Business View Civil & Municipal - May 2023

66 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5 So, we’re excited,” he relays. Shepherdsville is not lacking in recreational opportunities, with beautiful hiking and biking trails like Floyds Fork and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and a variety of green spaces and parks to choose from. “The city is also 10 minutes from the Bernheim Forest, a source of hiking and outdoor exploration, and is home to Heritage Hill public golf course, one of the best in the state. As for tourism, Cubero says, “We have some beautiful wineries here in our county, and a lot of tourism is centered around the bourbon industry. We’ve got a bourbon experience here that is second to nobody. The history of it alone is something to enjoy. We are also a part of the Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby each year, as a lot of the surrounding areas of Louisville celebrate that big event,” he adds. Infrastructure improvements are ongoing in Shepherdsville, and connectivity is top of mind. According to Cubero, the first order of business is sidewalks, which the city lacks. Along with that, improvements to trails and bike paths will further connect the community and encourage active transportation. Along with that, the city is working to combat drainage, which is a serious issue considering 65% of the community is in a floodplain. “Anything construction-wise, has to be raised in order to actually meet FEMA standards,” says Cubero. “We know that we have to be creative in what we build, so it’s sustainable.” Traffic congestion is another concern, and the goal is to build a second bridge over the Salt River to help navigate this. Cubero elaborates, “State Road 61 is the only artery to get out of the city that’s not 30 minutes away, either east or west when traffic hits I-65. It’s not only bad for interstate traffic, but it locks the city up. We need that connectivity so that we have another outlet to be able to move traffic when something happens on the interstate.” Some creative solutions in terms of traffic patterns will also help to keep the industrial areas of the city moving, without disruption to the daily life of the community. Increased housing inventory is also a must as the city moves forward, with a focus on diverse options for young families to grow into. As for what comes next, Mayor Cubero remarks that potential businesses are already seeing the public investment in the city and noticing the potential. Highlighting the steady focus on the quality of life improvements and small business attraction, he concludes “What we’ve learned is, a lot of people are moving away from the bigger cities. They get better value living 20 minutes away from the big city. We believe that the growth is going to be out there, and in the next 10 years we could easily double in size because we are going to be that family-friendly community.” PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n QK4, Inc. www.qk4.com