![]() In 2004, Louisville was selected as one of five cities in the United States to host the Dew Tour, an extreme sports franchise which started 2005. The venue was also home to the Fairgrounds Motor Speedway which hosted the ARCA Racing Series and ASA National Tour from 1961 to 1979 including long running races the International 500 and the Bluegrass 300. Past sporting events held at KEC include six NCAA final Fours, the minor league world series, and the Bluegrass Bowl, a failed attempt to start an annual college football bowl game. It is located adjacent to I-65 and the Henry Watterson Expressway, as well as the Louisville International Airport. KEC hosts a number of events, including the Kentucky State Fair, the North American International Livestock Exposition, the VEX Robotics World Championships and the National Farm Machinery Show. The site has 1,000 permanent horse stalls, 720 temporary stalls and capacity for livestock as well.įreedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center ![]() Broadbent Arena is also located within the complex and as has maximum capacity of 6,600. Freedom Hall is one of two on-site arenas, and provided 18,875 seats for the University of Louisville men's and women's basketball teams until they moved downtown to the new KFC Yum! Center for the 2010–11 season. Ĭardinal Stadium, formerly an on-site baseball/ football field with a capacity of up to 37,925, was home to the University of Louisville football and Louisville Redbirds minor league baseball teams. A majority of the 1.3 million square feet is contiguous. ft of Class A exhibit space, nearly 500 acres of outdoor planning space (on grass and concrete). KEC has two arenas ( Broadbent Arena and Freedom Hall), almost 700,000 sq. It is overseen by the Kentucky Venues and is the sixth largest facility of its type in the U.S., with 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m 2) of indoor space. The Kentucky Exposition Center ( KEC), is a large multi-use facility in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The project is expected to take anywhere from three to five years. They’ll present that plan to the Kentucky General Assembly later this fall.įrom there, demolition and construction could start as early as next fall. Planners are currently analyzing ideas and coming up with a more concrete plan for the project. It’s our largest, most prominent city, and it brings so many services and opportunities well beyond the geographic confines of Jefferson County.” “For Kentucky to be strong, Louisville has to be strong. “It’s not called the Louisville Fair and Exposition Center, it’s called the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, and it is something that is for all Kentucky and always has been ever since it’s been built,” said Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (R). State leaders announced a $180 million contribution Tuesday as planners laid out ideas for the Expo Center expansion. They stress it would be good for the entire state, not just Louisville. State leaders say the expansion will benefit area hotels, restaurants and other businesses. The idea being the Kentucky Expo Center would become a regional hub that brings people in for tournaments from all over the United States. They also want to put in 12 full-size soccer fields, which could provide up to 24 youth-sized fields. Kentucky Venues expects to ask the state for about $400 million dollars total in funding over the next several years, and the group will work with stakeholders to try to match those dollars.īesides modernizing the facility throughout, planners also want to flip the layout and entrance to face Interstate 65. Kentucky Venues manages the Fair and Expo Center and wants the facility to once again compete with other states that are pouring in as much as $1 billion into their expo centers. “In a lot of our property, you’ll find rooms and buildings and exhibit areas that are 65 to 70 years old, so the need for upgrade and competition is important,” said Kentucky Venues President and CEO David Beck. Construction could begin as soon as next year.Planners hope to add a dozen full-size soccer fields to make the Expo Center a regional hub for tournaments.Facilities will be modernized and expanded.The Kentucky General Assembly is pledging $180 million in funding for the Kentucky Exposition Center Expansion.
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