Center for Neighborhoods Updates

A Seat at the Table, Five Years Strong

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:42:45 GMT

Tomorrow, April 17, the City celebrates five years of The Bishop’s Table, led by Bishop Dennis Lyons and grounded at Gospel Missionary Church in Louisville.

For Center for Neighborhoods, this is first and foremost a moment to say thank you, for always welcoming Center for Neighborhoods with a seat at the table.

Thank you for creating a space where neighborhood voices matter, where important information can be shared openly, and where people from across Louisville can come together to listen, learn, and stay connected to what is happening in the community.

That kind of space does not happen by accident. It is built.

And what Bishop Lyons has built through The Bishop’s Table is not just a meeting. It is a trusted civic space.

Most of what makes it work is the people there. Too often, communities are left trying to piece together information from disconnected conversations, scattered announcements, and rooms where not everyone is invited. The Bishop’s Table offers something better. It brings people into the same space. Residents, clergy, law enforcement professionals, advocates, nonprofit leaders, service providers, and public officials all have the opportunity to hear the same information, reflect on the same realities, and leave better informed. That does not solve every problem. But it does create the conditions for more honest dialogue, stronger relationships, and more grounded action.

Part of what makes it work is the formula. The meeting runs punctually from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Quick updates keep information moving. Featured speakers have room to go deeper. There are no follow-up questions during the meeting itself, and everyone is encouraged to stay afterward to ask questions directly and continue the conversation. That structure may sound simple, but it is powerful. It creates a neutral environment for sharing and learning information without the meeting losing focus, getting sidetracked, or becoming a platform for noise instead of substance.

That matters in any city. It matters especially in Louisville.

Center for Neighborhoods has seen that value firsthand.

We have had the opportunity to share important information there about community-driven economic development initiatives in standing-room-only meetings, with public officials also invited as an opportunity to openly discuss community needs and concerns. That is not a small thing. For organizations doing serious neighborhood work, having access to a trusted public forum matters. Having a place where information can be shared clearly, received broadly, and connected to real community questions matters. Having a seat at a table that values both discipline and openness matters.

That is one reason this anniversary deserves recognition.

At Center for Neighborhoods, we believe vibrant neighborhoods are built through connection, education, planning, and investment. None of that works well without trusted places where people can gather, hear one another, and exchange meaningful information. The Bishop’s Table has been one of those places. It has helped strengthen the civic fabric of Louisville by making room for both information and relationship, both structure and accessibility, both leadership and community voice.

Five years in, that deserves real appreciation.

So as this milestone is celebrated, we simply want to say thank you. Thank you to Bishop Lyons for the welcome. Thank you to Gospel Missionary Church for being the home of this important work. Thank you to everyone who has shown up, shared, listened, and helped sustain this space over time.

Louisville is better for it.

The Nia Center Moment: Community Ownership, Built to Last

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 23:29:08 GMT

Photo Credit: AI generated

Louisville has a rare opportunity right now: to move a major community asset from uncertainty to permanence.

For years, the Nia Center has represented something bigger than square footage: a visible, West End hub where small businesses and community-serving organizations can grow side by side. What makes this moment different is that the work has shifted from “wouldn’t it be great” to the close-ready realities that actually determine outcomes—finalizing deal structure, aligning the capital stack, and putting the documentation in place so the project can close, stabilize, and deliver.

As the fiscal sponsor supporting the West Louisville Dream Team, we’re in the process of submitting final materials to a host of potential funders and investors needed to complete the acquisition, including, importantly, a request to the West End Opportunity Partnership (see details below). Funding is the unlock at this point.

The overall raise is $4,000,000 to acquire, close, and begin revitalization of the Nia Center. The financing process now runs on dates: proof of financing is due April 3, 2026 , with a targeted closing window in late May / early June 2026 .

The request to the West End Opportunity Partnership, in plain terms

As part of completing the $4.0 million raise, we, as fiscal sponsor and applicant on behalf of the West Louisville Dream Team (WLDT) and the community ownership offering it is preparing, is requesting $1,950,000 from The Partnership.

That request has two parts: $1,500,000 as preferred redeemable equity and $450,000 as a grant for building improvements and upgrades.

The $1.5 million earns a 4% annual return with liquidation preference ahead of common equity, meaning it has stronger protection than the common shares that will be held by CFN on behalf of WLDT and the community during the term of the fiscal sponsorship. WLDT/CFN can start paying it back after three years, and if it hasn’t been repaid by ten years, The Partnership can require repayment. There’s no extra penalty for paying it back early. At a future refinance or sale, The Partnership also has an option to convert a portion into up to 5% ownership instead of taking all cash back. If The Partnership prefers, part of this $1.5 million can be structured as a subordinated loan, at interest of 4% and a balloon payment in 15 years.

The $450,000 grant goes directly toward the building improvements and upgrades that have been planned for the building to improve the tenant experience and protect long-term value. It also serves as an anchor within a broader $1,000,000 upgrades grant campaign, helping accelerate visible improvements while the building moves into its next chapter.

What happens next

The next phase is disciplined and time-bound: finish financing commitments, continue tenant engagement and pre-leasing progress, and complete closing preparations so the project can move into early upgrades and stabilized operations.

If we do this right, the Nia Center becomes a proof point—showing what it looks like when community leadership and structured capital work together to produce something durable: a stronger hub for Black, Brown and local entrepreneurship, and an ownership pathway that isn’t theoretical, but real enough to close on.

This is the Nia Center moment. The work now is to turn community voice and values into execution, and long-term community ownership.

St. James Court, Then and Now: The Story That Shaped CFN

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:13:15 GMT

On a quiet evening in Old Louisville, St. James Court doesn’t feel like a “district.” It feels like a living room for an entire city—gas lamps glowing, the fountain humming, giant porches leaning toward the sidewalk like they want to start a conversation. It’s one of Louisville’s original “walking court” showpieces, and it’s been recognized for that history for decades. ( NPGallery )

But here’s the part people forget: this beauty wasn’t inevitable. In the late 20th century—especially by the time the 1980s rolled around—Old Louisville was still working its way back from a long slide that started earlier in the century, when oversized homes became hard to maintain and many were chopped into apartments. ( Curbed )

And St. James Court—iconic as it is—was not immune to the basic question that haunts every historic neighborhood: How do you keep the buildings alive when the market can’t carry them?

The moment that created our “why”

Center for Neighborhoods began in 1972 as the Louisville Community Design Center—part of a national wave of community design centers created to help residents overcome barriers like redlining and the damage of urban renewal. The idea was simple and radical: communities deserved professional-grade design help and practical plans, not just opinions from the outside. ( GovDelivery )

That origin matters for St. James Court because the neighborhood’s challenge wasn’t abstract. These were big, aging structures with high operating costs. When a mansion can’t find a buyer, it doesn’t “pause.” It deteriorates. And deterioration, in a historic place, becomes a countdown.

So CFN and neighborhood partners did what Louisville needed at that time: they focused on viability. People who were there describe early work that included evaluating a set of large homes and helping chart a path to convert them from single-family houses into multi-family dwellings—an adaptive-reuse move that kept roofs repaired, utilities stable, and the neighborhood occupied.

That kind of work—pragmatic, architectural, survival-focused—helped preserve the physical bones of Old Louisville at a moment when many cities lost theirs forever.

What worked—and why it worked

If you want a clean, visible “proof of concept,” look at what St. James Court still is: a place where architecture, public space, and walkability create real value. The National Register documentation highlights that the courts became a kind of intentional enclave—an early form of urban planning that produced an unusually cohesive pedestrian environment.

And the neighborhood has always attracted creative energy. The National Register materials even note how the courts tended to draw “creative personalities in the arts,” the kind of people who bring vibrancy before the market brings money.

Then the St. James Court Art Show became part of the neighborhood’s self-rescue story—an event launched in the 1950s that grew into a cultural anchor and economic engine. ( Spectrum News 1 )

For decades, one weekend a year has reminded Louisville what this place is worth.

This is the win: the buildings survived long enough for the neighborhood to become desirable again. The uncomfortable truth: saving buildings isn’t the same as building a complete neighborhood.

Now for the hard part—the part we can’t romanticize.

Even with all the success, Old Louisville has wrestled for years with day-to-day quality-of-life needs that a thriving neighborhood should have solved. One glaring example: groceries.

In 2019, a major report on Louisville’s closing grocery stores pointed out that a former Kroger at 922 S. Second Street in Old Louisville was purchased for a non-grocery use—and the story quoted local leadership saying plainly that the neighborhood still needed grocery options and that the lack of fresh, affordable food choices was “disheartening.” ( USC Center for Health Journalism )

That line lands because it exposes the gap between historic preservation and neighborhood health . A community can have extraordinary architecture and still struggle with basic access.

And that’s the bigger lesson from St. James Court: you can protect the shell and still miss the system.

The neighborhood is changing again—this time in reverse

There’s another twist that would have sounded impossible decades ago: some of those multi-family conversions are now being undone.

A high-profile example sits right on St. James Court—“The Pink Palace.” It’s known today as a single-family home, and the story notes that it was converted and later returned to single-family use. ( StyleBlueprint )

This trend isn’t just one quirky house. City planning language in recent years has even referenced conversions back to single-family use as a “current market trend” in the Old Louisville/Limerick area. ( Louisville.gov )

I s that success?

Yes—and also, it depends what kind of success you mean.

If the goal was preservation and long-term demand, the “reverse conversion” is a signal the neighborhood won.
If the goal was durable mixed-income housing and room for “the wanderers,” the reverse conversion raises a warning flag about affordability, displacement pressure, and who gets to stay once a place becomes valuable.

What we would do differently today—and why our work has evolved

This is where CFN’s origin story becomes more than history—it becomes a compass.

CFN has evolved from a design center doing primarily human-centered architecture work into an organization focused on education, engagement, and resident leadership—training and programs that help neighbors define priorities and build power together.

That shift isn’t “mission drift.” It’s maturity.

Because St. James Court taught Louisville something that community developers have had to learn the hard way: Physical change without people-power is fragile. It can preserve buildings, but it won’t necessarily produce belonging, stability, or equitable outcomes.

If CFN were doing that same St. James-style work today, the blueprint would be bigger than floorplans:

We’d still fight for the buildings—because place matters.
But we’d also organize around the systems that decide whether a neighborhood functions: food access, small business vitality, renter protections, wealth-building pathways, civic trust, and resident-led decision-making.
And we’d measure success not just by rehabbed facades—but by whether residents can actually build a life there.

