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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Humana, the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in Kentucky, plans to vacate its iconic, 27-story headquarters building at 500 W. Main St. in a cost-cutting move, leaving a massive structure to fill in a downtown already struggling with a glut of empty office space.

The pink granite tower designed by the late, renowned architect Michael Graves, has been a symbol of Humana's homegrown roots since it was built about 40 years ago under the direction of the late Humana co-founder David A. Jones, a lifelong resident and champion of the city.

Just in November, the city unveiled a "Hometown Heroes" banner of Jones photographed in front of the gleaming tower in the 1980s.

But Humana, which ranks No. 42 on the Fortune 500 and brings in about $100 billion in revenue annually, no longer needs the building amid its embrace of hybrid and remote work. Exiting the tower will provide "significant cost savings," Humana told employees in an internal FAQ.

"We're constantly optimizing our real estate footprint, not just here in Louisville but around the country," Humana senior vice president Douglas Edwards told WDRB News on Monday.

The company will empty the tower over the next 18 months to two years, consolidating its Louisville headquarters into Humana's Waterside-Clocktower campus on the east side of downtown.

The connected Waterside and Clocktower buildings have about 40% more square footage than the tower at Fifth and Main streets, which was the main consideration in where to consolidate, a company spokesman said.

Edwards said roughly 2,500 of the company's estimated 10,000 Louisville-area employees are in the office on a typical work day, with their presence divided evenly between the iconic tower and the east downtown campus.

The Waterside-Clocktower campus has 3,725 workspaces, according to the Humana FAQ given to employees.

The plan ensures that Humana will have a singular location for Louisville-based employees to congregate.

"It's a very modern facility — open floor plans, lots of great workplace services — so that's the reason we decided to bring them together in that location," Edwards said.

Edwards said the company's savings will come in the form maintenance of the tower, capital expenditures no longer necessary to occupy it and some remediation costs that Humana has been shouldering to fix issues with the tower.

Last year, Humana sued the architectural, engineering and construction firms that were involved in the tower's construction from 1983-85, alleging that the company has incurred "significant costs" to fix "latent defects" with the tower that were not discovered until 2019.

On March 3, 2023, a day after the legal action was filed, Humana said the 27-story building was safe to occupy and that the company planned to rectify the defects to "ensure the building's sustainability for many years to come."

The lawsuit remains pending.

The announcement is in keeping with Humana's playbook over the last five years, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when the company embraced remote work.

Humana for decades has been the largest office tenant in downtown Louisville, but it's vacated 800,000 square feet of leased office space in the Central Business District, commercial agents have estimated. In 2022, it donated an entire office building the University of Louisville.

Humana doesn't know what's next for the tower.

"It's still too early for us to say ultimately what's going to happen to that building," Edwards said.

He said Humana would work closely with Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg in determining its best use.

In a statement Monday, Greenberg's spokesman said the city "appreciate(s) their (Humana's) continued commitment to our city as they make this transition."

"The Humana Tower is an iconic downtown building – in the heart of our city – and we view this as an opportunity for future growth," Kevin Trager said in the statement. "The mayor's office is looking forward to ongoing conversations with Humana and other partners about how this property's next chapter will continue to be an asset to our beautiful, vibrant downtown."

Humana officials said the announcement has no impact on Louisville-based employment, which still totals about 10,000 people and remains the largest geographic concentration of the company's 65,000 employees.

But the move will raise fresh doubts about the company's long-term commitment to the city.

As WDRB documented in 2022, many of Humana's top executives are based in a newer office outside Washington. And for the first time in company history, the CEO's job no longer requires living in Louisville, as CEO-in-waiting Jim Rechtin was given a choice of Louisville or the D.C. area when he was hired last year.

Asked about the company's future plans, Edwards said the Waterside-Clocktower space in Louisville "will be our headquarters." A Humana spokesman said Rechtin hasn't disclosed where he plans to live.

Edwards said the company's Washington-area space is "a key office just like many of our key offices around the country."

Downtown Louisville continues to struggle with a glut of vacant office space. The Humana building's 660,000 square feet (including the auxiliary space known as The Exchange) represents about 7% of the total space in the central business district.

And the company plans to vacate it in the same year that Louisville Gas & Electric will give up 14 floors in the building that bears its name, LG&E Center, three blocks away at 220 W. Main St.

"We have an iconic, internationally renowned building in our downtown. Figuring out what that reuse (is), is our opportunity — what it can become," said Rebecca Fleischaker, executive director of the Louisville Downtown Partnership. "We know that we need more residential development. We know we need more hotel development. Hopefully we could look at that as a reuse."

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No. 12 Louisville started February with a commanding 81-69 women's basketball win over No. 23 Syracuse on Thursday night, but it only gets tougher from here.

The Cardinals will be on the road two of their next three games, starting with a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, to play fifth-ranked N.C. State on Monday. The nationally televised contest is Louisville's first game this season on ESPN2.

Free trial:Watch Louisville women's basketball vs. N.C. State live on ESPN+

"(Wolfpack coach Wes Moore) has done a great job with that ballclub," Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. "They're playing at a high level right now."

