The multimillion-dollar redevelopment initiative, named the “Paddock Project,” forms the final phase of a previously announced three-year capital investment plan for Churchill Downs Racetrack.
When the project makes its debut in May 2024, the existing Paddock area will be transformed. CDI is looking to offer visitors’ a better view of the “iconic” Twin Spires, “streamline guest circulation paths” and update existing amenitites, among other things.
The redesign will expand the available guest space, increasing it from 5,000 to 12,000 square feet, and in turn more than double the Paddock area’s capacity.
Club spaces will be added, with premium club seating options to include dining tables, rail boxes and reserved racetrack viewing areas. In total, Churchill’s Paddock Project is expected to create 3,612 new premium reserved seats.
The project follows on from CDI’s $44.5m Homestretch Club initiative, which will debut this year during Kentucky Derby week, and the $89.2m Turn 1 Experience that will open for next year’s Kentucky Derby.
“This is one of the most significant construction projects in the history of Churchill Downs Racetrack because it significantly impacts what we consider to be the heart of the property,” said Bill Carstanjen, Churchill Downs’ CEO.
“We took great care to ensure this is designed in a way that would transform Churchill Downs while enhancing our ability to deliver on what our fans hope for and expect from us for generations to come.”