Conclusion: the new model is people who can move a city

St. James Court is proof that neighborhoods can come back. It’s also proof that “coming back” doesn’t automatically mean “getting better for everyone.”

CFN’s work today is a new model because it refuses to choose between the two. We help residents build the skills, relationships, and shared plans that turn hope into action—so change isn’t something that happens to a neighborhood, but something neighbors produce together.

We’re not just helping improve blocks; we’re helping people rebuild agency in their own lives, and then scale that agency into collective power.

That’s the real legacy of St. James Court: when people have tools, voice, and a way to act together, they can save what matters—and build what’s been missing.

Bring Your Expertise to the Block: Join CFN’s Expert Network

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 21:21:49 GMT

Louisville doesn’t need more ideas. It needs more capacity to execute—in neighborhoods, with residents, and in ways that actually last. That’s why Center for Neighborhoods is building a citywide Expert Network : a bench of experienced planners, facilitators, designers, organizers, analysts, developers, and project leaders we can activate as communities are ready to move from vision to action.

This matters because CFN serves all 78 neighborhoods . No single organization should try to hold every skill in-house for every project, and we’re not going to. We bring the method and accountability—our community transformation model ( Engagement → Education → Planning → Investment )—and we bring in the right experts for the work, especially those who already have trust and relationships in the places where the work will happen.

In this post, you’ll learn why we’re building this network, what kinds of projects and roles we’re staffing, what it looks like to work with CFN, and how to raise your hand for future opportunities. If you do high-quality work and you want your work to matter to real people on real blocks, you’re in the right place.

We’re building something simple and powerful at Center for Neighborhoods: a network of experienced experts we can activate as neighborhoods are ready to move—from ideas to plans to funded projects.

Louisville is home to 78 neighborhoods . No single organization can (or should) pretend it has every skill in-house for every place, every issue, every moment. What CFN does bring is a proven method for community transformation— Engagement → Education → Planning → Investment —and the trust, structure, and accountability to keep work resident-led and implementable. When a project needs specialized talent—planning, design, facilitation, development finance, communications, community organizing, research, project management—we bring in the right people for the job: those with the expertise and the relationships that fit the neighborhood and the work.

This is intentional. We’re staying lean so we can stay responsive. We match staffing to the scope and the funding, so projects don’t get overbuilt, underfunded, or delayed by fixed overhead. That’s better for neighborhoods and better for funders. Just as important, it’s better for Louisville’s civic talent ecosystem—because it spreads meaningful work to the people already doing it well, rather than bottling everything inside one institution.

So here’s the ask: If you’re an experienced consultant who wants your work to matter locally, join CFN’s network. We’re looking for practitioners who are strong at what they do and serious about community-led outcomes—people who can listen, translate, deliver, and follow through. If that’s you, fill out our short interest form and tell us your expertise, your experience, and where you’ve built trust. When projects come up that match your skills, we’ll reach out.

Join the CFN Expert Network: here

Mid City Mall: What’s Actually Happening—and What to Watch Next

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:21:59 GMT

What Guides Our Work

Asset-Based

Every neighborhood has strengths worth investing in. We believe communities and individuals bring histories, skills, relationships, and local knowledge that form the foundation of lasting change. Our role is to surface, connect, and build upon those assets—not replace them.

People-Centered

People and relationships are the heart of strong neighborhoods. We center resident voice, lived experience, and collective leadership in our work—because sustainable solutions are created with communities, not delivered to them.

Place Matters

Design, history, and culture shape how people experience daily life. We believe honoring a neighborhood’s physical and cultural identity strengthens belonging, resilience, and long-term vitality—and should guide how change takes shape.

Collaboration

No single organization builds a great neighborhood alone. We work across sectors and alongside residents to connect ideas, partners, and resources—creating impact that is shared, scalable, and rooted in community priorities.

Equity

Neighborhoods are not starting from the same place. We recognize the lasting effects of disinvestment and structural inequity, and we focus our work—primarily, though not exclusively—in communities that have faced systemic barriers to opportunity. Equity means meeting neighborhoods where they are and investing accordingly.

Sustainability

Great neighborhoods are built for the long term. We are committed to approaches that support enduring social, economic, and environmental well-being—strengthening communities today while protecting their future.

Integrity

Trust is essential to this work. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics, professionalism, transparency, accountability, and stewardship—because neighborhoods, partners, and funders deserve nothing less.

Because of You: CFN Impact Report 2024–2025

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 19:56:18 GMT

This year’s impact report is really a thank-you note.

To our funders, supporters, partners, and—most of all—our clients: you trusted us with work that’s local, personal, and sometimes hard. You showed up, stayed in it, and helped turn neighborhood ideas into real action.

Two funders stand out as truly exceptional: The OBII Foundation and The Community Foundation of Louisville . Your support doesn’t just “fund a program.” It makes the whole system possible—resident leadership, community-led planning, and the patient work of building strong blocks that create strong communities.

 What your support made possible (2024–2025 highlights)

Education

61 resident leaders trained through our Neighborhood Institute, serving 20 neighborhoods.
142 training hours delivered through the Community Violence Outreach Academy (city contract).
$292,000 in public investment managed via the Office of Violence Prevention contract over 24 months ($111k Year 1 / $181k Year 2).

Engagement and planning

44 planning sessions convened throu gh COAB Part 3 committees.
$30,000 paid directly to residents—stipends reaching 28 households via MoCaFi pay car ds.
925 pay card payments processed to administer stipends over a three-year grant.

Investment and policy

$135,000 purchase of a neighborhood property—to be transferred to the planned Rising Roots Collective co-op.
$4,000,000 city-based property LOI signed by a community group for acquisition and revitalization of the Nia Center.
8-hour AI policy resource prototype built—a platform for future innovation across 78 neighborhoods served.

The throughline: people power

For over 50 years, the Center for Neighborhoods has worked from a simple belief: people closest to the block are closest to the solution . Whether you’re a resident with an idea, a funder looking to back community-led work, or a partner seeking trusted guidance—your role matters, and your participation changes outcomes.

Read the full report below.

If you funded this work, partnered with us, or trusted us as a client—thank you. This progress is shared. And what comes next is bigger.

Louisville Is Moving to Nonpartisan Local Elections. Here’s What It Means for Neighborhoods.

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:17:06 GMT

This post is part of our ongoing, experiment-in-public series using AI to speed up analysis of issues affecting the City of Louisville and Metro Council. Kentucky’s House Bill 388 makes Louisville’s mayor and Metro Council elections nonpartisan. The law took effect January 1, 2025; the first ballots without party labels will be in 2026. (Legislative Research Commission).

What Changed

No party labels on the ballot. Candidates for mayor and Metro Council will appear without “D” or “R.” ( Louisville Public Media )
One combined primary, then a top-two general. All candidates run together in a nonpartisan primary; the top finishers advance to November. (Think “runoff-style,” but on Kentucky’s calendar.) ( Louisville Public Media )
How we got here. Lawmakers passed HB 388 and overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto in April 2024. The statute’s nonpartisan provisions are effective Jan 1, 2025. ( WDRB )
When you’ll feel it. Voters will see the new format in 2026—the next Louisville mayoral election and the next wave of Metro Council races. ( Louisville Public Media )

Why it Matters for Neighborhoods

1) You’ll have to know people, not just parties

Without party cues, more voters will evaluate candidates on local plans and track records —street safety, zoning, parks, trash pickup—rather than national labels. That can reward pragmatic problem-solvers (and expose empty branding). ( Louisville Public Media )

2) Name ID and ground game just got more valuable

Party shortcuts are gone. That raises the premium on door-knocking, neighborhood forums, local media , and voter education. Well-organized districts may punch above their weight; unorganized ones risk being ignored. (Expect more mailers and digital ads, too.) ( Louisville Public Media )

3) Space opens for cross-coalition candidates

Independents and moderates can credibly assemble issue-based coalitions across traditional lines. Party organizations will still matter—through endorsements, fundraising and GOTV—but it’ll be off-ballot . Savvy voters will look beyond the ballot to see who’s backing whom. ( Louisville Public Media )

4) More candidates, more fragmentation—so more homework

A bigger field with no labels can be confusing and split votes among similar candidates. Neighborhood groups that provide simple, credible comparisons will materially shape outcomes. ( Louisville Public Media )

5) Real possibility of council balance shifting over time

Party majorities aren’t baked in. With new rules and district-level dynamics, competitive seats can flip . That’s leverage for neighborhoods that organize early, show up, and keep score. ( Louisville Public Media )

What to watch between now and 2026

Rule details & timelines. State and local election offices are aligning calendars; the 2026 election schedule is posted (Primary May 19, 2026; General Nov 3, 2026). Track filing windows and forum dates. ( Kentucky Secretary of State Elections )
How many advance from the primary. Current reporting points to a top-two dynamic; watch official guidance as candidate filings open. ( Louisville Public Media )
Behind-the-scenes party play. Endorsements, money, and volunteers won’t vanish—they’ll just be less visible on the ballot. Follow the money and the mail. ( Louisville Public Media )
Local legislative politics. The bill passed with little support from Louisville’s own delegation and over a veto—expect continued debate and, possibly, litigation chatter. ( Louisville Public Media )

FAQs we’re already hearing

Does this change when we vote?
No—the calendar stays on Kentucky’s cycle (primary in May, general in November). What changes is how candidates are listed and how they advance. ( Kentucky Secretary of State Elections )

Do parties still matter?
Yes, just not on the ballot line. Parties can endorse, fundraise, and mobilize. Voters should look at who’s backing each candidate and why. ( Louisville Public Media )

Is this only Louisville?
HB 388 targets consolidated local governments like Louisville Metro; it’s part of a broader package that also touched zoning timelines and other Metro provisions, with key sections effective Jan 1, 2025 . ( Legislative Research Commission )

The takeaway?

This reform de-labels Louisville’s local elections. It does not de-politicize your daily life. Potholes, zoning, parks, code enforcement, and budget choices are still political—just closer to home. In a nonpartisan system, organized neighborhoods set the agenda . If we do our homework and work together, we can turn this change into better candidates, clearer priorities, and more responsive government .

