City announces RFP for Smoketown neighborhood plan

Mayor Fischer announced today that Develop Louisville’s Office of Advanced Planning has issued a Request For Proposal for the creation of a new Smoketown neighborhood plan. This neighborhood plan is expected to be complete by the end 2019 and is an update to the current Smoketown/Shelby Park Neighborhood Plan, which was adopted in 2002.

A neighborhood plan offers the community an opportunity to be proactive, to establish neighborhood goals, and to coordinate with public and private investment. Residents and businesses will be engaged throughout the process and are directly involved in creating the plan. The planning process allows a neighborhood to build shared values, goals, and objectives for the future of Smoketown. Staff will work with neighbors to emphasize the CHASE principles—connected, healthy, authentic, sustainable, and equitable.

“Louisville’s renaissance is spread across our city, particularly in our edge neighborhoods like Butchertown, Portland, Russell, and Smoketown, to name a few,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “Neighborhood plans are a key for implementing the community’s vision. Updating the vision for the Smoketown neighborhood is critical to set a course for the neighborhood that embraces its history and prepares for future growth that includes current Smoketown residents and businesses.”

“Smoketown is a neighborhood filled with excited neighbors that I know are looking forward to making plans for the future of their neighborhood,” said District 4 Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith. “This process will allow the neighborhood to have a voice and a unified vision moving forward for future public and private investment in Smoketown.”

The Smoketown neighborhood, located southeast of downtown, is bordered by Broadway, South Floyd Street, East Kentucky Street, and Beargrass Creek. With much recent and upcoming public and private investment in the surrounding neighborhoods, this is an appropriate time to connect with residents and discuss the future of their neighborhood. Once the neighborhood plan is complete and adopted by Metro Council, it will be used as a guiding document for future public and private investment.

Community engagement will begin in 2019. The neighborhood plan is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.