Omni Louisville Hotel pickleball project moves forward despite concerns

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A plan to bring pickleball to downtown Louisville is moving forward — but not without debate.

A new filing tied to the Omni Louisville Hotel is pushing a $12 million entertainment venue one step closer to reality. According to our partners at Louisville Business First, the hotel submitted a request Friday to move ahead with a wrecking permit, a key step toward clearing the 146-year-old structure and making way for the project.

Plans for the site include an "urban recreation" destination featuring eight pickleball courts — split between indoor and outdoor play — along with a restaurant, bar and social gathering spaces aimed at both visitors and locals.

If approved, the development would take about two and a half years to open following demolition. But the project is far from a done deal.

City planners have already raised concerns, previously recommending the demolition request be denied. In their review, officials said the proposal falls short of development guidelines and questioned whether a pickleball-focused venue fits downtown's character.

Now, the decision rests with the Metro Downtown Development Review Overlay Committee, which will have the final say on whether the building can be torn down. A vote hasn't yet been scheduled.

The work would involve razing the 1800s Odd Fellows building — a longstanding and controversial part of Metro government’s original deal with Omni from 2014. The site has been at the center of a years-long fight between developers and preservationists, and, although a 2025 Kentucky Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for demolition, opposition hasn't stopped.