUPPORTING ITS ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS, EXPANDING DOWNTOWN'S ATTRACTIONS, AND ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO DOWNTOWN TO SHOWCASE LOUISVILLE'S CREATIVITY; 2) REINFORCING DOWNTOWN AS A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD BY ADVOCATING FOR CONVERSION INCENTIVES TO DEVELOP RESIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, ENCOURAGING RESIDENTIAL INFILL OF VACANT PARCELS, AND EXPANDING AMENITIES THAT ATTRACT NEW RESIDENTS; AND 3) ENHANCING THE PUBLIC REALM BY PRIORITIZING DOWNTOWN'S STREETS FOR PEDESTRIANS, TRANSFORMING BARRIERS INTO SEAMS, ACTIVATING AND CONNECTING UNDERUTILIZED SPACES, AND REIMAGINING DOWNTOWN'S OPEN SPACES.IN 2024, DDC DEVOTED SIGNIFICANT TIME AND RESOURCES IN ADVANCING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF DOWNTOWN TO BENEFIT OUR BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS, PROPERTY OWNERS, WORKERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING:- DOWNTOWN STRATEGY AND STRATEGIC PLAN: AT ITS STATE OF THE DOWNTOWN EVENT IN MARCH, DDC UNVEILED THE NEW LOUISVILLE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, ESTABLISHING A VISION AND GUIDE FOR DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. THE STRATEGY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ADOPTED BY LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL AS DOWNTOWN'S NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN. WITH THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGY IN PLACE, DDC IMPLEMENTED A NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN AS THE ROADMAP FOR CONVERTING THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGY INTO ACTIONABLE PROJECTS OWNED BY EITHER DDC OR OTHER PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. DDC WILL BE PROVIDING ANNUAL PROGRESS REVIEWS ON THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGY AND ALSO MONTHLY UPDATES FOR THE PUBLIC VIA AN ACTION ITEM TRACKER ON ITS WEBSITE.- ANNUAL DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT: DDC RELEASED ITS FOURTH ANNUAL DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT SHOWING WHAT DOWNTOWN MEANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND REGION, EMPHASIZING THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG DOWNTOWN TO THE HEALTH AND VIBRANCY OF THE CITY, GREATER METROPOLITAN REGION, AND STATE. THIS REPORT PROVIDES BASELINE DATA FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMIC LEADERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN THE GREATER DOWNTOWN AREA. RECOGNIZING THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE TO THE STATE'S OVERALL ECONOMIC HEALTH AND VIBRANCY, THE KENTUCKY STATE LEGISLATURE ALLOCATED $100 MILLION TO LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT FOR KEY DOWNTOWN PROJECTS.- BUSINESS SUPPORT: DDC CONTINUES ITS COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING DOWNTOWN BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, EMPLOYERS, AND RETAILERS, INCLUDING: 1) CONVENING QUARTERLY ROUNDTABLES FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, MAJOR EMPLOYERS, COMMERCIAL BROKERS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS, RESIDENTS, AND URBAN PLANNERS TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGES FACING DOWNTOWN, 2) PROMOTING THE DOWNTOWN SMALL BUSINESS LOAN PRODUCT THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL LOAN FUND, 3) REGULARLY COMMUNICATING INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS, SPECIAL INITIATIVES, AND NEWS, AND 4) HELPING INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES PROBLEM-SOLVE PARTICULAR ISSUES THAT THEY MAY ENCOUNTER.