Paducah Main Street Discussion
David Wilkins who serves on the Paducah Main Street board discussed with the Paducah Board of Commissioners a proposal to shift Paducah Main Street to a non-profit. Over the past few months, Paducah Main Street has been holding public meetings for the community, business owners, and stakeholders to explore the pros and cons of moving the entity back to a non-profit rather than its current structure as a division of a city department. In November and December 2024, three listening sessions were held to gather public feedback.
Wilkins outlined a proposed model of Paducah Main Street operating as a 501(c)(3) under the supervision of an independent board. The organization would need contract assistance and a three-member staff that would operate out of an office in the downtown district. The goals would be to focus on business recruitment, building renovations, historic preservation, and numerous special events. Wilkins emphasized that fundraising and volunteerism are the keys to the success of this non-profit model. Wilkins proposed a timeline of launching the non-profit in March and hiring employees in April with the approval of a contract for services between Main Street and the City this summer in addition to the opening of a downtown office. Wilkins also said that there is a plan to launch a downtown growth and expansion study.
The Paducah Board of Commissioners thanked Wilkins for the presentation. Mayor Bray said next steps would be to review the proposal, work on developing a budget for the transition, and further discuss the topic at the Commission’s upcoming priority-setting meeting.
Paducah Main Street began as a non-profit in 1989. In 2008, it became a division of the City of Paducah’s Planning Department.
Paducah Sports Park Updates and Championship Field
At the beginning of the City Commission Meeting, Director of Paducah Parks & Recreation Amie Clark introduced Paducah Sports Park General Manager Chastity Heeren. Heeren has nearly 30 years of experience in finance and operations and previously served as Regional Finance Manager at Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), the management company for the Paducah Sports Park.
Also at this meeting, the Board approved four municipal orders regarding the Paducah Sports Complex. The first action approved the McCracken County Sports Tourism Commission’s bid proposals and authorized a contract for services with Avanti Restaurant Solutions for food service equipment for the Sports Park.
The other three actions are contract modifications with the three companies that will work to install the Championship Field. Last summer, the Championship Field and Grandstand projects were removed from the construction contract approvals due to the total cost of the project exceeding the estimated facility cost. Since that time, the decision has been to demolish the grandstand and rework the design for the Championship Field and entryway. At this meeting, three contract modifications for the Championship Field were approved with the entryway concepts and construction documents to be introduced at a later meeting. The three contract modifications for the Championship Field, which total slightly more than $1.937 million, are with A&K Construction for the field construction, Sprinturf for the field surface, and Musco Sports Lighting for the field lighting. The City will use funds from the recently approved 2025A General Obligation Bond to cover these contract modifications.
For more information, visit Paducah Sports Park.
Request for Proposals for Property at 1501 Broadway (former Katterjohn property)
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved a Municipal Order authorizing the City Manager to release a request for proposals (RFP) for the property located at 1501 Broadway. This is a 3.21-acre parcel owned by the City that is currently vacant. With housing as a priority for the Paducah Board of Commissioners and a priority in the Comprehensive Plan, the goal is to attract a wide range of developers interested in using the property for housing with proposals which could involve single-family residences or a more-dense commercial structure. The intent of the RFP is to encourage creativity in creating housing options. The RFP will be released to the community and developers next week with a deadline of March 12 to submit proposals.
The City purchased the property which included the deteriorated Katterjohn building in 2023 after previous owners had failed to properly maintain the structure. In 2024, the City approved a demolition contract to remove the dilapidated structure. The site is now cleared and ready for redevelopment.
Contract for Services with Beautiful Paducah for BBQ on the River 2025
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved a Municipal Order authorizing a contract for services with Beautiful Paducah for the 2025 Barbecue on the River Festival which will be September 25 through 27. This will be the 31st festival. The City will provide $65,000 to assist with the costs to organize and hold the festival. Beautiful Paducah Executive Director Whitney Ravellette Wallace said the 2024 event raised $319,387.82 for local charities and non-profit organizations. The footprint of this year’s festival will shift due to the current riverfront redevelopment project construction (BUILD grant). The footprint will be primarily in the Farmers’ Market lot and the downtown lot at 2nd and Broadway. For more information about the festival and vendor opportunities, visit BBQ on the River.
Boards and Commissions
- Appointment of Chris Hutson to the Board of Ethics.
- Reappointment of Catherine “Kate” Senn and Randy DeHart to the Commissioners of Water Works.
- Reappointment of Darryl Pea to the Electric Plant Board.
Additional Meeting Information
- Paducah Power System Director of Finance, Power Supply and Rates Doug Handley presented the public power provider’s annual audit report. The audit shows that Paducah Power is in a strong position with strong internal controls. Regarding rates, Handley said that if the average PPS rate in January 2022 had increased at the rate of annual inflation, it would be 17 percent higher than the current rate. Handley also discussed the revenue potential from data mining.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the City Manager to release a request for proposals for a design/build project for Robert Coleman Park Project to renovate the sprayground and restroom facilities.
- Ordinance approved authorizing the closure of nearly 34,000 square feet of Vermont Street. This is an undeveloped section of Vermont Street.
- Ordinance approved adopting the City-County Comprehensive Plan. The plan was introduced at a joint City-County meeting held on January 27, 2025. The McCracken County Fiscal Court will have a second reading of the plan at its February meeting.
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