December 2024

LATEST NEWS

Mayor Greenberg's Highlights of 2024

This week, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg reflects on the most important accomplishments and moments of his administration in 2024 that are bringing about positive change in every corner of the community.

“Before the year ends, it’s important to take a look at what we’ve accomplished and how we can continue our positive momentum into the new year,” said Mayor Greenberg.  “We’re moving Louisville in a new direction, and it’s evident as we look at the important investments we’ve made in public safety, infrastructure, job creation, affordable housing, parks and much more.”

The following are some of Mayor Greenberg’s 2024 accomplishments in his priority areas of focus.

Public Safety

• Chief Paul Humphrey sworn in to lead the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) and transform the culture to focus on accountability and reducing crime.
• New LMPD contract that increases pay to recruit and retain more officers.
• Gun Violence Task Force in partnership with state and local prosecutors to get violent felons off the streets.
• $16.5 million budget surplus due to new investment strategies and effective management - majority invested in public safety with new police cameras, expanding facilities to get more police cars on the streets, and firehouse improvements.
• Historic consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice, which is unlike any other city in America’s because of the transformation already taking place under the leadership of Mayor Greenberg and Chief Humphrey.  Louisville is on track to exit the decree in five years or less.
• Expansion of Crisis Call Diversion Program, which dispatches mental health professionals instead of police officers to runs involving people experiencing mental health crises.
• The number of homicides in Louisville has decreased each year since its peak in 2021 - going from 171 to 138 this year.
• The overall number of shootings in Louisville has decreased 41% since 2021.
• In October, the mayor announced two large-scale gang prosecutions.
• Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) successfully shut down three bars and clubs with repeated violations of allowing guns inside their establishments and other public safety issues.
• Heroic crisis response by first responders in Second Street Bridge rescue, East End tornadoes, Givaudan explosion, and future LouMed site rescue.
• Mayor Greenberg and Chief Humphrey announce crack down on street racing and impoundment of cars involved in the illegal activity – 30 cars seized since September.
• Mayor Greenberg creates new Park Ranger Program to help patrol parks and enforce hours.
• Louisville celebrates one-year anniversary of Summit Wellness Center – in just one year, the number of LMPD missed workdays due to illness shrunk dramatically from 2,700 to 700 days.  LMPD worker’s comp costs decreased by more than $1 million dollars.

“As mayor, I know the most important part of my job is public safety,” said Mayor Greenberg.  “That’s why we strengthened our efforts to find new ways to fight violent crime, because I know how important it is for every resident in this community to be safe and feel safe in their neighborhood.”

Creating New Jobs & Improving Local Economy

• 4,800 new jobs created across Louisville Metro, the most jobs added in a year since 2017.
• Historic $1billion investment in Louisville from the Kentucky General Assembly - $100 million being invested in Downtown Louisville projects.
• The Louisville Economic Development Authority (LEDA) launches to help attract new businesses and grow existing businesses – CEO search underway.
• Louisville is a finalist for the Sundance Film Festival.
• Historic job creation in West Louisville with the new Norton Hospital West Louisville, Goodwill Opportunity Center, Stellar Snacks, and MMY Housing all opening in 2024.
• The first Publix opens in Louisville.
• More than $200 million mixed-use community breaks ground in South End that includes a new Kroger.
• Revitalizing downtown through the Downtown Louisville Building Conversion Fund, which incentivizes projects focused on converting empty office buildings into residential, housing, or mixed-use developments and $3 million Downtown Revitalization Fund.
• Diamond Baseball Holdings and Machete group announce new development next to Slugger Field.  Proposed development will be largest economic development project in downtown Louisville since the Omni Hotel.

“I wake up every day thinking about how we can innovate and do things differently to bring about positive change in Louisville by creating new, good-paying jobs, which attract new talent and new opportunities for Louisville,” said Mayor Greenberg.  “I am energized by the growth and change we see happening across the city.”

Affordable Housing and Safer Neighborhoods

• Louisville Metro Housing Authority launches plan to redevelop Dosker Manor, Avenue Plaza & Iroquois Green - tearing down inhumane public housing and replacing it with safe, new homes for residents.
• Continued progress on the Mayor’s My Louisville Home Plan to create and preserve 15,000 affordable housing units.
  • 4,800 units of affordable housing created.
  • Mayor Greenberg launched Lien Waiver Forgiveness Program to redevelop vacant and abandoned properties and create new, affordable homes in neighborhoods experiencing blight.
  • One million dollars from mid-year budget surplus invested in Down Payment Assistance Fund to help new homeowners purchase their first property.
  • Mayor Greenberg celebrated the 500^th homeowner that transitioned from rental assistance to homeownership through the Louisville Metro Housing Authority's Homeownership Program.
  • Land Development Code plan to create housing choices and opportunities in new and existing neighborhoods.

