To view the entire meeting, visit https://youtu.be/BoGOIZHl7mo.
The agenda item to discuss the design documents, bid process, and construction timeline for the renovation of the Robert Cherry Civic Center took a different turn following this morning’s crash that resulted in damage to the facility located at 2701 Park Avenue. A semi truck heading north on H.C. Mathis Drive ran the red light adjacent to the building, crashed into a truck, and then into another car before hitting the east side of the building. City Manager Daron Jordan said the renovation project is paused until the total damage to the structure can be determined.
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance setting the real estate and personal property tax rates for fiscal year 2023. The City’s real estate tax levy is set at 26.5 cents per $100 assessed value, slightly LESS than last year’s rate of 27.1 cents. The City’s Compensating Rate, the rate that would keep the revenue at the same amount as last year, is 25.5 cents per $100 assessed value. Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) permits a city to adjust the rate upward by not more than 4 percent of the compensating rate. Since the City’s tax levy of 26.5 cents is 4 percent greater than the compensating rate, a public hearing was required and held at the previous City Commission meeting.
The Board approved a Municipal Order accepting the bid from C.I.R.C.O. for renovations to the Hotel Metropolitan Purple Room. Last year, the City accepted a $55,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation – African American Cultural Heritage Foundation on behalf of the Hotel Metropolitan located at 724 Oscar Cross Avenue. The Purple Room is an accessory building of the Hotel Metropolitan that was constructed during segregation for parties, community meetings, and performances. The funds will be used for electrical system updates, window restoration, and ceiling repair. The Hotel Metropolitan opened in 1909 as the only lodging option for African Americans traveling through Paducah at the time. Some of the century’s most notable politicians, athletes, and musicians stayed at the hotel that is now a museum and community gathering space.
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