“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” Helen Keller
This issue highlights ARP funded projects that have broken ground, wrapped up, or had a big impact on the city this year.
Affordable and Permanent Supportive Housing
Since the COVID pandemic, the number of unhoused people has continued to grow. Because of this, permanent supportive/affordable housing was identified as a priority for ARP dollars and is one of Mayor Greenberg's focus areas. $40M in ARP funding was allocated for Affordable Housing.
The Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund is working to increase the number of affordable housing units in Louisville. 2024 brought hope with several project advancements.
Wellspring has renovated four properties and is currently leasing units. New Directions Living Ministries is planning a ribbon cutting for February 2025 while HPI Gateway Broadway and LDG Eclipse estimate construction to be completed by March 2025. Rebound, Inc. has construction underway and is planning a July 2025 completion. Volunteers of America Monarch Station and Louisville Metro Housing Authority Senior Apartments estimate a March 2026 completion.
Permanent Supportive Housing, with $20.58M in ARP funding, engaged five organizations to build estimated 153 permanent supportive housing units. In 2024, the project saw properties renovated by Nu-Home and Wellspring and two groundbreakings for House of Ruth and St. John Center. St. John Center estimates the completion of the project in the spring of 2025.
Affordable Housing Dashboard
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Libraries
Although the libraries haven’t reopened, Parkland and Portland, each allocated $800K in ARP funds, have both had extensive work done in 2024. Each is building on an addition, along with adding ramps and doors that will allow for accessibility. Book space is being increased, as well as communal space.
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Parks
2024 was a busy year for Louisville Metro Parks.
Construction was completed on historical Elliott Park including upgrading the basketball court and playground, renovating the field house, and adding a sprayground. This was done with the help of $1.6M in ARP funding.
Berrytown Park, with $200K in ARP funding, got its own revamp, with a resurfacing of the basketball court, a smooth, accessible walking path, and playground equipment that allows children of all abilities to participate.
Despite suffering effects from the summer tornado, Chickasaw Park still saw completion of the restoration of its pond, the only standing body of water for recreational use in west Louisville, now clean and accessible to visitors who are able to kayak and fish. The $2.5M of ARP funds helped to make these improvements possible.
Iroquois Park, given $500K in ARP funding, while serving the largest population of Louisville Metro, completed the restoration of the two tennis courts along with the addition of four pickleball courts and one futsal court. These were chosen because of the extensive input received from the community.
To learn more about parks, libraries, and other projects, visit the Capital Dashboard.
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Connected Parks and Broadband
Connected Parks, with $1.37M in ARP funding, has provided Wi-Fi services across Louisville Metro to twenty parks and surrounding neighborhoods. The current phase of the project will bring a total of 43 parks online by the end of 2024.
Since its beginning, the Broadband project has given over 300 homes the ability to subscribe to internet services. An additional 200 homes will be eligible for services by the end of 2024 with the $627,396K ARP funds. To learn more about these projects, visit the Data Dashboard.
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Baxter Community Center & New Walnut Park
Residents of the Beecher Terrace neighborhood are anxiously awaiting the reopening of their historic community center that closed in 2018. The community center will offer a safe space for people to meet, programming run by Louisville Metro Parks, and revamped recreational space, both inside and outside the building.
The completion and opening of Baxter Community Center is expected in March 2025.
New Walnut Street Park had their groundbreaking on December 17. Along with the Mayor, representatives from the Cincinnati Bengals as well as other community leaders attended. The NFL Foundation, in partnership with LISC, are contributing a $250,000 grant to help the city install a synthetic turf multi-purpose playing field at the park. With park construction just now beginning, completion is expected to be Summer 2025.
Both projects were given $6M in ARP funding.
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“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” African Proverb
Early Learning: Training & Recruitment
As childcare facilities and schools closed in-person activities during the pandemic, many child care teachers lost their jobs and working families were left without child care, impacting their ability to participate in the workforce. Although child care centers and schools have since reopened, there remains a persistent childcare staffing shortage as their employment levels have not fully rebounded. Additionally, Mayor Greenberg’s goal to provide affordable quality early learning to all 3- and 4-year-olds in Louisville, will require more well-prepared teachers. To assist childcare centers and working parents in overcoming barriers to reentering the labor force, Louisville Metro Government has allocated $590,576 of Early Learning ARP funds to recruit and train entry level teachers for early learning child care centers.
Community Coordinated Child Care 4-C was recommended for the award and will begin work January 2025. They will:
· develop and implement strategies to attract new interest and applicants to the early education profession
· deploy an accessible training and support program for entry level child care teachers; and
· work with trainees to overcome barriers to training and employment including language access, credentialing costs, required screenings.
To learn more about all the Early Learning projects, visit the Early Learning Dashboard.
Waterfront Development Corporation PlayPort
Over a year in the making, Waterfront Development Corporation’s Playport is nearing completion with an anticipated opening date of Spring 2025. Check out this link https://youtu.be/GqpDKPyqlFw to see this innovative playground come to life.
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." Coretta Scott King
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