Louisville's waterfront is a finalist for USA Today's top Riverwalk.

This is the last day to vote online.

The park wasn't always considered one of the best in the country.

In fact, it has come quite a long way in the past 20 years.

Inside, Louisville's Kelsey Starks explores the past present and future of Louisville's waterfront park.

I mean, Waterfront Park is the gateway to downtown.

It's the gateway to our commonwealth.

It is the first thing that you see if you're traveling in from many different directions of our of our downtown and people who won't come downtown will still come to Waterfront Park because they they don't consider it quite downtown.

So Waterfront Park is helped by downtown.

Downtown is helped by Waterfront Park.

And that is just crucial for downtown right now, which is continuing to struggle.

It is waterfront Park has done a tremendous thing for our city, for our downtown.

Before Waterfront Park was here and this was all just wasteland, environmentally contaminated land.

People wouldn't invest in downtown.

People would say, Why would you go down there?

Why would anybody go down there?

And with good reason.

Since Waterfront Park has has been constructed, we've seen a tremendous amount of economic prosperity in the surrounding area.

If you look at the slugger field, which was actually kind of part of this waterfront redevelopment is such a such a wonderful asset and amenity we have.

But you look at the the growth on whiskey Row and the Yum Center, which wouldn't be here if this was still a pilot job.

Right.

And the soccer stadium, the Botanical Garden.

So there's been so much spinoff positive effect.

And then add to that, we have created this beautiful space where people can get to the river, and that's what people really want to do.

People are just innately drawn to water and waterfront Park creates this beautiful space that allows people to enjoy that and a lot of different ways.

Whether you come down for an event or listen to some music, come down for a food festival or a beer festival, or you just want to take a serene walk on the river, walk a quiet walk, you can do that and so many different experiences you can have here in the park.

And then add to that all of the events that we have in the park that draw such a big crowd of people from all over the region.

It actually we are the most visited destination in downtown Louisville.

You can see the full conversation and look at phase four, the newest development underway by watching it online on demand at k, dot 0rg, and you can look for new episodes of Inside Louisville, Sundays at 12 noon Eastern, 11 a.m. Central on K, e, T, and don't forget to go to USA Today online and vote for Waterfront Park.