Louisville Gardens (525 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.) got a big push towards becoming the first fully equipped soundstage for film and television production. Mayor Craig Greenberg approved a contract with the development group behind the project that includes Unbridled Films, Sylmar Studios, and Poe Companies.
Greenberg is reserving $10 million of the Kentucky General Assembly funding for the development of the historic venue. With construction expected to begin later this year, the redevelopment of the space will offer 40,000 square feet of offices available for leasing to companies using the space and will include another 40,000 square feet dedicated to two indoor sound stages that will accommodate feature-length film productions, commercials, and short-term film projects.
Once the build is complete, the new Louisville Gardens Sound Stages will create more than 50 full-time jobs paying an average wage of $58 an hour.
“As Louisville’s burgeoning film industry continues to grow, the Louisville Gardens Sound Stages will be the perfect venue for production companies looking for a new, world-class space to make films, TV shows, commercials, and more,” said Mayor Greenberg in a release. “This project creates jobs, repurposes an historic vacant building, and adds to the great momentum we’re experiencing in Downtown Louisville.”
In addition to the Louisville Gardens Sound Stages projects, the funding will help support the Community Care Campus, LOUMED, a reimagined Belvedere, the Downtown Vacant Building Conversion Program, and the Butchertown Sports & Entertainment District.
“Louisville is the economic engine of Kentucky, and we’re incredibly excited to see these six projects come to life with help from the General Assembly,” said State Senator Julie Raque Adams in a release.
“Infrastructure such as the Louisville Gardens Sound Stages enables more and larger productions to consider Kentucky as their filming location, creating more jobs in the creative and technical sectors, as well as supporting businesses,” said Merry-Kay Poe of Unbridled Films said in a release. “We are thrilled to repurpose this iconic piece of Louisville history as a state-of-the-art facility for film and media production.”