Sources: Legislative record and effective dates for HB 388; coverage and explainers from Louisville Public Media, Courier-Journal, and WDRB on the veto override and how the new system works; Kentucky’s 2026 election schedule. ( Legislative Research Commission )

Done Deal: Community Foundation of Louisville Delivers Bridge to Community Ownership

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:15:56 GMT

Back in March we described how we are helping community members in the Park Hill/Algonquin neighborhoods address an imminent issue impacting their wellbeing. We were committed to supporting them in their fight for a healthier, more sustainable neighborhood.

Working together, this group of residents and concerned community members not only worked with the owners of the Dumpster Company to convince them to move, but also to sell the property to the community for future economic empowerment.

CFN negotiated a purchase agreement that called for a closing on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, and applied to the West End Opportunity Partnership for a package of funding that would not only secure the property for future community ownership but provide for holding costs and programming funds to complete the creation of the co-op and activate the plan.

The Triangle is In Hand—On Time

This Tuesday, we officially closed on the Triangle property at 1120 W. Hill Street—on behalf of the neighborhood group, holding the property until the funds can be secured to support the creation and successful operations of the group’s planned co-operative called Rising Roots Collective, at which time the property will transfer to the co-op and to community ownership.

This milestone happened because the Community Foundation of Louisville (CFL) stepped in with bridge funding at a pivotal moment, ensuring the acquisition could proceed while overall project funds could be finalized.

Why CFL’s Bridge Mattered

When a community-led deal moves from vision to closing, timing is everything. CFL’s bridge funding:

Unlocked the purchase while other dollars are still moving through approvals.
Protected the price and schedule, preventing delays that could have added cost or risked losing the site.
Kept faith with residents, honoring the three-year journey from learning to leadership to ownership.

What “Closing” Really Means for the Neighborhood

This isn’t just a land transaction. It’s the first community-owned foothold at the front door of Park Hill/Algonquin—where we’ll stand up the Economic Village and launch the community cooperative to steward the asset. Ownership means:

A real place for small Black-owned businesses and local makers to start and grow.
People power in practice—neighbors shaping the plan, governing the asset, and sharing the benefits.
Early, visible activation that draws partners, training, and jobs into the neighborhood rather than out of it.

What’s Next (near-term)

With the deed recorded, we move immediately to:

Secure the funding package requested of the West End Opportunity Partnership, and reimburse CFL for the bridge funding.
Complete co-op formation & onboarding, so local members can legally receive, govern, and operate the site.
Kick-start activation tied to the Economic Village—programming, micro-retail, and workforce opportunities that make the site useful and alive.

Gratitude—and a standard to keep

Huge thanks to Community Foundation of Louisville for stepping in with smart, timely capital. Their support didn’t just help us buy a property; it helped us keep a promise—to build a model where community voices drive decisions and community members share in value created.

This wasn’t a simple transaction, none ever are, but the Community Foundation stood by the people seeking change here every step of the way.

We’re also grateful to residents, partners, and funders who’ve walked with us from Part 1 (formation), through Part 2 (leadership), to Part 3 (ownership). Closing day is a finish line and a starting line. We intend to keep setting a high bar: disciplined finances, transparent governance, and visible outcomes that matter on our blocks.

How you can plug in

Learn more about the co-op and the Park Hill/Algonquin Community of Opportunity Neighborhood Association and join in this work.
Mentor and hire through upcoming workforce and entrepreneurship programming.
Invest in activation—murals, lighting, small-business fit-outs, and placemaking that signal pride and momentum.

This is what it looks like when partners invests in people power—and when a community foundation backs that power with the right capital at the right time.

Planning That Moves Communities Forward

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 21:08:17 GMT

Good planning is not about producing a document that sits on a shelf. It is about helping communities get clear about what they want, building trust around a shared direction, and creating a practical path from ideas to action. At Center for Neighborhoods, our planning work is rooted in that belief.

Over the years, CFN has helped neighborhoods and corridors tackle real challenges: how to preserve character while welcoming change, how to make streets safer and more connected, how to support local businesses, and how to turn community priorities into plans that can actually be implemented. Two past projects help show what strong planning can do.

In Beechmont, CFN served as the local nonprofit partner for a design charrette focused on the Woodlawn Avenue corridor, a historic main street that needed a stronger identity, safer streets, and a realistic implementation strategy that worked for both merchants and residents. That process did not just generate ideas. It produced six clear community goals, practical concepts for improved public space and pedestrian safety, and a stronger case for why change mattered. A retail study cited in the work estimated that implementation could drive up to $12 million in new sales over five years. That is what planning at its best can do: connect community vision to real economic possibility.

In Oakdale, CFN was contracted to help lead the neighborhood planning process and produce the final plan document. The work was built through research, advisory group input, public workshops, draft recommendations, and multiple public presentations before Planning Commission review. The result was not a top-down prescription. It was an adopted framework grounded in resident priorities around land use, mobility, neighborhood character, and quality of life.

These projects still matter because they reflect something essential about CFN’s approach. We do not see planning as abstract or performative. We see it as a tool for helping communities make decisions, align stakeholders, and move toward outcomes that are visible, investable, and lasting. Strong planning helps neighborhoods speak with greater clarity, gives partners something concrete to rally around, and creates a roadmap for implementation that can survive beyond any one meeting or moment.

That matters now more than ever. Communities are navigating redevelopment pressure, disinvestment, infrastructure challenges, and growing interest in equitable growth and community ownership. In that environment, planning is not a luxury. It is how communities build the foundation for action on their own terms.

CFN’s planning services help neighborhoods, community groups, and partners move from concern to clarity and from vision to implementation. We help structure engagement, surface priorities, build consensus, and shape plans that can guide real decisions. The lesson from past projects is straightforward: when planning is community-rooted, practical, and action-oriented, it can unlock real change.

Want to explore a planning process for your neighborhood, corridor, or community initiative? Get in touch with CFN to start the conversation.

Case Study: Education That Turns Neighbors into Civic Operators

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 12:57:09 GMT

Most neighborhoods don’t lack passion. They lack leverage—the know-how to navigate systems, build consensus, and move from frustration to action. CFN’s education work exists to close that gap: we teach people how power works, how neighborhoods organize, and how to turn ideas into outcomes.

The situation

When government agencies, utilities, and major institutions come into a neighborhood, the “default” outcome is predictable: residents are asked to react to decisions already in motion. CFN’s experience—shared by leaders who’ve worked across Louisville’s public systems—is that neighborhoods with trained leadership perform differently. They can define priorities, articulate consensus, and negotiate for real results instead of being managed or divided.

The CFN education intervention

CFN’s education model is built around a simple belief: knowledge is power only when people can apply it together.

As one CFN executive director wrote, community design is ultimately about empowering residents to “shape their own preferred futures” by acquiring and applying information in a more systematic, democratic way.

That philosophy shows up in our flagship leadership education pipeline—especially the Neighborhood Institute—where participants build practical skills and relationships that carry beyond the classroom.

What “Education” looks like in practice

In the Neighborhood Institute, neighbors from across Louisville come together for structured learning that covers the fundamentals that actually move neighborhoods:

Community organizing
Effective leadership strategies
Relationship-building across districts and differences

The program is intentionally designed to create “stickiness”—people don’t just come for content; they stay for the network. In one recent kickoff, CFN noted participants from 12 districts , describing an environment where neighbors are actively building ideas together (and yes, sharing meals—because trust is built in the human moments, not just the agenda).

Outcomes that matter to the real world

Education isn’t the end goal. It’s the force multiplier.

A former CFN board member and long-time public agency leader described a consistent pattern: when neighborhoods had associations and leaders—often including Neighborhood Institute graduates —they were “almost always better” at expressing neighborhood consensus and supporting action plans. In other words: trained neighborhood leadership makes large systems more accountable and more effective.

People who first engage through CFN frequently go on to become elected officials, board members, and civic leaders —the kind of long-term leadership pipeline Louisville needs if we want neighborhood change that lasts.

Representative Joshua Watkins —now a Kentucky House Representative for District 42 and a current CFN Board Director, first encountered CFN through the Neighborhood Institute while working in city government on land banking efforts. As he puts it: 0

“ It was always a vehicle for change for everyday people… a place that connected resources and people who probably otherwise wouldn’t… work on a project together that was centered in your neighborhood. ”

That’s the point of the education pipeline: it doesn’t just inform people—it builds the capability and relationships that let residents lead projects, shape policy, and ultimately step into formal leadership roles.

Why this is the “first step” in community transformation

CFN’s broader model works because education comes first. Without education:

engagement turns into one-way “input”
planning becomes technical, not community-owned
investment flows without accountability

With education, neighborhoods build the internal capacity to lead—again and again—across issues, administrations, and market cycles.

That’s the point: we’re not just delivering workshops; we’re building civic operators who can run plays in the real world.

Engagement case study: Beechmont’s “small wins” that add up

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:37:16 GMT

Why Beechmont

Beechmont is the kind of neighborhood where engagement has to be real, not performative: it’s racially and ethnically mixed (about 67% White, 12% Black, nearly 12% Hispanic, and 4% Asian, using Census-based estimates). ( Statistical Atlas ) It’s also home to long-standing immigrant-owned businesses and community anchors—like Vietnamese and Asian groceries and restaurants that have served the neighborhood for decades. ( Beechmont Neighborhood Association )

CFN’s role: support neighbors—don’t steer them

At CFN, engagement isn’t a “phase.” It’s how the work starts and how it stays accountable.

Resident work is the backbone, and it “all begins with engagement,” with liaisons on the ground helping neighbors drive change through their vision—providing technical support, not decisions.

The story: a neighbor sees what’s missing—and builds it

In 2022, Presley Pham , a long-time resident and recent Neighborhood Institute graduate started paying closer attention to what was happening around her and felt pulled toward doing something tangible for her neighbors.

The first move: After completing Neighborhood Institute, she built a simple, actionable plan: create flower beds at the Beechmont Community Center —and used a $500 CFN grant to do it.
The multiplier: She didn’t do it alone. She also secured matching funds from the community center , expanding the scope and quality of the project.

This is what engagement looks like when it’s working: a neighbor’s idea becomes a public improvement fast, with CFN providing just enough fuel and structure to move from intention to action. And once someone experiences that “I can do something here,” it spreads.

Engagement in a diverse neighborhood means making room for everyone

Beechmont’s strength is its mix of people and cultures—and engagement has to reflect that, not flatten it. Presley described Beechmont as a “diverse neighborhood,” shaped by her own experience arriving in the area after immigrating from Viet Nam.