Coming off a 63-59 win over No. 24 North Carolina, N.C. State has won four games in a row, is undefeated at home this season and is in third place in the ACC standings behind No. 18 Virginia Tech and the Cardinals. Louisville leads the all-time series, 8-7, against the Wolfpack, but N.C. State has won the last four meetings.

Last season, the Wolfpack defeated the Cardinals, 63-51, at the KFC Yum! Center. It was one of U of L's three home losses. Olivia Cochran had 11 rebounds for Louisville.

The Cardinals have won four of their last five, including three in a row. During conference play, the team has produced a +4.11 turnover margin, is shooting 37.6% from 3-point range and 50.3% from the field, all of which rank No. 1 in the ACC.

Here's how to watch the Cardinals and the Wolfpack:

Louisville vs. N.C. State women’s basketball start time

The Cardinals and Wolfpack are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. Monday at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum.

What channel is Louisville women’s basketball game vs. N.C. State on today?

The game will broadcast on ESPN2. Qualified subscribers can stream the game at espn.com/watch.

How to listen to Louisville vs. N.C. State women's basketball on the radio

Nick Curran (play-by-play) and Cortnee Walton (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM and WGTK 970 AM in Louisville).

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.

One stat best summarizes the inconsistency that has plagued Louisville men's basketball with Kenny Payne as its head coach.

The Cardinals (7-15, 2-9 ACC) have won back-to-back games only twice as we hit the home stretch of his second season at the helm.

They have a chance to make it three, and to secure their first conference winning streak of Payne's tenure, on the road tonight against Syracuse (14-8, 5-6).

Watch U of L basketball vs. Syracuse:Subscribe to ESPN+ today

Led by first-year head coach Adrian Autry, the Orange has lost two in a row and five of its past nine.

Syracuse began the week 87th (+9.33) on KenPom.com's adjusted efficiency rankings but sits among the bottom third of the ACC in points scored per 100 possessions (98, 14th) and points allowed per 100 possessions (108.6, 11th) during league play.

Judah Mintz is its player to watch. The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard entered the week tied for third in the conference in points per game (18.2) and assists (4.6). He and sophomore forward Maliq Brown combine to average 4.1 steals per contest, helping the Orange rank among the top 40 teams across Division I in turnovers forced (14.8).

A U of L win would be its first at Syracuse since Feb. 13, 2017.

Here's what you need to know to follow along from home:

Louisville basketball vs. Syracuse start time

U of L and Syracuse are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Louisville vs. Syracuse basketball betting odds, score prediction

Betting odds: Louisville is a 10-point underdog (-110) on DraftKings, which set the over-under at 153.5 points (-115).

Score prediction: KenPom gives the Cards a 15% chance of winning and projects a score of 81-69 in Syracuse's favor. Bart Torvik is also forecasting an Orange victory (88%), with a projected score of 82-69.

What channel is Louisville basketball vs. Syracuse on today?

The game between U of L and Syracuse will air on the ACC Network (AT&T U-Verse 610; DirecTV 612; Dish 402; Spectrum 524 and 937).

Doug Sherman (play-by-play) and Seth Greenberg (analyst) will be on the call.

If you don’t have cable, you can access the ACC Network through services such as ESPN+ (SUBSCRIBE). The game is also available to stream via fuboTV (FREE TRIAL) and YouTube TV (FREE TRIAL).

How to listen to Louisville basketball vs. Syracuse on the radio

Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM and WGTK 970 AM in Louisville).

You can also listen online via GoCards.com.

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Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

The Louisville Zoo was recently nominated for two awards in USA Today’s “10Best Readers’ Choice Awards” list.

However, it needs help to bring the title home.

Kentucky news:2 winners chosen for Louisville contest aimed at finding ideas to curb gun violence

According to a news release from the Louisville Zoo, the zoo was nominated for Best Zoo in the United States and Best Zoo Exhibit in the United States for the Glacier Run exhibit.

In both categories, Louisville is one of 20 nominees in the USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Best Zoo Contest and Best Zoo Exhibit Contest for 2023.

Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts and the 10Best editors narrow down the field before opening up to reader votes.

The voting, which already opened, concludes on Monday, March 4 at 11:59 a.m. EST. Readers can vote online for one nominee per category per day here.

EXCLUSIVE:Humana to relocate headquarters, close downtown Humana Tower. What to know

Which other zoos were nominated?

Nominees for best zoo include New Orleans, Louisiana; Melbourne, Florida; New York City, New York; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Cincinnati, Ohio; Honolulu, Hawaii; Carlsbad, New Mexico; Apple Valley, Minnesota; Asheboro, North Carolina; Oakland, California; Omaha, Nebraska; Salina, Kansas; St. Louis, Missouri; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; Rochester, New York; Seattle, Washington; Boise, Idaho; and Billings, Montana.

Nominees for best zoo exhibit include Knoxville, Tennessee; Palm Desert, California; Oakland, California; Tampa, Florida; Omaha, Nebraska; Royal Oak, Michigan; Washington, D.C.; Toledo, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; New York City, New York; Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Wayne, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Indianapolis, Indiana; Denver Colorado; and Escondido, California.

