Four-Year Series Of Frontside/Infield Projects To Be Churchill's 'Largest Expansion To Date'

Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), said during a quarterly earnings conference call Thursday that the gaming company will embark upon a series of frontside and infield projects at Churchill Downs that will increase premium seating by 20% at the corporation's flagship racetrack in Louisville, representing “the largest expansion we have done to date.”

The frontside redevelopment will be centered on the area starting 180 feet past the finish line through to the First Turn Club, and will require the demolition of the existing Skye Terrace structure, Carstanjen said.

CDI is considering building a new tunnel to give access to the new infield amenities, although that part of the plan is not fully fleshed out yet, Carstanjen said.

Carstanjen did not disclose the costs for the projects. He added that CDI would provide additional details at the corporation's next quarterly earnings call in early 2025.

“The finish line/first turn projects, on the one hand, and the infield projects on the other, will be worked on simultaneously in stages, with some areas ready for the [GI] Kentucky Derby in 2026, and the remaining areas opening for the Derby in 2027 and 2028,” Carstanjen said.

Regarding the frontside development, Carstanjen said, “The scope of this project covers approximately 500 feet of racetrack frontage, starting with the Skye Terrace structure, which we will take down and replace with a new building, and extending through the box seats adjacent to the First Turn Club. To put this further into perspective, the First Turn Club has approximately 330 feet of track frontage.

“These projects will replace over 10,000 existing seats that currently consist of uncovered box seats and dated dining areas with approximately 16,000 seats representing a variety of premium hospitality experiences. This is a considerable undertaking, and will meaningfully increase the number of reserved seats and experiential options at various price points on the frontside of the racetrack,” Carstanjen said.

“We are also designing a series of new infield experiences that will, in part, convert the current temporary infield structures, where we seat approximately 800 guests, with permanent premium structures providing hospitality for approximately 7,000,” Carstanjen said.

“Accomplishing this requires a new ingress and egress option for our guests to reach the infield,” Carstanjen said. “Hence, we are exploring a novel additional tunnel between the frontside and infield that will be part of the overall experience as guests arrive to a reimagined [GI Kentucky] Oaks and Derby infield.”