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Archive Louisville

Phase incomplete

Fifth Third Tower to JW Marriott

401 South 4th Street, Louisville, KY 40202

A rendering can change before a single brick moves. This one did, twice in three months, on a 26-story office tower downtown that is planned to become a hotel. There is nothing built to compare yet, so this entry is a marker.

What got built

Current photograph of Fifth Third Tower to JW Marriott in Louisville.
Photograph by Fredlyfish4, 2019-08-12. Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.

This photograph was verified against the project and published with recorded first-party, public-domain, or reusable-license rights. How the visual evidence works.

What changed

  • KennMar bought the 26-story former Brown & Williamson Tower at 401 South 4th Street in April 2023 for $9 million, after the building lost tenants including anchor Fifth Third Bank.
  • January 2026 renderings proposed 418 guest rooms, about 15,000 sq ft of meeting, event, and ballroom space, five restaurant concepts, a rooftop bar, and street-level retail.
  • A revised set of renderings was released in April 2026, roughly three months after the first set and before any confirmed construction start.
  • The project team targeted a 2027 opening. As of August 11, 2026, the sources reviewed did not confirm that construction had begun.

Why it changed

No public explanation has been given.

What is on the record

Coverage confirms a second round of renderings followed the January 2026 set. No source reviewed explains what specifically changed between the two sets, or why.

Details

Status
Partly delivered, still in design, or revised before construction.
Where
Louisville, KY
Neighborhood
Downtown
Developer
KennMar (owner) and Ghoman Group (hotel developer and operator)
Architect
Not identified in the sources reviewed
Rendering credit
Daniel Stadtmiller / Ghoman Group
The built result
Photographed by Fredlyfish4, 2019-08-12

Sources

  1. WDRB: renderings show proposed luxury hotel (Jan 29, 2026) wdrb.com
  2. WAVE 3: plans for Fifth Third Tower to become a JW Marriott wave3.com
  3. WAVE 3: new renderings released (Apr 29, 2026) wave3.com
  4. WHAS11: new renderings for the proposed hotel whas11.com

Research checked . Status and figures are updated when a source changes.

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