City presents $28M South Mill grant, street and parks priorities in capital-improvement update

City staff presented a multi-year capital-improvement program update to the Louisville City Council on Sept. 9, detailing grant-funded transportation work, neighborhood street projects and park amenities expected over the next several years.

The most immediate funding news was a grant award for the South Mill Street project. City Engineer David Salmond told council staff had applied for a transportation block grant and was awarded $22,000,000; with the regional Council of Governments and FHWA approvals still pending, the full project is estimated at about $28,000,000. Salmond said the Texas Department of Transportation has agreed to provide transportation development credits for the city's 20% match, meaning “very little local money” should be required if the grant acceptance is finalized.

Why it matters: South Mill is a major corridor improvement that includes parking, landscaping, pedestrian lighting and street furniture and would extend prior improvements on South Mill to the project area. If accepted formally, council will later be asked to approve the grant acceptance and associated agreements.

Other transportation projects covered included Corporate Drive (segments 2–5). Salmond said segments 2 and 3 are roughly 75% complete, with an August 2026 estimated completion for the immediate piece; segments 4 and 5 were reported at about 50% complete and expected to finish December 2027. The presentation noted decorative bridge elements, bike lanes, wide sidewalks and landscape medians as part of the finished corridor.

Neighborhood street work was described as a mix of full reconstruction and more context‑sensitive fixes. Salmond described Mackenzie/Hembry Phase 1 design as complete but contingent on acquiring one uncooperative property owner; the city may pursue condemnation if negotiations fail. Phase 2 is under negotiations for professional services and would replace multiple streets with concrete curb and gutter where feasible and add sidewalks “where we can.” Northwest Old Towne design is complete; staff said neighborhood feedback prompted a less‑urban design (mill and overlay rather than curb-and-gutter) to preserve the neighborhood’s character. Northeast Old Town streets remain scheduled later in the bond program (not funded until 2029).

Parks projects discussed included the Heritage Prairie Park and trail boardwalk. Salmond and Stacy Anaya, director of parks and recreation, said preliminary design has been produced for a boardwalk around the water body east of Summit Avenue; the design is intended to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to decide whether the mitigation-area status will permit a boardwalk. Salmond said the Corps typically protects mitigation areas and “likes to leave it completely natural,” so the city’s design will seek a balance between preserving the mitigation function and adding a public amenity.

Staff asked councilmembers for feedback on level of detail and presentation cadence and said these project briefings will recur. No formal council action was taken during the workshop update.

Council next steps: staff will return with grant acceptance paperwork for South Mill Street if agreements with the COG and FHWA are finalized, and will bring design or bidding items for neighborhood projects as property acquisitions, designs or phasing are resolved.