At the neighborhood level, Beechmont Neighborhood Association (BNA) reinforces that diversity as an asset—highlighting local businesses that serve (and often represent) different communities. In a 2022 neighbor feature, BNA described A-Chau as a store that has provided “our diverse neighborhood with Vietnamese and Asian foods since 2004,” and shared the story of the Tran family building the business over time. ( Beechmont Neighborhood Association )

For CFN, this matters because engagement isn’t just “getting input.” It’s strengthening the neighborhood’s connective tissue—so that long-time residents, newer residents, renters, homeowners, immigrants, and small businesses all see themselves as stakeholders.

The “long game” example: Phillips Lane—when engagement becomes infrastructure

Beechmont also shows how neighborhood engagement becomes policy and capital projects—when it’s sustained.

In the long-running Phillips Lane sidewalk effort , a group of neighbors supported by CFN completed a walkability assessment back in 2014, creating the priorities and groundwork that later partners could pick up. ( GovDelivery ) The project ultimately became a multi-agency win—praised by Metro leadership for problem-solving and for improving safety and the corridor experience for residents, businesses, and visitors. ( GovDelivery )

That arc—neighbors → assessment → partners → public investment—is the engagement pipeline in its strongest form.

What this shows about CFN’s Engagement model

Beechmont is a clear example of CFN’s engagement philosophy in practice:

Start with neighbors’ priorities (not CFN’s).
Offer practical help : facilitation, problem-solving, and project support.
Back action with small resources that unlock momentum (like Presley’s $500 project grant).
Stay in it long enough for small wins to become big systems change (like Phillips Lane).

Bottom line

Engagement isn’t a meeting. It’s neighbors gaining the confidence, tools, and relationships to shape what happens next—on their block, at their community center, and eventually in the infrastructure and investment decisions that define a neighborhood’s future. Beechmont shows how CFN helps that transformation start—and stick.

Our FY2026–FY2028 Strategic Plan: Build Power. Move Money. Change Policy.

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:23:37 GMT

4 Steps for sustainable community transformation

The Center for Neighborhoods FY2026–FY2028 Strategic Plan sets the direction for our work over the next three years and sharpens how we turn neighborhood leadership into lasting change.

The plan starts from a simple truth: neighborhood transformation doesn’t happen because residents are asked to “show up.” It happens when people have the knowledge, relationships, resources, and authority to act—and when systems stop blocking progress. This strategy is built to do exactly that.

Grounded in CFN’s long-standing Theory of Change—Engagement → Education → Planning → Investment—the plan focuses our work on moving communities along that continuum, whether they engage at one stage or walk with us through all of them.

We start by connecting people through civic education and engagement—so residents become informed, organized, and confident about how change actually works.

Then we do what too few organizations can: we turn vision into action by walking alongside communities as they plan, finance, and implement neighborhood projects.

And we don’t stop there. We work to ensure communities don’t just participate in change—they shape the policies that sustain it.

Priority 1: Education & Engagement — grow neighborhood leadership at scale

Our core offering that attracts and equips stakeholders through structured leadership and technical education programs. We’re expanding the pipeline of residents and partners who know how change actually gets done.

This steady drumbeat of education programming ensures that community members are continuously involved, building a pipeline for deeper engagement. As participants gain knowledge and leadership skills, their interests naturally evolve, creating demand for more specialized education, as well as follow-on projects in planning and economic development. This cyclical approach sustains long-term community transformation and strengthens the organization's impact.

Priority 2: Planning & Investment (Economic Development) — turn community vision into real projects

Communities don’t lack ideas. They lack the bridge between vision and capital. That’s where we operate.

Our role as a neighborhood planner involves assisting communities in developing vision plans, land use strategies, and economic development roadmaps that align with resident priorities. Our investment work enables communities to mobilize resources effectively and implement transformative projects such as affordable housing initiatives, small business incubators, and public space revitalization efforts. By leveraging our expertise and partnerships, we help community-driven solutions receive the funding and support they need to succeed.

Our Economic Development work supports residents and organizations through neighborhood planning, project development, financing strategies, and implementation support. But more critically, we serve as a bridge—linking community groups with developers, government, philanthropy, and other capital partners to unlock real investment.

Example: Community-Led Neighborhood Transformation in Park Hill/Algonquin

A fully funded demonstration of our engagement, planning, and investment approach is our ongoing work in the Park Hill and Algonquin neighborhoods. This project exemplifies how community-driven visioning, coupled with strategic investments, can catalyze meaningful transformation. Through deep engagement with residents, collaborative planning sessions, and targeted investment strategies, we are working alongside these communities to improve infrastructure, economic opportunities, and social cohesion.

This initiative serves as a model for how our organization can tailor its expertise to meet the unique needs of diverse neighborhoods, ensuring that transformation is led by the people who live there. By securing sustainable funding, we can expand this effort, applying lessons learned to other communities seeking to follow a similar path to revitalization.

Priority 3: Policy — lock in wins so they last

If the rules don’t change, neighborhoods keep fighting the same battles. Policy is how we stop repeating the cycle.

We’ll use what we learn in neighborhoods to drive civic and legislative action—and expand tools like CivicPulse that make policy more transparent and usable for residents.

A new model for real change

Neighbors at the Helm: CFN’s Role in the Nia Center Path to Community Ownership

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:11:52 GMT

On Tuesday, August 26, Louisville’s Transit Authority of River City (TARC) voted unanimously to enter a 14-day exclusive negotiation period with the West Louisville Dream Team (WLDT) on the potential sale of the Nia Center for $2.1 million—an important step toward keeping this West Broadway landmark in community hands.

Why this matters

The Nia Center has long been a small-business hub and gathering place for West Louisville. After earlier redevelopment ideas fell through this summer, TARC is now negotiating directly with WLDT, which plans to preserve the building, restore its community space, and raise the capital needed to complete the purchase. WLDT’s plan targets a healthy, 90% occupancy within three years and seeks partnership with Metro Council for community-space support—aligning economic activity with civic life in the neighborhood.

The role CFN is playing

CFN is supporting WLDT and tenants through planning, engagement, and fiscal sponsorship so the community can drive the deal:

Planning support. We’ve helped shape the Acquisition & Revitalization framework, including a Class-B operations plan focused on restoring tenancy and reopening community meeting space.
Financial readiness. We’ve assisted WLDT with a high-level pro forma and the materials funders need to evaluate a community-ownership path.
Stakeholder engagement. We’ve helped facilitate community discussions with current and prospective tenants and civic partners so the building’s future reflects community priorities.
Fiscal sponsorship. WLDT selected CFN to serve as fiscal sponsor, and CFN’s Board approved that role. This enables tax-deductible contributions and grants to flow quickly and transparently in support of the purchase and near-term activation.
Accountability & transparency. As fiscal sponsor, CFN will steward grant funds for this effort with standard nonprofit controls, reporting, and community updates.

How you can help

Assuming success with working through the LOI terms, we will continue to work on the capital stack assembly. With fiscal sponsorship in place, WLDT and CFN will continue engaging donors and grantmakers to complete the $2.1M purchase and early activation costs. We will also help WLDT focus on tenanting & space activation. The plan emphasizes rapid leasing to local entrepreneurs and restoring community meeting rooms as a civic anchor.

Here’s what you can do to help right now:

Fund the acquisition and activation. Make a tax-deductible gift designated for the Nia Center community-ownership effort through CFN.
Bring your business or program. Tenants and partners interested in space at the Nia Center can connect now to be part of the first wave of occupancy.
Spread the word. Share why community ownership of the Nia Center matters—for jobs, services, and neighborhood pride.

CFN is honored to be the fiscal sponsor and a planning partner in this community-driven effort. The Nia Center’s next chapter can be written by the neighbors who use it every day—and that’s exactly the kind of future our mission calls us to build together.

Contact Carla Dearing, Head of Community Investment, at carlad@centerforneighborhoods.org to be connected with ways you can help.

Paying for Participation: How Our COAB Project Invests in Community Voices

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:59:21 GMT

Here’s a number worth celebrating: $109,000.

That’s how much the Park Hill/Algonquin Community of Opportunity project (COAB) has put straight into neighbors’ pockets since 2022—roughly 10 percent of every project dollar—through MoCaFi pay cards. These stipends compensate residents for the time and expertise they contribute while shaping the future of a 17-acre former chemical plant into a “culturally rich, socially just, environmentally restorative live-work-play destination.”

Why pay stipends?

Fairness & Equity – Lived experience is professional-grade data. Paying for it signals that residents’ perspectives carry the same weight as any consultant’s.
Access & Inclusion – Stipends remove practical barriers (lost wages, childcare, transit) so low-wealth residents can show up and lead.
Quality & Accountability – When community members are compensated, participation rises, feedback is richer, and projects stay on course.

Shelterforce calls this the “gold standard” for authentic engagement, noting that treating residents as paid consultants “should be a given.”

We’re leading as part of a growing national movement

Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative – Advisory-board members earn $300 per month for two meetings, recognizing the value of their lived expertise.
King County (WA) EDI – Community reviewers receive $75 per hour for project scoring and policy input.
New Haven’s “Know Your Neighbors Fund – Micro-grants of $100 spark resident-led projects to combat social isolation. ( New Haven Register )
California Climate Investments (CCI) – State guidance lists resident stipends as a best-practice requirement for equitable climate projects.

Together, these models prove that compensating community expertise isn’t fringe—it’s emerging consensus.

Impact so far

35 residents have earned stipends while informing Re:land Group’s development of the Rhodia site, co-designing COAB’s master plan, and planning an upcoming co-op and Economic Village.
New neighborhood association formed with stipend-supported leadership, sustaining advocacy beyond the project timeline.
Informed investment – Resident insights influenced site remediation sequencing and planning for retail amenities and small-business support, increasing future revenue potential.

Looking ahead

As CFN and partners move from Leadership to Ownership (Part 3 of COAB), stipends have been a cornerstone. Budgeting for people first creates a replicable blueprint for equitable development in Louisville and beyond.

Call to action:

Developers, funders, and fellow nonprofits—bake stipends into your budgets. Paying community experts isn’t a luxury line-item; it’s the cost of doing transformational work well.

Center for Neighborhoods is proud to model what’s possible when communities are paid—literally—to shape their own future.

