Nov 18, 2016, 7:13am EST
Churchill Downs Racetrack plans to spend $37 million to build a three-story addition that will add 1,800 seats in luxury suites, dining areas and a third-floor grandstand.
The 77,250-square foot Starting Gate Suites will be at the north end of the racetrack, next to the Jockey Club Suites.
The project will add as many as 36 luxury suites with indoor lounge seating and a private tiered balcony. It will have capacity for 1,140 people.
Each of the three levels in the addition will have event space with dining tables with room for 576 seats. The project also will include the construction of 110 third-floor grandstand seats.
“The Starting Gates Suites project is our next step in the company’s ongoing efforts to improve and enhance the facilities and the customer experience at Churchill Downs,” Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack, said in a news release. “The demand for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks tickets remains extraordinary, with the number of reserved seating requests vastly exceeding our available inventory on an annual basis.”
Churchill Downs is the flagship racetrack of Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc. (Nasdaq: CHDN).
Carolyn Tribble Greer manages digital operations of the news department.