The Church of the Nazarene and the United Church Pentecostal International have signed on to bring conventions to downtown Louisville because of the new arena, according to the long-awaited announcement made today by Gov. Steve Beshear and Mayor Jerry Abramson in Frankfort.
The other announcement was that Metro Louisville is getting a $3 million grant to use to make improvements on Second Street between Main and River Road. It’ll pay for traffic intersections, sidewalks, accessibility/mobility, landscaping, lighting, architectural enhancement, utilities and creations for a public gathering space.
According to the release, the two national church conventions, which start in 2011 and 2013, have a $10 million potential impact on the local economy. The Nazarene event will bring 12,000 guest in July 2011, and the second church event will bring 13,000 in 2013.
Both Beshear and Abramson said it was the start of more to come. Here’s Hizzoner’s canned quote:
“We are pleased that the Church of the Nazarene and United Pentecostal Church International said “yes” to Louisville and, with the package we now have to offer, we look forward to more convention announcements in coming months.”
25 responses so far ↓
1 James // Aug 7, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I sure am glad Mayor Jerry spent half his day driving to and from Frankfor for this announcement. Why did they even need a press conference to announce something like this? Wouldn’t a press release do the trick?
2 syvyn11 // Aug 7, 2009 at 3:01 pm
You’re right James, a press release would have been enough. But this serves a double purpose having Jerry and Steve do it together. 1. that they are a team, just like Bill Clinton and Al Gore. And 2, they can show people of faith (people which the owners of this web site hate with passion) that they are not hostle to the religious community at large.
And Rick, why do you hate people of faith. I admit some are lousy people, but a good majority are just like you and me, just trying to find their way in the world.
3 jake // Aug 7, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Enough with the goddamn personal attacks.
Someone doesn’t subscribe to Christianity so they’re automatically a religion-hater?
Bullshit.
And borderline anti-Semitic, considering that I’m borne of Jewish blood and am deeply faithful.
4 402kid // Aug 7, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I have a feeling Louisvillians are going to be spending alot of tax money on the Govenor’s race to keep these two cheesecakes together. Wait till they make the announcement in Frankfort that the Derby will be held the first Saturday in May.
5 jake // Aug 7, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Indeed. Mayor McCheese is hot for spending our tax dollars to benefit himself.
6 Joe Pierce // Aug 7, 2009 at 4:48 pm
$3 Million bucks for landscaping and sidewalks for one measly block? Must be planning to hire the same crew that did the $1M renovation for Cordish on the Sports and Social Club?
7 davidrc // Aug 7, 2009 at 4:55 pm
“Enough with the goddamn personal attacks.”
You can dish it out, but you sure can’t take it. Now you know how it feels.
8 Mark C. H. // Aug 7, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Wake me when we get a SummerSlam or Great American Bash…
9 Garlic Oasis // Aug 7, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Bringing those two groups to Louisville will probably be good for the downtown titty-bars, gay dancefloors, and drag shows, once the old men get their little women off to bed.
10 derby city espresso // Aug 7, 2009 at 6:39 pm
definery good for the folks on 4th St. Live
11 derby city espresso // Aug 7, 2009 at 6:48 pm
my bad spelling error I meant to say – definitely good
12 Rico // Aug 7, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Having worked in the Louisville Convention Industry I learned it’s better to have 1500 Chain Saw Salesman on expense account than 12,000 church members.
Church groups can actually hurt some industries. They take up all the hotel rooms but they don’t buy plane tickets, don’t rent cars, don’t go to restaurants or enjoy the adult entertainment
13 Jeff // Aug 7, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Woo Hoo! Thousands of regressive Christian fascists! What exactly is the definition of ” blood money”? And Rico is right – this particular demographic does not spend much money.
14 James // Aug 7, 2009 at 7:56 pm
If they just fill up some hotels its great for the city. There is no reason to complain about the conventions, I just think its irresponsible for Mayor Jerry to spend half his day announcing it. Basically he and Stevie were campaigning on the city and states tit.
15 Mark H (Not Hebert) // Aug 7, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Under the current “do what we say, not what we do” administration (Gulfstreams and Social Security Department Retreatas), being seen as a non-debaucherous city may end up getting us more of those lucrative chainsaw salesman retreats.
16 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Aug 7, 2009 at 10:00 pm
If people from any of these church groups engage in any harassment of Louisvillians going about their business, they will be dealt with.
17 Will // Aug 8, 2009 at 3:03 am
Protests at the women’s clinic on Market are already scary enough. The last thing we need is another 12,000 bible-thumping snake handlers lurking next door.
18 syvyn11 // Aug 8, 2009 at 4:34 am
Jake, sorry if you were offended, not my intent. My best friend is Jewish (I know, it sounds like a cop out), and I think she would be ashamed of me if I deliberatly insulted anyone of her faith for their faith in Judism. But that’s not what I did.
What I did was question that either you or Rick have a deep resentment against religon in the public square. You can see it in your posts about the subject.
Now granted, a press release would have been just fine instead of Jerry wasting his day after a disaster like the rains. Were stuck with the Jerry and Steve show for the coming months.
And I used to work at Kentucky Kingdom during some religous conventions in the past. And some of those attendees were very rude to me any my co-worker. But they are not a majority of them.
19 Dan B // Aug 8, 2009 at 8:16 am
Steve, it’s not the church groups you have to worry about. It’s Obama calling out his union thugs at the town hall meetings about healthcare.
20 The Editor // Aug 8, 2009 at 10:04 am
What passes for political comments and commentary these days invariably puts me in mind of 4th grade recess, except that most 4th graders are more insightful.
21 rusalty // Aug 8, 2009 at 6:57 pm
With the half-ass work being done on the arena it will need all the holy rollers it can hold.GOD BLESS THE UNIONS
22 briansmith // Aug 9, 2009 at 12:52 pm
There’s nothing hookers like better than religious conventions, no matter the denomination.
23 Joe Watson // Aug 9, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Magruder, are you saying that you’re actually going to do something. Its hard to believe coming from a liberal. That really means ie. that someone else does your dirty work right?
24 Sirico // Aug 10, 2009 at 12:45 am
JW, are you trying to apply for the job? lol!
25 Cantinflas // Aug 10, 2009 at 9:26 am
That’s how we Holy Roll.
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