LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Churchill Downs will not have to pay any property taxes for the next 30 years.

Thursday night, Louisville Metro Council members approved an extension of the tax exemption that started back in 2005.

In October, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced it will spend $300 million on renovations , adding thousands of premium seats to the celebrated track.

Supporters of the Metro Council decision say eliminating the track’s property taxes is an investment in continued growth.

“This vote was much more about are we sending a message to the broader community,” Markus Winkler, (D) Metro Council District 17, said, “that Louisville is open for business and easy to do business with? Or, are we sending a message that we don’t want large companies here?”

From the city’s poi

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