New Partnership with LOUMED
Mid-March, Block by Block (BBB) began a partnership with Louisville Medical and Education District (LOUMED for short), a new development district in Louisville, KY. Four anchor tenants in Downtown Louisville make up this district: University of Louisville, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Norton Healthcare and University of Louisville Health.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg with a LOUMED Ambassador
According to LOUMED Executive Director Nadareca Thibeaux, these partners want to “cultivate a cohesive medical campus by improving walkability, adding more greenspace, improving traffic flow and creating a safe and welcoming environment for all who visit, work and are educated here in [the] district.”
LOUMED is made up of 22 blocks, 250 acres and 9.6 million sq ft of occupied space. In this area of Louisville alone, more than 16,000 individuals are employed. With safety a primary concern in the district, LOUMED has hired 15 Ambassadors to cover the 22-block area. In addition to safety, these Ambassadors provide cleaning, wayfinding and hospitality services in the district.
Each of the new Ambassadors will also fulfill the following responsibilities in the district:
- Create a visible presence that makes visitors feel welcome and safe, and ensures situations can be handled appropriately.
- Discourage active aggressors as they report prohibited behaviors and crimes.
- Focus on Safety Risk Aversion and Quality of Life Issues. They will treat all individuals in the district with respect while keeping the area safe for all. Ambassadors will also be able to connect individuals in-need with helpful community resources.
- Direct, offer greetings and share historical information to visitors in the district.
- Respond to various needs like conveying parking information, repairing a tire, carrying boxes, escorting staff or even holding doors for visitors.
- Build community connections with business owners and stakeholders in the district.
During a press briefing in the LOUMED District on Thursday, May 18th, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg discussed the importance of these four tenants coming together to improve the area. In a post shared after the event, Greenberg said the new partnership with BBB “will enhance the experience of our public spaces for visitors, employees, students and patients!”
LOUMED’s new branded vehicle
In just three months, the BBB LOUMED Ambassador Team has already begun to make an impact in the district. After the press briefing was over, a Starbucks employee next door expressed excitement after learning that the Ambassadors were going to be a permanent staple in the district, claiming they have already made her feel safer as she arrives for and leaves work.
Since their first full month of service in April until now, LOUMED Ambassadors have made 236 hospitality assists, conducted 15 safety escorts and made over 16,000 greetings. So far this May, the Ambassador Team has filled 44 trash bags of litter collected off the street. Anyone in need of a safety escort in the LOUMED district can contact 502-791-1435.
LOUMED BBB Ambassadors have not only offered hospitality services, cleaning and safety escorts, but they have also assisted in removing a known criminal from the district streets. Monday evening this week, LOUMED Ambassadors were alerted that a person with outstanding warrants had been acting erratic and violent towards multiple female employees of district businesses. The man’s image was distributed to Ambassadors during shift briefings each day. On Wednesday morning, an Ambassador Team Lead successfully located the assailant and reported his whereabouts to police, ultimately leading to the man’s pickup and arrest.
BBB is proud of these Ambassadors who assisted the local police with finding this individual. This incident is further proof that BBB Ambassadors across the country are actively making communities safer for the people who live in, work in and visit them. As LOUMED continues to beautify and improve the district with new infrastructure, parks and more, BBB Ambassadors will be there every step of the way to make the community cleaner, friendlier and safer!
LOUMED Ambassador Team