- PUBLIC SAFETY: DDC STRENGTHENED ITS WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT (LMPD) TO CONTINUE ENHANCING THE SAFETY OF DOWNTOWN AND ADDRESSING PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE SAME. AS A RESULT OF THIS ENGAGEMENT, ADDITIONAL OFFICERS WERE ADDED TO LMPD'S DEDICATED DOWNTOWN AREA PATROL ALLOWING FOR THE RESUMPTION OF BEAT PATROLS AND GREATER VISIBILITY OF OFFICERS ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN. AS MANAGER OF DOWNTOWN'S BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID), DDC CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH LOUISVILLE TOURISM, HUMANA, AND LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT TO SUSTAIN ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE BID'S AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES A FRIENDLY SAFETY PRESENCE FOR OUR DOWNTOWN WORKERS, RESIDENTS, AND GUESTS. THIS VITAL EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF AMBASSADORS (FROM 18 TO 36) AND ALLOWED FOR CONTINUED OPERATIONS UNTIL MIDNIGHT EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.- DEVELOPMENT FACILITATION: DDC SERVES AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF DOWNTOWN MARKET AND DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH DATA WHICH HELPS DEVELOPERS MAKE SOUND INVESTMENT DECISIONS IN THE GREATER DOWNTOWN AREA. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT CONTINUED TO GROW IN 2024, WITH 36 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS UNDERWAY TOTALING $700 MILLION, AND 37 PROJECTS ANNOUNCED TOTALING $1.6 BILLION. TO FURTHER FACILITATE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, DDC ADMINISTERS TWO LOAN FUNDS WHICH PROVIDE CRITICAL GAP FINANCING FOR COMMERCIAL AND HOUSING PROJECTS IN DOWNTOWN AND ITS EDGE NEIGHBORHOODS. IN 2024, THE COMMERCIAL DOWNTOWN LOAN FUND PROVIDED A $575,000 LOAN FOR A NEW BOURBON EXPERIENCE ON WEST MAIN STREET. PARTNERING WITH LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT, DDC ALSO BEGAN ADVOCATING FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS IN DOWNTOWN PROJECTS AND A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO EXPAND THE EXISTING TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM FROM FIVE YEARS TO FIFTEEN YEARS.- PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION: DDC WORKS CLOSELY WITH A VARIETY OF PARTNERS TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND SEEK UNIQUE SOLUTIONS TO THE COMPLEX ISSUES ENCOUNTERED BY DOWNTOWNS ACROSS THE NATION. THIS INCLUDES FOSTERING DEEP RELATIONSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENTS, LOUISVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE (LEDA), LOUISVILLE MEDICAL & EDUCATION DISTRICT (LOUMED), GREATER LOUISVILLE INC. (GLI), LOUISVILLE TOURISM, WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, LEADERSHIP LOUISVILLE, NULU BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (NBA), LOUISVILLE INDEPENDENT BUSINESS ALLIANCE (LIBA), INTERNATIONAL DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION (IDA), AND MANY OTHERS.- 2024 GRANTS/ALLOCATIONS TO OTHERS: $3,125 TO GLI IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY MARKETING PROJECT.

