A MAN OF ACTION MATT MEUNIER CREATES AN ATMOSPHERE OF SUCCESS FOR JEFFERSONTOWN Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
In 1992, Matt Meunier and his family moved to Louisville and bought their first home in Jeffersontown. It didn’t take long for them to fall in love with the vibrancy of Jeffersontown. Fortuitously, Meunier lived just down the street from the previous Mayor Foreman at the time.
design and project management as well as an ability to bring these elements together in a working environment to better serve the needs of the City. Meunier formed a steering committee for the Renaissance on Main Program and partnered with the University of Kentucky School of Design/Architecture to craft the Historic Gaslight Square District Master Plan, ‘Places to Grow, Envision Jeffersontown’ that started the initiatives for the historical district and contributed to the recent growth in downtown Jeffersontown.
downtown and see opportunities. But shaping a community-driven vision takes a lot of effort and has a lot of moving parts because we were working with a downtown that’s made up of multiple property owners and various businesses.”
One example that grew from these efforts was the Taylorsville Road Streetscape Plan, a 100% federally funded project, “Mayor Foreman was hoping to build upon which built new sidewalks and installed the success of Mayor Ruckriegel, who he decorative street lights that created a replaced in 2001, by shaping a bolder vision visual runway effect as you enter our great for the city to move towards,” explains city. A cornerstone of this project was the Meunier, who back then owned his own unique design of the steel gateway arches planning and engineering consulting firm. But it’s not just his opinion that matters. He identifying the Historic Gaslight Square In September 2003, Meunier joined the has convened a number of community focus District of downtown Jeffersontown. City as Director of Planning and Design, groups to get the perspective of various a position that was integral in promoting populations, including senior citizens, “These archways let people know that they the growth and vision of the city. He’s now students and local businesses. In doing are arriving at someplace other than where been with the City of Jeffersontown for the so, he has found that the public was eager they been,” Meunier adds. past 16 years and is currently the Director to welcome shops, restaurants and some of Community Development. He’s also nightlife. In order to attract these types of It’s also the little details that matter such assistant to Mayor Bill Dieruf. uses, it was important to enhance the public as the historical timeline and facts about spaces along the streets including better Jeffersontown that are etched into the In his previous role, he worked with a sidewalks, lighting and visual effects to glass on the Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello team to develop the City’s first full Land create a unique sense of place. inspired facades located on the town square Development Code whereby Jeffersontown to the limestone tablets in the sidewalks was able to manage all the development “That was the jumping-off point from sharing famous quotes of past community activity within the City. This created which to build upon the past successes and leaders and interesting facts about the City. It tremendous opportunity to craft a vision growing a vibrant downtown community creates a destination and reinforces the ‘sense for the community as well as gain the — creating arts and cultural opportunities, of place’ that is important to a community. necessary controls to see that it is achieved. including entertainment, restaurants and With his technical expertise, he brought shops,” Meunier says. “To me, seeing an idea “They say every city gets its heartbeat from experience in stormwater drainage, roadway or vision comes naturally. I walk through its downtown,” Meunier says. “That’s the best 26 / JEFFERSONTOWN MAGAZINE / MAY 2020 / JeffersontownMag.com
