Churchill Downs has announced $9 million in renovations highlighted by
unveiled design plans and details for The Mansion at Churchill Downs, a
spectacular new venue that will meld the legendary past of the historic track
with an exciting future to provide a lavish ambience, panoramic views and
unprecedented levels of personalized service, elegance and excitement.
The Mansion, which will be located on the sixth floor of the Clubhouse in an
area that has largely served as the track’s media center since 2005, will be
open for the 2013 renewals of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. It is the
largest of four projects that will be underway at the track in the coming
months. Accompanying projects include a new Media Center to serve print, digital
and broadcast journalists and the photographers and videographers who cover the
Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and other on-track events; the razing of the
Paddock Pavilion to create an open gathering space for patrons of the Derby,
Oaks, “Downs After Dark” racing and business and social events throughout the
year; and the relocation and expansion of the track’s Gold Room, which serves
VIP members of its Twin Spires Club’s TSC Elite wagering rewards program.
The Media Center and the new gathering space adjacent to the Paddock are
scheduled to be completed prior to Churchill Downs’ Fall Meet (October 28-
November 25), and the expanded Gold Room is set to open in August. The Mansion
at Churchill Downs will be completed prior to the 2013 Spring Meet and its 139th
runnings of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby scheduled, respectively, for
May 3 and 4.
“We’ve been hinting at details of The Mansion and those mentions have
generated considerable buzz in our community and the racing and sports
entertainment industries, so it’s good to provide some enticing details of a
marvelous venue that will take the Kentucky Derby experience to an extraordinary
new level,” said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs. “Few events in the
world can offer the experiences provided by the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky
Oaks, which combine entertainment, fashion, celebrity, food and fun with the
excitement generated by the world-class races that are their respective
centerpieces. The sensations experienced by our guests in The Mansion will be
unlike any offered in our 138-year history.”
The $9 million in spending on the four projects brings total investment over
the past decade in facilities by Churchill Downs, one of the world’s most
recognized sports venues that also ranks among Kentucky’s oldest businesses, to
more than $150 million. The investment total also includes the sweeping
renovation of the track’s Clubhouse and Grandstand, which was completed in 2005
with a final price tag of $122.4 million, and the purchase and installation of a
permanent lighting system for the main track and turf course, a $4 million
project completed in 2010.
“The four projects getting underway this summer at Churchill Downs are the
latest steps in an ongoing effort to improve and enhance both the facilities and
the customer experience at Churchill Downs,” Flanery said. “The more than $150
million in spending on facilities over the past decade at Churchill Downs has
been targeted toward that goal and represents a significant investment in our
city, state and region. We will continue those efforts to ensure that the
Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and their home track remain major economic engines
for our region for decades to come.”
Patrons will be delivered to The Mansion at Churchill Downs via private
elevator, and its doors will open onto a breathtaking venue that will evoke the
elegant feel and flow of a celebration at a stately home. Guests will stroll
onto a covered outdoor terrace where every conversation and victory toast will
be conducted against the astonishing, up-close backdrop of the venerable Twin
Spires, the symbolic heart and soul of Churchill Downs and the Derby since their
introduction in 1895.
The Mansion, with seating and exclusive entertainment opportunities for more
than 320 guests, will offer grand settings in its Dining Room, Living Room,
Library, Parlor and Veranda, along with more intimate gathering spaces in its
foyer and bar. Guests will have access to a private wine cellar, and personal
concierge service available to guests of The Mansion at Churchill Downs will
ensure an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks
experience.
Like other premium seating areas at Churchill Downs, The Mansion will be an
invitation-only venue for both the Derby and Oaks. Churchill Downs is contacting
potential patrons of The Mansion with details of the luxurious amenities and
extraordinary personalized service the new location will provide.
The new Media Center will be conveniently located near Churchill Downs’ Gate
1 entrance and Paddock in a building that has housed the track’s General
Offices. Its first floor will be transformed into an open facility outfitted
with comfortable media work stations, multiple large screen televisions,
enhanced Wi-Fi and other technology for digital coverage of major races and
events, and food service and bar facilities. The Media Center will feature a
dedicated area for press conferences, and several third-floor boxes have been
set aside for viewing of the Derby, Oaks and other races by credentialed media
representatives.
Offices currently located in the new Media Center site are relocating to the
building’s second floor, which formerly housed offices of Churchill Downs’
parent firm, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI). The corporate offices were recently
moved to CDI’s new headquarters at 600 North Hurstbourne Lane in Louisville.
The new Gold Room for Churchill Downs VIP players is located on the second
floor of the Clubhouse in a space that had previously been utilized as the
Champions Lounge. Previously located on the sixth floor of the Clubhouse, the
new Gold Room is a larger facility with additional seating. The facility has
been outfitted with new large-screen televisions, food and bar service and a
terrific vantage point for the viewing of pre-race activity in the Paddock
during the track’s Spring and Fall Meet. The new Gold Room will open in early
August.
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