Images: Churchill Downs Incorporated
Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has unveiled the latest renovation scheme for Churchill Downs Racetrack which will serve to enhance the offering of the main grandstand for the home of the Kentucky Derby.
CDI said the circa $80m (£62.2m/€73.7m) to $90m investment will update ticketed seating options while significantly improving and adding to the amenities available for all guests in the grandstand area. Construction on the Grandstand Club and Pavilion is scheduled to begin next month with completion planned in time for the 151st Kentucky Derby in May 2025.
The renovation of the Grandstand Club will transform existing outdoor aluminium bleachers into a combination of 8,300 new seating varieties. Updated seating options will include covered and uncovered stadium-style seats as well as rail boxes along the dirt track’s outer rail that will offer a ‘trackside’ seating experience where guests will be able to closely watch horses break from the starting gate. First-floor amenities for the Grandstand Club will include new and upgraded permanent concessions, bars and wagering windows.
The project will also considerably improve and add amenities for 2,800 guests in the existing third floor box seats under the Starting Gate Suites. CDI said the Grandstand Pavilion will create a “more upscale social environment” by converting the existing second-floor amenity area into a covered outdoor garden environment with new concessions, bars and wagering windows.
Expansion to the second floor will create additional space for overall guest circulation and add an outdoor balcony for added dining seats. A new “stately entrance” to the Grandstand Pavilion will seek to unify the surrounding exterior architecture.
Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs, said: “Like all of our recent enhancements at Churchill Downs, the renovation of the grandstands represents our commitment to providing unique guest seating options while honouring the historic significance of the property in order to achieve a world class sports and entertainment experience for our guests.”
CDI has invested a reported $400m over the past four years as part of a range of upgrades at Churchill Downs. In July 2021, CDI detailed three major multi-year transformation projects amid plans to enhance the fan experience at the venue.
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