$47 million. That’s how much local philanthropist Christina Lee Brown is donating to the University of Louisville for its forthcoming New Vision of Health Campus downtown.
It’s the university’s largest donation to date — and Christina Lee Brown will donate $30 million over the course of 20 years to revitalize two buildings along West Muhammad Ali Boulevard at Fifth Street. The best part? The school won’t have to pay rent on the buildings, which equates to a $17 million-in-kind donation.
The buildings, which will provide 133,000 sqft of space plus an adjacent garden, will officially be called the “UofL Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute – New Vision of Health Campus.”
Inside, the institute will have specially-designed laboratories + offices for UofL’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute. Plus, it will focus on holistic health and community health equity with Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar leading its efforts.
Eventually, the school will use the space for public cooking classes, while the labs will study sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. And the school is moving quickly on it, as the project should be completed within the next 3 years.
This isn’t Christina Lee Brown’s first philanthropic rodeo by a long shot. She’s been a Louisville resident since 1968 and has been contributing to the community ever since.
Here are a handful of her previous local donations + philanthropic acts:
- $5 million to UofL for the establishment of the Envirome Institue in her name
- Financial supporter of the Louisville Story Program, which looks to amplify untold stories
- Received the One Square Mile Award by Kentucky Natural Lands Trust for her donations — which equal the cost of purchasing 640+ acres of land
- Commissioned a portrait alongside the Portland Museum of Louisville Educator Henrietta Helm for UofL’s Louisville Teacher Residency Program
