LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Downtown Louisville looks different than it did just one year ago. A global pandemic and continued protests following the death of Breonna Taylor has left many storefronts closed.
The owners of Precision Printing, located in downtown Louisville since 1980, decided now was the time to pack up and head across the river to Clarksville.
Owner Timothy Gibson said it was a hard decision because of how much he loves the city, but slower foot traffic, other businesses closing and safety concerns caused him to leave.
"Very, that is why I hesitated for so many months because I love Lousiville. I've been always been downtown. It was a very hard decision," Gibson tells WHAS11.
GIbson and his partner had been in the same downtown location since 1980.
"So that made ended up putting me right here (Clarksville). Which it's close, but not the same as being in Louisville."
In a meeting on Wednesday about 2021 priorities, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and his team answered questions regarding revitalizing downtown, saying they want to help clean up the area and combat the city's homelessness problem. They're also working on increasing safety measures.
"For downtown, it has to be safe, and it has to have the perception of safe. So LMPD is stepping up patrols downtown, that is happening right away and that will happen in the new year," said Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, the Chief of Louisville Forward.
For business owners like Gibson, safety is a concern and he said it is also about protecting businesses.
"I'm sure he knows this, but I would prioritize the businesses because that is where your tax revenue comes from," Gibson said,
Mayor Fischer says downtowns across the country are hurting. He believes it's going to take a group effort to bring them back.