Commissioners sell $3 million property in Commerce Park, get midyear department updates

On Tuesday, Paducah City Commissioners approved the sale of property in Commerce Park, heard an updated repair timeline for the Cherry Civic Center, and got midyear updates from various city departments.

The board authorized sale of the property at 2301 McCracken Boulevard in Commerce Park to Newgen Ventures for $3 million. In 2013, the city, county, and Greater Paducah Economic Development funded the building’s construction. Funds from the sale will more than cover the remaining principal.

Commissioners approved a contract modification with Midstates Construction for the Robert Cherry Civic Center Renovation Project, for completion December 28. 

The board contracted with Midstates to repair the facility, after a traffic crash damaged the building. The center will house office space for the Parks & Recreation Department’s administrative employees and will become an emergency operations center, when needed.

President and CEO Bruce Wilcox presented an annual report of GPED activities. The organization worked 40 prospects in the past year to unprecedented interest. Wilcox said in the past three years GPED was involved directly in adding 1,025 jobs. He said each $1 of investment in GPED brought a $35 return, with local job and company growth. 

A mid-year report on this year's top 10 Commission Priorities and five Continuous Improvement items included these other highlights:

Bike Lanes & Trails – The city received the National Park Service – River, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program Technical Assistance Grant, to design of the Greenway Trail and urban bike extensions. 

Community Growth – The City contracted with MakeMyMove for remote worker recruiting help.

Downtown – The BUILD grant project plans to finish the design this year and to contract to start construction in Spring 2024. 

Housing – The City-County comprehensive plan project has begun, with more than 300 community members providing input. An online survey will increase feedback.

Minority Inclusion – The city seeks a Diversity Specialist to work with the recently repopulated Paducah Human Rights Commission. 

Neighborhoods – The Paducah Police Department has held 14 neighborhood meetings to gather public feedback so far. 

Quality of Life – The City launched campaigns for Mental Health Awareness, beautification and code awareness.

Revenue Equity – The Finance Department proactively seeks out non-compliant businesses and is recruiting for a revenue technician position.

Southside Enhancements – The Planning Department finalized a package of Southside residential and business incentives.

Continuous Improvement measures include: 
911 Radio Equipment Upgrade, Governance, and Revenue – The City and County are finalizing a contract with Communications International for the radio and tower improvement project and exploring a parcel fee on property tax bills for funding.

City/County Outdoor Sports Complex – The project is designed and the team is preparing construction documents to place the project out to bid this fall. The request for proposals for relocation of the dog parks is expected soon.

Several departments are working to improve efficiency, including GPS routing on solid waste trucks and conversion to Microsoft 365.

Protecting Key Historical and Cultural Resources – Rhodes Heritage Group will recommend ways to preserve and steward key historical and cultural resources.

Stormwater – The Buckner Lane Bridge Replacement Project enlarged the bridge’s hydraulic opening above Crooked Creek.
 

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