PADUCAH – The Paducah City Commission announced during Tuesday’s meeting that it is in the bid evaluation process for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant project.
This 2023 image shows the BUILD Grant project’s appearance when the design was 60% complete.
The BUILD grant project includes the renovation of a large portion of Paducah’s riverfront near the Transient Boat Dock.
The city is currently in discussions with funding partners at the federal and state levels to evaluate the project proposal.
The BUILD grant project includes the renovation of a large portion of Paducah’s riverfront near the Transient Boat Dock.
Paducah received $10.4 million from the federal BUILD Grant in 2019. In June, the city also received $3.5 million from the state for the project.
“We are working with our federal partners to ensure we comply with their regulations so that the $10 million we received is not jeopardized,” said Paducah City Manager Daron Jordan.
The project costs from the bid the city received exceeded the amount provided by federal and state funds.
The project costs from the bid the city received exceeded the amount provided by federal and state funds.
“As with all projects, this one exceeded our expectations, and that’s a common theme you hear in every city and every government agency that does these major projects,” said Paducah Mayor George Bray. “We’re working through this carefully to make sure we maximize our opportunity to get the best price possible before we finalize anything.”
During the meeting, the City Commission also introduced an ordinance amending the medical cannabis zoning code. The amendment incorporates five types of medical cannabis land uses into Paducah’s zoning code: dispensaries, cultivators, processors, producers and safety compliance facilities.
The city has already passed an ordinance allowing legal sales of medical cannabis in Paducah, but legal cannabis retail is not guaranteed. The western Kentucky region is made up of 10 counties, and state law allows only four dispensaries in the region. If more than four cities or counties apply to allow legal cannabis retail in a region, the state will conduct a blind lottery in January 2025 to determine which locations will begin retailing.
Although Paducah has no guarantee of a dispensary or other legal cannabis business, the City Commission is passing ordinances to establish regulations in the event that Paducah gets one.
“We said goodbye with great anticipation,” Jordan said.
The text amendment’s introduction establishes general provisions and determines zoning requirements for cannabis businesses. As part of the text amendment, the Planning Department recommended that dispensaries be located in higher density zones, at least one mile from any other dispensary, at least 1,000 feet from a school or daycare, and not adjacent to a home or residential property.
During the meeting, the City Commission also introduced an ordinance to amend the zoning plan for medical cannabis.
The Planning Department recommended that safety-compliant facilities similar to laboratories be built in industrial areas, planned office parks or hospital/medical zones.
“Laboratories as part of medical facilities or other types of testing are already permitted in these zones,” said Joshua Sommer of the Paducah Planning Board.
According to the regulation, growers, processors and producers would settle within the city’s industrial areas.
During the meeting, the City Commission entered into a lease with American Towers LLC for a 911 tower at 6765 Contest Road. The lease will initially run for 14 years, with a monthly rent of $3,900 in the first year and a 4% annual increase.
The lease is the last of two tower leases required to complete the 911 tower modernization. The entire 911 tower modernization plan includes a five-tower system. Paducah and McCracken County own three of the towers. The other two are leased.
The City Commission approved a municipal ordinance to accept a $1.34 million Mellon Foundation Grant on behalf of the Uppertown Heritage Foundation. The grant will be used to renovate the Hotel Metropolitan and the Purple Room and to build the capacity of its board and organization.
The City Commission also approved a municipal ordinance allowing the City Manager to issue a request for proposals for the design and construction of the Coleman Park Spray Ground. The City originally built the splash pad in 2005. After years of wear and tear, the splash pad and restroom facility need to be upgraded to improve operations and meet current water facility codes and standards.
Paducah Finance Director Jon Perkins introduced the Paducah Open Finance Budget Portal during the meeting. The online tool improves the city’s financial transparency by providing the public with digital access to the city’s expenditure and revenue budgets, annual financial reports and general annual financial reports.
Two Marshall County High School graduates, Jackson Miller and Ethan Morgan, were named Duke of Paducah for their internships with HeartStrong Kentucky. Miller and Morgan are medical students at the University of Kentucky. Over the summer, they worked with the HeartStrong Kentucky program to bring cardiovascular health awareness to Southside Paducah.