Ownership Power: Residents Claim the Future of Louisville Neighborhoods

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:55:32 GMT

Urban renewal done the old way is broken.

From the Atlanta Beltline to waterfront “revitalizations” nationwide, gleaming projects have delivered upside to landowners while pricing longtime residents out of the very neighborhoods they built. The pattern is so predictable it feels baked into the system: capital gathers land early, values spike, renters get the eviction notice, and entire social networks scatter.

Louisville is at that same crossroads. Rising demand and outside speculation are pressing on West and South End communities that have already endured decades of under-investment. If we wait for “the market” to self-correct, the outcome is clear—owners win, renters lose. That is why the Center for Neighborhoods (CFN) is doubling down on the principles we have championed for nearly 50 years: community ownership, environmental justice, and neighborhood-powered development rooted in what residents want—and just as importantly, what they don’t want.

A Resident-Led Engine Is Already in Motion

The resident-led neighborhood association we helped catalyze in the Park Hill/Algonquin neighborhoods is no longer an idea on paper; it is fully formed, run by neighbors, and steering its own agenda. Those leaders are demanding tools that give them permanent seats at the decision-making table and real equity in the upside of future growth. They are living proof that when communities organize first, development can follow their lead instead of bulldozing it.

The 4P Model: Putting People on the Cap Table

Our Head of Community Investment, Carla Dearing, recently wrote about this community development challenge and argued for a “public-private-people partnership” (4P) that embeds residents into every deal’s capital stack. The mechanics as it relates to CFN’s work in the Park Hill/Algonquin neighborhoods are straightforward:

Community Ownership Vehicle (COV). A co-op-style entity, fiscally sponsored by a trusted nonprofit, that can receive grants or donated land and hold long-term equity in local projects.
Land Acquisition Vehicle (LAV). A for-profit fund that co-invests alongside the COV, with a built-in “promote” that rewards the co-op for delivering ownership opportunities to the community.
Permanent Accountability. Because the COV stays on the cap table, promises made during entitlement—affordability periods, green-building standards, minority hiring goals—do not evaporate when the ribbon is cut.

Why This Fits CFN’s Mission

This structure turns the standard public-private partnership on its head: instead of asking developers to sprinkle benefits on a community after profits are locked in, it lets residents own a slice of the upside from day one, aligning incentives for everyone involved.

Community Ownership. The COV puts equity directly in neighborhood hands—exactly the wealth-building mechanism our constituents have been demanding.
Environmental Justice. By controlling land, residents can insist on remediation of brownfields, energy-efficient design, and green spaces that improve health outcomes rather than degrade them.
Neighborhood-Powered Development. Decisions about use, scale, and character stay local, guided by the neighborhood members themselves.

Deepening Ownership, Growing Together

External conditions are shifting fast—interest-rate whiplash, climate shocks, political uncertainty. CFN’s answer is not retreat; it is to deepen our roots and widen our coalition. The 4P model is a concrete blueprint for channeling public funding, private capital, and community leadership into one coordinated force for equitable growth. It has different implementations in other community development initiatives, like the work we are doing with the tenants of the Nia Center, which we will talk more about in the coming weeks.

We invite city officials, mission-aligned investors, and everyday neighbors to join us in realizing these opportunities right here in Louisville. The seeds are planted, the resident leadership is ready, and the need could not be more urgent. Let’s prove that development can benefit everyone who calls a neighborhood home—and let’s start now.

Understanding Louisville Metro’s Budget Process—and Recent Council Concerns

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 13:30:10 GMT

This post is part of our ongoing, experiment-in-public series using AI to speed up analysis of Metro Council’s budget hearings. We’re stress-testing the tech, comparing it against traditional note-taking, and sharing what we learn so residents can act on solid information. This is nearly the last post in this series, because Metro Council will act on the budget later tonight at its June 26th meeting. However, you will see that analyzing the process and its challenges is an evergreen issue, one that we all want to see continue to evolve and improve.

Each year, the Louisville Metro Government undergoes a structured process to create and adopt a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. This process is guided by both state law and local ordinance to ensure transparency, public accountability, and fiscal discipline.

�� Budget Process at a Glance

Departmental Requests (Fall–Winter): Departments submit funding requests to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Mayor’s Proposal (Winter–Spring) : The Mayor works with OMB to craft a draft budget, submitted to Metro Council by May 1.
Metro Council Hearings (May–June) : Councilmembers review the proposal, hold public hearings, and ask questions of each department.
Amendments & Final Deliberation (June) : Council can offer amendments before adopting the final version by June 30. (This has been happening all of this week.)
Implementation (July 1) : The budget takes effect, and quarterly financial updates begin.

This process is designed to foster collaboration and transparency, but several Metro Council members recently raised concerns about how this year’s process has unfolded.

⚠️ Key Concerns from Councilmembers

Several councilmembers expressed frustration over how the updated budget presented by the Mayor’s Office diverged from the expected collaborative process:

Late Additions Without Explanation: New items appeared in the updated budget draft without prior discussion. Council members questioned how these items were inserted and who authorized them.
External Agency Fund Changes : Funding allocations to community organizations (External Agency Funds) were changed outside the oversight of the established review committee, raising concerns about fairness and transparency.
Amendments Shut Down : Members were discouraged from introducing amendments during the final meeting, despite ongoing concerns about equity and process.
Public Accessibility Issues : The proposed Detailed Budget Document, which explains specific line items, was not made easily accessible to the public for review.
Opaque Decision-Making : Council members and residents alike voiced concern that the process for making changes to the budget lacks public clarity or documentation.

�� Why It Matters

The budget is one of Metro Government’s most powerful tools—it determines which services are funded, which communities receive investments, and how public dollars are managed. When parts of the process happen behind closed doors or outside of established procedures, it undermines both public trust and Council’s role in fiscal oversight.

�� What’s Next?

Councilmembers are calling for reforms to improve the transparency , accessibility , and consistency of the budget process going forward. That includes:

Ensuring all updates to the budget go through public review and Council oversight.
Requiring that the Detailed Budget is posted online and available throughout deliberations.
Clarifying the roles and limits of administrative changes made after the Mayor’s proposal is submitted.

What Changed?

Investment Case Study: The Triangle Property — From Harm to Ownership (Park Hill/Algonquin)

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 19:51:38 GMT

Acquiring the Triangle property was a small but high-leverage move: take a harmful, externally controlled site at the front door of Park Hill/Algonquin and turn it into a community-owned asset that can seed local enterprise, build real wealth, and prove a model that can scale.

CFN closed on the Triangle property at 1120 W. Hill Street on October 21, 2025 , holding it on behalf of neighborhood leaders until it transfers into a new resident-led co-op structure.

The problem: “development” that damages the people who live there

In early 2025, residents raised an urgent quality-of-life threat: dumpsters planned just outside the windows of the Parkway Place housing project—another burden on a community already dealing with environmental stressors and the lived impacts of disinvestment. This wasn’t just a land-use fight. It was the familiar pattern: decisions made around a neighborhood, not with it.

The community-led strategy: stop the harm, then buy the ground

Residents—through the Park Hill/Algonquin neighborhood association—did what strong communities do: they organized, identified the issue, and forced it into the open. CFN’s role was to back that leadership with tools the community typically doesn’t have access to quickly: negotiation capacity, deal structure, and a pathway to ownership.

Working together, the group not only persuaded the dumpster company to move, but also pushed for a sale so the community could control what happens next.

The deal: a disciplined acquisition built for transfer to community ownership

CFN negotiated the purchase agreement and closed on schedule. And CFN was explicit about the “why” of the closing:

“This isn’t just a land transaction. It’s the first community-owned foothold at the front door of Park Hill/Algonquin…”

Mechanically, CFN is holding the property until the co-op is fully formed and ready to receive and govern the asset—at which point the Triangle transfers into community ownership through the planned cooperative, Rising Roots Collective . (

Capital stack logic: bridge money + community investment = ownership on time

This acquisition happened because the right kind of capital showed up at the right moment.

Bridge funding: CFN credits the Community Foundation of Louisville (CFL) with stepping in “at a pivotal moment,” allowing the closing to proceed while longer-cycle project funding is finalized.
Follow-on package: CFN applied to the West End Opportunity Partnership for a funding package intended to cover not only acquisition, but also holding costs and programming dollars needed to form the co-op and activate the plan. We did not receive the full funds needed, but the $135,000 grant for land acquisition received was enough to allow the effort to move forward.
Why this matters: This is exactly what modern community investment should do—enable self-determination, not dependency. CFL has described its impact capital approach as providing resources that “enable people to practice self-determination.”

The Triangle deal is the proof point: bridge capital protects timing and price, while community-led governance and longer-term investment protect the outcome.

What CFN “bought,” in plain terms

The Triangle property is a fenced, utility-served parcel with strong frontage and flexible potential uses. A public MLS description characterized it as “just under an acre” with EZ1 zoning , 6-foot chain link fencing , and electrical hookup , positioned for interim uses like storage/parking/light industrial—plus billboard lease income potential.

CFN’s point wasn’t to preserve its prior use. The point was to convert it from an outside-controlled nuisance into a community-controlled platform.

Activation plan: “make it useful and alive”

CFN is tying the site to a near-term activation approach (“Economic Village”)—a visible, practical launch that starts small, proves demand, and builds confidence while the co-op formation and full funding package finalize.

CFN describes what ownership unlocks:

space for small Black-owned businesses and makers,
neighbors governing the asset and sharing benefits,
early activation that draws partners, training, and jobs into the neighborhood.

Governance: ownership with standards, not vibes

CFN’s messaging is clear: community ownership is the goal, and it must be paired with disciplined execution. The Triangle post sets a standard for what comes next— transparent governance, disciplined finances, and visible outcomes that residents can see on their blocks. This is where CFN’s model shows its edge: it doesn’t stop at “engagement.” It builds the infrastructure for ownership.

What success looks like

CFN will measure this like an investment, not a feel-good story:

Ownership transfer completed to the co-op (legal formation + onboarding done).
Capital deployed and recycled (bridge repaid; long-term funds secured).
Site activated early (programming + micro-retail/workforce uses launched).
Local enterprise outcomes (new businesses launched, jobs created, earned revenue).
Neighborhood control becomes normal (a replicable playbook other neighborhoods can follow).

