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The Summit
The city of Louisville finally obtained a real shopping center in 2001. Stores like Quest, Build-A-Bear, Hollister, Victoria’s Secret and the first Qdoba in the city were built. The Summit began a trend of bringing big-name retailers to Louisville, such as J. Crew, Express and Forever 21. Although The Summit is not as large as outlet malls in other cities, it has proven Louisville is capable of growing its shopping scene.
Fourth Street Live!
On June 1, 2004, a 350,000 sq. ft. entertainment and retail complex was built on Fourth Street. Restaurants include Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Friday’s and many more. The complex also gives home to several bars and nightclubs, such as Howl at the Moon and the Sports and Social Club. Fourth Street Live! began as an effort to revitalize Louisville’s downtown scene and to modernize the city.
Go Green Louisville
In the last half of the decade, Louisville has put forth much effort to promote greener living for its citizens. Recycling programs across the city have been given more priority, environmental activism campaigns have shown up more often and Mayor Jerry Abramson has promoted campaigns and programs to reduce Louisville’s ecological footprint.
Forecastle music festival
In 2002, local musicans gathered in Tyler Park to play and promote environmental activism. Since then, the festival has grown to include nationally touring acts, art exhibits and workshops. Forecastle 2009 was selected by Outdoor Magazine as one of the Top 15 outdoor music festivals. It was held at Waterfront Park and featured Widespread Panic and the Black Crowes. The festival continues to grow each year and helps Louisville’s music scene all year round.
Churchill Downs renovations
Between 2001 and 2005, Churchill Downs underwent a three-and-a-half-year $121 million renovation. Luxury suites were added, the clubhouse was replaced and the famous twin spires were refurbished. The Kentucky Derby Museum also obtained renovations. In the past year, Churchill Downs has started night racing and added more events geared toward college students.
Merging of Jefferson Co. and Louisville
In 2003, the Jefferson County government merged with the city of Louisville, forming the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government, commonly known as Louisville Metro. Smaller outlying cities such as Highview, St. Matthews, Jeffersontown and Fern Creek were absorbed into the new city-county government. Louisville has been cited by the U.S. Census Bureau as having the 17th largest population in the nation.
Mayor Jerry Abramson
After the merger of Jefferson County and Louisville, Abramson was elected Louisville’s first Metro Mayor in 2002, by winning 73.4 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2006. He is also the first person of Jewish faith to serve as the mayor of Louisville. Abramson announced last July that he will be running for lieutenant governor of Kentucky.
