Louisville Gardens

The Louisville Gardens, located at 525 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., is a 6,000-seat arena that opened in 1905 as the Jefferson County Armory. The Louisville Gardens has a rich history of hosting marquee events, ranging from concerts to athletic events. The Louisville Gardens closed in 2008 and is currently used for storage.
On December 9, 2022, Mayor Greg Fischer announced that Louisville Metro Government (LMG) has signed a letter of intent with River City Entertainment Group, LLC to explore the transformation of the Louisville Gardens building into sound stages for music, film and digital production, a move that will bolster the city’s work to attract productions to Louisville.
“The restoration and redevelopment of the Louisville Gardens has remained a high priority throughout my administration, and I am proud to announce today that we have taken the next step toward giving this iconic property a renewed life. While the property has garnered interest from multiple investment groups and developers over the years, it was always important that the end use be something that will create a long-term economic benefit for the community and be with a partner that has a heart for our city,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “This use will advance our existing arts and film industry by attracting more productions and creating additional job opportunities locally. We are excited to work with River City Entertainment Group, LLC team.”
The potential redevelopment of the Louisville Gardens is still in the early stages. There is no anticipated construction start date or opening date for the project as River City Entertainment Group LLC continues to conduct due diligence at the site.
- Structural Information
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Phase 1 Environmental Assessment
Updated Phase 1 Environmental Assessment - December 2022
Phase 2 Environmental Assessment
Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives
- Media reports
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Variety - December 11, 2022
Letter of intent signed to explore conversion of historic Louisville venue into a sound stage complex
Shoot Online - December 9, 2022Letter of intent signed to explore conversion of historic Louisville venue into a sound stage complex
Louisville Public Media - December 9, 2022Business First - December 9, 2022Louisville Gardens studio plan includes downtown entertainment industry 'campus'
WDRB - December 9, 2022Long-vacant Louisville Gardens is getting new life at last. Here's the plan
Courier Journal - December 9, 2022Louisville Gardens expected to be transformed into sound stages
WLKY - December 9, 2022Louisville Gardens to become a production studio
LOU Today - December 9, 2022840 WHAS - March 9, 2018Courier Journal - March 8, 2018WDRB - September 15, 2017Courier Journal - February 17, 2017WFPL - October 23, 2015