ARP-LAT Accelerator Post Issue 17

New Walnut Street Park

On September 30^th, Mayor Craig Greenberg joined the city and contributing partners to celebrate the completion of New Walnut Street Park, a $3.7 million investment into the Russell Community, located at 13th Street and West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

“The New Walnut Street Park is a shining example of what we can accomplish when government, community partners and neighbors work together,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Parks like New Walnut Street bring new momentum and send a clear message that every neighborhood in Louisville deserves the very best.”

The park offers something for all ages and interests including a synthetic turf multi-sports field for youth and community sports, pickleball courts, tennis court, pavilion and plaza, spray ground, playground, and walking path.

“We’re creating new opportunities to play, gather, and thrive in this neighborhood,” said Michelle King, Executive Director of Louisville Parks and Recreation. 

New Walnut Street Park came to life thanks to the support of many entities including the American Rescue Plan Act, the Cincinnati Bengals and NFL Foundation Grassroots Program, the Ohio Capital Impact Corporation, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, citizens of the Russell neighborhood, and the Louisville Metro Housing Authority.

“New Walnut Street Park is more than just a green space, it’s a promise to the Russell community that revitalization means creating safer and better places for families to gather, children to play, and neighbors to connect. LMHA is proud to partner in making this park a reality, as we continue our work to invest in housing and communities,” said Elizabeth Strojan, the executive director of the Louisville Metro Housing Authority.

Suicide Prevention

Almost $400 thousand in ARP funds were given to the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW) for the Suicide Prevention Project. Part of this project included a survey on suicide fatality that would lead to a report on the subject. On September 16, LMPHW released its comprehensive Suicide Fatality Report for Louisville/Jefferson County. Highlighting critical trends and risk factors in suicide deaths from 2019 through 2023, the report underscores the urgent need for collaborative, community-wide action to prevent suicide and support those affected.

“As we work to make Louisville stronger, safer, and healthier for everyone, we must confront the reality of suicide in our community,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “This report is a call to action. We need to talk openly about mental health, reduce stigma, and ensure that help is available and accessible. Together, we can save lives and support those who are struggling.”

You can learn more about the Suicide Fatality Review Report. Suicide Fatality Report

Louisville Metro Government encourages all residents to learn about suicide prevention, recognize warning signs, and support those in crisis. Please access the resources below if you, or someone you know is thinking about suicide.

Kentucky's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline-Call or text 988.

Seven Counties Crisis Lines-Local support for mental health emergencies.

LMG Office of Violence Prevention-Free firearm locks.

Community Mental Health Services-LMPHW

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention-Kentucky chapter

Bezos Academy

On September 19^th, LDG Development and Mayor Craig Greenberg joined Bezos Academy to celebrate the opening of three Bezos Academy preschools in Louisville. Funded in part by the American Rescue Plan's Early Learning project (Fairdale location), these locations will have capacity for 200 three to five-year-olds per year. Located in the Fairdale, Okolona, and Russell neighborhoods, the schools will provide full-day, year-round early childhood education at no cost to families. A fourth school—Bezos Academy Riverport—, is scheduled to open in October 2026, increasing total capacity to 280 students annually.

Bezos Academy offers Montessori-inspired preschool programming. The organization covers all the operating expenses for its preschool programs, including meals and snacks for students. The organization hires, trains, develops, and pays talented educators.

"Research shows early education sets kids up for success in school and life. Lucky for us, Louisville's community leaders share that belief," said Miguel Roque, President of Bezos Academy.“

One of my top priorities as mayor is to expand quality early childhood learning opportunities for children throughout Louisville, and this partnership gives almost 300 children access to year-round learning opportunities at no cost to families,” said Mayor Greenberg.

“From the very beginning, this community rallied and worked together to make the case on Bezos Academy should invest in Louisville by bringing Bezos Academy to our community,” said Lisa and Chris Dischinger, co-founders of LDG Development. “Today is a celebration and example of the difference we can make when we all work together.”

Classes at all three preschools opening this fall are full for the 2025 – 2026 school year. Applications opened earlier this year, and students were selected through a lottery. For details on eligibility or to add your child to the waitlist, please visit Bezos Academy. Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, (about $128,600 per year for a family of four) with children aged 3-4 years old are eligible to apply.

PlayPort

As part of ARP's Early Learning project, funding was given to PlayPort to develop an educational STEM-based playground at Waterfront Park. 

When asked about their involvement in the project, Waterfront Park Director of Development, Ashley Smith, said "This collaboration allowed us to lean fully into the innovative and educational potential of PlayPort, creating something truly spectacular for children and families in West Louisville."

She said, "The funding supported the creation of educational signage that has become a defining feature of the space. These signs are not only visually engaging but also interactive, featuring QR codes that link to science videos developed in partnership with the Kentucky Science Center who helped ensure the content was developmentally appropriate, engaging, and accessible."

When asked about how the ARP funding impacted the project, Ashley said, "It’s encouraged us to think more intentionally about how every element of the park can serve an educational purpose. The signage is permanent infrastructure that will continue to educate and inspire for years to come. It also sets a precedent for future collaborations and educational enhancements throughout the park. We’re now exploring ways to expand this model to other areas of the park and deepen our partnerships with educational institutions."

Ashley ended with, "One of our proudest moments was seeing children interact with the signage during field trips and during special events, playing, asking questions, and making connections between play and science. It’s a powerful example of how thoughtful design can spark learning in unexpected ways."

Mind Body Child

Another piece of ARP's Early Learning project involved grantees working directly with children. Mind, Body, Child Louisville, a subcontractor with the dePaul School, took their occupational and speech therapists to Backside Learning Center (BLC) to work with young children and their families.

Alma Aldana, Family Programs Manager of BLC, said "The Mind, Body, Child staff brought their team to meet with families at BLC whose children were not meeting their speech and behavioral milestones." Parents' concerns had not been addressed by their pediatricians, and they were worried about their children. Other BLC families were not aware of developmental milestones, so the Mind, Body, Child programming was a great addition to family services. The program used their ARP funding "to expand but address an issue that was surfacing during our Early Learning Programs. Many kids were not meeting their speech and behavioral milestones, and some of the pediatricians didn't seem to care, and the ones that did, the waiting list was long. Also milestones is something the parents of the BLC community were not aware of at the time, thanks to these funds we were able to bring new programming."

Alma said, "A total of 12 kids were referred to Mind Body Child in 2023, all of them facing speech and behavioral challenges. If these funds were not available those kids would still be on a waiting list to receive therapy or not even on a list. Thanks to this early intervention these 12 kids received the support they needed. Because of the assessments they received at MBC, they were evaluated by JCPS and admitted in Pre-K or Head Start with an IEP."

According to Alma, 12 young children whose parents worked at Backside received assessments, therapies, and evaluations for speech and behavioral challenges. Many children wait many months for these services, and some do not receive them in time to be able to be ready for school. Thanks to the Mind, Body, Child team, these children were evaluated by JCPS and admitted to PreK or Head Start with an IEP, enabling them to start school with the services and support to thrive. Alma said, "Every kid we sent to therapy is a success story, some cases more complicated than other. But the parents and siblings are the ones that benefited the most because now they not only understand what is happening with their kids, buy they have learned how to continue their therapy at home."