Louisville is preparing to give its historic downtown a new look after the urban renewal authority in the city signed off on a conceptual design in September for the first phase of a yearslong plan.
Specifically, that first phase will reimagine the Steinbaugh Pavilion area and key stretches of Main and Front streets.
Louisville leadership decided to pursue the downtown revamp in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the devastating Marshall Fire in 2021, both of which impacted businesses in the heart of the city, said Vanessa Zarate, Louisville’s economic vitality manager.
“Most businesses are still feeling those effects, just from disruption of services, the destruction of customers to their spaces. Any disaster has a pretty significant impact on community and the business community,” Zarate said.
In part, the redesign may create a plaza area around the Steinbaugh Pavilion by converting nearby parking spaces, while a stretch of Front Street between Spruce and Walnut streets could be rebuilt without curbs, creating a more pedestrian-friendly corridor. The aim is to create a secondary gathering place off Main Street, according to Louisville’s Downtown Vision Plan that will guide development for years to come, although the plan says the curbless streets will not become pedestrian only.
Other projects in the first phase of the vision plan include a wayfinding program, an advisory bike lane on Front Street that will link South Street to the Coal Creek Trail, and streetscape upgrades on Main Street, with new trees, landscaping and street crossings. (“Wayfinding” is a term for a system of signs designed to help residents and visitors navigate the city.)
Construction on Main Street, Front Street and the Steinbaugh Pavilion area could begin in 2026.
“Residents want something very unique, so we’re trying to do things a little different,” said Jordan Jefferies, a Louisville assistant city engineer. “We’re going to be adding a lot of trees. We’re going to add some greenery and make the downtown feel a little bit more natural, create gathering spaces, encourage people to gather downtown. It’s going to be a little bit more pedestrian friendly.”
The cost for the first phase of projects is expected to fall somewhere around $9 million, funded by the urban renewal authority — called the Louisville Revitalization Commission — which is bonding against its future revenue for the project, according to Zarate.
The long game
The Front & Center Project is the city’s name for the implementation of the Downtown Vision Plan, which outlines three phases. The first phase, already funded, focuses on “short-term” ambitions.
Future phases could reshape much more of downtown, though their funding sources remain uncertain. A second phase, projected to cost up to $7 million, would add upgrades to Walnut and Spruce streets, a redesign of Pine Street, new alleyway “activations” and a sculpture walk devoted to local history, according to the vision plan document.
A third phase, roughly estimated to cost in the range of $13 million to $18 million, envisions curbless blocks of Main Street, new plazas at City Hall and the History Museum, and additional streetscape changes.
The plan notes that grants, partnerships and the city’s Capital Improvement Projects fund are possible sources of funding. Funding connected to the Louisville Revitalization Commission won’t be an option for phases two and three of the plan, because the commission will sunset in 2032, Zarate said.
The Downtown Vision Plan is designed to be flexible, and not every element might be realized.
“The vision plan is not an all-or-nothing undertaking,” the finalized plan notes. “Each project is evaluated and selected based on its individual benefits.”
History at the core
Through all the changes that do happen, Jefferies said, Louisville’s history will remain visible. New features such as art and signs could give a nod to the city’s history, including its coal mining roots that date back more than a century ago, according to the city’s website.
The Steinbaugh Pavilion — a structure built in the 20th century — and other downtown features are central to the potential redesigns.
Designs will give “a nod to the historical features of Louisville,” Jefferies said. While nothing is set in stone, he envisions using materials like timber and steel connectors, reminiscent of “an old mining shack or a Western building.”
“The whole Steinbaugh Plaza area is just going to be a really cool event space,” Jefferies said. “Louisville is already known for having great events, and I think this is just going to take things to the next level.”
Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.