“Safe, quality, and affordable housing is the foundation for everything else in a family’s life,” said Mayor Greenberg.  “When people have access to safe housing, they are more likely to be healthy and have a good job. Every person in every corner of this community deserves access to safe, quality, and affordable housing.”

Improving Social Services

• Community Care Campus opens temporary shelter for families and construction is underway on the state-of-the-art facility that will provide wrap-around support for those experiencing homelessness.
• Unsafe and unhealthy camps have been cleared, while Mayor Greenberg’s administration has provided more outreach, support, services and shelter for those in need.
• Homeless Services Division fully staffed, fully funded and responds to calls within 24 hours.
• More than five million dollars in opiod settlement funding goes to local organizations that provide services and shelter to homeless.
• More than $1 million in grants to local organizations that support the homeless.

Improving Early Childhood Education

• Thrive by Five, launched with an initial five-million-dollar investment from Mayor Greenberg, names the new board and CEO search is underway.  Mayor Greenberg’s concept will expand access to quality early childhood learning opportunities for Louisville families.
• The Bezos Academy announces its fourth early learning Louisville location in partnership with Louisville Metro Government.  The Bezos Academy will provide free, year-round education to three- and four-year-old children in Louisville.

“It’s important that we prioritize the care of those who need us the most – children and those experiencing hardships,” said Mayor Greenberg.  “I am proud that our administration is working every day to expand opportunities for early learning while providing support to people in crisis.”

Investing in Previously Neglected Parks and Libraries

• Algonquin and Camp Taylor Pools under construction
• Parkland Library (closed for 30 years) will soon be open with construction of the new Portland Library almost complete.  Work will begin on new Fern Creek Library in 2025.
• Mayor Greenberg has opened, renovated or announced parks across Louisville – Berrytown, New Walnut St., Alberta O. Jones, Windsor, Iroquois,  Hays Kennedy, South Central, Long Run and Elliot parks, in addition to a welcome center addition at Riverside Farnsley Moorman and upgrades at Quail Chase, Sun Valley and Crescent Hill golf courses .
• Mayor Greenberg allocated $12 million for deferred maintenance of parks and community centers – almost 25 projects completed in 2024.

Improving Public Works and New Infrastructure Projects

• The new Department of Transportation will be up and running in early 2025.
• East Market Street work begins after 14 years of discussion.
• Conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets in Downtown Louisville.
• Public Works paved 120 miles of road – that’s basically the distance from Louisville to Indianapolis.  The city also filled 43,000 potholes.
• New underpass lighting downtown to help connect city center with NULU and improve public safety.
• Copper Wire Task Force announced to reduce theft of street-light and telecommunications wire.  Arrests have already been made.

“For far too long, this city has neglected to take care of the roads needed to transport goods and services across this community, as well as the places we go for enjoyment and learning – that’s all changing as we move in a new direction for Louisville,” said Mayor Greenberg.  “I know we’re making a difference as community members comment about new parks in their neighborhoods, renovations of existing parks, improved community centers where they play sports or their children attend camps and opening libraries that have been closed for decades.”

Record-Breaking Events

• The city celebrated an historic Kentucky Derby 150.
• Louisville hosted the 2024 PGA Championship and will host the 2028 Solheim Cup, the women’s golf equivalent of the Ryder Cup.
• Bourbon & Beyond saw a record-setting attendance of 210,000 people over the course of its four days, as well as a record crowd of 60,000 on September 21, marking the highest single-day attendance and the largest music festival in the state's history.
• Louisville jammed to its 10^th year of Louder Than Life.
• Mayor Greenberg launched his Mayorthon Race Series consisting of four races in the Fall of 2024.

“What a year it’s been in Louisville,” said Mayor Greenberg. “It’s the greatest honor of my life to serve as your mayor, and I hope you can feel the positive momentum as we get ready to launch what I believe will be a year of new opportunities for the city we all love so much.”

Mayor Greenberg announces historic consent decree

Mayor Craig Greenberg signs a historic consent decree and sets aggressive timeline for continued police reform with possible exit from the decree in five years or less.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Chief Paul Humphrey joined United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke to announce all parties have entered into a landmark consent decree that will set an aggressive timeline for continued police reform and provide a possible exit from the decree in five years or less.