Why this is a new model worth copying

Traditional neighborhood “investment” often starts with outside actors buying land early and residents paying the cost later. CFN is pushing the opposite sequence:

Residents lead → CFN structures → partners fund → community owns → value stays local.

Or, as the West End Opportunity Partnership frames its mission: a system designed to keep investment in the West End and support community development in a way that benefits residents and local businesses. ( West End Opportunity Zone )

The Triangle is a small parcel with a big message: when community leads and capital follows, neighborhoods stop being acted upon—and start building wealth on their own terms.

Louisville’s FY25-26 Operating Budget: What Changed on the Way from Mayor’s Desk to Metro Council?

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 22:17:05 GMT

When Mayor Craig Greenberg released his recommended operating budget in April, it set the tone for spending in the coming fiscal year. After ten weeks of hearings and public testimony, Metro Council will be adopting its own version (Ordinance O-151-25). Before that happens, Metro Council will see the amended version of the Mayor’s budget at a special budget meeting on June 23, complete its process and vote on June 26. Below is a reader-friendly walkthrough of the biggest moves in the drafts so far, why they matter, and what community groups should be watching.

1. The 30-second headline

Metro Council kept the same revenue assumptions but:

Shifted $34 million into the Capital Fund for bricks-and-mortar work (parks, libraries, fleet, sidewalks).
Added another $30 million in one-time General Fund spending, largely through surplus designations and opioid-settlement dollars.

Net result: a 6.7 % larger operating budget than the Mayor requested, without raising new taxes.

2. Where did Council put the extra money?

Figures are rounded; table shows highlights, not a full list.

3. What didn’t move?

Public safety base budgets remain intact. Council left the Louisville Metro Police Department’s General Fund at roughly $246.9 million, identical to the Mayor’s draft . Fire, EMS, and Corrections also saw no headline cuts or increases.
5 % COLA for non-union Metro employees stays in place, beginning July 1. Labor coalitions therefore focus attention on their own contract negotiations rather than the budget ordinance.

4. Why advocates should care

5. Reading between the lines

Capital vs. operating trade-off.
By carving out $34 million for capital, Council chose long-lived assets over short-term services. Expect vigorous oversight to ensure shovel-ready status so that money doesn’t sit idle.
One-time money, continuing expectations.
Several add-ons are funded with surplus or settlement dollars; community partners should not assume amounts recur in FY 26-27 and should diversify revenue.
Leverage is the watch-word.

Many inserts (e.g., public works matching funds) are designed to unlock state or federal grants. Organizations able to show match dollars or partnership value will have a competitive edge.

6. Next steps & how to plug in

Quarterly reports. Ordinance language requires OMB to publish unaudited updates within 45 days of each quarter close . Bookmark those releases to track spending against promises.
Grant calendars. Housing, OVP, and Economic Development will roll out grant guidelines between August and November. Sign up for their e-newsletters and prepare data-rich proposals.
Capital project scoping.
Community groups with park, library, or streetscape ideas should engage Metro’s Capital Projects Division early; design work funded now determines next year’s shovel list.

Bottom line

Metro Council largely embraced Mayor Greenberg’s fiscal blueprint but added a community-focused flourish—more cash for neighborhood nonprofits, violence prevention, housing stability, and long-deferred capital fixes. For Louisville residents and advocacy groups, the FY 2025-26 budget is both a funding opportunity and a reminder: follow the dollars, measure the impact, and be ready to defend your wins in next year’s cycle.

Nia Center Sale: Will Louisville Let the Community Lead This Time?

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:51:17 GMT

Louisville has no shortage of bold ideas for economic development, but too many of them still launch before residents have a seat at the table. The latest example: the Transit Authority of River City’s plan to sell the TARC-owned Nia Center to Goodwill— a move that blindsided the small businesses now housed there and sparked public outcry on their behalf.

This is hardly the first time a top-down deal concerning government-owned community space has raced ahead of neighborhood input. As we reported last month, the proposed 25-acre racket-sports complex in Joe Creason Park revealed the same cracks: opaque approval channels, unclear timelines, and limited notice to those most affected.

The Core Problem

Missed transparency checkpoints – Land sales, leases and TIF allocations often run through quasi-government boards or agency directors long before Metro Council ever votes, leaving neighbors to play catch-up.
Token engagement, not shared power – One-off “listening sessions” rarely influence the final deal terms, eroding trust and reinforcing inequity.
Displacement risk – Tenants at the Nia Center now scramble for space as redevelopment plans move forward lpm.org .

The Opportunity: Community-Led Economic Development

Our work with the Park Hill/Algonquin Community of Opportunity shows what’s possible when residents drive the agenda from day one. Key ingredients:

Representative leadership group. Forty neighbors—ages 6 to 75 and paid stipends for their time—guided every milestone
Data-driven discovery anchored in local assets. Partners gathered health, housing and market data with residents, not for them
Capacity-building. Participants completed a Health Equity Learning Academy, power-mapping exercises and photo-voice storytelling, building skills that last well beyond a single project
Celebration and ownership. When the mixed-use Rhodia site advanced, community leaders were the ones at the podium beside the mayor. The group is creating a community-owned co-op to take direct holdings in future developments.

A Better Process for Nia Center & Future Projects — Six Practical Phases

Early Notice & Clear Timeline
Publish the intent to sell public land 60–90 days before any board vote.
Share a plain-language flowchart that shows every approval step from start to finish.
Transparent Impact Briefs
Release traffic, environmental, equity, and displacement analyses online in everyday language.
Ensure briefs are prepared by independent consultants with no stake in the outcome.
Resident Steering Committee
Recruit and pay a diverse mix of neighbors—tenants, small-business owners, youth, elders—to shape project goals.
Engage a neutral convener (Center for Neighborhoods or similar) to facilitate.
Multi-Channel Feedback Loop
Host both citywide hearings and neighborhood-level briefings.
Collect comments in person, online, and in writing; publish all feedback and official responses.
Negotiated Community Benefits
Translate resident priorities into binding agreements—e.g., affordable commercial space, first-source hiring, anti-displacement funds, and community co-ownership .
Formalize these commitments within leases or development contracts.
Shared Celebration & Ongoing Oversight
Invite residents to co-host the groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting.
Schedule quarterly check-ins during construction and the first year of operation to track promises.

By following these six phases, Louisville can move from top-down transactions to community-up investments—creating growth that neighbors help design, benefit from, and celebrate.

Louisville can make every economic-development deal a community-up investment rather than a top-down transaction . Even now, the players could adopt the six-phase process above before any vote on the Nia Center sale.

Neighbors built these neighborhoods; they deserve an equal hand in building their future. Let’s make sure the next headline reads, “Community and City Co-Create West End Prosperity”—and not another story of decisions made without the people most affected.

8 Hours, One Big Proof: How CFN’s Hackathon Sprint Clarified the CivicPulse Vision

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 23:57:41 GMT

On May 7, CFN stepped into a one-day hackathon hosted by our partners at Slingshot. Our role wasn’t to write code—we were the client, testing whether AI could really solve a pain point we see every day: neighbors can’t act on issues hidden in four-hour council videos and shrinking local-news columns.

We aim to empower more community members to stay informed, participate in policymaking, and strengthen neighborhood vitality.

Here is a summary of what happened but if you want all the details including an understanding of the full process and the technology tools that were used in the hackathon, the recording of the presentation with Slingshot that was hosted by the UofL Business School can be found here .

What we asked the sprint to prove

Goal: Could a prototype digest the Metro Council meetings on ordinances through the process from Introduction through Passed, then return a plain-language brief within 24 hours?
Why it matters: Dozens of neighborhood associations and advocacy groups now “reinvent the wheel” to track the same information. One shared pipeline could free them to focus on outreach instead of transcription.

What happened in 8 hours

In the first part of the day, the development team ingested a sample of meeting agendas, ordinance documents, meetings transcripts and the like into the AWS platform, figured out how to organize the data needed for the analysis, and chose the LLMs to be used, which we’ll call the” back end.” In the future, these data elements will be “scraped” daily from the web and run immediately through the prompt engine to produce results.
At the same time, the product and UI/UX teams worked with Mikal Forbush and Carla Dearing to build a compelling “front end in an AI product called Loveable.
In the second part of the day, both teams were writing and passing prompts back and forth for testing to make the back end produce the data and analysis needed in the front end.
By day’s end, we got to see a full prototype of the end-to-end product that would normally take 6-8 weeks of design and development work.

Key insights from the client seat

Dashboard + Deep-Dive are both essential
Residents need a quick look (“headline banner on a stock-ticker screen”) and a path to drill into the details they care about.
Human-in-the-loop builds trust
AI speed is powerful, but editorial oversight is non-negotiable for accuracy and local context.
Chat future-proofs the interface
A conversational layer will let users ask new questions—“What changed in District 5 zoning this month?”—without redesigning screens each time.
Scalability looks realistic
The same workflow could cover zoning dockets and public-safety reports with modest additional cost, giving us a clear growth path.

It’s always powerful in product development to have all of the disciplines working together — design, development, finance, etc. — but doing this in AI made everyone feel like “we had a shared brain.” It was fascinating to experience.

Where we go next

Field-test the prototype with residents, leaders and experts that follow this information professionally.
Refine the chat layer so first-time users can ask anything in plain English.
Validate a sustainable business model that serves both professionals and passionate residents. Many civic information efforts like this run out of funding after a few years.

This sprint didn’t finish CivicPulse—it confirmed that the investment is worth making. Stay tuned as we translate these insights into a public beta that puts real-time policy insight in every neighbor’s pocket.

On AI, Sustainability, and Centering Community Values

Fri, 23 May 2025 23:53:28 GMT

Recently, a community member reached out with important concerns about our use of generative AI in our new effort called CivicPulse — specifically around its environmental impact, bias, and the integrity of AI-generated content. We’re deeply grateful for their thoughtful message and want to respond with transparency and care.

At Center for Neighborhoods , our values are rooted in being people-centered, place-based, asset-based, equitable, collaborative, sustainable, and grounded in integrity . These aren’t just words — they guide how we present ourselves in community and how we select the tools we use.

We utilized AI to help summarize public documents, such as city budgets, with the goal of making information more accessible to more of our neighbors. But we acknowledge that even helpful tools can have unintended consequences, including the environmental cost of data centers and the risk of bias in AI-generated outputs.

In weighing the goal of collaboratively increasing access to complex public documents for residents, especially those without the time or resources to comb through hundreds of pages of technical material against environmental cost, we think the overall value is going to be worth it.

