Mayor Greenberg unveils design for reimagined Belvedere

LOUISVILLE, KY (August 11, 2026) – Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and the Belvedere project team today shared new renderings of the reimagined Belvedere, the signature riverfront gathering place at the heart of downtown, completing a more than two-year design phase.

“These new renderings show a fresh, energetic, and iconic space—a backyard for our entire city, filled with activity and opportunity every single day of the year,” said Mayor Greenberg. “The reimagined Belvedere will offer an experience you can only find in Louisville and create momentum that strengthens our Downtown and builds on the incredible progress happening across our city. I’m grateful to the community members who shared their ideas and for the project team’s thoughtful work to create a space that is rooted in Louisville’s identity.”

A free community event will be held on Sunday, August 16, for people to see the design in person, meet the project team, and share feedback. Key features of the new design include:

• Multi-Use Path: a walking path winding through the park from Main Street to the river.

• Pavilion: a signature performance space with capacity to host a variety of events and activities, from Louisville Orchestra performances to yoga classes, while also serving as a large shade structure.

• Children’s play space: a nature playground designed in partnership with Bernheim Forest and a water feature.

• Riverfront connection: a safe and accessible connection from the Belvedere down to the wharf and Louisville Loop, for people of all abilities.

• Enhanced green space: plans for almost 350 new trees, as well as new native landscaping.

"For more than fifty years the Belvedere has been a stage for public life in Louisville. But over time it’s become barren and disconnected from the energy of the city around it. My studio’s design is about restoring the buzz and sense of connection of its early years, by creating a greener, more welcoming urban heart, where everyday life can take place; from chance encounters and children's play, to festivals, performances and community celebrations,” said Thomas Heatherwick, founder and Design Director of Heatherwick Studio. “Our goal is for the newly-reimagined Belvedere to reflect Louisville’s unique character, and bring people together again across generations, backgrounds and interests, and go on to become a place that local people proudly call their own.”

The Belvedere has hosted concerts, festivals, and public gatherings with sweeping views of the Ohio River. The site also sits above I64 and downtown’s largest parking garage, which is in critical need of repair. These necessary repairs created the opportunity for Mayor Greenberg to begin a long-overdue renovation and reimagination of the plaza above and create an improved community gathering space. Groundbreaking on the garage-level work is expected this fall, with above-ground improvements beginning in spring 2027 and project completion expected before Thunder over Louisville 2030.

The infrastructure improvements are made possible through city funds proposed by Mayor Greenberg and approved by the Louisville Metro Council, along with generous support from the KY State Legislature, and federal funding secured by Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Morgan McGarvey. Private philanthropy will provide significant support for major park improvements.

The design was created by Heatherwick Studio, the internationally recognized firm behind projects such as Little Island in New York City, USA, and 1000 Trees in Shanghai, China, in collaboration with Louisville-based KNBA Architects, with PLC Management and Whittenberg Construction guiding cost and construction. The new design rethinks the first concept shared in January 2025, which would have required staging construction from the Ohio River in the middle of one of the busiest inland commercial waterways in the country.

"The best public spaces connect communities, businesses, and neighborhoods, and thanks to the work and creativity of Heatherwick Studio and KNBA Architects, that's exactly what this design will do," said Layla George, Project Executive for the Belvedere. "We're grateful to Mayor Greenberg, the Kentucky State Legislature, our federal partners, Louisville Metro Government, and everyone who provided feedback and input to strengthen the design. Now what fills this space will come from Louisville, and we want to keep hearing what you want to do here."

Since April 2025, nearly 1,500 Louisvillians have weighed in through the project survey and interactive Social Pinpoint map, asking for more greenspace and shade and calling for programming like concerts, cultural celebrations, farmers markets, and children's activities. That feedback will guide how the new Belvedere is programmed, and both tools remain open at www.louisvillebelvedere.com/get-involved.

Belvedere Family Picnic

The Belvedere Family Picnic is a free, family-friendly event on Sunday, August 16 from 2 to 6 p.m., that will feature food, drinks, live music, a fire truck, and hands-on activities from community partners including the Kentucky Center for the Arts, the Frazier History Museum, the Kentucky Science Center, Louisville Zoo, Louisville Free Public Library, Muhammad Ali Center, Belle of Louisville, Waterfront Park, and more, plus local food and beverage vendors.

Attendees will be able to view the new renderings, talk with the design team, and share their ideas for the future of the space.

ABOUT THE BELVEDERE

For more than 50 years, Louisville's Belvedere has been a gathering place for concerts, festivals, and community events. Located on the riverfront between 4th and 6th Streets in the heart of downtown Louisville, the 5.5-acre elevated civic space reconnects the city to the riverfront with sweeping views of the Ohio River. Conveniently situated atop downtown Louisville’s largest parking garage, it offers easy access to premier cultural and entertainment destinations.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Louisville Metro Government are reimagining the Belvedere as a vibrant, contemporary public destination built around community input. Construction begins in 2026, with a grand opening anticipated in 2030.