After 26 years of being the only European-style race course in North America, Kentucky Downs owners and management have decided to upgrade the Franklin attraction. 

The construction project plans to make dramatic changes to the facility through expansion and renovations of the exterior and interior designs to create something more grand than what is currently there, said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs senior vice president and general manager. 

“This is a 26-year-old building and like a 26-year-old home, you want to update it to a point that you feel happy about it,” Nicholson said. “The outside look is going to change dramatically. Currently it looks like a red brick colonial barn almost … but it’s going to have a lot more lights (and) it will look more like a gaming facility.”

In fact, the facility touts its “Las Vegas-style gaming” on a billboard along Interstate 65 north in Tennessee. The track has parimutuel betting, bingo and hundreds of instant racing machines, as well as live racing in the fall.

Nicholson said they are still working with the architects to finalize designs, but he said they plan to knock down walls and make the building a more open environment. He said there will be glass enclosing the entire back of the building that faces the race track and a circular bar that will host a permanent stage for music adjacent to the bar. With the new open space, customers will see the glass-enclosed area when they walk through the door. 

Renovations started about a month ago and are estimated to cost around $4 million. The hope is to complete the majority of the project by the start of the live race meet, which is Sept. 3, 8, 10, 11 and 15. If the project isn’t complete by then, renovations will continue after the last live race. 

Dan Ware, Director of the Simpson County Tourism Commission, said Kentucky Downs probably has the biggest economic impact compared to any other attraction in the area. He said the estimated annual impacted amount of the racing and gaming facility in Simpson County is $45 million.

“It’s probably our biggest tourism draw, both to the racing and to the gaming, that has the most daily visits of any of our attractions. Those people that come also spend money on restaurant meals and shopping and all that circulates into the local economy,” Ware said. 

Nicholson said the renovations are going to create an overall different kind of look that’s hard to describe. 

“I hope it attracts more customers. I hope that it makes the customers that have been supporting us over the years excited that we’re putting money back into the facility and have enjoyable entertainment for years to come because it will be a nicer place to come,” Nicholson said. 

— Follow faith/general assignments reporter Simone C. Payne on Twitter @SimonePayne or visit bgdailynews.com.