We’re learning. We’re listening. And weighing “unintended consequences” as they arise against our goal of digital inclusivity. At this time we are carefully analyzing what the usage and cost of efforts are — it’s still a black box. We’re committed to re-evaluating our digital practices to ensure they reflect our values and our community’s expectations.

If you’ve been thinking about AI in nonprofit work — the risks, the potential, the trade-offs — we’d love to hear your thoughts. Let’s keep building a future that’s not just innovative, but equitable and sustainable for all.

How Louisville’s 2025-26 Economic Dev Budget Shapes Jobs, Housing, and Your Neighborhood

Thu, 15 May 2025 23:50:37 GMT

Tracking Louisville’s Budget — Why We’re Watching and What You Should Know

The Center for Neighborhoods (CFN) exists to give residents a clear voice in the decisions that shape their lives. This budget season CFN is piloting a new approach: weaving together public documents, meeting transcripts, and community commentary into AI-powered rapid-fire briefs that neighbors can actually use. The working name for this effort is CivicPulse —an emerging platform that will sift the noise, surface the facts, and spotlight the stakes for each council district.

We covered the Mayor’s budget address and why it matters as a first step.

There have already been six (6) budget hearings but today we’re highlighting an AI-driven analysis of Wednesday’s Economic Development Budget hearing. It was the perfect test case: dense slides, spirited questioning, and real dollars on the line. Here’s the rundown—and why it matters on your block.

The Big Picture from the Economic Development budget hearing

Total Economic Development Spend: $27.9 million proposed for FY 2025-26—up $3.6 million from last year.
Operating vs. Capital: Operating grows to $15.4 million for programs and staff; capital jumps to $12.5 million for bricks-and-mortar projects.
Focus Areas: Corridor revitalization, workforce pipelines, affordable-housing tools, and a major hand-off of business-recruitment duties to LEDA, the city’s new public-private development arm.

Five Headlines from the Hearing

Targeted Funds for Targeted Corridors
Three new pots of money—the South End Business Attraction Fund, East End Infrastructure Improvement Fund, and Downtown Infrastructure Fund—signal a shift from citywide incentives to neighborhood-specific boosts. Council members applauded the geographic precision but flagged the need for transparent criteria so historically disinvested corridors aren’t left behind.
Community Ambassadors Expand to NuLu
An additional $250,000 will send the litter-pickup, visitor-assist team into NuLu. Ambassadors in West Louisville, Beechmont, the Highlands, and Downtown have already logged thousands of cleaning hours and business check-ins. Early numbers show double-digit drops in reported code violations where the crews operate.
LEDA: Promise and Scrutiny
Louisville’s new economic-development partner keeps its $1.5 million city allocation and 17 Metro-paid staff positions (11 currently filled). Council members pressed for measurable returns, questioning the $350,000 CEO salary and limited board diversity. LEDA leaders pledged quarterly scorecards on capital investment, jobs created, and small-business outreach.
Workforce Meets Housing
Testimony underscored that affordable housing, transit connectivity, and 24-hour childcare are no longer “side issues” but core to job creation. The budget threads these pieces together: infill-housing incentives through updated TIF rules, continued funding for Kentuckiana Works and The Spot youth center, and Community Development Block Grants for round-the-clock childcare pilots.
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Flatlines
Direct dollars to the Trust Fund dip compared with FY 2024-25. The administration argues that smarter use of Industrial Revenue Bonds and state-level tweaks can unlock larger private investments. Several council members pushed back, signaling that amendments may restore cash before final adoption.

Why it Matters to Residents

1. Jobs Where You Live
New business-attraction and infrastructure funds are designed to lure employers—and their payrolls—to South Preston, Dixie Highway, East Market, and beyond. If they work, expect more storefront rehabs, trade apprenticeships, and walk-to-work options.

2. Cleaner, Safer Streets—On Someone Else’s Dime
The Community Ambassador model contracts with social-enterprise labor groups, putting dollars into local paychecks while improving public spaces. An expanded footprint hints that the program’s metrics (less litter, fewer petty crimes) convinced decision-makers it is paying off.

3. A One-Stop Shop for Job Seekers
Workforce dollars flow to Kentuckiana Works , Code Louisville , and The Spot, scaling free training in tech, advanced manufacturing, and logistics. High-school seniors, veterans, and career-switchers can plug into a clear pipeline without leaving their neighborhood.

4. Housing as Economic Engine
When employers ask why they should locate in Louisville, adequate, affordable housing for entry-level staff tops the list. By tying tax incentives to housing production—especially near jobs and transit—the city aims to make the math work for developers and workers alike.

5. Watching the Watchers
Outsourcing recruitment to LEDA could speed up deal-making, but transparency worries are real. Residents and small-business owners stand to gain from a nimbler agency only if its board reflects Louisville’s diversity and its metrics are public. Budget language still gives Metro Council leverage to require those reports.

Summary of Strategic Shifts

Growth in Targeted Investments: New capital funds by geography show a decentralized, district-specific strategy.
Institutional Shift to LEDA: Economic development is being outsourced long-term to LEDA, with Metro maintaining backend infrastructure.
Workforce Pipeline Expansion: New support for high school graduates and disconnected youth is a budget priority.
Criticism of Oversight: Multiple council members flagged concerns about LEDA’s transparency, exclusivity, and its actual added value.

Bottom Line

Economic development isn’t a distant, bureaucratic line item; it dictates whether your street attracts new employers, whether your kids find training that leads to good wages, and whether housing near transit stays within reach. This year’s proposed $27.9 million plan edges Louisville toward corridor-based investment, blends workforce and housing strategy, and bets big on a new public-private player. With civic attention—residents can make sure those bets pay dividends in every neighborhood.

Proposed Joe Creason Park development: a case study for community engagement

Fri, 09 May 2025 23:39:19 GMT

A nonprofit group, the Kentucky Tennis & Pickleball Center, has asked Metro Government to lease roughly 25 acres of Joe Creason Park and help finance a $65 million racket‑sports complex (36 tennis courts, 18 pickleball courts, pro shop, restaurant, fitness areas). The plan includes seeking a $20 million city bond and positioning the facility as Bellarmine University’s future tennis home. ( Louisville Public Media )

Supporters call the project an economic and recreational win. Critics—including neighboring residents, the Louisville Nature Center and several council members—worry it would privatize scarce public parkland, worsen traffic, and add light and noise pollution. ( Spectrum News 1 , WLKY )

This debate reminds us that many high‑impact land, parks and financing decisions happen outside the standard Metro Council agenda‑setting process we’ve been mapping. Leases of city‑owned land, bond authorizations, and Parks capital partnerships often move through mayoral agencies, advisory boards or project‑specific memoranda before (or even without) a formal council vote.

When the pathway is less transparent, what should the role of resident engagement be?

A “good process” for these off‑agenda items might include:

Clear advance notice and open‑door meetings whenever public land is in play.
A published decision timeline showing who must sign off—agency directors, boards, the mayor, Metro Council, or bond‑issuing bodies.
Independent impact statements (traffic, environmental, equity) posted online in plain English.
Multiple feedback channels—public hearings, written comments, and neighborhood‑level briefings—before contracts are finalized.

We are digging into these structures and exploring ways to surface proposals early, explain the approval chain, and equip neighbors to engage constructively. Have thoughts on improving the process? Let us know—community insight drives stronger, more transparent outcomes.

Budget Blueprint: Navigating Louisville Metro’s Fiscal Journey

Thu, 08 May 2025 18:14:48 GMT

The process for creating and passing a fiscal year budget for Louisville Metro Government involves several key steps, coordinated between the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Louisville Metro Council. The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Here’s an overview of the typical process:

1. Departmental Budget Preparation (Fall – Winter)

Each Metro department and agency begins internal planning for its budget needs.
Departments submit their funding requests to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Requests may include new programs, staffing needs, capital projects, or grant needs.

2. Mayor’s Budget Development (Winter – Spring)

The Mayor’s Office, with OMB, reviews department requests and revenue projections.
Input may be gathered from community meetings or priority surveys.
A proposed budget is developed balancing revenue forecasts and spending needs

3. Mayor’s Budget Proposal to Metro Council (Late April – May)

The Mayor formally presents the proposed budget to the Metro Council by May 1, as required by law.
The budget includes:
General Fund allocations
Capital improvement projects
External agency funding
Special revenue and grant funds

4. Metro Council Budget Hearings (May – June)

The Metro Council Budget Committee (led by the Budget Chair) holds public hearings and departmental reviews.
Council members ask questions about spending priorities, outcomes, equity, vacancies, etc.
Community members and organizations may testify about their needs and concerns.

5. Budget Amendments and Deliberations (June)

Council members can propose amendments, such as shifting funds, adding language, or restoring cuts.
The Budget Committee votes on a final version, incorporating these amendments.
Amendments must keep the budget balanced.

6. Final Council Vote (Before June 30)

The full Metro Council votes on the final budget—typically during the second or third week of June.
The budget must be passed by June 30 to ensure government operations continue without interruption.

7. Implementation (July 1)

Once adopted, the budget goes into effect July 1.
Departments begin executing programs and projects.
The Office of Management and Budget monitors spending throughout the year.

Additional Notes

The budget process allows for public input at hearings and through councilmember offices.
All documents, including the Executive Budget and Detail Budget, are published online.
Mid-year amendments can be passed for budget adjustments or emergencies

CFN Earns BBB Charity Accreditation—Here’s What That Really Means

Fri, 02 May 2025 23:34:49 GMT

Earlier this month, the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA) completed its Charity Review of Center for Neighborhoods (CFN) and confirmed that we meet every one of the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Our accreditation is valid through May 2027, and the full report can be found here on Give.org.

Why the BBB review matters

BBB’s 20-point rubric covers four big buckets:

Governance & Oversight (Standards 1-5) – active, independent boards with real financial and policy controls.
Measuring Effectiveness (Standards 6-7) – clear goals and public reporting on results.
Finances (Standards 8-14) – audited statements, sensible reserves, and at least 65 % of spending aimed squarely at programs.
Fundraising & Informational Materials (Standards 15-20) – honest appeals, transparent privacy practices, and open books.

Only charities that meet every standard earn the BBB seal. No partial credit, no pay-to-play.