Relationships can be wild.

At the Louisville Zoo, that takes on a more literal meaning.

Scattered among the dens, nests, and coves are pairs of animals that have mated and even built bonds together. It’s not necessarily fair to compare these matches to human love and romantic emotions, but at the same time, these connections can evolve into something more than the instinct to create offspring.

Some animals “mate for life,” but that concept looks dramatically different than human marriage. While many species pair up, they're not necessarily monogamous. When a mate dies, they may mourn the loss, but usually, they're more focused on survival than grief.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day and on the search for a little whimsy, I sat down with Dan Maloney, the director of the Louisville Zoo, to catch up on all the hottest couples and lonely hearts on the campus.

Finding companionship isn’t easy. Even when different zoos work to pair animals assumed to have the best possible outcomes, it can be a struggle. Personalities come into play. Many animals are naturally solitary.

While these creatures aren’t swiping right or left like many of Louisville’s human singletons, sometimes it’s just not a match.

And other times? Well, they don’t call it “puppy love” and “love birds” for nothing.

Steller's sea-eagles: Anastasia and Piotr

Relationship status: The honeymoon stage

This is one of the newer couples at the Louisville Zoo. Piotr, the male, arrived from the San Diego Zoo in 2012, and now he shares his 50-foot tall aviary with the lovely Anastasia. She arrived in March 2023 from the World Bird Sanctuary.

“It looks like the two of them have hit it off pretty well,” Maloney said. “They've been spending a lot of time together.”

Grey Seals: Rona and Boone

Relationship status: Semi-new parents

Rona and Boone live at the Glacier Run exhibit at the Louisville Zoo, and they're semi-new parents. Rona, the female, gave birth to Finsbay in December 2020. The Louisville Zoo has a successful history of matchmaking with grey seals. The zoo has welcomed eight seal pups in its history, including twins. When those pups were born in 1979, they were the first twins to ever be documented in a zoo or zoo-like environment.

Maned Wolfs: Rocko and Sadie

Relationship status: Co-parenting

These maned wolves celebrated the birth of their two pups in 2017.

Sadie, the female, nursed the pups, and both parents regurgitated food to help their kiddos transition from Sadie’s milk to solid food. But don’t let that teamwork and co-parenting fool you. Maned wolves are solitary creatures, on the morning The Courier Journal stopped by the zoo, Sadie was perfectly content basking in the winter sun solo while Rocko hung out in a nearby pen.

Red Crowned Cranes: Toncho and Akane

Relationship status: Very much together

Birds often develop strong bonds, and Toncho and Akane at the Louisville Zoo are no exception.

Red crown cranes are the second-rarest type of crane in the world. In these relationships, both the male and female are involved in building the nest and caring for the young.

The male generally defends the nest while the female nurtures the chicks. In the wild cranes, like Toncho and Akane, are generally monogamous and stay together throughout the year.

Snowy Owl: Freyja and Banff

Relationship status: Broken up

Freyja and Banff had been together for years, and Freya laid several eggs during their courtship at the Louisville Zoo – but none of them were fertile.

Eventually, the zoo made the tough decision that the pair needed to split up and go a little further north. These birds are better suited for an outdoor habitat, Maloney said, and Louisville’s summer was just a little too warm for them.

In March 2023, Freyja headed to the Maryland Zoo and Banff went to the Oregon Zoo. And what do you know? Banff has since fathered four offspring with his new mate. Sometimes breakups have happy endings.

Orangutans: Bella and Segundo

Relationship status: A blind date that didn't go so well

Sometimes matchmaking can feel a bit like monkey business. Zoo leadership tried to pair Bella and Segundo up years ago, and these orangutans just weren't a good fit.

Bella has a robust personality, and she bullied Segundo a bit in those early days. Now he’s not interested in her at all.

Even so, Bella is enjoying her single life just fine and spends much of her time swinging and climbing in her habitat, doing gymnastics in the topmost part of the Islands indoor dayroom, or peeping down at you from above the ground in the outdoor areas.

Red Panda: Sundara

Relationship status: Single and ready to mingle

Sundara, affectionately known as “Sunny D,” arrived at the Louisville Zoo last year. Red pandas are found in the Himalayan forests. Red pandas are most active at dusk and dawn, and are tree-dwelling and solitary. These cuties spend most of their day resting to conserve energy. Males can weigh up to 14 pounds.

Zoo officials are hopeful that they’ll find a good mate for Sunny D soon.

Polar Bear: Qannik

Relationship status: On the prowl

Like the red pandas the bears at the zoo are naturally solitary, and because of that, Qannik the polar bear is in an exhibit all on her own. Even so, this bachelorette is incredibly playful. She’s known for frolicking in the exhibit’s pool and charming zoo visitors through the window. Maloney is hopeful they’ll find a mate for Qannik soon.

Features columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you've got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com. Follow along on Instagram and Threads @MaggieMenderski.