Louisville Will Build $65 Million Studio and Renovate Louisville Gardens

I've been wanting to visit Senoia, Georgia where The Walking Dead was filmed for eleven seasons. Both Georgia and Louisiana have become prime locations for big movie and TV productions. However, Kentucky has entered the chat with several star-studded productions going on now around the northeast part of the state. So, a movie and a production space will be coming to Kentucky with hopes of competing with those big studios in the south.

WHY LOUISVILLE? 

Yes, Louisville will be the location of a new $65 million project that will not only incorporate studio and production space but will also be part of a renovation of one of the city's most famous concert and event venues.

I've never been to Louisville Gardens, but it has hosted countless concerts from the likes of Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, and Stevie Wonder. It opened in 1905 as the Jefferson County Armory home of the Louisville Legion militia battalion before becoming an entertainment venue in the 1920s. My brother-in-law who is from Louisville was telling us about all the old-school regional wrestling pre-WWE he saw there. A bill reinstating the Kentucky Film Tax Credit was passed by the General Assembly and it was signed by Governor Beshear last year. The bill will allow the state to approve up to $75 million of refundable tax credits annually for film and television productions made in the state.

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Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has made the restoration and renovation of Louisville Gardens "a top priority" Additionally, the Kentucky Economic Development Financial Authority Board approved $700,000 in state and local job creation incentives for the project.

The project will break ground in 2023; stages will be available for use in 2025.