How CFN stacks up

Program-first spending: 69 % of every dollar we spent in FY 2023 went directly to education, neighborhood planning, and policy work—well above BBB’s minimum benchmark. Fundraising costs came in at just 3 %.
Lean but accountable: A nine-member volunteer board—none of them paid staff—meets at least quarterly to review budgets, deliverables, and the Executive Director’s performance.
Public transparency: Our audited financials, annual report, and impact metrics are all posted on our website and now linked from the BBB report page, so donors can dig as deep as they like.

Looking ahead

Accreditation isn’t an end-zone dance; it’s a diagnostic. The BBB review spotlights what we’re doing right and where we can raise the bar—especially around diversifying revenue and rebuilding unrestricted reserves after last year’s strategic investments.

We encourage everyone—partners, critics, and curious neighbors—to read the full BBB report and hold us to these standards. Accountability is only meaningful when the community keeps score.

(Note: BBB guidelines prohibit using the full report itself as a fundraising brochure; instead, we’ve provided a direct link so you can review the findings firsthand.)

Behind the City’s Budget + Why It Matters

Thu, 01 May 2025 23:30:27 GMT

Last week, Mayor Craig Greenberg unveiled his FY 2025–26 budget, launching Metro Council’s fast-paced push to finalize the city’s spending plan before June 30. Over the next six weeks, Council will hold a marathon of public hearings and behind-the-scenes negotiations that shape everything from library hours to housing investments.

Yet for most residents, the process remains opaque and inaccessible. Strengthening civic engagement means ensuring people can understand what’s happening. When budget decisions are translated clearly and shared widely, more Louisvillians can speak up, weigh in, and help steer the city’s priorities in real time.

We at CFN watch this process closely, and we’re using AI to help make our research and insights available to you, public officials and other civic engagement enthusiasts in ways never before possible. As a first exercise, we asked ChatGPT to answer a number of questions we would have about the budget address and got these answers. If this is your thing, stay tuned for more in the coming weeks!

Summary of Budget Changes for Louisville Metro Government

FY 2025–2026

Overall Themes

The FY 2025–2026 budget focuses on:

Public safety enhancements
Government efficiency (e.g., AI integration)
Early childhood and youth services
Wage increases (5% raise for non-union employees)
Infrastructure, housing, and cleanliness initiatives

Departments with the Largest Increases

1. Public Works & Assets

Increase: Over $10 million
Details:
$1.75M for city cleanliness efforts (street sweeping, litter baskets)
32 new positions transferred from Office of Planning
Transportation-related planning responsibilities added

2. Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Increase: Approx. $13.7 million
Details:
$6M to fund suburban EMS runs inside the Urban Services District
$7.5M for non-union employee wage adjustments
$600K to Evolve502
$100K to TARC for Metro employee ridership program

3. Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD)

Increase: Net increase despite some line-item cuts
Details:
$750K for consent decree monitoring
$1.02M to continue protactical performance contract
5 positions transferred in from Records Compliance
Despite these, $3.55M in reductions in specific areas (see decreases below)

4. Parks & Recreation

Increase: Over $1 million
Details:
$423K for staffing/security at Algonquin & Camp Taylor pools
$300K to YMCA for early learning readiness
Transfers in funds for conservation and cooperative extension ($363K)

5. Metro Technology Services

Increase: Approx. $3.4 million
Details:
$1.89M for new AI programs
$1.53M for computer replacements
4 new positions added, 3 more transferred in

Departments with the Largest Decreases

1. Office of Strategic Initiatives (formerly Office of Philanthropy)

Decrease: $4.48 million
Cause: End of state-required funding for Thrive by Five initiative (mineral severance tax)

2. LMPD – Specific Line Items

Reductions Totaling $3.55 million:
$2M in non-scheduled overtime
$948.5K in safety/security equipment
$400K in safety supplies
$200K in advertising

3. Sister Cities Program (Economic Development)

Eliminated: $30,000

4. Brightside

Decrease: One full-time position eliminated

Other Notable Increases

Library: $1M for books and reopening Fern Creek branch (with match from Foundation)
Office of Social Services: $1M to Volunteers of America, $500K to Dare to Care
Emergency Services: $1.6M for drone program and 9-1-1 call triage nurses
Metro Animal Services: $350K for operations and humane society programs

Takeaway

The 2025–2026 budget invests heavily in:

Public safety
Staffing and compensation
Infrastructure and cleanliness
Youth and early education

At the same time, it phases out or consolidates select initiatives (e.g., Thrive by Five, Sister Cities) to reallocate resources.

FY 2025–2026 Recommended Budget

Total Revenue Forecast

Total Available Funds: $953.1 million
Increase from FY25: $35.8 million (+3.9%)
General Fund (GF) Revenue: $876 million (up from $857.8M in FY25)
Growth Rate (GF only): +2.1%
Excluding debt and fees: GF revenue grows by +2.6%

Key Revenue Increases

1. Employee Withholdings (Payroll Tax)

FY26 Estimate: $397.7 million
Growth: +3.9% from FY25
Share of GF Revenue: 45%
Note: Adjusted intrinsic growth rate is 4.5% due to a prior-year reporting anomaly

2. Real & Personal Property Taxes

FY26 Estimate: $201 million
Growth: +4.3%
Share of GF Revenue: 23%
Factors: Higher property assessments and rate adjustments

3. Insurance Premium Taxes

FY26 Estimate: $99.7 million
Growth: +4.0%
Share of GF Revenue: 11%

4. Local Corporate Net Profits

FY26 Estimate: $103.5 million
Growth: +1.8%
Share of GF Revenue: 12%

5. Water Company Dividend

FY26 Estimate: $37.7 million
Increase: Up from $33.9M in FY25
Reason: Rolling 3-year average formula now includes previous pension obligation adjustments

Revenue Holding Flat

Municipal Aid & County Road Aid:
FY26 Estimate: $14.3 million
No Change from FY25

Revenue Decreases

1. Mineral Severance Taxes

FY26 Estimate: $520,000
Decrease: Down from $610,000
Reason: Reduction in state-level extraction revenues

2. Election Expense Refund

FY26 Estimate: $160,000
Decrease: From $311,000
Reason: Fewer elections scheduled in FY26

3. Investment Income

FY26 Estimate: $7.67 million
Decrease: From $16.68 million in FY25
Reason: Lower projected interest rates and capital gains

Revenue Breakdown by Source (FY26)

Revenue Source% of Total RevenueOccupational Taxes56.2%Property Taxes23.5%Insurance Premium & Net Profits23% (combined)Water Company Dividend4.0%Licenses & Permits3.2%Charges for Services2.4%Intergovernmental Revenue1.6%Municipal/County Road Aid1.5%Community Development (Federal)1.2%Other/Capital Funds5.4%

Overview of New Capital Spending

Louisville Metro Government FY 2025–2026

Total Capital Budget:

$240.3 million

Funded by:
Federal funds: $70.8M (29.4%)
Bonds: $69.2M (28.8%)
Capital Fund (Local): $34.6M (14.4%)
State funds: $15.3M (6.4%)
Other funds: Notes, Agency Receipts, CDBG, etc.

Major Capital Project Categories

1. Infrastructure & Streets

Metro Street Paving: $30M
Sidewalk Repair & Alley Paving: $3M
West Louisville Streetscape & 2nd/3rd St Conversions: $12.7M
Trail & Bike Projects (Louisville Loop, Highland Park Bike Park, etc.): $10M+

Parks & Recreation

Deferred Maintenance: $3.2M
GG Moore Park Improvements: $500K
Olmsted Park Match Projects: $1.25M
Environmental Resiliency (Urban Tree Canopy): $250K

3. Libraries

Fern Creek Library Project: $2M (State-funded)
Capital Campaign (Main, Parkland, Portland Libraries): $7.65M

4. Public Safety & Facilities

LMPD HQ Renovation: $9.25M
Fleet Replacement (Police, Fire, EMS, Parks): $17.1M
ADA Compliance for Metro Websites: $445K
Data Center Upgrades & Cybersecurity: $5.75M

5. Housing & Community Development

Affordable Housing Trust Fund: $15M
Homeowner & Rental Preservation: $3.4M
Shelter Renovation & Ramp Removal: $1.2M
One West Capital Improvements: $1.1M

6. Economic Development

South & East End Infrastructure Funds: $6M
Downtown Infrastructure Fund: $2.5M
Simmons College STEAM Hub: $3M

7. Other Notable Projects

Transit Hub Acquisition: $3M
Election Poll Books (Clerk’s Office): $4.07M
Flood Gate Upgrades at Slugger Field: $215K
Kentucky Science Center Maintenance: $300K

Capital Spending by Function

FunctionShare of Capital BudgetPublic Health & Services58.4%Economic Development16.3%Operations & Budget17.0%Chief of Police1.5%Emergency Services2.4%Elected Officials (combined)4.4%

For 50 years , Center for Neighborhoods (501c3) has cultivated and educated grass

Neighborhood Institute Kicks Off With a Bang!

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 23:23:28 GMT

This season’s Neighborhood Institute has begun, and the energy is palpable! Passionate community members, huddled around tables, brainstorming the next big ideas to transform our neighborhoods. It’s like a think tank meets a block party—minus the grill, but with all the sizzle!

Participants from 12 Districts are diving into sessions that cover everything from community organizing to effective leadership strategies. One attendee quipped, “I came for the knowledge, but I’m staying for the people—and maybe the dinner!”

Who knows? The next great neighborhood initiative might just be brewing at one of these tables!

Community-Led Planning in Action

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 23:18:08 GMT

Addressing a key issue in Park Hill/Algonquin

At the Center for Neighborhoods, we are proud to spotlight the power of community-led planning and development in our programming. A great example of this is the work being done in the Park Hill/Algonquin area. Through the leadership of the local neighborhood association, residents identified an imminent issue impacting their wellbeing.

The residents, already burdened by environmental challenges like brownfields, electric substations, and widespread concrete, are now faced with the potential installation of dumpsters just outside the windows of Parkway Place housing project by a new property owner. This issue was first raised by the neighborhood association, triggering a vital conversation about the residents’ rights and concerns.

This issue highlights the ongoing need to prioritize people over property and ensure that residents in Park Hill/Algonquin are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. It’s not just about zoning laws – it’s about the health and quality of life of those living in this area, who already face shortened life spans due to environmental injustices. We’re committed to supporting them in their fight for a healthier, more sustainable neighborhood.