Beyond 4th Street Live: Renewed Commitment to West Louisville Development

Photo by Joseph Lord, WFPL

In celebration of Dr. King’s birthday, I wrapped my kids in warm clothes to join the ACLU of Kentucky, Fairness Campaign, Connected Voices and members of Standing Up for Racial Justice for a press conference at 4^th Street Live calling upon The Cordish Group to make public its supposed efforts to change discriminatory actions preventing visitors, particularly young Blacks, from patronizing the entertainment district. I thought showing up and having my children witness these efforts would be a good step toward addressing the myriad of issues associated with the development. I walked away with a sense that Dr. King would be disappointed with the people of Louisville for this sad show of support for equity and justice.

            While I appreciate the efforts of these groups, I have to say that we are missing an opportunity to address a larger issue. What is missing from the current discussion are the ills of public investment in economic development projects that often leave the public and tax-payers from being able to hold accountable benefactors of such deals.

            We should all remember there have been some dissenting voices on the Metro Council that spoke to these issues related to the financing of Museum Plaza (a project yet to materialize) and the use of funds set aside for The Cordish Group used to redevelop a portion of the development after a failed business vacated the district. But sending seasoned economic development staff and well-respected Councilman David Tandy, who is a lawyer and represents the district, to Baltimore to check records and come home to tell the citizens of Louisville that the public’s money was well spent does nothing to erase the feeling that “you nor your money are welcomed” in businesses whose existence is directly connected to tax dollars raised from Louisville workers.

The truth and major problem associated with 4^th Street Live is that the development was never intended to be a place for urban residents who have very limited options for entertainment and sit-down restaurants in our own community. The district was developed as a replacement to the Galleria to lure eastenders “back downtown” and to provide a "safe place" for visitors to patronize (hence the nationally recognized chains and the push to keep certain folks out). The Galleria, as awful as some thought it was, was a place where residents in the urban core could do a bit of shopping (there was at least a place for me to buy a new bra or pantyhose). Now those same residents can no longer shop – for there is very little retail – and are being discouraged from wanting to come at all.

Some argue, why are people begging to patronize establishments that clearly are not welcoming? My answer is what would yesterday’s civil rights leaders do and say (certainly many of today's leaders are publicly quiet about it)? I believe if our Metro Council members would join engaged civic leadership, we would use this as an opportunity to turn our attention to public investment and economic development policy that would spur new investment; policy that would incentive local entrepreneurship and outside investment that are responsive to the needs of the people, particularly in West Louisville. 

Councilman Tandy has advocated that 4th Street Live and the central business district have more minority-owned businesses and his concern goes directly to the heart of the discrimination issue. In this argument is the assumption - a good one - that minority-owned businesses would be more welcoming to and attractive to minority patrons. But the issue then becomes, besides Junior Bridgeman, what local Black entrepreneur is ready to take on a huge lease in the downtown. There certainly have been attempts, but...(another issue).

Photo by Amy Berg, LEO Weekly

Our community is and has been missing a huge opportunity to redevelop the old Phillip Morris property in a way that sparks further investment throughout the western and southwestern parts of our city. I have heard whispers but very little public discussion about what to do to help the The Mardrian Group (TMG) redevelop the old Phillip Morris property into its New Bridge Crossing concept. How long will city officials allow TMG to hold on to the property (because the site isn't developed TMG is actually in non-compliance with a development agreement with Louisville Metro who owns the site)? Why are we not screaming and running through the streets demanding action? Meanwhile, development continues to go further east. The 21stCentury Parks, the VA hospital and now Humana is moving hundreds of jobs from downtown to Hurstburne while people in the urban core are literally dying for the lack of living wage jobs and good food to eat. How long will we continue to accept being left from these conversations? What will it take for us to demand economic justice in the use of public funds and the PUBLIC WILL to make development in Louisville move west of 9^th Street in a way that involves and is responsive to the needs of the people?

In his last speech to the people of Memphis, Dr. King reminded his audience that they had to continue marching “in order to put the issue where it is supposed to be.” I thank the brothers and sisters who organized the press conference abut 4th Street Live, but I challenge the people of West Louisville and those who care about equitable economic development policies to change this conversation. Yes, folks are being discriminated against and should there be viable cases people should file them with the courts. But we must put the allegations in context of a greater discussion of economic justice, public financing and economic development policy. In Dr. King’s words, we must force our public officials to “be true to what you put on paper (and say aloud)” regarding the commitment to real improvements in West Louisville. Now is the time...(FYI - 2013-14 Louisville Metro budget is being crafted now)!