Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg delivered his 2026 State of the City Address Thursday afternoon at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. (Roberto Roldan / LPM)
Less than a year after city and state leaders celebrated the completion of a $2.7 million project at Jefferson Memorial Forest, Mayor Craig Greenberg is already planning additional upgrades.
Greenberg announced the initiative during his annual State of the City address Thursday afternoon. He said Louisville Metro will unveil plans for future projects in the coming months. Jefferson Memorial Forest, located in southwest Jefferson County, is the largest municipally owned urban forest in the United States.
“I’ll be releasing a new plan that will vastly improve the outdoor experiences and educational opportunities at Jefferson Memorial Forest, making it a world class attraction,” he said. “This project … will spur critical investments in Fairdale, Valley Station and other surrounding communities.”
Renderings of a new scenic overlook and a pedestrian suspension bridge appeared on the screen behind Greenberg as he spoke.
The $2.7 million Tom Wallace Park, located within Jefferson Memorial Forest, reopened last year with upgraded fishing areas, new trails, and a wetlands boardwalk. The project received funding through a combination of state and local dollars.
During Thursday’s address, Greenberg also highlighted several infrastructure projects completed or currently underway across Jefferson County, including road improvements in the East End and the development of a new library and public pool in west Louisville.
“It doesn’t matter if a neighborhood is considered in the East End, in the South End or the West End,” he said. “We’re all one Louisville.”
Greenberg said he expects the new Fern Creek Library to open in “just about a year.”
He also used the speech to spotlight progress in economic development and public safety efforts.
Greenberg presented renderings of a proposed $600 to $700 million redevelopment plan that would convert the Humana Building into a convention hotel.
Like many cities across the United States, Louisville recorded a drop in homicides and non-fatal shootings last year after gun violence had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A rendering shows what the Humana Building could look like if redeveloped into a convention hotel. (Courtesy of Louisville Metro)
Greenberg hopes to build on that progress by securing another four-year term. However, he must first compete in a crowded race.
Eleven candidates have filed to challenge him in the May 21 open primary, including a sitting Metro Council member and a member of the Jefferson County Republican Party executive committee.
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