Churchill Downs

Home to “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” - The Kentucky Derby, CMTA began partnering with Churchill Downs in 2014 to transform the historic horse racing venue. Led by international sports architecture firm Populous, CMTA developed a Masterplan to capture the vision for the evolution of the entire race track campus and has since continuously been executing that vision with the construction of the new Starting Gates Suite Tower, Clubhouse Tower Renovation, West Campus Expansion, new Exterior Colonnade, Infield Gates, Equine Hospital, new Broadcast Center, and numerous other improvements.

Every project at Churchill Downs is a unique design experience with a focus on the fan experience.  With over 170,000 people attending the Run for The Roses, the designs at Churchill must create comfort and excitement. Architectural lighting, temperature control, audio/video, and technology systems all work to allow the building to host the unforgettable experience that captures the world’s attention the first week of May each year.

Public safety and security is paramount. CMTA implemented a complete rework of the existing fire alarm system, new access control and CCTV system, a new centralized Fire Command Center, and consolidation and replacement of emergency backup generators to improve critical infrastructure across the campus. Due to the extensive rework new utility service entrances and distribution for electric and natural gas were established that increased reliability, spare capacity, and opened up previously clustered Paddock for added event programming.