Q1: 2025 — J. Richard Hill & Co. News
Red River Gorge: Update
I’ve been spending a lot of time working on a project for a client in Red River Gorge. The place is amazing with its dense forests, steep cliffs, and beautiful natural arches. We're planning a luxury resort, complete with a spa, wellness center, gourmet dining, event lawn, event barn, and between 50 to 100 rooms.
This week I toured the area with a well-known resort developer from the Southeast. Thanks to my brother David, a chain saw, and a new ATV we covered most of the 888-acres.
I love showing off my state at places like the Coolmore-Ashford horse farm, Woodford Reserve Distillery, Keeneland Thoroughbred Racetrack, and Lexington.
Dubai Project
A client I’ve known for years called me a few weeks ago with one of those dream development sites that he wanted to pursue in a competitive bid process. He asked me to organize a development team, create a concept, estimate costs and revenue, and put together a compelling marketing package. I organized the team and completed the package in a little more than a week by working through offices in Dubai, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and all coordinated in my home in Bardstown, Kentucky.
How did I get this done?
I reached out to Gensler, the world’s largest architectural firm and we set up a 24-hour workflow to capitalize on their offices from around the world—Dubai being 8 hours ahead of me and LA 3 hours behind. But that did not squeeze in enough hours to meet the schedule, so the LA office assigned Grace to the team who worked in the Asian time zones, enabling us to complete three workdays within one day. Work from Asia started arriving at my home around 4-5 AM, then I discussed progress with Dubai 7:00 AM to 8 AM. I would do my heavy lifting up until noon and send content and directions to LA to start their day. I would continue coordinating with LA until 10 PM their time (1 PM my time).
It was a non-stop effort with people from 7-8 nationalities and one common goal.
I’d handicap the client’s chances of landing the development at 50/50, but he will be back with another one if not.
Bardstown’s New 3rd. & Broadway Park
Looking forward to the first spring of Bardstown’s 3rd. & Broadway Park. J. Richard Hill & Co, with the land planning firm Hart Howerton created the conceptual plan based on several community workshops I managed. David Haydon, a childhood classmate with the support of his family foundation made it happen.
It opened last fall and will be in full bloom soon.
Gatherings at Parker Breaks Ground
I am serving as the retail director for a 15-acre, $70 million development in Parker, Colorado. The project will be anchored by a 45,000-square-foot, 750-seat Life.Church, a 30,000-square-foot Chicken N Pickle, and 26,000 square feet of shops and cafés surrounding a 1.5-acre village green. Site work started recently.
Look for updates on these projects—and several more on the horizon—in my next newsletter.
