We chat about improvements coming to Churchill Downs on this week's Access Louisville podcast.
Those going to the Kentucky Derby this year will notice the swanky new Homestretch Club, a luxury seating section right by the track. There's also new stadium style seating that replaces many of the old trackside bleachers. These improvements are in place now but there is more on the horizon, including an up to $200 million renovation of the Paddock area coming soon.
After that we talk about the closure of the Village 8 movie theater in Louisville. It'll give its last showing during a $2 Tuesday in July.   
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts and more. 

Seema Sheth, senior vice president and regional executive of The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Louisville Branch, joins the Access Louisville podcast this week.
Sheth, a Louisville native, took on the role in December. Hosts David A. Mann and Haley Cawthon discuss with Sheth the importance of economic education, which is often overlooked. 
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

We've got a lot of new restaurants to talk about on this week's Access Louisville podcast.
Two of them are salad joints, with Green District and Vinaigrette both adding locations in Louisville. But if salad is not you're thing, that's OK too. We also have news on a new cheese shop, Watch Hill Proper bourbon club, a pool hall coming to the former Diamonds Pub location and much more. 
After the restaurant discussion, we chat about some retail developments, including a new shop at the Bluegrass Outlet Shoppes. And we talk about Bourbon & Beyond's big lineup reveal. 
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services. 

There's no doubt that history is important to many Louisvillians and it's often the subject of debate when it comes to new development.
We chat about that on this week's episode of the Access Louisville podcast.
We've gotten a little taste of this debate in the last few months, with the Dream Hotel project proposed on West Main Street. Fortunately, the developers and those wanting to preserve the character of Main Street were able to come to an agreement on this one — though there are still a few more approvals to go before work gets started.
After the preservation talk, we chat about a new construction project from Baptist Health Louisville, a recent layoff announcement from McKesson and the sad news of Hadley Pottery closing. 
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on most popular podcast services. 

UofL Health is building a new seven story tower in Downtown Louisville. We talk about this new development on this week's Access Louisville podcast.
This will be the first new tower in Downtown Louisville for some time. And it's substantial because it follows a string of recent health care investment announcements.
Later in the show we talk about plans for a Janet Jackson concert on Derby night in Louisville. And then we switch gears to talk about a new location for fast food joint Jaggers in East Louisville.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services. 

For fans of University of Louisville men's basketball, the last season may have been forgettable. But last week was most certainly memorable, as the program ushered  in a new era with the hiring of coach Kenny Payne.

On this week's Access Louisville podcast, LBF reporter Laurel Deppen talks about this hire after attending the news conference where he was officially introduced. Reporter Michael L. Jones and Editor Jason Thomas give us their take as well.

Of course, this big hire comes as March Madness is still underway, which gives us more basketball to talk about. This year will be a bit lacking for fans in the area because Louisville failed to make the tournament and the University of Kentucky and Indiana University were defeated in the first round. 

After the basketball talk we turn our attention to Opportunity Louisville — a special report on the economic issues and opportunities facing the city. 

Breeze Airways announced a new nonstop flight from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) this week. 
It's been a long-sought destination for the region because of Silicon Valley. The new direct flight comes after American Airlines announced nonstop service to Boston — another highly-coveted tech and health care hub — in December. Direct flights to Austin, Texas, also started last year.
So what more could we ask for? Well, Seattle, for one. 
We talk about the new flight, as well as Heine Brothers' plans to remodel a handful of storefronts and Louder Than Life's lineup in the latest episode of the "Access Louisville" podcast. 
This week's episode is a little different, as our regular host David Mann has been out on vacation. Never fear, he'll be back next week!

There's soon gonna be something new to eat in Louisville.
Jack in the Box, a San Diego-based fast food joint, has announced plans to open up at a former Steak n' Shake location in Louisville. We talk about where it's going and why people are excited about it on this week's Access Louisville podcast.
Later in the show, we chat about a couple of properties along Bardstown Road in the Highlands, which recently sold.  This includes the building that housed Guitar Emporium, a well-known shop for local musicians.
And lastly we chat about Louisville Business First's Power 50. This list includes the 50 most powerful people in town. We go over a few legacy and new members on the list and chat about a few issues we'd like to see this group take on locally.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services. 

When you talk about housing in Louisville it tends to trigger debates.
Lots of people agree that Louisville needs more affordable housing. And market-rate and luxury housing fetches plenty of interest too.
But, frequently, when a developer proposes a new housing development, be it single family homes or apartments, the reaction is negative. That's particularly true with the 'not-in-my-backyard' set who seem to be always concerned with traffic, parking and flooding issues.
We get into all of the above on this week's Access Louisville podcast, focusing on two housing proposals — one in St. Matthews and another in Windy Hills — which have both sparked debate about what's needed in town.
After that we talk about Norton Healthcare and Goodwill Industry's huge $100 million West Louisville investment. And finally we wrap things up with news of a cyber attack against Norton Healthcare.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on most popular podcast services. 

Humana Inc. has released its latest plan to return workers to its offices in Downtown Louisville. Getting Humana workers back Downtown should be a boon for neighborhood restaurants and shops as it's expected to bring a number of people back.
We chat about that plan on the Access Louisville podcast this week. We also talk about the idea of coming back to the office. We've got some different opinions about the value of being in person vrs. working remotely. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, we determine.
Lastly, we talk about the latest with Louisville's startup scene including a $16 million capital raise for Louisville-based firm Virtual Peaker. 
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services.