“The most basic responsibility of government is to keep our people safe while protecting constitutional rights and treating everyone fairly,” said Mayor Greenberg. “As Mayor, I promised to uphold that responsibility, and I have.”

This historic agreement announced builds upon and accelerates the transformational reform of community policing that has been ongoing in Louisville since the mayor took office two years ago.

From the beginning of negotiations, Mayor Greenberg said any agreement must meet three conditions:

• It had to build on the significant reforms of policing that have taken place over the last two years.
• It could not handcuff police as they work to prevent crime, and
• It had to be financially responsible with clear terms for when and how the decree would end

Mayor Greenberg said those requirements have been met.

“The Department of Justice saw the action we’ve already taken and our commitment to aggressively implement police reform," the Mayor said. "As a result of these improvements, we have a consent decree unlike any other city in America.”

Unlike some other cities, Louisville did not wait to take action until signing a consent decree. Over the last two years LMPD rewrote its policies, revised its procedures, and reorganized its department. Officers are getting more and better training and more and better care when they need it. LMPD is collecting the data needed to make good decisions and measure whether it is meeting its goals. The department implemented a new focus on de-escalation and significantly expanded the deflection program to ensure more effective interventions for people in crisis.

“We are already well on our way to implementing many of the requirements in this consent decree,” said Chief Humphrey. “I felt comfortable signing this because our officers will have clear guidance and goals to meet, the DOJ can’t move the goalposts, and our officers can focus on good police work, not paperwork.”

In addition, Mayor Greenberg pointed out that the consent decree agreement is financially responsible for the city because it caps the annual cost of the independent monitor.  He also expects the department will be in full compliance in five years or less, unlike other cities who have seen consent decrees last for a decade or more without achieving compliance.

“To the men and women of LMPD, thank you for protecting us every day.  I know you are committed to public service for the right reasons and want to do your job the right way,” the Mayor said.  “And to those in our community who demanded change, thank you for speaking up. Your willingness to demand meaningful, lasting change helped bring us to this moment.”

Today’s consent decree is the result of more than 65 meetings, plus countless phone calls and document reviews equaling thousands of hours logged by members of the Louisville Metro Government negotiating team.

Next steps

Louisville Metro Government will soon post the Request for Qualification for applicants interested in serving as the independent monitor for the consent decree. This team will ensure Louisville is meeting its compliance benchmarks. This will be a public selection process. Applicants will be vetted by the city and the DOJ. 

The community will have a chance to meet the finalists before a decision is made. In addition, Chief Humphrey will attend several community meetings next year for Louisville residents to hear about implementation progress, a dashboard will be available for the public to monitor that progress, and progress updates will be provided at Chief Humphrey’s regular press briefings.

Click here to view the consent decree in its entirety, and the press conference can be viewed in its entirety here.

Mayor Greenberg’s mid-year budget adjustments adopted by Metro Council 

The $16.5 million revenue surplus will be used to invest in fire, police, city infrastructure and down payment assistance.

Mayor Craig Greenberg’s mid-year budget adjustments were passed by Louisville Metro Council.  Louisville Metro Council passed a mid-year adjustment ordinance to appropriate the $16.5 million revenue surplus from FY 24. 

The ordinance allocates funding to critical public safety needs, enhanced infrastructure, and closes funding gaps on essential city projects. The surplus was largely driven by the receipt of unbudgeted investment income due to a new strategic investment strategy implemented by Mayor Greenberg last year, as well as prudent management of department budgets.

“Thanks to the strategic management of our financial resources, Louisville is in a strong fiscal position,” the Mayor said. “This investment income windfall, along with our prudent budget practices, gives us the opportunity to invest in projects that address the city’s most pressing needs while preparing for future growth.”

The following items are included:

Public Safety/Public Works

• Installation of additional cameras at critical locations.
• Funding for a second shift of mechanics to maintain city vehicles and heavy equipment and ensure more police cars are on the streets.
• Expansion of the radio shop for better communication capabilities and to ensure electronic equipment is installed more quickly and efficiently to get new emergency vehicles on the streets in a faster timeframe.
• Purchase of new vehicles for snow removal and general services. 
• Purchase of three new fire engines and one new truck.
• Building improvements at four firehouses

Infrastructure funding gaps

Eleven priority projects for sidewalks, median improvements, and roundabouts received necessary funding for completion.