DDC ENGAGES IN A VARIETY OF PROJECTS IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS MEANT TO INCREASE THE VITALITY AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF DOWNTOWN. IN 2024, THESE PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES INCLUDED:- CITYSPOTS: CONCEPTUALIZED BY LEADERSHIP LOUISVILLE'S 2022 BINGHAM FELLOWS COHORT, CITYSPOTS ARE THE TRANSFORMATION OF UNDERUTILIZED OR FORGOTTEN PUBLIC SPACES INTO WELCOMING PLACES OF URBAN SURPRISE WHERE PEOPLE MEET, EAT, PLAY, OR RELAX, HELPING TO SPREAD VIBRANCY ACROSS DOWNTOWN. WITH THE FIRST TWO CITYSPOTS COMPLETED IN 2023, THIS YEAR DDC CONTINUED PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK FOR THE THIRD AND FOURTH LOCATIONS. THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF JPMORGANCHASE AND OTHER SPONSORS, THE THIRD CITYSPOT, NEAR THE CORNER OF FOURTH AND JEFFERSON STREETS ADJACENT TO THE LOUISVILLE VISITORS CENTER, WILL BRING THE SPACE TO LIFE WITH COLORFUL WALL AND SIDEWALK MURALS, A PUBLIC PIANO, ADDITIONAL SEATING, AND FLOWERS. THE FOURTH CITYSPOT, SPONSORED BY PNC BANK, WILL BE LOCATED NEAR THE CORNER OF FIFTH AND MAIN STREETS. THIS WHIMSICAL INSTALLATION WILL FEATURE LARGER-THAN-LIFE SWING SETS FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. RIBBON CUTTINGS FOR THESE TWO NEW CITYSPOTS ARE PLANNED FOR THE SUMMER OF 2025.- MANAGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID): THROUGH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE LOUISVILLE DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (LDMD), DDC ADMINISTERS AND OPERATES THE DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE BID THAT PROVIDES SERVICES SUPPLEMENTAL TO THOSE PROVIDED BY LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE DAILY CLEANING OF THE DOWNTOWN RIGHTS OF WAY, SAFETY AND HOSPITALITY PATROLS, GRAFFITI ABATEMENT, BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAMS, AND PUBLIC ART PROJECTS. IN 2024, THE AMBASSADOR TEAM REMOVED APPROXIMATELY 134,600 POUNDS OF LITTER AND DEBRIS FROM THE SIDEWALKS AND ALLEYS, CLEANED UP MORE THAN 475 BIOHAZARDOUS MATERIALS, ABATED 1,137 GRAFFITI TAGS AND STICKERS, AND RECORDED MORE THAN 121,000 HOSPITALITY INTERACTIONS WITH GUESTS AND VISITORS. - CLEAN COLLABORATIVE: DDC CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH LOUISVILLE METRO'S DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE "CLEAN COLLABORATIVE" INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY'S CLEANLINESS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. TO ADDRESS AREAS OF DOWNTOWN OUTSIDE OF THE BID, PUBLIC WORKS EXTENDED ITS CONTRACT WITH DDC FOR A FOURTH YEAR TO PROVIDE AMBASSADOR CLEANING SERVICES IN OFTEN NEGLECTED PARTS OF THE GREATER DOWNTOWN AREA. AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, DDC'S CLEAN COLLABORATIVE TEAM OF AMBASSADORS CLEARED APPROXIMATELY 14,200 POUNDS OF LITTER AND DEBRIS IN THESE LOCATIONS.- BEAUTIFICATION AND ART INITIATIVES: DDC CONSTANTLY FOCUSES ON EXPANDING PLACEMAKING PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE AND APPEAL OF DOWNTOWN'S STREETS. A SIGNATURE INITIATIVE IN 2024 WAS THE LAUNCH OF A NEW SERIES OF TEMPORARY, ROTATING ART INSTALLATIONS IN PUBLIC SPACES ACROSS OUR DOWNTOWN CORE. DESIGNED AND CREATED BY AUSTIN-BASED LEMONDE STUDIO, THIS PROGRAM BRINGS A SERIES OF INTERACTIVE ART EXHIBITS TO NEW LOCATIONS EVERY SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS. IN PREPARATION FOR A NEW PUBLIC PIANO PROGRAM TO BE UNVEILED IN THE SPRING OF 2025, DDC PARTNERED WITH TWO DOWNTOWN SCHOOLS, THE J. GRAHAM BROWN SCHOOL AND FRANCIS PARKER SCHOOL OF LOUISVILLE, TO HAVE FOUR DONATED PIANOS PAINTED BY THEIR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. CALLED "DOWNTOWN TUNES", THESE PIANOS WILL BE PLACED IN KEY OUTDOOR LOCATIONS AND ARE DESIGNED TO FOSTER SPONTANEOUS MUSICAL EXPRESSION, COMMUNITY CONNECTION, AND CREATIVE PLACEMAKING. IN 2024, DDC ALSO INTRODUCED A NEW "BUTT BIN" PROGRAM TO HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CIGARETTE BUTTS DISCARDED ON DOWNTOWN'S STREETS AND SIDEWALKS WHILE ALSO RECYCLING THE FILTERS FOR NEW USES. BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY OWNERS CAN REQUEST A FREE BRANDED BIN TO BE POSITIONED IN HIGH-TRAFFIC SMOKING AREAS TO ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE DISPOSAL.