John Megibben

Vice President

Messer Construction Co.

Hospitality, health care, education and residential construction are driving the construction industry forward in Louisville, says Megibben, who sees no signs of business slowing down anytime soon.

Megibben points to the impact of health care in contributing to growth, citing two new projects: the University of Louisville’s Health Sciences Simulation Center and Collaboration Hub and the Norton Pediatric Village.

Messer is construction manager for the $280-million collaboration hub intended to bolster the university’s capacity for health care education. The seven-story structure is planned for the university’s Health Sciences Center in downtown Louisville. It will double the size of the nursing class, provide a collaborative space where health care professionals, students, researchers and educators can train together and foster interprofessional learning.

Downtown Louisville is the center point of efforts by the nonprofit Louisville Downtown Partnership to revitalize the city and create an economic catalyst that will benefit the entire metropolitan area.

In 2024, the partnership released its 10-year vision for the downtown area that outlines three core initiatives for maintaining the vitality of the zone. They are: Activate Downtown by reinforcing and supporting downtown’s districts and expanding attractions; Reinforce Downtown as a residential neighborhood by advocating for conversion incentives to develop residential opportunities and amenities in and at the edges of downtown; and Enhance the Public Realm by creating strategic placemaking initiatives, prioritizing pedestrian-friendly streets and activating and connecting underutilized spaces.

Outside of the downtown, Norton Children’s, a pediatric health care system based in Louisville, announced plans in June to build a multimillion-dollar pediatric care campus that will include a full-service hospital for children with complex medical needs. The hospital will include research facilities and expanded specialty services.

Messer Construction is expanding the Home of the Innocents, a Louisville-based nonprofit caring for medically fragile youth and young adults.
Photo courtesy of Messer Construction Co.

The new campus will be located on more than 150 acres near the intersection of Interstates 64 and 265 in Jefferson County. The site will be developed in phases, beginning with construction of the full-service pediatric hospital. Future plans include behavioral and mental health care.

Another large, recent project is the $460-million expansion and renovation of the Kentucky Exposition Center. The first phase of the job will deliver a 350,000-sq-ft multipurpose facility that is designed to host livestock competitions, equine events, sporting tournaments, trade shows and conventions.

“Companies are recognizing Louisville’s thriving economy, and it’s attracting national talent across all industries.”

—John Megibben, Vice President, Messer Construction Co.

The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) expects to see more than $1 billion of investment as part of the SDF Next Program, which covers ongoing capital improvement efforts for both the terminal and airfield.

While these projects indicate an active construction scene, challenges abound, including labor shortages, higher costs and elevated interest rates.

“The labor shortage will always be a factor,” Megibben says. “We see more engineering, trades and support services coming to Louisville in the future. Companies are recognizing Louisville’s thriving economy, and it’s attracting national talent across all industries.”

Megibben says owners’ budgets haven’t necessarily adjusted to the reality of increasing costs.

“That’s why we advocate for customers to engage their construction partner early on,” he says. “And why it’s important from a capacity standpoint to have a strong network of high-quality subcontractors and our own talented self-performance team.”