Affordable housing

The mid-year budget adjustment includes a $1.05 million investment in the down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers before current funds are depleted.

Metro Council Directed Projects

The Mayor’s proposal included funding for $2 million that Metro Council members directed to be funded in the FY25 approved budget. These items include:

• Olmsted Match funding for Central Park improvements
• Humane Society
• Contributions to the Rainy Day Fund for long-term financial stability

The Mayor’s proposal reserved more than $1.3 million for additional Metro Council-directed investments that were contained in the final ordinance as adopted.

Downtown Louisville Building Conversion Program announced 

Mayor Greenberg highlighted a new announcement about the work being done to reimagine downtown Louisville through the Downtown Louisville Building Conversion Program.

The Kentucky General Assembly allocated funds for fiscal years 2025-2026 to support revitalization projects in Downtown Louisville. As part of the historic investment, the state legislature designated funding for the Downtown Louisville Building Conversion Program, an initiative that aims to breathe new life into the Central Business District through adaptive reuse of vacant office buildings into residential, hospitality, or a mix of uses.

“The goal of this program is to help developers and property owners take existing buildings and make the renovations necessary to turn what was once an office building into something else - something that helps us continue to build a thriving downtown,” the Mayor said. “Thank you to the General Assembly for their investments in enhancing the quality of life for our residents and visitors.”

Application Deadline: February 10, 2025, at 5 p.m. EST

Full details and application here.

Louisville Sports Entertainment District proposed next to Slugger Field

Project would create vibrant connection between downtown neighborhoods.

Mayor Craig Greenberg recently announced a transformative new mixed-use development proposal adjacent to Louisville Slugger Field.

The proposal is a joint venture between Louisville Bats’ owner Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) and Machete Group, an industry leader specializing in the planning and development of sports and entertainment venues and adjacent mixed-use projects. Louisville Metro Government is working with DBH and Machete on a draft development agreement that would outline potential public participation in the proposed District.

The proposed Louisville Sports Entertainment District is part of ongoing revitalization efforts to create a more vibrant, healthy, and connected downtown and would offer a mix of housing, retail, hospitality, and entertainment options. If realized, the project would activate a currently underutilized space to create a vital connection point for the community between downtown, Butchertown, NuLu, and Waterfront Park.

“This exciting development represents our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our residents and visitors,” the Mayor said. “We are being proactive about developing surface lots across our downtown; these type of lots are ripe for development that benefits our city as a whole and its residents. We look forward to continuing to work with Machete Group and Diamond Baseball Holdings to hopefully make this District a reality.”

With over 500,000 square-feet of mixed-use development, the district would be a unique destination for the Louisville community, featuring well-amenitized residences, a full-service boutique hotel, office and meeting spaces, retail shops, a revitalized entrance to Slugger Field, and on-site parking – all steps away from the iconic downtown ballpark.

“The opportunity to contribute to the ongoing revitalization efforts in downtown Louisville and create a hub of energy and excitement surrounding the home of the Bats is a game-changer for our organization and our fans,” said Pat Battle and Peter Freund, executive chairman and CEO, respectively, of DBH, owner of the Bats. “We’re thrilled to double-down on the commitment we made to the Louisville community more than a year ago when we acquired the Bats and look forward to further enhancing the overall experience for everyone who visits Slugger Field.”

“We are thrilled to be part of a development proposal that would not only enhance the local sports culture but also contributes to the overall growth and vitality of Louisville,” said David Carlock, principal at Machete Group. “This mixed-use space will create a new neighborhood that blends leisure, entertainment, and residential living, making it a desirable destination for all.”

The development would generate jobs, boost local business, attract new talent, and create a vibrant community atmosphere.  Specific details of the project are yet to be confirmed as the public review and approvals process is set to begin imminently.

"The proposed district represents a significant investment in the continued transformation of our Downtown core,” said Rebecca Fleischaker, executive director of Louisville Downtown Partnership. “This project would add needed residential development, with entertainment and hospitality options, and would become a new destination, as well as add density to this area, improving vibrancy and perception of safety.”

Image of the Month: 2024 Light Up Louisville

2024 Light Up Louisville has been praised as the best it has ever been, thanks to the event being rescheduled, and the introduction of a new video mapping and drone holiday show.

“I want to thank everyone for an incredible year! Looking forward to a healthier, stronger and safer 2025. Have a great holiday season from our family to yours.” – Mayor Greenberg