- LIGHTING PROGRAMS: WITH PLANNING AND DESIGN COMPLETED BY DDC, LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED $1.6 MILLION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW LED LIGHTING PROJECT UNDERNEATH THE I-65 OVERPASSES ON MAIN AND MARKET STREETS. THE NEW LIGHTING TRANSFORMS THE UNDERPASSES FROM THEIR FORMER STATES, WITH STANDARD-ISSUE WHITE LIGHTS, INTO INVITING COLORFUL DESTINATIONS AND NEW CONNECTION POINTS BETWEEN THE NULU DISTRICT AND THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN BY ELEVATING THE UNDERPASSES' AESTHETIC APPEAL AND CREATING BRIGHTER AND MORE ENGAGING SPACES FOR VISITORS. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MORGAN MCGARVEY SECURED AN ADDITIONAL $1.6 MILLION FOR THE FUTURE EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM TO INCLUDE TWO MORE UNDERPASSES. DDC ALSO COMPLETED PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK FOR A SERIES OF STRING LIGHT INSTALLATIONS IN ITS HISTORIC SHOPPING DISTRICT ALONG SOUTH FOURTH STREET.- WALKING TOUR PODCASTS: DDC LAUNCHED THE REPUBLIC BANK DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR PODCASTS IN EARLY 2024 FEATURING THREE SERIES: THE HISTORIC WEST MAIN STREET TOUR, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MARKER TOUR, AND THE WHISKEY ROW TOUR. NARRATED BY PROMINENT LOUISVILLIANS, THE PODCASTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AND PROVIDE A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO FIND OUT HOW LOUISVILLE WAS SETTLED, HOW COMMERCE WAS DEVELOPED IN THE EARLY DAYS, AND HOW LOUISVILLE PLAYED A PART IN THE 1960S CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.- DERBY 150: THE KENTUCKY DERBY CELEBRATED ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF MAY IN 2024. WHILE THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS WORKED TO MAKE DOWNTOWN LOOK ITS BEST, DDC PARTNERED WITH CHURCHILL DOWNS TO HANG 500 "DERBY 150" POLE BANNERS ACROSS DOWNTOWN TO WELCOME GUESTS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD TO OUR CITY.- HOMELESSNESS ENGAGEMENT: ONE OF THE TRAGIC, LINGERING CONSEQUENCES OF THE PANDEMIC WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL CRISIS THROUGHOUT LOUISVILLE. DDC CONTINUES TO ENGAGE WITH OUR PUBLIC, NON-PROFIT, AND PRIVATE PARTNERS TO DEVELOP NEW STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEX ISSUES SURROUNDING HOMELESSNESS AND PANHANDLING IN THE URBAN CORE. OF PARTICULAR NOTE, 2024 WAS THE FIRST FULL YEAR THAT THE DISTRICT FIELDED ITS DEDICATED TEAM OF OUTREACH AMBASSADORS WHO WORK WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY. THESE AMBASSADORS SERVE AS A VITAL BRIDGE BETWEEN AVAILABLE SOCIAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES, DOWNTOWN'S STREET POPULATION, AND THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. IN THIS FIRST FULL YEAR OF OPERATIONS, THE OUTREACH TEAM INITIATED 1,167 CONTACTS WITH PEOPLE IN NEED OF SUPPORT. AFTER BUILDING TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, 97 INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES WERE SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED WITH VITAL SERVICES RANGING FROM ADDICTION TREATMENT TO TRANSITIONAL AND PERMANENT HOUSING. - 2024 GRANTS/ALLOCATIONS TO OTHERS: $0