What to know about Waterfront Park's new planned expansion into Louisville's West End

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The planned "Phase IV" expansion of Waterfront Park into Louisville's West End got renewed attention in November 2021 after Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced he will propose $10 million in the next state budget for the initiative.

This is not an overnight project, and the efforts to broaden Waterfront Park are not new but rather are part of a multiyear, multiphase investment. Officials broke ground on the new phase of work in October 2022, with the park's executive director Deborah Bilitski calling it "a significant step in advancing Waterfront Park’s mission of connecting people to the river and ensuring our waterfront can be enjoyed be everyone always.”

Here's what to know.

What is Phase IV of Waterfront Park?

The fourth phase, which Louisville Metro Councilman Jecorey Arthur also referred to as "Waterfront West," will extend Waterfront Park to take up 22 acres between 10th and 14th streets in the Portland neighborhood.

"This new phase will provide additional open space along the river, increasing our opportunities for new experiences and activities," the Waterfront Park website says. "The RiverWalk will connect the current park space to the Phase IV expansion."

The first planned component will be called PlayWorks at Waterfront Park. The 1.5-acre outdoor experiential learning area is a partnership between Waterfront Park and Kentucky Science Center and will have three zones for children to play in and explore.

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"The new area will include creative play structures and various interactive displays featuring various artifacts to celebrate and teach the waterfront’s history," the park's website says. "PlayWorks will engage families and will stimulate learning, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and imagination."

Other features envisioned for the expanded park include:

• An observation pier that offers fine views of the downtown skyline and the riverfront and is designed to hold a 250-person tent for weddings, concerts and fundraisers;

• An "exerscape" area, which is an exercise zone with a rock wall, a rope structure, a monkey bar-like piece for pull-ups and a spot for outdoor yoga;

• A fountain and sculpture mash-up in the easternmost portion of the new site that may remind visitors of a sprayground area that blends public spaces with art;

• Fort-on-Shore Plaza, named for the historic fort that once occupied the land at 12th and Rowan streets. The plaza will give guests a chance to look into Louisville’s past with interpretive signage and historical references.

How much will it cost? When could it all open?

The total cost of the expansion is expected to stand at about $50 million, making it the largest public amenity investment in west Louisville in decades, according to Beshear.

Local leaders first announced the plan for expanding Waterfront Park via Phase IV in 2015, estimating at the time the initiative would cost about $35 million.

Louisville Metro Council members have approved $6 million in the past two fiscal years for the project, and Waterfront Park leaders said fundraising matches have boosted that local total to $8 million. Another $2 million in pledged dollars could get unlocked soon, according to Waterfront Park officials.

UPDATE: During a budget hearing before Metro Council members on May 25, 2022, Waterfront Park officials said a groundbreaking for Phase IV should occur later in the year, with $21.75 million raised toward the $50 million goal. That groundbreaking occurred on Oct, 24, 2022.

Under the Phase IV master plan, it is unclear when the whole project could wrap up, with funding needs likely dictating the timeline.

What has already been done for the fourth phase of Waterfront Park?

Mayor Greg Fischer said the city allocated about $950,000 in the 2016 budget for land acquisition and planning.

LG&E has cleared some of the land where the park would be expanded, but nothing has been constructed yet.

When did Waterfront Park and the previous three phases open?

The 85-acre park first opened in 1999 after the completion of Phase I, and it welcomes about 2.2 million visitors annually.

That first phase, which cost $58 million and takes up 55 acres, includes notable features such as the Great Lawn, wharf and festival plaza, overlook, Joe's Crab Shack, walking paths and picnic and play areas.

Phase II was completed in 2004 and cost $15 million. Its 17 acres include the Adventure Playground, Brown-Forman Amphitheater, Brown-Forman Lawn, promenade and restaurant space. (Pig Street BBQ is set to open in April 2022 in the colorful building that previously housed Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill and Doc's Cantina.)

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Phase III wrapped up in 2013 at a cost of $41 million. The 13 acres in this phase include iconic features such as the Big Four Bridge connecting Louisville to Jeffersonville, Indiana, the Big Four Lawn, the Swing Garden, Lincoln Memorial and more paths for walkers, bicyclists and runners.

Why is the expansion important?

Apart from providing more recreational opportunities and scenic views for residents, the expansion of Waterfront Park into west Louisville is also a matter of equity, officials say.

Elected officials and Waterfront Development Corp. leaders have said the westward expansion of the park could not only improve connectivity between west Louisville and downtown but also bridge the "Ninth Street Divide" that splits the predominantly Black and lower-income West End from the whiter, wealthier parts of the city to the east.

Louisville Metro Council President David James said for many of the tens of thousands of residents in West End neighborhoods, the expanded park will offer "opportunities they don't currently have."

And Arthur, the Metro Council member whose 4th District includes Waterfront Park and its expanded area, said children and families in the West End will be able to walk to the new area instead of driving to the eastern area closer to the Big Four Bridge.

"This park is on a long, long list" of needs for underserved communities, Arthur said, citing a lower average life expectancy for West End residents and studies that found parks in nonwhite, poorer areas of American cities tend to be smaller than those in whiter, affluent neighborhoods.

"We are here to say, we no longer accept failure," Arthur also said. "We no longer accept disinvestment."

Reach Billy Kobin at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Waterfront Park expansion into west Louisville: When will it open, cost