BUILD Grant Geotechnical Work Leads to Schultz Park Temporary Closure

Date of Release: 
May 26, 2022

To design the BUILD grant's riverboat landing facility, a portion of Schultz Park will be closed beginning Tuesday, May 31 for crews to conduct geotechnical drilling. Park will reopen Monday, June 6 or sooner.

A section of Schultz Park along Paducah’s riverfront will be closed to the public beginning Tuesday, May 31 for geotechnical crews with Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering & Testing, Inc. to access to the park.  The park is expected to reopen on Monday, June 6 or sooner.

The floodwall opening at the Jefferson Street and Water Street intersection will be closed to the public.  However, this work will not affect the parking area facing the Ohio River near the transient boat dock.  The public will be able to access those parking spaces and the adjacent park from the floodwall entrance at North Second and Madison streets. 

The four geotechnical borings will provide soil data that will be used in the design of the new riverboat landing structure included in Paducah’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant award. 

Mayor George Bray said, “This geotechnical work is an exciting milestone for the BUILD grant.  We are moving from the environmental assessment phase, which has taken significant time due to requirements by the regulatory agencies, to the design phase.  We are grateful for the generous BUILD grant funds and look forward to improving the passenger experience for riverboat visitors to downtown Paducah and to enhancing downtown’s transportation elements.”

After the engineering design and bidding process, the approximately 18-month construction period could begin in the late fall of 2023. 

In November 2019, the City was notified of the $10.4 million grant award to be administered through the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD).  The BUILD grant is a package of transformative projects for Paducah’s downtown and riverfront.  The projects include

  • A new riverboat landing facility to be located just downstream of the foot of Broadway;
  • Improved bike and pedestrian linkages through the improvements of three intersections, the addition of wayfinding, and creation of a multi-use path; and
  • Improvements near the transient boat dock (former Executive Inn site) to include green space and seating.

Visit BUILD Grant to learn more.