Churchill Downs Inc., home of the Kentucky Derby, has selected Louisville-based Calhoun Construction Services to build Victory Run, a four-story structure estimated to cost between $280 million and $300 million.
The project will replace about 6,400 existing seats with a 7,800-seat structure that includes private suites, indoor and outdoor dining and covered seating. Victory Run is scheduled for the first lap of the i-mile racetrack, between the First Turn Club and Skye Terrace, which track officials say will offer sweeping views of the finish line and the 1,234.5-foot finish line.
Pending approval of incentives by Louisville and state agencies, including the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, construction is expected to begin after the 2026 Kentucky Derby on May 2 and be completed in time for the May 6, 2028 event. The deadline is considered firm, posing challenges for Calhoun, who has led several other construction projects at Churchill Downs over a dozen years. of years
“The project consists of the demolition and replacement of an existing seating area with new grandstands, suites and hospitality areas,” says Jeff Palmquist, Calhoun’s project executive. “Scheduling hurdles aside, the project presents its own challenges driven largely by the aggressive schedule.”
The site is adjacent to the active racetrack, requiring construction to continue without disrupting racing and daily operations. To minimize noise and interference, Calhoun plans to use double shifts.
“The first few months will be done at night under the lights,” says Palmquist. During non-racing periods, work will be shifted to daytime hours but will not start before 10am to accommodate horse training.
When racing resumes in the fall, construction will shift back to mostly nights, with a limited daytime crew handling deliveries and other low-impact tasks. Palmquist says extensive coordination will be required to maintain workforce continuity and business sequencing.
Logistics, he says, will pose the biggest challenge.
“The new building is located between two existing buildings and across from the racetrack,” says Palmquist. “Space is extremely limited. Foundation, steel, precast and concrete work will require carefully choreographed sequencing and ultimately access will be reduced to a single point of entry.”
All construction will be temporarily halted for the running of the 153rd Kentucky Derby in 2027, which will require the full demobilization of subcontractors and the restoration of the site to a safe and accessible condition for the public.
The second year of construction will echo the first, with alternating night and day work and continued coordination while the racetrack remains operational, Palmquist says.
Plans for Victory Run are moving forward despite a roughly $900 million pause in other construction projects at Churchill Downs, with officials citing fees and other economic impacts. Track spokesman Darren Rogers said the company had no comment on when or if those projects might resume.
