The second-level Clubhouse area at Churchill Downs has undergone a $16M transformation that has "turned a large and somewhat shabby space into vibrant, welcoming quarters," according to Sheldon Shafer of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. Churchill Downs Racetrack GM Ryan Jordan said that a "few final touches remain," but the "revamped sector at the top of the escalators just off Gate 17" was open to all track-goers yesterday. He said that it will also be open for the "track's spring racing season" on April 29. Jordan: "We have a lot more amenities. We have doubled the number of restrooms, increased the number of wagering locations and added significantly more concession stations. We have reconfigured the food court area with wider aisles for better circulation and flow. So we should have shorter lines, and people should get their food much, much quicker." Shafer noted much of the work is "cosmetic -- and has greatly spiffed up the premises." Track officials said that the modernization has "encompassed most of the 95,000-square-foot Clubhouse area and was designed to improve the track experience for the roughly 13,000 guests that typically enter the space on Oaks or Derby Day" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 4/5).
